The start date for construction and equipment upgrades at the West University Place Recreation Center has been updated to Oct. 19, according to a presentation showcased at a July 27 City Council meeting.

Construction was formerly anticipated to begin in September.

More details: On Monday, West U officials received updates on the facility’s renovation plans from Parks and Recreation Director Susan White and PGAL Architects representative Justine Markowski.

Both White and Markowski shared with the council that since their last update presented at an April 13 meeting, project designers finalized several areas of design development such as the facility’s color scheme, floor plan, architectural finishes and relocation of certain mechanical equipment to make room for new machinery.

The impact: After discussing matters related to the plans, council members greenlit a $389,852.80 expenditure from the Friends of West University Parks Fund, a volunteer-based organization dedicated to improving city spaces through fundraising, to purchase the incoming cardio and fitness equipment.

HMotorsTX, a family-owned and operated private auto dealership, officially began servicing in Montrose in early June, co-owner Ian Hartman confirmed.

What they offer: The local automobile business buys and sells a variety of used makes and models, which are all viewable on its website.

As of late July, its vehicle listings include Teslas, Hyundais and Chevrolets among other pickups and SUVs, per the site.

Another detail: Aside from scrolling through its website, drivers with specific automobile preferences can also utilize HMotorsTX’s online car finder portal to leave a ‘shopping request,’ indicating what they are in the market for and their desired price range, model, mileage, manufacturer date and the overall condition of the car.

HMotorsTX will use these requests to narrow down the options of vehicles for sale to a select few that fit each customer’s needs.

A quick note: At the time of publishing, HMotorsTX is taking in-person customers at its Montrose location by appointment only.

• 4500 Yoakum Blvd., Houston

At-large council member Willie Davis has proposed a new amendment to an ordinance to establish local load securement standards for passenger cars and trucks in Houston after several incidents involving unsecured cargo posing a safety hazard to residents were reported or personally experienced.

Davis suggested the proposed ordinance during a Proposition A committee meeting July 28.

The specifics: The ordinance would require motor vehicles and/or any attached trailers to secure loads or cargo with a securement device of "sufficient strength" to prevent their loads from moving, thus preventing the cargo from ending up on the roads and/or highways, per the ordinance. The draft proposal also defines words listed in the ordinance, including load or cargo, securement device and moving.

Why it matters: A presentation at the committee meeting given by Davis noted that the objective of the amendment is to reduce the frequency of the type of public safety hazard that can lead to vehicular crashes caused by road debris.

Greater Houston suburban areas such as Magnolia, Brookshire and La Marque are trending in home sale growth, according to the Houston Association of Realtors' latest Hottest Communities report for the second quarter of 2026.

Breaking it down: Construction of new homes was a significant factor for the growth of many of the top 10 communities, per the report. Additionally, six of the top 10 communities had an average home price below the Houston-area average of $455,159.

The list is led by the Magnolia/1488 West area, which saw a 61.6% increase in sales compared to 2025. Meanwhile, the Huffman area, east of Atascocita, had a 58.2% increase, while Conroe Southwest saw a 38% gain.

What they’re saying: “The communities seeing the most growth right now are the ones where buyers have choices,” HAR Chair Theresa Hill said. “New construction is expanding options and helping more buyers find homes that align with their needs and budget.”

Texas lawmakers are considering cutting a costly, decade-old tax break for the state’s booming data center industry.

The overview: Texas spends more than $1 billion annually on the sales tax exemption, and the comptroller’s office estimated in 2025 that due to the program, the state will lose about $3.2 billion in sales tax revenue over the next two years.

The Lone Star State is home to the nation’s fastest-growing data center market, and the Data Center Coalition, which advocates for the industry, has argued that the tax break program is key to maintaining that title. Senators and members of the public who spoke at a July 27 hearing disagreed.

Looking ahead: Amid a bipartisan push for more regulation of data centers, senators indicated that they intend to add more strings to the tax exemption program or eliminate it entirely.

"The question is whether or not we need to have a special session where all of us are focusing in on this," Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, said.

“We do,” Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, replied.