Sugar Land’s Industrial Boulevard is set to see the replacement of street panels on its northern side following reconstruction to the southern side in 2018.

What’s happening: At a March 17 meeting, Sugar Land City Council approved a $2.27 million construction contract with Teamwork Construction Services Inc. for the replacement of damaged street panels on Industrial Boulevard north of Jess Pirtle Boulevard.

The road, which is located in the city’s Business Park District, was determined to be deteriorating, according to agenda documents.

Going forward: Construction is expected to be substantially complete by December, per agenda documents.

Fast-casual chain Chicken Salad Chick celebrated the first anniversary of its Sienna location in Missouri City on March 18, officials confirmed.

What they offer: The restaurant offers 12 sweet and savory chicken salad flavors such as Fruity Fran, Sassy Scotty and Classic Carol, according to its website.

Customers can enjoy chicken salad as scoops or sandwiches with pairable options including gourmet soups, cakes and peach tea.

• 9330 Hwy. 6, Missouri City

With a partial federal government shutdown ongoing, officials with the Houston Airport System said on March 23 that passengers could continue to see growing wait times at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), including in some cases exceeding four hours at IAH.

As a result, federal agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have begun supporting TSA operations at airports nationwide, including in Houston, Houston Airport System officials announced in a March 23 news release.

Some context: Due to the partial federal government shutdown, which began Feb. 14, TSA officers are working without pay, which is creating staffing shortages that have led to longer than typical wait times at airports nationwide.

Diving in deeper: Per the release, with the addition of ICE agents at Houston airports, screening procedures for passengers remain unchanged. Additionally, officials noted the number of available TSA screening lanes can vary by airport and shift, depending on staffing levels.

Beginning April 1, Texans can no longer use food stamps to purchase sweetened beverages and candy.

How we got here: During the 2025 legislative session, Texas lawmakers passed Senate Bill 379, which prohibits Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits from being used to purchase candy and sweetened drinks. In August, the federal government approved a waiver allowing Texas to implement the prohibition beginning April 1.

Texas will be the ninth state to prohibit SNAP benefits from being used on sugary items, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

How it works: Under SB 379, Texans will not be allowed to use their SNAP benefits to buy sweetened drinks containing any artificial sweeteners or at least 5 grams of added sugar, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. SB 379 also bans the purchase of candy with Lone Star Cards.

It is up to Texas businesses to determine which items are no longer SNAP-eligible, update their store purchase systems and train staff to recognize the newly restricted items, according to the HHSC.