Spring-based Consultants in Dental Aesthetics will celebrate five years of service on Jan. 19 in its clinic on Louetta Road.

Read all about it: The dental clinic first opened its doors in January 2021 with the goal of providing comfortable, transparent care to the Spring community, said Mary Ann Landry, CEO and chief visionary officer.

Landry opened the clinic with her husband, Dr. Michael Landry, who serves as clinical director and chief operating officer of the dentistry. Consultants in Dental Aesthetics offers a variety of services, including preventative cleaning, same-day crowns and sleep apnea treatment, according to the clinic's website.

Quote of note: "We are primarily a general dentistry practice, but we're more like a super general practice," Mary Ann said. "We will take patients and partner with them to make sure they get the care that they need and they deserve."

One more thing: The clinic will host a Free Day of Dentistry on Jan. 24, where patients aged 18 and up can receive free fillings, cleanings or extractions, Mary Ann said. 

Officials with the optometrist office EyeScript Vision Care in Spring announced they moved to a new location. 

The update: The relocation update was shared on the business’s social media stating they were moving to a new space on Gosling Road from Dec. 29-Jan. 2. 

Meet the owner: Local Houstonian and optometrist Jennifer Nguyen oversees patient care. Services offered at the optometrist office include eye exams, contact lens exams, medical exams and surgical co-management services, according to the business’s website.

• 22321 Gosling Road, Spring

Officials with the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County announced Jan. 5 its transition to a new fare system, RideMETRO, which replaces and discontinues the METRO Q Fare Card.

The gist: METRO riders can purchase the RideMETRO $2 fare card, according to METRO’s website, and load money at any of the following locations:

• METRO RideStore locations
• METRO Online RideStore
• RideMETRO app
• Participating retail locations
• Ticket vending machines

Riders can check their balance on the RideMETRO app. After 10 paid trips, riders get one free trip, according to METRO’s announcement.

The cost: No fare increases are taking place as part of the new fare system, according to the METRO website.

A new U.S. Postal Service rule could impact when time-sensitive mail, such as tax forms and mail-in ballots, is considered officially sent.

The overview: Effective Dec. 24, mailed items are postmarked when the USPS processes them, rather than the date items are dropped in a mailbox. A postmark refers to the date and location stamped or printed on most mailed items, indicating when and where the USPS “accepted custody” of a mailpiece, per the federal agency.

Zooming in: According to the Texas comptroller’s office, the updated USPS guidance means items could be postmarked “several days” after they are dropped in a mailbox. This includes date-sensitive items sent by Texas residents and businesses, such as property tax payments, federal tax returns, mail-in ballots and required business reports.

To ensure that mail is postmarked on the day it is sent, customers can take mail into their local post office and request that the item be hand-stamped for free, according to the USPS. Texans can also pay property taxes and submit ballots in-person at county offices.