Boba tea franchise The Alley is coming to Cy-Fair, according to a Harris County tenant permit.

What we know: The Alley is slated to open in a shopping center along North Eldridge Parkway and FM 1960, the permit shows. Construction is expected to begin by mid-March, but the exact opening date is unknown as of press time.

Zooming out: The Cy-Fair shop marks the fifth franchise location in the Greater Houston area, with other shops open in Katy, Sugar Land, and Houston's Chinatown, according to The Alley's website. The tea shop also has an international presence spanning Northeast and Southeast Asia, Europe, Canada and Australia.

What they offer: The Alley's menu features milk teas, boba, fresh-brewed iced teas and cold brew drinks, per the website. Popular items include Brown Sugar Boba Creme Brulée, Garden Milk Tea, Strawberry Green Tea with Jelly and a Snow Strawberry Smoothie.

• 12262 FM 1960, Ste. 24, Houston

On March 3, voters in the primary election will decide who will be the Democratic candidate in the race for Texas House District 130 in November. Two candidates are running, and Republican incumbent Tom Oliverson is running in the Republican primary uncontested.

The details: Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity. For more election coverage, go to www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide.

Houston’s single-family rental market experienced solid growth in 2025, according to a new update from the Houston Association of Realtors.

Long story short: HAR reports single-family rental leases have increased 9.4% year over year, with a total of 3,283 homes leased in December. There was a 21.2% increase in listings, with 5,486 listings added to the Multiple Listing Service in December compared to 4,525 the prior year.

A Harris County district judge granted an emergency court order on Jan. 26 to extend early voting in the runoff election for Texas’ 18th Congressional District after severe winter weather forced the closure of polling places Jan. 25-26.

The order requires Harris County to open all early voting locations from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Jan. 28 and from noon-7 p.m. Jan. 29 to restore the voting hours lost when polls closed due to hazardous weather conditions.

What happened: Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth announced Jan. 24 that all early voting centers would be closed Jan. 25-26 due to inclement weather. Early voting was originally slated to run Jan. 21-27 with election day Jan. 31.

What they're saying: On Jan. 25, organizations including the Texas Civil Rights Project, Houston Justice and Pure Justice announced they had filed a lawsuit to expand early voting. Both Democratic candidates, Christian D. Menefee and Amanda Edwards, said they were in support of extending early voting.