Montgomery County commissioners voted 5-0 on Oct. 22 to approve additional law enforcement for The Woodlands Township’s mounted patrol services. This follows the township's September vote to approve the sheriff's office proposal, transitioning from Alpha & Omega Mounted Patrol services. The county will house seven horses in stables at a park off Fish Creek Thoroughfare.

The specifics: The township agreed to pay one-time costs of up to $954,000 and close to $1.4 million in recurring costs. Two full-time county personnel will move to the facility to assist with the horses. The agreement adds a sergeant and six deputies to the unit.

Also of note: Commissioners also unanimously approved:

• Plans to complete the David Memorial Drive extension to Hwy. 242, awarding a $1.8 million contract to JFO Services.

• A contract awarded to Thompson Consulting for San Jacinto River Watershed flood mitigation efforts.

A family affair: Milkshake Factory, a milkshake and chocolate shop owned and operated by husband and wife Paul and Lisa Winslow, opened in May. The family-friendly business serves people ages 2-102. Paul uses his previous experience in merchandise management to run the store while Lisa helps with day-to-day operations.

What they offer: The shop's menu centers on handcrafted milkshakes, housemade chocolates and other desserts. Customers can choose from:

• Signature shakes such as Chocolate Cake Shake and Campfire S'mores
• Gourmet options including Bananas Foster and Salted Caramel Pretzel
• Classic and non-dairy categories
• Housemade chocolates like chocolate cake pops, chocolate bark and chocolate-dipped strawberries
• Molten cups, sundaes and a root beer float

Staying local: The Winslows have lived in The Woodlands area since 2017 and chose Cochran's Crossing for their franchise. The business has participated in community events and fundraisers, including Shakes with the Sheriff and spirit night fundraisers for local schools.

Two-minute impact: Development along the Grand Parkway is driving retail growth east of I-45 in south Montgomery County. Master-planned communities have expanded, and developers are building new retail centers to serve the growing population. Fidelis announced a 170,000-square-foot retail center, Grand Imperial Marketplace, slated to open in fall 2027 with a Sprouts Farmers Market, Marshalls, Five Below, Ross and Planet Fitness. Other developments include the Grand Oaks Shopping Center and FLEX Oak Ridge, which will provide 10,000 square feet of retail space and 100,000 square feet of industrial space.

What's happening? The east side of I-45 is becoming a major growth corridor due to its employment base, infrastructure, roads and schools. For example, Montgomery County MUD 99 has seen 125 new homes since 2025.

The local impact: Established retail centers are also experiencing high demand. The Imperial Oaks Shopping Center is fully leased, following a 46% population increase within a 3-mile radius since 2010.

In July, Texas' top elected officials directed most state agencies, appellate courts and public universities to cut spending by 3% in their base budget requests for the next two years.

The overview: Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows said those reductions will help Texas hold a "strong fiscal position" by expanding property tax relief and maintaining public education funding when the legislature returns to Austin next year.

The issue: Dozens of agency leaders have warned that the cuts, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars, are not sustainable. They would cause Texas residents to lose "essential" services and lead to losses in state revenue, leaders said at the capitol and in budget documents.

Government institutions protesting the budget reductions include the comptroller's office, the attorney general, Texas' Cancer Prevention and Research Institute, state criminal justice agencies and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.