Multiple initiatives aimed at improving Houston ISD students’ early literacy will kick off in August, according to the district.

Latest update: New reading initiatives for HISD kindergarten and first grade students are slated to roll out for the 2026-27 school year, which begins Aug. 10, according to HISD.

A new program dubbed “Accelerated Science of Reading” will be offered for select HISD kindergarten and first grade students who read below the average in their grade level, according to the district’s website. This program will provide those students with lessons designed to “address specific skill gaps” and help them improve.

What they're saying: “When we strengthen early learning, consistent support and the resources students need from the beginning of their educational journey, we give them the opportunity to succeed during their time at HISD and beyond,” Deputy Superintendent Kristen Hole said via a June 22 news release from HISD.

Canopy Cancer Survivorship Center marked its 10-year anniversary this year with a June 22 event at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center.

The center opened in 2016 to provide support for patients and caregivers experiencing cancer, and it now provides more than 45 programs and other services free of charge for anyone impacted by cancer, regardless of where they received treatment, according to a news release.

What they offer: In the past year, the center has:

• Logged 1,200 monthly guest encounters for patients and families both during and after treatment
• Offered more than 45 unique programs and services, including gentle exercise, nutrition, education and social support
• Facilitated more than 250 complimentary wig fittings and customized prosthesis or bra fittings for individuals

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from last week? Check out five trending stories from the South Houston area from June 29-July 3.

1. New ice cream shop opens in Pearland Town Center

2. Fort Bend Care Center to add new education and community center

3. METRO announces new rail station named after Joe Ramirez

4. Brooklyn Pizzeria opens Fulshear area location

5. New ice cream, candy shop opens in Texas City

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas operates the state power grid, overseeing the flow of electricity to over 27 million customers. Yet ERCOT does not directly participate in Texas’ electric market or own any of the facilities that deliver power across the state.

The big picture: Power generation plants, transmission facilities and distribution lines are owned by outside companies, meaning that local power outages are typically isolated and handled by individual companies, rather than ERCOT.

How it works: In 1999, Texas legislators passed a law deregulating the state’s retail electric market. The law was designed to “introduce competition in Texas’ electric market by allowing consumers to choose their retail electric provider,” according to ERCOT.

Previously, most Texas utility companies owned all aspects of the electric supply chain, including generation, transmission and the delivery of power to customers.

Today, approximately 85% of electric customers in Texas can choose their retail electric provider, including those across the Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth regions. Customers in Austin and San Antonio get their electricity from municipally owned utilities.