Katy and Fulshear residents have one final chance Nov. 3 to weigh in on several county, state and federal races in the midterm election.

Where to vote: Fort Bend County and Harris County residents can cast their votes at any of the 101 or 623 countywide locations, respectively, from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Nov. 3, according to their county election websites.

Meanwhile, Waller County residents are required to vote at their assigned voter precinct locations on Election Day.

Also of note: Voters should bring at least one of seven forms of appropriate identification to the polls, including a Texas driver's license, personal ID card, handgun license, military ID card or U.S. passport, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s website.

Stay tuned: Visit https://communityimpact.com/voter-guide to see results from all local and state elections in your community.

Trading card and game store SpudsTCG has opened a new location in Katy, management confirmed.

What it offers: The store sells trading cards, Funko Pops, dice, plushies and other accessories, according to its website.

The store also hosts Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering card tournaments and has a café area that sells coffee and tea.

Remember this: SpudsTCG has another location in Pearland, which opened in 2022, Community Impact previously reported. 

• 22756 Westheimer Parkway, Ste. 120, Katy

Over 271,000 Fort Bend County voters cast their ballot in-person during early voting, county data shows.

Breaking it down: Fort Bend County data shows 271,050 people cast their ballots in-person as of Oct. 30 when early voting closed.  Early voting accounts for about 46.5% of the county’s 583,019 registered voters, although additional ballots have been cast by mail.

Zooming out: The 2026 early voting numbers beat the total number of voters the last county judge election had in 2022, which had about 250,000. 

Before you go: Fort Bend County residents can still cast their ballots at 101 polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 3.

The Harris County Commissioners Court approved extensions for federal pre-disaster project grants and a study on detention basin management practices during its Oct. 29 meeting. County Judge Lina Hidalgo was not in attendance.

The details: The Federal Emergency Management Agency grant extensions give the Harris County Flood Control District more time to complete the Urban Flood Risk Study and three detention basins:

• Meyergrove Stormwater Detention Basin: extends performance by 6 months and 18 days

• East T.C. Jester Stormwater Detention Basin: extends performance through April 1, 2027

• Halls Bayou Blue Bell Detention Basin: extends performance through April 1, 2027

Also of note: The court also approved U.S. Department of Agriculture grant extensions, including 92 calendar days for Hurricane Beryl debris removal. None of the extensions include extra money. Additionally, commissioners approved a three-year, $533,444 agreement with the University of Houston to study floating vegetated islands.

One more thing: The court did not vote on adding 20 positions to the constable workforce after the items were pulled from the agenda.

Educators, public officials and graduates from across the state gathered in Austin on Oct. 27 to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Western Governors University in Texas. The online university offers certificates, bachelor's and master's degrees, which students can complete at their own pace.

About the organization: WGU was founded in 1997 by a bipartisan group of 19 governors in Western states to provide a more affordable and flexible option for higher education. In 2011, then-Gov. Rick Perry signed an executive order making Texas an official WGU affiliate.

Since 2011, WGU in Texas has reached the following milestones:

• 38,691 total graduates

• 45,545 degrees earned

• 24,087 students currently enrolled

Quote of note: "It was definitely one of those options that was super flexible, so that kind of fit my current schedule, especially since I work full-time," 2026 WGU graduate Jacob Gomez said. "It was super convenient for me."