Friendswood ISD students played a direct role in shaping classroom learning for the 2025-26 school year by selecting which projects will receive funding through the Adopt-A-Grant program, according to a Dec. 15 news release from the district.

The details: Students made their selections during the FISD’s Education Foundation’s, or FEF, annual Student Grant Committee Meetings, which took place prior to the Thanksgiving break.

Through discussion and consensus-building, student representatives from multiple campuses reviewed teacher-submitted grant proposals and determined which projects would best align with campus needs.

A new 12,500-seat amphitheater is slated to open in Webster, according to a Dec. 11 news release from VENU, the owner and operator of the upcoming venue.

What you need to know: The amphitheater, which will be named Sunset Amphitheater Houston, will be 34 acres, located in the Flyway area, the news release states.

Sunset Amphitheater Houston will have a projected economic impact of over $3.7 billion and relay over 400 in the first 20 years, according to the release. 

“This announcement marks a defining moment for Webster and for Flyway,” Webster Mayor Donna Jasso said in the release. “This amphitheater advances Webster’s super-regional draw and builds on strengths that continue to fuel Flyway’s momentum, further establishing the district as a premier entertainment hub for the Southeast Texas region.”

Stay tuned: Additional project details, including construction timelines and future programming announcements, will be released in the coming months.

Sonia Lopez was appointed by Harris County commissioners Dec. 11 to serve as one of the county's civil court judges to fill a vacancy as the presiding judge runs as one of the Democratic nominees for Harris County attorney.

Quote of note: Lopez, standing beside her family, told court members that she will work hard to earn the trust of Harris County residents.

“I have to thank my parents who taught me the value of hard work,” Lopez said. “They came to this country to live the American dream, and I think they have accomplished that.”

The setup: The appointment comes as presiding Civil Court Judge Audrie Lawton Evans formally entered the 2026 primary election by Texas’ Dec. 8 candidacy filing deadline. Six total races are being contested by both Democratic and Republican candidates across the March primary elections, including the Harris County attorney position.

Texas has grown rapidly in recent years, and data indicates that development is not slowing down. The Lone Star State gained about 168,000 jobs from September 2024-September 2025, leading the nation in job growth, according to the Texas Workforce Commission.

The overview: Texas is attractive to businesses looking to relocate or expand their operations due to its tax incentives and grants, lack of a personal income tax and roughly 200 higher education institutions, business leaders said during a Dec. 10 summit held in College Station by industry network YTexas.

As businesses of all sizes continue to move to Texas, local governments and associations also need to “support the ones that are already here,” said Dean Browell, the chief behavioral officer for Feedback, a digital ethnographic research firm.

Zooming in: In an October study, Feedback found that long-term Texas residents want to live in growing communities with strong education systems and plentiful job opportunities. That growth, however, can lead to rising property taxes and living expenses before residents begin feeling the benefits, Browell said.