Montgomery County officials moved Feb. 12  to update the county’s National Incident Management System training and reporting plan.

County staff said the overhaul is needed now that participation demands and state requirements have changed, and the county wants more control over what responders are learning.

The context: During the Montgomery County Commissioners Court meeting, Jason Millsaps, executive director of the county Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, told the court the update is about compliance and keeping county departments and partner agencies on track without repeated exemptions.

“What we're doing is refreshing, updating the NIMS requirements for the county. Last time we did this was a couple years ago,” Millsaps said.

He said the plan approved in 2023 included a class that county departments and partners, such as fire departments and EMS, were required to take, but a combination of a legal shift and limited enrollment is causing problems with meeting that requirement.

Also on the agenda: A final change order shows work is still underway at the Precinct 2 Emergency Response Building.

Daniel & Co. Fine Jewelry & Watches is now under construction in the Grogan's Mill Village Center, marketing and sales representative Elena Loveia said.

The gist: The store will offer a selection of jewelry as well as services such as stone replacement, engraving and custom design.

• Opening TBD
• 2260 Buckthorne Place, The Woodlands

Wholesale customers participating in The San Jacinto River Authority Groundwater Reduction Plan can expect lower groundwater and surface water wholesale water rates after the SJRA board of directors approved a rate order amendment Jan. 22.

What you need to know: According to a news release from the SJRA, the groundwater rate will decrease from $2.62 to $2.51 per 1,000 gallons of groundwater pumped by GRP participants. The release also indicates that the surface water rate will also see a reduction from $3.21 to $3.10 per 1,000 gallons of treated surface water delivered from Lake Conroe to participants

What it means: SJRA reported it has 80 customers under contract, and seven receive surface water. GRP participants are comprised of retail water providers such as cities, municipal utility districts and independently owned utilities.

At the Tomball ISD trustees' Feb. 9 meeting, Chief Financial Officer Zack Boles presented the audited annual fund balance report. The purpose of the balance report is to ensure the district has enough funds available in the case of "unanticipated events” or disasters.

What the experts say: The audited fund balance as of June 30, 2025, is as follows:

• Non-spendable fund balance: $890,906
• Restricted fund balance: $3.5 million
• Committed fund balance: $23.12 million
• Assigned fund balance: $0
• Unassigned fund balance: $82.42 million

• Student independence and exploration
• Teacher collaboration and interdisciplinary learning
• Meaningful integration of digital tools
• Informal gathering, small group instruction, and project-based learning

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from last week? Check out five trending stories in the Greater Houston area from Feb. 9-13.

Check this out: Montgomery County Precinct 2 residents will have an opportunity to dispose of their heavy trash March 7-8 during Commissioner Charlie Riley’s Heavy Trash Clean Up Day, according to a Feb. 4 Facebook post.

From 8 a.m.-5 p.m. March 7 and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. March 8, residents can bring their heavy trash to 31245 Friendship Drive, Magnolia. Accepted items include batteries, tires and electronics, among others. 

In other news: The Houston Texans are setting up shop in Bridgeland.

The NFL franchise is collaborating with Harris County Precincts 3 and 4 and Howard Hughes Holdings to invest $83 million into a new “Toro District” in Cypress, which will include a new Texans headquarters and training facilities. Harris County commissioners approved the public-private partnership Feb. 12 following a closed-session meeting.

Also of note: A new La La Land Cafe is expected to open in Katy's Meadows Marketplace later this year.