At an April 27 meeting, Katy City Council voted to approve an ordinance to allow golf cart use within city limits. Council member Rory Robertson cast the sole dissenting vote, citing concerns with potential injuries or deaths.

The background: The ordinance comes after a discussion at a March 18 Katy City Council special meeting, which Police Chief Bryon Woytek said was in response to police already seeing golf cart use within the city. At the time, the city of Katy followed state standards, which allowed use within master-planned communities, including Cane Island.

The details: The ordinance now allows golf cart and neighborhood electric vehicle use in city limits during daylight hours, which includes half an hour before sunrise and half an hour after sunset, according to agenda documents. However, operation of all-terrain vehicles is prohibited within city limits.

Also of note: The ordinance states golf carts must be operated by licensed drivers who should follow all traffic regulations and cannot be used on sidewalks or trails, per agenda documents.

PopStroke Katy has opened a new family-friendly restaurant dubbed BarTenders as a part of its full property renovations, said Dylana Silver-O’Brien, brand communications and special projects for PopStroke.

On the menu: The restaurant spotlights the brand's crowd-favorite chicken tenders and crispy chicken sandwich, Silver-O’Brien said.
Other menu options include various tacos, burgers, sandwiches, salads and wings, according to its website. Brunch is also available on weekends.

What else: In addition to the restaurant, Silver-O’Brien said the Katy property also underwent several other venue enhancements, including:

• A redesigned putting course with new on-course tech

• Misters and course upgrades

• A fully renovated golf shop

• An upgraded course bar

• Updated event spaces and furniture

Notable quote: "The entire property was thoughtfully reimagined to create a more elevated experience across golf, dining and events," Silver-O’Brien said. "It also reflects our continued national growth, with Texas now our fastest-growing state."

• 23110 Grand Circle Blvd., Katy

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out five trending stories in the Greater Houston area from April 27-May 1.

1. Conroe ISD decentralizing its special education program

2. Azalea District under construction in New Caney

3. The Woodlands Township considering new fees

4. Turquoise Wine Bar to open in Cypress

5. Mediterranean eatery Brassica opening in Sugar Land

Camp Mystic, the Texas Hill Country camp where 28 people died in catastrophic flooding last July, announced April 30 that it will not welcome campers this summer.

The background: The decision comes nearly 10 months after 25 young campers, two teenage counselors and the camp’s executive director, Dick Eastland, died as the Guadalupe River camp flooded July 4. Camp Mystic’s owners had planned to open a secondary campsite called Cypress Lake in late May, but backed down at the urging of flood victims’ families and state lawmakers.

What's happening: A spokesperson for the Department of State Health Services, which licenses youth camps, confirmed to Community Impact that Camp Mystic had withdrawn its application to operate in summer 2026. 

In a statement, Camp Mystic officials said they did not want to “unintentionally effect further harm” on flood victims and their families.

"We also recognize that over 800 girls want to return to Camp Mystic Cypress Lake this summer," they wrote. "Our special bond with our Camp Mystic families does not change or end with the announcement."

Texas retailers can keep various smokable hemp products on their shelves through late July, a Travis County judge ruled May 1.

The overiew: Judge Daniella DeSeta Lyttle’s ruling prohibits the Texas Department of State Health Services, which regulates and licenses consumable hemp businesses, from enforcing new THC testing requirements and sharply increasing licensing fees.

The hemp industry previously argued that the DSHS was overstepping its regulatory authority by changing how Texas classifies THC content. State officials have defended the reclassification and other rules as in line with a September executive order by Gov. Greg Abbott.

What it means: DeSeta Lyttle’s temporary injunction extends an earlier pause on the DSHS rules, which was issued April 10.

The pause applies to all consumable hemp businesses in Texas, allowing them to continue producing, manufacturing and selling smokable products until at least July 27, when a final court trial is scheduled. That could change if the state appeals the ruling to a higher court.