Renovations at the Walmart store in Porter were recently completed, with a celebration for the new look held on Sept. 18.

Some context: Work on the location, which is part of the company's "store of the future" design project in the Greater Houston area, began in May.

What's new: The completed renovations at the store include:

• Aisle expansions and added interactive displays

• Changes to the vision center and deli, produce and pickup/delivery departments

• Updated restrooms with an added mother's room and private family restroom

• An added grab-and-go section

• Added healthy foods, affordable brands and baby food options

• Expanded Hispanic and Asian food options

• Expanded services offered via the store app and faster delivery service

During a Sept. 29 zoning workshop, Roman Forest City Council members discussed creating a zoning commission separate from the city council to hear variance requests ahead of planned zoning regulations.

Some context: In September 2025, council members approved a comprehensive plan that laid the groundwork for these potential regulations. The proposed commission would serve as an advisory body to the city council, which would have to approve its decisions.

Zooming in: Key details of the discussion include:

• Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell Davis said council members will bring a list of potential appointees in October and solicit input from citizens.

• Davis noted the commission would ideally consist of seven individuals who do not currently serve on the city council.

• Council member David Mullane suggested allowing two current council members on the commission.

• Council member Jerry Reasner stated he wants candidates to have qualifications such as an understanding of real estate and taxes.

Stay tuned: City Administrator Scott Castleberry said officials will next discuss the potential zoning regulations at the Oct. 26 council meeting.

Across the two ZIP codes that make up Community Impact's New Caney-Porter coverage area, data for August 2026 compared with August 2025 shows: 

• Approximately 10 fewer homes sold. 
• The median price of home sold increased in both ZIP codes. 
• On average, homes sold faster in both ZIP codes. 
• More than 74% of homes sold in August 2026 were in the $200,000-$399,999 price range. 

The Texas Education Agency is asking state lawmakers to spend $97.3 billion on K-12 education initiatives and staffing in the next two years, up from about $91 billion in the current state budget.

The details: During a Sept. 29 hearing on the agency's legislative appropriations request, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath noted that the TEA is "largely a pass-through vehicle to fund schools around the state of Texas." This means that while funding would be allocated to the agency under Article III of the state budget, the majority of that money would be sent to school districts, outside of funds used to pay TEA staff and cover operations for associated entities, such as the State Board of Education.

The TEA is asking for about $49.6 billion for fiscal year 2027-28 and $47.7 billion for fiscal year 2028-29, totaling $97.3 billion for the 2028-29 biennium. Morath said those amounts would "preserve 100% of all funding for public schools" through the Foundation School Program, which is the state's main funding source for K-12 schools, and other initiatives.