Walking into The Best Stop Cajun Market feels like strolling through your local grocery store in Louisiana. The shelves are lined with spices, stuffed meats are displayed in fridges and staff members are packaging fresh boudin and chicken cracklings for customers.

What they offer: The Best Stop Cajun Market operates both as a marketplace and a deli, where customers can shop through products such as signature spices and products the brand has developed and sells.

Customers can also pick up fresh food to take out or dine in, with breakfast, lunch and dinner options available.

The local impact: Smith said the service and hospitality offered at The Best Stop Cajun Market couldn’t be achieved without his staff, with most of them having worked at the market since it opened.

• 806 Katy Fort Bend Road, Ste. 400, Katy

The Back Nine Golf will soon open a new location in Fulshear, giving seasoned and amateur golfers the opportunity to play simulated rounds of indoor golf.

The specifics: Owner Keaton Henson said Back Nine Golf offers 100 Professional Golfers' Association of America courses, live putting and games for kids, available 24/7 for members.

Zooming out: The Fulshear location will join 10 other Greater Houston locations including the nearby Katy location at 1443 S Mason Road, Ste. B, per its website.

• 6601 Skyline Drive, Ste. 600, Fulshear

Houston Airport System officials are urging travelers to arrive early as TSA wait times may exceed two hours in some locations, HAS officials said in a March 8 news release. 

What's happening? Due to the partial federal government shutdown, TSA officers are working without pay creating staffing shortages that have led to longer than typical wait times at airports nationwide, including at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU).

Director of Aviation Jim Szczesniak said HAS is expecting about 2.2 million spring break travelers during the government shutdown.

"Spring break brings some of the busiest travel days of the year," Szczesniak said in a statement. "When more passengers meet fewer security lanes, wait times can grow quickly."

Keep in mind: At HOU, officials said travelers should plan to arrive four hours before their scheduled departure as TSA wait times may extend beyond two hours.

At IAH, officials said travelers should allow extra time for security screening, noting some international air carriers have recently moved from Terminal D to E.

Since 1932, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has brought cowboys and cowgirls, country music performers, farmers and Texas youth together. Each year, the Rodeo hosts several diverse events, including auctions, cookoffs and concerts, all with the goal of promoting Western heritage. 

By the numbers: Here’s a glimpse of what the report stated:

• $326 million of direct economic impact was generated in the Greater Houston area
• $597 million of total economic activity was produced
• $630 million of total educational support has been given since 1932

Measuring the impact: Additionally, the Rodeo continues to be one of the largest scholarship and educational contributors in the country, per the report, with more than $14 million given in scholarships. 

Going forward: As for 2026 and the upcoming years, Pat Mann Phillips, chairman of the board of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, said she is focused on keeping the Rodeo grounded in its roots and in remembrance of the trailblazers who shaped it into what it is today. 

Texas attracts dozens of company headquarters to the state annually, with at least 314 businesses moving their main office to Texas from other states between 2015-2024, data from the governor’s office shows.

Zooming in: At least 24 companies moved their headquarters to Texas in 2024, with more than half landing in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. Two companies relocated from other countries, with data center developer Hive Digital Technologies bringing its home base from Canada to San Antonio and pharmaceutical company IntraBio Inc. moving its headquarters from the United Kingdom to Austin.

How we got here: State officials and experts said Texas’ economic incentives and light regulatory environment are key reasons why companies brought their operations to the state in recent years.

“Texas wants companies to move here, and [company leaders] know that,” Megan Mauro, interim president and CEO of the Texas Association of Business, told Community Impact. “Our legislative policy is really impacted by the voices of employers here.”