Several restaurants have announced openings, new locations coming soon or relocations in The Woodlands area. Here is a look at five of them. This listing is not comprehensive.

Now open: On the Kirb features a menu made with local produce and organic meats, per the website. Menu items include salads, burgers, wraps, tacos and pizza. In addition, On the Kirb offers a variety of specialty cocktails, including its hibiscus margaritas and the Barrel-Aged Old Fashioned.

• Opened Nov. 15
• 6777 Woodlands Parkway, The Woodlands

• Opening in early 2026
• 24 Waterway Ave., Ste. 125, The Woodlands

Gorjana is now open at Market Street, according to a news release.

The details: Gorjana is a signature fine jewelry brand founded by husband-and-wife duo, Gorjana and Jason Reidel. The jewelry store sells more than 100 different types of charms, including alphabet letters, zodiac symbols and pearls, according to its website.

• Opened Nov. 24
• 9595 Six Pines Drive, Ste. 935, The Woodlands

United Way of Greater Houston purchased a new building in Montgomery County that will allow the nonprofit to expand its services, according to a Nov. 17 news release. The 51,900-square-foot building located in Conroe is double the size of the organization’s current building in The Woodlands.

More details: United Way of Greater Houston plans to use part of the building as a program space for area nonprofits, and there will be meeting spaces for community use, according to the release. Additionally, the new building has a built-in generator on-site, so United Way of Greater Houston anticipates using it as a community center during natural disasters.

Some context: The nonprofit works to remove barriers to financial stability, with programs focused on financial stability, youth opportunity, healthy community and community resiliency, according to the release. United Way of Greater Houston also has service centers in Harris, Fort Bend and Waller counties.

With Christmas quickly approaching, here are eight organizations hosting toy drives for children that anyone can participate in. This list is not comprehensive, and details are subject to change.

Pearland Neighborhood Center Toy Drive: The Pearland Neighborhood Center is partnering with the Pearland Police Department for a holiday toy drive. Local businesses can contact officer Ryden Cohen to sign up to host a donation box where residents can drop off new toys for families in need.  

• Donations needed by the week of Dec. 12
• 2335 N. Texas Ave., Pearland
• Suggested donations: new, unused and unwrapped toys

Holiday Toy Store: Ronald McDonald House is collecting toy donations for babies and teens. Gifts must be new, in original packaging and unwrapped, and will be delivered to residents’ doors on Christmas morning. 

• Donations needed by Dec. 5
• 1907 Holcombe Blvd., Houston
• Suggested donations: video game systems, video game controllers, headphones, jewelry, diaper bags, teething toys, play mats

On the heels of what proponents have called “historic” property tax relief, some Texas lawmakers are questioning whether the state can afford to continue increasing the tax exemptions passed in 2023 and 2025.

The big picture: Texas homeowners pay property taxes to various local entities, although lawmakers can limit how much entities increase taxes each year and provide state funding to expand tax exemptions.

Texas is spending $51 billion on property tax relief in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 alone and may be required to spend more to maintain existing tax exemptions in future bienniums, lawmakers said.

What they're saying: "We're kind of maxed out at what we can do for property tax reform, from a budget perspective," said Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, during a Nov. 20 event.

"$51 billion ongoing, it's a huge amount to continue to support. To think about doing anything more seems very fiscally irresponsible," Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, said.

The other side: Rep. Ellen Troxclair, R-Lakeway, said creating limits on local government spending would be critical to keeping Texas affordable.