As early voting begins Feb. 17, here is everything voters in Conroe and Montgomery need to know ahead of the March 3 election.

What residents should know: For the upcoming election, voters should note the following dates:

• Feb. 17: First day of early voting
• Feb. 20: Last day to apply for ballot by mail (received, not postmarked)
• Feb. 27: Last day of early voting
• March 3: Election day and the last day to receive ballot by mail (or Nov. 5 if carrier envelope is postmarked by 7 p.m. at location of election)

Montgomery County Community Foundation has tapped Ashley Logan as its next president and chief executive officer, according to a Feb. 11  news release from the foundation’s board. 

Logan is set to begin in March, replacing retiring President and CEO Julie Martineau.

Some context:  Logan brings more than 15 years of nonprofit experience and holds the Certified Fundraising Executive credential, the release states. Most recently, she worked at the Montgomery County Food Bank, where she served as director of development and, later, head of grants and foundation giving.

Her philanthropy work began with service as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Republic of Panama, where she developed and funded humanitarian projects, according to the release. A California native, Logan earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Logan will take over after Martineau’s 8 1/2-year tenure, during which the foundation’s endowment corpus grew 157% to more than $17.5 million, while grants and scholarships increased 151%, according to the release. 

Willis ISD trustees on Feb. 11 approved the district's 2026-27 school year calendar as well as the principal for Ruth Castleschouldt Elementary School, opening in August. 

The gist: Chastity Simon was named as the first principal of Ruth Castleschouldt Elementary School. Simon currently serves as associate principal and dean of instruction at Brabham Middle School, the district said in a news release.

Also on the agenda: The board also approved the 2026-27 academic calendar, with the first day of school Aug. 12 and the last day May 21.

On Feb. 12, the Texas Department of Transportation hosted a public forum to discuss and answer questions for the community regarding expansion plans of FM 830 from Old Montgomery Road to Hwy. 75.

In a nutshell: TxDOT is currently proposing widening FM 830 from two lanes to four lanes from Old Montgomery Road to Hwy. 75. As previously reported by Community Impact, the widening effort has been in development since 2022. The reasoning behind the expansion stems from research TxDOT has conducted regarding vehicle collisions and population growth in the area, according to TxDOT meeting documents.

More details: According to TxDOT, the section of roadway saw an average of 13,500 vehicles per day in 2020 and is estimated to grow to 21,400 vehicles per day in 2045. TxDOT crash data from 2017-2022 shows that there have been 71 total crashes in the area since 2017, with 54% of them being rear-end collisions and 42% of crashes happening at intersections. The entire length of the proposed project is 2.5 miles, according to meeting documents. 

An airline at George Bush Intercontinental Airport will premiere two new nonstop routes to Mexico beginning June 1.

What’s new: Volaris—which opened at IAH in 2015—will launch flight routes from Houston to Querétaro, Mexico, and Puebla, Mexico. Flights will be offered three times per week, and tickets became available for purchase Feb. 3.

Notable quote: “Houston is a key market for the airline, and these connections to Querétaro and Puebla strengthen a network designed to serve the needs of our binational communities,” Volaris Executive Vice President Holger Blankenstein said.

Some context: Volaris also offers flights from Houston to:

• Guadalajara, Mexico
• Mexico City, Mexico
• Morelia, Mexico
• San Luis Potosí, Mexico
• San Salvador, El Salvador

Early in-person voting in Texas’ primary elections begins Feb. 17 and lasts until Feb. 27.

How it works: Texas has an open primary system, where voters decide at the polling place whether to cast ballots in the Democratic or Republican primary. Voters may not participate in both primaries.

What to expect: Voters will be given a ballot with a slate of statewide seats and other races determined by the voting precinct they live in. During early voting, registered voters can visit any polling location in their county.

Candidates who win their primaries will advance to the Nov. 3 midterm election.

Why it matters: Early voting gives registered voters the opportunity to cast their ballots before primary election day March 3.

Voter advocacy groups and experts told Community Impact that a vote in the March primaries is “the most impactful vote” Texans can cast, due to consistently low voter turnout and competition in certain races. Over 18 million Texans are registered to vote, although about one-fifth of registered voters participated in recent primary elections.