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Founded over 20 years ago, the Lone Star College Academy for Lifelong Learning program offers free and low-cost classes, events and activities for adults age 50 and older taught by volunteer teachers.

About the program: Founded at the Montgomery campus in 2000, Duval said other campuses soon followed and began offering the Academy for Lifelong Learning program at the Cy-Fair, Kingwood and North Harris campuses in 2004. Later expanding to other campuses, the program has remained an influential opportunity for seniors who want to continue expanding their skills.

With over 23 categories of courses offered, Duval said art, history and culinary classes are among the most popular.

Quote of note: “Once you're retired, a lot of people just don't know what else to do. They don't know where to go to hang out, or they lose contact with some of their friends who are still working,” Duval said. “So our goal is to keep them active and help them make new friends and keep them engaged with other people who have similar interests.”
 

Drybar officials announced the grand opening of the hair salon will be held on Aug. 20 featuring a private event and ribbon cutting with the Howard Hughes Corporation. Officials said the hair salon will be open to the public as of Aug. 21.

In case you missed it: Per previous Community Impact reporting, the Bridgeland salon marks the fifth Drybar location in the Greater Houston area, with three near Houston's inner loop and one in Sugar Land. Owned by Anne Evers, Drybar Bridgeland plans to offer professional blowouts in a welcoming environment, officials said.

Quote of note: “Bridgeland is such a special community and we could not be more excited to be part of it,” Evers said. “Drybar is more than just a blowout bar, it is a place where people come to feel confident, happy, and pampered. We cannot wait to bring that experience to our neighbors here in Bridgeland."

Six northwest Harris County neighborhoods are receiving drainage upgrades, Commissioner Lesley Briones announced Aug. 14 at a press conference in Windsong.

The overview: Harris County Precinct 4 is investing $11.35 million to improve drainage infrastructure in neighborhoods with histories of repetitive flooding:Northglen

• Sheffield
• Silvermill
• Westfield
• Westlake Forest
• Windsong

The Harris County Office of Budget and Management rolled out its proposed budget to county commissioners Aug. 17, with priorities for pay parity, bolstering the justice system and maintaining existing services outlined amid a $181 million shortfall.

The gist: OMB Executive Director Daniel Ramos presented the $3.096 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1. However, the proposal also comes with a recommendation for a 3.5% tax rate increase, according to budget documents. 

The budget was created amid financial pressures from “rising healthcare costs, jail outsourcing, increased indigent defense expenses, state-mandated spending requirements, continued jail outsourcing and diminishing federal aid,” per a news release.

Also of note: The county also has to grapple with losing federal funding it received during the pandemic, with money from the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, ending at the end of the year.

Many Texas students began returning to the classroom for the 2026-27 school year in mid-August.

Here are five things Texans should know as the 2026-27 school year kicks off.

The details:

• 2026 school accountability ratings issued
• New rule impacts accountability-related school closures
• 100K students using new Texas Education Freedom Accounts
• Public school closures deepen across Texas
• Check out recent public education laws