Friendswood ISD’s board of trustees approved at its Nov. 10 meeting a five-year contract with FiveStones Safety for an upgrade of the district’s emergency communication system.

What you need to know: According to district documents, the emergency communication system:
• Allows anyone to call a lockdown while on campus property
• Provides staff the ability to request immediate assistance in an emergency situation
• Provides visual and audio alerts over the public address system
• Calls 911 and notifies local law enforcement of the exact incident location
• Extends alerts to the building exteriors

The cost: The upgrade will cost nearly $380,000, and it will be paid for through the district’s capital project funds, according to district documents.
 

Students at Pearland ISD will be able to participate in group and individual counseling with Counseling Connections for Change, or CCC, to address emotional, behavioral and mental health needs.

The collaboration was approved by the board of trustees at its Nov. 11 meeting.

The gist: CCC is a Pearland-based nonprofit organization that provides professional mental health services to children, adolescents and families, according to district documents.

The details: The partnership will allow CCC to work closely with the district’s counselors to provide on-campus and virtual counseling sessions for students.

There are several turkey trots taking place on Thanksgiving day across the Greater Houston area.

Addi's Faith Turkey Day 5K & Kids Wishbone 1K: This Thanksgiving morning event will include a 5K for all ages and a 1K option for ages 3-12. Proceeds will benefit Addi's Faith Foundation in their mission to fund pediatric cancer research and assist families as they care for their child with cancer.

• Nov. 27, 8-11 a.m.
• $25-$50
• Town Center Park, 8 N. Main St., Kingwood

• Nov. 27, 8 a.m.
• Free
• 6501 Memorial Drive, Houston

• Nov. 27, 8 a.m. (run), 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (feast)
• $40 (run), free (feast)
• 12100 Champion Forest Drive, Houston

Suburban areas including New Caney East, Porter and West University  are leading the way in home sales growth, according to the Houston Association of Realtors’ latest Hottest Communities report for the third quarter of 2025. 

The top-ranked communities are seeing the largest increase in sales due to affordability and new construction continuing to attract buyers, according to an Oct. 27 news release. Eight of the top 10 communities reported average home prices below Houston’s overall average of $421,655.

The impact: Waller claimed the top spot for the third consecutive quarter with a 94.6% increase in home sales compared to last year. The area recorded 179 sales—more than 80% of which were new construction—with an average price of $335,255, down 13% year over year, according to the release.

The Crosby area followed with a 91.3% increase in sales, while West of the Brazos ranked third with an 86.8% jump. Hockley also made the list, seeing a 76.2% rise in transactions, per the release.