HTX-COM: Impact 10/13/2025

The Willis ISD board of trustees has begun the process of naming the new Elementary School No. 7 and is asking the public for name suggestions, the district announced in an Oct. 9 news release.

The gist: According to district officials, the timeline of the naming process is as follows:

• Oct. 9-24: The name submission window is open.
• Oct. 24-Nov. 5: The WISD Facilities Naming Committee will convene.
• Nov. 12: The three finalist names will be presented to the board for its consideration and final selection.

Lucky Strike is now open in The Woodlands.

More details: The business offers bowling, an arcade, billiards and a sports bar. A Lucky Strike launch party will be held from noon to 3 p.m. on Oct. 25 to celebrate the opening.

• 27000 I-45 N., Conroe

Home affordability in the Houston region has a more balanced position in the September housing affordability report from the Houston Association of Realtors.

At a glance: Single-family homes priced from $250,000 to $499,999, which accounted for more than 55% of all September sales, experienced a 1.3% decline compared to the same time last year, according to the report.

Digging deeper: The median home price was $327,000, which is 2.1% less than last year’s figure. The average price inched up 2% to $421,655, largely due to a rise in luxury home sales in September, per the release.

Quote of note: “The past few months have brought lower mortgage rates, and it has helped boost buyer confidence,” HAR Chair Shae Cottar with LPT Realty said in a statement.

Texas’ power grid is unlikely to have issues this December, according to an Oct. 3 report by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.

The details: During the winter, demand for electricity spikes when people get up in the morning and return home in the evening. This December, the tightest period is expected to be from 7-8 a.m. each day, when little to no solar power is being produced. ERCOT found that there will be a 1.81% chance of a grid emergency during that time.

“Under typical grid conditions, the deterministic scenario indicates that there should be sufficient generating capacity available," the report reads.

The background: Texas' grid withstood three cold snaps early this year. ERCOT last asked residents to voluntarily reduce their energy use in January 2024.

Legislative approach: State lawmakers approved legislation this spring that is designed to make the grid more reliable by tightening regulations on large electric consumers, such as data centers. In extreme grid conditions, those customers will be required to switch to backup power to reduce strain on the grid.