According to store officials, Lupita's Mexican Kitchen aims to start serving the Cypress area by early 2026.

The details: According to location management, Lupita's Mexican Kitchen expects to open by the end of January 2026. The location will serve a variety of traditional Mexican cuisine including tacos, enchiladas and tamales, officials said.

• Opening in January
• 13330 Spring Cypress Road, Ste. 100, Cypress

According to a Dec. 18 news release Trader Joes opened its doors for the new Towne Lake location on Dec. 19.

The details: Per the release, moments before the store opened on Dec. 19 at 8 a.m., the new store held a brief ribbon-cutting. Store captain and manager Sierra Flores was in attendance to welcome customers to their new neighborhood store.

What else?: The 9,984-square-foot store is the first Trader Joe’s Cypress location and prides itself on hiring local community employees with over 40 new crew members and transfers from nearby Trader Joe’s locations, said the release. The new store is donating 100% of products that go unsold but remain fit to enjoy to a range of nonprofit organizations.

• 9715 Towne Lake Parkway, Cypress

Central Texas counties could begin receiving up to $1.25 million each in state funding for flood warning sirens in the coming weeks and months, officials announced Dec. 16.

The overview: The funding comes less than six months after historic flooding hit parts of Central and West Texas over the July 4 weekend, killing at least 137 residents and visitors. During special legislative sessions this summer, state lawmakers approved requirements that 30 counties included in a July disaster declaration install flood warning systems with the help of $50 million in state grants.

Zooming in: Each county is expected to receive up to $1.25 million from the Texas Water Development Board. Counties seeking more money will need their requests approved by the three-member board.

Counties are required to submit detailed project plans to the TWDB and can use the grants to install physical infrastructure such as sirens, rain gauges, flood gauges and solar panels to power the warning systems. The money can also be used for local flood education, outreach and training programs, TWDB staff said.