The west side of the Poor Farm Ditch reconstruction project is nearly completed, but the east side will likely not continue until this summer, West University Place officials said.

On Feb. 23, Public Works Director Michael Leech presented West U City Council and the mayor with before-and-after photos of the nearly-completed section, noting that the contractor is still finalizing a few details.

The update: However, Leech said the east side of the ditch’s progress is slower.

Leech added that the surveyors have had trouble identifying the exact locations of properties and are still working to identify legal documents for each property.

What’s next: When construction does occur, Leech said the testing and surveying are to ensure there are no adverse impacts on the adjacent properties.

Select Houston-area residents who have the Waymo app downloaded are now able to take the first public rides in the fully autonomous vehicles, the company announced via news release Feb. 24.

What you need to know: Waymo will continue to invite new riders on a rolling basis to use the service as it kicks off service in Houston. Its service area in the city includes The Heights, downtown Houston and Montrose. Service will open to everyone later this year, according to the release.

Some context: The company previously announced its expansion to Houston last fall, Community Impact previously reported.

Quote of note: “I'm thrilled that we are now launching limited access public rides here in Houston,” Houston City Council member Sallie Alcorn said via news release. “It will give both Houstonians and visitors another safe, high-tech way to get around during exciting upcoming events like the World Baseball Classic and the World Cup."

Houston City Council approved a $125 million capital improvement project budget for the Upper Kirby Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone for fiscal years 2026-2030.

Of the total cost, $82.5 million will go toward road reconstruction, with $2.2 million going toward drainage system improvements.

Breaking it down: Projects included in the $82.5 million budget will help with right-of-way acquisition and reconstruction of existing roadways with concrete paving, curbs, sidewalks, street lighting and underground utilities. Those projects include:

• West Alabama reconstruction ($47.4 million): This project will run from Buffalo Speedway to Shepherd Drive.
• Bissonnet reconstruction ($35.4 million): This project will run from Kirby Drive to Edloe Street.

Families making up to $100,000 are now eligible for Sam Houston State University’s Bearkat Promise program, after the university announced Feb. 24 that it was raising the family income eligibility threshold from $40,000.

In a nutshell: The Bearkat Promise program provides eligible students with the mandatory tuition and fees they need for up to 15 credit hours per semester, according to its website. The increased income threshold starts in fall 2026.

More details: According to the news release, to qualify for the program, students must:

• Be an entering freshman or transfer student
• Be a Texas resident with demonstrated financial need
• Be eligible for a federal Pell Grant
• Submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid by the priority deadline of March 1
• Enroll in at least 12 credit hours per semester

The Texas Education Agency must correct roughly 4,200 errors in its elementary and middle school curriculum, the State Board of Education ruled Feb. 25.

The overview: The changes to the Bluebonnet Learning materials, a set of state-developed textbooks, include replacing improperly licensed images, fixing formatting errors or typos and correcting factual errors.

The SBOE approved the Bluebonnet materials in November 2024. The curriculum, which became available to districts ahead of the 2025-26 school year, has been criticized for frequent biblical references in the reading materials, although proponents said the materials would help improve student outcomes.

Zooming in: Before approving the changes, several board members expressed concerns about the “unprecedented” number of issues with the state-developed textbooks, noting that Texas taxpayers will cover the costs of reprinting the updated materials, as they were developed with state funds.

“I’m very concerned that, as a board, we have set a precedent for sloppy publishing. Many times, even if it's a typo, it could become an error of fact,” SBOE member Pam Little, R-Fairview, said.