Several area nonprofits are collaborating with county officials on the new senior center project in Montgomery County Precinct 3 that will provide more space for dining and socializing opportunities for seniors.

In case you missed it: Partners collaborating on the project are Montgomery County Precinct 3, Interfaith of the Woodlands and Meals on Wheels Montgomery County.

According to Interfaith of The Woodlands and Meals on Wheels: Missy Herndon, president and CEO of Interfaith of The Woodlands, said the nonprofit is excited about the project.

“It is a [senior] center that you all get to be a part of," Herndon told seniors at a luncheon July 23.

“We are incredibly proud to continue that long-standing relationship in a new building that reflects a true dedication to creating a space specifically designed around seniors—their comfort, accessibility, connection and sense of belonging," said Carrie Watkins, president and CEO of Meals on Wheels Montgomery County.

What to expect: Precinct 3 Commissioner Ritch Wheeler announced the center should be complete by early 2027.

According to Panera Bread officials the franchise has plans to reopen its Rayford Road location which abruptly shut down last summer. The Spring location is one of several locations reopening under Hamra Enterprises, per previous Community Impact reporting.

The details: During the ribbon cutting ceremony taking place on Aug. 5 at 12:30 p.m., the community is invited to meet Mike Hamra, CEO of Hamra Enterprises, community leaders, first responders and Panera Bread leadership and team members.

On the menu: Known for its freshly baked bread Panera Bread offers an array of sandwiches, soups and pastries, according to the company website.

The Woodlands Country Club is planning $2.8 million in renovations on its two-story clubhouse building starting Sept. 1, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation listing.

What you need to know: Renovations will include work on the interior of the main level of the clubhouse encompassing approximately 12,500 square feet of space.

• 1730 S. Milbend Drive, The Woodlands

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.”
 

Texas lawmakers are considering cutting a costly, decade-old tax break for the state’s booming data center industry.

The overview: Texas spends more than $1 billion annually on the sales tax exemption, and the comptroller’s office estimated in 2025 that due to the program, the state will lose about $3.2 billion in sales tax revenue over the next two years.

The Lone Star State is home to the nation’s fastest-growing data center market, and the Data Center Coalition, which advocates for the industry, has argued that the tax break program is key to maintaining that title. Senators and members of the public who spoke at a July 27 hearing disagreed.

Looking ahead: Amid a bipartisan push for more regulation of data centers, senators indicated that they intend to add more strings to the tax exemption program or eliminate it entirely.

"The question is whether or not we need to have a special session where all of us are focusing in on this," Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, said.

“We do,” Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, replied.