From DJ sets to jazz performances, the following parties each offer unique ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Houston. 

Doc’s Houston: The jazz club is kicking off New Year’s Eve with back-to-back performances led by Tianna Hall and The Houston Jazz Band at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Guests can also enjoy a festive four-course prix fixe menu, beginning with a cozy black-eyed pea soup, followed by a grape-arugula salad with walnuts, ricotta and pomegranate molasses.

• Dec. 31, 7 p.m.
• $75-$125 (per ticket)
• 1201 Westheimer Road, Ste. A, Houston

Moon: Enjoy New Year’s Eve at the newly opened Post Oak cocktail bar. Guests can start the night with regular service before a DJ brings in curated sounds to celebrate the hour. 

• Dec. 31, 5 p.m.-Jan. 1, 2 a.m.
• Prices vary
• 1800 Post Oak Blvd., Ste. 6110, Houston

PetSet debuted a custom-built mobile spay-and-neuter clinic Dec. 18, expanding the nonprofit’s ability to bring preventative veterinary care directly to Houston neighborhoods with limited access to services, according to a news release.

The details: The state-of-the-art unit was designed to increase efficiency and capacity, allowing PetSet to perform more surgeries each day and serve larger and older animals, according to the release.

PetSet officials said the mobile clinic is expected to support up to 1,200 additional surgeries annually and is designed specifically for high-volume surgery days. 

The mobile unit includes an expanded number of kennels and a second surgical table to support multiple procedures at once. 

“With these enhancements, we expect to perform hundreds more spay and neuter surgeries each year,” Co-President Tama Lundquist said. “This new mobile unit is a critical step forward in addressing the root causes of animal overpopulation across Greater Houston.”

The clinic is scheduled to begin full operations in January and will rotate through communities across Greater Houston.

The final steel beam has been put into place on a $470 million expansion project at Houston's William P. Hobby Airport, according to a Dec. 12 news release from the Houston Airport System.

What's happening: As previously reported by Community Impact, the expansion is set to bring seven new gates to the airport, more than doubling the number of existing gates. Other improvements include:

• An updated baggage claim system
• Additional baggage claim carousels
• Expanded dining and retail options
• Weather-protected canopies at departures

Here are five of the most-read CI Texas stories from this year and the latest updates on these trending topics.

1. Texas Senate passes bill that would nearly double property tax exemption for seniors, people with disabilities: Elderly and disabled homeowners were set to receive a $200,000 property tax exemption this year.

2. Texas House bill would make it easier to remove students from the classroom: The law gives teachers more discretion to remove students from the classroom if they are repeatedly disruptive or threaten the safety of others.

3. What to know about the 17 state propositions on the Nov. 4 ballot: Nearly 3 million Texans voted in the November election, approving all 17 constitutional amendments.

4. Texas House bill would prohibit cellphone use in K-12 schools: Under House Bill 1481, cellphones and other personal communication devices are prohibited bell-to-bell in Texas public schools.

5. Texas families can now access 2022-23 A-F school accountability ratings after multiyear legal battle: The state later released ratings for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years in August.

Catch up on Community Impact’s coverage this week with five trending Greater Houston-area stories from Dec. 19-26:

1. Coastal Texas Project moves forward with two new design contracts

2. $81M Greenhouse Road underpass set for 2026 construction

3. 8 businesses coming soon to Sugar Land-Missouri City

4. Vevor to open at former Big Lots location on Jones Road

5. Singas Famous Pizza coming to Sugar Land