Tom Crowe, a former Willis ISD superintendent and educator, died Dec. 31 at 75.

“Tom’s passions were strong and his commitment to education was unwavering. You would hear him say often, ‘Kids don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care,’ and this truly sums up the man and person he became and continued to be,” his family said in his obituary.

The history: Crowe was born in 1950 in Lafayette, Indiana, where he grew up living on a pig and cattle farm with his parents and four brothers, according to his obituary. His career began in education in 1972 as a teacher and coach.

Crowe served as principal of Willis High School from 1989-91 before serving as superintendent of Willis ISD from 1993-97. Crowe later served as interim superintendent in 2023 after former Superintendent Tim Harkrider was named the superintendent of College Station ISD, as previously reported by Community Impact.

City of Montgomery residents will have four opportunities to dispose of their heavy trash during the city’s 2026 heavy trash weekends.

The gist: The city’s Public Works department announced the 2026 heavy trash weekend dates Dec. 30 via Facebook, which include:

• March 7-8
• June 6-7
• Sept. 12-13
• Dec. 5-6

Six major roadway projects are being planned, are underway or will kick off soon across the Greater Houston area.

Upcoming projects
1. Mykawa Road widening
Project: Construction on Mykawa Road will consist of roughly 3 miles of a four-lane divided boulevard with storm drainage, signals, lighting, landscaping and a 10-foot shared-use path, among other features.
Update: 90% of design submittals have been received and are being reviewed by Pearland city staff and the Texas Department of Transportation. TxDOT is bidding, constructing and managing the project.

• Timeline: construction slated to start in 2028 with a completion in 2030
• Cost: $21.4 million

• Timeline: Construction will begin in early 2026.
• Cost: $40,000 (design)

Fast-casual eatery Jason's Deli is celebrating its 50th anniversary by honoring the fresh food, people and communities that have defined the restaurant, officials announced in a Dec. 30 news release.

The background: The deli was founded in 1976 by Joe Tortorice Jr. in Beaumont and has since branched out to 114 Texas locations and 235 delis nationwide in 27 states, per the release.

What's new: According to the release, the eatery is celebrating its anniversary by spotlighting new soups during the National Soup Month of January, while also rolling out new items, including the Deli-Bration Cookie—a sugar cookie topped with sprinkles—and returning others.

In their own words: “Our 50th anniversary is about staying true to what’s made Jason’s Deli special since day one—thoughtfully prepared dishes, diverse selections and genuine care for the people we serve,” Clare Wilson, vice president of culinary and R&D at Jason’s Deli, said in the release.