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Texas approved $3 billion in funding for dementia research as part of the 2025 legislative session. In anticipation of the first grants, Houston institutions have begun seeding local research.

Current situation: Alzheimer’s disease is a condition that gradually damages and destroys nerve cells in the brain, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, a nonprofit organization based in Houston that is dedicated to the care, support and research of the disease. The disease often causes memory loss, cognitive decline and behavioral changes.

As of 2023, in Harris County, approximately 12.2%, or 64,800 people, ages 65 and older, live with Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

“The largest risk factor is age, and we all live longer today in general,” said Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede, a chemistry professor at Rice University. “That means we are getting more patients.”

What's being done: Last year, over 2 million Texas voters approved state Proposition 14 to create the Dementia Prevention Institute of Texas, or DPRIT. The vote, leaders said, was driven by a desire to accelerate cures for Alzheimer’s.

Istanbul Grill, a longstanding restaurant in Rice Village, announced it will close in July.

What happened: Owner Zubeyir Dundar confirmed that they will close on July 18, and until then, customers can come and eat with them. He added that at the beginning of July, they will begin offering a limited menu.

“We have been with Rice Village for 20 years. I’m so happy that I have had a big family and customers for so many years. They have kept us hopeful,” he said.

In a statement on their website, the Dundar family, who own Istanbul Grill, said that they were closing due to “lease circumstances beyond our control” and they would no longer be able to operate in their space on Morningside Drive.

“Every guest, every visit has shaped who we are and what this restaurant has become," the owners said. "The community we've built together means more to us than words can express.”

• 5613 Morningside Dr., Houston

Thirty-three Houston ISD schools will not automatically serve free lunch and breakfast to all students during the 2026-27 school year, but individual students at the campuses may still qualify to receive the service, according to the district.

Latest update: Thirty-three HISD schools will not participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision in the 2026-27 school year, according to HISD’s website. Of these schools, seven also did not offer the service in the 2025-26 school year.

Learn more: The Community Eligibility Provision program enables “high-poverty schools and districts” to serve free lunch and breakfast to all students without requiring students to submit individual applications, said a HISD spokesperson via a June 1 emailed statement.

Students at the impacted HISD schools can still file a Free/Reduced Price Meal Application to see whether they qualify for free meals in the 2026-27 school year, according to HISD’s website.

Houston has opened its homeless hub and taken in dozens of residents.

What it means: At 419 Emancipation Avenue, the former Star of Hope location acts as what city officials call the city’s “front door” to ending street homelessness.

On June 3, Houston City Council approved a land purchase agreement to extend the 419 property to have additional green space at the facility. Council also approved a total of $1.5 million in overtime funding for the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County police and Harris County officers who work on homeless efforts.

Quote of note: “[I’m] really excited about the soft progress that is happening there, and I look forward to a bunch of success stories,” council member Tiffany Thomas said.

Thomas, who chairs the Housing committee, said many law enforcement officers have relationships with homeless individuals and are trained to respond to homelessness.

Some background: 419 Emanicipation is a hub for homeless individuals, where they can access resources and eventually receive help with permanent housing.

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from last week? Check out five trending stories in the Greater Houston area from May 29-June 5.

1. New bakery opens in Pearland

2. Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office talks Flock cameras

3. Legacy Park at Katy Court to bring 56-acre park

4. Missouri City updates thoroughfare plan for Sienna circulation

5. Conroe ISD approves 5 new principals

The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed June 3 that a case of the New World screwworm, a parasitic fly, was detected on a cattle ranch in South Texas.

The overview: The case marks the first domestic detection of screwworm in a decade and the first Texas case in approximately 50 years. The flesh-eating parasite is a threat to the state’s $15.5 billion cattle industry.

Zooming in: No additional infestations have been identified, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins told reporters. Federal and state officials have emphasized that they do not anticipate issues with the food supply chain, as the screwworm only targets live animals and does not infest meat, fruit or vegetables.

However, experts have warned that a larger, prolonged screwworm outbreak could cause a spike in beef prices.

A widespread infestation is estimated to cost Texas at least $1.8 billion per year in damages, according to a USDA analysis of a 1976 screwworm outbreak. Texas cattle, sheep and goat producers would face about $732 million in annual losses.