Clear Creek ISD has officially rolled out a new bus badging system that allows parents to monitor their students' bus activity through a mobile application.

The overview: The system, StopFinder, is paired with a mobile app for parents to be notified when a bus is approaching their student’s stop and confirms once the student has safely boarded or exited the bus, according to district documents. This is the first year the badging system has been implemented.

Quote of note: “This initiative was driven by our commitment to student safety,” CCISD’s Transportation Director Tammy Pickett said. “The badge system enables accurate tracking of students boarding buses, reduces the risk of unauthorized student access and enhances overall transportation security.”

A new Bricks & Minifigs is set to open in Webster at the end of November.

The overview: Bricks & Minfigs is a one-stop aftermarket Lego toy shop. The franchise first opened in 2010 and has grown to more than 100 locations across the United States and Canada.

Before you go: The website states that as long as it is the Lego brand, the store accepts unopened sets, bulk tubs of loose pieces and storage unit-sized collections.

Additionally, the business is holding a grand opening Nov. 22, according to owner Kelly O'Donnell.

Texas is the nation’s largest energy producer, leading other U.S. states in both natural gas production and renewable energy generation, data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows. Yet as people, businesses and data centers continue to move to the state, experts say Texas leaders need to harness new strategies to make energy more affordable and ensure the state power grid remains reliable.

The details: Amid high inflation nationwide, energy prices are on the rise in Texas, and residents are feeling the strain, experts said at the Texas Energy Summit, which ran from Nov. 4-6 in Austin.

In a June 2025 report, the Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute, a nonprofit research organization, found that 65% of low-income Texans recently engaged in “energy-limiting behaviors,” such as turning off their air conditioning to reduce electric bills or underheating their homes in the winter. 

What they're saying: Experts said state lawmakers and officials could invest in energy efficiency and residential demand response programs to tackle affordability and grid reliability issues.