Community Impact covered hundreds of stories from the Katy and Fulshear communities in 2025. See which stories were the most read this year.

University of Houston becomes 1st in Texas to implement revised ‘Academic Fresh Start’ policy: The University of Houston is the first Texas public university to adopt a revised state law allowing students to exclude grades and credits that are five years old to help over 5 million Texans with some college credit but no degree.

See what 12 businesses are confirmed for Texas Heritage Marketplace: Leasing is underway for Texas Heritage Marketplace, a 165-acre mixed use development in Katy from developer NewQuest Properties. The $400 million development is anticipated to have more than 1 million square feet of retail, restaurants, medical office space and self-storage.

Katy business named one of the top 100 small businesses in the US: Recently, KTX Window Cleaning was named one of the Top 100 Small Businesses in America by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and recognized as the Top 10 Customer Champions.

Mavis Tire now open along FM 1093 in Katy.

What they offer: According to its website, customers can purchase new tires, get their oil changed or repair their brakes at the New York-based tire and automotive service company. Mavis also offers other auto repair services including batteries, alignments and suspension.

Zooming out: Mavis owns and franchises 3,500 locations across the United States and Canada, including a location on Katy Hockley Cut Off Road.

• 25242 FM 1093, Katy

With the opening of a Family Place Library at the Baldwin Boettcher Branch Library on Dec. 15, the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation has completed a $1 million multiyear initiative to expand literacy access across the Greater Houston area, nonprofit officials announced in a Dec. 18 news release.

Read all about it: Per the release, the BBHLF's Family Place Libraries initiative launched in 2017 following the death of former first lady Barbara Bush to honor and advance her lifelong commitment to family literacy and early childhood education.

Quote of note: "Mrs. Bush believed deeply that parents are a child's first and most important teachers, and that libraries play a vital role in supporting families. Family Place Libraries bring her vision to live every single day," BBHLF President and CEO Julie Finck said in a statement.

Through partnerships with the Houston Public Library and Harris County Public Library, the BBHLF was able to open 40 Family Place Libraries across the Greater Houston area by the end of 2025—the year Bush would've turned 100 years old.

Approximately three dozen new Texas laws are scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, impacting how artificial intelligence is used in state government, when local officials can raise taxes after natural disasters and how much of businesses' inventory is taxed.

The background: The changes come after Texas’s biennial legislative session ended in early June. Gov. Greg Abbott signed over 1,100 laws passed by state lawmakers, many of which took effect in June or September.

The details: Some of the bills becoming law in the new year are:

• House Bill 9, which will expand a tax exemption for business owners
• House Bill 30, which will tighten regulations on counties' and cities' abilities to raise tax rates after natural disasters
• House Bill 149, which will regulate the fast-growing AI industry
• House Bill 247, which will exempt certain border security infrastructure from property tax increases
• House Bill 1399, which will create a property tax exemption for stores selling animal feed
• House Bill 2508, which will establish a property tax exemption for the surviving spouse of certain military members