Work kicked off on a new Kiddie Academy location in Porter, according to an Oct. 14 social media post from the East Montgomery County Improvement District.

What to expect: The school will be called Kiddie Academy of Highlands and will be operated by Rakesh and Apurva Patel, according to the post. The school will offer:

• Customized learning for infants through kindergarten-age children

• After-school programs for kids ages 5-12

Zooming out: Kiddie Academy is a national child care provider with almost 30 locations across the Greater Houston area, according to the company's website.

• Opening date TBD

• 19050 Painted Blvd., Porter

The Texas Department of Transportation has provided updates on four ongoing transportation projects in the New Caney and Porter area:

• Loop 494 repairs: Contractor Durwood Greene Construction Co. began work in August on a $5.15 million project to repair nearly 7.6 miles of Loop 494. It is funded 100% by the state.
• FM 1314 rehabilitation: This $31.4 million project to rehabilitate roughly 2.2 miles of FM 1314 is about 65% complete. Funding is 80% federal and 20% state.
• FM 1314 bridge: Construction of a bridge between Cooper Rose Way and Hwy. 242 is about 55% complete. The $2.24 million project is 100% locally funded.
• Hwy. 242 landscaping: Landscaping work between I-45 and Hwy. 59 is about 8% complete. The $1.52 million project is 100% state funded.

Montgomery County saw 192,952 ballots cast during the early voting period for the Nov. 3 election, according to the county’s elections department.

That represents 39% of registered voters, according to data from the Texas Secretary of State’s website. That’s 5% more registered voters who cast an early ballot than in the 2022 November midterm elections.

Registered voters must vote at their designated precinct on Election Day. You can check your voter registration status on the county’s elections website and see where your precinct is located for Election Day.

Check this out: Community Impact has a voter guide that can show you nearby polling places based on your address and what's on your ballot.

Montgomery County groundwater officials announced on Oct. 29 that the county is not an attractive location for new data center development. Leaders from the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District (LSGCD) explained that existing regulations protecting against the overuse of water make it unlikely for developers to target the area. The county relies mostly on groundwater for its water needs.

Key details from the LSGCD officials include:

• The district has spacing rules governing new wells that would make it difficult for data centers to win approval.
• Data centers would need cooling systems that do not tax the water system to be feasible.
• Strong regulations make the county less attractive to data centers that would cause large production damage or impacts.
• The county is investing in science to estimate how groundwater pumping will affect land subsidence by 2080.
• The county cannot rely exclusively on groundwater and uses Lake Conroe to fill the gap.

Texans' last chance to vote in this year's midterm election is Nov. 3. Polling places across the state will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Election Day, according to the secretary of state's office.

What to expect: Dozens of races will appear on the ballot, from U.S. Senate and governor to local officials and propositions.

If a voter runs into an issue at the polls that cannot be immediately resolved, such as a lack of photo ID or an administrative error, they have the right to cast a provisional ballot, per state law. Some voters may be required to return to the local voter registrar's office by Nov. 9—six days after Election Day—to resolve the issue after voting.

Stay informed: Visit communityimpact.com/voter-guide to read Q&As with hundreds of candidates, find coverage of local propositions and print a custom sample ballot to bring to the polls.

After polls close at 7 p.m. Nov. 3, election results will be posted on the same webpage.