As part of an initiative to improve the appearance of Old Town Tomball, city council approved the authorization of a $40,000 grant on Oct. 5 to rehabilitate a former insurance agency building to a new snowball storefront.

Sorting out details: The Old Town Facade Improvement Grant is overseen by the Tomball Economic Development Corporation and provides $40,000-$50,000 in funds for local business owners. In order to be eligible for the grant, a business must:

• Be located within the Old Town Tomball district

• Make a "major" visual change to the facade of the building

• Must meet all zoning and permitting regulations

Quote of note: "It is a great example of our Old Town Facade Improvement Grant," TEDC Executive Director Kelly Violette said. "It's a huge investment in a really small building right on Main Street, which is very exciting."

A new veteran-owned Pilates studio is coming to Tomball, with a planned opening in January 2027. The studio, BODYBAR Pilates, is a modern reformer Pilates franchise owned and operated by local couple Jeremy and Erica Beal. Jeremy retired as a Navy SEAL after a 23-year career, and the couple was introduced to Pilates for recovery and to improve their daily lives.

The breakdown: The planned studio will be located at 14080 FM 2920. The business will feature the following:

• Athletic, instructor-led reformer Pilates classes focused on strength, endurance, balance and mobility

• 14 reformers and two private rooms for one-on-one wellness coaching and Pilates training

Beginners and experienced participants are welcome at the studio, and the owners are still planning out their local instructor team. The presale for founding memberships at the studio will begin on Oct. 26.

Harris County leaders broke ground Sept. 30 on the first of seven community solar program sites at the Reliant Center. The initiative, called the Affordable Community Energy Program (ACE), is the region's first county-led community solar program. It is designed to expand clean energy access and affordability for low-income residents while enhancing grid resilience during extreme weather and power outages.

The program details include:

• An $88.3 million investment the Harris County Commissioners Court approved in March

• Generation of up to 45 megawatts of solar energy and 20 megawatt-hours of battery storage on publicly-owned land

• Expected energy bill cuts of about 20% for 9,500 to 10,000 income-qualifying households at or below 80% of the area median income

• Expected completion of the Reliant Center site in 2027, with the remaining six sites continuing construction through 2029

• Resident enrollment starting in 2027 for both renters and homeowners

The average annual insurance premium for a Texas homeowner rose 79% in six years, from less than $2,000 in 2020 to more than $3,500 this year, Texas Insurance Commissioner Amanda Crawford told state lawmakers Oct. 5.

The overview: The rise in home insurance costs has been caused by severe weather, high inflationary costs impacting home repairs and "the concentration of risk" in the insurance market, Crawford said.

Experts said hardening homes against severe weather could help reduce expensive losses from disasters, resulting in lower insurance premiums.

Zooming in: Proponents of home-hardening incentives have pointed to their success in other Gulf Coast states, such as Alabama. Texas consumer advocacy groups and the insurance industry backed proposals to create a similar grant program last year, according to previous Community Impact reporting, but those measures did not pass.

"Resilience helps homeowners long before it shows up in an insurance bill because a stronger home holds up better when the storm comes," said Chelsea Stallings, a regional vice president for the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies.