After closing in Porter in November, Blue Jay’s Cauldron—a game and trading card store—is expected to reopen in Roman Forest soon.

In case you missed it: The store was originally located at 23435 FM 1314, Ste. A2, Porter. Blue Jay’s Cauldron sells items such as comic books, character trading cards, figurines, 3D printed items and stickers.

• Reopening estimated for mid-to-late April
• 1710 Roman Forest Blvd., Roman Forest

The demand for low-cost pet services, such as vaccines and spay/neuter operations, is growing in the New Caney and Porter areas—and local nonprofit leaders said they are working hard to meet the community’s needs.

“A lot of our services are being moved over [to New Caney and Porter] because the need is, to me, just as great [in Cleveland, Texas], but they have a lot of help,” said Lidia Martinez, co-founder of Cleveland-based nonprofit Alaska’s Hope Animal Rescue. “This area has a little less help, so we want to be able to bridge that gap.”

What's happening: The rising need for low-cost pet services is likely due to economic factors, said Kerri Larson, an independent contractor who works with multiple local animal organizations, including Alaska’s Hope and the AABY Foundation.

Quote of note: “People just don’t have the finances,” Larson said. “When you have to cut costs in your budget, ... animals usually suffer because of it.”

Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center and the nonprofit Angel Reach have agreed to a partnership to create a pathway system to help young adults in the foster system or facing homelessness join the medical industry, according to a March 20 news release.

The gist: The partnership hired five Angel Reach residents into paid patient care technician roles at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands. Through this program, the Angel Reach residents were able to work in clinical support roles with no previous health care experience, according to the news release. The training as part of the program includes, but is not limited to:

• Hands-on experience supporting patient care
• Assisting with daily living activities
• Obtaining vital signs
• Cross-training in patient transport and observation roles

On Jan. 8, Raymond Flannelly was officially elected as president of the Montgomery County Fire Chiefs Association. A 45-year veteran of the force, Flannelly has served the county as fire chief of Montgomery County Emergency Services District No. 9 for the last 16 years. 

How did you first get involved with firefighting?
My family. I had two uncles who were both on the job up on the East Coast, and I was pretty much raised around the fire service. My father worked for Texaco and we bounced around a little bit, and that's how we ended up here in the Houston area.

What are your responsibilities as president of the Fire Chiefs Association?
Really, it's just to keep each fire department, there's 12 fire departments in Montgomery County, ... keep them informed of what we're doing, any future growth, training options, anything that better prepares us to assist the citizens that reside in Montgomery County or traveling through Montgomery County.

Missed any Community Impact articles from this week? Check out five trending stories in the Greater Houston area from March 30-April 2.

• Harris County Precinct 3 pilots new approach to street repair with recycled tires
• Buttermilk Cafe opening in Willis
• Big Air slated to open Missouri City location this summer
• Booked and busy: 31 stores to visit during the Houston Independent Bookstore Crawl
• New modern, retail, dining space coming to League City