HTX-NCP: Impact 10/28/2025

Wells Fargo is coming soon to Valley Ranch Town Center, according to an Oct. 27 filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. 

The details: Per the filing, the bank will be located in a newly constructed 3,866-square-foot building. Construction will commence in November and be completed by July.

Some context: Founded in 1852 by Henry Wells and William Fargo, Wells Fargo, is a national bank with over 6,000 locations, per the website. The bank offers personal, business, investment and wealth management, corporate and commercial banking services.

• 21728 Hwy. 59, New Caney

Here's the latest update on three Texas Department of Transportation projects in the New Caney and Porter area.

FM 1485 rehabilitation
Project: A roughly 7-mile segment of FM 1485 is being rehabilitated between Old Houston and Kidd Cemetery roads. The contractor is Vulcan Materials Asphalt and Construction, and work includes repairing the road base, adding new asphalt overlay and restriping.
Update: Work is 81% complete as of an Oct. 10 report from TxDOT.

• Timeline: second quarter 2025-second quarter 2026
• Cost: $8.83 million
• Funding source: 80% federal, 20% state

• Timeline: August 2024-second quarter 2027
• Cost: $8.2 million
• Funding source: 100% state

Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough lifted the county’s burn ban Oct. 26 following recent rainfall, he announced via Facebook. 

The gist: Keough said that the county’s Keetch-Byram Drought Index average is 530, which is "well below levels of concern." The KBDI is an index that is used to measure wildfire potential from 0 to 800, with 800 representing absolutely dry conditions, according to its website. The decision to lift the burn ban was made in coordination with the county fire marshal and the county's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Keough said. 

Before you go: The burning of outdoor trash and commercial waste is still illegal countywide, Keough said.

Texas is home to about 3.5 million small businesses, according to the National Federation of Independent Businesses. Estimates show that the average Texas small-business owner could save about $2,500 per year if voters approve an expanded business tax exemption on the Nov. 4 ballot.

The details: State Proposition 9 would exempt up to $125,000 of a business’s personal property, such as equipment, furniture and vehicles, from taxation. Texas business owners currently receive a tax exemption on property worth $2,500 or less.

“At $2,500, virtually everyone's paying this tax,” NFIB Texas Director Jeff Burdett said in an Oct. 24 interview. “If you have a desk, a computer and a chair, you're probably over $2,500 [in inventory]. … It makes no difference for almost any business.”

At the polls: Early voting in the Nov. 4 election began Oct. 20 and runs through Oct. 31. For more information about the propositions and candidates on your local ballot, visit www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide.