Montgomery ISD opened its resource center to supply students and families with necessities in November 2024. One year later, MISD officials said they’ve helped about 350 families. Meanwhile, Willis ISD also has a resource center, named the Wildkat Resource Center, which is located in what was once the first Willis High School. 

More details: MISD’s Director of Community Service Courtney Dyer said the resource center, which is set up like a store, has basic food items, refrigerated and frozen food items, shelf items, along with some basic hygiene cleaning products and school supplies. WISD’s center sees around 80 visits per month for clothing assistance and around 300 visits per month for food assistance, Director Michelle Bischoff said. 

Quote of note: “If they're able to save a little bit on groceries, they can put that extra money toward gas for the car to get to work or maybe to even put toward a bill to keep the utilities on," Dyer said.

Conroe ISD held a dedication ceremony for W. Robert Eissler Elementary School Nov. 13, which opened in August as part of The Woodlands High School feeder zone.

Two-minute impact: The ceremony included speeches from board of trustees President Misty Odenweller, who discussed district growth, and Superintendent David Vinson, who thanked those who helped build the campus.

Former state Rep. Rob Eissler addressed the audience, including his family, to speak about public education and the future of the school.

Notable quote: "Today isn't about me but, it's about the school. It's about the students who will walk these halls, the teachers who inspire them, the parents who will cheer them on ... and the community that makes this place possible," Eissler said.

Montgomery County Commissioners Court is set to meet Nov. 18 to discuss the county’s mental health treatment facility, a historical courthouse master plan and the fiscal year 2025-26 budget.

What you need to know: The court will consider approving $117,500 for Precinct 1 for the expansion of the Montgomery County Mental Health Treatment Facility.

The facility, which broke ground Aug. 18, is aimed at increasing care access for justice-involved individuals experiencing mental health crises. With the expansion, the facility’s capacity will double, Community Impact previously reported.

Also on the agenda: Commissioners are also slated to consider and approve an access authorization agreement between the county and Mustang Express Pipeline.

Conroe City Council voted Nov. 13 to award a contract to Third Coast Services LLC for the reconstruction of a damaged traffic signal at the intersection of I-45’s southbound frontage road and South Loop 336, according to city documents.

In a nutshell: The signal was heavily damaged in a traffic accident earlier this year, according to the council agenda. Engineering and Public Works staff designed a full rebuild, and the city issued a competitive sealed bid for the project. 

Third Coast Services submitted the lowest responsible bid at $79,583, earning the highest overall evaluation score among three bidders. The engineer’s estimate for the work was $110,000, according to city documents. 

Major takeaways: During the meeting, Norman McGuire, assistant city administrator and public works director, said the city’s total cost—including construction, engineering, project management, and administrative expenses—comes to $100,479. Insurance reimbursements from State Farm and the Texas Municipal League will fully cover the amount, leaving no net cost to the city. 

A new mobile bookstore is rolling into communities across Greater Houston, offering readers a joyful way to shop, owner Christie Hopson said.

A closer look: Enchanted Chapters hosts weekend pop-up events at breweries, festivals and other local gatherings, Hopson said. The mobile bookstore carries a variety of genres from romance to fantasy, thriller, mystery and children's books.

For November, Enchanted Chapters will appear at events in Cypress, Tomball, Seabrook, Katy and Conroe. Hopson said the goal is to bring the joy of discovering books directly to readers.

The U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration on Nov. 17 lifted a flight reduction emergency order for 40 airports, including George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport.

What's happening: The FAA safety team indicated a steady decline in staff-trigger events in air traffic control facilities, such as delays and cancellations, and recommended that normal operations resume across the national airspace system, according to a Nov. 17 news release from the administration. 

According to previous Community Impact reporting, "high impact airports" such as IAH and HOU were ordered early November to cut flights by 10% in response to air traffic controller shortages due to the federal government shutdown, which ended Nov. 12. Federal employees, including air traffic controllers and some pilots, were not paid during this time.

One more detail: The FAA reported eight staffing triggers—an alert of insufficient staffing at an air control facility—Nov. 15 and only one on Nov. 16 compared to a record-high of 81 on Nov. 8, according to the release. 

Texans began receiving full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits Nov. 14, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced. The renewed SNAP payments came after two weeks of delays due to the 43-day federal government shutdown, which ended Nov. 12.

The overview: SNAP is a federally funded program that provides low-income individuals and families with monthly stipends to spend on groceries. The food assistance program ran out of funding Nov. 1, one month after the government shut down amid disagreements over federal health insurance subsidies.

The details: Over 3.5 million Texans receive SNAP benefits each month, according to Feeding Texas, the statewide network of food banks. Payments are issued on a rolling basis throughout each month.

“For SNAP clients who receive benefits on or after the 14th of the month, full benefits will be issued on their normal issuance date,” the HHSC website states. “SNAP clients who already received partial benefits will receive the rest of their monthly amount on or after Nov. 14.”