HTX-KTY: Impact 9/11/2025

Fulshear is bringing utilities in-house, allowing the city to control every aspect of the process, Fulshear Utilities Director Ben Glynn said.

Zooming in: With Fulshear expanding at such a rapid speed, working through their contractor, Inframark, has become more difficult, Glynn said.

By moving utility work in-house, Glynn can oversee every step of the process when things go wrong, which the city currently has to call Inframark for.

By the numbers: Moving utilities in-house will save the city $2 million. Of the savings, $500,000 will go to hire eight technicians during fiscal year 2025-26, Glynn said.

Meanwhile, Glynn said the additional $1.5 million will go back to utility farms, with projects including improving water lines and pump lift efficiencies, as well as adding a supervisory control and data acquisition system.

Looking ahead: Glynn said residents can expect response time to improve once processes go in-house. Additionally, he said it will help improve the city’s water quality with plans to improve the ranking of the city’s water system within two years.

After running an online boutique for a year and a half, Threads of Grace owner Amanda Hammers officially opened a brick-and-mortar storefront in Katy's Historic Town Square.

Giving back: Selling clothing, shoes, accessories and gifts, Hammers said the boutique was built on the belief that fashion can do more than make people look good—it can also do good. 

Hammers said 10% of all profits go to helping women in crisis, including individuals who have been previously incarcerated, are survivors of domestic violence or have experienced other types of trauma. 

Notable quote: “We want you to feel good about what you wear—not just because it looks amazing, but because it carries a story of resilience and hope,” Hammers said in a statement on the store’s website. “This boutique is about showing up for one another, creating opportunity where there was none and building a future that includes everyone.”

• 5725 Second St., Katy

Costco plans to build a new superstore and gas station in Cypress, according to Sept. 5 filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The exact address is unknown as of press time, but the TDLR filings show the store will be located off of the Grand Parkway. 

The details: Construction of the 160,000-square-foot warehouse and 11,680-square-foot gas station are set to begin in March, with expected completion in November 2026, according to the architectural filings. In total, the privately-funded project is projected to cost approximately $67.8 million. 

Austin-based private school Alpha School is aiming to expedite learning for more students using artificial intelligence at new academies opening across the country.

What happened: On Sept. 9, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon visited Alpha School in Austin alongside Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath. Alpha School co-founder MacKenzie Price highlighted how the school is using AI to personalize and improve students’ education.

What they're saying: “It's the most exciting thing I've seen in education in a long time,” McMahon said about Alpha School. “I'm incredibly enthusiastic about this.”

How it works: Students complete their academic learning in two hours each day using an AI platform known as 2 Hour Learning. Price said the Alpha School model enables students to learn twice as fast as they would in a traditional school setting.

The update: Alpha School opened several new academies across the United States this school year, including a K-3 school in Plano and K-8 school in Fort Worth. The company is planning to open an academy in Houston this winter.

Gov. Greg Abbott issued a Sept. 10 executive order aimed at prohibiting hemp-derived THC products from being sold to minors, which he called “safety for kids, freedom for adults.” The order comes one week after a special legislative session ended without Abbott and state lawmakers agreeing on legislation to ban or restrict THC sales.

The details: Abbott’s order directs the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission to “immediately begin the rulemaking process” on new THC regulations, including:

• Limiting THC sales to people 21 years and older
• Requiring THC retailers to check all customers’ IDs
• Expanding testing and labeling requirements for THC products
• Raising manufacturer and retailer licensing fees to cover costs of enforcing the new rules
• Enhancing monitoring by state and local law enforcement