Cypress residents can soon expect construction near Greenhouse Road and Hwy. 290 as officials gear up for the development of the Greenhouse Road underpass, which will connect to Skinner Road via a tunnel underneath the Union Pacific railroad.

What you need to know: The Texas Department of Transportation will oversee project construction beginning this summer through late 2029 or early 2030, officials said. 

Latest update: While the project was initially estimated to cost $81 million, Harris County Precinct 3 staff said the bid for total construction came in slightly under at $76 million. 

Eighty percent of the total construction cost—approximately $60.8 million—will be covered using federal funds secured by the Houston-Galveston Area Council, officials said. Four local project partners have committed to splitting the remaining cost: 

• Harris County MUD 500
• Harris County Precinct 3
• Harris County Emergency Services District No. 9
• Harris County Toll Road Authority 

Cy-Fair ISD’s estimated shortfall for the general operating budget for fiscal year 2025-26 sits at $31.7 million, Chief Financial Officer Karen Smith said during the May 7 board work session.

With the end of the current fiscal year approaching, CFISD’s board of trustees will further plan the FY 2026-27 proposed budget on May 21 at a special-called meeting.

Current situation: Since the previous budget update in April, the FY 2025-26 projected shortfall has decreased by $2 million. Attributing the change to moving expenditures from the general fund to grant funds with the capacity, Smith said this was offset by the decrease in enrollment and the expected payment by the teacher incentive allotment.

The district discussed holding a voter-approval tax rate election, VATRE, to raise the maintenance and operations tax rate above the state threshold maximum compressed tax rate determined by the Texas Education Agency.

Houston officials officially dedicated George Bush Intercontinental Airport's Terminal E in honor of the late former U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in a May 18 ceremony, officials announced in a May 18 news release.

Career history: Jackson Lee represented Texas' 18th Congressional District—which includes IAH—for more than three decades. Jackson Lee died at age 74 in July 2024 following a battle with pancreatic cancer, as previously reported by Community Impact.

During her tenure, Jackson Lee advocated for aviation security, federal transportation investment and infrastructure improvements, and helped secure more than $125 million for Houston airports, per the release.

The impact: Houston City Council voted unanimously to rename Terminal E to "Sheila Jackson Lee Terminal E" in April 2025, as previously reported.

During the May 18 ceremony, a 500-pound memorial plaque featuring a portrait of Jackson Lee was unveiled. In the coming weeks, the plaque will be permanently installed inside the terminal's international concourse beyond the TSA security checkpoint.

On May 26, Republican voters will choose their nominee for the Texas Railroad Commission in a runoff election between former Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French and incumbent Jim Wright.

The overview: The Republican railroad commission race is one of several statewide contests that advanced to May runoffs after no candidate received more than 50% of the vote in the March 3 primary election.

Wright and French were the two highest-performing candidates in the five-way primary race, with Wright receiving 32.1% of the vote and French collecting 31.7%.

The winner of the May 26 overtime round will face state Rep. John Rosenthal, D-Houston, in the November midterm election. Third-party candidates may also appear on the November ballot.

Did you know? The railroad commission regulates Texas’ oil and gas industry, while the state's railroads are under the control of the Texas Department of Transportation and the federal government. The agency has three commissioners elected to staggered six-year terms.

At the polls: Texans can vote early from May 18-22, with runoff election day May 26.