Three candidates are running for Conroe City Council Place 5 in the May 2 election. Incumbent Marsha Porter is not seeking reelection.

What you need to know: Early voting begins April 20 and runs through April 28, according to the Texas Secretary of State's website. Election day is May 2. In Montgomery County, voters can cast their ballot at any polling location during early voting. However, on election day, voters must vote at their designated voting precincts.

More details: Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity. For more election coverage, visit communityimpact.com/election.

Conroe City Council approved four traffic signal design contracts March 26 for intersections city officials said need upgrades, including locations along Hwy. 105, North Loop 336 and Hwy. 75.

The details: The contracts cover design work only, not construction, city staff said during the meeting.

The approved contracts total $292,006, according to agenda documents. They include:

• $71,680 for Othon Inc. to design improvements at Hwy. 105 and 10th Street
• $69,950 for Kimley-Horn at North Loop 336 and Plantation Drive
• $74,750 for Cobb, Fendley & Associates Inc. at Hwy. 75 and Mill Avenue
• $75,626 for Iteris Inc. at Hwy. 75 and Gladstell Street

The Montgomery County Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office and Montgomery Central Appraisal District will be hosting multiple property tax workshops to educate locals on navigating the property tax process. The first batch workshop is scheduled to begin April 6, according to a March 24 Facebook post.

What to expect: A few of the topics expected to be covered include the property tax system, appraisal value, right to protest and deadlines, and more. The dates for the upcoming workshops are as follows:

• April 6 from 6-7:30 p.m. at North Montgomery County Community Center, 600 Gerald St., Willis
• April 21 from 6-7:30 p.m. at Woodforest-The Palms, 251 Central Pine St., Montgomery
• April 23 from 6-7:30 p.m. at East Montgomery County Senior Center, 21679 McCleskey Road, New Caney
• April 28 from 6-7:30 p.m. at Kevin Brady Community Center, 2250 Buckthorn Place, The Woodlands
• May 5 from 6-7:30 p.m. at West Montgomery County Community Development Center, 31355 Friendship Drive, Magnolia
• May 7 from 6-7:30 p.m. at Montgomery Central Appraisal District, 109 Gladstell St., Conroe

Student homelessness increased across many Greater Houston-area school districts over the last five school years, while foster care numbers showed a more uneven pattern from district to district, according to Texas Education Agency data released March 6.

The overview: Community Impact reviewed TEA data for 28 Greater Houston-area school districts to compare the number of enrolled students identified as experiencing homelessness or living in foster care in 2025-26 versus 2021-22. In the foster care data, Fort Bend ISD and Aldine ISD had the highest counts in 2025-26. 

In the homelessness data, Houston ISD stood above the rest of the districts shown, nearing 6,000 students in 2025-26. Other districts, including Alief ISD, Clear Creek ISD, Conroe ISD and Fort Bend ISD, all showed higher homeless student counts in 2025-26 than in 2021-22, while several others were flat or down.

TSA PreCheck and CLEAR screenings have returned to George Bush Intercontinental Airport, according to an April 2 news release.

The details: Airport officials said standard TSA screenings, TSA PreCheck and CLEAR are currently available at Terminals A, C and E at IAH, but they noted access to TSA PreCheck and CLEAR is not guaranteed and may change day to day based on staffing, per the release.

A closer look: Officials said recent federal action providing back pay to TSA officers has helped staffing levels at the airport, but they noted the federal government shutdown remains ongoing.

Also of note: Officials said passengers needing additional assistance, including those traveling with children or requiring accessibility support, should contact their airline before entering a TSA line.

Three medical cannabis businesses have been conditionally approved to participate in the Texas Compassionate Use Program, state officials announced April 1.

The big picture: The companies received conditional licenses from the Texas Department of Public Safety in an effort to expand access to medical cannabis products. Under the compassionate use program, physicians can prescribe medical-grade, low-THC products to eligible patients in partnership with licensed dispensaries.

Zooming in: Two of the three businesses given conditional licenses April 1 are affiliated with existing medical cannabis dispensaries that work in several other states. The new licensees are:

• GTI Texas, LLC (doing business as RISE Dispensaries) in West Texas
• Cresco Labs Texas, LLC in East Texas
• Texas Medica Collective, LLC in Northeast Texas