On a Saturday morning in Old Town Tomball, the first-time visitors stand out for about five minutes, right up until they realize they didn’t bring enough bags.

“They’re going to be overwhelmed and realize they didn’t bring enough stuff, enough bags,” Tomball Farmers Market Manager Amanda Kelly said, describing what newcomers can expect as they walk into a market that stretches across multiple rows and pulls in everything from fresh produce and eggs to prepared foods and artisan goods.

The gist: Kelly said that big, bustling scene didn’t exist when the market began in May 2008 with five vendors. Today, the market has a total of 97 vendors, with up to 80 set up on a given Saturday, depending on how many farmers are in the mix. The Tomball Farmers Market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., rain or shine; the market closes only when the Tomball German Heritage Festival is in town, Kelly said.

Every-Bellies is set to hold an official grand opening Jan. 7, an employee confirmed. 

The menu: Menu items include milkshakes, salads and loaded baked potatoes. The restaurant also has a location in Tomball, Texas. 

• 20212 Eva St., Montgomery

In 2025, Community Impact readers followed a mix of county decisions—from the fiscal year budget and public safety changes to debates over county facilities, road funding and new regulations. 

The details: Read on for a roundup of major Montgomery County stories from the year.

County adopts FY 2025-26 budget, sets $0.3770 tax rate
Commissioners Court approved a $508.1 million balanced budget and set the county property tax rate at $0.3770 per $100 valuation. The plan included items such as law enforcement pay parity, added staffing, IT and cybersecurity funding, and jail-related costs.

Jail overcrowding prompts officials to weigh costly long-term fixes
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office leaders told commissioners the jail was operating at 97.9% capacity—housing 1,289 inmates—and outlined options ranging from a new jail facility to acquiring an existing facility. A consultant study was expected to review costs, location and projected needs. 
 

In 2025, Community Impact has covered Harris County government, development, education and health care news.

Read on to learn more about some of the top stories this year. The following stories are not listed in any particular order.

1. Proposed hospital expansion could impact parkland
Read the full story about Ben Taub Hospital here and read the full story about LBJ Hospital here.

2. Harris County commissioners approve $2.7B FY 2025-26 budget prioritizing pay parity, public safety
Read the full story here.

3. Harris County Flood Control District advances $3.5B in approved projects stemming from 2018 flood bond
Read the full story here.

4. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo won't seek third term ahead of 2026 election
Read the full story here.

6. Harris County commissioners negotiate $81K pay raise for county's 8 elected constables
Read the full story here.

7. School district enrollment trends, closures
Read the story about Cy-Fair ISD by Reporter Sarah Brager here.

Approximately three dozen new Texas laws are scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, impacting how artificial intelligence is used in state government, when local officials can raise taxes after natural disasters and how much of businesses' inventory is taxed.

The background: The changes come after Texas’s biennial legislative session ended in early June. Gov. Greg Abbott signed over 1,100 laws passed by state lawmakers, many of which took effect in June or September.

The details: Some of the bills becoming law in the new year are:

• House Bill 9, which will expand a tax exemption for business owners
• House Bill 30, which will tighten regulations on counties' and cities' abilities to raise tax rates after natural disasters
• House Bill 149, which will regulate the fast-growing AI industry
• House Bill 247, which will exempt certain border security infrastructure from property tax increases
• House Bill 1399, which will create a property tax exemption for stores selling animal feed
• House Bill 2508, which will establish a property tax exemption for the surviving spouse of certain military members