Founded over 20 years ago, the Lone Star College Academy for Lifelong Learning program offers free and low-cost classes, events and activities for adults age 50 and older taught by volunteer teachers.

About the program: Founded at the Montgomery campus in 2000, Duval said other campuses soon followed and began offering the Academy for Lifelong Learning program at the Cy-Fair, Kingwood and North Harris campuses in 2004. Later expanding to other campuses, the program has remained an influential opportunity for seniors who want to continue expanding their skills.

With over 23 categories of courses offered, Duval said art, history and culinary classes are among the most popular.

Quote of note: “Once you're retired, a lot of people just don't know what else to do. They don't know where to go to hang out, or they lose contact with some of their friends who are still working,” Duval said. “So our goal is to keep them active and help them make new friends and keep them engaged with other people who have similar interests.”

Montgomery County officials learned a federal grant will be available to help cover costs from the Pauline Road Fire, which affected 2,360 acres in the county in March 2025.

During the July 23 Montgomery County Commissioners Court meeting, Jason Millsaps, executive director for the county’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said a fire management assistance grant, or FMAG, for $40,379 approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in March was in the process of being finalized.

Another detail: Millsaps also shared a plan for mobile emergency response barriers to better implement traffic safety measures.

What else: Continuing an ongoing Commissioners Court discussion regarding the location for a new jail, Doolittle proposed the building of a new jail facility by the current jail on 41 acres by the Montgomery County Mental Health Facility located at 700 Hilbig Road.

Tamina residents and officials with the city of Shenandoah and Montgomery County announced the pending completion of Phase 1 of the Tamina water and sanitary sewer connection project July 30. The project will provide the unincorporated community with public utilities from Shenandoah after a long history of water issues in the area.

Construction started in November 2023, and funding for the project came from $21 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds allocated by the county as well as $750,000 in ARPA money from Shenandoah to bring new water and sewer infrastructure to the area. The community is in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the city of Shenandoah, which managed the project.

Why it matters: The history of the Tamina community dates back to when it was established in 1871, founded by formerly enslaved people after the end of the Civil War. Some of the descendants of the people who established the community still live there, Shenandoah Mayor John Escoto said.

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out these trending stories across the northern portion of the Greater Houston area from July 27-31.

1. Cy-Fair Houston Chamber of Commerce to relocate to Cypress

2. Magnolia, Brookshire among HAR’s Q2 list of Houston’s hottest communities

3. Latin-owned, Eden Coffee & Tea now open Jersey Village

4. Colombian coffee, boba tea: Check out the newest beverage spots in Cy-Fair

5. See 28 restaurants taking part in Houston Restaurant Weeks in The Woodlands area

Across Texas, public school districts have approved at least 150 campus closures in the last three years as they grapple with declining enrollment, state accountability issues and hefty budget shortfalls.

What's happening: Among the closures are 56 schools in Community Impact’s coverage areas. Some districts have said that additional closures are not off the table.

Roughly 76,000 fewer students were enrolled in Texas public schools during the 2025-26 school year than the year prior. This marks the first non-pandemic enrollment drop in recorded history, according to Texas Education Agency data collected annually since 1987.

Analysts warn that this year’s enrollment decline is not a one-off, with demographics expert Bob Templeton predicting that enrollment could “drop over 100,000 kids” next year.

What they're saying: “This was a decision that I made, even knowing some of the challenges our students are going to face, because I think the alternative is untenable,” Fort Bend ISD board President Kristin Tassin said as the district voted to close seven elementary schools ahead of the 2026-27 school year.