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Construction is underway—and officials expect it to wrap in December—on an expansion at the Montgomery County Mental Health Treatment Facility in Conroe that will add 100 inpatient beds and increase the site’s capacity for competency-restoration treatment.
Montgomery County Commissioners have already taken additional steps to keep the project moving by allocating funds for commissioning services.

The overview: Officials and community leaders broke ground Aug. 18 on an addition that will expand the facility, which currently operates 100 beds, according to Recovery Solutions, the behavioral health provider that manages the hospital through a public-private partnership with the county and the state. 

The expansion will focus on serving justice-involved individuals a court has found incompetent to stand trial, Recovery Solutions Hospital Administrator Jeff Rone said. 

Satterfield & Pontikes Construction, the project’s contractor, describes the work as a 51,085-square-foot expansion designed to accommodate the new beds. The firm also said the added space will expand the hospital’s reach from about 3,300 patients from 79 counties to 4,300 patients from 140 counties.

Taste & See Boba & Sweets opened its doors in the Montgomery area, replacing the previous cafe, Boba Queen Tea & Thai Sweets.

Staying local: Taste & See Boba Tea & Sweets opened Dec. 1. Manager Carol Duong said the new cafe is a warm and safe place for the community.

“We are a Christian, veteran-owned and locally owned store proudly serving our Montgomery community with quality, warmth and hospitality,” Duong said. “Pick up a book on our bookshelf to enjoy, play a friendly round of games or enjoy solitude at our shop.”

The menu: The menu includes a wide variety of drinks and beverage choices, with options for coffee lovers, traditional tea drinkers and a variety of boba and milk tea flavors. Duong said their drink options are “made to satisfy every taste.”

• 15295 Hwy. 105 W., Ste. 400, Montgomery

Conroe City Council approved a new street-closure and special-events fee structure Jan. 22, setting a $500 nonrefundable application fee as the starting point for events that require closing city streets. 

The details: Norman McGuire, assistant city administrator and public works director, told council a typical one-block downtown closure requires review and coordination across multiple city departments, putting the city’s internal cost at about $400 even before factoring in event-specific needs.

McGuire described the $500 as an application fee that covers the city’s baseline review closure event. Organizers may still face additional costs depending on what an event requires—including other permits and, in some cases, security.

Mayor Duke Coon said the biggest priorities for street closures are safety and insurance, and he pointed to police staffing as a major cost driver.

What they’re saying: Council member Shana Arthur framed the policy as cost recovery—not a revenue play—and said the city needs to ensure taxpayers aren’t subsidizing private or for-profit events when closures trigger city services.

Not everyone agreed with a one-size-fits-all fee.

Two Republican candidates are running for Montgomery County justice of the peace Precinct 5 in the upcoming March primaries.

What you need to know: Early voting begins Feb. 17 for March 3 primary races in Texas, including several county and state contests.

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.

After a decade of service to land preservation and environmental activism, Bayou Land Conservancy announced the retirement of Executive Director Jill Boullion in August, according to a Jan. 26 news release.

The details: Boullion is set to officially retire as BLC executive director Aug. 14, according to the news release. Boullion originally joined the organization in 2016 and is considered a “driving force" behind the organization's regional impact. She has overseen multiple successful projects during her tenure, including but not limited to:

• Helped preserve more than 4,000 acres and strategic corridors
• Helped acquire BLC’s 117-acre Arrowwood Preserve
• Oversaw completion of the 15-mile Spring Creek Nature Trail