Village Fit Co. is a boutique community gym planning to open soon in Old Magnolia near Unity Park. 

The specific:  Village Fit plans to offer a wide variety of programs and services, including but not limited to:

• Strength and conditioning
• Endurance-based training 
• Functional fitness
• Personal training 
• Youth programs, leadership classes and Pilates
• 24-hour access
• Run club and community events 
• Onsite childcare

• Opening in April
• 19011 Jeter St., Magnolia

La-Z-Boy is now open along the Grand Parkway at the intersection of Hwy. 249 according to store officials.

The details: The home furniture retailer offers a variety of furniture for rooms, including living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms, according to its website. The store also offers design help for coordinating pieces and colors to fit the needs of each home.

• Opened Nov. 14
• 13706 Interchange Drive, Tomball

Officials with the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County announced Jan. 5 its transition to a new fare system, RideMETRO, which replaces and discontinues the METRO Q Fare Card.

The gist: METRO riders can purchase the RideMETRO $2 fare card, according to METRO’s website, and load money at any of the following locations:

• METRO RideStore locations
• METRO Online RideStore
• RideMETRO app
• Participating retail locations
• Ticket vending machines

Riders can check their balance on the RideMETRO app. After 10 paid trips, riders get one free trip, according to METRO’s announcement.

The cost: No fare increases are taking place as part of the new fare system, according to the METRO website.

Residents who use W.G. Jones State Forest should expect temporary closures this week as the Texas A&M Forest Service plans a prescribed burn in the forest Jan. 15, weather permitting. The burn will take place within state forest boundaries between I-45 and Hwy. 242, south of FM 1488, according to a news release.

The impact: Prescribed burning serves as a forest management tool that officials use to restore habitat, reduce undergrowth and improve community safety by cutting down the fuel that can feed wildfires, the release states. The planned burn also targets habitat restoration for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker and will include inter-departmental training for state and local emergency response resources.

The agency plans to notify surrounding city and fire officials as well as area residents and groups who frequent the forest by email, and it will post notification signs in adjoining rights of way, according to the release. Firefighters and equipment will be staged on-site as a precaution, and some areas of the forest will be closed to the public during operations.

Montgomery County Food Bank will spotlight four community partners during its 2026 Fighting Hunger, Feeding Hope Gala, set for Saturday, Feb. 7 at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott, according to a Jan. 6 news release.

What’s happening?: The gala serves as the food bank’s signature fundraiser and supports hunger relief through its network of partner agencies. The organization said each donated dollar can provide up to four meals.

This year’s theme, “Through the Looking Glass,” invites guests to consider what the county can accomplish “when our community comes together in generosity and compassion,” the release states.

Per the release, the 2026 gala honorees are:

• ExxonMobil, Community Partner of the Year
• St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, Partner Agency of the Year
• Fortifi Food Processing Solutions, Volunteer of the Year
• Ann Snyder, Legacy Award