The Woodlands, which was one of 16 finalists for The Boring Company's Tunnel Vision Challenge, was not among the final three locations chosen to have a mile-long tunnel built at no cost.

The Elon Musk-owned company announced in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, early on March 24 that three final locations were selected as the location for the project: New Orleans, Baltimore and Dallas.  A value for the cost of the project was not given by the company.

The latest: In addition to the three winners, The Boring Company said it would work with several other projects to try to get them built, including a project in Henderson, Tennessee, and one in San Antonio. 

The backstory: The Woodlands Township board of directors agreed in February to submit a proposal for the challenge, which would enable the construction of a mile-long tunnel in the Town Center area at no cost to the township, Community Impact previously reported.

Marcus Teske became the new Oak Ridge North police chief at the city council's Jan. 26 meeting. Teske brings over 20 years of experience and familiarity with the Oak Ridge North community.

What are your top priorities as the new police chief?
One of them is rebranding the agency and getting us back out there. Building our relationships and continuing our relationships with our neighboring agencies and the surrounding agencies, and getting our guys back out in the community. Working hard and getting to know the citizens, the businesses and just taking care of the community as a whole.

What’s your vision for the department as the community continues to grow?
As the community continues to grow, I hope to make this one of the best agencies in south Montgomery County to be the best-trained, the best-equipped [and] the best professional agency [so] that we can provide the best service for our citizens.  

Montgomery County commissioners will discuss potential financing options, including a possible future bond election, for a justice center or courthouse facilities at the March 26 Commissioners Court meeting.

How we got here: In an Aug. 26 county commissioners meeting, Montgomery County commissioners voted to create the 523rd Criminal District Court due to growing caseloads and overcrowding at the county jail.

Also of note: County staff estimated that the total annual cost, including district attorney’s office, county clerk and court staff positions, would total around $1.5 million. The current courthouse was built in 1938, and the last time a rebuild was attempted was in 1997, according to county and district judges.

After months of standby, Harris County moved forward with a multimillion-dollar initiative to develop long lasting solar energy in low-income and underserved communities countywide.

What happened: Commissioners Court on March 19 authorized $88.3 million to fund projects for the Solar for All plan despite the Environmental Protection Agency’s attempted termination of grants associated with the program. Harris County filed a lawsuit against the EPA in October to reclaim the promised funds, and officials said a decision is expected later this year.

Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey voted against in the 3-1 decision.

More details: The initiative aims to ease the financial burden of rising energy costs in vulnerable communities and enhance grid resilience during extreme weather events, according to county documents. County officials said exact sites are being evaluated, with a focus on locations that would "generate the most economic benefit."

Some context: The EPA awarded Harris County $54 million for Solar for All projects in April 2024 but has since tried to cut the program entirely, triggering legal pushback from the county attorney's office.