Magnolia City Council approves limited fireworks days, adopts TextMyGov service
During its Sept. 9 meeting, Magnolia City Council approved an ordinance permitting fireworks displays two days per year, and moved to adopt TextMyGov, a communication platform for residents.
What you need to know:According to agenda documents, the fireworks ordinance was revised to allow the discharge of fireworks on two specific days annually. Previously, fireworks use was broadly prohibited within city limits. According to the ordinance, fireworks are allowed:
For the New Year’s Holiday: between sunset on Dec. 31 to 1 a.m. on Jan. 1st.
For the Independence Day holiday: between sunset on July 4 to 1 a.m. on July 5.
Also on the agenda:In the same meeting, council approved the implementation of TextMyGov, which will allow the city to send mass alerts, respond to residents’ questions via text and facilitate reporting of issues using automated messaging, per the agenda item.
Smalls Sliders opens fourth Texas location near Hwy. 249, Grand Parkway
Smalls Sliders, a cheeseburger slider and shakes restaurant, opened its fourth location in Texas Sept. 16, store officials confirmed in a news release.
The details: The Smalls Sliders menu offers cooked-to-order cheeseburger sliders, fries, shakes and queso. At the grand opening on Sept. 16, local owner and operator Thad Montgomery gave a donation check to his chosen “Smalls Town Hero,” which he dedicated to the FSC Sports Performance Foundation, a local nonprofit that helps to develop young athletes physically and spiritually, according to the release.
Zooming out: Smalls Sliders has other locations in Houston, Willis and McKinney, according to the release.
Harris County Flood Control District advances $3.5B in approved projects stemming from 2018 flood bond
More than 145 flood mitigation projects in high-flood-risk areas across Harris County will advance with secured local, state and federal funding partnerships after the unanimous approval from Harris County Commissioners as part of a restructured proposal built upon the work completed from the 2018 flood bond.
Explained: At the Sept. 18 court meeting, Harris County Flood Control District Executive Director Christina Petersen addressed commissioners on the updates and debuted the new 2018 flood bond dashboard—a public website where users can find flood project schedules, funding sources, completion dates, prioritization scores, locations and lifecycles for all projects that will be updated quarterly, according to Petersen.
What residents should know: Rising costs, inflation and pandemic construction issues were factors that flood district officials said have challenged how they’re moving forward with certain projects and closing others. The following number of 2018 bond-related IDs or packages have been decided in the following categories, according to HCFCD:
Entergy Texas receives approval for 2 new power plants in southeast Texas
Entergy Texas will build two new power plants to support the growing southeast Texas region following approval by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, officials announced in a Sept. 11 news release.
Two-minute impact: Per the release, the two natural gas power plants will be able to provide "enough reliable electricity capable of powering more than 300,000 homes." Combined, the two power plants will add more than 1,200 megawatts of energy to the southeast Texas power grid, while generating $2.8 billion in economic activity and creating over 9,000 construction jobs.
Officials noted the power plants are expected to allow Entergy Texas to meet new customer demand, increase reliability and lower costs for all customers.
Quote of note: "We've heard directly from our customers and communities about the need for more power to support our rapidly growing region, and these facilities will deliver just that," Entergy Texas CEO Eliecer Viamontes said in a statement.
The timeline: Both facilities are planned to be in service by mid-2028, per the release.
Houston-area veteran organizations awarded more than $7.9M in grants
More than $7.9 million of Funds for Veterans’ Assistance, or FVA, grants have been awarded to 38 organizations in the Greater Houston area, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Sept. 12.
The gist: Abbott said the grants are part of the Texas Veterans Commission Grants Across Texas Tour. The grants support a wide range of services, from emergency financial assistance to transportation and home modification, according to a news release.
Quote of note: “This over $7.9 million in grants will provide crucial services and financial support for our veterans and their families in the Gulf Coast and Houston so they can lead successful lives in our great state,” Abbott said.
Eligible K-12 students receive free school meals after legislature approves funding
This school year, students who are eligible for reduced-price meals can receive free breakfast and lunch at public schools across Texas.
The overview: During the recent legislative session, state lawmakers approved $19.8 million to cover the cost of reduced-price meals for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years.
What parents should know: Eligibility for free school meals is determined based on a family’s income through the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.
Families can contact their school district to fill out an application for free or reduced-price meals at any time during the school year. Students who are deemed eligible for reduced-price meals will receive them at no cost through the 2026-27 school year.
What they're saying: “Kids who would have paid a small fee for meals will now receive them at no cost,” said Stacie Sanchez Hare, director of No Kid Hungry Texas. “[School] is where we know so many kids get their meals—it is a guaranteed place for kids to have access to free and nutritional meals.”
