Little Seeds of Hope Academy co-owner Irasema Campa said she and her daughter, Genesis Pimentel-Campa, opened Little Seeds of Hope Academy on May 31.

The details: Per previous Community Impact reporting, Little Seeds of Hope Academy offers education programs for children ages 18 months-5 years and up.

Focused on faith-based learning with a family-oriented approach, the education center offers:

• Hands-on activities
• Individualized attention
• A balanced schedule

• Opened May 31
• 900 Granberry St., Humble

More than 20 new special education positions and a 3% overall general pay increase for staff members are among the highlights included in Humble ISD’s FY 2026-27 budget.

The details: Trustees approved the district’s budget during the board’s June 9 meeting. HISD Chief Financial Officer Billy Beattie said the district is projected to spend roughly $559.4 million in its general fund budget, while taking in roughly $560.1 million in revenue.

Beattie said the district’s current projections show the district operating with a surplus of a roughly $660,000 next year.

A closer look: Beattie said roughly $755,000 will be spent on various special education initiatives, including around $582,000 in new positions. Beattie also noted roughly $50,000 will be spent on new state-mandated dyslexia training. 

The overall pay increase—which Beattie said encompasses roughly $12.7 million of the district’s budget—will raise the starting salary for new teachers from $66,000 in FY 2025-26 to $68,000 in FY 2026-27. Beattie also highlighted additional raises and incentives some nonteaching positions would be awarded heading into the 2026-27 school year.

Houston City Council passed the city’s $7.5 billion budget June 10.

Budget explained: The new budget comes with significant changes, namely a new $5 administration fee that will eventually increase up to $25 over the next several years. It would also establish a Combined Utility System and designate the Solid Waste Department as a municipal utility under Texas law.

Other changes include a right-of-way fee, which would implement a fee on water and wastewater utilities for using public rights of way.

Public input: Homeowners will be charged a $5 monthly administration fee that will be added to city water bills to cover trash and recycling services. The fee will remain at $5 for two years and could increase each year until it reaches the full cost of service at $25 per month by 2032. For this fiscal year, it's expected to generate $24 million.

Mayor John Whitmire said he has had mostly support for the new fee, saying that it's being done without raising property taxes. However, the fee has been split among residents’ opinions.

The Harris County Flood Control District is hosting a series of webinars for the general public to explain the new draft floodplain maps from the Federal Emergency Management Administration. 

What residents need to know: During the webinars, HCFCD officials will go over major changes in the floodplain maps and how residents can utilize the county's online interactive tool to view the floodplain changes.

Residents can register to join the free webinars hosted on the following dates:

• June 23, 4:30 p.m.
• July 1, noon

Officials with The Cleverley Stone Foundation, who produce the popular yearly event called Houston Restaurant Weeks, announced June 5 that last year's fundraising event generated over $1.6 million for the Houston Food Bank.

The local impact: Houston Restaurant Weeks is an annual foodie fundraising event across the Greater Houston area that hundreds of restaurants participate in every year. Restaurants that sign up serve specially priced, multi-course prix fixe menus for brunch, lunch or dinner, with a portion of proceeds going toward the Houston Food Bank.

The 2025 event, which was held from August to September, raised $1,651,698. According to the HRW website, every $1 donated equals three meals generated by the Houston Food Bank.

The next chapter: Houston Restaurant Weeks will return this year from Aug. 1 through Sept. 7. Per the release, 350 restaurants are expected to participate in 2026 across Houston, Sugar Land, Galveston and The Woodlands.

Texas must protect residential consumers from paying for the infrastructure needed to power new data centers, Gov. Greg Abbott said in a June 10 order aimed at balancing the rapid growth of data centers with the needs of residents and communities.

The big picture: The governor directed state regulators to ensure data center companies do not pass infrastructure costs on to ratepayers, urging lawmakers to tighten regulations on data centers’ water use and repeal certain tax exemptions that benefit the industry.

Abbott’s order comes as Texas grapples with how to manage the data center boom amid climbing electric demand and looming water shortages. It is the first time the Republican governor has publicly called to restrict data center growth.

The context: As communities across Texas consider new data center projects, reporting shows that some residents are pushing back, raising concerns about the large facilities’ water usage, potential strain on the electric grid and impacts on local neighborhoods.

What they're saying: In response, state agencies called protecting consumers from rising electric costs "our top priority."