Ash and Pat Shiao used to talk about and dream up concepts for opening a restaurant together one day. While neither of them had previous experience in the restaurant industry with Ash Shiao serving as a travel nurse and Pat Shiao managing an auto shop, the two considered themselves foodies and knew they had the passion for it.

The gist: She took her husband to the original Las Brasas Charcoal Chicken in Eldridge so frequently that the owner said the couple could open a second location in Sugar Land.

A year after that first conversation in August 2024, the Shiaos opened their Las Brasas location in Sugar Land, which Ash Shiao said is the first restaurant in the area to serve Peruvian charcoal chicken.

On the menu: Along with the chicken meals, customers can order dishes with beef, fried fish, ceviche and pasta. Side options include chaufa, or chicken fried rice, plantains, yuca fries and black or pinto beans. 

• 5022 Hwy. 90A, Sugar Land

Memorial Hermann Convenient Care Center in Sienna celebrated its 10th anniversary in November.

The health care provider celebrated the anniversary Nov. 15 with city officials and community members offering CPR demos, giveaways and family-friendly activities, officials said in a Nov. 19 news release.

What they offer: The care center offers 24-hour emergency room, pediatric, imaging and physical therapy services, per its website.

• 8780 Hwy. 6, Ste. B, Missouri City

Lamar Consolidated ISD Superintendent Roosevelt Nivens has been named a 2026 National Superintendent of the Year finalist by The School Superintendents Association, or AASA, according to a Dec. 15 news release.

The Texas Association of School Administrators nominated Rivens for the award Nov. 6, Community Impact reported.

The details: Nivens, who is also TASA’s president-elect, is one of four finalists for the award, along with superintendents from Kentucky, Maine and Maryland, per the release. The award recognizes superintendents for leadership and dedication to advancing public education in their communities.

“Dr. Nivens is an inspiration to everyone who knows him,” TASA Executive Director Kevin Brown said in the release. “His personal story is powerful, and it fuels his desire to help children and serve his community so very well.”

Remember this: Nivens was named 2025 Texas Superintendent of the Year by the Texas Association of School Boards on Sept. 12, Community Impact previously reported.

Looking ahead: The 2026 Superintendent of the Year will be announced at AASA’s National Conference on Education, which takes place Feb. 12-14.

Frontier Airlines has added three new nonstop routes out of George Bush Intercontinental Airport, airline officials announced in a Dec. 18 news release.

The details: Per the release, the new nonstop routes include IAH to:

• La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City, Guatemala, beginning Dec. 18
• El Salvador International Airport in Comalapa, El Salvador, beginning Dec. 19
• Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, beginning Dec. 20

• Guatemala: $49
• El Salvador: $59
• Honduras: $49

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out five trending stories in the Greater Houston area from Dec. 15-19.

Did you know? Grand Parkway, or State Hwy. 99, is now moving into the southeastern region, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. 

The project will extend the highway 14 miles from FM 646 in League City to south of FM 2403 in Alvin, TxDOT documents show. The expansion project is slated to start construction in 2027.

In case you missed it: Two Spring ISD schools, Link Elementary School and Dueitt Middle School, will close next school year as the district faces falling enrollment and a $13 million fiscal year 2025-26 budget shortfall, according to a Dec. 10 SISD news release. 

Check this out: From a new burger spot to a new taco truck, read six dining updates across the Greater Houston area, including restaurants that recently opened or are celebrating anniversaries, as reported by Community Impact.

Community Impact compiled important holiday travel-related information, including what to know about traffic and airport activity, gas price data, and driver safety tips ahead of the year-end travel season, which runs Dec. 20-Jan. 1.

The overview: Texans should give themselves extra time to reach their destinations the weekend before Christmas, with many travelers expected to hit the road Dec. 21-22. Congestion is also expected as some Texans return home Dec. 26, according to INRIX, a transportation data company.

Minimal traffic is expected Dec. 24-25 and Dec. 31-Jan. 1, although AAA warned in a Dec. 10 news release that unexpected delays could arise from severe weather or crashes.

For the first time, more than 8 million people nationwide are expected to take domestic flights during the year-end holidays.

More information: Texas drivers will likely pay less for gas this holiday season than in recent years, AAA fuel data shows. On average, one gallon of unleaded gas costs about $2.51 in Texas as of Dec. 18, down from $2.65 one year prior.