Little Caesars is set open a storefront in the new Porter Retail shopping center, according to an April 8 filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. 

What to expect: The 1,697-square-foot location will offer the eatery's signature pizzas, wings and Crazy Bread, among other menu items available to-go. Construction is expected to begin in June and wrap up by August, per the filing.

Some context: As previously reported by Community Impact, construction on the Porter Retail shopping center began in October and is expected to be complete by this summer or fall. The shopping center is being developed by Dhanani Private Equity Group and is expected to house a variety of retail and dining options.

• 21451 FM 1314, Porter

From a national ice cream chain to a locally owned snow cone and lemonade stand, several businesses have updates to share in the New Caney and Porter area.

Coming soon
Tiny Tundra Snowcones is set to open in April, officials announced via social media March 16. Owned by Bryan Arguello, Ada Roldan and Kevin Valdez, the locally owned snow cone and lemonade stand will offer finely shaved ice topped with classic and specialty syrups.

• Opening April 17 
• 18978 FM 1314, Conroe

• Reopened March 14
• 1714 Roman Forest Blvd., New Caney

• Closed April 2
• 21120 Loop 494, New Caney

Montgomery County Commissioners Court on April 9 dug into what could come next for the Montgomery County Jail, as county leaders weighed options ranging from a new facility to an expansion of the existing jail.

The gist: Commissioners moved with contingencies to look into building a new jail, and discussion began a deeper look at what officials said is becoming a more urgent issue as the county grows and the 40-year-old jail continues to age.

More details: Sheriff Wesley Doolittle told commissioners the county has made short-term changes to ease crowding, including speeding up transfers to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and temporarily housing inmates in Waller County. But he said those steps do not solve the county’s larger jail capacity and infrastructure problem.

Doolittle said the current jail was originally built for about 380 inmates and now has 1,317 rated beds, including a 64-bed variance. He also said the county has already exceeded the building’s expected useful life and continues spending money just to keep it functioning.

Tickets for the 2026 Texas Renaissance Festival will go on sale April 15, according to an April 2 news release. There will be a 20% discount from April 15-30.

Quote of note: “April 15 marks the beginning of the journey towards this year’s festival, and we’re excited to offer this special discount to our guests to celebrate the season ahead,” TRF Marketing Director Tyler Moyer said via news release. “We can’t wait to open the gates of the Texas Renaissance Festival once again and create magical memories for every visitor.”

More details: The Texas Renaissance Festival’s 52nd season is scheduled to take place from Oct. 10 through Nov. 29, and will feature over 70 acres of activities, entertainment and markets for attendees, according to the news release.

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out five trending stories in the Greater Houston area from April 6-10.

Houston's District C moves forward with drainage projects, study for new trail

Harris County, Houston officials green light $56.9M flood project in Kingwood

Coastal Prairie Conservancy preserves final 221 acres of Three Oaks Farm

H-GAC officials launch new transportation website ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Vonlane adds new luxury motor coach route in The Woodlands, connecting Houston metro and Austin

Texas education officials are currently overhauling the state’s social studies curriculum standards, with policymakers, teachers, parents and historians clashing over how students should be taught about the history of Texas, the U.S. and the world.

The overview: The State Board of Education reviews standards for all curriculum areas every 15-20 years, dictating what Texas' 5.5 million public school students should learn at each grade level.

As written, the plan would reduce how much time students spend learning about world history and cultures in favor of more Texas-focused subjects. Critics of the proposal have pushed to include a more diverse set of perspectives to ensure all students feel represented in the curriculum, while those who support it said students’ education should be centered around American exceptionalism, state history and Christianity.

Next steps: The SBOE, which has the final say on the curriculum changes, was taking an initial vote on the plan as of press time and is scheduled to adopt the final standards in June. The new requirements would be rolled out to classrooms in 2030.