Construction was completed in February on the shell building for a new Starbucks location coming soon to Valley Ranch Town Center, a spokesperson for the shopping center’s developer The Signorelli Company confirmed via email March 19. Interior work on the coffee shop is underway.

What to expect: The 2,200-square-foot Starbucks location in New Caney will employ 14-20 people, according to a March 17 news release from The Signorelli Company. The shop will offer a menu of brewed coffee, espresso drinks, blended frozen Frappuccinos, teas, pastries and more, as previously reported by Community Impact.

Some context: Founded in Seattle in 1971, the international coffee chain currently has 29,000 stores worldwide, according to the company’s website.

• Opening this summer
• 11805 N. Grand Parkway E., Ste. 100, New Caney

Several events are taking place this spring season in New Caney and Porter. From barbecue cook-offs to crawfish festivals, there is something for the whole family.

Pick-a-Buddy Pickleball Fundraiser: Proceeds from this pickleball tournament will benefit Mission Northeast’s Buddy Bag Program, which provides weekend meals for local children facing food insecurity.

• April 11, 1-4 p.m.
• $60 (player registration)
• The PickleBall Zone, 22056 W. Ford Road, Porter

• April 17-18, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• $150 (cook team entry), $25 (car show entry)
• Bull Sallas Park, 21681 McCleskey Road, New Caney

• April 24, 6-9:30 p.m.
• $20-$100 (raffle tickets available)
• Fountain View Farm, 24500 Drivers Road, Splendora

Montgomery County commissioners voted 4-1 to advertise for architect services for a new justice center and courthouse facility during the March 26 meeting of Commissioners Court. Commissioners also discussed potential future financing options for the project that could include a bond election.

What happened: Two district court judges, 457th District Judge Vince Santini and 284th District Judge Kristin Bays were both called to the podium during the meeting to discuss available options for the new development. 

The cost: Bays said architectural plans will be completed at no expense to taxpayers through a court facilities fund both earmarked for judicial purposes.

Montgomery County Treasurer Melanie Bush said she’s been working with Commissioner Riley on cost estimates for a variety of potential funding options. She said if the county was to hold a bond election, the cost could range from $250 million for a single courthouse building to a “worst-case” scenario of $700 million for a courthouse and jail.

Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta's company entered into an agreement, made public in March, to purchase the Women's National Basketball Association's Connecticut Suns, an American professional basketball team that finished 11-33 in the Eastern Conference in 2025.

What we know: The agreement, which was announced on the Houston Rockets' social media page March 30, involves relocating the franchise to Houston and rebranding the team as the Houston Comets, a historic title tied to the former WNBA team that was based in Houston from 1997 to 2008.

Pending league approval, the franchise is expected to begin playing at the Toyota Center for the start of the 2027 WNBA season, per the post.

The history: The Comets were one of the WNBA's original eight franchises, and during their reign, won four consecutive championships from 1997 to 2000 with top names like Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson.

Before you go: The Connecticut Suns will play its final season at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut in 2026 before relocating to Houston.

On March 19, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center announced the opening of its new Colorectal Center located on the second floor of its Duncan Building, per a news release.

More details: The 24,565-square-foot center blends art and technology, aiming to create a calm, healing environment focused on patient experience, per the news release. This center includes 32 exam rooms, along with a lobby featuring three focus rooms. Patients will have access to supportive services such as nutrition counseling, pain management, genetic counseling and risk assessment.

Quote of note: “When we treat young patients, we are addressing more than just the cancer,” Dr. Y. Nancy You, professor of colon and rectal surgery and director of the young-onset colorectal cancer program, said via news release. “We also recognize the significant psychological impact that a diagnosis can have on their lives. This new center provides a dedicated space where we can deliver personalized, whole-person care and walk that journey with every patient, so they know they are not alone."

In the nine months until Texas’ 90th legislative session begins in January, state lawmakers are expected to hold information-gathering hearings on hundreds of topics that will lay the groundwork for next year’s policymaking.

During a March 27 legislative summit in New Braunfels, four longtime lawmakers shared some of their top priorities for next year.

What they're saying: The legislators said they were focused on furthering some projects from previous legislative cycles, including water preservation initiatives and a new education savings account program.

More details: They said they also intend to study data center operations and how the large facilities impact local water supplies, noting that the legislature will work with local officials to determine how much data center regulation should happen locally and when the state should step in. 

“Does the state need to be involved? Yes,” Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, said. “Does local government need to have a say? Yes. But we’ve also got to remember, so does the private taxpayer. So we need to get a combination of all three.”