On Sept. 24, MD Anderson Cancer Center held a ribbon cutting for its new diagnostic imaging clinic in northwest Houston. Located at 21614 State Hwy. 249, the 45,113-square-foot facility was built at the site of a former 24 Hour Fitness location.

The details: The new center is MD Anderson's largest diagnostic imaging site and its second Northwest Houston location.

The clinic's diagnostic imaging services are for current patients, individuals who believe they may have cancer or have a confirmed diagnosis, and women needing breast evaluations or breast cancer screenings.

The new center offers several features, including:

• Three MRI scanners

• CT Scanners

• PET Scanners

The big picture: The regional American Red Cross held its first-ever Los Donantes Blood Drive on Sept. 25 to honor and encourage Latinos to give blood during Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs until Oct. 15.

The drive aims to bolster the Greater Houston area's depleted blood supply, which recently came out of a shortage. The organization is pushing to get more Type O blood, a universal blood type that anyone can receive.

• About 60% of Hispanics and Latinos have Type O blood.

• About 46% of Harris County’s population identifies as Hispanic or Latino.

• The Klein Collins Mariachi Band performed regional Mexican folk music to serenade donors during the event.

The Texas Department of Transportation is proposing a $209 million Grand Parkway widening project through the Spring area in Harris and Montgomery counties. Funded by toll revenue, the project would widen a 6.73-mile section of the roadway to maintain stable traffic flow and vehicle speed. Public feedback on the proposal is being collected through Oct. 9.

The plan: The project is needed because State Highway 99 is unable to maintain a minimum traffic flow level of C. No additional right-of-way is needed for the project, which proposes:

• Three 12-foot-wide main lanes in each direction

• 10-foot-wide paved shoulders replacing the grassy median

• Concrete traffic barriers

• Direct connectors between I-45 and the Grand Parkway

Last fall, Gov. Greg Abbott deemed Texas "the epicenter of AI development" during an event about Google's data center investments in the state.

Since making that remark, the Republican governor has issued several directives aimed at regulating AI-powered data centers. Meanwhile, state agencies are expanding their use of artificial intelligence in government services.

The overview: At the state level, one of the primary uses of artificial intelligence is to improve government efficiency, said Tony Sauerhoff, who leads the Texas Department of Information Resources.

Down the road, that will likely mean reducing the number of staff members at state agencies, Sauerhoff said, noting that agency leaders are being "intentional" about those changes.

Zooming in: When asked which state agencies will be most impacted by AI in the coming years, Sauerhoff pointed to the Texas Department of Transportation.

Several key developments occurred across the northern portion of the Greater Houston area from Sept. 18-24:

• Greenspoint Mall site to redevelop to $150M CityNorth Industrial Park

• The Woodlands Township moves forward on new cell tower plans

• From Michael Kors Mens to Clarins: See Houston Premium Outlets updates

• Q&A: Meet the candidates for Harris County ESD 9