The University of Houston Downtown held a ribbon cutting on Oct. 14 to launch its Criminal Justice Program at the UHD Northwest campus. UHD Northwest is an off-campus learning site established in 2010 inside Lone Star College-University Park.

The details: Key details of the expansion include:

• The Criminal Justice expansion at UHD Northwest is planned for spring 2027.

• Registration for eligible students opens on Oct. 29 for the spring 2027 semester.

• The program will offer internship opportunities to help students secure jobs before graduation.

• The expansion aims to strengthen the university's presence at Northwest, connect academic programs with regional workforce needs and make it more convenient for local students to pursue their educational goals.

The Criminal Justice program was the university's first four-year degree program in 1974 and its first master's program.

Three Harris County leaders held a press conference Oct. 15 to call for local data center development oversight and protections for residents.

The overview: County Attorney Abbie Kamin and commissioners Adrian Garcia and Lesley Briones are asking the state legislature to expand the county's authority, as counties currently have little to no authority to stop these developments.

Harris County has 55 operating, under construction or planned data centers. During an Oct. 15 meeting, the Harris County Commissioners Court passed a motion requiring:

• County departments to notify the court when major data centers apply for permits

• The County Attorney’s Office to report on existing county authority and oversight

• The Office of Intergovernmental and Global Affairs to advocate for statutory changes to strengthen county oversight in unincorporated areas during the next legislative session

The impact: Residents have raised concerns regarding grid reliability, noise, water and energy use, and utility costs. CenterPoint Energy expects to connect eight gigawatts of new data center load in the Houston area by 2029.

Led by director and instructor Alexis Zanety, Zanety Dance Academy plans to open on Oct. 31 at 16650 Champion Forest Drive in Spring.

The details: The academy will launch with a two-day grand opening workshop from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. featuring three one-hour classes each day with live drumming. This workshop is open to all levels for ages 15 and up, and regular classes are scheduled to begin Nov. 2.

What they offer: Zanety Dance Academy will provide structured dance instruction for both beginners and experienced dancers. The classes will cover:

• Cuban contemporary dance

• Afro-Cuban technique

• Salsa fusion and musicality

A new online marketplace called Shef launched in Houston this month, connecting residents with local chefs who prepare and deliver fresh, homemade meals.

The specifics: Houston is the 10th market to join the platform. The service offers 1,351 diverse dishes from 60 different cuisines, allowing customers to choose meals by cuisine or preference, such as high-protein, vegetarian, gluten-free, GLP-1 friendly and kid-approved.

How it works: To use the service, customers select their zip code, household size, weekly meal count, diet preferences, proteins and favorite cuisines. Shef then recommends meals made by nearby chefs for delivery during the week.

One more thing: Weekly meal subscriptions start at 4 meals per week and cost $35 for the first week.

Shef is available for residents across the Greater Houston area, including Houston proper and cities such as Bellaire, Pasadena, Clear Lake, Cypress, Katy and Spring/Klein. Service also extends into Fort Bend County, including Sugar Land, Missouri City, Pearland and Friendswood.