HTX-NCP: Impact 10/14/2025

Construction began in early September on the new location of Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux in Valley Ranch Town Center, officials with Valley Ranch developer The Signorelli Co. confirmed via email Oct. 7.

On the menu: Walk-On's offers a menu of Cajun and Creole dishes such as boom boom shrimp tacos, gumbo and fried alligator. Sports bar staples—including burgers and wings—are also available.

What to expect: As previously reported by Community Impact, the New Caney location will span 7,879-square-feet and feature more than 90 big-screen TVs and flexible seating for large groups. The location will also feature a full bar with over 24 beers on tap as well as signature cocktails.

• Opening in late spring 2026
• 22276 Market Place Drive, New Caney

Construction has begun on Porter Retail, a shopping center in Porter.

The gist: Porter Retail will house a variety of retail or dining options, including possibly a Little Caesars Pizza and Beans & Brews Coffee House. Dhanani is also developing an apartment complex, Territory at Porter, nearby, as previously reported.

• Opening in the summer or fall of 2026
• 21451 FM 1314, Porter

Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough declared a local state of disaster and issued a countywide burn ban effective Oct. 14, citing rapidly worsening drought conditions and an elevated risk of wildfires, he announced in an Oct. 13 Facebook post.

What you need to know: The order, made in consultation with the County Fire Marshal and the Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, prohibits all outdoor burning not specifically permitted and inspected by the Fire Marshal’s Office, according to the resolution. Commercial land-clearing operations using air curtain incinerators must also suspend activity until receiving inspection approval.

Keough said prolonged dry weather has left local vegetation dangerously dry, warning that “even small sparks can quickly become dangerous wildfires.” 

Diving in deeper: The declaration activates the county’s emergency management plan and authorizes emergency response and recovery measures. Violations of the burn ban are punishable by fines up to $1,000 or up to 180 days in jail.

The order will remain in effect until weather conditions improve and the county determines it is safe to lift restrictions.

Over one year after Hurricane Beryl, 1 in 8 Houston-area residents reported their lives were still “very” or “somewhat” disrupted by Beryl, according to an Oct. 2 report from the Houston Population Research Center at the Kinder Institute.

Looking back: According to the report, Beryl caused an estimated $2.5 billion to $4.5 billion in property damage.

Quote of note: “Now, a year down the road, residents are having to grapple with the reality of repairs that are still needed, credit card bills from unexpected hotel rooms or refilling the fridge that are still unpaid, and their expectations that these things should already be resolved but they’re not,” Dan Potter, co-director of the research center and lead researcher on the survey work, said in the report.

Going forward: The Federal Emergency Management Agency has delivered the majority of its disaster aid, but there is still a gap to fill. As of early 2025, federal estimates suggested there was about $800 million in repairs needed between the destruction from Beryl and the May 2024 derecho.