Officials with the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Houston announced on April 3 that the 82 Westheimer project is officially completed.

About the project: The 19-mile stretch of road has been under construction for one to two years as the transportation entity made significant improvements to one of the city's busiest bus routes. Improvements include:

• Repaired and reconstructed roadways

• New and improved sidewalks

• Safer crossings and Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible ramps

• Bus shelters with lighting and trash cans

• Digital, real-time bus arrivals

The project spanned the majority of Westheimer Road from Loop 610 to Buffalo Speedway.

In similar news: METRO also announced the completion of the 85 Antoine and Washington project April 6, which included improving the four-mile roadway from I-10 to Sawyer Street by reconstructing roadways, installing new sidewalks, safer crossings and upgrading amenities at bus stops.

Over the last 2-3 months, four new store brands have debuted at The Galleria, with a few more on the way.

What we know: From February to early April, the popular mall known for its luxury brands and shopping experience has seen at least four new stores open, including:

• Vuori: The California-based athlesiure brand offering high-end, active-based apparel for men and women inspired by the Coastal California lifestyle

• Elisabetta Franchi: An Italian luxury fashion brand known for its feminine and tailored ready-to-wear clothing, accessories and footwear

• Gashapon Bandai: A toy store that enriches Gasha-katsu, a Japanese hobby of collecting or hunting for capsule toys

• BYLT Basics: A premium apparel brand specializing in high-quality everyday essentials like T-shirts, hoodies and joggers for men and women

Also of note: The mall is slated to receive additional new stores and restaurants by this summer, including Express, Wagyu House, Edikted, Princess Polly and Abercrombie & Fitch. 

• 5085 Westheimer Road, Houston

The American Heart Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to heart and brain health, in March announced two leadership appointments for the Greater Houston and Gulf Coast markets.

Key players: Kellie Armstrong was named senior executive director for the Greater Houston market, and Lisa Fenley was appointed executive director for the Gulf Coast, according to a news release.

More details: With more than 20 years of nonprofit leadership experience, Fenley will oversee initiatives to expand heart health education, CPR awareness, women’s health programming and community partnerships focused on improving cardiovascular outcomes, according to the release.

From April 9-12, Houston residents can expect the city’s streets to be filled with over 250 uniquely designed art cars.

The gist: Presented by The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, the 39th Annual Houston Art Car Parade is one of Houston’s largest free public events, drawing hundreds of thousands annually to the downtown area, according to an April 2 news release from company representatives. 

“Every year brings a completely new wave of ideas, with artists finding inventive ways to transform everyday materials into something unexpected," said Jack Massing, executive director of The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art. "It’s a celebration of creativity in its most accessible and joyful form, and one that truly belongs to the city.”

What you need to know: Throughout the week, residents and visitors can expect multiple pop-up events, including mini parades, family-friendly events and the main car parade.

Student homelessness increased across many Greater Houston-area school districts over the last five school years, while foster care numbers showed a more uneven pattern from district to district, according to Texas Education Agency data released March 6.

The overview: Community Impact reviewed TEA data for 28 Greater Houston-area school districts to compare the number of enrolled students identified as experiencing homelessness or living in foster care in 2025-26 versus 2021-22. In the foster care data, Fort Bend ISD and Aldine ISD had the highest counts in 2025-26. 

In the homelessness data, Houston ISD stood above the rest of the districts shown, nearing 6,000 students in 2025-26. Other districts, including Alief ISD, Clear Creek ISD, Conroe ISD and Fort Bend ISD, all showed higher homeless student counts in 2025-26 than in 2021-22, while several others were flat or down.