Bubbles & Beyond, a woman- and veteran-owned mobile laundry service, celebrated its first anniversary on Jan. 1, officials said.

How it works: The local laundry company offers wash and fold services with pickup and delivery options in the New Caney, Porter, Kingwood, Humble and Summerwood areas.

Check it out: The business offers same-day pickup, and services can be booked online or by calling or texting 281-436-9957.

From a kebab restaurant on the way to a recently opened precious metal store, several businesses have updates to share in Valley Ranch in New Caney. This list is not comprehensive, and details are subject to change.

Now open
Gold Rush is now open in Valley Ranch Town Center. The business offers testing, valuations and buying services for precious metals—such as gold, silver, platinum and palladium—and diamonds.

• Opened Dec. 6
• 21968 Market Place Drive Ste. 100, New Caney

• Opening date TBD
• 21856 Market Place Drive, New Caney

• 22118 Market Place Drive, Ste. 500, New Caney

FIFA World Cup 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most in-demand sporting events in the tournament's history, with over 150 million tickets requested during the Random Selection Draw ticketing phase to date. The figure represents the highest demand in FIFA World Cup history, according to a Dec. 29 news release.

Current situation: The final Random Selection Draw ticketing phase opened Dec. 11, a process that allows first-time fans to apply for single-match tickets based on who is playing whom, where and when for group stage matches.

As of Dec. 29, the draw has already garnered over 150 million ticket requests by fans from over 200 countries, bringing the FIFA World Cup 2026 oversubscribed over 30 times based on verified credit card numbers submitted with each ticket application, per the release.

Get involved: The Random Selection Draw will remain open until Jan. 13 at 10 a.m. Officials noted that the timing of a ticket request does not affect the chances of success.  

United Airlines launched its first nonstop service route from George Bush Intercontinental Airport to Tepic, Riviera Nayarit, Mexico, on Dec. 20, according to a Dec. 22 news release.

The details: With the addition of the route, IAH will now serve as the sole U.S. destination out of the Tepic International Airport, according to the news release. The new route operates once a week on Saturdays, with seasonal service available from mid-December to mid-August. It provides direct access to the Riviera Nayarit region, according to the news release. With the addition of Tepic, United now serves 24 destinations in Mexico and 52 destinations across Latin America from IAH, the news release states.

Also of note: At William P. Hobby Airport, travelers moving through the Central Concourse now have a new sit-down dining option with the December opening of the Yard House, according to a Dec. 22 news release.

Six major roadway projects are being planned, are underway or will kick off soon across the Greater Houston area.

Upcoming projects
1. Mykawa Road widening
Project: Construction on Mykawa Road will consist of roughly 3 miles of a four-lane divided boulevard with storm drainage, signals, lighting, landscaping and a 10-foot shared-use path, among other features.
Update: 90% of design submittals have been received and are being reviewed by Pearland city staff and the Texas Department of Transportation. TxDOT is bidding, constructing and managing the project.

• Timeline: construction slated to start in 2028 with a completion in 2030
• Cost: $21.4 million

• Timeline: Construction will begin in early 2026.
• Cost: $40,000 (design)