Food trucks in League City will no longer need a city permit to operate following a unanimous decision League City City Council made at its July 14 meeting. The decision aligns with House Bill 2844, known as the Food Truck Freedom Bill.

Digging deeper: Per HB 2844, as of July, all permitting for mobile food vendors will be administered by the state, not local cities, according to city documents.

What else: While the amended ordinance removes the requirement for food trucks to obtain a city-issued permit, it upholds the city’s existing zoning regulation, allowing food trucks to operate only at special events and food truck parks, according to agenda documents.

The backstory: In 2024, City Council voted to update its city ordinances to only allow food trucks in League City for special events or in a food truck park, meaning food trucks that are permanently parked on private property, such as at a gas station, would no longer be allowed, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.

Family-owned business Birdies Golf Lounge, a private indoor golf lounge, soft-opened in June and will host a grand opening celebration with a ribbon cutting ceremony on July 17, co-owner Robert Bracknell said.

The details: The lounge, which features an 18 foot wide screen and Trackman technology, is the "Rolls-Royce of golf simulators," Bracknell said. By reserving the private room, guests will have the entire lounge to themselves and can bring their own food and drink, Bracknell said. 

The cost: Guests can reserve the room by the hour between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m., while those who sign up for a membership will have 24/7 access, according to the business' website. Hourly rates begin at $40 during off-peak hours and memberships begin at $90.

• 13031 Highway 6, Santa Fe

Officials with the YMCA of Greater Houston are launching the 22nd year of Operation Backpack, an initiative aimed at providing school-aged children with necessary school supplies.

The big picture: Serving roughly 30,000 community members across the Houston area, the annual backpack collecting and distribution event is kicking off ahead of the 2026-27 school year, YMCA officials announced in a July 10 news release. In order to participate, individuals can drop off new, unused backpacks at any of the 14 locations in the Greater Houston area through August 1.

In their words: "Every child deserves to walk into the classroom feeling prepared and excited to learn," Stephen Ives, president and CEO of YMCA of Greater Houston, said. "With YMCA Operation Backpack, our goal is to remove barriers that stand in the way of a child's success, so every student has the opportunity to connect and thrive. We’re grateful for the volunteers, donors and community partners whose generosity makes this effort possible.”

At least one person has died due to flooding in the Texas Hill Country, Gov. Greg Abbott said July 16.

The details: The fatality occurred along the Guadalupe River between Kerrville and Comfort—downstream from Hunt, where many summer camps are located and the majority of the flooding took place in July 2025. Flooding this year has been more intense downstream than upstream, Abbott said.

Zooming in: More than 70 people have been rescued from floodwaters, and evacuation orders have been issued in multiple parts of South-Central Texas, the governor said.

"We have massive flooding in ... the Greater Kerrville area, but we also are looking at what's been taking place in Uvalde—there are massive challenges in Uvalde as well," Abbott told reporters. "In fact, people need to expect very meaningful flooding in the Rio Grande [Valley]."

The big picture: Parts of South-Central Texas were expected to see more than 30 inches of rain during this week's storms, and 59 counties were under a state disaster declaration.