Residents in Magnolia could soon see more detailed, targeted emergency alerts after the City Council approved a new mass notification system aimed at improving how the city communicates during major incidents.

What we know: At its Feb. 10 meeting, council approved a master subscription agreement with Genasys Inc. for mass emergency notification software, aimed at improving how the city communicates during major incidents, with a first-year cost of $6,995 and a five-year total of $20,995, according to city documents.

City officials said the current system—described during the meeting as difficult to use and limited in how much information it can share—has led to confusion when alerts go out with too little context. 

Police Chief Kyle Montgomery told council the existing platform requires staff to manually rewrite and post separate messages for email, text and phone notifications, as well as social media, and limits messages to 200 characters.

First Watch is open at its Creekside Park West location, general manager Estefan Hidalgo said.

The details: The restaurant operates during daytime hours from 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m. with made-to-order features like its Strawberry Tres Leches French Toast and the Chickichanga.

• Opened Feb. 9
• 26435 Kuykendahl Road, Ste. 900, Tomball

Montgomery County officials moved Feb. 12  to update the county’s National Incident Management System training and reporting plan.

County staff said the overhaul is needed now that participation demands and state requirements have changed, and the county wants more control over what responders are learning.

The context: During the Montgomery County Commissioners Court meeting, Jason Millsaps, executive director of the county Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, told the court the update is about compliance and keeping county departments and partner agencies on track without repeated exemptions.

“What we're doing is refreshing, updating the NIMS requirements for the county. Last time we did this was a couple years ago,” Millsaps said.

He said the plan approved in 2023 included a class that county departments and partners, such as fire departments and EMS, were required to take, but a combination of a legal shift and limited enrollment is causing problems with meeting that requirement.

Also on the agenda: A final change order shows work is still underway at the Precinct 2 Emergency Response Building.

Harris County residents can now see preliminary Federal Emergency Management Agency map data through a new interactive dashboard from FEMA and the Harris County Flood Control District in the first countywide update since 2007.

The big picture: As previously reported by Community Impact, the HCFCD and FEMA originally had planned a map update release in 2022, but the release was delayed repeatedly. The Modeling, Assessment and Awareness Project (MAAPNext) kicked off in 2019 and aims to supplement FEMA maps, while incorporating the data in an interactive, user-friendly dashboard.

Quote of note: “These maps are draft, there will be years of opportunity to review these maps and engage with the process before they are final,” HCFCD Executive Director Tina Petersen said. “We have a lot more work to do, but it is really fulfilling to see that the FEMA maps are showing the progress that we all know is happening.”

The timeline: The estimated timeline provided to commissioners highlighted the maps may not become final until 2028.

The Lone Star College System kicked off 2026 with the highest spring enrollment in the institution's history, officials announced Feb. 4.

Two-minute impact: Lone Star College System saw a 6.4% increase in enrollment compared to spring 2025, with 97,221 students enrolled for the spring 2026 semester, per the Feb. 4 news release.

Additionally, officials reported a fall-to-spring retention rate of almost 80% for the spring semester, which began Jan. 20. The milestone builds off record-breaking numbers for fall enrollment in 2025, with 97,294 students taking classes last semester, Community Impact previously reported.

Quote of note: "Lone Star College System isn't just seeing enrollment growth. We're retaining and graduating more students year after year," Chancellor Mario K. Castillo said in a statement. "This is a true testament to the support we offer students beyond the classroom, from food pantries and mental health services to student life programs that keep students engaged in their educational goals."

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from last week? Check out five trending stories in the Greater Houston area from Feb. 9-13.

Check this out: Montgomery County Precinct 2 residents will have an opportunity to dispose of their heavy trash March 7-8 during Commissioner Charlie Riley’s Heavy Trash Clean Up Day, according to a Feb. 4 Facebook post.

From 8 a.m.-5 p.m. March 7 and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. March 8, residents can bring their heavy trash to 31245 Friendship Drive, Magnolia. Accepted items include batteries, tires and electronics, among others. 

In other news: The Houston Texans are setting up shop in Bridgeland.

The NFL franchise is collaborating with Harris County Precincts 3 and 4 and Howard Hughes Holdings to invest $83 million into a new “Toro District” in Cypress, which will include a new Texans headquarters and training facilities. Harris County commissioners approved the public-private partnership Feb. 12 following a closed-session meeting.

Also of note: A new La La Land Cafe is expected to open in Katy's Meadows Marketplace later this year. 

The Houston Fire Department’s newest station—Station 92—is now serving the George Bush Intercontinental Airport after a grand opening celebration was held for the facility Feb. 6.

At a glance: The new 21,000-square-foot fire station is one of three fire stations at IAH. The facility will be staffed 24/7, 365 days per year.

Station 92 has features such as:

• Six fire-response apparatuses
• Administrative offices
• Access to the airport’s airfield
• Dorms for firefighters to rest