Officials with the nonprofit DePelchin Children's Center announced in a Dec. 29 news release that Susan Barnes will serve as the new chair of the board of directors, effective Jan. 1.

What you need to know: Barnes has been an advocate for the children and families served by DePelchin for over 15 years, according to the release. Her credentials include:

• Director of Education by the Numbers, a large-scale data service that provides historical educational statistics and data visualization to researchers and policymakers
• Leader of the Pitch Pipe Projects, a nonprofit and higher education governance consultancy working with board, staff and faculty teams
• Master's degree from Texas A&M University and a doctorate from Penn State University related to student affairs and educational policy

Houston was hit by a wave of restaurant closures in 2025, with a list that includes casual and neighborhood favorites, longstanding spots and fine dining staples.

Here is a list of 22 places that closed this year that Community Impact reported on in and around Loop 610.

Thai Village: The owners of this locally owned Thai and Asian food restaurant announced its closure in mid-May. The Rice Village staple operated for 35 years before shutting down.

• Closed May 30
• 2512 Times Blvd., Houston

• Closed Dec. 30
• 4219 Washington Ave., Houston

• Closed Nov. 15
• 1125 W. Cavalcade St., Houston

In 2025, Community Impact has covered Harris County government, development, education and health care news.

Read on to learn more about some of the top stories this year. The following stories are not listed in any particular order.

1. Proposed hospital expansion could impact parkland
2. Harris County commissioners approve $2.7B FY 2025-26 budget prioritizing pay parity, public safety
3. Harris County Flood Control District advances $3.5B in approved projects stemming from 2018 flood bond
4. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo won't seek third term ahead of 2026 election
5. Harris County commissioners negotiate $81K pay raise for county's 8 elected constables
6. School district enrollment trends, closures
7. Houston Humane Society houses dogs from flood-affected shelters in Central Texas

Approximately three dozen new Texas laws are scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, impacting how artificial intelligence is used in state government, when local officials can raise taxes after natural disasters and how much of businesses' inventory is taxed.

The background: The changes come after Texas’s biennial legislative session ended in early June. Gov. Greg Abbott signed over 1,100 laws passed by state lawmakers, many of which took effect in June or September.

The details: Some of the bills becoming law in the new year are:

• House Bill 9, which will expand a tax exemption for business owners
• House Bill 30, which will tighten regulations on counties' and cities' abilities to raise tax rates after natural disasters
• House Bill 149, which will regulate the fast-growing AI industry
• House Bill 247, which will exempt certain border security infrastructure from property tax increases
• House Bill 1399, which will create a property tax exemption for stores selling animal feed
• House Bill 2508, which will establish a property tax exemption for the surviving spouse of certain military members