Conroe City Council is set to meet Jan. 8 for a joint council meeting with the Conroe Local Government Corp., according to the agenda. 

The gist: Council will consider an $86,000 initial payment tied to the Texas Department of Transportation’s I-45 and North Loop project. City staff said the payment is required under an advanced funding agreement for administration review fees to keep the project on schedule and maintain eligibility for Houston-Galveston Area Council spend-down funding before it expires, per the agenda. 

The council will also discuss whether to reserve a portion of the city’s Technology Park for a new city economic initiative, according to the agenda item.

Also on the agenda: An additional $150,000 payment to the law firm in the lawsuit John Sellars v. Duke W. Coon and the City of Conroe is also on the agenda.

Council will also consider up to $250,000 for the city attorney to engage a law firm in the lawsuit of Conroe Professional Fire Fighters Association vs. City of Conroe and Sami Quinlan as interim city secretary.

Shea Homes is bringing its Trilogy active-adult brand to Texas with Converde at Evergreen, a 55-plus community in Conroe expected to open in 2026, according to a Dec. 16 news release.

The details: Converde is being positioned as the first Trilogy community in Texas, with Shea Homes noting it is slated to open before the previously announced Trilogy neighborhood in Two Step Farm.

Planned within the Evergreen master-planned community, Converde will span 170 acres and include about 540 homes, making it the only gated section of the larger development, which totals 740 acres, according to the release.

Homes are expected to be offered through three collections with nine single-story floor plans ranging from about 1,507 square feet to 2,579 square feet. Pricing is anticipated to start in the low $300,000s, per the release.

What’s planned: A Trilogy Lifestyle Discovery Event is scheduled for 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Jan. 24, featuring live music, food and drink experiences, and lifestyle and wellness programming designed to give prospective buyers a feel for the community, per the release.

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.

The founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes announced the immediate and permanent closure of all Sprinkles locations across the country in a recent social media post. 

The context: Candace Nelson founded the cupcake business in 2005 and popularized the idea of the Cupcake ATM. In a video posted on Instagram, Nelson said she sold the company to private equity in 2012 and has no current ownership or operational involvement. 

Latest update: As of Jan. 2, the Sprinkles website is still live, but all bakery locations have been removed, and several pages state “page not found.”