East Montgomery County Improvement District officials held a Nov. 20 “topping out” ceremony in celebration of the construction milestone for the district’s upcoming 210,000-square-foot convention center, officials announced in a Dec. 1 news release.

The details: A “topping out” ceremony is a tradition in the construction industry that occurs when the final structural beam is raised into place, completing the building’s frame, per the release. 

Some context: In November 2024, EMCID’s board of directors approved a resolution authorizing the issuance of $159 million in sales tax revenue bonds to cover the cost of the convention center as well as an 813-space attached parking garage, according to previous reporting by Community Impact. 

The impact: EMCID officials estimate the convention center will generate nearly $1.73 billion in new spending over 30 years, $35.1 million in sales, hotel and venue taxes, and 500 direct and indirect full-time equivalent jobs.
 

WeeKare Pediatrics officials are targeting a Jan. 6 opening for their new location in the Caney Crossing shopping center in New Caney, WeeKare officials confirmed.

The details: The clinic, which had previously been slated to open in December, will offer a variety of medical services for children, including sports physicals, vision and hearing screenings, urinalysis, immunizations, and sterile ear piercings, according to the clinic's website. WeeKare has locations in Humble and in east Houston.

• Opening Jan. 6
• 20470 FM 1485, New Caney

After years of being locked in a standstill, planners of the Coastal Texas Project announced the approval of two engineering design contracts.

The details: The Gulf Coast Protection District announced Dec. 2 that it had approved two contracts with global engineering firms Jacobs and HDR to design the gates, beaches and dunes portions of the initially authorized $34 billion project, respectively.

Why it matters: The gates are expected to be the world’s largest flood gate system when built and will be located along the 2-mile-wide waterway between Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula. The dune system will strengthen coastal barriers against storm impact along the Bolivar Peninsula and West Galveston Island, according to a news release.

Ring in the new year with various celebrations going on across the Greater Houston area.

High Noon Countdown 2026: Attendees can ring in the New Year with a balloon drop extravaganza at The Woodlands Children's Museum.

• Dec. 31, 9:30-11 a.m., 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m., 2-3:30 p.m.
• $10 (adult), $25 (child)
• The Woodlands Children’s Museum, 4775 W. Panther Creek Drive, Ste. 280, The Woodlands

• Dec. 31, 8:30 p.m.-Jan. 1, 12:30 a.m.
• $30 (individual ticket), $50 (couple admission)
• Tomball VFW, 14408 Alice Road, Tomball

• Dec. 31, 9 p.m.-Jan. 1, 2 a.m.
• $99.29 (per ticket)
• 401 Franklin St., Houston

2026 is a big election year in Texas. Voters will see 18 statewide races, all congressional seats, most state legislative seats and a variety of local positions on the ballot.

The overview: The Republican and Democratic primary elections will be held March 3, and the midterm election is set for Nov. 3.

Texas holds primaries for all partisan elected positions, such as state officials; state and federal lawmakers; and county judges, commissioners and justices of the peace. Third-party candidates, including independents, Libertarian Party candidates and Green Party candidates, have separate election processes will not be listed on the primary ballots in March. Eligible candidates representing various parties will appear on the November ballot.

Looking back: All statewide offices on the ballot are currently held by Republicans, although some are not running for reelection. No Democrat or third-party candidate has won a statewide office in Texas since 1994, election records show.

Check out the full article for more details on election processes and an overview of state-level races.