Conroe City Council at its Jan. 8 meeting approved two spending items related to a pair of lawsuits the city is facing.

One lawsuit is tied to the Nov. 4 charter amendment election. The other is a separate dispute over the city’s firefighters’ collective bargaining petition.

The gist: The council authorized an additional $150,000 for Denton, Navarro, Rodriguez, Bernal, Santee & Zech, P.C., to defend the city in John Sellars v. Duke W. Coon and the city of Conroe—a case the agenda states challenges the election results on charter amendments, and wants to overturn the will of the voters amending the city’s home rule charter. Council previously approved up to $150,000 in December. During public comment, residents voiced concerns about bringing the potential total to $300,000.

During the discussion, council member Marsha Porter argued the city should stand behind voters, and said the Nov. 4 election drew more participation than any prior city election and the city should “defend the will of the voters.”

Conroe ISD will have a special meeting to interview and potentially vote on appointing a new trustee to the board at 5 p.m. Jan. 13, the district states on its website. 

What to know : The CISD board of trustees on Dec. 16 unanimously approved opening an application process to the public to fill the unexpired term for the vacant trustee Position 1, as previously reported by Community Impact. 

The backstory: The decision comes following the Dec. 9 resignation of trustee Tiffany Baumann Nelson, who was elected to the board in 2022, as previously reported by Community Impact. Nelson is currently campaigning for the Texas State Board of Education District 6 seat in the Republican primary March 3.

Stay tuned: The following timeline is tentative, according to the board:

• Through Jan. 9: Applications are being reviewed
• Jan. 10: Selected candidates will be notified of interview dates and times.
• Jan. 13: A special board meeting will be held to interview prospective trustees, and a vote and announcement may occur.

Houston will host a variety of entertainment, music, cultural and theater events throughout 2026.

The details: Events include comedy shows, musical theater, plays and concerts. 

One more thing: Read ahead to learn the details. This list is not comprehensive, and events are subject to change.

Ballet Hispánico New York
Ballet Hispánico New York explores "Carmen" through the vibrancy of dance.

• Jan. 16-17, 7:30 p.m.
• Starting at $39
• 559-575 Prairie St., Houston

• April 24-26 and May 1-3, 7:30 p.m.
• Tickets TBA
• Bayou Theater, 2700 Bay Area Blvd., Ste. 2602, Houston

• July 17, 7:30 p.m.; July 18, 7 p.m.
• Starting at $28
• The Nathaniel Center, 804 Russell Palmer Road, Kingwood

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out five trending stories in the Greater Houston area from Jan. 5-9.

Latest update: Airport passengers in the Greater Houston area who are also CLEAR members can utilize new biometric eGates aimed at expediting identity verification at both George Bush Intercontinental and Hobby airports, officials announced in December. 

Also of note: Houston-area residents ages 50 and older can explore everything from history and creative writing to hands-on hobbies through Lone Star College System’s Academy for Lifelong Learning, a low-cost program offering classes, activities and social connections across the system’s campuses, as stated in a Lone Star College Dec. 19 news release.

Annual memberships, Sept. 1-Aug. 31, cost $25 per person and provide access to programming across Lone Star College System campuses, the release states.

One more thing: American steakhouse chain Texas Roadhouse is set to bring its menu once again to the Cypress area as construction has began on a new location on West Road near the Grand Parkway.