HTX-SKL: Impact 11/3/2025

WhatchamaCloset owner April Lockwood said the upscale unconventional consignment boutique opened in Champions Village Center on Oct. 21.

The details: Open Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Lockwood said WhatchamaCloset offers women’s clothing, bags, shoes and accessories. The upscale consignment boutique’s mission is to help people earn extra money by giving their preloved fashion a second life. Cost to sell at the boutique ranges from $50-$100 a month for the rental of hangers and shelves.

What else?: WhatchamaCloset is hosting a Shop the Block event on Nov. 1 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. to offer customers the opportunity to explore businesses at the Champions Village Center. The event will feature several vendors, food trucks and raffles.

Harris County commissioners voted unanimously Oct. 30 to push back the proposed Dec. 11 public hearing for the Harris Health and the Ben Taub Hospital expansion in Houston’s Texas Medical Center. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo was absent.

The bottom line: Several amendments, internal deadlines and meetings are now being coordinated by county and city of Houston stakeholders as part of a potential expansion plan that will include community input and a formal presentation in January. Commissioners set the new date for the public hearing in March.

The context: Harris Health officials are in the process of a major expansion of Ben Taub Hospital, which would incorporate 8.9 acres of Hermann Park. Esmaeil Porsa, Harris Health president and CEO, said at the Oct. 30 meeting that the expansion must occur at this location for several reasons that would support more than 1 million uninsured individuals.

“It would allow this facility to be part of Ben Taub and won’t need additional licensing,” Porsa said.

Several claw machine arcades opened in the Houston area this year, per previous Community Impact reporting. Here are a few:

Claw City
Claw City officials confirmed the entertainment center opened a new location in late March. Claw City is a coin-operated claw machine arcade offering games and prizes, per its Facebook page.

• Opened March 30
• 19003 Windsor Pointe Drive, Ste. 300, Tomball

• Opened Jan. 25
• 19014-A Gulf Freeway, Friendswood

• Opened in September
• 7914 Fry Road, Ste. 260, Cypress

Approximately 460,000 Texans have Alzheimer's disease, a progressive brain disorder that affects memory, thinking and behavior. Advocates are encouraging Texas voters to approve State Proposition 14, a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the state to spend $3 billion to launch the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.

The overview: Proposition 14 would allocate $3 billion in state dollars to fund the institute for the next 10 years. The institute would work with researchers and doctors to study the prevention and treatment of various neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

All funding for the institute would come from existing state revenue, donations and potential federal grants, meaning no new state taxes or fees would be created.

What they're saying: "If Proposition 14 passes, it really will establish Texas as an incredible leader in our country," neurological researcher Joshua Shulman said. 

At the polls: Early voting runs through Oct. 31, and Election Day is Nov. 4. For more information about the propositions and candidates on your local ballot, visit www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide.