Two candidates are running for Conroe City Council Place 3 in the May 2 election. Incumbent Harry Hardman is not seeking reelection.

What you need to know: Early voting begins April 20 and runs through April 28, according to the Texas Secretary of State's website. Election day is May 2. In Montgomery County, voters can cast their ballot at any polling location during early voting. However, on election day, voters must vote at their designated voting precincts.

More details: Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.

Buttermilk Cafe is planning to open its doors in the Willis area in May. 

What they offer: According to its website, beyond offering sweets and drinks, Buttermilk Cafe is a registered nonprofit organization. 

Quote of note: “Buttermilk Cafe is a cafe with a cause,” Director of Development Lauren Swonke said. “We exist to provide exposure and funding to nonprofit organizations that are caring for foster children, adoption support, veterans, and others.”

The menu: Buttermilk Cafe offers a wide variety of options for breakfast, brunch, and lunch, as well as afternoon tea and a bakery. 

• 302 N. Danville St., Willis

Conroe City Council approved three police-related items March 26, including more tasers for officers, new handguns for the department’s SWAT-trained personnel and an amendment to the city’s meet-and-confer agreement with the Conroe Police Officers Association.

What happened: Council approved the purchase of 50 additional Axon Tasers to equip officers who do not already have one. During the meeting, Police Chief Jon Buckholtz said the devices would go to the roughly 50 officers still without them and called tasers an important, less-lethal tool that helps officers take people into custody without causing further harm.

Council also approved the purchase of 37 Staccato P-4.5 HD 9mm handguns for the department’s SWAT team and other tactically trained officers. Buckholtz told the council the weapon system would give those officers more options in the field.

By the numbers: Agenda documents show the first-year payment for the added tasers totals $71,586. Of that, $55,585 had already been budgeted, and the remaining $16,001 will come from departmental savings, Buckholtz said.

Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center and the nonprofit Angel Reach have agreed to a partnership to create a pathway system to help young adults in the foster system or facing homelessness join the medical industry, according to a March 20 news release.

The gist: The partnership hired five Angel Reach residents into paid patient care technician roles at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands. Through this program, the Angel Reach residents were able to work in clinical support roles with no previous health care experience, according to the news release. The training as part of the program includes, but is not limited to:

• Hands-on experience supporting patient care
• Assisting with daily living activities
• Obtaining vital signs
• Cross-training in patient transport and observation roles

Rebecca Forbes, president of Operation Pets Alive, said she joined the team because she wanted to make a difference in stray animals' lives.

Operation Pets Alive is a no-kill, nonprofit organization in Montgomery County that works with volunteers to increase awareness around the need for a no-kill community of lifesaving efforts for homeless dogs and cats.

OPA was founded in 2010 and has since placed over 20,000 animals into forever homes.

The numbers: In 2025, OPA helped find homes for 444 dogs and 193 cats. In order to help speed up the adoption process, it transports pets to out-of-state rescue partners who have higher adoption rates, such as Colorado, Minnesota, New Hampshire and New York.

OPA is 100% volunteer-based, and Forbes said her hope is that more people will work together to rescue animals.

Get involved: OPA's largest fundraiser, Rescues on the Runway, is coming up on April 2 at The Peach Orchard Venue. At the event, dogs will walk the red carpet with The Woodlands-area models and boutiques.

Eligible Texans have until April 2 to register to vote if they would like to cast a ballot in the May 2 elections. Races that will be up for election include city council member seats and school district board of trustee spots across the Greater Houston area.

What you need to know: Texas requires voters to be registered 30 days before election day. Missing the deadline could prevent eligible residents from casting a ballot, unless they qualify for a limited ballot during early voting.

Key dates include:

• April 2: voter registration deadline
• April 20-28: early voting
• May 2: election day (7 a.m.-7 p.m.)

In the nine months until Texas’ 90th legislative session begins in January, state lawmakers are expected to hold information-gathering hearings on hundreds of topics that will lay the groundwork for next year’s policymaking.

During a March 27 legislative summit in New Braunfels, four longtime lawmakers shared some of their top priorities for next year.

What they're saying: The legislators said they were focused on furthering some projects from previous legislative cycles, including water preservation initiatives and a new education savings account program.

More details: They said they also intend to study data center operations and how the large facilities impact local water supplies, noting that the legislature will work with local officials to determine how much data center regulation should happen locally and when the state should step in. 

“Does the state need to be involved? Yes,” Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, said. “Does local government need to have a say? Yes. But we’ve also got to remember, so does the private taxpayer. So we need to get a combination of all three.”