Snow Cone Factory owner Stephen Allison said the snow cone shop reopened for its 13th season on March 8 and is now offering a variety of snow cone flavors. The snow cone shop was founded in 2013 alongside Stephen Allison’s parents, Kenneth and Linda Allison.

Quote of note: “One of the things that means the most to us is the way this little business has grown with our community. Our very first employees were my nieces, nephews and their high school friends,” Stephen Allison said. “Since then, Snow Cone Factory has been blessed to give many local teenagers and young adults their very first jobs before they moved on to exciting new ventures of their own.”

Incase you missed it: Stephen Allison said her parents live on a property adjacent to the Snow Cone Factory, adding to the family atmosphere.

What they offer: Snow Cone Factory offers over 80 flavors as well as several toppings and add-ons including sweet cream, whipped cream and candy.

• Reopened March 8
• 23892 Ford Road, Porter

Here's the latest updates on four New Caney ISD projects funded by the district's $695 million bond package—which was approved by voters in May 2023. This list is not comprehensive. 

Porter High School fine arts, CTE and athletics facilities

• Project: Features will be added and remodeled for Porter High School's fine arts and career and technical education programs. Athletics updates will include a new covered multipurpose practice area and revamped baseball, softball and football/soccer fields.
• Update: Work is scheduled to begin in early 2027, according to a March 11 email from Scott Powers, NCISD’s executive director of public relations. 

• Project: A new 110,000-square-foot elementary school is being built to replace the existing New Caney Elementary School building.
• Update: Work began on this project in late 2024, Powers said. 

• Project: A covered multipurpose practice facility with turf is being added at West Fork High School. 
• Update: Construction kicked off in October, Powers said.

From Easter egg hunts and Easter brunches to photo opportunities with the Easter bunny, there are several events to celebrate Easter this year.

Old Town Spring Easter Event
During the Old Town Spring annual Easter Event, participating shops will be passing out candy to the kids. Children are encouraged to dress up in their best Easter outfits and bring their baskets.

• April 4, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Free
• 419 Gentry St., Ste. 203, Spring

• April 4, 11:30 a.m.
• $32.48 (admission)
• Play Street Museum Cypress, 25712 Hwy. 290, Ste. E, Cypress

• April 5, 1:30 p.m.
• Free
• 1700 Post Oak Blvd., Fifth Level, Houston

TSA PreCheck and CLEAR screenings have returned to George Bush Intercontinental Airport, according to an April 2 news release.

The details: Airport officials said standard TSA screenings, TSA PreCheck and CLEAR are currently available at Terminals A, C and E at IAH, but they noted access to TSA PreCheck and CLEAR is not guaranteed and may change day to day based on staffing, per the release.

A closer look: Officials said recent federal action providing back pay to TSA officers has helped staffing levels at the airport, but they noted the federal government shutdown remains ongoing.

Also of note: Officials said passengers needing additional assistance, including those traveling with children or requiring accessibility support, should contact their airline before entering a TSA line.

Over the last five years, more than half of public school districts across the Greater Houston area lost students, with one district seeing a more than 15% decline in enrollment, according to Texas Education Agency data released March 6.

The overview: Community Impact analyzed data from the TEA to learn how many students were enrolled at public school districts for the 2025-26 school year compared to the 2021-22 school year. 

Zooming in: The districts with the highest percentage of students gained over the last five years—from 2021-26—are:

• Splendora ISD with 34.6% enrollment growth
• Lamar CISD with 23.3% enrollment growth
• Tomball ISD and New Caney ISD with 14.9% enrollment growth each

• Aldine ISD with 15.4% enrollment decline
• Houston ISD with 13.3% enrollment decline
• Pasadena ISD with 10.5% enrollment decline
• Alief ISD with 10.4% enrollment decline

Three medical cannabis businesses have been conditionally approved to participate in the Texas Compassionate Use Program, state officials announced April 1.

The big picture: The companies received conditional licenses from the Texas Department of Public Safety in an effort to expand access to medical cannabis products. Under the compassionate use program, physicians can prescribe medical-grade, low-THC products to eligible patients in partnership with licensed dispensaries.

Zooming in: Two of the three businesses given conditional licenses April 1 are affiliated with existing medical cannabis dispensaries that work in several other states. The new licensees are:

• GTI Texas, LLC (doing business as RISE Dispensaries) in West Texas
• Cresco Labs Texas, LLC in East Texas
• Texas Medica Collective, LLC in Northeast Texas