Manvel City Council unanimously approved a budget amendment at its Jan. 5 meeting to increase funding for the City Hall expansion and the Heritage Park project.

Cost to the city: In total, the city approved around $2.6 million in additional funding for both projects.

The city will use money from its capital projects fund balance to cover the additional costs.

Funding will come from interest earned on bond money and leftover funds from other city projects, according to Manvel Director of Finance Rosie Donaire.

The storefront in Manvel will be the sixth new Lowe’s location to open in Texas in less than a year, according to company representatives. 

The details: Set to open at the end of the month, the new Lowe’s will feature approximately 94,000 square feet of retail space and 30,000 square feet of outdoor garden space. 

One more thing: The store will also debut self-service paint kiosks, a standard feature for all new stores. 

• 21606 Highway 288, Manvel

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

Harris County commissioners will meet Jan. 8 with more than 300 agenda items spanning from county operations and security regarding the upcoming election cycle to possible postponements with the Ben Taub Hospital expansion in the Texas Medical Center.

What you need to know: Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth has several items related to overseeing the upcoming March, May and November elections. One item by the county clerk includes establishing an interlocal agreement with the city of Houston Police Department as part of an Election Security Task Force. 

At the polls: Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey seeks a discussion on the county's compliance with Senate Bill 1933, which allows the secretary of state’s office to oversee Harris County elections if an election complaint is filed.

Growing challenges: One of Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis's agenda items calls for the postponement of the Harris Health community engagement report regarding the Ben Taub Hospital expansion, adding another delay with the Texas Medical Center project. Commissioners voted unanimously last October to postpone the Dec. 11 public hearing.