Owned and operated by Katie Woodard, Apricot Lane Boutique opened on Feb. 26 and will host a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony in March. 

The details: During the grand opening celebration March 13-15, Woodard said customers will receive a special gift with the purchase of $125 or more and be entered to win a $200 shopping spree. In addition, the first 30 customers will receive a free swag bag.

What they offer: As previously reported by Community Impact, the boutique offers women's apparel, accessories and gifts, while boasting personalized service. 

• Opened Feb. 26, grand opening March 13-15
• 6 N. Main St., Kingwood

What began in 1990 as an Humble grooming facility has grown into Dogs Day Inn, a trusted dog grooming and boarding facility serving pet owners in Kingwood and Atascocita.

The back story: Fueled by his love for pets and growing demand for dog grooming and boarding services, Jim Jones built a business that offers dogs and cats a home away from home, while giving pet owners peace of mind. Dogs Day Inn opened in Atascocita in 2006 and expanded to Kingwood in 2016. 

An entrepreneur at a young age, Jones first started his career by running a used car lot at the age of 22 alongside his brother, before discovering a stronger calling in pet care. 

Quote of note: “This year marks an incredible milestone, 36 years of Dogs Day Inn Pet Resort, and we couldn't have done it without [our customers],” Jones said. “Thank you for trusting us over the years to love and care for your furry family member like our own.”

Humble City Council members voted to cancel their upcoming May 2 election after no candidates filed to run against the three incumbents.

The details: Council members voted to cancel the election during their Feb. 26 meeting.

Three seats were up for grabs in the upcoming election, including:

• Place 3, currently held by Bruce Davidson
• Place 4, currently held by Paula Settle
• Place 5, currently held by Rick Swanson

Harris County officials on Feb. 26 moved forward with the second round of Harris Health bond funding from a $2.5 billion referendum that voters approved in 2023.

The big picture: The bond will fund a range of capital improvement projects within the Harris Health system, including expansion of the Lyndon B. Johnson and Ben Taub hospitals, the latter of which has received backlash from some county residents in the last several months.

Harris Health received the first installment of bond funding totaling $850 million in May 2025. Chief Operating Officer Louis Smith told commissioners the system has spent approximately $667 million of that funding as of December.

Latest update: During their Feb. 26 meeting, Harris County commissioners authorized a go-forward order to issue a second $850 million installment. Chief Financial Officer Victoria Nikitin said Harris Health is expecting to receive the funding by June.

More details: In addition to the ongoing LBJ expansion and the pending Ben Taub expansion, the bond will fund the construction of new community clinics across Harris County. 

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Dozens of Texans shared their feedback Feb. 25 on the current phase of a lengthy revision of the state’s social studies curriculum standards. Parents, educators and students urged the State Board of Education to slow the revision process down and give those drafting the new curriculum more time to work.

The overview: The state is currently overhauling the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for social studies, which are the standards dictating what public school students should learn at each grade level. The board is expected to adopt the new standards this summer before they are rolled out to classrooms in 2030.

“We have one opportunity to get this right for an entire generation of students,” said Meghan Dougherty, an Austin-area social studies specialist involved in the revision process.

Zooming in: Several educators involved in drafting the new curriculum plan said current proposals included "too much content" with a heavy emphasis on Texas history, while some appointed content advisers and SBOE members argued schools should teach lessons focused on "American exceptionalism [and] Texan exceptionalism."