Pearland ISD trustees will consider a partnership with UTHealth Houston’s Department of Psychiatry for its Youth Aware of Mental Health, or YAM, program at its Sept. 8 meeting.

What you need to know: If approved, PISD students would have the opportunity to participate in five 45 to 60 minute sessions, focused on mental health awareness, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, empathy and other skills, documents show.

Looking ahead: The board of trustees will meet at 5 p.m. Sept. 8 at the Virgil Gant Education Support Center, located at 1928 N. Main St., Pearland.

Last Page Books and More is coming to Pearland in mid-October, owner Mark Pavlas said.

What they offer: The shop will offer used books, DVDs, CDs and vinyl records, Pavlas said.

📍5517 W. Broadway St., Ste. D, Pearland

The community will have the opportunity to hear lectures from college professors this fall through San Jacinto College’s free evening lecture series running from September through December, according to an Aug. 26 news release from the college.

What you need to know: Each event will begin at 6:30 p.m. with time for conversation followed by a lecture from 7-8 p.m, according to the release.

The details: The fall 2026 schedule includes:

• Sept. 22, “From Akokisa Homeland to Frontier Community: The Early History of the Sheldon, Crosby, Channelview and North Shore Communities,” presented by Cody Pogue, government professor

• Oct. 27, “Echoes in the Night: Tracking Bats in a Major Metropolitan Landscape,” presented by Tyler Olivier, STEM and behavioral sciences department chair

• Nov. 17, “A Behind-the-Scenes View of How a Crime Scene Is Investigated,” presented by Corey Rice, criminal justice professor

• Dec. 8, “Inside the Jazz Combo: Reimagining a Classic Christmas Carol,” presented by Travis Maslen, music professor

With Harris County commissioners set to make budget amendments next week, Commissioner Rodney Ellis is making an appeal for $4.5 million to go toward four community safety programs and strategies.

The big picture: The request is based on a report from Ellis’ office and Georgetown Law’s Center for Innovations in Community Safety. It evaluates results from three county programs, recommending investment to expand and sustain them, in addition to creating a community safety department. The county launched HART, RISE and the domestic violence intervention and prevention programs four years ago, which the report examines.

The context: The Harris County Commissioners Court is facing a $181 million shortfall, as Community Impact previously reported.

Sophie Elsner, senior policy adviser for Ellis’ office, said the county’s deficit will continue to grow if there is no change to how money is spent. About 60% of the budget goes toward the criminal justice system, which includes law enforcement, courts, prosecution and defense, she said.

Texas senators indicated Sept. 1 that they intend to tighten regulations on data centers during next year’s legislative session, which begins in January.

What they're saying: “I think every member's district has had an impact from a data center conversation, so there will be plenty of bills trying to put things in place that are reasonable, responsible regulatory frameworks for data centers,” state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, said.

The big picture: With some Texas residents and conservation groups sounding the alarm about water-intensive technologies used by some data centers, state agencies have warned that limited information is available on how much water the industry actually uses. Officials said they have also had trouble determining exactly how many data centers are operating in the state today, as there is no “comprehensive statewide list” of existing and planned facilities.

Estimates from state agencies and the University of Texas at Austin suggest that roughly 370 data centers are currently operating in Texas, with about 100 facilities under construction and another 180 being proposed.