HTX-COM: Impact 10/1/2025

Conroe residents are nearing the end of a month-long transition as the city changes trash and recycling service providers from Waste Management to Frontier Waste Solutions.

The details: While service continued uninterrupted through September, Waste Management will collect trash using both old and new carts until Sept. 30. Frontier will officially take over all trash and recycling services starting Oct. 1, according to the city’s website.

The process, which began Sept. 8, involves a third-party company delivering Frontier carts and removing old Waste Management carts across the city, according to the website. New carts are delivered the day before a neighborhood’s regular pickup day/ For example, if a resident’s trash day is Friday, new carts will arrive on Thursday.

Once delivered, residents are asked to place their Waste Management carts at the curb as usual, regardless of whether they are full or empty. After Waste Management completes its scheduled collection, the old carts will remain at the curb until the third-party company retrieves them, according to the city’s website.

Spanish Schoolhouse officials said the education center opened a new location in Montgomery and is serving children ages 18 months to 4 years old.

The details: With Ana Villagomez as director of the school, according to the website, the Spanish emerging school teaches children the Spanish language while helping to develop early childhood and academic skills.

• 618 Fish Creek Thoroughfare, Ste. 700, Montgomery

Smokey Mo’s BBQ is marking 25 years of serving authentic Texas barbecue.

The backstory: The restaurant chain was founded in Cedar Park in July 2000 by Morris “Mo” and Lisa Melchor, a married couple who wanted to share their passion for classic Texas barbecue. The popularity of their first store led them to expand, and Smokey Mo’s now has 21 locations throughout Texas. 

What they offer: The restaurant is known for its ribs, brisket, sausages and pork belly burnt ends, in addition to a wide range of sides from mac and cheese to potato salad. All meats are smoked in-house daily, according to the company’s website.

According to a Sept. 26 press release, Target has launched a first-of-its-kind accessible self-checkout experience designed for guests with disabilities, including those who are blind or have low vision.

The self-checkouts will roll out nationwide beginning this holiday season and in early 2026 as part of Target's ongoing checkout improvements, according to the release.

What to expect: Per the release, the innovation is a guest-first design that primarily supports people who are visually impaired while supporting those with motor disabilities.

The technology works with Target’s existing self-checkout system and includes:

• Braille and high-contrast button icons
• A headphone jack with adjustable volume controls
• Physical navigation buttons and a dedicated information key