HTX-HRM: Impact 10/8/2025

The White Oak Bayou Elevation Project has continued to advance along the I-10 Katy Freeway and is set to begin its next major step of Phase 1, with a traffic shift that will reduce the I-10 westbound main lanes between the I-45 North Freeway and Houston Avenue from four lanes to two, starting Oct. 24.

What's happening: Beginning Oct. 24, construction crews will close the two lanes of traffic, which will remain closed until an estimated time frame of mid-2026, according to an Oct. 6 news release from the Texas Department of Transportation.

Per the release, the closure is necessary to complete the construction of the new elevated westbound lanes, which will overlap the footprint of the existing westbound main lanes.

About the project: The $400 million transportation project includes raising the elevation of the I-10 main lanes above the floodplain of White Oak Bayou from Heights Boulevard to I-45, including the reconstruction of the I-10 HOV lanes and reconstruction of the Houston Avenue Bridge.

Tiny Boxwoods and Tiny's Milk & Cookies are set to launch the fifth location of their neighborhood walkup concept in the Heights in early 2026.

A sneak peek: Tiny's Milk & Cookies is described as a popular walk-up bakery and cookie counter, selling Tiny's signature chocolate chip cookie, along with daily fresh pastries, house-made ice cream, hot and cold espresso drinks, and grab-and-go lunches.

Officials with the business announced the expansion of the White Oak Drive location in January, with the intention to open in the summer of 2025. However, store officials confirmed with Community Impact on Oct. 6 that the store is expected to open early in the new year.

• 3423 White Oak Drive, Houston

The Public Utility Commission of Texas on Oct. 2 authorized CenterPoint Energy to issue a customer rate increase—totaling approximately $1.2 billion—to cover repair and recovery costs from Hurricane Beryl and two other Greater Houston storms.

The overview: The restoration costs will add about $2 per month to the average customer’s electricity bill, with the rate change expected to take effect later this year or early next year, according to an Oct. 6 statement from CenterPoint Energy. The decision allows CenterPoint to spread the cost to residential customers across 15 years, saving more than $265 million in interest charges, per the statement. 

Looking back: According to previous Community Impact reporting, more than 2.2 million customers in the Greater Houston area lost power during Hurricane Beryl in July 2024, and over 4,400 Harris County homes were damaged. The Category 1 storm led to an estimated $32 billion in losses nationwide.

Odyssey, a New York-based tech company, has been selected to manage Texas’ $1 billion education savings account program, the state comptroller’s office announced Oct. 6.

The overview: Odyssey will work with the comptroller to launch the program, deemed “Texas Education Freedom Accounts,” ahead of the 2026-27 school year. Families can begin applying for the program early next year, and those accepted will receive thousands of dollars in state funds to send their children to private school or homeschool them.

Zooming in: Odyssey will develop and manage an online platform to administer Texas’ education savings account program. State law also tasks the company with:

• Collecting applications and determining which families are accepted to the program
• Approving vendors for education-related materials and services, such as textbooks, transportation and tutoring
• Reviewing inquiries and complaints about the program
• Advertising the program and communicating with interested families