The Back Nine is now open in New Caney, following a soft opening July 15. A grand opening celebration will be held Aug. 8 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 

What they offer: Owned by Darrin and Shawna Ballard, the indoor golf simulator franchise is geared toward serious golfers who want to improve their game, casual golfers who want a place to hang out and hit golf balls with friends, and businesses seeking a venue for team-building and client collaborations. 

Open 24/7, the venue will also host golf leagues, tournaments, clinics, kids' camps and parties, as previously reported by Community Impact. 

• Soft opened July 15; grand opening Aug. 8 
• 20470 FM 1485, Ste. E, New Caney

Roman Forest City Council members approved a resolution authorizing a joint election with Montgomery County for the upcoming Nov. 3 election.

The details: Council members approved the measure during the council’s July 27 meeting.

City Administrator Scott Castleberry noted the following City Council positions will be up for reelection in November:

• Council Position 1, currently held by Mitchell Davis
• Council Position 3, currently held by Jerry Reasner
• Council Position 5, currently held by Larry Sanders

Individuals interested in running for local office are now able to apply for a place on the November general election ballot through Aug.17, according to the Texas Secretary of State's office.

What you need to know: Individuals interested in filing to run for office within a local subdivision or school district must file an application with the entity in charge of the election as well as meet several criteria including:

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Be a resident of the city, district or subdivision
• Be a U.S. citizen

• Harris County Emergency Services District No. 9
• Klein ISD
• Fort Bend ISD
• New Caney ISD
• City of Roman Forest
• Tomball ISD
• The Woodlands Township

Construction on several projects associated with pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company’s planned $6.5 billion, 236-acre manufacturing site in Generation Park is either underway or set to begin in August, according to a series of July 16 filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

The details: While construction on the work included in the filings is projected to be completed by the end of 2027, Lilly representatives said the overall project remains on track to be completed by 2030.

“Lilly Houston remains on track and is progressing as planned against its previously announced timeline,” a Lilly spokesperson confirmed in a July 23 emailed statement. “We will continue to provide updates as they become available.”

A closer look: Each of the filings includes the construction of shell buildings, including stairways and elevator shafts, that will eventually house the manufacturing site.

Some context: Lilly announced its plans to build a $6.5 billion manufacturing facility at Generation Park at a news conference held in September 2025.

Texas lawmakers are considering cutting a costly, decade-old tax break for the state’s booming data center industry.

The overview: Texas spends more than $1 billion annually on the sales tax exemption, and the comptroller’s office estimated in 2025 that due to the program, the state will lose about $3.2 billion in sales tax revenue over the next two years.

The Lone Star State is home to the nation’s fastest-growing data center market, and the Data Center Coalition, which advocates for the industry, has argued that the tax break program is key to maintaining that title. Senators and members of the public who spoke at a July 27 hearing disagreed.

Looking ahead: Amid a bipartisan push for more regulation of data centers, senators indicated that they intend to add more strings to the tax exemption program or eliminate it entirely.

"The question is whether or not we need to have a special session where all of us are focusing in on this," Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, said.

“We do,” Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, replied.