Roman Forest City Council members will host a special-called meeting at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 9 to discuss recent bids that came in related to the city’s police department expansion project.

The details: During the council’s Jan. 27 meeting, Mayor Chris Parr said the city has received several bids to complete work on the project after council members authorized city officials to begin the bidding process in December.

Some context: According to previous reporting, the roughly $350,000 project will consist of adding roughly 2,000 square feet of additional space to the city’s police department. Once completed, officials said around half of the existing police department will be converted into additional space for City Hall.

What’s next: While a start date for construction has not yet been determined, City Engineer Greg Phipps said during the December meeting that officials are aiming to complete the project by the end of 2026.

New plans for the East Montgomery County Improvement District’s dog park in New Caney are still pending.

Current situation: Originally estimated to open last summer, the project has been delayed due to changes to the original project plans. In September, EMCID leaders estimated that a new opening date for the park would be announced in January, but the district is still waiting for county approval.

A closer look: Changes to the project that were announced in September include:

• Use of public water and sewer systems instead of an on-site well and septic tanks
• Demolition of existing concrete structures, abandoned electric facilities and parking lots
• Restoration of natural grass turf for the dog enclosure spaces
• Work on automatic water refill sensors for the dog ponds
• Work on improved restrooms, water fountains, parking and a dog wash area

A total of $43,000 in art grants have been awarded by The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in partnership with The Woodlands Arts Council to initiatives across Montgomery County.

The Performing Arts Microgrants program for 2026 continues a program that has invested $130,000 in performing arts education and access since 2024, according to a news release.

Measuring the impact: Microgrants go toward programs such as music instruction, performance opportunities, equipment and expanded arts programming, according to Jan. 16 news release.

Recipients of the latest grants include:

• Caney Creek High School
• The Woodlands Symphony Orchestra
• Patterson Elementary School
• Conroe High School

The March 3 primary election is coming up, and so is the deadline to register to vote. Eligible Texans must register by Feb. 2 to cast votes in dozens of races, including 18 statewide officials, 38 members of Congress, 166 state legislators and various local seats, such as county judges and commissioners.

How to register: Texans must submit a paper voter registration application by Feb. 2. Applications can be mailed to their county elections office or delivered in-person.

To avoid delivery delays under new federal postmark rules, prospective voters may requests that mailed applications be hand-stamped at a local post office.

The big picture: Texas holds primaries for partisan elected positions at the federal, state, regional and local levels. Republican and Democratic primary voters will have a say in which candidates will represent their chosen political party on the November ballot, shaping who is ultimately elected to each seat.

In recent years, no more than one-fourth of registered Texas voters have cast ballots in primary elections, state data shows.