Crossing Borders Language Center, a teaching center focused on language comprehension, has recently opened a new center in Magnolia. 

Two-minute impact: According to its website, Crossing Borders Language Center is a language instructional organization focused on children, teens and adults. The center offers a wide variety of language courses, including French, English and Spanish, among other languages. 

A variety of programs are available for interested students to advance their studies, including but not limited to:

• Group classes

• Private lessons

• Summer camps

• Corporate classes

For anyone unable to attend courses in person at the center, Crossing Borders also offers private online classes.

• Opened in June

• 33300 Egypt Lane, Ste. J100, Magnolia

A proposed apartment development along FM 2920 is headed back through Tomball’s planning process after the City Council declined to approve or deny the project July 20.

The details: The council reached a consensus to take no action on a request to rezone property at 15226 FM 2920 from agricultural and commercial zoning to a planned development. Mayor Lori Quinn then told the Planning and Zoning Commission the case was back in its hands. 

Earlier in the meeting, council voted 4-1 to annex roughly 3 acres at the back of the property into the city. Staff clarified that the annexation did not approve the proposed development or its zoning.

What was proposed? City Planner Caleb Mittanck said the concept presented to the city included approximately 48 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments in a three-story building with one entrance from FM 2920.

Gymboree Play & Music, a global franchise that specializes in childhood development classes with a focus on music and games, opened a new franchise location near The Woodlands. The business will celebrate its official opening Aug. 21.

How it happened: The new franchise location is owned and operated by Tosin Fatusin alongside Amber Harris. As the parents of two young children, Fatusin and Harris first discovered Gymboree Play & Music at a birthday party in the Post Oak location. After Gymboree had left The Woodlands area, the pair decided to apply to operate their own franchise location.

“When we later realized there was no longer a Gymboree serving The Woodlands area, we were excited to bring that experience back for other families,” Fatusin said. “Our hope has always been to create more than a children's enrichment center—we wanted to create a place where children discover their potential through play while parents find encouragement, friendship and community.”

• 26435 Kuykendahl Road, Ste. 150, The Woodlands

According to officials with the National Weather Service, a tropical depression is working on gaining strength and organization in the Gulf, and Houston area officials are monitoring the storm for potential local impacts. 

What we know: Officials with the Houston-Galveston office of the NWS released advisories for Tropical Depression Two, a weather disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico that has the potential to turn into a tropical storm by July 21. Based on current models from the NWS, the storm could bring tropical storm-level winds and rain to the Greater Houston area over the weekend.

Stay tuned: Officials are urging residents to check all hurricane preparations regardless of additional storm development in the coming days. If the storm continues to gain strength, it will become Tropical Storm Bertha, per the NWS.