Lone Star College System will be opening applications later this spring for a new bachelor’s degree in education.

The big picture: The Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education and Teaching will be available this fall at the LSC-Atascocita Center in northeast Houston and the LSC-Creekside Center in Tomball. Students can graduate from the two-year program as teachers certified in early childhood education-third grade or early childhood education-sixth grade.

What they're saying: “We want our local schools to be staffed by highly qualified, compassionate teachers who are prepared to meet their students’ unique learning needs,” said Rebecca Saiz, LSCS executive director of the Educator Preparation Program.

From The Ashes Theatre Company expanded into its first new permanent location, according to a Feb. 1 news release.

Diving in deeper: Already having performed in locations like the MATCH and Stageworks Theatre, From the Ashes Theatre performed in its new location with the show “AI Love You,” presented on Feb. 12-15.

• 16668 Champion Forest Drive, Spring

Effective March 9, former U.S. Rep. Erica Lee Carter will serve as the new Harris County administrator after commissioners unanimously approved her appointment Feb. 12.

In a nutshell: Lee Carter will lead the Office of County Administration, or OCA, which oversees the day-to-day operations of the county and coordinates across its departments. She will be the first African American woman to hold the position, which was created in 2021.

Did you know? Lee Carter served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2024-2025 in a special election to Texas’ 18th Congressional District after her mother, late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, died in 2024. 

She has also overseen policy initiatives within Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis’ office for several years with a focus on economic opportunity, voting access and budget management, per a news release from the OCA.

Quote of note: “It is my commitment to work each day to make progress towards your 2050 vision and ensure the county is safe and fair, thriving, resilient, connected, healthy and secure,” Lee Carter said Feb. 12. 

An airline at George Bush Intercontinental Airport will premiere two new nonstop routes to Mexico beginning June 1.

What’s new: Volaris—which opened at IAH in 2015—will launch flight routes from Houston to Querétaro, Mexico, and Puebla, Mexico. Flights will be offered three times per week, and tickets became available for purchase Feb. 3.

Notable quote: “Houston is a key market for the airline, and these connections to Querétaro and Puebla strengthen a network designed to serve the needs of our binational communities,” Volaris Executive Vice President Holger Blankenstein said.

Some context: Volaris also offers flights from Houston to:

• Guadalajara, Mexico
• Mexico City, Mexico
• Morelia, Mexico
• San Luis Potosí, Mexico
• San Salvador, El Salvador

Early in-person voting in Texas’ primary elections begins Feb. 17 and lasts until Feb. 27.

How it works: Texas has an open primary system, where voters decide at the polling place whether to cast ballots in the Democratic or Republican primary. Voters may not participate in both primaries.

What to expect: Voters will be given a ballot with a slate of statewide seats and other races determined by the voting precinct they live in. During early voting, registered voters can visit any polling location in their county.

Candidates who win their primaries will advance to the Nov. 3 midterm election.

Why it matters: Early voting gives registered voters the opportunity to cast their ballots before primary election day March 3.

Voter advocacy groups and experts told Community Impact that a vote in the March primaries is “the most impactful vote” Texans can cast, due to consistently low voter turnout and competition in certain races. Over 18 million Texans are registered to vote, although about one-fifth of registered voters participated in recent primary elections.