Lone Star College System will offer a new bachelor’s degree in early childhood education with an expected launch date of fall 2026 after the help of a $200,000 grant from Houston Endowment, according to an Aug. 13 news release.

The gist: The four-year degree will end in a teacher certification in elementary education, said Rebecca Saiz, LSCS executive director for the educator preparation program.

How we got here: There has been a significant rise in the number of uncertified teachers in Texas for the past five years, according to the Texas Education Agency. Saiz said LCSC hopes to help tackle the rising numbers in uncertified teachers with the new bachelor’s program.

Looking forward: The initial cohort will launch with 150 teacher candidates, pending approval by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board as well as the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, per the release.

A new 49,000-square-foot mass timber office building is now open in Bridgeland—the first of its kind in the Greater Houston area—development firm Howard Hughes announced in a Nov. 13 news release.

Read all about it: Called One Bridgeland Green, the office building incorporates engineered wood known as mass timber and floor-to-ceiling windows to achieve a biophilic design that “brings the outdoors in,” according to the news release.

The three-story building is located at 20203 Bridgeland Creek Parkway, Cypress in Bridgeland Central, the master-planned community’s 925-acre commercial district. Howard Hughes broke ground on the building in May 2024 and was 80% pre-leased within three months, per the release.

Quote of note: “Leading with a mass-timber office building signals the direction we’re going—innovative, modern, and rooted in design that fits into the fabric of what makes Bridgeland one of the most desirable places to live,” Alex Hancock, senior vice president of Howard Hughes, said in a statement. 

Dairy Queen officials said the Blizzard treat company opened a new location in Cypress in November.

The details: With over 7,700 locations, Dairy Queen is known for its Blizzards, or firm ice cream served with a variety of inclusions, as well as burgers and cakes, according to the website.

• 4410 Telge Road, Cypress

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County was awarded more than $100 million in federal funding for several low-emission initiatives aimed at significantly improving air quality across METRO’s service area.

“This funding represents a major step in our effort to transition METRO’s fleet to cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles,” interim President Tom Jasien said in a Nov. 24 news release. “These improvements will strengthen our commitment to sustainability while ensuring we continue to deliver reliable service for the Houston region.”

Zooming in: METRO officials said the $100 million grant will allow for the following projects to be completed:

• Replacing at least 100 aging diesel buses with new compressed natural gas buses
• Building a new CNG fueling station
• Upgrading maintenance facilities to support expanded CNG operations