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New water park coming to Kemah Boardwalk in 2027

Kemah Boardwalk's Boardwalk Bay is set to open in spring 2027, according to a Nov. 10 news release from Kemah Boardwalk.

What you need to know: The pirate and shipwreck-themed water park will feature 11 water slides, private cabanas and other resort-style amenities, the news release notes.

Quote of note: "Families have been making memories on the Kemah Boardwalk for more than two decades, and Boardwalk Bay is the next chapter in that story," Terry Turney, Kemah Boardwalk's chief operating officer, said in the news release.

 
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Latest Education News
Clear Creek ISD postpones Bluebonnet Math vote

The Clear Creek ISD board of trustees chose to postpone a vote to adopt the 2026-27 Bluebonnet Learning Math OER, or open education resources, until the next meeting in order to review the plan further.

What residents should know: CCISD’s board voted unanimously at its Nov. 9 workshop to delay approving the plan after noting the document outlining the transition was not published until the day of the meeting, leaving insufficient time for review.

How we got here: For a school district or open-enrollment charter school to qualify for the state-developed OER entitlement for additional instructional materials procurement funding, the district or school must adopt an OER instructional material transition plan, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.

Looking ahead: The board will vote on whether to adopt the plan at its Nov. 16 meeting.

 
Neighboring News
The road ahead: Major corridors and neighborhood streets to undergo rehabilitation and widening across Pearland

Pearland motorists can expect major road construction through the end of the decade, including widening projects along FM 518, Mykawa Road and Hughes Road, as well as intersection and street renovations throughout the city.

The big picture: The city’s five-year capital improvement plan, approved by City Council in September, includes around $203 million for street projects through 2030, according to city documents. Separately, the Texas Department of Transportation, or TxDOT, is advancing an estimated $187 million widening project along Broadway Street.

Assessing the need: Depending on a street’s condition and whether larger infrastructure work is planned, repairs can range from surface treatments to more extensive road rehabilitation. Of the city’s planned pavement projects for fiscal year 2026-27, 23% were rated in “poor” or “very poor” condition, data shows.

“We recognize there are a lot of people here, and we’re catching up with the growth that happened in the city and caused congestion,” Pearland’s Communications Director Josh Lee said. “Mobility is an important part of the community. It’s also about protecting the taxpayer’s investment.”

 
County Coverage
Harris County commissioners to discuss Hurricane Harvey recovery projects, new AI policy

The Harris County Commissioners Court is scheduled to discuss several key initiatives during its Nov. 12 regular meeting, including disaster recovery, artificial intelligence and violence prevention.

Latest update: Commissioners are expected to discuss a one-year spending deadline extension granted by the Texas General Land Office for federally funded Hurricane Harvey recovery and flood mitigation projects. The new deadlines are February 2028 and March 2029.

Another detail: Additionally, the court will consider a new county AI policy developed by the Universal Services department, which recommends implementation in May 2027 to allow for department training.

One more thing: The court will also consider adding 24 jobs to expand two violence prevention and interruption programs, HART and RISE. The proposed positions include:

  • Ten crisis intervention specialists

  • Six outreach workers for violence interruption

  • Two supervisors for violence interruption

  • Two case managers

  • One outreach worker for hospital violence interruption

  • One project manager

  • One senior data analyst

  • One communications specialist

 
Stay In The Know
Data centers, Medicaid and gambling: Texas lawmakers begin filing bills ahead of 2027 legislative session

Texas lawmakers and legislators-elect began filing new bills on Nov. 9, unofficially kicking off the 90th state legislative session. By noon, they had submitted more than 1,000 legislative proposals that they hoped would be considered at the state Capitol next year.

The overview: When the 90th legislative session begins Jan. 12, Texas will be led by all Democratic statewide officials. Democrats also won control of the Texas House during the Nov. 3 election, while Republicans retained Senate control.

Zooming in: Democratic lawmakers were the first to file bills in both legislative chambers, signaling some of the party's priorities as Texans prepare for the first Democratic-led state government and divided legislature in a generation.

State Rep. John Bucy, D-Austin, filed bills to expand who is eligible for Medicaid in the state, while Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, proposed tightening regulations on the booming data center industry.

More details: Lawmakers had filed at least 57 constitutional amendments before press time Nov. 9, including measures on property taxes, sports betting and term limits for elected officials.

 

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Haley Velasco
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Papar Faircloth
General Manager

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