The Montgomery County Memorial Library System announced through a Dec. 16 news release that the Malcolm Purvis Library in Magnolia will be the latest library to implement its Innovate@MCMLS program.

What we know: As previously reported, Innovate@MCMLS is the library system's new program. Set to begin in January at the Kevin Brady Library and Community Center in The Woodlands, it will give locals access to tools and technology not normally available to them, according to the Dec. 3 news release announcing its launch. Library patrons will have access to multiple new tools such as 3D printers, 3D scanners, sublimation printers, laser cutters, STEM kits and more.

Also of note: The expansion is being supported by the Magnolia Economic Development Corp., an organization dedicated to “fostering economic prosperity in the city of Magnolia," according to the Dec. 16 news release.

Stay tuned: The new innovation space is anticipated to launch in March, according to the Dec. 16 news release.

Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital will turn 25 years old Dec. 18, marking a milestone for the Northwest Houston medical facility.

Read all about it: Located off Hwy. 249, the hospital opened in 2000 with just 50 employees and less than 100 beds, officials told Community Impact. Nearly 25 years later, Houston Methodist Willowbrook had more than 25,000 patient admissions in 2024, and the hospital’s bed capacity has grown to 358.

Looking back: In an interview with Community Impact, several hospital officials highlighted Willowbrook Hospital's growth in the last 25 years, such as opening the North Pavilion tower in 2010, launching a midwifery program in 2018 and establishing an obstetrics and gynecology residency program in 2025. 

Quote of note: “I can guarantee since I’ve been here [for] 25 years, we are not practicing the same medicine we did 25 years ago,” obstetrics and gynecology physician Dr. Stacey Norton said. “We keep up to date, and I think that’s one of the ways that our medical students and residents keep pushing us.”

Sam Houston State University plans to partner with Tri-County Behavioral Healthcare and Huntsville Memorial Hospital to launch a new psychiatric residency program in 2026, according to a Dec. 15 news release.

What we know: The program plans to welcome its first four residents in July and plans to train 16 residents in total at full capacity. These residents will be given faculty training, educational oversight and academic resources, according to the news release. The residency is designed to meet the needs of East Texas.

Also of note: Tri-Country Behavioral Healthcare provides services to residents with mental illnesses and intellectual/developmental disabilities, and is sponsored by the commissioners courts of Liberty, Montgomery and Walker counties, according to its website.

In their own words: “This collaboration is a critical step in expanding mental health resources by training compassionate, competent psychiatrists who are equipped to meet the growing needs of the populations we serve,” Evan Roberson, executive director of Tri-County Behavioral Health, said via news release.

Central Texas counties could begin receiving up to $1.25 million each in state funding for flood warning sirens in the coming weeks and months, officials announced Dec. 16.

The overview: The funding comes less than six months after historic flooding hit parts of Central and West Texas over the July 4 weekend, killing at least 137 residents and visitors. During special legislative sessions this summer, state lawmakers approved requirements that 30 counties included in a July disaster declaration install flood warning systems with the help of $50 million in state grants.

Zooming in: Each county is expected to receive up to $1.25 million from the Texas Water Development Board. Counties seeking more money will need their requests approved by the three-member board.

Counties are required to submit detailed project plans to the TWDB and can use the grants to install physical infrastructure such as sirens, rain gauges, flood gauges and solar panels to power the warning systems. The money can also be used for local flood education, outreach and training programs, TWDB staff said.