In January, Unique Kids Pediatric Dentistry will be marking its five-year anniversary since opening in Valley Ranch Town Center in New Caney.

Read all about it: Unique Kids Pediatric Dentistry offers “extensive, gentle and comfortable” dental services for children.

Before you go: The dentist office also has a location at 14433 W. Lake Houston Parkway, Ste. 200, Houston.

• 22118 Market Place Drive, Ste. 500, New Caney

Parents in the Lake Houston area have several options to choose from when it comes to class sizes, extracurricular activities and religious affiliation. Check out what some of the local private schools have to offer.

Humble Christian School

• Type: religious-based
• Grades served: K-12th grade
• Religious orientation: Christian
• Extracurricular activities: Spanish; music; art; computer class; athletics, including flag football and cheerleading
• Enrollment: 220-250
• Tuition: $8,000-$9,300 annually
• 16202 Old Humble Road, Humble

• Type: Montessori
• Grades served: pre-K-8th grade
• Religious orientation: N/A
• Extracurricular activities: chess club, soccer, dance, art, family scouting
• Enrollment: 20
• Tuition: $957 monthly (early childhood education), $1,056 monthly (elementary), $1,180 monthly (middle school)
• 3059 Woodland Hills Drive, Kingwood

• Type: Montessori
• Grades served: pre-K4-8th grade
• Religious orientation: N/A
• Extracurricular activities: N/A
• Enrollment: 30
• Tuition: $9,000-$9,500 annually per student (varies by grade)
• 23979 Wildwood Road, Porter

Airport passengers in the Greater Houston area who are also CLEAR members can utilize new biometric eGates aimed at expediting identity verification at both George Bush Intercontinental and Hobby airports.

Zooming out: While the security identity company CLEAR first announced the national airport partnership program rollout with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration on Aug. 19, Houston Airport officials announced in December that the biometric security gates were in use.

“With this new technology, travelers can verify their identity in under five seconds, bypassing the TSA podium and proceeding directly to physical screening,” a Dec. 9 news release states. 

The big picture: CLEAR officials said in August that the launch efforts will coincide with airports hosting international visitors flying to the U.S. for the FIFA World Cup in 2026.

What they're saying: “With more than 20 million international visitors expected to fly to the U.S. for the tournament — and domestic travel surging through U.S. host cities — checkpoint infrastructure will face unprecedented pressure,” the Aug. 19 news release states.

Missed any Community Impact articles from this week? Check out the top trending stories from Community Impact's coverage areas in Houston from Dec. 29-Jan. 2.

Lone Star College’s Academy for Lifelong Learning opens spring registration for adults 50-plus
Area residents ages 50 and older can explore everything from history and creative writing to hands-on hobbies through Lone Star College System’s Academy for Lifelong Learning, a low-cost program offering classes, activities and social connections across the system’s campuses, as stated in a Lone Star College Dec. 19 news release.

Read the story here.

333 Bar and Grill now open in Montgomery
The restaurant offers drinks and food to customers as well as live shows. The bar was the previous location of The Feed Store Grill and Bar, as previously reported by Community Impact.

Read the story here.

This November, Texas voters approved 17 constitutional amendments, also known as state propositions. Here’s what’s next for some of those propositions and what they mean for Texans.

The overview: Texas voters authorized the state to spend $1 billion annually on water supply funding, totaling $20 billion over a two-decade period, through Proposition 4. Funding will flow into the Texas Water Fund, a state account created in 2023 to help finance water projects.

However, state law requires that the money does not begin moving into the water fund until September 2027, and it will not be available for grants until 2029. Until then, state agencies, water utilities and local organizations will need to plan for funding, adjust rules and processes to align with recent state laws and update Texas’ water and flood plans, according to the Texas Water Foundation.

More details: Texas homeowners were set to see expanded property tax breaks on their 2025 tax bills under Propositions 11 and 13. Four other property tax exemptions approved by voters will take effect Jan. 1.