East Montgomery County leaders joined representatives from Entergy Texas for a Jan. 7 ribbon-cutting in celebration of the energy company’s new Millbend substation and transmission line project.

The details: The new substation is part of Entergy's Southeast Texas Energy Plan, also known as the STEP Ahead program. Sean Meredith, vice president of capital projects for Entergy, said the substation was built to help support areas of Montgomery County experiencing growth, including New Caney and Porter.

A closer look: Meredith said the project consists of several electrical towers and roughly 6 miles of transmission lines. He noted the towers have been built to withstand hurricane-force winds and other extreme weather events.

What they’re saying: Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough touted the project during the ribbon-cutting.

“This project is about the security of the people of this community,” Keough said.

What's next: Meredith said the new towers and transmission lines represent the first phase of the project, noting officials will be able to expand the project in the future.

Construction is underway for a Fuel Maxx gas station and convenience store in Porter.

The gist: Construction began in the third or fourth quarter of 2025. The new Fuel Maxx location in Porter will feature a beer vault, Taco Corner, Coffee Maxx Station and a Maxx Washateria. A 9,900-square-foot retail building with three interior spaces will be leased out on the property.

What else? The company has three other Fuel Maxx locations in New Caney and Porter, including one coming soon to 21066 Hwy. 59, New Caney.

• Opening in the first or second quarter of this year 
• 23980 FM 1314, Stes. 100-300, Porter

Montgomery County Food Bank will spotlight four community partners during its 2026 Fighting Hunger, Feeding Hope Gala, set for Saturday, Feb. 7 at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott, according to a Jan. 6 news release.

What’s happening?: The gala serves as the food bank’s signature fundraiser and supports hunger relief through its network of partner agencies. The organization said each donated dollar can provide up to four meals.

This year’s theme, “Through the Looking Glass,” invites guests to consider what the county can accomplish “when our community comes together in generosity and compassion,” the release states.

Per the release, the 2026 gala honorees are:

• ExxonMobil, Community Partner of the Year
• St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, Partner Agency of the Year
• Fortifi Food Processing Solutions, Volunteer of the Year
• Ann Snyder, Legacy Award

Residents who use W.G. Jones State Forest should expect temporary closures this week as the Texas A&M Forest Service plans a prescribed burn in the forest Jan. 15, weather permitting. The burn will take place within state forest boundaries between I-45 and Hwy. 242, south of FM 1488, according to a news release.

The impact: Prescribed burning serves as a forest management tool that officials use to restore habitat, reduce undergrowth and improve community safety by cutting down the fuel that can feed wildfires, the release states. The planned burn also targets habitat restoration for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker and will include inter-departmental training for state and local emergency response resources.

The agency plans to notify surrounding city and fire officials as well as area residents and groups who frequent the forest by email, and it will post notification signs in adjoining rights of way, according to the release. Firefighters and equipment will be staged on-site as a precaution, and some areas of the forest will be closed to the public during operations.

Hundreds of Texas private schools have been approved to participate in the state’s new education savings account program, per a map released by the state comptroller in early January.

The overview: As of press time, 775 private schools and prekindergarten providers had been approved to accept education savings accounts, or ESAs. There are over 1,300 accredited private schools in the state, according to the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission. 

Of the approved schools, there are:

• 233 schools in the Houston area
• 195 schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area
• 94 schools in the San Antonio area
• 70 schools in the Austin area