Projects to rebuild and renovate several The Woodlands Fire Department buildings in 2025 are finished or near completion as part of a $14.5 million spending package.

A project to rebuild Fire Station No. 5 was almost finished in early November, with a planned opening in early 2026, Fire Chief Palmer Buck said. The previous building for Station No. 5 had severe structural issues, and additional space was needed for the growing department, which added a 10th battalion in 2023 but will need an 11th, he said.

The big picture: Work on the two fire department projects included upgrades to the department’s Emergency Training Center, such as adding 3,000 square feet of space, an outdoor learning pavilion and facilities such as a full kitchen, more gym space and additional restrooms, Buck said.

Going forward: New road projects underway through the $480 million Montgomery County Road bond, which was approved in May, could help to improve response time, Buck said.

On The Kirb officials confirmed the eatery and sports bar opened a new location in The Woodlands in November.

The details: On the Kirb features a menu made with local produce and organic meats, per the website. Menu items include salads, burgers, wraps, tacos and pizza. In addition, On the Kirb offers a variety of specialty cocktails, including its hibiscus margaritas and the Barrel-Aged Old Fashioned.  

• Opened Nov. 15
• 6777 Woodlands Parkway, The Woodlands

At the Montgomery County Commissioners Court meeting Nov. 18, commissioners got an update on the county's historical courthouse master plan and approved additional funding for the new mental health treatment facility that broke ground in August.

Meeting highlights: Commissioners approved the historical courthouse master plan last year. The plan is almost 50% completed, including the historical and architectural research, said Jason Smith, deputy chief of staff for Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough.

Some context: The state of Texas has more than 240 courthouses that are at least 50 years old, and it has more historic courthouses than any other state, according to the Texas Historical Commission website.

Items worth mentioning: The commissioners also approved $117,500 for the expansion of the Montgomery County Mental Health Treatment Facility in Precinct 1.

Conroe ISD trustees Nov. 18 received updates on progress on the current Grand Oaks attendance boundaries process, as well as plans to establish the 2026-27 school year calendar before it receives its final approval in January.

The gist: Assistant Superintendent of Operations Chris McCord discussed the updated current zoning scenarios being considered for Grand Oaks Junior High School and Kacy Arnold Elementary School, including the challenge posed by the growing population of nearby schools such as Hines Elementary School, which opened in 2023.

Stay tuned: The district’s next board meeting will be Dec. 16 at the Walter P. Jett Teaching and Learning Center at 19043 David Memorial Drive in Shenandoah.

Google is targeting Texas for future investments in data and artificial infrastructure, with $40 billion expected to be spent on adding three new data centers.

Federal, state and local leaders announced the new centers to be constructed in Armstrong and Haskell counties at a Nov. 14 event at the first Texas Google Data Center in Midlothian, near the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The gist: One new data center will be constructed in Armstrong County near Amarillo, and two new data centers will be constructed in Haskell County near Abilene. One center in Haskell County will also use a new solar and battery energy storage plant.

“They say that everything is bigger in Texas—and that certainly applies to the golden opportunity with AI,” Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said.

Also of note: The driverless car company Waymo is expanding to North Texas in 2026, Pichai said.