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Applied Optoelectronics Inc. receives $20.85M grant to promote semiconductor manufacturing in Sugar Land

Applied Optoelectronics Inc. will receive a $20.85 million grant for its manufacturing expansion in Sugar Land, Gov. Greg Abbott announced in an April 29 news release.

Founded in 1997, the domestic optical module manufacturer company designs and manufactures fiber-optic networking products, including semiconductor chips and transceivers used to build high-speed optical networking infrastructure, per the news release.

What it means: The grant—which will be used to support AOI's new 266,000-square-foot facility and a new manufacturing line at its existing headquarters—comes from the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund, a program that Abbott signed into law under the Texas CHIPS Act in 2023, according to the release.

The expansion, which was announced in July 2025, is expected to bring 500 jobs to the area.

 
In Your Area
Sports club, senior living facility among 10 projects filed in Missouri City

Several new businesses, restaurants and facilities are coming soon or are already being built in Missouri City.

These projects were registered in the last several months in the area with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. All information, including costs and timelines, is subject to change.

Serenity Springs Senior Living Mansion

  • Location: 8335 Sienna Springs Blvd., Missouri City

  • Type of work: new construction

  • Timeline: March 16, 2026-Feb. 26, 2027

  • Estimated cost: $2.75 million

Spike Sport Club

  • Location: 15220 Hillcroft Ave., Missouri City

  • Type of work: new construction

  • Timeline: April 5-Oct. 5

  • Estimated cost: $4.32 million

Gyro Hut

  • Location: 8027 Hwy. 6, Ste. 200, Missouri City

  • Type of work: renovation/alteration

  • Timeline: March 31-June 30

  • Estimated cost: $180,000

 
Metro News
HAR reports a record number of Houston rental homes leased in March

According to the April 15 Houston Association of Realtors’ March Rental Market Update, Houston's rental market has seen an increase in leased listings.

The details: For March, HAR reports there were 4,718 leased listings for single-family rentals on the market, a 15.8% increase compared to last March. For pending listings, there was an increase of 7.8% compared to last year, totaling 6,172 homes on the market. Lease prices in comparison to last March dipped by 2.1% to $2,242 from $2,290. Homes have also spent slightly longer in the market, from 43 to 47 days.

What else: According to HAR, the townhome and condominium market has also seen changes in March; 673 properties were leased this March, leading to a 12.4% increase compared to the 599 properties last March.

Alongside the rental market, the number of new listings for townhomes and condominiums has grown by 10.1% to 1,082 properties; last March’s listing amount was 983 properties. Meanwhile, the number of days on market has grown to 61 days this March from 53 days last March.

 

Your Weekend To-Do List

Check out these weekend events across the metro area.

Fuzzy’s Taco Dash

Pet Adoption Event

May 2, 7:30 a.m.
Kingwood

May 2, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Houston

Learn more.

Learn more.

 

A Taste of Cy-Fair

Karbach Hot Sauce Festival

May 2, 5 p.m.
Cypress

May 3, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Houston

Learn more.

Learn more.

 
To submit your own event, click here.

CI Texas
Live updates: Parents eulogize Camp Mystic victims; lawmakers urge health officials to suspend camp's license

Over 130 Central Texas residents and visitors died over the July 4 weekend as an intense rainstorm and flooding swept through the region. Among them were 28 deaths at Camp Mystic: 25 young campers; aged 8 to 10 years old; two 18-year-old counselors; and 70-year-old Richard "Dick" Eastland, the camp's executive director.

The private Christian girls camp has been under scrutiny for the actions camp leaders took to attempt to save campers in cabins along the Guadalupe River.

What's happening: During the second day of public hearings April 28, a panel of lawmakers investigating the July 4 flood heard roughly 12 hours of testimony from: 

  • The Eastland family, which owns and operates Camp Mystic
  • The head of the Texas Division of Emergency Management
  • The families of some campers who survived the flood
  • The parents of seven girls who died at Camp Mystic on July 4
  • Officials from the Texas Department of State Health Services, which licenses youth camps

 

Your local team

Aubrey Howell
Editor

Amy Martinez
General Manager

Email [email protected] for story ideas, tips or questions.

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