HTX-CYP: Impact 10/15/2025

Veteran- and woman-owned business Patriot Paws Mobile Imaging is now serving Montgomery County and parts of Harris County, officials said.

Meet the owners: Owned by Porter residents Katie and Jason Blanco, who are members of the VFW and the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, the business opened in May and launched as a mobile business to local veterinarians in August.

Quote of note: “We started Patriot Paws Mobile Imaging after seeing how challenging it can be for hospitals to get timely ultrasounds scheduled, sometimes waiting weeks, which can delay treatment and add unnecessary stress for both doctors and clients and their pets,” Katie Blanco said.

The details: The locally owned business offers services to the following areas:

• Cleveland
• Conroe
• Cypress
• Humble
• Magnolia
• New Caney
• Splendora
• Porter
• Spring
• Tomball
• The Woodlands

Harris County commissioners will meet Oct. 16 with more than 500 agenda items on the docket, including potential discussions on the countywide hiring freeze, the broadband task force and regulations on panhandling and roadside vending in unincorporated Harris County.

What you need to know: In the first meeting since Harris County commissioners adopted the $2.7 billion fiscal year 2025-26 budget Sept. 26, county administration officials will request to discuss hiring freeze exemptions.

Also on the agenda: Updates with the county’s broadband task force are also slated for discussion. Commissioners adopted the creation of the task force in late June that aims to target internet access inequity throughout the county.

Also of note: Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey has an agenda item to create regulations on panhandling and roadside vending in unincorporated Harris County. Ramsey’s discussion item comes as House Bill 2012, which was passed during the last state legislative session and allows counties to enforce regulations against roadside vendors, takes effect.

There are several Dia de los Muertos events going on across the Greater Houston area to honor the lives of loved ones who have died. Here are a few: 

Dia de los Muertos Celebration: Experience Dia de los Muertos at City Place Plaza with a combination of music, food, family activities and culture. The event will feature an Azteca indigenous dance performance, live music, photo opportunities and pop-up craft activities.

• Nov. 1, 4-8 p.m.
• Free (admission)
• City Place Plaza, 1250 Lake Plaza Drive, Spring

• Nov. 1, 7-10 p.m.
• $25 (general admission), $75 (VIP admission)
• 415 Barren Springs Drive, Houston

Texas Ramp Project, which builds free wheelchair ramps for those in need across the state, is celebrating its 40th anniversary, according to a Sept. 15 news release. Over its 40 years, the nonprofit has built ramps for over 30,000 recipients with the help of over 3,500 volunteers.

Some context: The organization began in 1985 as the Dallas Ramp Project before being incorporated as the Texas Ramp Project in 2006, according to the news release. Texas Ramp Project provides the ramps to recipients at no cost, according to the news release. Most ramps cost between $800-$900 to build.

What else: In 2024, Texas Ramp Project built 2,727 ramps in 145 counties, according to its Sept. 1 fact sheet. To get a ramp, recipients must be referred by a health care provider or qualified organization via the nonprofit’s website.