After serving on Humble City Council for almost three decades, council member Andy Curry died Dec. 15, Mayor Norman Funderburk announced during the Jan. 8 City Council meeting.

The big picture: Curry had lived in Humble since 1952, serving in Place 1 on Humble City Council for about 27 years.

“He took great pride in being from Humble, and he loved being old Humble, and I love that about him,” Funderburk said. 

Diving in deeper: In addition to serving on City Council, Curry also:

• Graduated from Humble’s local high school in 1964
• Served in the U.S. Air Force for four years, including in Vietnam from 1968-69
• Worked for Humble ISD for 30 years
• Served as a master for Humble’s Masonic Lodge

Check out what's happening in the Lake Houston area this weekend, Jan. 16-18. 

Partnership Lake Houston Chairman’s Ball: Partnership Lake Houston is hosting its annual Chairman’s Ball featuring a "Casino Royale" theme.

• Jan. 16, 7-11 p.m.
• $150 (individual ticket)
• Humble Civic Center, 8233 Will Clayton Parkway, Humble

• Jan. 17, 2-7 p.m.
• Free (admission)
• Town Center Park, 8 N. Main St., Kingwood

• Jan. 17, 5-6:30 p.m.
• $20
• 9805 FM 1960 Bypass Road W., Humble

Houston will host a variety of entertainment, music, cultural and theater events throughout 2026.

The details: Events include comedy shows, musical theater, plays and concerts. 

One more thing: Read ahead to learn the details. This list is not comprehensive, and events are subject to change.

Ballet Hispánico New York
Ballet Hispánico New York explores "Carmen" through the vibrancy of dance.

• Jan. 16-17, 7:30 p.m.
• Starting at $39
• 559-575 Prairie St., Houston

• April 24-26 and May 1-3, 7:30 p.m.
• Tickets TBA
• Bayou Theater, 2700 Bay Area Blvd., Ste. 2602, Houston

• July 17, 7:30 p.m.; July 18, 7 p.m.
• Starting at $28
• The Nathaniel Center, 804 Russell Palmer Road, Kingwood

Less than a month away from when Harris County Commissioners Court will hold a formal public hearing on the Ben Taub Hospital expansion in the Texas Medical Center, members of the Hermann Park Conservancy hosted the first town hall Jan. 7, alongside Harris Health officials, to inform the community about the group’s stance on the proposed land condemnation.

The standing-room-only audience gathered at the Cherie Flores Garden Pavilion at Hermann Park to hear from several city, county and state officials. HPC President and CEO Cara Lambright said Houston already ranks poorly when it comes to park access. 

Quote of note: "Parkland is not replaceable," Lambright said. “It is an endangered species, and once taken, it is generally gone forever."

Next steps:

• Jan. 29: public hearing of Chapter 26 of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Code to take place at Harris County Commissioners Court
• February-March: additional review and public comment
• March: Harris County commissioners to vote

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