A new headquarters for Milestone Metals—a Houston company that sells metal construction materials—is under construction in New Caney, said Kelley Mattlage, chief operating officer for the East Montgomery County Improvement District, via email Aug. 26.

Diving deeper: The project will be located within EMCID’s industrial park in New Caney, Mattlage said.

According to the company’s website, Milestone Metals offers products such as:

• Structural steel framework for construction

• Flood doors

• Metal pedestrian bridges

• Metal staircases

What else? The new facility is expected to measure 29,000 square feet and be completed by March 2027, according to a January filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

• Opening date TBD

• 18911 Ceila Way, New Caney

Here's the latest on four transportation projects in the New Caney and Porter area.

Loop 494 repairs

• Project: A nearly 7.6-mile stretch of Loop 494 will be repaired between Via Principale Parkway and Royal Crossing Drive/Northpark Plaza Drive. The project will also include new pavement markings and turn lanes at Knox Road.

• Update: The project contractor, Durwood Greene Construction Co., began work on the project in August, per an Aug. 5 report from the Texas Department of Transportation.

FM 1314 rehabilitation

• Project: An existing roughly 2.2-mile stretch of FM 1314 will be rehabilitated between Hwy. 242 and north of McQueen Road. The project contractor is R Civil Construction LLC. 

• Update: The project is about 63% complete, per the Aug. 5 TxDOT report. 

FM 1314 bridge

• Project: A bridge will be constructed along FM 1314 between Cooper Rose Way and Hwy. 242. The project contractor is R Civil Construction LLC. 

• Update: The project is about 30% complete, per the Aug. 5 TxDOT report.

Chili's To Go is now open at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston Airport System officials announced in an Aug. 25 news release. 

Check it out: Per the release, the 924-square-foot concept restores hot meal and bar service to Terminal E's pre-security space for the first time in more than a decade. The eatery is located on the arrivals level near Starbucks beneath the Oculus. 

Some context: Officials noted the Chili's To Go opening marks the completion of a four-year food and beverage rollout tied to the $1.458 billion IAH Terminal Redevelopment Program. Among the 16 food and beverage options that have opened through the program include The Annie Cafe & Bar, Velvet Taco, Chick-fil-A, Einstein Bros. and a full-service Chili's, as previously reported by Community Impact. 

• Opened Aug. 23 
• 2800 N. Terminal Road, Houston

On Sept. 1, the State Board of Education moved forward with an overhaul of what Texas high schoolers will learn in four social studies courses: U.S. History, U.S. Government, World History and World Geography.

What's happening: Roughly 100 Texans testified about the high school curriculum rewrite at an Aug. 31 meeting, with the debate revolving around how students would learn about the two largest world religions, Christianity and Islam.

Dozens of Muslim Texans asked that students learn about the religion’s core principles and how Muslims have contributed to advancements in math, science and medicine throughout history.

Some testifiers said the social studies curriculum should highlight the role of Christianity in the founding of Texas and the U.S., praising the board for prioritizing “American exceptionalism” and topics that they said would teach students to love the country.

The context: The discussion comes as the Republican-led board nears the finish line on its new K-12 social studies curriculum standards.

If approved, the new requirements will be rolled out to public school classrooms in the 2030-31 school year.