Candidates Dustin Qualls and Linda Ford are set to face off in November’s local election for Position 1 on the Klein ISD Board of Trustees.

What you need to know: The trustees make up a 7-member board that governs the district, according to the Klein ISD website.

Members are elected to at-large positions for three-year terms in a non-partisan election, per the website.

Qualls, who is seeking a second term, is running against challenger Ford for the only contested seat this election cycle.

Also of note: Early voting begins Oct. 19 and runs through Oct. 30, according to the Texas Secretary of State's website. Election day is Nov. 3 and polls will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Registered voters can cast their ballot at any polling location during early voting and election day.

International chain Pepper Lunch is expected to open a location in the Spring area, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing.

The details: Pepper Lunch is a “do-it-yourself teppanyaki restaurant” where patrons cook their food on 500-degree Fahrenheit hot plates, according to its website. Customers can choose from a variety of pepper rice, teriyaki, steak, seafood, curry and pasta dishes. The restaurant also serves veggie options.

• Opening TBA

• 2174 Spring Stuebner Road, Ste. 340, Spring

• www.pepperlunchrestaurants.com

Over 100,000 students have enrolled at Lone Star College System for the fall semester, marking a milestone for the college system, according to a Sept. 14 news release.

A new chapter: For the fall semester of the 2026-27 school year, 100,023 students are enrolled to take courses at LSCS, according to the release.

LSCS's current enrollment represents an increase of 2.8% compared to the fall enrollment for 2025, which was 97,294, according to the college system's website. Enrollment has grown 17.45% compared to the fall of 2022.

Notable quote: “We are proud to serve each of these students, equipping them with the tools they need to pursue their dreams,” said Christina Hagerty, LSCS senior associate vice chancellor of curriculum and instruction, via the release.

Several notable events occurred across the northern part of the Greater Houston area from Sept. 4-11:

• Trader Joe’s to set up shop in Spring

• Waygood coffee shop coming soon to Tomball

• Memorial Hermann Cypress Hospital places final beam atop North Tower

• Construction on 7 Brew Coffee in Humble projected to begin in October

• Lone Star College System cancels November election for 3 unopposed trustees

Three candidates are running to lead the Texas General Land Office in the Nov. 3 election.

The overview: Democrat Benjamin Flores and Libertarian Neill Snider are challenging Republican incumbent Dawn Buckingham for the seat.

Buckingham ran uncontested in the March Republican primary, Community Impact reported, while Flores won the Democratic primary. Snider was selected as the Texas Libertarian Party's candidate during an April nominating convention.

The context: The state land commissioner manages 13 million acres of state lands, with duties such as allocating disaster recovery funds, leasing state lands to generate revenue for the Texas Permanent School Fund, preserving state landmarks such as The Alamo and overseeing several veterans programs.

Looking ahead: Early voting runs from Oct. 19-30 in the midterm election, and Election Day is Nov. 3.