College of the Mainland held a pinning ceremony May 6 for the first graduating class of its dental hygiene program, which includes a dozen students who began the program in fall 2024, according to a May 7 news release from the college. 

The details: Under the supervision of licensed dentists and faculty, students had the opportunity to gain practical experience while providing affordable care to the public through the on-campus dental hygiene clinic, according to the release. Seven students have passed the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination, with additional students’ results pending.

Several months after opening a string of locations in the Houston-area, Wingbay opened it's newest location in Webster May 9, according to staff.

What's on the menu: The restaurant sells halal wings, tenders, fries and sides, according to previous reporting by Community Impact. Wings can be sold as a combo, a la carte or in group packs. Options are boneless and classic, with flavors that range from plain to garlic parmesan and lemon pepper, as well as mango habanero, Korean BBQ and Cajun. The restaurant also has three specialty wing flavors—hot pickle, spicy peach and Mardi Gras.

What else: Dips include ranch, blue cheese, honey mustard and cheese sauce. According to the website's menu, customers can also order cheese fries, veggie sticks and Cajun fried corn.

• 820 W. Bay Area Blvd., Ste. 300A, Webster

Following pressure from summer camp operators, lawmakers and legislative leaders, Texas is suspending a requirement that all camps install “end-to-end” fiber-optic internet infrastructure before opening this summer.

The background: After catastrophic flooding in Central Texas killed more than 130 people—including 28 deaths at Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp—last July, state lawmakers passed a pair of laws designed to strengthen safety and emergency preparedness requirements for all Texas summer camps. One provision of the laws requires that camps install two types of broadband internet, including a fiber-optic system.

Nineteen camp operators sued the state over the fiber-optic rule in April, citing million-dollar installation fees and limited access to fiber-optic services in rural parts of Texas.

What's happening: The Department of State Health Services, which licenses youth camps, said it reached an agreement with the camp operators May 7. Under the agreement, Texas camps that maintain “redundant” broadband internet services—such as cellular, microwave or satellite technology—will not have their license revoked or denied as long as they meet all other safety requirements.

As health care costs continue rising in Texas and across the nation, state lawmakers are working to understand the factors that make health care unaffordable and what can be done to rein in prices.

The big picture: About 5.2 million Texans, or 16.7% of the state’s population, did not have health insurance in 2024, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

For years, advocates have called on Texas lawmakers to pass laws to drive down health care costs and improve access to health insurance. During a two-day hearing April 30 and May 1, a Texas House committee examined why health care costs are rising. Lawmakers will discuss potential policy solutions later this year, committee chair Rep. James Frank, R-Wichita Falls, said.

What's happening: Yale University professor Zack Cooper said that since 2000, U.S. health care spending has grown three times faster than inflation. The average health insurance premium for a family of four is $27,000 per year, he said.

“Every family is basically buying a new Toyota Corolla worth of health insurance," Cooper told lawmakers.