The reconstruction of West Alabama Street is moving toward its next major design milestone, despite residents and community advocates still asking the Montrose Redevelopment Authority to make changes they say would make the corridor safer for pedestrians.

The update: The $28.5 million project calls for the reconstruction of about 1.6 miles of West Alabama Street from Shepherd Drive to Spur 527. Plans include new pavement, sidewalks, drainage infrastructure, traffic signals, pedestrian crossings and other improvements.

At an Aug. 17 meeting, project representatives shared that the updated topographic survey has been reviewed and comments were sent back to the surveyor, phase two of the environmental site assessment is in progress, a geotechnical report and environmental assessment are underway and the project remains on schedule to reach 75% design by this fall.

Also of note: The 75% design is expected by the end of September, and the public comment period closed Aug. 25. Project representatives said responses to questions submitted during the comment period are expected to be posted online within about three weeks.

On Sept. 12, Pause Studio, a brand that markets itself as a "one-stop destination for total-body wellness," will open its first Houston location on Voss Road.

The details: According to an Aug. 19 news release, Pause Studio is a California-based concept that offers a full spectrum of cutting-edge and restorative therapies such as contrast cold plunge therapy, infrared sauna, LED light and IV therapies, as well as other amenities, including whole-body cryotherapy, compression therapy and float technology.

The atmosphere of Pause Studio is described as a "luxurious, spa-like setting," and the 2,750-square-foot facility features eight private treatment rooms, per the release.

Something to note: The studio offers memberships based on credits, which go toward the different services. Packages range from the base offer of six credits per month to VIP with 50 credits per month.

• 395 S. Voss Road, Houston

Rice University welcomed its largest incoming freshman class to date, seeing more than 1,350 students during its long-held move-in day tradition Aug. 16, college officials announced in an Aug. 17 news release.

The big picture: These freshmen are among the university’s newest undergraduate cohort, which, altogether, comprises over 1,400 students spread out across its 12 residential colleges. They will graduate as part of the class of 2030.

The specifics: Rice’s latest batch of freshmen was selected from a 38,603 first-year applicant pool, a 5% increase compared to last year, according to data shared by The Rice Thresher. In addition to this, more than 50 transfer students were admitted for fall 2026.

Officials said that the university has seen an upward trend in undergraduate enrollment for the past six years, given its growth by approximately 25% since 2020.

The Harris County salary grievance committee recommended a 30% raise for the county treasurer in a 6-3 vote Aug. 20.

What happened: County Treasurer Carla Wyatt made an appeal to the nine-member committee, asking for a 118% salary increase to bring her in line with the income of the county’s other elected officials. The committee did not meet Wyatt’s request, instead recommending a 30% pay bump to $181,411.

The impact: Wyatt’s request comes as the county is facing a $181 million shortfall. With the new fiscal year starting Oct. 1, OMB and the court will work to finalize the budget and mitigate the projected shortfall. The court is expected to set the tax rate at its Sept. 8 meeting and adopt the new budget Sept. 17.

The Texas Department of Insurance must take action to promote competition and “prohibit excessive or unfairly discriminatory rate setting" in the state's homeowners insurance market, Gov. Greg Abbott said Aug. 24.

The background: Texans are paying the fourth-highest home insurance premiums in the nation, Community Impact previously reported. State data shows that the average Texas home insurance premium nearly doubled from $1,791 in 2016 to $3,506 in 2025.

The details: Abbott asked the TDI to prohibit insurers from using the age of a home and homeowners' personal data when setting rates; create a task force targeting insurance fraud; study the impact of inflated insurance claims; and require insurers to consider a homeowner's participation in a roof fortification program when writing policies.

Another perspective: "Under Greg Abbott, Texas has been one of the most expensive states in the country to own and maintain a home," Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic candidate for Texas governor, said in a statement. "If Abbott really wanted to lower costs, he would have done it in the last 12 years."