As early voting begins Feb. 17, here is everything voters in the New Caney and Porter area need to know ahead of the March 3 primary election.

What residents should know: In Montgomery County, voters can cast their ballot at any polling location during early voting; however, election day locations are by precinct. Montgomery County will have 10 polling locations open during early voting and 121 polling locations open on election day, according to the Montgomery County Elections website.

Per the website, the polling locations will be open in accordance with the following schedule:

• Feb. 17-20: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Feb. 21: 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
• Feb. 22: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Feb. 23-27: 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
• March 3: 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

• U.S. House, District 2
• Texas House, District 3
• Montgomery County judge

Wholesale customers participating in The San Jacinto River Authority Groundwater Reduction Plan can expect lower groundwater and surface water wholesale water rates after the SJRA board of directors approved a rate order amendment Jan. 22.

What you need to know: According to a news release from the SJRA, the groundwater rate will decrease from $2.62 to $2.51 per 1,000 gallons of groundwater pumped by GRP participants. The release also indicates that the surface water rate will also see a reduction from $3.21 to $3.10 per 1,000 gallons of treated surface water delivered from Lake Conroe to participants

What it means: SJRA reported it has 80 customers under contract, and seven receive surface water. GRP participants are comprised of retail water providers such as cities, municipal utility districts and independently owned utilities.

Montgomery County Community Foundation has tapped Ashley Logan as its next president and chief executive officer, according to a Feb. 11  news release from the foundation’s board. 

Logan is set to begin in March, replacing retiring President and CEO Julie Martineau.

Some context:  Logan brings more than 15 years of nonprofit experience and holds the Certified Fundraising Executive credential, the release states. Most recently, she worked at the Montgomery County Food Bank, where she served as director of development and, later, head of grants and foundation giving.

Her philanthropy work began with service as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Republic of Panama, where she developed and funded humanitarian projects, according to the release. A California native, Logan earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Logan will take over after Martineau’s 8 1/2-year tenure, during which the foundation’s endowment corpus grew 157% to more than $17.5 million, while grants and scholarships increased 151%, according to the release. 

The Lone Star College System kicked off 2026 with the highest spring enrollment in the institution's history, officials announced Feb. 4.

Two-minute impact: Lone Star College System saw a 6.4% increase in enrollment compared to spring 2025, with 97,221 students enrolled for the spring 2026 semester, per the Feb. 4 news release.

Additionally, officials reported a fall-to-spring retention rate of almost 80% for the spring semester, which began Jan. 20. The milestone builds off record-breaking numbers for fall enrollment in 2025, with 97,294 students taking classes last semester, Community Impact previously reported.

Quote of note: "Lone Star College System isn't just seeing enrollment growth. We're retaining and graduating more students year after year," Chancellor Mario K. Castillo said in a statement. "This is a true testament to the support we offer students beyond the classroom, from food pantries and mental health services to student life programs that keep students engaged in their educational goals."

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from last week? Check out five trending stories in the Greater Houston area from Feb. 9-13.

Check this out: Montgomery County Precinct 2 residents will have an opportunity to dispose of their heavy trash March 7-8 during Commissioner Charlie Riley’s Heavy Trash Clean Up Day, according to a Feb. 4 Facebook post.

From 8 a.m.-5 p.m. March 7 and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. March 8, residents can bring their heavy trash to 31245 Friendship Drive, Magnolia. Accepted items include batteries, tires and electronics, among others. 

In other news: The Houston Texans are setting up shop in Bridgeland.

The NFL franchise is collaborating with Harris County Precincts 3 and 4 and Howard Hughes Holdings to invest $83 million into a new “Toro District” in Cypress, which will include a new Texans headquarters and training facilities. Harris County commissioners approved the public-private partnership Feb. 12 following a closed-session meeting.

Also of note: A new La La Land Cafe is expected to open in Katy's Meadows Marketplace later this year.