The Nature Discovery Center’s Enchanted Woods capital campaign officially reached 85% of its $2.5 million goal following a citywide youth fundraising event held Aug. 22, according to a news release.

Explained: The collected proceeds will go toward the nonprofit wilderness facility’s upcoming Russ Pitman Park expansion, also known as the Enchanted Woods Nature Play Space and Cottage Classroom.

The fundraising event, titled “Pucker Up for the Park,” followed 18 teams of Bellaire Youth Entrepreneurs as they set up and operated lemonade stands throughout the city. 

In May 2025, Community Impact reported that one purpose of the Enchanted Woods project is to revitalize outdated playground setups, including those that have not been upgraded since the early 2000s.

In place of conventional plastic slides and swings, park visitors can expect to see natural play elements such as hills, tunnels, water, sand and loose parts throughout the new grounds.

Looking ahead: A public groundbreaking ceremony for the renovated playground is scheduled to take place on Oct. 7 from 5-6 p.m. at the NDC, officials confirmed.

Huynh Restaurant opened its second location in Upper Kirby.

The details: Huynh Restaurant is a family-run Vietnamese restaurant that has been in East Downtown, or EaDo, for 18 years. The second location, on Richmond Avenue, held its soft opening in early August. Its menu is the same and includes traditional dishes, such as:

• Spring rolls

• Rice plates

• Noodle bowls

• Stir-fry

One more thing: Its original location in East Downtown is set to close at the end of 2026 due to the Interstate 45 expansion, according to restaurant officials. It's open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• 2720 Richmond Ave., Houston

Greater Houston-area officials are monitoring conditions as a tropical system could bring heavy rainfall and the potential for flash flooding to the area as early as the morning of Sept. 1, per the National Weather Service.

What’s happening: Per the NWS, Tropical Depression 5 is expected to become a tropical storm after press time Aug. 31 before making landfall along the upper Texas or southwest Louisiana coast Sept. 1.

Gov. Greg Abbott at an Aug. 31 press conference said the storm is anticipated to make landfall near Chambers and Jefferson counties in the afternoon of Sept. 1. The worst of the rain is expected to be concentrated in Harris County.

That forecast could include a storm surge of 2-4 feet in Chambers and Jefferson counties, as well as local rainfall getting as high as 10-15 inches, including in some areas getting 3-4 inches per hour, Abbott said.

While the rainfall is expected to affect the area’s rivers, it’s too early to tell if it will pose any imminent danger, Abbott said.

The Houston Audubon Society, founded in 1969, has renamed itself Birds Houston as part of a broader effort to clarify its mission and modernize its identity, according to a release from the organization. The organization also unveiled a new logo featuring the Yellow-throated Warbler, a longtime symbol tied to its conservation history.

What you need to know: The name change is intended to make the organization’s work more immediately clear, including protecting birds and their habitats, conserving critical land, providing education and nature experiences and advocating for conservation policies, the release states.

Also of note: The new name comes ahead of the eighth annual Houston Bird Week, scheduled for Sept. 19-26, with registration opening Sept. 1 for events across the Greater Houston area.

Jon Bonck, Melissa McDonough, and Alex McMenemy are the three candidates running for U.S. House Texas District 38 in the Nov. 3 election. 

What you need to know: 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 are open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
 
Registered voters can cast their ballot at any polling location during early voting and on Election Day. Voters can visit www.harrisvotes.com for more information.

The Texas Department of Transportation manages over 200,000 miles of state highways. Roughly 72% of all vehicle travel in the state occurs on TxDOT-maintained highways, TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said.

As Texas’ population continues to grow, so does “demand on our transportation systems, from busy urban corridors to rural communities,” Williams told lawmakers during an Aug. 17 hearing held by the Texas House Transportation Committee.

What's happening: More than 11,000 TxDOT projects are currently in the works, according to the agency’s website.

To keep motorists informed about road construction, TxDOT collects public input during the project planning process, then conducts outreach on social media, on project websites and through email notifications before and during closures, according to Eric Lykins, TxDOT’s senior director of district operations. The agency also places electronic message signs on roadways ahead of closures or detours, he said.

Some state lawmakers are encouraging transportation officials to improve outreach to motorists when roads, lanes and exits are closed or adjusted.