Atascocita Fire Department will now be able to scan lost pets for microchips after Harris County Public Health donated scanners to the department as part of a new partnership program.

The overview: AFD is now offering free microchip scans of lost cats and dogs so they can be reunited with their owners. The department received three scanners—with one to be housed at each of the department’s three stations—from HCPH’s Veterinary Public Health Department.

Quote of note: “This ongoing effort is an important way to keep pets with their families. ... A simple microchip scan can make the difference between a pet returning home the same day or being separated for weeks,” said Lauren Davis, associate director for Harris County Veterinary Public Health.

Also of note: AFD cannot house the lost animals brought in for microchip scanning or update out-of-date microchips.

Learn more: According to AFD's website, the department has three stations:

• Station 19, 7642 Farmingham Road, Humble
• Station 29, 4000 Atascocita Road, Humble
• Station 39,19219 Oak Timbers Drive, Humble

Free community events—from farmers markets to themed festivals—have been emphasized across the Lake Houston area over the last year to stir up economic activity, local stakeholders said.

The overview: On Jan. 1, the Kingwood Farmers Market relaunched under new management—family-owned company JG Events, which acquired the Lake Houston Farmers Market in early 2025. Krystal Wertman, who owns JG Events with her husband, Timothy Wertman, said they want to expand and refresh the markets.

“We want to bring people ... here and keep our money local here in Humble and support our local farmers,” Krystal Wertman said.

What else: In Humble, city officials have partnered with local businesses to host a new monthly Sip & Shop event and a quarterly Kids Day in the Park event. Humble Civic Center Director Jennifer Wooden, who organizes many of the events, said the city and the volunteers want to “breathe life back into our downtown.”

“For us, the growth really is coming from events, and it is what draws tourists to Humble,” Wooden said.

Officials with The Frozen Panda Snowballs & Pops will celebrate a March 9 reopening after temporarily closing in late December.

The details: Owner Drexel Brooks said the business was temporarily shut down over winter to complete a reboot of the store’s brand and a revamp of its menu.

As previously reported by Community Impact, the business offers New Orleans-style snowballs available in more than 60 flavors as well as Bluebell Ice Cream products, sundaes, Italian ice and milkshakes. Food items, such as nachos and cotton candy, are also available.

Brooks also noted the store will now be open seven days a week.

• Reopening March 9
• 7934 FM 1960 E., Humble

With the 2026 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo quickly approaching, lineups for smaller stages, such as The Junction Stage and The Hideout, have recently been released. 

Located in different spots across the grounds, the stages offer smaller performances that vary in times and prices. 

The Garden Stage: Presented by Cotton Holdings, the stage hosts Texas country music performers during the World’s Champion Bar-B-Que Contest.

• Feb. 26, 6:15-10:45 p.m.; Feb. 27, 3:30-10:45 p.m.; Feb. 28, 12:30-11 p.m.
• Open to the public
• Center of the contest grounds

The Hideout: Known as the rodeo’s very own honky tonk, The Hideout features a spacious dance floor, bars and up-and-coming musicians.

• March 3-21; music begins at 10:00 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
• 21 and up, open to the public
• Located in a white tent on the west side of NRG Arena

The Texas Education Agency must correct roughly 4,200 errors in its elementary and middle school curriculum, the State Board of Education ruled Feb. 25.

The overview: The changes to the Bluebonnet Learning materials, a set of state-developed textbooks, include replacing improperly licensed images, fixing formatting errors or typos and correcting factual errors.

The SBOE approved the Bluebonnet materials in November 2024. The curriculum, which became available to districts ahead of the 2025-26 school year, has been criticized for frequent biblical references in the reading materials, although proponents said the materials would help improve student outcomes.

Zooming in: Before approving the changes, several board members expressed concerns about the “unprecedented” number of issues with the state-developed textbooks, noting that Texas taxpayers will cover the costs of reprinting the updated materials, as they were developed with state funds.

“I’m very concerned that, as a board, we have set a precedent for sloppy publishing. Many times, even if it's a typo, it could become an error of fact,” SBOE member Pam Little, R-Fairview, said.