As of Oct. 23, pickleball play has been discontinued on two of Wier Park’s western courts based on a recommendation from West University Place’s Parks and Recreation Board, according to a citywide announcement.

Explained: This decision comes after a brief collection of resident feedback, as well as the results of a recent acoustical study conducted by city staff to better understand how pickleball activity at Wier and Judson Parks affects nearby homes.

The study found that pickleball’s impact sounds “stand out more” than other recreational sports. These noises are much more noticeable and distinctive to residents who live in proximity to the parks where pickleball is hosted, especially during repeated play, per the announcement.

Current situation: Pickleball at both parks is currently allowed from 7 a.m.-10 p.m., with the caveat that quieter equipment must be used after 8 p.m. as part of the city’s existing trial period for pending rule modifications.

The board is slated to discuss the next steps and the conditions surrounding Wier and Judson Parks’ courts at its Nov. 4 meeting.

Georgian restaurant Bread Boat officially held its soft opening Oct. 16 near the Upper Kirby area, officials confirmed.

Bread Boat’s location at 3835 Richmond Ave., Houston, is the first to lay down roots outside of its home in Austin, Texas.

On the menu: Khachapuri sits at the center of Bread Boat’s offerings, which is widely considered one of Georgia’s national dishes, according to the restaurant’s website.

The traditional form features a molded-by-hand boat of blistered dough that is filled with a mix of molten cheese, egg yolk and butter. The boat is baked until golden brown at the crust, perfect for tearing and dipping at the customer’s discretion.

The drink menu: Patrons may also enjoy drinks from Bread Boat’s handcrafted lineup of Georgian wines, beers and lemonades.

• 3835 Richmond Ave., Houston

A guide to haunted houses and ghost tours throughout the Greater Houston area offers several spooky activities ahead of Halloween. The non-comprehensive list features eight haunted houses and four ghost tours:

• Creepy Hollow Haunted House in Rosharon, featuring multiple themed scary attractions and a Lights Out with Krampus scare.

• Haunted Drive in Cleveland, a drive-thru haunted house with optional hay rides and a haunted maze.

• Houston Terror Dome Haunted House in Channelview, offering themed haunted houses, paintball, escape rooms, a pumpkin patch and axe throwing.

• Purgatory Scream Park in Kingwood, featuring four attractions including Hysteria and Deadwood.

• Redrum Fear Park in Richmond, which offers a twisted circus, a haunted movie theater, a defunct asylum and laser tag.

• The Thirteenth Floor in Houston, geared for guests 13 and older.

• Voodoo Bayou Haunted Trail in New Caney, featuring PG-13 entertainment.

• Woods of Kaos in Cleveland, a 30,000-square-foot haunted house.

• Houston Ghost Tour, The Last Stop Ghost Tour, Lizzy Borden Ghost Tours and Old Town Spring/Tomball Ghost Walk, which all offer guided walking tours.

The Harris County Commissioners Court is scheduled to discuss several agreements during its business court meeting Oct. 29. Key items on the agenda include:

• Extensions to FEMA pre-disaster mitigation grants for the Meyergrove, East T.C. Jester and Halls Bayou Blue Bell detention basins, giving the Harris County Flood Control District more time to spend the money.

• Extensions to USDA agreements, including 92 additional days for Hurricane Beryl debris removal and 181 extra days to construct three stormwater detention basins and tributary improvements in the Armand Bayou, Greens Bayou and White Oak Bayou watersheds.

• A $533,444 agreement with the University of Houston to study floating vegetated islands at a stormwater detention basin for three years.

• An agreement with Galveston County for laboratory diagnostic vector-borne disease testing, allowing Galveston County Mosquito Control to outsource testing to Harris County.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which regulates the state's air quality, water quality and waste management, has shut down its electronic filing portal for certain environmental permit applications, an agency spokesperson confirmed Oct. 22. The shutdown comes after watchdog groups said the agency violated an order from Gov. Greg Abbott by processing nearly three dozen permit applications for data center projects.

What's happening: The agency disabled its automated electronic filing system and suspended initial stormwater and wastewater permits, known as "notices of intent," for 17 data center construction projects.

"To ensure all applications are thoroughly reviewed by agency staff to determine if they are related to data centers, applications must be physically provided to TCEQ," agency spokesperson Victoria Cann said in an Oct. 22 statement.

Zooming in: The permits suspended as part of TCEQ's review include a permit for EdgeConneX’s second data center campus in Bastrop County and one for a Google data center facility in Tarrant County, both of which are in Community Impact's coverage areas.