A new Waffle House diner will be opening soon in Splendora—one of three new locations planned for East Montgomery County, according to a March 24 social media post from the East Montgomery County Improvement District.

On the menu: Waffle House serves breakfast, lunch and dinner items including waffles, omelets, hash browns, burgers, pork chops and pies, according to the company's website. The company has locations across the southern and eastern U.S.

Remember this? A new Waffle House location is slated to open in September in New Caney, as previously reported by Community Impact. Another restaurant is expected to come to FM 1314 in Porter.

• Opening date TBD
• 14420 Old Hwy. 59, Splendora

Shannon Nelson founded the H-Town Dream Center in Splendora in 2010. The nonprofit provides a range of service to individuals in need, including rescuing women and children in crisis, feeding the hungry and educating at-risk youth.

A closer look: Nelson noted one of the main functions of the nonprofit is providing support and safe housing for women and children who are survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence and crisis pregnancies.

Additionally, Nelson said the nonprofit also provides support through its Care & Share Food Pantry. She noted families are eligible to visit the pantry up to twice a month to receive groceries and essential household items.

How to help: Nelson noted the nonprofit would not be able to function without the help of the nearly 400 individuals who volunteer to assist at the center.

Why it matters: Nelson said having the ability to help others has been one of the most rewarding aspects of launching and running the nonprofit.

Montgomery County Commissioners Court is set to meet April 9 to consider several countywide items, including the fiscal year 2026-27 budget calendar, a financial report tied to the 2025 road bond program and a discussion on the state of the Montgomery County Jail, according to the agenda. 

What you need to know: Commissioners will consider and potentially take action on the county’s FY 2027 budget calendar. Another agenda item calls for discussion on the state of the Montgomery County Jail and related matters. The item comes after county officials said in July that the jail was operating at 97.9% capacity, with 1,289 inmates housed in a 1,317-bed facility, as previously reported.

At the time, officials said the county had repurposed available space inside the jail, faced rising maintenance costs and was spending more than $1 million annually to house some inmates in Waller County. Officials also said the county would need more than 2,350 beds by 2040 based on population growth.

Student homelessness increased across many Greater Houston-area school districts over the last five school years, while foster care numbers showed a more uneven pattern from district to district, according to Texas Education Agency data released March 6.

The overview: Community Impact reviewed TEA data for 28 Greater Houston-area school districts to compare the number of enrolled students identified as experiencing homelessness or living in foster care in 2025-26 versus 2021-22. In the foster care data, Fort Bend ISD and Aldine ISD had the highest counts in 2025-26. 

In the homelessness data, Houston ISD stood above the rest of the districts shown, nearing 6,000 students in 2025-26. Other districts, including Alief ISD, Clear Creek ISD, Conroe ISD and Fort Bend ISD, all showed higher homeless student counts in 2025-26 than in 2021-22, while several others were flat or down.

Funding for Texas’ education savings account program is expected to dry up before it reaches all low-income applicants, the state comptroller’s office announced April 2.

The overview: More than a quarter of a million students applied for the first year of Texas Education Freedom Accounts, which will give participating families access to state funds to send their children to private school or homeschool them.

The details: Most eligible students will be placed on a waitlist for the 2026-27 school year, as the $1 billion program is expected to serve between 90,000 and 100,000 students. State officials said all funds are expected to go to students with disabilities, their siblings and children from low-income families.

The state will use a four-tier, randomized lottery system to determine who is accepted. Once funding runs out, the remaining students will be placed on a waitlist.

How it works: Students with disabilities can receive up to $30,000 each in ESA funding, depending on their individual needs. Other accepted students will receive $10,474 for private education or $2,000 for homeschooling.