Entertainment venue and cinema Hooky Entertainment to open in Baytown
Hooky Entertainment, a cinema and entertainment venue, will open a 73,000-square-foot entertainment complex in Baytown on Oct. 3, according to a Sept. 16 news release.
The details: The 73,000-square-foot venue will feature 10 theaters, including an IMAX auditorium, as well as a bowling alley with 14 lanes, an 8,000-square-foot arcade, two virtual dart bays, premium food and beverage offerings and private event spaces.
What else: The new location will open in the building previously occupied by Showbiz Cinemas.
Prodigy 17 Dance Studio, a competitive dance company serving dancers ages 5-19, opened Sept. 8, according to a social media post from the business.
The gist: Prodigy 17 Dance Studio runs a competitive company with auditions, teaching styles such as ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, acro and pom, according to the brand's website.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo won't seek third term ahead of 2026 election
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo formally announced she will not seek reelection for a third term as judge of Texas’ largest county. Hidalgo said in a Sept. 15 news release that she is keeping her promise not to serve more than two terms.
Quote of note: “I ran for office as a change maker to challenge the establishment and bring a fresh perspective to a Harris County government," Hidalgo said. “I’m so proud of our community and all of the progress that we’ve achieved together, from expanding early childhood education to making our community safer.”
Also of note: The announcement comes just weeks after addressing a crowd of Houston business leaders and constituents Sept. 5 about her reelection status during the 2025 State of the County keynote address. Hidalgo hinted she would announce “soon” whether or not she would run in 2026.
Hidalgo has served as county judge since 2019 and was reelected after winning the county seat during the November 2022 general election. Her current four-year term ends Dec. 31, 2026.
Visitors at NRG Park will have access to a new 240-foot-long rideshare canopy, according to a Sept. 11 news release from NRG Park.
The canopy was officially unveiled during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 12.
The overview: The rideshare canopy, which is in the Yellow Lot of the park, will have the following features:
Protected pedestrian loading zone
ADA-accessible walkways
The cost: The total project cost is estimated at $675,000, according to the news release.
Funding was split among the:
Houston Texans
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation, or HCSCC
Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, or TIRZ, 24
TIRZ 24 contributed $300,000, while the remaining cost was divided equally among HCSCC, the Houston Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the release notes.
