On Jan. 1, drivers will see an increase in toll rates, according to a Nov. 18 news release from the Harris County Toll Road Authority.

In a nutshell: The toll rate increases are along the Montgomery County Toll Road Authority’s portion of Hwy. 249. Through an interlocal agreement, HCTRA provides toll tag account management and customer service to MCTRA.

According to the news release and HCTRA’s system map, the toll increases for drivers with EZ tags are as follows:

Northbound and southbound Decker Plaza mainlane pass-through

• Two axles: from $1.54 to $1.57
• Three axles: from $3.07 to $3.14
• Four axles: from $4.61 to $4.71
• Five axles: from $6.14 to $6.28
• Six axles: from $7.68 to $7.85

• Two axles: from $0.61 to $0.62
• Three axles: from $1.21 to $1.24
• Four axles: from $1.82 to $1.87
• Five axles: from $2.42 to $2.49
• Six axles: from $3.03 to $3.11

The five-acre facility, Ambria Assisted Living, opened its doors Nov. 17 in Montgomery and is looking to “reimagine” senior care and living, according to a Nov. 17 news release.

The details: With a dual-building model with 32 beds—16 for assisted living and 16 for memory care—residents can expect to receive personalized care without the disruption of relocation, according to the news release. The facility’s leadership team’s philosophy is a whole-person, whole-team, whole-community approach that extends beyond basic assistance with daily living.

What else: Residents of the facility can expect chef-prepared meals, personalized wellness plans, enrichment activities and access to peaceful outdoor spaces, according to the news release. There are also garden areas for residents to grow fruits and vegetables.

Quote ot note: "Many families in our area have been searching for an alternative to institutional care somewhere that feels like home while providing professional support," Operations Manager Jennifer Ullrich said via news release. "Ambria fills that gap.”

• 23164 Landrum Village Drive, Montgomery

Travelers will be able to fly directly to Rome from George Bush Intercontinental Airport, or IAH, beginning May 1, 2026, Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced Dec. 2.

In a nutshell: Italian airline ITA Airways will offer the flights to Rome Fiumicino Airport, Whitmire said during a press conference. The new Houston connection marks the ninth U.S. destination for the airline, officials said.

Joerg Eberhart, CEO and general manager of ITA Airways, said the airline will start with three nonstop flights per week in May and ramp up to five flights per week by June. The flights are already available for purchase through the airline, he said.

Quote of note: “If we look at what’s going on in the Italian economy and the Houston economy, this gives us now the opportunity to go to Italian companies and try to track more of them and locate their U.S. headquarters here in Houston because we’ve got this great service now,” Houston Airports Director of Aviation Jim Szczesniak said.

Germany, Portugal and Saudi Arabia are three of the seven teams that have been flagged to play in Houston for the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament in June.

Breaking it down: Seven total matches will be played in Houston, including five group stages and two knockout-round games between June 14 and July 9. The five group stages include:

• June 14: Germany vs. Curaçao
• June 17: Portugal vs. Congo DR/Jamaica/New Caledonia
• June 20: Netherlands vs. Albania/Poland/Sweden/Ukraine
• June 23: Portugal vs. Uzbekistan
• June 26: Cabo Verde vs. Saudi Arabia