The Houston Health Department will launch a new way to give students access to vision care through its mobile vision unit called the Eye Believe Bus.

The specifics: Launched through HHD’s Houston Health Foundation, See to Succeed is a children's vision program that provides comprehensive eye exams and glasses to an average of 10,000 school-age students in Houston and surrounding areas. The program works with over 17 school districts throughout the Houston area and buses children to its clinics in the Heights for vision care.

The Eye Believe Bus expands the See to Succeed program by providing accommodations for those who cannot access services. It will send the mobile vision unit to communities, such as rural areas, to provide services.

The local impact: The new Eye Believe Bus will officially launch Sept. 1 at Versa Reece Academy in Aldine ISD.

Also of note: Nearsightedness is a common concern for young children, and if detected earlier in a student’s life, it can help prevent academic and personal struggles, officials said.

The Riot Comedy Club welcomed guests into its new brick-and-mortar location during an Aug. 27 grand opening event, according to an official Instagram post.

The details: The 4,700-square-foot space on Washington Avenue is The Riot Comedy Club’s first standalone building, according to a July 9 news release.

With live shows scheduled every day of the week, the new space will maintain its variety of entertainers—only now offering amenities from a custom-built showroom equipped with over 100 seats.

Expanded parking, a full evening bar program, plus food and beverage service are also among the comedy club’s newest features, per its Instagram.

One more thing: In addition to the grand opening of its permanent location, the comedy club has also unveiled upcoming plans to open an on-site coffee shop concept.

• Opened Aug. 27 (The Riot Comedy Club), opening in September (The Riot)
• 1925 Washington Ave., Houston

Greater Houston-area officials are monitoring conditions as a tropical system could bring heavy rainfall and the potential for flash flooding to the area as early as the morning of Sept. 1, per the National Weather Service.

What’s happening: Per the NWS, Tropical Depression 5 is expected to become a tropical storm after press time Aug. 31 before making landfall along the upper Texas or southwest Louisiana coast Sept. 1.

Gov. Greg Abbott at an Aug. 31 press conference said the storm is anticipated to make landfall near Chambers and Jefferson counties in the afternoon of Sept. 1. The worst of the rain is expected to be concentrated in Harris County.

That forecast could include a storm surge of 2-4 feet in Chambers and Jefferson counties, as well as local rainfall getting as high as 10-15 inches, including in some areas getting 3-4 inches per hour, Abbott said.

While the rainfall is expected to affect the area’s rivers, it’s too early to tell if it will pose any imminent danger, Abbott said.

The Houston Audubon Society, founded in 1969, has renamed itself Birds Houston as part of a broader effort to clarify its mission and modernize its identity, according to a release from the organization. The organization also unveiled a new logo featuring the Yellow-throated Warbler, a longtime symbol tied to its conservation history.

What you need to know: The name change is intended to make the organization’s work more immediately clear, including protecting birds and their habitats, conserving critical land, providing education and nature experiences and advocating for conservation policies, the release states.

Also of note: The new name comes ahead of the eighth annual Houston Bird Week, scheduled for Sept. 19-26, with registration opening Sept. 1 for events across the Greater Houston area.

Jon Bonck, Melissa McDonough, and Alex McMenemy are the three candidates running for U.S. House Texas District 38 in the Nov. 3 election. 

What you need to know: Early voting begins Oct. 19 and runs through Oct. 30, according to the Texas Secretary of State's website. Election day is Nov. 3 and polls are open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
 
Registered voters can cast their ballot at any polling location during early voting and on Election Day. Voters can visit www.harrisvotes.com for more information.

The Texas Department of Transportation manages over 200,000 miles of state highways. Roughly 72% of all vehicle travel in the state occurs on TxDOT-maintained highways, TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said.

As Texas’ population continues to grow, so does “demand on our transportation systems, from busy urban corridors to rural communities,” Williams told lawmakers during an Aug. 17 hearing held by the Texas House Transportation Committee.

What's happening: More than 11,000 TxDOT projects are currently in the works, according to the agency’s website.

To keep motorists informed about road construction, TxDOT collects public input during the project planning process, then conducts outreach on social media, on project websites and through email notifications before and during closures, according to Eric Lykins, TxDOT’s senior director of district operations. The agency also places electronic message signs on roadways ahead of closures or detours, he said.

Some state lawmakers are encouraging transportation officials to improve outreach to motorists when roads, lanes and exits are closed or adjusted.