The Conroe ISD board of trustees on Dec. 16 unanimously approved opening an application process to the public to fill the unexpired term for the vacant trustee Position 1 that will be up for election in November 2026.

How we got here: The decision comes following the Dec. 9 resignation of trustee Tiffany Baumann Nelson, who was elected to the board in 2022, as previously reported by Community Impact. Nelson is currently campaigning for the Texas State Board of Education District 6 seat in the Republican primary March 3.

What happens next: Applications will open at noon Dec. 18 and must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. Jan. 6 on the district’s website.

There are several events going on around the Conroe area through January. Check them out below. This list is not comprehensive. 

Christmas Eve Potluck Lunch
Attendees can bring their favorite Christmas dish and join VFW Post 4709 for its Christmas Eve potluck lunch.

• Dec. 24, noon
• Free
• 1303 W. Semands St., Conroe

• Dec. 27, 10-11 a.m.
• Free
• R.F. Meador Library, 709 W. Montgomery St., Willis

• Dec. 31, 9 p.m.
• $60 (general admission)
• Lucy Blues, 711 Madeley St., Conroe

Montgomery County commissioners approved a contract Dec. 16 to continue digitizing and preserving historical Commissioners Court records—an effort County Clerk Brandon Steinmann said is aimed at making documents easier for residents and county offices to find without digging through physical archives.

The gist: Under the agenda item, the court approved Phase 2 records management and preservation services through the TXMAS interlocal agreement with Kofile Technologies Inc. for $406,550. 

County officials said the project will be funded through the County Clerk Records Management Fund/Records Archive Fund, with no general funds used.

During the discussion, Steinmann said Phase 2 is focused on getting Commissioners Court records online so they are searchable. He said right now, requests for older documents can require staff to spend “hours or a day” going through old books in the county’s records archive.

Steinmann told commissioners the records being preserved date back to early statehood, after Texas transitioned from a republic, and said the digital access is intended to help both county offices and the public.

Central Texas counties could begin receiving up to $1.25 million each in state funding for flood warning sirens in the coming weeks and months, officials announced Dec. 16.

The overview: The funding comes less than six months after historic flooding hit parts of Central and West Texas over the July 4 weekend, killing at least 137 residents and visitors. During special legislative sessions this summer, state lawmakers approved requirements that 30 counties included in a July disaster declaration install flood warning systems with the help of $50 million in state grants.

Zooming in: Each county is expected to receive up to $1.25 million from the Texas Water Development Board. Counties seeking more money will need their requests approved by the three-member board.

Counties are required to submit detailed project plans to the TWDB and can use the grants to install physical infrastructure such as sirens, rain gauges, flood gauges and solar panels to power the warning systems. The money can also be used for local flood education, outreach and training programs, TWDB staff said.