HTX-KTY: Impact 4/2/2026

Good Morning, Katy & Fulshear!

Top Story

Houston Methodist West Hospital adds third-space endoscopy program

Houston Methodist West Hospital has expanded its gastrointestinal care with the launch of a third-space endoscopy program.

The hospital initially began offering the procedures in late 2025, but Media Relations Specialist Paige Romanowski said they have started to pick up since the beginning of 2026.

The details: The minimally invasive digestive procedures will allow doctors to treat specific esophageal, stomach and colorectal conditions without conventional surgery, officials announced in a March 18 news release. Instead, doctors will perform the procedures inside the digestive tract using a flexible tube with a camera and a specialized tool.

Notable quote: “The field of advanced endoscopy has grown far beyond routine procedures,” said Dr. Saurabh Chandan, a gastroenterologist and advanced endoscopy physician at Houston Methodist West Hospital. “While complex techniques have traditionally been available only at large medical centers, we saw a clear need for them in our community and are proud to bring this level of care to west Houston.”

SPONSORED HEADLINES

Drees Custom Homes

Find your hometown: Drees Custom Homes offers small-town, modern family living at Grange

Meet The Candidates

Q&A: Meet the 2 candidates running for Katy City Council Ward At-Large

Two candidates are running for the open at-large position on Katy City Council in the upcoming May 2 election.

The details: The position is currently held by Mayor Pro Tem Chris Harris, who is not seeking reelection due to term limits.

Here's what we asked them:

Why did you choose to run for Katy City Council?
What is your top priority if elected to represent the citizens of Katy?
What do you think is the most pressing issue for local residents, and what will you do to address it?
What would you do to continue prioritizing mobility in Katy?
How do you plan to help grow the city’s economic development?

Read now.

Mark Your Calendar

Booked and busy: 31 stores to visit during the Houston Independent Bookstore Crawl

The Houston Independent Bookstore Crawl is back in 2026 with 31 independent bookstores participating from April 1-30.

The setup: For those interested, participants will need to pick up a bookstore crawl card from one of the participating bookstores and get a stamp. For each store visited, the participant will get a stamp or a signature from the bookseller.

What else: As part of the crawl, a raffle will be held in which participants enter for a chance to win special gifts when they visit 15 bookstores. After the 15th visit, an additional entry will be added to the drawing.

Cards must be dropped off at one of the participating bookstores by April 30 by the time the store closes.

See more details.

Can't-Miss Coverage

Artemis 2 astronauts lift off for NASA’s first manned moon mission in over 50 years

Four astronauts boarded the Orion spacecraft on April 1 and lifted off that evening from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida as part of Artemis 2, NASA’s first manned lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972.

What you need to know: Artemis 2 is sending NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a 10-day mission to orbit the Earth and moon, according to NASA’s website.

Quote of note: “Building on the uncrewed Artemis I mission, which sent Orion 1.4 million miles beyond the moon and back, Artemis II will begin with two Earth orbits including a high‑Earth orbit before the crew embarks on a trajectory that will take them thousands of miles beyond the lunar far side—the farthest any humans will have traveled from Earth," Texas A&M professor Dr. Bonnie Dunbar, a former NASA astronaut who has flown five shuttle missions, said in the release.

Discover more.