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In June, Lone Star College hired Shantha Stokes as its new chief mental health officer. In an interview with Community Impact, Stokes reflected on the challenges and successes she's faced during her first year, as well as the new initiatives planned for next semester. 

More details: Some of the questions asked by Community Impact include: 

• What are your responsibilities as Lone Star College’s chief mental health officer?
• What initiatives does Lone Star College have currently to prioritize faculty and student mental health?
• What challenges have you faced, if any, and what do you hope to accomplish next semester?

Hans' Crawfish officials confirmed the eatery is returning to the The Barn at Frio Hill Country Grill on Feb. 6.

Incase you missed it: Per previous Community Impact reporting, Hans' Crawfish is owned by Hans and Ashley Stevens and operated in Cypress for five years before relocating to 15920 FM 2920, Tomball which closed in 2024. The eatery reopened at The Barn at Frio Hill in 2025 and is returning for crawfish season.  In addition officials said Hans' Crawfish is looking for a permanent location to open by the following crawfish season, however the time frame of the new location is undetermined.

The details: Per the business Facebook, Hans' Crawfish will be open from Thursday-Sunday and crawfish price updates will be posted on its socials.

Tomball ISD trustees will discuss and consider approving the upcoming academic calendar for the 2027-28 school year, as well as other institutional reports, at its workshop and regular meetings Feb. 9 and Feb. 10.

Items worth mentioning: At the Feb. 9 workshop meeting, Director of Administrative Services Karen Graves will present the proposed 2027-28 academic calendar to the board. The district’s 2026-27 academic calendar was approved last March, as previously reported by Community Impact.

What else: Other items on the meeting's agenda include TISD’s annual performance report, which will be presented by Assistant Superintendent of Accountability Mark White. Chief Financial Officer Zach Boles will be presenting the district’s annual fund balance report and design schematics for the Tomball Intermediate School replacement facility, the latter of which is one of TISD’s 2025 bond projects.

Tomball City Council voted Feb. 2 to approve a professional services agreement with Engineered Utility Solutions Inc. for the design and construction oversight of “City Gas Gate 4,” a project officials said is needed to help ensure adequate natural gas supply as the city grows.

What this means: Public Works Director Drew Huffman told council the project—identified in the city’s 2025 gas master plan—aims to add a fourth “gas gate” to help ensure adequate natural gas supply as the city grows.

Documents list a tentative location on the south side of FM 2920 near Park Road, adjacent to an existing Si Energy station and a city-owned lift station.

The agreement covers design and construction-phase engineering, including coordination for a transmission-line connection—either tying into Si Energy’s line or exploring an alternate connection with Kinder Morgan—along with permitting, surveying/easement exhibits and bid-phase services.

Chuck Wemple, Houston-Galveston Area Council executive director, announced Jan. 23 that he will retire in August following nearly 24 years with the agency.

The impact: During Wemple's time as executive director, H-GAC's operating budget nearly doubled, reaching $600 million, and the organization's team grew to almost 500 members, according to a news release. H-GAC consists of local governments representing 13 different counties in the region, which collaborate to prevent and solve shared issues, per its website. 

What's next? The board of directors will conduct a national search for Wemple's replacement, per the release. His retirement is effective Aug. 20.

Quote of note: "After working alongside Chuck for over a decade, I can say there's been a lot to be proud of and even more to be thankful for," Jay Knight, Liberty County judge and chair of the H-GAC board of directors, said in a statement. "Chuck's steady vision, can-do spirit and willingness to try new things have truly set this organization apart. Thanks to his leadership, we've become the benchmark for councils across the country."

Community Impact is now covering BCS, from growth and schools to business and city happenings.

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