Officials with Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey's Office will host a grand opening celebration Jan. 13 for a new community center in Atascocita.

What to expect: As previously reported by Community Impact, the $2.5 million, 8,500-square-foot facility is being renovated from an existing building in Atascocita Park. Precinct 3 officials announced in October the community center would be named after Judge Ted Poe, who represented U.S. Congressional District 2 from 2005-19.

Check it out: Jeannie Peng, communications manager for Harris County Precinct 3, noted the center will be open to the pubic after the grand opening celebration. 

• Opening Jan. 13
• 17280 W. Lake Houston Parkway, Humble

Sprouts Farmers Market is expected to open in Kingwood this spring, officials with the company's media team confirmed via email Dec. 23.

The backstory: As previously reported by Community Impact, the new grocery store will be located in the King's Crossing shopping center and was previously expected to open in early 2026.

What to expect: Sprouts offers fresh, natural and organic food with products that cater to a range of dietary needs, including gluten-free, plant-based and non-GMO products.

Some context: Based in Phoenix, the company employs approximately 35,000 team members and operates more than 450 stores in 24 states nationwide, according to information on the Sprouts website.

• Opening this spring
• 4311 Kingwood Drive, Kingwood

Airport passengers in the Greater Houston area who are also CLEAR members can utilize new biometric eGates aimed at expediting identity verification at both George Bush Intercontinental and Hobby airports.

Zooming out: While the security identity company CLEAR first announced the national airport partnership program rollout with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration on Aug. 19, Houston Airport officials announced in December that the biometric security gates were in use.

“With this new technology, travelers can verify their identity in under five seconds, bypassing the TSA podium and proceeding directly to physical screening,” a Dec. 9 news release states. 

The big picture: CLEAR officials said in August that the launch efforts will coincide with airports hosting international visitors flying to the U.S. for the FIFA World Cup in 2026.

What they're saying: “With more than 20 million international visitors expected to fly to the U.S. for the tournament — and domestic travel surging through U.S. host cities — checkpoint infrastructure will face unprecedented pressure,” the Aug. 19 news release states.

Missed any Community Impact articles from this week? Check out the top trending stories from Community Impact's coverage areas in Houston from Dec. 29-Jan. 2.

Lone Star College’s Academy for Lifelong Learning opens spring registration for adults 50-plus
Area residents ages 50 and older can explore everything from history and creative writing to hands-on hobbies through Lone Star College System’s Academy for Lifelong Learning, a low-cost program offering classes, activities and social connections across the system’s campuses, as stated in a Lone Star College Dec. 19 news release.

Read the story here.

333 Bar and Grill now open in Montgomery
The restaurant offers drinks and food to customers as well as live shows. The bar was the previous location of The Feed Store Grill and Bar, as previously reported by Community Impact.

Read the story here.

This November, Texas voters approved 17 constitutional amendments, also known as state propositions. Here’s what’s next for some of those propositions and what they mean for Texans.

The overview: Texas voters authorized the state to spend $1 billion annually on water supply funding, totaling $20 billion over a two-decade period, through Proposition 4. Funding will flow into the Texas Water Fund, a state account created in 2023 to help finance water projects.

However, state law requires that the money does not begin moving into the water fund until September 2027, and it will not be available for grants until 2029. Until then, state agencies, water utilities and local organizations will need to plan for funding, adjust rules and processes to align with recent state laws and update Texas’ water and flood plans, according to the Texas Water Foundation.

More details: Texas homeowners were set to see expanded property tax breaks on their 2025 tax bills under Propositions 11 and 13. Four other property tax exemptions approved by voters will take effect Jan. 1.