Community Impact has covered hundreds of stories from the Bellaire, Meyerland and West University neighborhoods so far in 2026. See which stories have been the most read this year as 2026 meets its halfway point.
The following list is in order of most page views.
New Japanese bookstore to open in Rice Village
Kinokuniya Books, a bookstore that specializes in Japanese literature and stationery, will open its second Houston-area location in Rice Village in the fall and offer a wide variety of books, magazines and stationery from Japan, including manga, graphic novels, cookbooks and children's books. Books will be available in both English and Japanese.
The new bookstore will replace the former location of Village Fitness at 2369 Rice Blvd., and is anticipated to open sometime this fall.
HomeGoods to occupy 33,000 square feet in Meyerland Plaza
A few months after it was announced that a Hobby Lobby would be built inside Meyerland Plaza, a new listing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation shows that a HomeGoods will be added to the site.
According to the project filing, the job includes renovating an existing 33,689-square-foot space with new lighting, ceilings, HVAC and paint. The entire project will cost $1.7 million and will be under construction from November to March 2027.
HomeGoods is an off-price retailer offering a selection of brand-name home fashions, furniture, decor, lighting, rugs and seasonal items.
Houston ISD faces $29.1M cost to meet new Texas school bus seat belt law
On May 14, Houston ISD’s board of managers opted to request an exemption to a new state law requiring three-point seat belts on school buses that would cost the district about $29.1 million to comply with.
Senate Bill 546 requires public school districts to add three-point seat belts to all school buses by Sept. 1, 2029, according to a May 14 presentation from HISD Chief of Organizational Effectiveness Kari Feinberg. HISD has 278 buses that would either need to be retrofitted or replaced to comply with the new law.
HISD trustees unanimously voted to file a petition with the state stating that the district can’t afford to meet the seat belt requirements by the deadline.
See the 10 Houston-area ZIP codes on the rise for home sales
Certain Houston-area ZIP codes have significantly more home sales than a year ago, according to the Houston Association of Realtors ZIP Watch Report.
HAR on Feb. 6 released its report looking at where sales activity increased during the fourth quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, which included ZIP codes such as 77521, 77065 and 77578. According to HAR, an increase in sales often signals that more buyers are active in the area, more homes are available and are selling and the neighborhood is drawing renewed interest.
Check out 6 new historic landmarks in Houston
Six historic buildings were added to Houston's list of landmarks and protected landmarks Jan. 21. Houston City Council unanimously approved designations for the following properties:
- Greater Rose Hill Missionary Baptist Church: 3029 Holman St., Houston
- West Edgemont’s "Dream Home": 1707 Milford St., Houston
- Valenti-Dissen House at 1505 Alamo: 1505 Alamo St., Houston
- Valenti-Dissen House at 1507 Alamo: 1507 Alamo St., Houston
Houston has more than 192 protected landmarks and 35 landmarks, according to the Office of Preservation’s website.
Francesca's to close all locations, liquidate inventory
After 26 years in business, Houston-based clothing retail chain Francesca’s started the process of liquidating all merchandise and closing all stores in mid-January, according to a letter from company officials to the Texas Workforce Commission.
The company operates more than 450 stores in over 45 states, with 52 of those stores being in Texas, according to the company website.
Data: See where the most Texas students are applying for education savings accounts
More than 229,000 students have applied to receive state funds for private education or homeschooling under Texas’ education savings account program, according to the state comptroller’s office.
State data indicates that the most applications have been submitted on behalf of students living in urban areas and the surrounding suburban communities. As of March 8, students living in Houston ISD’s boundaries led the pack with over 8,900 applications, followed by 6,700 applicants in Dallas ISD.
The majority of private schools participating in the program are also located in and around Texas’ largest cities, per a map on the program website.
