The following list is in order of most page views.
University of Houston becomes 1st in Texas to implement revised ‘Academic Fresh Start’ policy
The University of Houston is the first Texas public university to adopt a revised state law allowing students to exclude grades and credits that are at least five years old—halving the previous 10-year wait—to help over 5 million Texans with some college credit but no degree, Community Impact reported.
According to the website, program requirements include:
- College credits must have been earned more than five years ago.
- Credits cannot be selectively applied—students must accept or forfeit their credits.
- Fresh start must only be used once.
- Students must be undergraduates at Houston, Katy and Sugar Land campuses.
See what 12 businesses are confirmed for Texas Heritage Marketplace
Leasing is underway for Texas Heritage Marketplace, a 165-acre mixed use development in Katy from developer NewQuest Properties.
The $400 million development, located at the southeast corner of Texas Heritage Parkway and I-10, is anticipated to have more than 1 million square feet of retail, restaurants, medical office space and self-storage, officials previously said.
According to a project brochure, the NewQuest has confirmed 12 businesses for the development, including:
- Whataburger
- The Kebab Shop
- Target
- America’s Best
- Milano Nail Spa
- Kilwins
- Aji Izakaya
- Escalante’s
- EoS Fitness
- Lowe’s
- Tony C's
- James Avery
Katy business named one of the top 100 small businesses in the US
What started with a squeegee, a bucket and a truck in Olivia and Kyle Martin’s garage has turned into a nationally recognized, award-winning small business.
The couple combined Olivia Martin’s passion for marketing and entrepreneurship with Kyle Martin’s experience and founded KTX Window Cleaning in 2018. The business offers residential, commercial and office building window cleaning, as well as services such as gutter cleaning, screen repairs and pressure washing.
Recently, KTX Window Cleaning was named one of the Top 100 Small Businesses in America by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and recognized as the Top 10 Customer Champions.
Katy, Fulshear prioritize road projects as congestion worsens
As Katy and Fulshear experience increasing population growth—with Fulshear more than doubling their population since the 2020 census—several construction projects are planned to help alleviate congestion in the area, including a planned widening of I-10 from Snake Creek to Mason Road.
The Texas Department of Transportation is also set to begin a $157 million project in mid-2026 to widen Grand Parkway from I-10 West to Hwy. 290. The project aims to address growing congestion levels by adding one main lane in each direction, as this section of the roadway has exceeded its capacity to support a steady flow of traffic, TxDOT Public Information Officer Leo Flores said.
Meanwhile, Fulshear City Council approved a nearly $50,000 contract with Gannett Fleming Inc. in May for a vertical alignment study to determine the feasibility of an underpass for future segments of Westpark Tollway. The proposed bowtie method would allow cars to cross Main Street and Fulshear Trace via a roundabout, while toll road traffic passed underneath.
State deducts $432K from Lamar CISD funding following attendance audit
Lamar CISD will lose $432,231 in state funding after an attendance audit from the Texas Education Agency showed reporting inconsistencies for the 2021-22 school year, district officials said.
The audit findings show under 100 students were improperly designated to collect state-funded attendance allowances, causing deductions from early childhood and special education, career and technical services, and bilingual education funds, Bryan Moore, LCISD’s director of research, assessment and accountability, said at the Jan. 23 board of trustees meeting.
Moore said the TEA made the following deductions due to the incorrect attendance coding:
- 76 students enrolled in early education without special education instructional setting code ($352,669 deduction)
- 16 students enrolled in early education receiving special education for speech therapy only ($78,205 deduction)
- Three students enrolled in pregnancy related services with inconsistent documentation ($1,041 deduction)
- One student enrolled in kindergarten under age 5 by Sept. 1 ($244 deduction)
- Three students enrolled in bilingual/English as a second language without parent consent indicator ($72 deduction)
Fort Bend County to open 2nd all-abilities park in Fulshear
A superhero-themed all-abilities park is coming to Fulshear after City Council approved an interlocal agreement March 18 to allow Fort Bend County right-of-way access to complete the park.
The estimated $3.4 million Super Dave's All Abilities Park, located at 4200 Katy Fulshear Road, will provide accessibility for all children, including those with disabilities, Darren McCarthy, parks and recreation director for Fort Bend County, said in an email. The 1.6-acre park, which is the second all-abilities park the county is spearheading, will be funded through county parks bonds.
McCarthy said the park, which will be accessible to all abilities and ages, will feature:
- Three play zones tailored to different age groups
- A splash pad
- A pavilion
- Fully accessible pathways
Hines to debut 3K-acre master-planned community near Fulshear
A new master-planned community is set to bring more than 7,000 homes to Texas Heritage Parkway in Fulshear.
The 2,951-acre development by Hines, a global real estate investment company, will feature single-family homes in a variety of lot sizes by eight homebuilders, according to a Jan. 23 news release.
The development, which has yet to be named, will be located at the corner of FM 1093 and Texas Heritage Parkway, which Hines will be responsible for extending from its end just south of FM 1093 to Winner Foster Road, according to the release.
The community is also set to have a 5-acre recreation center featuring:
- A resort-style water feature
- Large playground
- Clubhouse
Lamar CISD approves 2025-26, 2026-27 instructional calendars
Following recommendations from a survey of community members, the Lamar CISD board of trustees unanimously approved instructional calendars for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years.
Mirroring the earlier start date of the 2024-25 school calendar, the following two school years will begin Aug. 11 and end before the Memorial Day holiday on May 21, 2026, and May 26, 2027.
Thanksgiving break and spring break will be a week long, starting on Monday and ending on Friday. Winter and fall breaks start on Friday and end toward the middle of the week, according to the calendars.
There are five student holidays throughout the calendars that are either planning and data or staff development days, per the calendars.
Local Table owners to expand in Katy area with new concept Local Spot
Local Spot, a new concept, opened in master-planned community Cross Creek Ranch in August.
The eatery is a new venture from restaurant group Eat Local Concepts, which owns Local Table in Fulshear, per the release. Eat Local Concepts is run by brothers Shervin and Neima Sharifi, who both live in Cross Creek Ranch, and cousins Ashkan Nowamooz, Arash Noamouz and Alex Nowamooz.
The menu features casual fare, classic bar bites and craft cocktails, while pulling some popular menu items from Local Table.
Katy area housing inventory reaches highest point in 6 years
With 1,046 homes on the market by the end of April, the Katy real estate market had more than three months of inventory available for the first time since September 2019, according to data from the Texas A&M Real Estate Research Center.
During the first three months of 2025, 19% of Katy and Fulshear households could afford to buy a median-priced home, compared to 34% in Harris County and 43% in Fort Bend County, according to HAR's Q1 Housing and Rental Affordability Report released May 8.
In the first quarter, the median price of a home in Katy was $486,540, with a minimum qualifying annual household income of $149,200, data showed. Harris County’s median home was $325,000, and its minimum qualifying income was $100,400, according to the report.
In Fulshear, the median price of a home was $617,500, with a minimum qualifying household income of $202,000, data showed. Fort Bend County’s median home was $378,000, and its minimum qualifying income was $117,600, according to the report.
