The Woodlands Digest

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A Car Club Has Given $100,000 to 70 Montgomery County Charities

Mike Sallés — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Good morning, Woodlands.

A car club has met on the first Sunday of the month since 2009 and has handed over $100,000 without ever making a fuss about it. Canopy has been free to anyone touched by cancer for ten years running. Almost nothing that makes this place feel like home arrived overnight. Two parents opening a Gymboree on Kuykendahl this month are just the newest people to start the clock.

Glad you're here.

— Erika & Mike

🗞 In this issue…

🚗 A Car Club Has Given $100,000 to 70 Montgomery County Charities

🎗️ Five New Names Join Canopy as the Cancer Center Turns Ten

🏛️ Conroe Hands Its Top Job to the Man Who Was Already Doing It

🤸 Gymboree Is Back, Opened by Two Parents Who Noticed It Was Gone

Wednesday, July 29, 2026

🥵 Mostly Sunny · 101°F / 77°F

Humidity up to 94%. Wind topping out around 8 mph. Rain chance: zero.

Start outside early or wait until dark, and check on the neighbors who will not ask.

Source: Vaisala Xweather

A Car Club Has Given $100,000 to 70 Montgomery County Charities

The Woodlands Cars & Coffee for a Cause at Market Street

Sunday morning at six, while most of Market Street is still dark, the parking lot starts filling up with cars people have spent years working on. The Woodlands Car Club and a crowd of area auto enthusiasts do this on the first Sunday of every month, and they keep at it until ten.

The gathering has a job beyond the sheet metal. Since 2009, this one event has collected and donated more than $100,000 to over 70 local charities.

The money moves in the least glamorous way imaginable. Organizers take coins, loose change, cash, or a card, and it all goes into Market Street's Change for Charities program, which supports four or more Montgomery County nonprofits every year. The donations are presented after each quarter closes, handed over alongside the money Market Street collects from its own parking meters.

The organizers describe the purpose plainly: show off special vehicles, be a good partner to Market Street and the neighborhood around it, put information about local nonprofits in front of people who might not otherwise see it, and give money away. Their stated mission is using their cars to give back to their community.

The next one is this Sunday, six to ten in the morning, in the lot at Market Street on Six Pines.

Why it matters: a hobby that could easily have stayed a hobby has quietly turned into one of the longest-running giving habits in Montgomery County.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online · Market Street

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Five New Names Join Canopy as the Cancer Center Turns Ten

Dr. Andrew Jackson, Texas Oncology

Kristy A. Walker, ExxonMobil

Leslie Blix, Sam Houston State University

Nick Colvin, i.e. Smart Systems

Missy Herndon, Interfaith of The Woodlands

Canopy Cancer Survivorship Center is marking ten years by adding five people to its Advisory Council: Dr. Andrew Jackson of Texas Oncology, Kristy A. Walker of ExxonMobil, Leslie Blix of The Only Facial and Sam Houston State University, Missy Herndon of Interfaith of The Woodlands and Interfaith Community Clinic, and Nick Colvin of i.e. Smart Systems.

Two of them arrive carrying something personal. Herndon co-founded HOPE: The Will Herndon Research Fund after her son was diagnosed with Juvenile Batten Disease, and her advocacy helped push a treatment into FDA-approved clinical trials. Blix has watched cancer move through her own family: her mother survived melanoma, her father died after a fight with prostate cancer, and her aunt is fighting melanoma now.

Linda Nelson, who directs Canopy and serves as Director of Business Development and Marketing at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center, said the council members were chosen because their commitment to the community lines up with what Canopy is trying to do.

Canopy opened in 2016 and now runs more than 45 programs and services, including counseling, nutrition, exercise, support groups, integrative therapies, and survivorship education. All of it is free, and none of it depends on where a patient receives treatment.

Why it matters: five people with real reasons to care just took on responsibility for a place that has spent a decade being free to anyone who walks in.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online | Hello Woodlands

Conroe Hands Its Top Job to the Man Who Was Already Doing It

Willard’s previous experience includes serving as city manager in Longview and Borger, assistant city manager in Odessa and Hutchinson County judge. (Nichaela Shaheen/Community Impact)

Conroe City Council voted unanimously on July 23 to make David Willard the city administrator, moving him out of the interim role he had been filling since June. He becomes a city employee on August 10 at an annual salary of $325,000.

Human Resources Director Andre Houser said the city checked its usual benchmark cities plus other Texas cities above 50,000 people. Among benchmark cities with more than 75,000 residents, the average city manager salary came in at $322,750.

Willard takes the job without an employment contract or a severance agreement, as an at-will employee. His package includes phone and vehicle allowances, contributions to the Texas Municipal Retirement System, and standard sick leave and vacation. He is skipping the city health plan, with Conroe reimbursing an existing supplemental policy instead.

He has been a city manager in Longview and Borger, an assistant city manager in Odessa, and a Hutchinson County judge. Mayor Duke Coon thanked him for stepping forward at a point when the city needed clear leadership. The seat opened when City Administrator Gary Scott and Deputy City Administrator Nancy Mikeska both retired on May 13.

Why it matters: Conroe's top administrative job is settled, and the man in it took it without a contract or a severance clause on either side.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

Gymboree Is Back, Opened by Two Parents Who Noticed It Was Gone

GymBoree Play & Music developmental classes are designed to support children of all ages. (Courtesy Tosin Fatusin) via Community Impact

Tosin Fatusin and Amber Harris found Gymboree Play and Music the way most parents do, at somebody else's birthday party, at the Post Oak location. Later they realized there was no longer one serving The Woodlands area, and instead of driving to Houston they applied to run their own.

Their location at 26435 Kuykendahl Road, Suite 150, is open now, with the official grand opening set for August 21.

Fatusin said the goal was never just a children's enrichment center. They wanted somewhere kids find out what they are capable of through play, while the adults standing around the edges find some encouragement and company of their own. They picked a busy spot on purpose, so it could become a normal part of the week rather than a special trip.

Classes run from birth through age six and cover play, music, art, sports, and school skills. There are sensory classes for infants, crawling and motor classes from six to fourteen months, and social and communication classes from sixteen to twenty-four months. Open gym, birthday parties, and camps between one and six hours are also on the schedule, and a monthly membership covers unlimited open gym.

Why it matters: two people noticed a gap in their own week and filled it, which is how most of the good stuff around here starts.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

🗞️ In Other News…

🏛️ The first four homes at Marble Creek are finished: Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County completed four houses on its new 81-acre Magnolia site in under a month, three of them built by LGI Homes in five days, with the first two dedicated to Elizabeth, a teacher in Magnolia ISD's ABLE program, and Nettaya, both local mothers. Read more in Woodlands Online

🤝 A free fishing tournament for kids turns 35: The Woodlands Kiwanis Club opens its Kids Fish Festival at Creekwood Park on September 5, free for ages 2 to 16, with bait provided and volunteers on hand, though you bring your own rod. Read more in Woodlands Online

🍽️ Five courses and a Duckhorn progression on Lake Conroe: Margaritaville Lake Resort's Uncorked Fridays series pairs wagyu, lobster, and truffle ravioli with five Duckhorn wines on August 21 at $165 per person. Read more in Woodlands Online

Curated listings for quick browsing and easy connections.

Wednesday, July 29

🗓️ Meet an Opera Singer | The Woodlands Children's Museum | 11:00 a.m. | $10 for adults and children 1 and older | More info

🗓️ Casual Carats Jewelry Trunk Show | Robichau's Jewelry | 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. | More info

🗓️ Pencil and Apple Bath Bomb Workshop | Magnolia Ritual Apothecary | 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. | $10 | More info

🗓️ Christmas in July Swag Class | Picket Fences Home Decor | More info

Thursday, July 30

🗓️ Rock the Row featuring Nervous Rex | Hughes Landing | 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. | More info

Friday, July 31

🗓️ The Pussycat Dolls PCD FOREVER Tour with Lil' Kim and Mýa | The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion | More info

🗓️ The Eagle Community Blood Drive | Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital | More info

🗓️ Parent's Night Out | Woodlands Sportsplex | 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. | $25 per child | More info

Saturday, August 1

🗓️ Lost in Hollywood, a System of a Down tribute | Sawyer Park Icehouse | Free | More info

🗓️ Photoshop 101 Class | Precision Camera | More info

Sunday, August 2

🗓️ Cars and Coffee for a Cause | Market Street, 9595 Six Pines Drive | 6:00 to 10:00 a.m. | More info

Got an event coming up? Reply to this email with the details (what, when, where) and we'll get it in front of thousands of your neighbors, 100% free.
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🌳 Woodlands Trivia

When the Village of Grogan's Mill opened as the very first village in 1974, fewer than 40 families lived in Settler's Corner. Everybody in town could have fit in one good-sized church hall.

🤠 Talkin' Texan

"He's double-backboned." Translation: brave. One spine was not going to be enough for that fellow.

🚿 Shower Thought

Whoever taught the very first teacher did not have a teacher.

😂 Dad Joke

What do you call a sleeping dinosaur? A dino-snore.

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Thanks for reading The Woodlands Digest today! 🙂

Bark Back at the Storm Drain. If It Barks Again, It's a Frog

Mike Sallés — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Good morning, Woodlands.

Somewhere in Alden Bridge tonight, a grown adult is going to stand over a storm drain and bark at it. That is the fire department's actual advice, and it works. No big theme today, just four things worth knowing, one of which involves amphibians with unusually good acoustics.

Glad you're here.

— Erika & Mike

🗞 In this issue…

🐸 Bark Back at the Storm Drain. If It Barks Again, It's a Frog

💡 $500,000 for Summer Power Bills, and Interfaith Is Handing It Out

🏛️ Montgomery County Seniors Are Getting a Building of Their Own

🪙 The Change in Market Street's Meters Just Bought $12,500 of Play

Bark Back at the Storm Drain. If It Barks Again, It's a Frog

“KHOU-11 came out Friday evening to do a story and got to tag along with Truck 104 as they responded to a report of a dog in the storm drain on Gallant Oak Place in the Village of Cochran’s Crossing. As expected, firefighters determined it was a frog making the barking sound. But kudos to the news crew, they even interviewed the frog!” — The Woodlands Fire Department

The calls come in every summer. Somebody hears what sounds like a dog barking from inside a neighborhood storm drain, pictures the worst, and dials 911. The Woodlands Fire Department says those calls almost always end the same way. The dog turns out to be frogs, and they are mating.

The tunnels are what sell it. "Inside of the sewer system, where you get that amplification from the tunnels, that sounds just like a barking dog," Fire Chief Palmer Buck said. The reports cluster in July and usually come after rain, when the frogs get active. Buck said a lot of the recent ones came out of Alden Bridge and Cochran's Crossing.

Because it happens so often, dispatchers sometimes hand out a test before anyone sends a truck. Go outside and bark at the drain. If something barks back, you have frogs. Firefighters have run the test themselves, barking down into a storm drain and waiting to hear the answer come back up.

Buck was blunt about the odds. "Almost every time it is frogs," he said. The department still wants the call if you think a person or an animal is actually in trouble, or if you simply cannot tell.

Why it matters: The calls keep coming because people here would rather look a little foolish than leave something stuck underground.

Source/Credits: KHOU 11 | The Woodlands Fire Department

⚠️ Heat Advisory in effect from noon to 7 p.m. Take the water bottle, and check the back seat before you walk away.

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

☀️ Mostly sunny · 99°F / 76°F

Humidity up to 95% · Wind up to 6 mph · Rain 0%

No rain to hide behind today, so the shade and the AC are doing all the work.

Source: Vaisala Xweather

$500,000 for Summer Power Bills, and Interfaith Is Handing It Out

Entergy Texas The Power to Care board members and nonprofit partners at check presentation event in Dayton, Texas via Woodlands Online

Entergy Texas is adding $500,000 to its Power to Care program to help qualifying elderly and disabled customers get through the hottest stretch of the year. The money came out of proceeds from the utility's 2025 Power to Care Golf Charity Classic, and it sits on top of what the program already does year round.

Power to Care is funded by donations from Entergy employees, customers and shareholders, and local partner agencies do the actual distributing. It goes to customers age 60 and older and to people with disabilities who are in hardship or at risk of having the power shut off for non-payment.

Interfaith of The Woodlands is one of the partners handing out the additional funding. "We couldn't be more thrilled. This funding means we can help even more seniors who really depend on this support," said Jennifer Huffine, vice president of community impact at Interfaith. "We're always looking for additional resources."

Shirlene Cook, president of the Power to Care board of directors, put the need plainly. "No one should have to choose between essential needs and staying cool and safe," she said. Existing recipients and eligible customers can start applying August 3.

Why it matters: A Heat Advisory runs from noon to 7 p.m. today, and for some of our neighbors that is a budget problem before it is a comfort problem.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online

Montgomery County Seniors Are Getting a Building of Their Own

Situated on county land not far from the Precinct 3 building, the new senior center will be 8,000 square feet in size. (Courtesy Montgomery County Precinct 3) via Community Impact

Precinct 3 Commissioner Ritch Wheeler announced July 23 that seniors will get a dedicated facility off Pruitt Road near I-45, with its own rooms for activities and a kitchen and dining area built to seat 250 for hot lunches. Senior programming currently runs out of the Kevin Brady Community Center and Library, which opened last September.

The problem was never the building, it was the calendar. Elections and other events book the same rooms. "We realized the physical space was just being utilized by so many different groups," Wheeler said. "We don't want to say no to anybody, it's a great community center, everyone loves it and everyone wants to use it, but it wasn't giving the seniors their own space."

The estimate is $420,000 from the ground up out of the Precinct 3 budget, with a tentative finish in spring 2027. It runs 8,000 square feet on county land near the Precinct 3 building, with green space, a porch, and a covered spot to be dropped off when the weather turns. Any senior in Montgomery County is welcome, not just Precinct 3.

The numbers behind it are the part worth sitting with. Census estimates put the county's population age 60 and over at 137,047 in 2024, up from 105,524 in 2019. That is close to 30 percent growth in five years, against under 20 percent for the county overall.

Why it matters: The county is aging faster than it is growing, and this is the first building that treats that as a plan instead of a surprise.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

The Change in Market Street's Meters Just Bought $12,500 of Play

Dave Dunlap, chairman, board of directors at The Woodlands Children’s Museum; John Pearson, marketing director at Market Street; Jennifer Kraus, interim executive director at The Woodlands Children’s Museum; Celdie Sanabria, operations manager at The Woodlands Children’s Museum. Photo: Woodlands Online

Market Street donated $12,500 to The Woodlands Children's Museum through its Change for Charity program. The mechanism is the good part. Those voluntary meters around Market Street's Central Park take whatever coins people drop in, and every quarter the total goes to a nonprofit Market Street picks.

Since the program started it has raised more than $350,000 for local charities, entirely out of pocket change.

The museum has been on Panther Creek Drive since 2001 and is open Tuesdays through Saturdays. "We are thrilled and honored to benefit from the Change for Charity program and appreciate Market Street's generous support for nonprofits in our community," said Jennifer Kraus, the museum's interim executive director. "Funding is a tremendous help as we enjoy a busy summer season full of magical activities for children and families."

Why it matters: Three hundred fifty thousand dollars, one handful of coins at a time, from people who were mostly just walking to dinner.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online

🗞️ In Other News…

💼 A fully leased Sawdust Road center just changed hands: the 13,500-square-foot Shoppes at Sawdust sold with 5Point Credit Union, Little Caesar's, Cloud 9 Dental and Jimmy John's inside and Walmart anchoring the shadow next door. Read more in Shopping Center Business

🍽️ The Rayford Road Panera is already open again, the ceremony comes later: it quietly reopened July 16 after going dark last summer, and the ribbon cutting lands August 5 at 12:30 p.m. with Hamra Enterprises CEO Mike Hamra on hand. Read more in Community Impact

🤝 There is a free class on how to behave at a polling place: Commissioner Ritch Wheeler is hosting "Respecting the Voter's Experience" August 18 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Kevin Brady Community Center, open to voters, poll workers, candidates and campaign staff alike. Read more in Woodlands Online

Curated listings for quick browsing and easy connections.

Tuesday, July 28

🗓️ Seniors Dance & Mixer | Kevin Brady Community Center | 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. | $5 donation | More info

🗓️ Family Storytime | George & Cynthia Mitchell Library | 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. | Free | More info

🗓️ Internet Safety | George & Cynthia Mitchell Library | 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. | Free | More info

Wednesday, July 29

🗓️ Meet an Opera Singer | The Woodlands Children's Museum | 11:00 a.m. | $10 admission | More info

🗓️ Pencil & Apple Bath Bomb Workshop | Magnolia Ritual Apothecary | 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. | $10 | More info

🗓️ Casual Carats Jewelry Trunk Show | Robichau's Jewelry | 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. | More info

🗓️ Christmas in July Swag Class | Picket Fences Home Decor | More info

Thursday, July 30

🗓️ Rock the Row with Nervous Rex | Hughes Landing | 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. | More info

Friday, July 31

🗓️ The Pussycat Dolls, PCD FOREVER Tour | The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion | More info

🗓️ The Eagle Community Blood Drive | Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital | More info

🗓️ Parent's Night Out | Woodlands Sportsplex | 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. | $25 per child | More info

Saturday, August 1

🗓️ Lost in Hollywood | Sawyer Park Icehouse | Free | More info

🗓️ Teen Career Seminar | George & Cynthia Mitchell Library | 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. | Free | More info

🗓️ 3D Printer Orientation | Kevin Brady Library | 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. | Free | More info

Sunday, August 2

🗓️ Cars & Coffee for a Cause | Market Street | 6:00 to 10:00 a.m. | More info

Got an event coming up? Reply to this email with the details (what, when, where) and we'll get it in front of thousands of your neighbors, 100% free.
(Restrictions Apply)

🌳 Woodlands Trivia

Creekside Park, the ninth village, opened on October 19, 2007. That was not a coincidence. It was the exact 33rd anniversary of the day The Woodlands itself opened, right down to the calendar date.

🤠 Talkin' Texan

"Can't dance, never could sing, and it's too wet to plow." Translation: might as well go on and do it, there's nothing better going.

🚿 Shower Thought

You spend the first two years of a kid's life teaching them to walk and talk, and the next sixteen asking them to sit down and be quiet.

😂 Dad Joke

I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. It's impossible to put down.

Were you forwarded this email?

Thanks for reading The Woodlands Digest today! 🙂

Seven Builders, a 55-Plus Village, and a Town Green on FM 1488

Erika Guerra — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Good morning, Woodlands.

Seven builders are about to put cottages, townhomes, and a 55-plus village on the same 156 acres off FM 1488.

That is a lot of different lives planned into one stretch of ground.

No big thread running through today's issue, just four things worth knowing. Two Step Farm is the one we kept coming back to.

Glad you're here.

— Erika & Mike

🗞 In this issue…

🏘️ Seven Builders, a 55-Plus Village, and a Town Green on FM 1488

🏛️ A $300 Million Courthouse Question Could Land on Your November Ballot

🎓 Conroe ISD Wants to Hear From You Before It Talks to Austin

⛳ A 144-Yard Ace on the Palmer Course Hole They Call King

Seven Builders, a 55-Plus Village, and a Town Green on FM 1488

Courtesy Two Step Farm

Oxland Group opened homesite sales on July 20 for a 156-acre second phase at Two Step Farm, the master-planned community north of FM 1488 between I-45 and Highway 249. Seven builders are joining the project. Homesites go to those builders starting in December, with construction beginning shortly after.

What makes this phase different is the mix. Oxland says three of the housing types are new to the Houston market entirely. Drees Custom Homes is bringing detached townhomes, McKinley Homes is bringing townhomes, David Weekley Homes is doing patio homes, and William David Homes is building cottages alongside houses on 70 and 90-foot lots. Autograph Homes and Partners In Building round out the lineup. Trilogy by Shea Homes, first announced back in October, is developing a 55-plus village with resort-style amenities built around wellness, recreation, and social life.

Several of the homes sit on smaller lots on purpose. The developer says that is meant to open up more attainable price points and give options to buyers who do not fit the standard suburban mold, including single residents without children. Phase 2 homes are expected to run from the mid-$300,000s to more than $1 million.

"By introducing new builders and product types, many of which are not currently available elsewhere in this market, we're able to offer homebuyers more choice, more flexibility and more ways to experience this community," said Oxland Group co-President and founder Tom Woliver.

The phase also brings a walkable village center with a central town green, dining, an event space, and a community wellness center. Meanwhile the second phase of Two Step Boulevard is under construction and will connect Superior Road directly to FM 1488, with the road expected to open by the end of 2026. At full build-out, the 1,800-acre community is planned for more than 4,000 homes.

Why it matters: a development putting cottages, detached townhomes, and a 55-plus village on the same 156 acres is betting that not everyone moving here wants the same house, and that is a different bet than this stretch of Montgomery County usually sees.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

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200+ ready-to-use Claude prompts to get real work done in minutes — researched, tested, and used by professionals at Google, Microsoft, and NASA
Superhuman AI newsletter (4 min daily) so you keep learning new AI tools and skills to stay ahead in your career — the prompts are just the beginning

Monday, July 27, 2026

🌤️ Partly cloudy with showers · 98°F / 76°F

💧 Humidity up to 92% · 💨 Wind up to 7 mph · 🌧️ Rain chance 10%

Ninety-eight and heavy air. Get the outdoor stuff done early and keep an umbrella in the car.

Source: Vaisala Xweather

A $300 Million Courthouse Question Could Land on Your November Ballot

Kara Willis/Community Impact

Montgomery County commissioners have until August 6 to decide whether to put a bond for a new justice center in front of voters, and as of their latest meeting they still had not agreed on the number. Budget Officer Amanda Carter told the court the preliminary figure should land somewhere between $300 million and $400 million.

The tax impact depends on where they land. A $300 million bond would raise the debt service tax rate by $0.0137. At $400 million it would be $0.0180, taking the rate from $0.0445 in 2026 and 2027 to $0.0625 in 2028. A $350 million package would mean a $0.0160 increase by 2029, according to county financial advisor John Robuck of BOK Financial Securities.

The disagreement is about pace. County Judge Mark Keough wants to move. "I'm convinced that the courthouse is our first step here, we're able to do it, we can move forward on it," he said. Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley wants everything bundled into a single vote instead: "We need to put all this together as one bond package and go out one time." Precinct 3 Commissioner Ritch Wheeler raised a different worry, pointing to the last road bond, when 4% of registered voters and 1.8% of the population turned out. "I just can't believe that we are straddling our taxpayers with that much debt on that little input."

The current courthouse dates to 1936, and judges have flagged both a shortage of space and structural problems. Commissioners approved Dallas-based BSW Architects for the project on July 9. Separately, they are weighing a jail bond that Sheriff Wesley Doolittle estimates at $750 million to $1 billion, after a hired firm put the figure as high as $1.2 billion.

To make the November ballot, the court has to call the election between August 5 and 17. Miss that and the next window is January 31 to February 12, for a May 2027 vote.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

Conroe ISD Wants to Hear From You Before It Talks to Austin

Cole Gee/Community Impact

Conroe ISD's board reviewed a draft of the district's legislative priorities on July 21, six months ahead of the 90th Texas Legislative Session. The report came from Hedith Sauceda-Upshaw, the district's Assistant Superintendent of Governance and Leadership Programs, and her reasoning for starting this early was blunt: "If they wait until the lawmakers show up in Austin, then they are already behind."

Five priorities came out of conversations with administrators and teachers. Employee pay and retention sits near the top, after the district approved a compensation plan without across-the-board teacher raises because the money was not there. The others are school funding "buckets," student discipline, accountability subgroups, and local school facilities impact fees.

On funding, the district is not simply asking for more. It wants the allotment model changed so it can point at specific gaps. It also wants local discretion restored on student discipline decisions, and it wants school ratings to weigh student growth rather than, as Sauceda-Upshaw put it, "oversimplifying complex school systems." Conroe ISD currently holds a "B" accountability rating from the Texas Education Agency.

Four public meetings are open to residents at the CISD administration building, starting tomorrow, July 28 at 9 a.m., then August 5 at 1 p.m., August 24 at 5 p.m., and August 25 at 1 p.m. "We are inviting our constituents and our community to participate with us and have their voice heard," Sauceda-Upshaw said. The district prefiles its requests in November.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

A 144-Yard Ace on the Palmer Course Hole They Call King

Mark Seibert holed out from 144 yards on Wednesday, July 22, at The Woodlands Country Club's Palmer Course. The shot came on Hole #2, the one the club calls "King." The club announced it on social media and invited members and followers to congratulate him.

At 144 yards, that hole asks for enough accuracy to find the green and hold it close enough to the pin, which means getting distance and alignment right in a single swing. It is one of the rarest results in the sport.

The Palmer Course is one of five the club operates across The Woodlands, spread among four clubhouses at four locations. Two of the five carry a national profile: the Tournament Course, co-designed by Bruce Devlin and Robert Von Hagge, currently hosts the PGA Tour Champions Insperity Invitational, and the Player Course, designed by Gary Player, is considered the most demanding of the group.

Source/Credits: Golf Post

🗞️ In Other News…

🤝 Hurricane season runs through November 30. The Township is pushing residents to sign up for Township Alerts, noting that a quiet Atlantic season with only a couple of named storms is not a finished one, and that Tropical Storm Bertha was the reminder. Read more at The Woodlands Township

🌱 You can help protect the Spring Creek watershed in about thirty minutes. The Township's Storm Drain Survey Program asks residents to walk, bike, or drive their own neighborhood checking for "No Dumping, Drains to Waterways" markers, with no registration, supplies, or training required. Read more at The Woodlands Township

🎓 The Township publishes a new Earthwise article every Thursday. The Environmental Services library covers recycling questions, water conservation, native plants, and cutting down mosquitoes around the house. Read more at The Woodlands Township

Curated listings for quick browsing and easy connections.

Monday, July 27

🗓️ 3D Printer Orientation | Kevin Brady Library, 2250 Buckthorne Place | 1 to 2 p.m. | Free | More info

🗓️ National Scotch Day | The Refuge Steakhouse & Bourbon Bar, 8540 Creekside Forest Drive Suite C800 | 4 to 10 p.m. | More info

🗓️ Teen Craft: Shrinky Dinks | George & Cynthia Mitchell Library, 8125 Ashlane Way | 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. | Free | More info

Tuesday, July 28

🗓️ Family Storytime | George & Cynthia Mitchell Library | 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. | Free | More info

🗓️ Internet Safety | George & Cynthia Mitchell Library | 10 to 11 a.m. | Free | More info

🗓️ Tropical Beach Paint Party | Sawyer Park Icehouse, 314 Pruitt Road, Spring | More info

Wednesday, July 29

🗓️ Houston Grand Opera's Meet an Opera Singer | 11 a.m. | More info

🗓️ Casual Carats Trunk Show | Robichau's Jewelry Panther Creek, 4775 W Panther Creek Ste 245 | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | More info

🗓️ Workshop Wednesday, Pencil & Apple Bath Bomb | Magnolia Ritual Texas Apothecary, 6318 FM 1488 Suite 110, Magnolia | More info

Thursday, July 30

🗓️ Shadow Puppet Theatre, Llama Llama and the Bully Goat | 11 a.m. | More info

🗓️ Rock the Row | Hughes Landing, 1900 Hughes Landing Blvd | 7 to 9 p.m. | More info

Friday, July 31

🗓️ Community Blood Drive | Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital, 17201 Interstate 45 South | More info

🗓️ The Pussycat Dolls with Lil' Kim and Mya | The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Dr | 7 p.m. | More info

Saturday, August 1

🗓️ Teen Career Seminar | George & Cynthia Mitchell Library | 3 to 4:30 p.m. | Free | More info

🗓️ Lost In Hollywood, System of a Down Tribute | Sawyer Park Icehouse, 314 Pruitt Road, Spring | 8:30 p.m. | Free | More info

Got an event coming up? Reply to this email with the details (what, when, where) and we'll get it in front of thousands of your neighbors, 100% free.
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🌳 Woodlands Trivia

Lamar Elementary opened in 1971, which means the first public school here was taking attendance three full years before The Woodlands had its grand opening. The classrooms arrived ahead of the community they were built for.

🤠 Talkin' Texan

"That's close enough for government work." Translation: quit fiddling with it, it's fine.

🚿 Shower Thought

Everybody has a favorite spoon in their kitchen drawer, and almost nobody has ever said so out loud.

😂 Dad Joke

What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear.

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Thanks for reading The Woodlands Digest today! 🙂

Uni Sushi Is Coming Back, and Grogan's Mill Is Almost Full

Erika Guerra — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Good morning, Woodlands.

When we moved from Guatemala City to Grogan's Mill in August 2022, the Grogan’s Mill Village Center was the thing we kept noticing, and what we kept hearing was that the pandemic had ended it. That is not how it turned out. Uni Sushi is coming back, Cooking Girl is on the way, and we get to watch it from across the street.

Glad you're here.

—Erika & Mike

🗞 In this issue…

🍣 Uni Sushi Is Coming Back, and Grogan's Mill Is Almost Full

🥕 The Market That Kept Grogan's Mill Alive Is Still There Every Saturday

🏊 Two Township Lifeguards Are Headed to the State Competition

🩺 Magnolia Gets Its Own Health Center, the Sixth in the System

🧬 The Country's Largest Vein Care Network Just Picked The Woodlands

Uni Sushi Is Coming Back, and Grogan's Mill Is Almost Full

Uni Sushi is coming back to The Woodlands. Howard Hughes Communities announced on June 29 that the restaurant will return at Grogan's Mill Village Center, taking roughly 3,500 square feet at 7 Switchbud Place, Suite 190, with indoor seating for 230 to 250 guests and a covered patio. It is scheduled to open in 2027, with original owners Angel Barragan and Rosie Izaguirre behind it.

The gap opened in February, when the restaurant closed at Market Street. The owners called it a long and successful run but said their story was not over, and that they were already preparing to reopen nearby.

What made it worth reopening was never the menu. Barragan describes a place stitched into local life, where first dates became engagements and anniversaries, and where students home from college made it the first stop of the break and the last before leaving. He says customers would call from the airport in Mexico before their flight just to book a table. "We're a staple for The Woodlands for 20 years," he said, adding that many familiar faces will be back behind the sushi bar.

Instagram post

The address is the other half of the story. Grogan's Mill opened in 1974 as the first shopping center in The Woodlands, originally called The Wharf. By the time Howard Hughes bought the retail piece in 2023 it had been hollowed out by years of disinvestment and vacancy, and the Randalls that anchored it had been gone since 2020.

About ten months of work later, a June 2025 ribbon cutting reopened some 31,000 square feet of retail. The Kevin Brady Library and Community Center opened on Buckthorne Place that September, built through a $16.5 million partnership between Montgomery County and Howard Hughes. This spring the Urban Land Institute Houston named the project its 2026 Development of Distinction for historical redevelopment. Uni Sushi and the Sichuan restaurant Cooking Girl are filling in what is left.

Why it matters: the first shopping center George Mitchell ever built here spent years as the one people drove past, and it is finishing a turnaround that took three years and a county library to pull off.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online · Community Impact · PaperCity · Hello Woodlands

200+ Claude Prompts Top Professionals Actually Use at Work

Claude can be your analyst, editor, and strategist.
But most professionals are using it to fix grammar.

These 200+ Claude prompts take it from grammar tool to your most powerful AI work assistant.

200+ ready-to-use Claude prompts to get real work done in minutes — researched, tested, and used by professionals at Google, Microsoft, and NASA
Superhuman AI newsletter (4 min daily) so you keep learning new AI tools and skills to stay ahead in your career — the prompts are just the beginning

🌤️ Sunshine with Cloudy Intervals · Sunday, July 26

🌡️ High 95°F · Low 74°F
💧 Humidity 67% · 💨 Wind SW 5 mph · 🌧️ Rain chance 19%
☀️ UV Index Extreme · 🌅 Sunrise 6:37 AM · 🌇 Sunset 8:19 PM

Extreme UV and 95 degrees, so sunscreen and water if you're headed out.

The Market That Kept Grogan's Mill Alive Is Still There Every Saturday

The Woodlands Farmers Market at Grogan's Mill via Facebook

While the village center sat half empty, one thing never stopped. The Woodlands Farmers Market has been setting up at 7 Switchbud Place every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, the same address where Uni Sushi will open in 2027.

A recent Saturday layout listed close to 80 vendors across produce, farm-fresh meat, prepared foods, sweet treats, beverages, health and beauty, pet supplies, garden plants and artisan goods, plus a rotating food truck and live music while you shop. Recent stalls included Atkinson Farm eggs, Texas Peaches, TKF Mushrooms, Granny's Tamales, Marchese Sausage and Carolina Doughnut Co.

The market is sponsored by the Grogan's Mill Village Association, and all profits go back into the community through scholarships, school donations and community involvement. Howard Hughes and the local UPS Store are listed among its supporters.

Why it matters: the village center spent years being written off, and every Saturday morning a stretch of that parking lot quietly argued otherwise.

Source/Credits: The Woodlands Farmers Market

Two Township Lifeguards Are Headed to the State Competition

Two Woodlands Township lifeguards have earned a place at the Texas Public Pool Council State Lifeguard Competition after finishing among the top three at the regional round. They compete August 3 at Adamson Lagoon in College Station against lifeguards from across Texas.

The Township shared the news in its monthly aquatics newsletter and did not release the two guards' names.

Why it matters: the teenagers watching the shallow end at your neighborhood pool this summer turn out to be among the best in the state at it.

Source/Credits: The Woodlands Township

Magnolia Gets Its Own Health Center, the Sixth in the System

Lone Star Family Health Center has opened a sixth clinic in Magnolia, expanding primary medical and dental care in one of Montgomery County's fastest-growing communities. It sits at 18230 FM 1488, Suite 203, in the Landmark Building, and is accepting patients now.

The nonprofit is a federally qualified health center headquartered in Conroe, founded in 2002, with other clinics in Willis, Spring, Grangerland and Huntsville. Across its locations it offers family medicine, OB-GYN, dental, behavioral health, an in-house pharmacy, nutrition, lab and X-rays, and it reports serving more than 30,000 patients across about 95,000 visits a year.

The Magnolia office covers primary medical and dental care for all ages, staffed by family nurse practitioner Georjene Parker with dental providers Alissa Medina and Andrea St. Clair. CEO Karen Harwell said the opening brings comprehensive services closer to home as Magnolia keeps growing.

Why it matters: Magnolia has been adding rooftops faster than it adds doctors, and this is one of the few places a family can get a checkup and a cleaning without leaving town.

Source/Credits: Lone Star Family Health Center

The Country's Largest Vein Care Network Just Picked The Woodlands

Center for Vein Restoration has opened a clinic in The Woodlands, adding to what it describes as the largest physician-led vein care network in the country. The new location pushes the organization past 130 clinics across 23 states.

The Woodlands clinic is led by Dr. H. Andrew Hansen II, a triple board-certified vascular specialist with more than 40 years of surgical experience and over 15,000 cardiovascular, thoracic and vascular procedures behind him. He earned his zoology degree at Texas A&M before attending Texas Tech University School of Medicine.

The organization treats venous and lymphatic conditions including varicose veins, spider veins, deep vein thrombosis and chronic venous insufficiency, and reports more than 700,000 patient interactions a year across 80-plus board-certified physicians.

Why it matters: vein disease is the kind of thing people put off because the specialist was always an hour away, and now the specialist is here.

Source/Credits: Center for Vein Restoration · Woodlands Online

🗞️ In Other News…

🦆 Duck Dash registration closes tomorrow — The Ultimate Duck Dash runs Saturday, August 8 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Rob Fleming Aquatic Center, where you decorate a provided rubber duck and cheer it down the slide and along the lazy river before the pool opens to the public. Registration closes Monday, July 27. Details from The Woodlands Parks

🎢 Creekwood Pool has a new zipline — The Township has installed an AquaZip at Creekwood Pool on S. Panther Creek Drive, open to experienced swimmers, with riders required to let go of the rope at the end of the frame. More from The Woodlands Parks

🏊 Pool season does not end August 11 — The post-season schedule runs August 12 through Labor Day, with nine pools open weekends and Shadowbend open weekdays except Fridays. Schedule from The Woodlands Parks

🏛️ Free curb paint kits are still available from the Township — Residents can request a kit with a brush, stencil and reflective paint to put their house number on the curb, which is the difference between a deputy or a fire crew finding you on the first pass or the third. Request one from The Woodlands Township

🎓 Memorial Hermann says the back-to-school reset should start now — Sleep schedules, checkups and routines are easier to fix a few weeks out than the night before the first bell. Read more in Hello Woodlands

Curated listings for quick browsing and easy connections.

Sunday, July 26

🗓️ Making Your First Photo Book | Precision Camera & Video, Shenandoah | More info

Monday, July 27

🗓️ National Scotch Day | The Refuge Steakhouse & Bourbon Bar, 8540 Creekside Forest Dr | 4-10 p.m. | More info

Tuesday, July 28

🗓️ Tropical Beach Paint Party | Sawyer Park Icehouse, 314 Pruitt Rd, Spring | More info

Wednesday, July 29

🗓️ Casual Carats Trunk Show | Robichau's Jewelry, Panther Creek | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | More info

🗓️ Workshop Wednesday: Pencil & Apple Bath Bomb | Magnolia Ritual, 6318 FM 1488, Magnolia | More info

Thursday, July 30

🗓️ Rock the Row | Hughes Landing, 1900 Hughes Landing Blvd | 7-9 p.m. | Free | More info

Friday, July 31

🗓️ Community Blood Drive | Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital | More info

🗓️ National Youth Theater presents Newsies | Opens July 31, runs through August 9 | More info

🗓️ The Pussycat Dolls, PCD FOREVER Tour | The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion | 7 p.m. | More info

Got an event coming up? Reply to this email with the details (what, when, where) and we'll get it in front of thousands of your neighbors, 100% free.
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🌳 Woodlands Trivia

The original Grogan-Cochran purchase was only the beginning. Assembling the land that became The Woodlands took more than 300 additional separate transactions, stitched together parcel by parcel over years.

🤠 Talkin' Texan

"As big as all hell and half of Texas." Translation: enormous.

🚿 Shower Thought

The grocery store is the only place where you walk past a hundred strangers and quietly form an opinion about every single one of their carts.

😂 Dad Joke

I'm afraid for the calendar.
Its days are numbered.

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Thanks for reading The Woodlands Digest today! 🙂

Fifty Acres in Creekside Park Are Becoming a Public Golf Complex

Erika Guerra — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Good morning, The Woodlands!

One story in today's issue involves twelve million dollars and fifty acres. Another involves a paper butterfly with a note written on the back of the wing. It is not obvious which one will matter more to the person who runs into it.

Glad you’re here,

—Erika & Mike

🗞 In this issue…

⛳ Fifty Acres in Creekside Park Are Becoming a Public Golf Complex

🎨 The Butterflies in Canopy's New Mural Carry Messages From Strangers

🎓 Johns Hopkins Named a John Cooper Student Among the World's Brightest

🍽️ Six Local Restaurants Are Turning Dinner Into Food Bank Money

Fifty Acres in Creekside Park Are Becoming a Public Golf Complex

The Woodlands Township Board of Directors signed a ground lease with Forest Capital Partners, LP at its July 23 meeting, clearing the way for a public golf complex on the South Gosling property. It is a public private partnership, and the split is worth understanding. Forest Capital commits a minimum of $12 million to design, build, operate and maintain the place. The Township puts in $2.5 million for supporting infrastructure and keeps ownership of everything that gets built once the lease runs out.

The plans go well past a golf course. There is a lighted nine-hole short course, a driving range running more than 200 yards, dedicated putting and practice greens, and a pitching area. There is also a restaurant and bar, pickleball courts, and open space for cornhole, washers and ladder ball. It is built to be somewhere you bring the family for an evening, not just somewhere you play eighteen.

The site runs about 50 acres carved out of the 208-acre South Gosling property, which sits in the Village of Creekside Park with South Gosling Road on the west and Spring Creek wrapping the north and east. The design is meant to tie into the future Spring Creek Greenway and whatever trails and open space follow on the rest of the property.

This has been coming for a while. The Township's Strategic Planning Initiative flagged publicly accessible golf as an unmet community need back in May 2025. A request for proposals went out, Early Bird Management's bid was selected in February 2026, and the lease that got approved this week is with Forest Capital Partners, an Early Bird subsidiary.

Chairman Brad Bailey pointed to the last four years of parks, turf fields, pickleball courts and playgrounds added without a tax increase, and framed this one as a first of its kind facility for the community that also generates revenue back to The Woodlands. Construction on the initial improvements should wrap inside 30 months, with the doors expected to open in early 2029.

Why it matters: early 2029 sounds far away right until you remember that every good thing here started as a line on somebody's plan.

Source/Credits: The Woodlands Township · Woodlands Online · Hello Woodlands

Your Retirement Has a Vulnerability Most Advisors Never Mention.

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Saturday, July 25, 2026

🌤️ Intervals of clouds and sunshine, humid · 95°F / 73°F

Rain chance 11% · Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph

Peak heat hits mid-afternoon, so push the outdoor plans to morning or after seven.

Source: Weather Underground

The Butterflies in Canopy's New Mural Carry Messages From Strangers

A mural that hundreds of people built without ever meeting each other now hangs at the entrance to Canopy Cancer Survivorship Center. It was revealed there on Thursday, July 23.

The piece is called A Community in Bloom, and it came together one tile at a time during Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival weekend. Children and adults painted wooden tiles following a floral paint-by-number design. Others painted the blue sky panels and the paper butterflies. Then people wrote messages of hope and encouragement on the backs of the butterfly wings before those were added to the finished work. Rain moved through parts of that weekend and the tent stayed busy anyway.

The Woodlands Art League put out a call for artists earlier in the year, and a selection committee picked local artist Sandra Cooper's proposal, which turned all those separate tiles into a single triptych. The title came out of a "Title the Art" contest won by Amanda Crawford. The Woodlands Arts Council funded the project, working with the Art League and Canopy.

Linda Nelson, who directs Canopy at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center, said every tile reflects a moment of encouragement and hope for the patients and families the center serves. Canopy is free and open to anyone whose life has been touched by cancer, patient or caregiver or family, no matter where they were treated.

Why it matters: a few hundred people spent a rainy weekend making something for strangers they will never meet, and those strangers will see it on the hardest day of their week.

Source/Credits: Hello Woodlands · Woodlands Online

Johns Hopkins Named a John Cooper Student Among the World's Brightest

Nicholas Zhao, a student at The John Cooper School, has been honored by the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth as one of the brightest students in the world.

The recognition came from his performance on the SAT, ACT, School and College Ability Test or a comparable assessment taken through the CTY Talent Search. CTY works by giving students tests written well above their grade level, on the theory that you cannot see what an advanced student is actually capable of until you stop handing them work they have already outgrown. Roughly 16,000 students from more than 75 countries take part each year, and on average fewer than 30 percent of them come away with high or grand honors.

CTY executive director Amy Lynne Shelton framed it as a measure of curiosity and capacity rather than one good test day, and encouraged honorees to go looking for harder rooms to sit in. Nicholas now has access to CTY's day, residential and online courses across history and social science, language arts, mathematics, robotics and technology, and science and engineering.

The Center for Talented Youth is a nonprofit academic center at Johns Hopkins University and has worked in gifted education since 1979, with students in grades two through twelve.

Why it matters: the schools here get talked about constantly in the abstract, in rankings and real estate listings. This is what it looks like with a name attached.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online

Six Local Restaurants Are Turning Dinner Into Food Bank Money

Six restaurants in and around The Woodlands are signed up for the 23rd Houston Restaurant Weeks, the 38-day run that starts August 1 and goes through September 27. Over its history the event has raised $22 million for the Houston Food Bank, which the organization says has translated into 66 million meals.

The format is simple. Participating restaurants serve specially priced multi-course prix fixe menus, $25 for brunch or lunch and $39 or $55 for dinner, available for dine-in or take-out, with a portion going to the food bank.

The local lineup: Amerigo's Grille on Grogans Park Drive, the chef-driven Italian spot with a rotating menu. Amrina at 3 Waterway Square Place. The Audrey Restaurant & Bar upstairs at Market Street on Six Pines, looking out over the Green. Babin's Seafood House on I-45 in Shenandoah, running the New Orleans playbook with a fresh fish case up front. Black Walnut Cafe on New Trails Drive, just back from a month of renovations. And Black Walnut Cafe in Conroe, out at the airport, where the patio looks onto the runway.

Houston Food Bank president and CEO Brian Greene noted the funds matter more than usual this year, with food banks facing both funding cuts and rising need, and credited Katie Stone and The Cleverley Stone Foundation for keeping the tradition going.

Why it matters: you were going to eat dinner anyway. This is the rare month where the reservation does something.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online · Hello Woodlands

🗞️ In Other News…

🎨 A free songwriting workshop for seniors — The Woodlands Arts Council opens its next Senior Art Program session on August 6, a free community songwriting workshop underwritten by David and Debbie Hilton. Read more in Woodlands Online

🎵 Black tie and masks for a theater fundraiser — Class Act Productions is throwing "A Night to Shine: Masquerade" on August 15 with dinner, dancing and live performances, all of it raising money for its youth theater programs. Read more in Woodlands Online

🤝 Meet Stormy — Operation Pets Alive, the all-volunteer nonprofit pushing Montgomery County toward no-kill status, is featuring Stormy as its Pet of the Month, available now for foster or adoption. Read more in Hello Woodlands

Curated listings for quick browsing and easy connections.

Saturday, July 25

🗓️ Superhero Day with CARS | The Woodlands Children's Museum | Photo sessions at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. | More info

🗓️ Motionless In White: The Sweat and Blood Tour | The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion | 6:30 p.m. | With Lorna Shore, Fit For A King and Static Dress | More info

🗓️ Comedy Club at Margaritaville | Margaritaville Lake Resort, Lake Conroe | Hosted by Billy D. Washington | More info

Sunday, July 26

🗓️ Making Your First Photo Book | Precision Camera & Video, 17937 I-45 North, Shenandoah | 3 to 5 p.m. | Two-hour class with photographer Jasper Johal | More info

Monday, July 27

🗓️ National Scotch Day | The Refuge Steakhouse & Bourbon Bar, 8540 Creekside Forest Drive Suite C800 | 4 to 10 p.m. | More info

Got an event coming up? Reply to this email with the details (what, when, where) and we'll get it in front of thousands of your neighbors, 100% free.
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🌳 Woodlands Trivia

On the morning of October 19, 1974, a flag went up to mark the debut of The Woodlands, and Cynthia Woods Mitchell cut the grand opening ribbon. The whole thing was a gamble at the time: a fully planned hometown 27 miles north of downtown Houston, dropped in the middle of a forest with no employment center and no shopping anywhere nearby.

🤠 Talkin' Texan

"It's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick." Translation: it'll do. Not what you wanted, but you'll take it.

🚿 Shower Thought

Your car has a precise setting for exactly how fast the windshield wipers should go, and you will never once pick the right one on the first try.

😂 Dad Joke

What do you call a fish without eyes?

— A fsh.

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Emma's Kind Kloset and Team Abilities Team Up for a Free Back-to-School Shopping Day

Erika Guerra — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Good morning, Woodlands.

This week alone, a free shopping day, a tuition-free school, and a hospital tour all landed in our area within days of each other. That's not something we planned for, it's just what showed up when we started editing. Access keeps finding its way into the smallest corners of this community, whether that's a barber chair set up for free haircuts or a classroom with no tuition bill attached. It's a light, easy issue to read, and we mean that as a compliment.

Glad you're here.

—Erika & Mike

🗞 In this issue…

🎒 Emma's Kind Kloset and Team Abilities Team Up for a Free Back-to-School Shopping Day

🏫 Sam Houston State University Brings a Tuition-Free Charter School to Spring

⚖️ Chuck Meyer Certified for November Ballot in Justice of the Peace Race

🏥 Texas Children's The Woodlands Welcomes EfTA Students for a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Healthcare Careers

Emma's Kind Kloset and Team Abilities Team Up for a Free Back-to-School Shopping Day

Emma's Kind Kloset and Team Abilities are teaming up for a free back-to-school shopping day built specifically for the IDD and special needs community. The event runs Monday, August 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 611 Westridge Drive in Spring.

Everything on offer is free, no strings attached: clothing, shoes, and accessories, plus free back-to-school haircuts from a barber shop set up on site. Organizers are also providing snacks, water, and shopping bags so families can just show up and shop. The event's own tagline sums up the approach: no cost, no catch, just kindness. Guests are told to come exactly as they are.

Team Abilities, which runs the event alongside Emma's Kind Kloset, is an HCS provider serving people with special needs through residential homes and ISS Day Hab programs. Anyone with questions can call or text organizer Donna at 832-790-2879.

Ahead of the event, organizers are also collecting donations, gently used clothing, coats, shoes, wardrobe and hair accessories, handbags, backpacks, and hair care products, with a donation deadline of Friday, July 31.

Why it matters: a free shopping day built around dignity, not charity, means one less back-to-school stress for families who don't always find events designed with them in mind.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online | Team Abilities

200+ Claude Prompts Top Professionals Actually Use at Work

Claude can be your analyst, editor, and strategist.
But most professionals are using it to fix grammar.

These 200+ Claude prompts take it from grammar tool to your most powerful AI work assistant.

200+ ready-to-use Claude prompts to get real work done in minutes — researched, tested, and used by professionals at Google, Microsoft, and NASA
Superhuman AI newsletter (4 min daily) so you keep learning new AI tools and skills to stay ahead in your career — the prompts are just the beginning

🌳 Today's Weather — The Woodlands

⛅ Partly Cloudy · Friday, July 24, 2026

🌡️ High 95°F · Low 74°F
💧 Humidity 66% day, 83% overnight · 💨 Wind SSE 11 mph
☀️ UV Index Extreme · 🌅 Sunrise 6:36 AM · 🌇 Sunset 8:20 PM

Plenty of sun and real Texas humidity today, so grab water before you head out.

Sam Houston State University Brings a Tuition-Free Charter School to Spring

Sam Houston State University has announced a new tuition-free charter school opening this fall at the intersection of Kuykendahl Road and FM 2920. It's the fourth SHSU Charter School campus in the northern Houston region, joining existing locations in The Woodlands, Humble, and Spring.

The new campus will serve kindergarten through second grade. Like SHSU's other charter locations, it's a public school with no tuition costs and year-round instruction, though enrollment is first-come, first-served rather than guaranteed by zoning.

"By serving children, families and the broader educational community, we advance the university's mission while preparing future educators and demonstrating what research-based instructional excellence can accomplish," said SHSU Charter School Superintendent Craig Toney. He added that the new site "maintains the SHSU Charter School mission to be a transformational learning model through a choice education system that can be replicated by independent school districts across Texas."

Parents can apply online now, though classes won't begin until the fall.

Why it matters: it's a free public school option landing right on the Spring-Klein line, at a moment when a lot of local families are already deep in back-to-school planning.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

Chuck Meyer Certified for November Ballot in Justice of the Peace Race

Montgomery County Judge Mark J. Keough has officially certified that Charles B. "Chuck" Meyer will appear on the November 3 General Election ballot as an Independent candidate for Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3. The certification, dated July 10, confirms Meyer's nominating petition carried more than the 500 verified signatures required under Texas Election Code.

Getting an independent candidate certified is its own kind of hurdle. Unlike party-affiliated candidates, independents get no primary placement and have to gather signatures from voters who didn't vote in a primary where a JP race appeared, all within a narrow window that only opens the day after the primary. "We knocked on a lot of doors to make this happen," Meyer said. "Every signature represented a neighbor who believes, as I do, that justice belongs to the people, not to political parties."

Meyer, a longtime Woodlands resident and attorney with more than three decades of legal and executive experience, is running on a platform of competence, transparency, and independence from partisan politics. He's the only licensed attorney in the race.

Why it matters: ballot certification is a genuine milestone in an independent campaign, and it means Precinct 3 voters now know for certain who they'll be choosing from in November.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online

Texas Children's The Woodlands Welcomes EfTA Students for a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Healthcare Careers

Texas Children's Hospital The Woodlands welcomed students from Education for Tomorrow Alliance (EfTA) this week for a visit built around exposing them to the range of careers available in healthcare. Students received a behind-the-scenes tour of the hospital, getting a firsthand look at how a hospital actually runs day to day.

The visit is part of EfTA's broader mission connecting Montgomery County students with local businesses and professionals to help them explore career paths before they graduate high school.

Why it matters: it's a small thing, a hospital opening its doors for an afternoon, but it's exactly the kind of exposure that can point a student toward a career they'd never otherwise have considered.

Source/Credits: Hello Woodlands

🗞️ In Other News…

🚧 Two 2026 studies looked at consolidating The Woodlands' remaining Municipal Utility Districts, one covering all ten, the other only debt-free ones, and a ten-member review panel of legal, financial, and engineering experts concluded full consolidation isn't advisable right now. Read more

🐾 Pet Wants Spring, a new health-focused pet store offering fresh, small-batch food and supplements, is aiming for a September 4 grand opening in the Spring and Woodlands area. Read more

🏆 The City of Conroe named Janeen McSwain, a Community Development administrative assistant who's worked on the CDBG program and Code Enforcement initiatives, its 2025 Employee of the Year. Read more

🦠 The Montgomery County Public Health Department has now confirmed a fourth measles case among county residents. Read more

🔎 Montgomery County Precinct 3 is still asking for help locating Brad Buck, 15, last seen in Spring the night of July 17. Read more

Curated listings for quick browsing and easy connections.

Friday, July 24

🎸 Vertigo. The Blue Lion Pub. 8:00 PM–12:00 AM. Live music at one of the area's favorite neighborhood pubs. More info

🎸 Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band – Keep The Party Going Tour. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. 7:30 PM. A tropical night of music honoring Buffett's legacy. More info

Saturday, July 25

🎸 Motionless In White: The Sweat and Blood Tour, with Lorna Shore, Fit For A King, and Static Dress. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. 6:30 PM. More info

🎨 Coffee and Cameras. Precision Camera & Video. Free, open to the public, coffee, donuts, and a Precision Camera gift card raffle for photographers and creatives of all levels. More info

Got an event coming up? Reply to this email with the details (what, when, where) and we'll get it in front of thousands of your neighbors, 100% free.
(Restrictions Apply)

🌳 Woodlands Trivia

When George Mitchell's team was naming the new community, his wife Cynthia Woods Mitchell insisted on keeping the "The" in "The Woodlands." Nearly fifty years later, it's still official: not "Woodlands," always "The Woodlands."

🤠 Talkin' Texan

"Jeetjet?" Translation: "Did you eat yet?", often followed by "Squeat" ("Let's go eat").

🚿 Shower Thought

You've driven past the same billboard a hundred times and could recite it from memory, but you'd fail a quiz on what was on the one before it.

😂 Dad Joke

Why did the scarecrow win an award?
Because he was outstanding in his field.

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A Spring Podcaster Is Turning Titanic Artifacts Into an Investigation

Erika Guerra — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Good morning, Woodlands.

A ship that sank in 1912 and a store that opened this week don't have much in common, except that both took a long time to finally arrive. That contrast is what we kept coming back to putting this issue together.

One story traces a Titanic artifact across more than a century to find its origin. Another follows a Woodlands sailor now stationed a thousand miles away, and a third follows a retailer's long road to Kuykendahl. Different timelines, same idea: getting somewhere worth the wait.

Glad you're here.

—Erika & Mike

🗞 In this issue…

🎙️ A Spring Podcaster Is Turning Titanic Artifacts Into an Investigation

✈️ A Woodlands College Park Graduate Is Now Keeping Navy Fighter Jets Flight-Ready

🚧 Nine Road Projects Are Reshaping Commutes Across Conroe and Montgomery County

🪏 Tractor Supply Co. Rides Into Spring on Kuykendahl Road

🌳 Today's Weather — The Woodlands

🌦️ Mostly Sunny, Evening Showers Likely · Thursday, July 23, 2026

🌡️ High 91°F · Low 76°F
💧 Humidity 70% · 💨 Wind NE 16 mph · 🌧️ Rain chance 23% (62% overnight)
☀️ UV Index Extreme · 🌅 Sunrise 6:35 AM · 🌇 Sunset 8:21 PM

Extreme UV through the afternoon, then showers move in by tonight, so keep a rain plan handy if you're headed to Rock the Row.

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A Spring Podcaster Is Turning Titanic Artifacts Into an Investigation

The Titanic Provenance Files via Woodlands Online

Damon Henrichs is about to spend the next several months asking the same question over and over: how do we actually know what we think we know about the Titanic? Henrichs, a Spring-area resident, is launching a new documentary-style history podcast called The Titanic Provenance Files on July 30.

The format is unusual for Titanic media, which tends to retell the sinking itself. Instead, each episode opens with a single physical object tied to the ship, a dinner menu, a passenger list, a chronometer, even a lump of coal, and works backward from that artifact to reconstruct the larger story behind it. "The most interesting question is often not simply what happened," Henrichs said. "It's how we know what happened."

The first season runs 12 episodes, released every two weeks, and leans heavily on people who've spent careers in Titanic research rather than general history commentators. Planned guests include Don Lynch, Veronica Hinke, Mark Chirnside, and Tad Fitch, with topics ranging from Walter Lord's A Night to Remember and the ship's dining culture to wreck-site artifacts, shipboard timekeeping, the story of Collapsible A, and what survives in passenger records. Episodes will be available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Audible, YouTube, and other major platforms.

Why it matters: it's not every day a specialist-level history project like this launches out of someone's home a few miles from here, built around original research instead of retreading the same familiar sinking narrative.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online

A Woodlands College Park Graduate Is Now Keeping Navy Fighter Jets Flight-Ready

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Mitch Meppelink via Woodlands Online

Airman Desiree Davis credits a big piece of her Navy career to something she picked up long before she enlisted: Junior ROTC at The Woodlands College Park High School. "Throughout high school I was part of Junior ROTC and really enjoyed the structure and camaraderie," Davis said. "I liked being part of a team and enjoyed the environment that made me feel like I belonged."

Davis graduated in 2018 and joined the Navy a year ago, looking for exactly that same structure in a career. "I have had this passion to do more and give back to my country, and the Navy had amazing opportunities that were not available to me back at home," she said.

She now serves as an aviation electronics technician with Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 14, the "Tophatters," based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, home to more than half the Navy's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fleet and the Navy's only F-35C squadrons.

"I am most proud of how far I have come as a sailor," Davis said. She credited her mentors for showing her the ropes, and her mother, Teka, for her support: "I work hard every day to make her proud."

Why it matters: it's a reminder that a lot of the discipline shaping sailors nationwide got its start right here, in a Woodlands high school hallway.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online

Nine Road Projects Are Reshaping Commutes Across Conroe and Montgomery County

Courtesy Adobe Stock via Community Impact

Montgomery County drivers are watching real progress this summer on several long-running road projects, according to a July Texas Department of Transportation update. The Hwy. 105 East reconstruction between South Loop 336 and FM 1484, a $90.81 million widening from two to four lanes, is now 94% complete after more than three years of work. Just west of there, the separate Hwy. 105 widening between 10th Street and South Loop 336 sits at 65% complete.

FM 1097 is seeing the most activity of any single corridor. The widening between Blueberry Hills Road and Lake Conroe Hills Drive is 93% complete, a culvert and drainage overhaul at Atkins Creek is 91% complete, and a third stretch from Hwy. 75 in Willis to the Walker County line is 55% complete and expected to wrap by year's end.

Further south, South Loop 336 is 80% complete on its widening between I-45 and Ladera Creek Trace, while a related safety-lighting project along the same corridor finished in May. The newest major undertaking, a direct connector from northbound I-45 to eastbound Hwy. 242 with drainage work along the frontage roads, is only 25% complete and isn't expected to finish until 2028.

Why it matters: several of these projects are years into construction, and knowing which ones are close to done (and which aren't) is genuinely useful for anyone routing around Conroe this summer.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

Tractor Supply Co. Rides Into Spring on Kuykendahl Road

Courtesy Tractor Supply Co. via Community Impact

Tractor Supply Co. has soft-opened its first Spring location, at 22625 Kuykendahl Road, staff confirmed, with a full grand opening planned for July 25. The rural lifestyle retailer, in business more than 85 years, stocks farm supplies, livestock feed, pet food, gardening supplies, and lawn care equipment.

The new store gives residents on the Spring side of the coverage area a closer option for the kind of acreage-and-animal essentials that previously meant a longer drive to Tomball or Conroe.

Why it matters: for anyone keeping chickens, tending a garden, or just needing fence supplies, this closes a real gap on the west side of the coverage area.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

🗞️ In Other News…

🎖️ Kari Prihoda, executive director of Children's Safe Harbor, received the 2026 Oak Wood Masonic Lodge "Grand Lodge of Texas Community Builder Award," recognizing her 20-year career and civic leadership in Montgomery County. Read more

👩‍💼 This month's Hello Woodlands Nonprofit of the Month spotlight goes to Executive Women's Alliance, a Montgomery County nonprofit providing professional development for members and mentorship and scholarships for young women through its Women of Vision program. Read more

🏗️ Tomball City Council declined to approve or deny a proposed 48-unit apartment development on FM 2920 at its July 20 meeting, sending the rezoning request back to the Planning and Zoning Commission after members raised concerns about the property's size and amenities. Read more

Curated listings for quick browsing and easy connections.

Thursday, July 23

🎸 Rock the Row: SheWolf (Shakira Tribute). Hughes Landing, 1900 Hughes Landing Blvd. 7–9 p.m. Free outdoor concert along Lake Woodlands. More info

🎬 Movies on the Lawn: The Bad Guys 2. The Woodlands Mall, 1201 Lake Woodlands Drive (near Shake Shack). 7 p.m. Free, family-friendly outdoor movie night. Blankets and chairs welcome. More info

🌸 Girls Night Out: Botanical Bath Bomb + Steamer Night. Magnolia Ritual – Texas Apothecary, 6318 FM 1488 Suite 110, Magnolia. 6–9 p.m. Make your own bath bombs or steamers with botanical add-ons, plus dessert and curated vendors. $45. More info

🏛️ Woodlands Township Board of Directors Meeting. The Woodlands Township, 2801 Technology Forest Blvd. 6 p.m. Regular board meeting, open to the public, also viewable online. More info

Friday, July 24

🎸 Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band: Keep the Party Going Tour. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Drive. Gates 6 p.m., show 7:30 p.m. A trop-rock night of Buffett classics from his longtime backing band. Tickets required. More info

Saturday, July 25

🤸 Superhero Day with CARS, presented by The Woodlands Young Learners Academy. The Woodlands Children's Museum, 4775 W. Panther Creek Drive. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Kids dress as their favorite superhero and pose with life-size CARS characters. $10 adults, $15 children. More info

🎸 Motionless In White: The Sweat and Blood Tour, with Lorna Shore, Fit For A King, and Static Dress. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Drive. 6:30 p.m. More info

🚗 Classic Car Show Cruises Into Evergreen. More info

🪏 Tractor Supply Grand Opening. 22625 Kuykendahl Road, Spring. Grand opening festivities for the new Spring location. More info

Note: Dates and times are as announced online. Organizers may make changes. Always confirm before heading out.

Got an event coming up? Reply to this email with the details (what, when, where) and we'll get it in front of thousands of your neighbors, 100% free.
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👉 Local Recommendation

The Woodlands Township is offering a free Safe@Home class for kids in grades 4–6 this Saturday, July 25, 10 a.m. to noon at Rob Fleming Recreation Center. The 90-minute course covers indoor, outdoor, online, and personal safety skills, plus basic first aid, for families whose kids are starting to spend time home alone. Class size is limited to 15–20 students, so register early.

Source/Credits: Hello Woodlands

🌳 Woodlands Trivia

When the Village of Sterling Ridge opened in 1999, the same year The Woodlands turned 25, it got its name as a nod to the "sterling silver anniversary." It's since grown into home for the George and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Library and the Gary Player Signature Championship golf course.

🤠 Talkin' Texan

"She's dolled up like a pecan pie at a county fair." Translation: all dressed up and clearly proud of it.

🚿 Shower Thought

If elevators hadn't been invented, every CEO's office would be on the ground floor, since climbing stairs to the top would've never made sense as a status symbol.

😂 Dad Joke

Why did the bicycle fall over?
— Because it was two tired.

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A Luncheon, a Celebrity Chef, and 90,000 Reasons to Show Up

Erika Guerra — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Good morning, Woodlands.

A cluster of neighborhood kids gathered under an oak tree last week, gawking at the biggest caterpillar any of them had ever seen. Minutes later, a luna moth turned up just across the driveway, wings spread wide, like it wanted to be found too. That's the moment that stuck with us this issue, small, unplanned, and easy to miss if you weren't paying attention. This whole issue leans on discoveries just like it, a taco stand built from a childhood memory, an arts show finally choosing a name that fits.

Glad you're here.

—Erika & Mike

🗞 In this issue…

🍽️ A Luncheon, a Celebrity Chef, and 90,000 Reasons to Show Up

🦋 A Backyard Discovery That Stopped a Woodlands Family in Their Tracks

🎨 The Woodlands Arts Council's Signature Fall Show Grows Beyond Craft

🌮 How Two Vegas Kids Brought Tijuana's Street Food Culture to Spring

🌳 Today's Weather — The Woodlands

☀️ Mostly Sunny, Hot and Humid · Wednesday, July 22, 2026

🌡️ High 102°F · Low 78°F

💧 Humidity 57% · 💨 Wind NW 5–10 mph · 🌧️ Rain chance 6%

☀️ UV Index Extreme · 🌅 Sunrise 6:35 AM · 🌇 Sunset 8:22 PM

Triple-digit heat and extreme UV make today one to save the outdoor errands for early morning or after that Job Fair wraps up.

Source: The Weather Channel

A Luncheon, a Celebrity Chef, and 90,000 Reasons to Show Up

Chef Cat Cora via Facebook

Montgomery County Food Bank is bringing its biggest name yet to the stage. Cat Cora, who made history in 2005 as the first woman named an Iron Chef on Food Network's "Iron Chef America," will headline the Food Bank's inaugural Flourish & Nourish Ladies Luncheon on Thursday, October 22, at The Blue Magnolia in Magnolia.

The event is presented by Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital and co-chaired by Food Bank board members Jacqueline Huntsman Calder and Krystle Riley, who also serves as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital. Guests can expect a champagne reception, a "Beauty, Bubbles & Bling" prize pull, and a fireside chat and Q&A with Cora moderated by KPRC 2 news anchor Lisa Hernandez. Beyond her Iron Chef title, Cora is also the first woman inducted into the American Academy of Chefs Culinary Hall of Fame, and she founded Chefs for Humanity, a nonprofit built around fighting hunger through relief work and nutrition education.

"There is power in a room of women who decide that hunger in their community is a challenge they can help solve," co-chairs Calder and Riley said of the event. Scott Burns, President and CEO of Montgomery County Food Bank, put it more directly: Cora's platform and her track record fighting hunger made her the natural choice to launch the luncheon.

The need behind the event is real. In 2025 alone, Montgomery County Food Bank distributed more than 10 million meals, with neighbors turning to it an average of 90,000 times a month. Every dollar raised at Flourish & Nourish goes directly toward that work.

Why this matters: a chef with a national platform picked Montgomery County for her first stop here, and that kind of visibility for a local hunger-relief effort doesn't come along often.

Source/Credits: Hello Woodlands | Woodlands Online

A Backyard Discovery That Stopped a Woodlands Family in Their Tracks

Luna Moth by The Woodlands Outdoor Pulse

A Woodlands family got a rare double sighting last week, and it started with the kids in the neighborhood gathering under a front-yard oak tree to gawk at the biggest caterpillar any of them had ever seen. Minutes later, while wandering through a native garden just across the driveway, something else stopped them cold: a luna moth, wings spread wide and pale green, perched motionless on a shrub.

The moth didn't fly off. It stayed still long enough for a close look and a few photos, its long tail-like wing extensions and delicate transparent "windows" on full display. As it turns out, both the caterpillar and the moth belong to the same family of giant silk moths, Saturniidae, one of the largest and most striking moth groups in North America. Luna moths carry a wingspan of up to four and a half inches and, oddly enough, don't eat at all as adults. They live for about a week on energy stored back when they were caterpillars, with one job: find a mate.

The Woodlands' mix of native trees, sweetgum, hickory, walnut, persimmon, and sumac among them, makes the community especially good habitat for luna moths, which explains why sightings like this one aren't as rare here as they'd be elsewhere.

Why this matters: sometimes the best thing that happens in a day is unplanned, and this is a good reminder of how much is quietly living in our own backyards.

Source/Credits: The Woodlands Outdoor Pulse

The Woodlands Arts Council's Signature Fall Show Grows Beyond Craft

Instagram post

The Woodlands Arts Council is giving its signature fall event a new identity. What's run for two years as the Texas Fine Craft Show will debut this September 26 and 27 as The Woodlands Fine Craft, Art & Design Show, held at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel's Town Center North Exhibit Hall.

The new name reflects where the show has grown. What started as a fine craft showcase has expanded to include more art and design work, while keeping its original commitment to handmade, juried craftsmanship front and center. "Over the years, we've listened to our artists, patrons, sponsors, and community, and this evolution reflects what they've told us they value most," said Jenny Carattini-Wright, Executive Director and CEO of The Woodlands Arts Council. She added that the goal was to expand the visitor experience while keeping exceptional fine craft at the show's heart.

The event has become a curated indoor weekend built around shopping, discovery, and meeting the artists behind the work, drawing exhibitors and visitors from across Greater Houston.

Why this matters: a show that's spent two years building a following in The Woodlands just signaled it's not staying small, which is good news for anyone who likes discovering local and visiting artists in one place.

Source/Credits: Hello Woodlands | Woodlands Online

How Two Vegas Kids Brought Tijuana's Street Food Culture to Spring

Tacos Santos via Instagram

Husband and wife David Gonzalez and Valentina Reyes opened Tacos Santos in Spring with one simple goal: bring the real flavors and culture of Tijuana-style street food north, to a place where people would feel like family the moment they walked in.

Both grew up in Las Vegas with the same go-to spot, Tacos El Gordo, a Tijuana-based taqueria institution known for its tacos de adobada, better known outside the region as tacos al pastor. After moving to Houston in 2018, the couple spent years hunting for tacos that matched what they grew up on. They found good food, but never quite the full experience, so they spent the next several years developing their own concept and recipes. Tacos Santos opened its doors in Spring in May 2025.

The taqueria has since built a loyal following for its adobada tacos and Southern California-style touches like carne asada fries, alongside a nostalgic design that leans into the couple's shared roots.

Why this matters: a taco spot built out of two people's exact childhood memory of a specific place is the kind of authenticity that's hard to fake, and it landed right here in Spring.

Source/Credits: Hello Woodlands

🗞️ In Other News…

🦟 The Montgomery County Public Health Department has confirmed three cases of measles in county residents. Read more

🔎 Montgomery County Precinct 3 is asking for the community's help locating Brad Buck, 15, last seen in Spring around 11:15 p.m. on July 17 wearing a black hoodie and gray sweatpants; anyone with information is asked to contact Constable Ryan Gable's office. Read more

🌀 Tropical Storm Bertha is expected to weaken back into a tropical depression before it reaches the Houston area Friday morning, with light rain and no flooding currently in the forecast for The Woodlands. Read more

Curated listings for quick browsing and easy connections.

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Wednesday, July 22

💼 Conroe ISD Teacher & Instructional Paraprofessional Job Fair. Grand Oaks High School, 4800 Riley Fuzzel Road, Spring. 4:30–6 p.m. Bring a resume and meet campus teams from across the district. More info

🤖 Hands-On AI Workshop: Build Your AI Chief of Staff in 90 Minutes. The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce. More info

Thursday, July 23

🏛️ Woodlands Township Board of Directors Meeting. The Woodlands Township, 2801 Technology Forest Blvd. 6 p.m. Regular board meeting, open to the public, also viewable online. More info

🌸 Girls Night Out: Botanical Bath Bomb + Steamer Night. Magnolia Ritual, 6318 FM 1488 Suite 110, Magnolia. 6–9 p.m. Make your own bath bombs or steamers with botanical add-ons and pressed flower toppers, plus dessert and curated vendors. $45. More info

🎬 Movies on the Lawn: The Bad Guys 2. The Woodlands Mall, 1201 Lake Woodlands Drive (near Shake Shack). 7 p.m. Free, family-friendly outdoor movie night. Blankets and chairs welcome. More info

Friday, July 24

🎸 Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band: Keep the Party Going Tour. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Drive. Gates 6 p.m., show 7:30 p.m. Tickets required. More info

Saturday, July 25

🚗 Classic Car Show Cruises Into Evergreen. More info

Got an event coming up? Reply to this email with the details (what, when, where) and we'll get it in front of thousands of your neighbors, 100% free.
(Restrictions Apply)

👉 Local Recommendation

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is urging residents to stay alert for flood-related scams, fake charities, and illegal price gouging as severe weather continues to affect the state. It's illegal for a business to unreasonably raise prices on essentials during a declared disaster. Suspected fraud or price gouging can be reported to the AG's Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-621-0508 or online.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online

🌳 Woodlands Trivia

Before it was the name of our community, "The Woodlands" belonged to someone else first: the Mitchell family's own ranch, off SH 149 between Magnolia and Montgomery. George Mitchell's daughter Pamela won a family naming contest with that very name, but when it came time to name the new town, they gave the ranch a different name instead, Cook's Branch, so "The Woodlands" was free to become what we call home today.

🤠 Talkin' Texan

"He's been busier than a one-armed paper hanger." Translation: somebody has had way too much on their plate today.

🚿 Shower Thought

Your first birthday is actually your second birthday.

😂 Dad Joke

Why did the sock feel lonely?
— It lost its sole mate.

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Thanks for reading The Woodlands Digest today! 🙂

The Woodlands Waives Fees for Storm-Damaged Property Owners

Erika Guerra — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Good morning, The Woodlands!

It's been a busy stretch for local government and local business alike. The Township Board waived permitting fees for anyone repairing storm damage, and set new limits on how much public art any one part of town can hold. Meanwhile Conroe gets a new full-service vet, Market Street loses two familiar names, and a Woodlands-based leather goods maker with a Guatemala connection is our business spotlight. Extreme heat and extreme UV today, so grab water before you head out.

Glad you’re here,

—Erika & Mike

🗞 In this issue…

📌 The Woodlands waives permit fees for storm-damaged property owners

📌 Township sets new limits on public art and memorials

📌 Livewell Animal Hospital opens in Conroe, plus Nike and Pressed Juicery close at Market Street

📌 Caravari brings handmade Guatemalan leather goods to The Woodlands

🌤️ Partly Cloudy, Clearing to Sunny · Tuesday, July 21, 2026

🌡️ High 99°F · Low 76°F
💧 Humidity 62% · 💨 Wind W 5-10 mph · 🌧️ Rain chance 10%
☀️ UV Index Extreme · 🌅 Sunrise 6:34 AM · 🌇 Sunset 8:22 PM

Extreme UV and 99 degrees make today one to keep sunscreen and water on hand if you're headed outside.

The Woodlands Waives Fees for Storm-Damaged Property Owners

The Woodlands Township board of directors voted July 16 to waive Covenant Administration Department permit fees for property owners repairing damage from a natural disaster or other catastrophic event. The new Covenant Administration Permit Fee Waiver Policy builds on Covenant Administration fee updates that took effect July 1, which mostly affected commercial projects and minor residential work.

Under the policy, certain permit fees tied to repairing or replacing damaged property improvements can be waived, easing one part of the financial burden for residents dealing with storm or flood recovery while keeping projects in line with Township standards and permitting requirements.

Why it matters: nobody plans for a disaster, and one less fee to deal with during cleanup is the kind of relief that actually reaches people when they need it.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

Nike and Pressed Juicery Close Their Doors at Market Street

Nike and Pressed Juicery have both closed at Market Street in The Woodlands as of July 16, Market Street management confirmed. Nike occupied Suite 885 since 2022, and Pressed Juicery occupied Suite 1070 since 2021. No replacement tenants have been announced for either space.

Source/Credits: Community Impact | Market Street

Township Sets Limits on Public Art and Memorials

The Woodlands Guide — The Art Bench Project

The Woodlands Township board adopted a new policy July 16 governing memorials, artwork, and commemorative donations placed on Township-owned property. Under the change, any donated memorial, plaque, bench, tree, or piece of public art now carries a term limit of up to 10 years from the date the Township formally accepts it as complete, unless the board approves something longer.

The policy also caps how much a single area can hold at once: Town Center, including Hughes Landing, is limited to five public art pieces or commemorative installations at a time, while villages outside Town Center are generally capped at one piece each unless the board grants an exception.

Why it matters: as more residents and businesses want to leave something behind in the community, the Township just drew clear lines around how much of that any one place can hold.

Source/Credits: The Woodlands Township

Livewell Animal Hospital Opens at Harper's Preserve in Conroe

Livewell Animal Hospital at Harper's Preserve in Conroe is now open, Hospital Manager Lucas Spurling confirmed. The full-service hospital provides routine and advanced care for dogs and cats under veterinarian Dr. Stephen Chapman, including wellness exams, vaccinations, spay and neuter procedures, dental care, lab testing, X-rays, surgery, and urgent care.

The hospital accepts walk-ins and offers same-day appointments based on availability, and partners with Vetco for prescription delivery within three to five business days. Spurling said the team wants to become a go-to veterinary provider for area pet owners while staying involved in the community.

Why it matters: a new full-service vet with same-day availability is one less thing pet owners in Conroe have to drive far for.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

🗞️ In Other News…

🌧️ Greater Houston area officials are monitoring a tropical depression as storm potential grows heading into the week. Read more

🚧 A project to extend David Memorial Drive to Hwy. 242 remains underway in The Woodlands area, part of a broader slate of Montgomery County road bond projects moving forward this summer. Read more

Curated listings for quick browsing and easy connections.

Brought to you by The Woodlands Phonebook

A Childhood Nickname, Handmade in Guatemala, Customized in Montgomery County

When Andrés Cordón was a boy, his father used to call him "Caravari," an affectionate nickname meaning something like "little gentleman." Years later, when it came time to name a company, Andrés didn't have to think hard. Some brand names aren't invented. They're inherited. Full disclosure: Andrés is a lifelong friend of ours, going back to our school days, and he's the godfather to one of our boys.

Caravari is a family-owned leather goods company built on a discovery Andrés made back in 2010, while relocating from Texas back to Guatemala. He found artisans in Parramos, Chimaltenango en Guatemala with real skill working leather by hand, but stuck without a proper workshop, steady clients, or fair pay for their craft. He and his wife Maris built the bridge between that talent and a market that would actually value it. Today Caravari makes handmade leather aprons, drink insulators, placemats, coasters, keychains, and toiletry bags, all finished with custom laser engraving for names, dates, and logos.

The product line has found real traction in corporate gifting, weddings, golf tournaments, and hunting trips, the kind of occasions where a personalized leather piece gets kept instead of forgotten in a drawer. Caravari, LLC is based right here in Montgomery County, and the leather goods themselves are worked in Guatemala before making the trip to Texas for storage, personalization, and shipping nationwide. Ten percent of profits fund education initiatives for children from low-income communities in Guatemala, part of the business model from day one, not an add-on.

It's a business with one foot in Guatemala and one in Texas, run by a friend of ours who took his own family history and turned it into something people actually hang onto.

Source/Credits: Caravari and Hecho en Guatemala

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Tuesday, July 21

🎼 The Music of Billy Joel & Elton John, starring Michael Cavanaugh. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. 8 p.m. Free, no tickets required. More info

📜 Wine & Wills. Weygandt Law. 6-8 p.m. Free estate planning seminar, RSVP required.

Wednesday, July 22

💼 Conroe ISD Teacher & Instructional Paraprofessional Job Fair. Grand Oaks High School, Spring. 4:30-6 p.m.

🤖 Hands-On AI Workshop: Build Your AI Chief of Staff in 90 Minutes. The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce. More info

Thursday, July 23

🌸 Girls Night Out: Botanical Bath Bomb + Steamer Night. Magnolia Ritual. 6-9 p.m. $45.

🎬 Movies on the Lawn. The Woodlands Mall. Runs through Aug 6.

Friday, July 24

🎸 Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band: Keep the Party Going Tour. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Gates 6 p.m., show 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 25

🦸 Superhero Day with CARS. The Woodlands Children's Museum. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

🎤 Comedy Club at Margaritaville. Lake Conroe.

🎃 SummerWeen - Last Saturday. Old Town Spring. 11 a.m.

🚗 Classic Car Show Cruises Into Evergreen. More info

Got an event coming up? Reply to this email with the details (what, when, where) and we'll get it in front of thousands of your neighbors, 100% free.
(Restrictions Apply)

👉 Local Recommendation

The Woodlands Township runs a free Seed Library out of the Town Hall lobby at 2801 Technology Forest Blvd., open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Take up to three seed packets per visit, no cost, first-come first-served. Grow them at home, then return extra seeds from your own harvest to keep the shelf stocked for your neighbors.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online

🌳 Woodlands Trivia

On July 31, 1997, The Woodlands Corporation and its assets were purchased by a partnership between Morgan Stanley and Crescent Real Estate Equities in a $543 million deal, a turning point that shifted the community from its founding-era ownership into the corporate structure that would eventually lead to today's Howard Hughes Communities.

🤠 Talkin' Texan

"He jumped on me like a duck on a June bug." Translation: someone reacted the instant an opportunity showed up, no hesitation at all.

🚿 Shower Thought

Your bed is a wireless charger for your body.

😂 Dad Joke

What do you call a deer with no eyes?
— No-eye deer.

Were you forwarded this email?

Thanks for reading The Woodlands Digest today! 🙂

Five Courts, One New Front Door: Padel Arrives on FM 1488

Mike Sallés — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Good morning, Woodlands.

One story this week is about a brand new set of courts that opened its doors for the first time. The other is about a man who has shown up to the same tournament every single year since 1976.

Both are about commitment, just at opposite ends of it.

Clyde Fravel's fifty straight years is the one that stuck with us longest.

Glad you're here.

— Erika & Mike

🗞 In this issue…

🎾 Five Courts, One New Front Door: Padel Arrives on FM 1488
🎳 70-Year-Old Tomball Bowler Hits a Milestone No One Else in Texas Has This Year

TOGETHER WITH

Curated listings for quick browsing and easy connections.

🌳 Today's Weather — The Woodlands

🌤️ Partly Cloudy, Clearing to Sunny · Monday, July 20, 2026

🌡️ High 97°F · Low 72°F
💧 Humidity 64% · 💨 Wind WSW 6 mph · 🌧️ Rain chance 22%
☀️ UV Index Extreme · 🌅 Sunrise 6:33 AM · 🌇 Sunset 8:23 PM

Extreme UV and 97 degrees make today a good day to try those new indoor padel courts instead of the driveway.

Five Courts, One New Front Door: Lobb’s Padel Arrives on FM 1488

Lobb's Padel officially opened July 6 at the new Dudley Sports Plaza on FM 1488, bringing the first dedicated padel club to the immediate Woodlands area. The indoor facility features five premium courts, open play sessions, leagues, and a junior academy led by an international-level coach.

Padel, a racquet sport that blends elements of tennis and squash on a smaller, walled court, has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Until this year, the nearest dedicated clubs to The Woodlands sat inside the Beltway, a substantial drive for local players who wanted to try it.

Lobb's is part of a larger buildout at Dudley Sports Plaza, an $8 million, 75,000-square-foot sports complex near the intersection of Kuykendahl Road and FM 1488. The plaza also houses Slick City Action Park, an indoor amusement concept built around dry slides, jungle gyms, and a freestyle air court, with an Elite Pickleball Club and Academy also planned for the site. Beyond the courts themselves, Lobb's offers recovery amenities including a cold bath and sauna, a pro shop, and its own coffee and bar setup meant to double as a social gathering spot before and after play.

Why it matters: this is the first credible second commercial hub The Woodlands has had within its own footprint, giving residents on the west side of the community a reason to stay local for a Saturday night out.

Source/Credits: Community Impact | Visit The Woodlands

70-Year-Old Tomball Bowler Hits a Milestone No One Else in Texas Has This Year

Clyde Fravel III of Tomball made his 50th consecutive appearance at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships this month, joining the tournament's exclusive 50-Year Club during this year's event in Reno, Nevada. The 70-year-old was honored in a presentation at the National Bowling Stadium, receiving a plaque, chevron, and diamond lapel pin to mark the milestone.

Fravel made his tournament debut back in 1976 in Oklahoma City and hasn't missed a year since. He was joined in Reno by his wife of 40 years, Robbie, while his daughter Emily and grandson Carter cheered him on from home. "Being older, I was always concerned about my health and making sure I'm healthy to bowl," Fravel said, recalling a torn arm tendon he fought through a few years ago to keep the streak alive.

He credits a younger group of bowlers he now competes alongside for keeping him sharp on the technology and lane-reading side of the sport. Fravel's not done chasing numbers, either: he's aiming for 100,000 career pins, a target he calculates will take about 10 more years of steady bowling to reach.

Fravel was the final bowler to join the 50-Year Club in 2026, bringing the tournament's all-time total to 420 members.

Why it matters: showing up to the same tournament for half a century, through injuries and everything else life throws at a person, is its own kind of quiet discipline worth noticing.

Source/Credits: USBC / bowl.com

Wednesday, July 22

💼 Conroe ISD Teacher & Instructional Paraprofessional Job Fair. Grand Oaks High School, 4800 Riley Fuzzel Road, Spring. 4:30–6 p.m. Bring a resume and meet campus teams from across the district. More info

📚 Author Story Time with Zane Carruth. Village Books, 9955 Woodlands Parkway. Award-winning children's book author reads for young listeners. More info

Saturday, July 25

🦸 Superhero Day with CARS, presented by The Woodlands Young Learners Academy. The Woodlands Children's Museum, 4775 W. Panther Creek Drive. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Kids dress as their favorite superhero, design a mask, and pose with life-size CARS characters including Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater. $10 adults, $15 children. More info

🎸 Motionless In White: The Sweat and Blood Tour, with Lorna Shore, Fit For A King, and Static Dress. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Drive. 6:30 p.m. More info

Note: Dates and times are as announced online. Organizers may make changes. Always confirm before heading out.

👉 Local Recommendation

Montgomery County Memorial Library System's summer reading program, "Unearth a Story," wraps up July 25 across all seven MCMLS branches. Kids, teens, and adults can log reading on the Reader Zone app or a printed log and turn in completed logs at their home branch for rewards before the program closes. No cost to participate.

Source/Credits: Montgomery County Memorial Library System

🗞️ In Other News…

🛒 Sprouts Farmers Market has begun construction on a new Woodlands location at the former Randalls space on W. Panther Creek Drive, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing; the 30,478-square-foot store is slated to open in 2027. Read more

🌳 Woodlands Trivia

Tamina, a small community just south of The Woodlands, was settled by freed slaves in the years after the Civil War. Its Sweet Rest Cemetery holds graves dating back to 1871, making it one of the oldest documented Black settlements in Montgomery County, predating The Woodlands itself by over a century.

🤠 Talkin' Texan

"Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit." Translation: an exclamation of pure, delighted surprise.

🚿 Shower Thought

Light bulbs were such a good idea that they became the symbol for a good idea.

😂 Dad Joke

What do you call a can opener that doesn't work?
— A can't opener.

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Four Homes, Five Days, One New Beginning in Magnolia

Mike Sallés — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Good morning, The Woodlands.

Four thousand. That's how many free swim lessons a $15,000 grant just bought for kids across Montgomery County.

Drowning is the second leading cause of death for kids under 14 in Texas, so a number like that means something real.

This issue kept circling back to that same idea: people showing up for kids and families who need it most, whether that's a swim lesson or a new set of house keys in Magnolia.

Glad you're here.

— Erika & Mike

🗞 In this issue…

🏡 Habitat for Humanity Dedicates First Homes in Marble Creek Community
🏊 IRONMAN Foundation Grant Brings 4,000 Free Swim Lessons to The Woodlands
🏆 Township Chairman Brad Bailey Named 2026 Community Citizen of the Year
🎤 The Woodlands' Own Tiona Campbell for Christian Country Artist of the Year

TOGETHER WITH

Curated listings for quick browsing and easy connections.

🌳 Today's Weather — The Woodlands

☀️ Mostly Sunny · Sunday, July 19, 2026

🌡️ High 95°F · Low 73°F
💧 Humidity 66% · 💨 Wind SSW 5-10 mph · 🌧️ Rain chance 16%
☀️ UV Index Extreme · 🌅 Sunrise 6:33 AM · 🌇 Sunset 8:23 PM

UV hits extreme again today, so slather on sunscreen before heading out to this afternoon's sing-along show.

Source: The Weather Channel

Habitat for Humanity Dedicates First Homes in New 200-Family Marble Creek Community

Photo: Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County, TX via Facebook

Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County dedicated the first two completed homes in Marble Creek, its new 81-acre community in Magnolia, during a Blitz Build celebration and home dedication event on July 17. The celebration capped a five-day build: LGI Homes constructed three houses between July 13 and 17, while a fourth home, built separately by Matt Powers Custom Homes & Renovations and Laura Powers Property Group, was completed between June 24 and July 17.

Marble Creek is Habitat's next chapter after Cedar Creek in Conroe, a community the organization spent 18 years building out. Marble Creek is planned to eventually house more than 200 families.

The dedication introduced the first two Marble Creek homeowners. Elizabeth is a single mother who teaches in Magnolia ISD's ABLE Program, supporting students with special needs; she and her son have been sharing a one-bedroom apartment. Nettaya is a single mother of two sons who, after leaving an unsafe situation, returned to the workforce, worked her way into leadership roles, and completed Habitat's financial education and sweat equity requirements on the path to owning her own home.

Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County has operated since 1989, relying on volunteers and donors to build affordable homes for families across the county.

Why it matters: two mothers who spent years stretching what space and stability they had now have a permanent home of their own, in a community built to eventually house 200 families in the same position.

Source/Credits: Hello Woodlands

IRONMAN Foundation Grant Brings 4,000 Free Swim Lessons to The Woodlands

The Woodlands Family YMCA is partnering with the IRONMAN Foundation to provide 4,000 swim lessons to local children and families through a $15,000 Swim Ready grant, supporting swimming education across Montgomery County and surrounding communities. Drowning is the second leading cause of death for children under 14 in Texas, and the program is aimed at removing financial barriers for families in higher-risk communities.

"This $15,000 Swim Ready Grant from The IRONMAN Foundation helps us expand lifesaving swim lessons and remove financial barriers, so more children in our highest-risk communities can learn to stay safe in the water," said Lauren Jelen, Center Executive Director of The Woodlands Family YMCAs. IRONMAN Foundation President Shane Facteau said the partnership is part of a broader Swim Ready push with YMCAs across the country.

Swim lessons through the program are offered at both Woodlands Family YMCA locations, Shadowbend and Branch Crossing.

Source/Credits: Hello Woodlands

Township Chairman Brad Bailey Named 2026 Community Citizen of the Year

Brad Bailey via Facebook

The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce named Township Chairman Brad Bailey its 2026 Community Citizen of the Year during public comment at the Township's July 16 board meeting. The award recognizes a resident whose leadership has strengthened the area's economic, civic, and cultural well-being.

Heather Ramsey, representing the Chamber, made the announcement. Bailey, accepting the award, expressed surprise and gratitude, crediting fellow board members for bringing diverse perspectives to the table and working through community challenges via dialogue and public engagement.

Source/Credits: The Woodlands Township

The Woodlands' Own Tiona Campbell a Finalist for Christian Country Artist of the Year

Instagram post

Texas Country Music Association has named Woodlands-based singer-songwriter Tiona Campbell one of five finalists for Christian Country Artist of the Year at the 2026 Texas Country Music Awards. The nomination points to her songwriting, live performances, and the consistent faith-and-hope thread running through her music, and puts her name alongside some of the most established artists working in Christian Country right now. Winners will be announced November 8 at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth.

"I'm honored and humbled to be nominated for Christian Country Artist of the Year," Campbell said. "To be recognized by the Texas Country Music Association is such a blessing. I want to thank my family, friends, supporters, radio, and everyone who has believed in my music and my journey. Most of all, I give God all the glory."

Campbell's style blends Texas country storytelling with uplifting lyrics, and her songs lean into life's hard stretches, hope, and faith, the kind of writing that's built her a following among listeners drawn to music with real substance behind it. Fan voting for this year's awards runs through August 15, and the ceremony returns once again to Billy Bob's Texas, bringing together Texas Country artists, fans, and industry professionals for one of the genre's marquee nights.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online

Sunday, July 19

🎹 Family-Friendly Sing-Along Show. Two Tones Dueling Piano Bar, 27832 I-45 North. 2–4 p.m. Interactive dueling-pianos performance mixing Disney songs, classic sing-alongs, and crowd-pleasing hits for all ages. More info

Tuesday, July 21

Thursday, July 23

🌸 Girls Night Out: Botanical Bath Bomb + Steamer Night. Magnolia Ritual – Texas Apothecary, 6318 FM 1488 Suite 110, Magnolia. 6–9 p.m. Make your own bath bombs or steamers with botanical add-ons, pressed flower toppers, and scent blending, plus a mini body mist or shower oil, dessert, and curated vendors. $45. More info

🎬 Movies on the Lawn: The Bad Guys 2. The Woodlands Mall, 1201 Lake Woodlands Drive (near Shake Shack). 7 p.m. Free, family-friendly outdoor movie night on the lawn. Blankets and chairs welcome. More info

Friday, July 24

🎸 Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band: Keep the Party Going Tour. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Drive. Gates 6 p.m., show 7:30 p.m. A trop-rock night of Buffett classics from his longtime backing band. Tickets required. More info

👉 Local Recommendation

Sharica Greene woke up with chest pressure, cold sweats, and shortness of breath, and called 911 rather than driving herself, even though her first EKG came back normal. A St. Luke's Health–The Vintage cardiologist trusted his instincts anyway, found a 99% blockage, and cleared it within 30 minutes. If something feels wrong, don't wait for a textbook symptom to confirm it.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online

🗞️ In Other News…

🏛️ Conroe City Council voted 3-2 on July 9 to support a Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District proposal that would nearly double Montgomery County's available groundwater for pumping, from about 97,000 to 199,000 acre-feet annually, while also delaying a $300,000 holiday lighting agreement for Candy Cane Park. Read more

🎶 The Woodlands Arts Council is inviting seniors 65 and up to a free Community Songwriting Workshop on August 6, where participants will craft an original song together in under 90 minutes using games, color, and musical activities. Read more

🎭 Class Act Productions is hosting "A Night to Shine: Masquerade," a black-tie gala with dinner, dancing, and live performances on August 15 to raise funds for the organization's theater programs. Read more

🌳 Woodlands Trivia

George Mitchell, the founder of The Woodlands, was born in Galveston to Greek immigrant parents. His father, Savvas Paraskevopoulos, arrived at Ellis Island at age 20, worked railroad crews, and took the surname of his paymaster, Mike Mitchell, after the man grew tired of writing his original name on the payroll.

🤠 Talkin' Texan

"Cute as a sack full of puppies." Translation: about as adorable as it gets, no argument allowed.

🚿 Shower Thought

The purpose of a lock is to turn a door into a wall.

😂 Dad Joke

Why don't eggs tell jokes?
— They'd crack up.

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30 Years, One Bank, One Conroe Root: Mayrant Takes the Top Job at Woodforest

Mike Sallés — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Good morning, Woodlands.

Thirty years. That's how long Julie Mayrant spent at Woodforest before stepping into the CEO seat this week, starting all the way back at the bank's very first branch, right here in Conroe.

It's the kind of slow build that's easy to root for.

This issue leans into that same energy: new beginnings all around, a fresh coffee shop, a new gym, one long career finally reaching the top.

Glad you're here.

— Erika & Mike

🗞 In this issue…

🏦 After 30 Years at Woodforest, Mayrant Becomes CEO
☕ Waygood Coffee Opens Its Doors on College Park Drive
💪 DFW Gym Franchise Absolute Recomp Coming to Spring
🏡 Home & Outdoor Living Show Returns to Conroe in August

TOGETHER WITH

Curated listings for quick browsing and easy connections.

🌳 Today's Weather — The Woodlands

⛅ Partly Cloudy · Saturday, July 18, 2026

🌡️ High 94°F · Low 73°F
💧 Humidity 68% · 💨 Wind SSW 7 mph · 🌧️ Rain chance 8%
☀️ UV Index Extreme · 🌅 Sunrise 6:32 AM · 🌇 Sunset 8:24 PM

UV hits extreme today, so slather on sunscreen if you're headed to tonight's Flatland Cavalry show at the Pavilion.

After 30 Years at Woodforest, Mayrant Becomes CEO

Julie V. Mayrant stepped into the role of President and CEO of Woodforest National Bank on July 15, after more than 30 years at the employee-owned bank. Her Woodforest career began at the company's first in-store branch, right here in Conroe, a model that helped grow the bank into one of the largest retail banking networks in the country, with nearly 740 branches across 17 states.

"It has been a privilege to grow with Woodforest over the past 30 years," Mayrant said. "Our success has always been rooted in our people, our culture of ownership, and our commitment to putting customers first and communities always." Mayrant and her husband, Jerry, have lived in Montgomery County throughout her career and currently chairs the board of Interfaith of The Woodlands.

Why it matters: the person now running one of the largest employee-owned banks in the country got her start at a single branch in Conroe.

Source/Credits: Hello Woodlands | PR Newswire

Waygood Coffee Opens Its Doors on College Park Drive

Waygood Coffee is holding its soft opening on College Park Drive in The Woodlands area this week, running July 15 through 19, with a grand opening week and 50% off drinks set for July 20 through 26. The drive-thru only shop is the coffeehouse's fourth Texas location, founder Auri Jalili confirmed, and specializes in espresso-based drinks with housemade syrups like vanilla and caramel.

"We really hone in on the richness of our flavors and pick out which coffee beans work the best," Jalili said. "And it's fresh. So now, you have a product that we think is superior to brands off the shelf that go down the supply chain." Menu favorites include the Waygood Latte and the Seaside Shakerato, a salted vanilla shaken espresso with an extra shot.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

DFW Gym Franchise Absolute Recomp Coming to Spring

Dallas-Fort Worth gym franchise Absolute Recomp is expanding to Spring on Holzwarth Road, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing. The gyms are staffed and open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and the Spring location will be equipped for strength training, physique-focused workouts, and longer-term body goals.

Each Absolute Recomp location also houses a retail shop offering merchandise and supplements, giving members a one-stop setup alongside their workouts.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

Home & Outdoor Living Show Returns to Conroe in August

The 8th Annual Fall Montgomery County Home & Outdoor Living Show returns to the Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe on August 29 and 30, with free admission and parking. Homeowners can meet one-on-one with local pros covering everything from kitchen and bathroom remodeling to pools, patios, roofing, and generators.

Highlights include a live appearance from Tom Tynan of HomeShow Radio, gardening advice from Skip Richter of KTRH's GardenLine, and a Saturday-only Children's Entrepreneur Market featuring more than 40 young local business owners. The show's Buy It Now aisle also spotlights small local vendors, from Heritage 1857 Coffee to handcrafted Talavera décor, alongside nonprofits including Habitat for Humanity Montgomery County and Operation Pets Alive!

Source/Credits: Hello Woodlands

Saturday, July 18

🎸 Flatland Cavalry: Work of Heart Tour. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Drive. 7:30 p.m. Texas country night with Randy Rogers Band and Zack Telander opening. Tickets required. More info

🎨 Art Matters Series III: Fireside Chat with Bob Mosier. The Woodlands Arts Council Gallery, 9450 Grogan's Mill Road, Suite 160. 2–4 p.m. An intimate conversation with exhibiting artist Bob Mosier on art, creativity, and community. Free, RSVP required. More info

Sunday, July 19

Tuesday, July 21

Thursday, July 23

👉 Local Recommendation

The YMCA of Greater Houston has kicked off the 22nd year of Operation Backpack, its annual drive collecting and distributing backpacks and school supplies for kids ahead of the 2026-27 school year. The program reaches roughly 30,000 community members across the Houston area each year, according to a July 10 news release from YMCA officials.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

🗞️ In Other News…

🧑‍💼 Texas added 43,400 nonfarm jobs in June, bringing the state to 177,900 new jobs over the past year, a 1.2% annual growth rate outpacing the national rate by 0.9 points, according to new Texas Workforce Commission data. Read more

🦟 Montgomery County confirmed its first human West Nile virus case of the year on June 26, as mosquito season hits its June-to-August peak. Read more

🥎 Diamond Impact Training Center, a new indoor baseball and softball training facility in Spring, officially opened June 1 with HitTrax swing-analysis technology for real-time performance feedback. Read more

🌳 Woodlands Trivia

Before George Mitchell built The Woodlands as a forest-preserving, master-planned community, he was already known in the oil and gas industry by a very different nickname: the "father of fracking." He spent nearly two decades developing hydraulic fracturing techniques in North Texas's Barnett Shale, finally striking commercial success in 1997, the same fortune that helped bankroll the community he'd already started building here in 1974.

🤠 Talkin' Texan

"That boy's a few fries shy of a Happy Meal." Translation: bless his heart, he's not the sharpest tool in the shed.

🚿 Shower Thought

Your car keys have traveled farther than your car ever will, since they've ridden along on every trip, plus every time you've walked around the house looking for them.

😂 Dad Joke

Why don't skeletons ever start arguments?

— They don't have the guts.

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TWD | Issue #007

Mike Sallés — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Good morning, The Woodlands.

Four continents. That's how far word has traveled about a light-and-mist installation sitting quietly in a City Place pond, a few miles from most of our front doors.

It's a good reminder that things worth noticing don't always announce themselves loudly.

This issue's a lighter one, no big through-line connecting it all, just four things worth knowing about this week.

— Erika & Mike

🗞 In this issue…

🎨 A Spring Pond Just Became an International Art Story
🎭 National Youth Theater Announces Permanent Arts Center in Conroe
🌱 The Township's Biggest Garden Event Returns to Rob Fleming Park in September
🏢 What Rising Retail Rents Say About The Woodlands' Commercial Market

TWD | Issue #007

TOGETHER WITH

Curated listings for quick browsing and easy connections.

🌳 Today's Weather — The Woodlands

🌤️ Partly to Mostly Cloudy · Friday, July 17, 2026

🌡️ High 94°F · Low 75°F
💧 Humidity 68% · 💨 Wind S 8 mph · 🌧️ Rain chance 10%
☀️ UV Index Extreme · 🌅 Sunrise 6:32 AM · 🌇 Sunset 8:24 PM

UV climbs to extreme today, so sunscreen before you head out — good weather though for tonight's Speaker Wars show at Dosey Doe.

A Spring Pond Just Became an International Art Story

Arc ZERO, is the work of Australian artist James Tapscott. Photo: City Place via Facebook

A public art installation sitting in a pond at City Place has picked up coverage in publications on four different continents this year, and it's not because Spring, Texas suddenly became an international art capital. It's because of the piece itself.

The installation, called Arc ZERO, is the work of Australian artist James Tapscott, who has spent years building out the series in locations around the world, including a piece in Kaohsiung, Taiwan that won a CODA Award, and one in Seoul named Design of the Year at the LIT Awards. City Place marks Tapscott's first show in Texas, and the first time he's presented two works from the Arc ZERO series together in the same place: Eclipse and Nimbus, a pair of interactive rings built from light and mist, set into the pond system at City Place Park. The installation is a partnership between City Place and Weingarten Art Group, the firm that curates the campus's rotating public art program.

Since it went up, the piece has drawn write-ups from architecture, art, and design outlets well outside Texas. China's gooood described it as a "spatial dialogue of liquid and mist," Germany's polis Magazine called it a "flowing dialogue" between the two works, and Japan's AXIS wrote about how light, water, wind, and a visitor's own presence combine to turn the surrounding space into art.

City Place has pointed to the coverage as proof of what a public art program can do for a place that isn't exactly known as an international art destination, giving Spring visibility well beyond the Houston region. Arc ZERO is on view at City Place Park through August 23.

Why it matters: a pond in Spring is showing up in art magazines on four continents right now, and that's not a sentence most suburban communities get to say.

Source/Credits: Hello Woodlands

National Youth Theater Announces Permanent Arts Center in Conroe

National Youth Theater is opening the new NYT Arts Center in Fall 2026; Photo Credit: National Youth Theater via Hello Woodlands

National Youth Theater, a Christian performing arts nonprofit that's trained students across the North Houston area for more than a decade, is getting its first permanent home. The new NYT Arts Center will open at 1115 Houston Street in Conroe in early Fall 2026.

The organization currently runs its programs out of a studio space in Spring, but the new center will take over as both administrative headquarters and primary educational facility. NYT says the space is meant to give its productions, classes, camps, and educational programs room to grow year-round, rather than operating around whatever space is available.

Beyond classes and rehearsals, NYT is positioning the Arts Center as a gathering spot for families, artists, and community partners across Montgomery County and the wider North Houston region. Details on class schedules, homeschool programming, and a grand opening celebration are still to come.

Why it matters: a nonprofit that's spent over ten years training kids in borrowed spaces is finally getting a permanent stage of its own, right here in Conroe.

Source/Credits: Hello Woodlands

The Township's Biggest Garden Event Returns to Rob Fleming Park in September

The Woodlands Township is now taking vendor applications and sponsorship inquiries for the 29th annual Woodlands Landscaping Solutions, set for Saturday, September 26, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Recreation Center at Rob Fleming Park.

Billed as the region's premier lawn and garden event, it's free to attend and draws around 1,700 residents each year looking for advice on sustainable landscaping, native plants, and water-wise gardening. Businesses, organizations, and gardening experts are invited to set up as vendors to showcase products and services tied to landscaping, conservation, and outdoor living.

Nearly three decades of history back the event, which the Township's Environmental Services Department has run as a way to connect residents directly with local landscaping and gardening resources. Businesses interested in participating can reach the department at enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov.

Why it matters: an event that's been running for almost 30 years and still pulls 1,700 people through the gate says something about how many of us actually want to get our hands in the dirt.

Source/Credits: Hello Woodlands | The Woodlands Township

What Rising Retail Rents Say About The Woodlands' Commercial Market

Retail rental rates in The Woodlands area rose to $25.29 per square foot monthly as of July 2, up more than $3 from the same point in the third quarter of 2025, according to data from Caldwell Cos.

Office and industrial rental rates climbed too, continuing a trend that's held since 2023. On the construction side, the picture is mixed: the number of industrial buildings under construction is less than half what it was a year ago, while the number of retail buildings under construction ticked up by one over the same period.

Check out some interesting charts and visuals: Community Impact

Why it matters: a jump in what it costs to rent a storefront here is a small number with a real effect, since it shapes which businesses can afford to open near you next.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

Friday, July 17

🎸 The Speaker Wars, featuring Stan Lynch. Dosey Doe – The Big Barn. 8 p.m., kitchen opens early. Stan Lynch is a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. More info

Saturday, July 18

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Quiet Discovery Hour (Sensory-Friendly). The Woodlands Children's Museum, 4775 West Panther Creek Drive. 9–10 a.m. A lower-stimulation morning session for neurodiverse families, open before the museum opens to the general public, with no overhead announcements or speakers and limited crowd sizes. More info

🎨 Art Matters Series III: Fireside Chat with Bob Mosier. The Woodlands Arts Council Gallery, 9450 Grogan's Mill Road, Suite 160. 2–4 p.m. Free, open to the public, RSVP required. An intimate conversation with exhibiting artist Bob Mosier on art, creativity, and community. More info

🎸 Flatland Cavalry with Randy Rogers Band and Zack Telander. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Drive. 7:30 p.m. Texas country night on the Main Stage from the Work of Heart Tour. Tickets required. More info

Sunday, July 19

Tuesday, July 21

🎼 The Music of Billy Joel & Elton John, starring Michael Cavanaugh. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Drive. 8 p.m. Free show with the Houston Symphony, no tickets required. Michael Cavanaugh, hand-picked by Billy Joel to play him on Broadway, performs the two artists' biggest hits with full symphonic backing. More info

👉 Local Recommendation

Lone Star College System's fall 2026 semester starts this August, with hundreds of degree and certificate programs, flexible scheduling, and support built for students at every stage, including first-generation students and those planning to transfer later. LSC-Montgomery student Fernando Romero says the system's affordability and closeness to home let him build a resume and get a feel for college before transferring to a four-year university. Registration is open now.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online

🗞️ In Other News…

🎨 The Woodlands Township announced winners of its America 250 "Let Freedom Chalk" pathway art contest, with one winner selected from each village for a commemorative trophy and prize. Read more

🍵 Artisan tea cafe Leaf Petal Stem opened its first permanent location in Old Town Spring on July 3, after starting as a mobile tea bar in 2025. Read more

🎓 The John Cooper School says applications keep climbing as it gears up for its 2026 enrollment season, nearly four decades after George Mitchell founded the school on 43 acres in The Woodlands. Read more

🚤 Precinct 1's Marine Division logged 14 incidents, 226 boater safety checks, and 2 BWI arrests on Lake Conroe over the Fourth of July weekend. Read more

🌳 Woodlands Trivia

When George Mitchell began building The Woodlands, he started with 17,450 acres of forest and later added another 10,000 acres of timberland, bringing his total holdings to nearly 29,000 acres. All of it was built around a personal commitment to preserve at least 28 percent of the native pine forest that gave the community its name.

🤠 Talkin' Texan

"That dog wouldn't bite a biscuit." Translation: that critter (or that person) is about as harmless and easygoing as they come.

🚿 Shower Thought

Brushing our teeth is the closest we ever come to cleaning our own skeleton.

😂 Dad Joke

Why did the cookie go to the doctor?
— It felt crumby.

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TWD | Issue #006

Mike Sallés — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Good morning, The Woodlands.

Six years without a place of their own, and Rock Bottom Hope just got its first real front door. There's something about that we can't stop thinking about.

That kind of quiet milestone runs through this whole issue. A Township election opening up four board seats, new storefronts landing across the community, it all comes down to the people and places that hold this community together: the nonprofits, the neighbors willing to serve, the small businesses betting on us.

Glad you're here.

— Erika & Mike

🗞 In this issue…

🖤 Rock Bottom Hope Opens Its First Physical Home in The Woodlands
🗳️ Four Seats, Two-Year Terms: Township Election Filing Begins Soon
🎂 Free Cakes for a Year: Nothing Bundt Cakes' Grand Opening Week Kicks Off July 20
🛍️ The Woodlands Area's Newest Storefronts, From a Facial Studio to an Arcade

TWD | Issue #006

TOGETHER WITH

Curated listings for quick browsing and easy connections.

🌳 Today's Weather — The Woodlands

Scattered Thunderstorms · Thursday, July 16, 2026

🌡️ High 90°F · Low 75°F
💧 Humidity 75% · 💨 Wind SSE 5–10 mph · 🌧️ Rain chance 50%
☀️ UV Index 7 of 11 · 🌅 Sunrise 6:31 AM · 🌇 Sunset 8:24 PM

Storms could bring strong gusty winds later today, so keep an eye on the sky if you're headed to tonight's Rock the Row show.

Source: The Weather Channel

Rock Bottom Hope Opens Its First Physical Home in The Woodlands

Rock Bottom Hope, a Woodlands-based nonprofit cofounded and comanaged by husband-and-wife team Danny and Allesha Childress, marked a milestone this month with the grand opening of its first-ever physical facility, donated free of charge by District Counseling of Spring and Tomball. The organization has operated for more than six years but never had a dedicated space of its own until now.

Danny, now 42, spent ten years of his youth, from age 14 to 24, battling alcoholism and methamphetamine addiction before getting sober. "Rock Bottom Hope is born out of my own story of addiction," he told Woodlands Online. He and Allesha, a licensed chemical dependency counselor, launched the nonprofit full-time in January 2020, connecting people in crisis to resources, counseling, and a personalized recovery plan. "My husband has walked this road and he understands it," Allesha said.

The new facility means the organization no longer only meets people where they are; now, for the first time, people can come to them. Their motto, as Danny put it, is simple: "Love first, ask questions later."

Why it matters: a couple who built a nonprofit out of their own hardest years just gave it a permanent front door, and that's the kind of quiet, steady work that changes lives.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online

Four Seats, Two-Year Terms: Township Election Filing Begins Soon

Filing for four at-large seats on The Woodlands Township Board of Directors opens July 18 and runs through 5 p.m. on August 17, ahead of the November 3 election. The seats, designated Positions 1 through 4, are two-year, volunteer, non-compensated roles. The deadline to file a declaration of write-in candidacy is 5 p.m. on August 21.

To qualify, a candidate must be at least 18 by November 3, have lived in The Woodlands Township for the past six months, have lived in Texas for the past twelve months, and be a U.S. citizen. A felony conviction or a finding of mental incompetence disqualifies a candidate.

Why it matters: with four board seats opening up this year, this is the earliest a resident can start paying attention, whether they're thinking about running or just want to know who'll be asking for their vote in November.

Source/Credits: The Woodlands Township

Free Cakes for a Year: Nothing Bundt Cakes' Grand Opening Week Kicks Off July 20

The new Nothing Bundt Cakes location in North Woodlands, which quietly opened June 14, is planning a full week of grand opening festivities beginning July 20 at its Conroe location. "I love being able to invest in a growing community and give people a place to celebrate," said Gunnar Moore, Director of Operations for Sweet Delights LLC, which owns this and other area locations.

The grand opening week runs July 20–25, with 20% off in-bakery purchases for first responders, healthcare workers, teachers, and city employees on their respective days. Thursday, July 23 brings a ribbon cutting, a Texas Children's Heart Center benefit day, and a "Free Bundtlets for a Year" punch card for the first 50 guests age 18 and up.

Why it matters: a new bakery giving back to Texas Children's Heart Center during its own grand opening week is a reminder that a new storefront can mean more than just another place to shop.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online

The Woodlands Area's Newest Storefronts, From a Facial Studio to an Arcade

Several new businesses opened or announced upcoming openings across The Woodlands area this June, according to Community Impact. The Only Facial has opened on Research Forest Drive, offering customized facials with dermaplaning, microdermabrasion, and LED light therapy. In Shenandoah, HobbyTown opened off I-45 after a June 5 grand opening, while Woodlands Elite Cheer Company opened a new FM 1488 location offering competitive cheer programs for ages 3 to 18.

Two more are on the way: Tokyouth Playhub, a Japanese-concept arcade, celebrated its grand opening June 27 in Spring, and an indoor playground called Lava Island is coming to Panther Creek Village Center.

Why it matters: a wave of new storefronts opening across the area in the same month is the kind of everyday growth that's easy to miss but adds up to more reasons to shop close to home.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

Thursday, July 16

🤸 Preschool Stay & Play. Woodlands Sportsplex. 9:30–11:30 a.m. Supervised gym fun for ages 18 months–5 years. $15 per child. More info

🎤 Rock the Row: Brenda Guy, The One Woman Show. Hughes Landing, on Lake Woodlands. 7–9 p.m. Free outdoor concert, soul music, part of the summer Rock the Row series. Bring a blanket or lawn chair. More info

Friday, July 17

Saturday, July 18

🎨 Art Matters Series III: Fireside Chat with Bob Mosier. The Woodlands Arts Council Gallery, 9450 Grogan's Mill Road, Suite 160. 2–4 p.m. Free, open to the public, RSVP required. More info

Sunday, July 19

Note: Dates and times are as announced online. Organizers may make changes. Always confirm before heading out.

👉 Local Recommendation

As UV levels climb this summer, Houston Methodist The Woodlands dermatologist Dr. Sonal Parikh says most people apply sunscreen wrong, skipping reapplication every two hours and missing the scalp, ears, neck, hands, and feet. Use broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher, plus a wide-brimmed hat and shade during peak sun, since tanned skin isn't protected skin.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online

🗞️ In Other News…

🎤 Margaritaville Lake Resort Lake Conroe's Headliner Comedy Series returns July 25 with "Cajun Queen of Comedy" Caroline Picard, hosted by Billy D. Washington. Read more

🌳 The Woodlands Township is now accepting vendor and sponsorship applications for the 29th annual Woodlands Landscaping Solutions, a free sustainability event drawing about 1,700 attendees each September. Read more

🍽️ Menus for the 23rd annual Houston Restaurant Weeks went live July 15, with more than 350 restaurants expected to participate August 1 through September 7, including Black Walnut in The Woodlands. Read more🗞️ In Other News…

🌳 Woodlands Trivia

When The Woodlands was being built, even McDonald's had to play by George Mitchell's rules. The Panther Creek location was required to blend into the tree canopy with no soaring golden arches in sight, the same strict signage standards applied to every business in the community. It became one of the highest-volume McDonald's in Texas anyway.

🤠 Talkin' Texan

"That's a real toad-strangler." Translation: a downpour serious enough to make you believe the frogs are in trouble.

🚿 Shower Thought

An underrated perk of being an adult is you no longer outgrow your clothes.

😂 Dad Joke

What do you call a factory that makes just okay products?
— A satisfactory.

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TWD | Issue #005

Mike Sallés — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Good morning, The Woodlands.

Two hours. That's how far two Montgomery County nurses once drove into Waller County just to make sure a fellow nurse wasn't sent off without someone there to honor her. That kind of showing up runs through this whole issue, from a hospital turning a room into a campsite for kids who can't go home, to a fifty-year-old parade that still pulls out all the stops. The Nurse Honor Guard story is the one that stuck with us longest.

Glad you're here.

— Erika & Mike

🗞 In this issue…

👩‍⚕️ The Nurses Who Show Up One Last Time
🏕️ Texas Children's Brings Summer Camp to Kids Who Can't Leave the Hospital
🍽️ Chef Austin Simmons' Charolais Is Open for Business
🎆 The South County Fourth of July Parade Just Turned 50

TWD | Issue #005

TOGETHER WITH

Curated listings for quick browsing and easy connections.

🌳 Today's Weather — The Woodlands

🌦️ Rain Showers, Clearing Later · Wednesday, July 15, 2026

🌡️ High 81°F · Low 74°F
💧 Humidity 87% · 💨 Wind SE 7 mph · 🌧️ Rain chance 50%
☀️ UV Index 6 of 11 · 🌅 Sunrise 6:31 AM · 🌇 Sunset 8:25 PM

Morning showers should ease up by tonight's outdoor Symphony show, so grab an umbrella for the drive in just in case.

Source: The Weather Channel

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The Nurses Who Show Up One Last Time

Texas Nurse Honor Guard - Montogomery County via Facebook

A group of Montgomery County nurses has taken on a duty most people never think about: making sure no nurse's career ends unnoticed. Texas Nurse Honor Guard - Montgomery County is a nonprofit made up entirely of volunteer active and retired RNs and LVNs who perform ceremonial tributes at funerals for deceased nurses. They also visit nurses nearing the end of life, whether from advanced age or terminal illness, to honor them while they're still here to see it.

The tradition traces back to 2003, when the Kansas State Nurses Association formed the first group of its kind, drawing on the format of a military honor guard to recognize a nurse's lifetime of service. The American Nurses Association sanctioned the practice in 2005, and the idea spread nationally starting in 2011. Montgomery County's chapter, founded in 2017, was one of the earliest in Texas.

Chapter president Janna Billetbeaux didn't set out to build a nonprofit. Her path to nursing started at a summer camp in the Hill Country, where she spent childhood summers with her grandmother, a registered nurse. The summer after Billetbeaux started college, her grandmother had a heart attack. It wasn't fatal, and the camp let Billetbeaux stay in the nurse's cabin until her grandmother was discharged, filling in as an impromptu nurse's aide for other campers along the way. She changed her major and started a nursing program within months. Later, watching her own father serve with the Houston Fire Department Honor Guard, she wondered why nurses didn't have something similar. A little research turned up honor guards already active in the Midwest, so she brought the idea to a coworker, invited a handful of nurse friends to an interest meeting, and the Montgomery County chapter was born.

As president, Billetbeaux personally speaks with each grieving family, gathering details to write the history read aloud at the ceremony. She and a fellow nurse once drove more than two hours into Waller County to cover a service for a county with no chapter of its own, and she once performed a service in Illinois for a family member of her daughter-in-law when the local chapter there couldn't. The ceremony itself, a Final Call to Duty, mirrors a military tribute: nurses in traditional white uniforms and capes place a white rose on the casket, read the Nightingale Tribute, call the nurse's name, and ring a triangle three times to mark her release from duty. The services are free to every family. The chapter, a registered 501(c)3, is actively looking for more volunteer nurses to join as requests keep growing.

Why it matters: a nurse spends a career showing up for other people, and this is a group of her own peers making sure someone shows up for her, too.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online

Texas Children's Brings Summer Camp to Kids Who Can't Leave the Hospital

Photo by Rod Prado / Hello Woodlands via Facebook

Texas Children's Hospital The Woodlands partnered with Camp For All 2U on July 1 to bring a full day of camp activities directly to pediatric patients who aren't well enough to leave the hospital. The program packed in canoeing, archery, s'mores, and time with barnyard animals, all adapted to run safely inside a hospital setting, giving patients a day of adventure tailored to their unique needs within a safe, accessible environment.

Source/Credits: Hello Woodlands

Chef Austin Simmons' Charolais Is Open for Business

Photo Courtesy of Howard Hughes Communities via Woodlands Online.

Charolais by Chef Austin Simmons is officially open at Hughes Landing, following its soft opening covered in a previous issue. The 200-seat restaurant includes a main dining room with an open kitchen, a social bar with a chef-driven cocktail program, and an open-air patio, along with two private dining rooms that seat 24 and 36 guests for corporate gatherings or special events.

Next door, C&R Market extends the Charolais concept into retail, selling the same premium beef featured on the menu alongside branded apparel and other take-home items. "Opening Charolais in The Woodlands means a great deal to me because this community has been such an important part of my story," Simmons said, adding that he wanted the restaurant to reflect "the energy, pride, and standards of this market."

Charolais is open Tuesday through Thursday from 3 to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 3 to 10 p.m. C&R Market opens earlier each day, Tuesday through Sunday, starting at noon.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online

The South County Fourth of July Parade Just Turned 50

Photo by The Woodlands Township via Facebook

The South County Fourth of July Parade marked its 50th year on July 4, doubling as a tribute to America's 250th anniversary. The "America250" theme ran through the entire parade: patriotic floats, marching bands, military units, community groups, and first responders moved along the 1.4-mile route through Market Street and Town Center, opening with a Rolling Thunder cannon salute and a Color Guard presentation from the Sons of the American Revolution's Freedom Chapter. A live bald eagle appearance and a performance by Lord Sterling's Fifes and Drums rounded out the morning.

The parade drew thousands of spectators and around 120 entries this year. It's run by the South County Fourth of July Committee, a nonprofit that has organized the event since the early 1990s, continuing a tradition that started with The Woodlands Lions Club in the late 1970s. Over the years, the Committee has awarded more than $100,000 in high school band scholarships.

Source/Credits: Hello Woodlands

Wednesday, July 15

🎼 Game On! A Symphony of Sport — The Woodlands Symphony. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Drive. Gates 6:30 p.m., show 7:30 p.m. Free, no ticket required. A high-energy tribute to stadium anthems and Olympic fanfares, kicking off the Symphony's Season 13. More info

Thursday, July 16

🤸 Preschool Stay & Play. Woodlands Sportsplex. 9:30–11:30 a.m. Supervised gym fun for ages 18 months–5 years. $15 per child. More info

Friday, July 17

Saturday, July 18

Note: Dates and times are as announced online. Organizers may make changes. Always confirm before heading out.

👉 Local Recommendation

The Woodlands Township needs volunteers for its Residential Design Review Committees in Creekside Park and Indian Springs WCA, the resident-run groups that review neighbors' home modification requests. You must own property and live in the village you'd serve. Creekside Park meets the fourth Thursday monthly at 5:30 p.m., Indian Springs WCA at 6 p.m. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Friday, August 7.

Source/Credits: The Woodlands Township

🗞️ In Other News…

🎨 The Woodlands Township announced village winners of its America 250 "Let Freedom Chalk" pathway art contest, with one winner per village taking home a trophy and prize. Read more

🍹 Margaritaville Lake Resort Lake Conroe is hosting "Tequila in Paradise" on July 24 to celebrate National Tequila Day, with a lakeside tasting of premium tequila and mezcal from top brands. Read more

🏡 The 8th Annual Montgomery County Fall Home & Outdoor Living Show returns to the Lone Star Convention Center in Conroe on August 29-30, with free admission and local home improvement pros under one roof. Read more

🌳 Woodlands Trivia

The Woodlands almost carried a different origin story before it carried the name at all. Long before the community existed, "The Woodlands" was actually what George Mitchell called a 3,500-acre family ranch he owned off SH 149, between Magnolia and Montgomery, complete with horses, cattle, and axis deer. When it came time to name the new community, his wife Cynthia Woods insisted on keeping "The" in front of it, a small detail that's stuck for over 50 years.

🤠 Talkin' Texan

"She's fixin' to cloud up and rain all over somebody." Translation: she's about to lose her temper, and everyone in the room can feel it coming.

🚿 Shower Thought

Even when a balloon is only half inflated, it's still completely full.

😂 Dad Joke

What do you call an owl magician?
— Hoo-dini.

Were you forwarded this email?

TWD | Issue #004

Mike Sallés — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Good morning, The Woodlands.

A baby is safe this morning because a fire station box worked exactly the way it was built to. That's the kind of quiet, dependable care this town runs on, and this issue has it everywhere, in a fifty-year-old accounting firm in Spring, in fresh grants aimed at a stretch of Hwy. 249 in Tomball, in a new school zone waiting for its first day of classes. Comfort and growth, side by side, same as always.

Glad you're here.

— Erika & Mike

🗞 In this issue…

👶 A Silent Alarm, a Baby Kept Safe: The Woodlands' Safe Haven Box Does Its Job
💼 A Half-Century of Balancing the Books in Spring
🏗️ Two Buildings, Two Grants: Tomball Invests in a Hwy. 249 Facelift
🚸 Conroe Adds a School Zone Ahead of a New Elementary's August Opening

TWD | Issue #004

TOGETHER WITH

Curated listings for quick browsing and easy connections.

🌳 Today's Weather — The Woodlands

⛈️ Thunderstorms in effect this morning. Have an umbrella within reach before you head out.

Today's Weather — The Woodlands
⛈️ Thunderstorms · Tuesday, July 14, 2026

🌡️ High 79°F · Low 73°F
💧 Humidity 93% · 💨 Wind ESE 6 mph · 🌧️ Rain chance 70%
🕐 Rain expected: thunderstorms this morning, occasional showers in the afternoon
☀️ UV Index 5 of 11
🌅 Sunrise 6:30 AM · 🌇 Sunset 8:25 PM

Good day to keep today's Boogie Bash indoors in mind, morning storms mean an umbrella earns its keep before lunch.

A Silent Alarm, a Baby Kept Safe: The Woodlands' Safe Haven Box Does Its Job

A baby was safely and anonymously surrendered Monday using the Safe Haven Baby Box at The Woodlands Fire Department's Station 6, according to The Woodlands Township.

The box is built for exactly this. When someone places a baby inside the climate-controlled unit, a silent alarm alerts firefighters immediately, allowing crews to respond within minutes while the person surrendering the child stays anonymous. Station 6 crews followed established Safe Haven Baby Box protocols and had the baby safely transported to a local hospital for a medical evaluation.

The box operates under the Texas Safe Haven Law, sometimes called the Baby Moses Law, which lets a parent legally and anonymously surrender an infant at a designated location without fear of prosecution. "This Safe Haven Baby Box exists for moments exactly like this," said Fire Chief Palmer Buck. "Today, a baby is safe because someone chose a secure and legal option during what was undoubtedly a difficult situation."

The Woodlands Township Chairman Brad Bailey echoed that relief. "The Safe Haven Baby Box provides a compassionate option that protects the health and safety of babies while offering hope during a crisis," Bailey said. "We are thankful this baby is safe and commend the Fire Department for its commitment to providing this lifesaving resource to our community."

The story drew coverage well beyond The Woodlands, with Houston TV stations FOX 26 and KPRC's Click2Houston both reporting on the surrender the same afternoon, each confirming the same sequence of events from Township and Fire Department officials.

Why it matters: a piece of equipment installed for a worst-case moment worked exactly the way it was supposed to, and a baby is safe because of it.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online | FOX 26 Houston | Click2Houston

A Half-Century of Balancing the Books in Spring

Breedlove & Co., a Spring-based accounting firm, is marking 50 years in business this summer, tracing its roots back to June 1976. The firm provides audit, tax, accounting, and business advisory services, with a client base that reaches beyond Texas into other states and countries.

Founder Richard Breedlove, a Texas Tech graduate with more than 40 years of public accounting experience, has since retired from practice. The firm is now led by CEO Nicole Breedlove Hunt and President Jill Henze, both Texas-licensed CPAs who've built their careers on the same personalized, close-supervision approach the firm was founded on.

Why it matters: a locally owned firm quietly doing the same trusted work for half a century is the kind of steady presence that doesn't always make headlines but keeps a community's small businesses running.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

Two Buildings, Two Grants: Tomball Invests in a Hwy. 249 Facelift

Tomball City Council moved forward two Tomball Economic Development Corporation grant agreements on July 6, each worth up to $50,000, tied to a redevelopment project at Black Forest Flex Park on Hwy. 249.

The grants target two separate buildings on the same site at 27210 Hwy. 249. Building A, closer to the highway, is set for a full facade renovation as part of a $735,000 project, with the TEDC grant covering $50,000 of that cost. Building B, located behind it, carries a total project investment of $626,772; TEDC staff said several businesses are in discussions to move in, though no tenants have been finalized yet.

Council members spent much of the meeting weighing whether the two buildings should be treated as separate grant projects, since both sit on the same site under the same developer. The grants still need to clear additional review; MEGA grants pass through the city's BRE committee, the TEDC board, and City Council before funds are released, and developers only receive the money once a project is complete and meets the grant's requirements.

Why it matters: a stretch of Hwy. 249 that's had a vacant warehouse and an old resale shop is getting real investment, and that's the kind of groundwork that eventually shows up as new places to shop and eat.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

Conroe Adds a School Zone Ahead of a New Elementary's August Opening

Drivers on part of MP Clark Road will need to slow down during school hours starting this fall. Conroe City Council approved a new 25 mph school zone on July 9 covering both directions of MP Clark Road between Noble Pine Lane and John Burge Park Street, dropping the speed limit from 45 mph when the zone is active.

The zone is timed to the opening of Ruth Castleschouldt Elementary School, a new Willis ISD campus at 8150 MP Clark Road built as part of the district's $143 million 2022 bond. The school is set to open for its first day of classes on August 12, with an initial capacity of about 900 students and room to grow to 1,000. Council approved the ordinance without opposition or discussion.

The campus sits east of MP Clark Road, about a mile south of FM 830 and two miles west of I-45. Chastity Simon has been named the school's first principal.

Why it matters: a new school this size changes traffic patterns on a road residents already use every day, and the school zone is the kind of detail that's easy to miss until the first morning drop-off line forms.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

👉 Local Recommendation

Lone Star College's Leadership High School program is now accepting applications for the tuition-free 2026-2027 cohort, open to sophomores and juniors at any public high school in the LSC service area. Students spend the year in interactive workshops and real-world sessions with local business and community leaders, building communication and leadership skills that also strengthen college applications. Two students are selected per high school. Applications and recommendation letters are due by 5 PM on Thursday, September 17.

Source/Credits: Lone Star College

Tuesday, July 14

🎈 Boogie Bash: Luau Dancing. The Woodlands Children's Museum, 4775 West Panther Creek Drive. 11:00 AM. Tropical-themed dance session featuring an actual hula dance. Included with admission ($10). More info

Wednesday, July 15

🎼 Game On! A Symphony of Sport — The Woodlands Symphony. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Drive. Gates 6:30 PM, show 7:30 PM. Free, no ticket required. A high-energy tribute to stadium anthems and Olympic fanfares, kicking off the Symphony's Season 13. More info

Thursday, July 16

🤸 Preschool Stay & Play. Woodlands Sportsplex. 9:30–11:30 AM. Supervised gym fun for ages 18 months–5 years. $15 per child. More info

Friday, July 17

🎸 The Speaker Wars, featuring Stan Lynch. Dosey Doe – The Big Barn. 8:00 PM. Stan Lynch is a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. More info

Saturday, July 18

🎸 Flatland Cavalry with Randy Rogers Band and Zack Telander. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. 7:30 PM. Texas country night on the Main Stage from the Work of Heart Tour. Tickets required. More info

Note: Dates and times are as announced online. Organizers may make changes. Always confirm before heading out.

🗞️ In Other News…

🍹 Margaritaville Lake Resort Lake Conroe is hosting Tequila in Paradise on July 24, a lakeside tasting event with premium tequila and mezcal brands plus $5 margaritas all day. Read more

🦸 The Woodlands Children's Museum hosts Superhero Day with CARS Characters on July 25, where kids can design their own superhero mask and pose with life-size replicas of Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater, and Doc Hudson. Read more

💃 The Pavilion's free Movie & Dance night paired a live Mixteco Ballet Folklórico performance with a screening of Disney's Encanto on July 10, drawing families for pre-show crafts and games in the plaza. Read more

🏡 The Woodlands Township is seeking volunteers to fill vacant seats on several villages' Residential Design Review Committees, which review neighbors' home modification requests. Read more

🌳 The Woodlands Township is marking National Parks and Recreation Month in July, highlighting its network of more than 150 parks and 220 miles of pathways. Read more

🌳 Woodlands Trivia

George Mitchell, the man who founded The Woodlands in 1974, was captain of the tennis team at Texas A&M. He kept playing well into adulthood, and according to his son, not one of his kids could ever beat him, thanks to what they called his "red-hot serve."

🤠 Talkin' Texan

"That dog'll hunt." Translation: that plan will actually work.

🚿 Shower Thought

Winter is the only season you experience twice in the same calendar year.

😂 Dad Joke

Why don't dads trust stairs?
— They're always up to something.

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TWD | Issue #003

Mike Sallés — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Good morning The Woodlands!

More than 2,000 Conroe ISD kids will start this school year with a backpack and supplies they might not have had otherwise, thanks to Interfaith's Kits 4 Kids drive. That's the kind of number that stops us for a second. This whole issue turned out to be about people showing up: a chef betting on our community again, a courthouse finally getting a design, a food bank welcoming new hands to the table, and now families making sure no kid starts the year behind. Step inside, glad you're here.

— Erika & Mike

🗞 In this issue…

🍖 Chef Austin Simmons Returns to The Woodlands With Charolais, a 300-Seat Beef Showcase at Hughes Landing
🏛️ Dallas Firm to Design Montgomery County's New Justice Center
🥫 Montgomery County Food Bank Welcomes Five New Board Directors
🎒 Interfaith Kicks Off School Supply Drive for Local Students in Need

TWD | Issue #003

TOGETHER WITH

🌳 Today's Weather — The Woodlands

⛈️ Thunderstorms · Monday, July 13, 2026

High 82°F · Low 72°F
💧 Humidity 89% · 💨 Wind S 6 mph · 🌧️ Rain chance 70%
🕐 Rain expected: scattered storms this morning, with more likely this afternoon
☀️ UV Index 7 of 11
🌅 Sunrise 6:30 AM · 🌇 Sunset 8:25 PM

Keep the umbrella in the car today, storms could roll through more than once before this one clears out.

More info on ways to help here: Interfaith of The Woodlands Kits4Kids

Chef Austin Simmons Returns to The Woodlands With Charolais, a 300-Seat Beef Showcase at Hughes Landing

Austin Simons via Facebook

Chef Austin Simmons just held a soft opening for family and friends at his new restaurant, Charolais. The 7,500-square-foot space, seating nearly 300 guests, has taken over the former Local Pour spot on Hughes Landing's Restaurant Row.

This isn't Simmons' first stop in The Woodlands. He previously led the kitchen at TRIS, which closed in January of last year. Even after those doors shut, Simmons stayed a familiar face around the community, and Charolais is his next chapter: a mid-scale, modern, casual concept built around signature steak boards, burgers, and cuts.

The restaurant's identity centers on where the beef comes from. Simmons runs his own genetics-driven cattle program, Chef & Rancher, which covers breeding, sustainable animal husbandry, and full oversight all the way to the plate. The Chef Austin Wagyu line is a cross of Black Wagyu and French Charolais. An adjacent butcher shop will let guests buy raw beef and watch cuts being prepared, with the option to choose how their steak gets cooked, including live fire or cast iron.

Diners who remember TRIS's pricier menu, think Korean butter poached crab and lobster pot pie, will notice a shift. Simmons is aiming for accessibility at Charolais, with an average price point at least $30 less per person than his old restaurant.

Why it matters: A well-known local chef betting on a bigger, more accessible restaurant right in Hughes Landing says something about how much confidence there is in The Woodlands' dining scene right now.

Instagram post

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online | Charolais By Chef AustinSimmons

Dallas Firm to Design Montgomery County's New Justice Center

Photo by Daniel McCullough

Montgomery County is moving forward on a proposed new justice center, with commissioners unanimously selecting Dallas-based Brinkley Sargent Wiginton Architects (BSW Architects) for the project during a July 9 meeting. A contract laying out scope, cost, and payment schedule will come back before the court for approval.

The selection lets the county start refining plans and developing a more reliable cost estimate for the courthouse project. BSW architect Charlie Goodman said the firm plans to build on an earlier facility study rather than starting from scratch, though the existing plans will need to be reviewed and updated.

Commissioners haven't yet approved a bond election or settled on how the justice center would be funded, but officials have discussed the possibility of putting a bond proposal in front of voters this November.

Why it matters: A November bond vote on a justice center is the kind of thing that's easy to miss until it's already on your ballot.

Source/Credits: Community Impact | BSW Architects

Montgomery County Food Bank Welcomes Five New Board Directors

Montgomery County Food Bank via Facebook

Montgomery County Food Bank is welcoming five new members to its Board of Directors for the term beginning May 2026, drawing leaders from grocery retail, education, waste services, and the local business community. Brian Albert, a partner at Kean Miller LLP in The Woodlands, has also been named Board Secretary, stepping into the role after the departure of outgoing Secretary Edmund Robb.

Among the incoming directors are Kaylea Williams, Division Associate and Labor Relations Manager at Kroger; Mark Linabury, President and CEO of the Greater East Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce; Mary Anne Whitney, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Waste Connections; Dr. David Vinson, Superintendent of Conroe Independent School District; and James Anderson, General Manager at H-E-B.

Montgomery County Food Bank via Facebook

Food Bank President and CEO Scott Burns thanked the departing directors, Edmund Robb, Elizabeth Garner of The Kroger Co., and Victor Nivens of H-E-B, for their years of service. The organization's 78,000-square-foot warehouse in Conroe provided more than 10 million meals to Montgomery County neighbors in 2025.

Why it matters: The people steering the Food Bank's board are part of why it can serve as many neighbors as it does.

Source/Credits: Hello Woodlands | Montgomery County Food Bank

Interfaith Kicks Off School Supply Drive for Local Students in Need

Photo by Note Thanun

Interfaith of The Woodlands has launched its annual Kits 4 Kids School Supplies Assistance Program, aiming to help local students start the school year prepared. Each year, Interfaith provides supplies to more than 2,000 Conroe ISD students whose families are facing financial hardship across South Montgomery County, relying on donations from local businesses, churches, organizations, schools, and community members.

"Every child deserves the opportunity to start the school year feeling prepared and supported," said Missy Herndon, President and CEO of Interfaith of The Woodlands. "Through our school supply assistance programs, our community comes together each year to help local children succeed while reminding families that they are not alone during challenging times."

Interfaith is currently collecting new supplies and backpacks. Most-requested items include themed backpacks, markers, crayons, notebooks, binders, glue sticks, pocket folders, pencils, and headphones. Community members and local businesses are encouraged to host their own supply or backpack drives to help meet the need.

Why it matters: Two thousand kids starting the school year without the basics isn't abstract, it's a real gap this community closes every summer.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online | Interfaith of The Woodlands

Monday, July 13

🏃 Goose's Acre Running Club. The Goose's Acre Bistro & Irish Pub, 21 Waterway Ave. 5:30–7:30 PM. Weekly group run, all ages welcome, pet and stroller friendly. Free. More info

💆 Medical Aesthetics & Laser Annual "Christmas in July" Event. 9180 Pinecroft Drive. Runs July 13–17. 20% off services and products, $100 off fillers (excludes Biote and tox), free gift with purchases over $250, and entry into a grand prize giveaway. More info

Tuesday, July 14

🎈 Boogie Bash: Luau Dancing. The Woodlands Children's Museum, 4775 West Panther Creek Drive. 11:00 AM. Tropical-themed dance session for toddlers featuring an actual hula dance. Included with admission ($10). More info

Saturday, July 18

🎨 Art Matters Series III: Fireside Chat with Bob Mosier. The Woodlands Arts Council Gallery, 9450 Grogan's Mill Road, Suite 160. 2:00–4:00 PM. Free, open to the public, RSVP required. An intimate conversation with exhibiting artist Bob Mosier on art, creativity, and community. More info

🎸 Flatland Cavalry with Randy Rogers Band and Zack Telander. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Drive. 7:30 PM. Texas country night on the Main Stage from the Work of Heart Tour. Tickets required. More info

Note: Dates and times are as announced online. Organizers may make changes. Always confirm before heading out.

👉 Local Recommendation

Texas Litter Control offers low-cost spay and neuter services across four Harris and Montgomery County locations, including one right in Spring. The nonprofit just took over a shuttered clinic to expand capacity to 50 animals a day, and donations through the Petco Foundation are being matched through August. Call 281-528-1238 to book.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

🌳 Woodlands Trivia

Lake Woodlands isn't natural at all. The 200-acre freshwater lake was fully excavated by hand in 1984 and 1985, and today it's home to the Midgard Serpent, a sculpture of the sea serpent from Norse mythology, one of several public art pieces scattered around the township.

🤠 Talkin' Texan

"That's all cattywampus." Translation: something is crooked, askew, or just plain out of sorts, like a picture frame hanging wrong on the wall.

🚿 Shower Thought

When jogging, we put on special clothes so people don't think we are running away from something.

😂 Dad Joke

Why don't skeletons ever start arguments?
— They don't have the guts.

🗞️ In Other News…

🎻 The Woodlands Symphony Orchestra unveiled its Season 13 lineup, "Expect the Unexpected," featuring a sports-tribute concert, a Grateful Dead symphonic show, and an audience-participation jazz holiday concert running July 2026 through May 2027. Read more

🥟 Cooking Girl Chinese Cuisine, known for dishes like Sichuan beef and dry pot duck, is coming soon to Grogan's Mill Village Center. Read more

🌻 Volunteers from Critter Control joined Township Environmental Services at Wendtwoods Park to install 103 native pollinator plants, funded by an $8,000 grant from Keep Texas Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful. Read more

💰 Woodforest Charitable Foundation awarded $6.7 million to 232 nonprofits across Montgomery and Harris counties this year, bringing its total giving past $47 million since inception. Read more

📚 North Houston's City Place is keeping summer going with reading programs and family movie nights even as the school year approaches. Read more

🔬 Sam Houston State University's College of Osteopathic Medicine in Conroe opened applications for a new online master's program in applied biomedical sciences, with tracks in healthcare AI, regulatory affairs, and clinical sciences starting this fall. Read more

🏛️ The Woodlands Township Board of Directors will hold its regular meeting on Thursday, July 16. Read more

🕊️ Montgomery County law enforcement honored fallen Sheriff's Deputy Erika Serrato with a funeral procession through Conroe and The Woodlands, prompting a traffic advisory along the route. Read more

🚔 The Montgomery County District Attorney's Office accepted 52 DWI and 2 BWI charges from the Erika Serrato July 4th DWI Initiative, a weekend enforcement push involving 82 officers countywide. Read more

⚖️ Local attorney Chuck Meyer launched an independent campaign for Justice of the Peace, gathering the signatures required to get an independent candidate on the ballot by walking the precinct door-to-door. Read more

Were you forwarded this email?

TWD | Issue #002

Mike Sallés — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Good morning, The Woodlands.

Six years old, and already the youngest golfer to ever qualify for a national junior championship.

That's Hudson Guidry, one of our own right here in The Woodlands.

This issue is full of people quietly doing remarkable things, from a kindergartner outswinging kids twice his age to a school board earning statewide recognition for a decade of steady work.

Glad you're here.

— Erika & Mike

🗞 In this issue…

⛳ 6-Year-Old From The Woodlands Just Became a Golf Prodigy
🎶 Sting, Santana, and Symphony: The Pavilion's 2026 Season Keeps Growing
🏫 Tomball ISD's School Board Just Won a Statewide Honor
🛍️ Little Pookie Kids Co. Doubles Down on Downtown Conroe

TWD | Issue #002

TOGETHER WITH

Curated listings for quick browsing and easy connections.

🌳 Today's Weather — The Woodlands

⛈️ Thunderstorms Likely · Sunday, July 12, 2026

🌡️ High 91°F · Low 75°F
💧 Humidity 75% · 💨 Wind SSE 7 mph · 🌧️ Rain chance 70%
☀️ UV Index Extreme · Sunrise 6:29 a.m. · Sunset 8:26 p.m.

Partly cloudy this morning, but afternoon storms are likely, so keep an umbrella in the car if you're headed out later.

6-Year-Old From The Woodlands Just Became a Golf Prodigy

Photo: Hudson Guidry via Instagram @hudsonsfairway

Hudson Guidry just became the youngest golfer ever to qualify and compete in the Under Armour Jr. Summer Nationals, one of the country's premier junior golf championships. He's six years old, a kindergarten student at the Sam Houston State University charter school in The Woodlands, and he locked in his spot at age five.

Qualifying wasn't simple. Players have to compete in at least three of six local Under Armour Jr. Tour events and hit a scoring average for their division, in Hudson's case 48.9 or lower in the 8-and-under group. He hit that mark in just two tournaments. But his age created a snag: tour rules require players to turn six before the qualification deadline, and Hudson's birthday landed just outside that window. His coach asked the tour to make an exception, and Ray Taranto, president of the Under Armour Jr. Tour, personally reviewed Hudson's results and cleared him to play.

Hudson trains with weekly group lessons plus individual sessions with Coach Nick Gerber or Coach Kaine Gibson. He told Woodlands Online he's been swinging a club since he was six months old and plays regularly with his dad, grandfather, and uncle. His mother, Stephany Guidry, said watching him compete on a big stage and meet golfers from other states made for an experience he won't forget.

Hudson has his sights set higher than most incoming first graders. He's already talking about beating the record set by Stephen Abrams, who won three junior world titles by age eight, and when asked what comes next, his answer was simple: turn pro, and be a dad, just like his own.

Why it matters: a kindergartner from The Woodlands just became the youngest golfer in this championship's history, and that's the kind of local story that makes the whole community feel like it won something too.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online

Sting, Santana, and Symphony: The Pavilion's 2026 Season Keeps Growing

The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion has added a wave of new performances to its already packed 2026 season. The updated lineup spans country, classic rock, pop, hip-hop, alternative, and blues, with acts ranging from Flatland Cavalry and John Mellencamp to Santana and The Doobie Brothers, TOTO, TRAIN, and Chicago and Styx.

The fall calendar keeps building too, with Mötley Crüe, Josh Groban, Mumford & Sons, and Eagle Fest featuring ZZ Top all now on the books through October and into November.

Alongside the ticketed shows, The Pavilion is keeping its free community programming going, including a Woodlands Symphony night on July 15 and a Houston Symphony tribute to Billy Joel and Elton John on July 21, both open with no ticket required.

Why it matters: this is the kind of lineup that reminds you why people drive in from all over Houston to see a show here, and it's happening in our backyard.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online

Tomball ISD's School Board Just Won a Statewide Honor

Tomball ISD via Facebook

The Tomball ISD Board of Trustees has been named the 2026 Region 4 School Board of the Year, recognizing its leadership, ethical governance, and commitment to student success. The board now advances as Region 4's nominee for the statewide Texas Association of School Administrators Outstanding School Board Award, with the winner announced October 9 in Houston.

The honor points to a decade of sustained growth. Tomball ISD's own release credits the board with overseeing the opening of eight new campuses and securing voter approval for the district's three largest bond referendums, while now serving more than 23,300 students across 25 campuses. A 26th campus is set to open this fall.

"Strong school boards create opportunities for students to succeed," said Dr. Rodney Watson, executive director of Region 4 Education Service Center, praising the board for leading "with integrity through a period of significant growth while keeping students at the center of its decisions."

Why it matters: a school district growing this fast needs steady hands at the top, and this is Region 4 saying Tomball ISD has them.

Source/Credits: Tomball ISD

Little Pookie Kids Co. Doubles Down on Downtown Conroe

Little Pookie Kids Co. via Facebook

Little Pookie Kids Co., a mobile children's boutique owned by Conroe mother of two Bree Olivares, opened its second storefront on June 22 inside Main Street Merchants in downtown Conroe. The boutique carries children's clothing and accessories for newborns through age 12, including mommy-and-me pieces, tween styles, and gender-neutral options.

The business name comes from a nickname Olivares gave her firstborn son. Beyond its two storefronts, inside Top This Party Co. and now Main Street Merchants, the boutique stays mobile, showing up at local pop-up events around Montgomery County several times a week.

Why it matters: a small local business built around a mom's nickname for her son just planted a second flag in downtown Conroe, and that's exactly the kind of growth this section exists to celebrate.

Source/Credits: Community Impact | Little Pookie Kids Co.’s Website

Sunday, July 12

🎸 Cody Joe Hodges. Dosey Doe – The Big Barn. 7 p.m., doors and kitchen open at 5:30 p.m. Live country music with an optional pre-show dinner. Seats from $20. More info

Wednesday, July 15

🎼 Game On! A Symphony of Sport — The Woodlands Symphony. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Gates 6:30 p.m., show 7:30 p.m. Free, no ticket required. A high-energy tribute to stadium anthems and Olympic fanfares, from "Thunderstruck" to "Eye of the Tiger," kicking off the Symphony's Season 13. More info

Thursday, July 16

🎤 Rock the Row: Brenda Guy, The One Woman Show. Hughes Landing, on Lake Woodlands. 7-9 p.m. Free outdoor concert, soul music, part of the summer Rock the Row series. Bring a blanket or lawn chair. More info

Friday, July 17

Note: Dates and times are as announced online. Organizers may make changes. Always confirm before heading out.

👉 Local Recommendation

For the rest of the year, Woodlands Express riders can pick up a free WE TIX smart card at any Park and Ride location for faster boarding: just tap to pay, no scanning or fumbling with tickets. Starting in 2027, the cards cost $2. Connect it to an existing WE TIX account and you're set.

Source: The Woodlands Township

🗞️ In Other News…

🎻 The Woodlands Symphony announced its Season 13 lineup, "Expect the Unexpected," running July 2026 through May 2027 with a stadium-sports tribute, a Grateful Dead-inspired concert, an audience-participation holiday jazz show, and a mystery season finale. Read more

☕ A new coffee shop, The Yemeni Bean, is coming soon to Stuebner Airline Road in Spring, promising authentic Yemeni coffee alongside freshly baked pastries and handcrafted desserts; no opening date has been announced yet. Read more

🏗️ Tomball City Council moved forward two $50,000 grants for a Hwy. 249 redevelopment project at Black Forest Flex Park, tied to facade renovations and site improvements across two buildings. Read more

🌼 Fourteen volunteers helped The Woodlands Township install a new native pollinator garden at Wendtwoods Park in May, planting 103 native species to support butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds, funded by an $8,000 grant. Read more

🌳 Woodlands Trivia

When The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion opened in April 1990, the very first show featured Frank Sinatra, alongside performances from The Houston Symphony and Alabama with Clint Black. More than three decades later, it's grown to seat 16,500 people and is still one of the top outdoor amphitheaters in the world.

🤠 Talkin’ Texan

"She's set in her ways like a fencepost in red clay." Translation: that opinion isn't changing, no matter how hard you push.

🚿 Shower Thought

Muffins are to cupcakes as smoothies are to milkshakes.

😂 Dad Joke

What do you call a can opener that doesn't work?
— A can't opener.

Were you forwarded this email? Get your own free subscription here:

TWD | Issue #001

Mike Sallés — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 10:55:00 +0000

Good morning, The Woodlands.

Somewhere between a City Council budget line and a red carpet full of eight-year-olds in bow ties, this issue found its center. Local News gave us the formal side today — a budget workshop, a board slate, a new tenant at Hughes Landing. But it was Christian Youth Theater Houston's 20th season that stuck with us. Twenty years of teaching kids to hold a stage says more about this community than any spreadsheet. This is our very first issue, and if it's got half that heart, we'll take it.

Grab a seat, y'all.

— Erika & Mike

🗞 In this issue…

📌 Houston's Christian Youth Theater marks 20 years of local arts education
📌 Two incumbents, two newcomers announce joint run for Township board
📌 NAES Corporation Leases 28,000 Square Feet at Hughes Landing
📌 Shenandoah projects 5% sales tax revenue increase for 2026-27 fiscal year

TWD | Issue #001

TOGETHER WITH

Curated listings for quick browsing and easy connections.

🌳 Today's Weather — The Woodlands

🌦️ Mixed Clouds & Sun, Scattered Thunderstorms · Saturday, July 11, 2026

🌡️ High 90°F · Low 75°F
💧 Humidity 75% · 💨 Wind SSE 7 mph · 🌧️ Rain chance 46%
☀️ UV Index 8 of 11 · Sunrise 6:29 a.m. · Sunset 8:26 p.m.

Scattered storms possible through the day with a high UV index — sunscreen if you're outside, rain jacket if you're headed to Havana Nights tonight.

Source: The Weather Channel

Christian Youth Theater Houston celebrates 20 seasons of theater education

Christian Youth Theater Houston marked a major milestone on June 20 by celebrating its 20th season with a special red carpet event. Community Engagement Director Mary Ramsower shared the news, highlighting two decades of musical theater education for the Greater Houston area.

The organization's first summer camps kicked off back in 2006. Since then, CYT has become a fixture for local families looking to give their kids a creative outlet.

CYT is a national after-school program focused on theater arts training. It helps children and teens build skills in singing, dancing, acting, improvisation, and technical theater work.

Throughout the school year, students attend two-hour classes where they get personalized instruction from experienced teachers. They can choose the specific discipline they want to focus on, according to the company's website.

With branches across the country, CYT gives enrolled students ages 8 to 18 the chance to audition for full-scale productions. It's a hands-on way for young performers to put their training into practice.

Looking ahead, tickets for CYT Houston's upcoming production of "The Wizard of Oz" went on sale in early June. The show runs from August 7 through August 16 at The Crighton Theatre.

Patrons can visit the CYT Houston website to buy tickets and find details about showtimes, pricing, and the venue's address.

Why it matters: twenty years of shaping performers starting at age eight is the kind of institution that makes a suburb feel like a community, not just a zip code.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

Four candidates unite to keep The Woodlands a top place to live

A group of four candidates is running together for The Woodlands Township Board of Directors, presenting themselves as a unified team focused on maintaining the community's high standard of living.

Incumbent directors Linda Nelson and Craig Eissler have joined forces with newcomers Lee Wilson and Lisa Gilmore. The slate has already earned an endorsement from the Preserve The Woodlands Candidate Committee.

Nelson has lived and worked in The Woodlands for more than three decades. She currently serves as the Board Secretary and has held leadership roles with the local chamber of commerce. Her community work also includes supporting economic development, tourism, major events, and local charities.

Eissler is a lifelong resident of The Woodlands and serves as the Board Vice Chairman. He works as a certified financial planner and is a University of Texas at Austin graduate. His community involvement includes Rotary and Leadership Montgomery County.

Wilson is also a lifelong area resident. He is a board-certified tax attorney and says he has built his career advocating for small businesses and protecting taxpayers.

Gilmore's background and specific platform details were not included in the announcement.

Source/Credits: Woodlands Online

NAES Corporation Leases 28,000 Square Feet at Hughes Landing for Central Region Hub

NAES Corporation has signed a lease for more than 28,000 square feet of office space at 1725 Hughes Landing in The Woodlands. The company, which specializes in optimizing the performance and reliability of power generation facilities, will use the space as its new central region hub.

The deal was announced by Howard Hughes Communities, the real estate arm of Howard Hughes Holdings. It signals continued strong demand for premium office space in the Hughes Landing mixed-use waterfront district.

This expansion by NAES underscores the area's appeal to energy sector companies seeking modern, amenity-rich work environments.

Source/Credits: Hello Woodlands

Shenandoah projects 5% sales tax revenue increase for 2026-27 fiscal year

Shenandoah City Council got an early look at the upcoming budget during its July 8 meeting. Finance Director Lisa Wasner presented projections showing a 5% jump in sales tax revenue for fiscal year 2026-27.

A property tax rate hasn't been proposed yet. That's because certified tax rolls won't be ready until later this month. The current rate for 2025-26 sits at $0.1821 per $100 of assessed value.

The median taxable home value is expected to climb from $425,728 to $440,344. That shift is part of a broader 3.59% increase in property tax revenue, which would bring in about $115,795 more than the current fiscal year. Of that total, roughly $4,700 comes from new properties added to the tax roll.

Not everything is trending up. Mixed beverage tax is the only revenue source expected to drop. On the spending side, technology department costs are projected to go down. City leaders will dig deeper into the numbers at a budget workshop scheduled for August 5.

Source/Credits: Community Impact

Saturday, July 11

🍷 Havana Nights: Cocktails, Cigars & Salsa Under the Stars. Back Table Kitchen & Bar, The Woodlands Resort (2301 N Millbend Dr). 8-10 p.m. Free admission — live Latin band, salsa dancing, complimentary hand-rolled cigars, Cuban-inspired tapas menu available for purchase. More info

Wednesday, July 15

🎼 Game On! A Symphony of Sport — The Woodlands Symphony. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Gates 6:30 p.m., show 7:30 p.m. Free, no ticket required — stadium anthems and Olympic fanfares performed live, part of The Pavilion's 2026 Performing Arts Series. More info

Note: Dates and times are as announced online. Organizers may make changes. Always confirm before heading out.

🗞️ In Other News…

🏊 The Woodlands Family YMCA is partnering with the IRONMAN Foundation on a $15,000 grant to provide 4,000 swim lessons to local children and families across Montgomery County. Read more

💰 Woodforest Charitable Foundation awarded $6.7 million to 232 nonprofits in 2026, including $3.3 million to 55 local and regional charities serving Montgomery and Harris counties. Read more

🎓 Lone Star College System's longest-serving trustee, David Vogt, marks nearly 30 years on the board after first being appointed in January 1997. Read more

📊 Breedlove & Co., a financial services firm serving businesses locally and internationally, celebrated 50 years in Spring this June. Read more

🎒 Interfaith of The Woodlands launched its annual Kits 4 Kids program, which provides school supplies to more than 2,000 Conroe ISD students facing financial hardship. Read more

🌳 Woodlands Trivia
The Woodlands Waterway — the 1.8-mile water feature running through Town Center — started as a napkin sketch. Robert Heineman, the Howard Hughes planner behind it, drew the original diagram on a napkin, and construction didn't wrap until nearly two decades later in 2018.

🤠 Talkin’ Texan
"That dog's been barkin' too close to the porch." Translation: somebody's messing where they shouldn't be — and they're about to get caught.

🚿 Shower Thought
"Go to bed, you'll feel better in the morning" is just the human version of "did you turn it off and turn it back on again?"

😂 Dad Joke
What do you call cheese that isn't yours?
Nacho cheese.

Know a family who'd love hearing CYT Houston's kids are turning 20 seasons of shows into a Wizard of Oz production this August? Forward this along — one click gets them signed up for free!