Homeownership may still headline the American Dream, but in Texas, it now comes with fine print - and a calculator. New data from Redfin shows that while soaring prices have pushed many buyers out, a surprising number of Texas cities still let residents spend around 30% (or less) of their income on housing - the gold standard of “affordable.” Suburbs like Atascocita, Spring and League City top the list, where solid incomes quietly keep the dream alive. In other words, the Texas housing market isn’t broken everywhere - you just need the right ZIP code and a decent paycheck.

The city of Sherman is adding a seventh trash truck from January 5, proving that rapid growth eventually reaches even the garbage department. The extra truck will cut daily pickup loads from about 700 homes to a more humane 400-500, nudging Sherman closer to industry standards - and fewer missed bins. The upgrade comes with a reshuffled trash schedule affecting around 700 residents, so some people may wake up to discover their bins now have a new social calendar. City officials say the aim is faster, more efficient service - because nothing says progress like smoother rubbish collection.

Parents in the Texoma region are being spared the annual New Year’s Eve headache, thanks to a menu of family-friendly celebrations that don’t all require surviving until midnight. In Denison, the HeyDay is hosting an all-ages party with bowling, mini-golf and cocktails for adults who insist it still counts as parenting. For families with younger children, the Sherman Public Library offers a “New Year at Noon” celebration-confetti, balloon drops and zero bedtime negotiations. Elsewhere across Texoma, churches, skating rinks and community halls are filling the gap, proving that ringing in the new year doesn’t have to come with yawning kids or exhausted parents.

The Laredo Haynes Recreation Center turned community spirit into practice by hosting an inclusive activity fair that put adaptive sports and togetherness front and center. Families tried everything from boccia-yes, the Paralympic one-to arts, crafts and obstacle courses, with high school volunteers keeping things moving. Organizer Jenny Sanchez said the goal was simple: remind families with special needs that the city is finally showing up, not leaving parents to improvise support on their own. In other words, Laredo’s Parks and Recreation made the radical move of listening-and then actually doing something about it.

This March, NAWA Coffee House will open in Friendswood, fusing Middle Eastern coffee traditions with a sleek, modern interior. The name "NAWA," derived from the Arabic word for "seed," hints at roots, culture, and-presumably-a very serious approach to coffee. The cafe will open at 2210 S. Friendswood Drive, offering locals a fresh alternative to the traditional latte. In short, Friendswood will get a caffeine upgrade with a touch of tradition.

Wildlife Rescue of Central Texas is steadily building its first permanent facility in Bastrop, finally moving wildlife rehab out of spare bedrooms and into a space designed for the job. The nonprofit, Wildlife Rescue of Central Texas, is constructing care buildings and outdoor enclosures where animals can recover and relearn survival skills before release. Located at Bastrop, the site is expected to open by late March, easing pressure on a growing regional rescue network. In other words, Central Texas wildlife is about to get a proper rehab center - not just good intentions and borrowed garages.

Unique Kids Pediatric Dentistry is celebrating five years in Valley Ranch Town Center, quietly proving that gentle dentistry and anxious children can, in fact, coexist. The New Caney clinic opened in January 2021 and has spent half a decade making checkups less dramatic for kids - and parents - in the area. Backed by developer The Signorelli Co., the practice has become a steady fixture at Valley Ranch Town Center. In a world where businesses come and go, five years of calm cleanings is a milestone worth smiling about.

Houston’s airports are getting a biometric glow-up just in time for World Cup crowds, with George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport rolling out CLEAR eGates for members who enjoy skipping lines. The tech, developed by CLEAR in partnership with the Transportation Security Administration, promises identity checks in under five seconds - because patience is no longer a travel requirement. Officials say the timing is deliberate, with Houston set to host multiple matches during the FIFA World Cup 2026 and millions of extra passengers expected. In short, if airport security is about to get chaotic, Houston is betting that biometrics will keep things moving - at least for those who paid the membership fee.

Texoma rang in 2026 with alarms, smiles, and perfectly timed arrivals at two local hospitals. Texoma Medical Center welcomed baby Luis Angel just after dawn, while Mercy Hospital Ada followed up with Lakelynn Hobson early that afternoon. Both newborns arrived healthy, well-sized, and clearly unimpressed by calendars or time zones. Proof, once again, that New Year’s resolutions can wait - some people start the year by making headlines instead.

Texas is set to receive $281 million in the first year of the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, giving it the largest single share of the new $50 billion fund - even as Medicaid funding was cut elsewhere by roughly $1 trillion. The money, allocated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services under the Trump administration, is meant to stabilize rural hospitals that are quietly edging toward closure. While Texas gets more cash than any other state, it still ends up with the lowest per-resident rural payout in the country, thanks to its sheer size. Governor Greg Abbott called the funding “historic,” which is fair - though for many rural hospitals, it may be less a windfall and more a well-timed life raft.

The Brazos County Farmer’s Market rang in 2026 by reopening in Bryan, with vendors swapping small talk for New Year’s resolutions. Longtime seller Renee Britten of Castiron Apothecary said her goals include decluttering, hitting the road, and taking her dogs to shows - productivity, but make it wholesome. As a member of the Bulldog Club of America, she’s also aiming to network more, presumably between market stalls and dog rings. In short: fresh produce, fresh starts, and proof that even January optimism pairs nicely with a farmers market.

After years of pandemic-induced bedtime, Jim’s Restaurants is slowly remembering that San Antonio never really sleeps. The chain has brought back 24-hour service at its Broadway and Loop 410 location, and late-night crowds of bar-hoppers and airport travelers have quickly reminded management why all-night coffee and burgers once worked so well. CEO Jimmy Hasslocher says more locations could follow in 2026, with brand-new restaurants penciled in for 2027 - assuming the post-holiday buzz survives real life. In short: the grills are hot, the doors are open past midnight again, and Jim’s is betting that nostalgia, insomnia, and chicken-fried steak are still a winning combination.

The Hudson Volunteer Fire Department has finally ditched its museum-grade hoses for modern, high-pressure gear - and fires are noticing the difference. After years of pushing just 90 gallons a minute, the department is now meeting the 150 GPM standard, meaning faster knockdowns, quicker searches, and fewer “why isn’t this working?” moments. The upgrade comes just in time for an unusually dry winter in Hudson, where grass fires don’t wait for budget cycles. Best of all, the fix was paid for entirely by community donations - proof that sometimes the fastest response comes from neighbors, not bureaucracy.

In Longview, the owners of So Good Fireworks want customers to know that fireworks don’t magically disappear once the celebrations end - they’re stored with care worthy of ammunition. Owners Vonda and Kevin Moyers say unsold stock is fully inventoried, boxed, and locked away in dry, climate-controlled containers, because gunpowder ages better than most New Year’s resolutions. Properly stored fireworks, they insist, don’t even have an expiration date and can perform just fine years later. The reminder comes with a reality check: they may look fun and flashy, but handled carelessly, these crowd-pleasers can turn dangerous faster than a sparkler in small hands.

The Laredo Health Department is proving that fitness doesn’t have to involve sweat-drenched gyms or intimidating burpees by launching Chair One Fitness, a seated dance workout for all ability levels. Aimed especially at seniors and beginners, the low-intensity class keeps participants safely in their chairs while moving to music with simple routines. Sessions run every Tuesday in January from 10 to 11 a.m. at the health department auditorium in Laredo. In short, it’s exercise with no floor work, no pressure - and no excuses.

January has done its annual miracle in Sherman, where Enduring Strength Gym is seeing 1.5 times more visitors - and expects memberships to double as New Year’s resolutions kick in. Owner Nick Edwards says holiday feasting and broken routines push people back to the gym, where reality quickly meets ambition. His advice is refreshingly unglamorous: start small, ignore trendy diets, and remember fitness is a marathon, not a January sprint. For anyone easing in gently (or cheaply), the gym even opens its doors for free on Saturdays - because resolutions work better when they’re realistic.

This winter, creativity is staying warm indoors at the MillHouse Winter ArtFest, hosted at the historic McKinney Cotton Mill. Running February 14-15, the free, fully indoor festival offers handmade art, jewelry, ceramics, textiles, and more - all original, all weather-proof, and blissfully free of rain plans. Organized by the MillHouse Foundation, the event mixes shopping with community vibes, coffee, and the kind of atmosphere that encourages “just one more lap.” In short: it’s art, it’s local, and it’s the rare winter outing that doesn’t involve coats, cars, or compromise.

Greg Abbott has promised to “look into” the Dallas Police Department’s staffing shortage, hinting that the city may have run afoul of state law by not fully funding law enforcement. Speaking at a law enforcement endorsement event, Abbott blamed Dallas leaders for understaffing police, mishandling homelessness and even, indirectly, for AT&T deciding to leave downtown. He warned that Texas will “defund any city that defunds the police,” while pitching tougher bail laws and more accountability for judges and prosecutors as part of his reelection agenda.

Tiny plastic pellets known as “nurdles” are quietly clogging beaches and waterways across the US, with Texas emerging as an unlikely frontline in the fight against them. Veteran shrimper turned activist Diane Wilson says the pellets - the raw material of most plastic products - spill into rivers and oceans by the hundreds of thousands of tonnes each year, soaking up toxins and moving neatly up the food chain. While the plastics industry points to voluntary clean-up schemes, critics argue they lack teeth, which is why states from California to Illinois are now eyeing regulation. In deeply conservative Texas, even fishermen, tourism groups and some industry voices are backing tougher rules - a sign that when plastic starts hurting profits, environmental concern suddenly becomes bipartisan.

A rabid skunk has been confirmed in Pauls Valley-a reminder that wildlife doesn’t respect front porches or personal space. The animal was captured and euthanized by City of Pauls Valley Animal Welfare after a porch sighting, then tested positive at the state lab. Officials say quick action likely prevented exposure to residents, pets, and first responders. The city is now urging vaccinations and common sense-apparently still the most effective tools against rabies.

Mercy Hospital has unveiled a new high-tech LINAC radiation machine, finally bringing big-city cancer treatment to Ada. The upgraded system works faster and more precisely, sparing patients long, uncomfortable sessions-and even longer drives to Oklahoma City or Dallas. Staff say the machine can adapt in real time, which sounds very futuristic and, more importantly, very practical. With calming ceiling designs and cutting-edge tech, Mercy is betting that better treatment and a little less stress can go hand in hand.