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.

Texas’s population boom-about 1,500 new arrivals a day-is turning the state’s long-standing water worries into a full-blown stress test, as experts warned at a recent industry conference. Agriculture still uses roughly half of all water in the Texas, even as cities, industry, and power-hungry AI data centres line up for their share. With reservoirs shrinking, the Ogallala Aquifer depleting, and Mexico falling behind on treaty water deliveries, farmers are being asked to do more with less-again. In short, everyone wants cheap food, green lawns, and endless growth, but nobody seems thrilled about paying for the water to make it all possible.

A historic wedding venue in Lubbock has apparently added “haunted” to its list of amenities, after new owners of the 98-year-old Baker Building were casually informed it comes with ghosts included. The couple say they’ve experienced unexplained smells, shadowy figures, and even a flirtatious spirit nicknamed “Naughty Nic”-proof that some guests really don’t believe in checking out. Local paranormal group Fear Faction Paranormal investigated the site, filming overnight sessions that quickly found an audience online. Skeptics are welcome too, the owners say-just bring $30, an open mind, and a tolerance for bumps in the night.

Longview, Texas, is crawling with very good dogs as more than 350 competitors arrive for the UKC Dog Show at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. From seasoned show animals to first-timers like Yukon the retired German Shepherd, the focus is on how closely each dog matches its breed’s “perfect” standard-no secret tricks required. Unlike some cutthroat canine sports, this event prides itself on friendliness, free advice, and free admission for spectators. In short: serious judging, relaxed vibes, and a lot of extremely well-behaved fur.