As winter temperatures plunge in Oklahoma, veterinarians are reminding pet owners and farmers that cold weather is not a test of toughness for animals. Dogs may still enjoy short walks, but only with proper gear-boots, jackets, and a quick return indoors once paws start protesting. Outdoor animals and livestock need solid shelter, plenty of straw, extra feed, and unfrozen water, because frostbite is not a badge of honor. The message is clear: if humans are bundling up, their pets and cattle probably deserve the same courtesy.

Houston’s weekend food calendar is working overtime, from sushi-and-matcha pop-ups to boozy brunches with a DJ. Dine Out Rice Village and Galveston Restaurant Week keep things charitable and delicious with prix-fixe menus that prove eating well can still feel virtuous. Saturday brings beer, hot sauce, and questionable spice tolerance at the Hops n’ Hot Sauce Festival, while Sunday balances things out with matcha at Doko and funk-fueled brunch at Brasserie 19. In short, Houston is offering plenty of ways to eat, drink, and pretend Monday isn’t coming.

Katy Mills Mall is giving its playground a creative makeover, complete with fresh murals designed by students from the University of Houston’s Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts. Thirteen student designs were submitted, with selected works set to brighten the revamped play space and other areas of the mall. The project aims to offer families something new and engaging - beyond shopping and snack breaks. The updated playground is set to open by the end of January, proving that even malls know a little art goes a long way.

As a winter storm heads for Austin, local animal rescuers are proving that preparedness includes more than people and pets - it also includes porcupines. Austin Wildlife Rescue moved vulnerable animals indoors, padded enclosures with straw, and even created a tongue-in-cheek “Porcupine Hall of Honor” for those needing extra care. Across town, Austin Pets Alive! placed 120 dogs into foster homes or permanent adoptions, turning a weather emergency into a small adoption miracle. When Texas gets cold, it seems even the wildlife has a better indoor plan than some humans.

Bastrop is bracing for a rare Texas cold snap by opening warming centers as icy temperatures move into Central Texas this weekend. The city, with help from local churches and charities, is offering overnight shelters at the public library, community sites, and nearby missions -because freezing weather and “figure it out yourself” don’t mix well. Even pets get a plan, with volunteers stepping in to keep animals warm too. In short, when Texas goes sub-zero, Bastrop is reminding everyone that hospitality doesn’t hibernate.

The New Home Lady Leopards cheer team has gone from nearly last place to state champions, capturing their first-ever gold at the 2AD1 UIL Spirit State Championship - a five-year glow-up powered by grit and zero hired choreographers. Doing everything in-house, the small Texas team outworked bigger schools with a demanding, multi-part routine and a very clear goal: first place or nothing. The win sparked rare role reversal, with football players and the community cheering the cheerleaders. Now, with state glory secured, the Leopards are heading to Nationals - because apparently one historic victory just isn’t enough.

Bonham’s Creative Arts Center is kicking off the new year with a packed calendar, led by the return of its “Taste of Chocolate” gala on February 21 - because art, jazz, auctions and chocolate fountains clearly belong together. Guests can expect live music, local artists at work, a buffet dinner, drinks, and enough chocolate to test anyone’s self-control. Beyond the gala, the center is rolling out an impressive lineup of art classes, kids’ workshops, yoga, dance, poetry nights and craft socials that leave little excuse for boredom. In short, if you can’t find something creative to do in Bonham this winter, you probably aren’t looking very hard.

Warming up your car on a cold Texas morning could now cost you up to $500, turning a comfort habit into a legal headache. Under state law, leaving a vehicle running unattended-even for a few minutes-can be treated as a Class C offense, mainly to prevent car theft. Cars with remote-start systems get a pass, but keyless ignition without remote start still lives in a legal gray zone. The takeaway is simple and slightly ironic: in Texas, it’s safer (and cheaper) to sit shivering in your car than to let it warm up on its own.

A powerful winter storm slammed the US East Coast, knocking out power to more than a million homes, grounding over 17,000 flights, and reminding Americans how fragile modern life becomes under a layer of ice. Snow buried the Northeast while the South and Texas dealt with thick ice that snapped power lines and even knocked weather stations offline. Energy grids from New England to Texas were pushed to the brink, with authorities firing up coal, oil, and even diesel generators to keep the lights on. In short, nearly 200 million people were frozen, delayed, or left in the dark-proof that winter still runs the show, no matter how advanced the infrastructure claims to be.

Icy roads across East Texas are keeping Tyler firefighters busy, even as most residents wisely stay home and off the streets. Crews are responding to emergencies at reduced speeds, using tire chains and extra caution to keep heavy fire trucks from turning into oversized sleds. Fire officials say winter weather also brings a familiar bonus problem: more house fires as people crank up heaters and stay indoors. The message is simple-use safe heating, install carbon monoxide detectors, and if you don’t have to drive on ice, don’t leave the driveway and make life harder for firefighters already doing it for you.

In a rare bit of genuinely heartwarming winter news, every eligible dog at Aggieland Humane Society spent the freezing weekend in a foster home instead of a kennel. The shelter’s “Cold Snap Getaway” program paired pups with temporary families, keeping them warm, safe, and very likely spoiled. While Texas battled icy temperatures, these dogs enjoyed couches, blankets, and human attention-arguably the best emergency response of all. Proof that sometimes the smartest cold-weather plan comes with four legs and a wagging tail.

Houston is once again proving that Super Bowl food is a competitive sport of its own. From smoked brisket, fajita mountains, and Wagyu burgers to party-sized cocktails and three-foot deli sandwiches, local restaurants are making sure no one has to cook-or suffer mediocre snacks. The city’s to-go menus read less like catering lists and more like victory laps, with enough meat, cheese, and carbs to feed an offensive line. In short, the game may be on TV, but in Houston, the real championship is on the table.

Austin’s sweet tooth just got a second address, as Big Top Candy Shop opened a new location in Hyde Park. The shop is already welcoming customers ahead of a grand opening this Saturday, complete with free candy samples, face painting, and enough nostalgia to power a small sugar rush. Unlike its South Congress sibling, the new spot plans to add soda fridges-including one just for root beer-and eventually soft-serve or frozen custard. In other words, Big Top didn’t just expand-it upgraded, because apparently one candy paradise was not enough for Austin.

Cedar Park plans to wrap up upgrades at Brushy Creek Sports Park by spring 2026, promising better fields, smoother trails, and fewer excuses for muddy shoes. The $1.7 million project includes new fencing and nets, improved drainage for the softball fields, expanded parking, extra trails, and concrete paths replacing the old crushed granite. There’s also a new maintenance building, because even parks need somewhere to keep their tools. Funded by the city’s 2022 bond program, the makeover is on track-just in time for spring, when everyone suddenly remembers they like being outdoors.

Texas has expanded its tech blacklist, banning dozens of China-linked apps, devices, and AI tools-including familiar names like Shein, Temu, Alibaba, and TP-Link-from all state-issued networks and devices. Governor Greg Abbott says the move is about data security, with Texas Cyber Command warning that these technologies could quietly siphon information out of the state. For now, the ban applies only to government employees, though officials hint that consumer privacy worries-and lawsuits against smart TV makers-suggest a bigger debate ahead. In short, Texas isn’t just drawing a line in the sand; it’s building a digital border wall, one app at a time.