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Abridged stories from our website, communityimpact.com/wdl
Montgomery County commissioners consider Tropical Depression Imelda aid
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In response to TheWoodlands Township board votes 5-2 to support Conroe ISD bond (posted Oct. 17) “John McMullan was absolutely correct identifying the CISD election as the most consequential vote to preserve our community since the 2015 road bond.” —Enrique Rosero launch for new Spring restaurant 6 Entergy, community respond to power outages rising in The Woodlands, Shenandoah 7 Market Street announces multiple late 2019 openings 8 The Woodlands Township board of directors votes 5-2 to support Conroe ISD bond 9 Metropark Square celebrates opening 10 MD Anderson opens 3-story standalone care center READER FEEDBACK Most-read stories from 9/18/19 - 10/17/19 1 Weather leads to multiple closings in The Woodlands 2 10 new tenants announced for fall, winter launches at mixed-use Metropark Square development 3 Your 2019 voter guide to state constitutional amendments on the ballot in Texas 4 Drought conditions lead to burn ban in Montgomery County 5 Chicken Salad Chick plans early 2020
first budget when very little money has been expended,” Noack said. “I would think that your current budget would be able to support that until ... you had a shortfall.” Although several counties, includ- ing Montgomery, received a presi- dential declaration of disaster Oct. 4, funds are currently only available for individual homeowners. The commis- sioners said they would wait and see if the county would receive any funds to help with the recovery effort. The commissioners did approve the purchase of some road materials for Precinct 4 not to exceed $200,000.
our own, but after talking to [Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management] Darren Hess this morning, we’re around $15 million just for roads and bridges right now,” Metts said. Commissioners expressed a willing- ness to send asphalt to help with the recovery. However, Precinct 3 Commis- sioner James Noack said after Hurri- cane Harvey, he paid for his precinct’s needs from his own budget. “If you get down towards the end of the road and you need additional moneys, I think the court is happy to help ... but this is the first court of the
BY VANESSAHOLT Nearly four weeks after Tropical Depression Imelda, the Montgomery County Commissioners Court was still handling the recovery as residents demanded more action. At the regular meeting Oct. 8, the commissioners deferred action on purchasing up to $110,000 of concrete for road damages in Precinct 4 from the flooding. Precinct 4 Commissioner James Metts said he did not want to be a “burden” on the court but was con- cerned about the damage in his area. “I’m not a guy that likes to ask for help. We like to take care of things on
Population, uninsured rates rising around the Greater Houston area
Spring and Montgomery County receive smoke detector donations BY KELLY SCHAFLER Officials are urging Spring and Montgomery County homeowners to check the status of their smoke detectors and take advantage of a free service to have detectors installed in their homes if needed. On Oct. 3, the Insurance Council of Texas donated hundreds of smoke detectors to local first responder agencies. Representatives from the Spring Fire Department and the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office received smoke detector donations from the ICT, according to a news release. Montgomery County officials said the fire marshal’s office launched efforts in October 2018 to increase the number of homes with smoke detectors in their respective communities. Montgomery County Fire Marshal Jimmy Williams said the holiday season is the peak season for home fires, so it is a good time for homeowners to verify the status of their smoke detectors. “This is a year-round effort,” Williams said. Montgomery County residents can schedule a smoke alarm checkup with their local fire department. Where to call Montgomery County and Spring residents can get more information about smoke alarms at the following locations: Spring residents can visit www.springfd.org/smokealarm . Montgomery County residents can call 936-538-8288 .
Local growth Median household income has grown in Montgomery and Harris counties since 2017, but so did the percentage of uninsured residents. Harris 2017 2017 2018 2018 Montgomery
BY KARAMCINTYRE New U.S. Census Bureau data shows the Greater Houston area is growing in more than population. Median household income, educational attainment and the percentage of people without health insurance all increased from 2017-18 in the Greater Houston area. The U.S. Census Bureau released one-year estimates of the 2018 American Com- munity Survey on Sept. 26 for areas with populations of 65,000 or more. Montgomery County saw the largest percentage growth of the four coun- ties, increasing 3.5% from 2017-18 and reaching close to 600,000 people. Meanwhile, the percent- ages of Harris and Mont- gomery counties’ popula- tions that are uninsured both grew, but by less than 0.5%.
Population 4.65million
4.7million
590,925 570,934
Median household income
“Thank you to the board, especially Dr. Ann K. Snyder, for putting the resolution on the agenda.” —Emily Hoppel
$60,232 $58,645 $76,929 $76,811
In response to Conroe ISD debuts pilot full-day pre-K programs (posted Oct. 14)
Uninsured rate
20.8% 20.4% 15.2% 14.9%
“Not in my daughter’s school sadly ... Pre-K should be full-day and for everyone.” —Jessica Somers Barbagallo “I would love if CISD had this so both of my kiddos could be in one place. I would even pay for it
SOURCE:U.S.CENSUSBUREAU/ COMMUNITY IMPACTNEWSPAPER
if asked.”
Montgomery County Public Health District offers free flu shots to seniors
—Angie Gugliano Freeman
already enrolled in the Meals on Wheels program are eligible. Flu symptoms include fever or feeling feverish, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue or tiredness, according to MCPHD.
BY EVA VIGH Montgomery County Public Health District is offering free flu vaccines through its partnership with Meals on Wheels, according to an Oct. 8 news release by MCPHD. Homebound seniors who are
SCHEDULE A FLU SHOT To schedule an appointment, call 936-523-5010. For more information about this year’s flu season, visit www.cdc.gov/flu.
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The Woodlands edition • November 2019
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