Bay Area Edition | June 2025

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Bay Area Edition VOLUME 7, ISSUE 11 JUNE 18JULY 17, 2025

2025 Health Care Edition

Expanding health care services Kelsey-Seybold has nished building out its campus in the Bay Area. The new buildings will oer diagnostics via advanced machines as well as new treatments for illnesses such as cancer, among other services. BY JAMES T. NORMAN

INSIDE

COURTESY KELSEYSEYBOLD

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In addition to more physicians and expanded specialty care, our Bay Area Campus features more advanced diagnostic imaging, on-site labs, a Kelsey Pharmacy with drive-thru services, and free parking. It will also be home to a new nationally recognized Kelsey-Seybold Cancer Center and a new Outpatient Surgery Center, both opening in 2025. Discover exceptional care at our new Bay Area Campus.

KELSEY-SEYBOLD.COM/BAYAREACAMPUS Scan to schedule or call 713-442-8580

Located off of 1-45 between Bay Area Blvd. and El Dorado exits

1321961972

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Owners John and Jennifer Garrett launched Community Impact in 2005, and the company is still locally owned today with editions across Texas. Our mission is to provide trusted news and local information that everyone gets. Our vision is to build communities of informed citizens and thriving businesses through the collaboration of a passionate team. Our purpose is to be a light for our readers, customers, partners and each other by living out our core values of Faith, Passion, Quality, Innovation and Integrity. About Community Impact

Market leaders & metro team

Reporters Jovanna Aguilar Angela Bonilla Melissa Enaje Valeria Escobar Wesley Gardner Rachel Leland Emily Lincke Nichaela Shaheen Jessica Shorten Haley Velasco Kevin Vu Julianna Washburn Graphic Designers Richard Galvan Ellen Jackson Matt Mills

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Impacts

8 Rotolo’s Craft & Crust In addition to various types of pizza, the restaurant serves wings, burgers, pasta, salads, soups, cheesesteaks and calzones, among other items. There are also vegan and vegetarian options available. • Opening May 26 • 4550 W. League City Parkway, Ste. 100, League City • www.rotolos.com 9 Lercys Diner The restaurant will offer several classic Southern dishes, including hamburger steaks, stuffed chicken breasts, baked chicken and a variety of sides and vegetables, among other offerings. • Opening May 27 • 513 6th St. N., Texas City • Facebook: Lercys Diner-Texas City

ARMAND BAYOU NATURE CENTER

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10 Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists The clinic offers emergency pet services, diagnostics, internal medicine, oncology, neurology and neurosurgery, radiation, surgery, sports medicine and rehab, among other services. • Opening July 21 • 20610 Gulf Freeway, Webster • www.gcvs.com 11 The Exercise Coach The business offers personal training and nutrition. • Opening in July • 1455 FM 646 Road, Ste. 101, League City • www.exercisecoach.com/league-city 12 Whiskey River South The venue will feature a spacious dance floor for two- stepping, a mechanical bull and a large outdoor patio with its own dance floor. The dance hall will also offer tacos, quesadillas and nachos. • Opening in August • 1030 W. NASA Parkway, Webster • www.whiskeyrivertexas.com 13 Bricks & Minifigs The shop buys and sells LEGO products and toys, offering an assortment of new, used and retired sets. • Opening August or September • 20814 Gulf Freeway, Ste. 20, Webster • www.bricksandminifigs.com Bright Horizons The center, which has locations across the U.S., as well as a couple in the Greater Houston area, provides child care, early education, backup care and workforce

W. WALKER ST.

646

517

7THAVE.N.

OUTLETS BLVD.

5THAVE.N. 9

• Opening May 1 • 2700 Marina Bay Drive, Ste. P, League City • www.fruttabowls.com

Now open

1 Texas Roadhouse The restaurant serves hand-cut steaks, rubs, chicken dishes and Texas-sized combos, among other items. • Opened March 31

5 Factory Direct Mattress The store has a luxury and two-sided mattress collection, as well as eco-friendly options, and delivery and consultation services, among other items and services. • Opened May 12 • 803 E. NASA Parkway, Ste. 152, Webster • factory-direct-mattress-clear-lake.ueniweb.com 6 Parlor Doughnuts The shop will serve layered donuts with flavors including French toast, maple bacon, peanut butter cup, strawberry shortcake and lemon bar, among other flavors. • Opening May 17 7 POP MART The store offers character figurines including Disney, DC Comics and Harry Potter collectibles. This is the fourth location to open in the Greater Houston area with others in The Woodlands, Sugar Land and northwest Houston. • Opened May 17 • 500 Baybrook Mall Drive, Ste. 1197, Friendswood • www.popmart.com • 1601 W. Main St., League City • www.parlordoughnuts.com

• 6131 Gulf Freeway, Texas City • www.texasroadhouse.com

2 Visiting Angels The business offers veteran’s care, respite care, home transition care, dementia care, elderly companion care, long-distance services, home care services and Alzheimer’s care services, among others. • Opened April 14 • 18333 Egret Bay Blvd., Ste. 635, Houston • www.visitingangels.com 3 Action Buggies South The business sells golf carts and custom electric vehicles. It’s the second location to open in the Greater Houston area. • Opened in April 4 Saladworks & Frutta Bowls The businesses will share a location and offer healthy food options, such as fruit bowls and smoothies filled with acai, pitaya and kale. It will also sell gluten-free, rustic Italian toast with toppings including avocado, egg and red pepper. • 4229 Gulf Freeway, Dickinson • dickinson.actionbuggies.com

education services. • Opening August 4 • Location TBD • www.brighthorizons.com

Relocations

14 The Ceramic and Pottery Center The pottery workshop had operated for over 30 years

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BY COMMUNITY IMPACT STAFF

at a location in League City. The studio has been in business since 1994 and offers various activities and services, such as ready-to-paint pottery, glazes, potter wheel, clay projects, classes and parties. • Relocated April 30 • 2900 Dickinson Ave., Ste. A, Dickinson • www.ceramicandpottery.com 15 The Chopping Block The business offers a number of different cuts of meats, including cuts of brisket, ribeye, spareribs, New York strips, sausages, as well as seasonings. It was formerly

In the news

17 Aspire Medical & Wellness The business celebrated five years on May 9. It offers holistic, patient-centered care, providing integrative services unique to the area. The clinic also performs house calls in special circumstances, catering to Seabrook’s medically underserved residents. • Opened May 9

• 913 Hardesty Ave., Ste. A, Seabrook • www.aspiremedicalwellness.com

located in Webster. • Relocated May 1 • 18333 Egret Bay Blvd., Ste. 135, Houston • www.tcbmeats.com

Closings

18 Sweet Mia’s Boutique The women’s boutique carried apparel, shoes and accessories. While the storefront is closing, the business’s online store and mobile app will remain open and fully operational. • Closed June 8 • 410 W. Main St., Ste. B, League City • www.sweetmiasboutique.com

16 J5 Athletics The facility offers one-on-one training, cage rentals, pitching lanes along with speed, strength and agility training that is available to all ages and abilities. The business is relocating from its Dickinson location after more than three years of business due to outgrowing the facility. • Relocated June 1 • 1762 W. Walker St., League City • www.j5athletics.com

19 Kolache Bakery The business is under new ownership as of April. Kolaches available include fruit, cream cheese, and sausage kolaches, as well as other items such as cinnamon rolls and fruit streusel. • 908 E. Main St., League City • www.kolachebakery.com

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Health care

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Health Care Edition

2025

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Local service centers in Houston Bay Area open to help rising autism rates

Autism percentages compared to overall enrollment at CCISD Clear Creek ISD Houston region school districts

Texas

2% 3% 5% 4% 1% 0

+79.7% increase over 6 years

As the number of children diagnosed with autism increases, local autism centers oering services for families has followed suit. The overview According to a 2022 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in every 31 children age 8 has been identied with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. That number has more than doubled compared to 2012, when 1 in every 69 children age 8 was identied with ASD, the CDC study shows. This increase has led to a rise in Bay Area autism centers, including Changing Stories, an autism service and consultation center based in Webster. Elizabeth Hewatt, owner of Changing Stories and a certied behavior analyst, established the business in 2022 with in-home behavior therapy,

communication support, skills assessments and other related services for children with autism. Her inspiration is rooted from her daughter, who was diagnosed with autism in 2003. In January, the business expanded with a new clinical facility to do outreach and individualized therapy for children. Diving in deeper While Hewatt has a positive outlook on the num- ber of autism service centers now open compared to when her daughter was diagnosed in 2003, she noted a lot of centers don’t service teenagers to adults, as they don’t have the capacity. For elementary age children and teenagers, Changing Stories has had to implement a waiting list. However, Hewatt is looking to expand on its preschool program.

SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCYCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Also of note Clear Creek ISD has also addressed the rise of autism with both in-house and outside services. The district over the past year has hired more professionals and allocated more resources. Pro- grams related to alternative academics, modied academics, extended school year services and homebound services are some of what the district o ers, Community Impact previously reported.

BAY AREA EDITION

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Health care

BY DIEGO COLLAZO & JAMES T. NORMAN

5 health care updates from local hospitals

3 Houston Methodist Clear Lake Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital introduced new services over the past year, including robotic- assisted spine surgery and a sleep center. The robotic surgery is the first of its kind in Houston’s Bay Area and allows for greater precision, resulting in less tissue trauma and a quicker recovery for patients. A new sleep center, which is staffed with registered sleep technologists and board-certified sleep physicians to provide diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders, was also introduced in the past year.

4 Memorial Hermann Southeast Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital redesigned its imaging department to include a new MRI machine and a designated CT scanner in efforts to improve patient care. The hospital also opened a retail pharmacy for staff, physicians and the public, along with a community resource center that provides tools and support for residents. Its cardiac rehabilitation services were relocated to a larger space to accommodate more patients as well.

1 UTMB UTMB Health Clear Lake will launch a pair of clinics in 2025. UTMB Health League City will begin seeing patients on its ambulatory side in 2025. 200 Blossom St., Webster (Clear Lake) (832) 632-6500 2240 Gulf Freeway S., League City (League City) (409) 772-1011

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2 HCA Houston Clear Lake HCA Houston Clear Lake is adding a $103 million expansion to include 90 additional beds for various types of care. Work could wrap up in 2026.

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Expanding health care services From the cover

What you need to know

Kelsey-Seybold Bay Area campus While some services may be added, the Bay Area campus is completely built out.

Kelsey-Seybold Clinic nished building out its Bay Area campus in late 2024 and now oers services across three separate buildings o I-45 in Webster. Originally just a single building, ocials said the services and capacity were too much for what is now Building A. “Prior to the expansion, … demand had outstripped our capacity,” said John Lyle, senior vice president for health care service lines at Kelsey-Seybold. As a result, work began in 2022 on two other buildings on the campus—buildings B and C. The additions helped expand both capacity and services, ocials said. Building B, which opened in January 2024, oers diagnostics and will eventually oer ambulatory services, while Building C is the campus’s new cancer center, oering patients who live in the Bay Area a clinic closer to home, Lyle said. Kelsey-Seybold is one of several organizations in the area that, with the services it provides, helps “signicantly enhance the overall health and well-being of the local community,” said Rhonda Bell, dean of health and natural sciences at San Jacinto College's central campus. Kelsey-Seybold ocials said they expect more services to come to the Bay Area campus soon.

2 Building B (107K sq. ft.) • Ambulatory services coming soon • Diagnostics via MRI & advanced imaging • Dermatology • Other specialty services available

3 Building C (36K sq. ft.) • Hematology/Oncology • Linear accelerator machine • Radiation therapy & chemotherapy

1 Building A (79K sq. ft.) • Primary medicine • Family medicine

S VILLAGE DR.

NOTE: THIS SERVICE LIST IS NOT COMPREHENSIVE.

SOURCE: KELSEYSEYBOLDCOMMUNITY IMPACT

The impact

That expansion area in part has stemmed from what Kelsey-Seybold officials said was a demand for care close to home. Expansion of both primary care and specialty care have also centralized the health care experience for many in the area.

care grew by nearly 50%, according to data from Kelsey-Seybold. Data projecting into 2026 shows those numbers are expected to continue to rise. “We’ve seen people pouring in the doors,” Carlson said. “It’s a great expansion area for us.”

Patients are “flooding in” as a result of the expansion, said Aaron Carlson, senior vice president of ambulatory services. In total, patients receiving specialty care more than doubled from 2022-24, and those receiving primary

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Zooming in

Employment and patient counts at Bay Area campus

2022-24

campus, so [patients] don’t have to drive to the [Texas Medical] Center,” Carlson said. Future expansion at the campus will also include more primary care doctors. That should allow for more “coordinated care,” as primary care doctors on-site will be able to refer patients to specialty doctors also based in the Bay Area campus, Carlson said. Other additions could include adding more specialty doctors, such as interventional cardiolo- gists or orthopedic surgeons, Carlson said.

Prior to the two newest buildings opening up, Carlson said the Bay Area campus often saw a rotation of doctors moving to and from the Texas Medical Center in Houston. The expansion has allowed Kelsey-Seybold officials to set the Bay Area as the home base for key specialists, Carlson said. That trend continued with the opening of the cancer center and bringing in an oncologist that stays in the Bay Area full time. “[The services] mirror what we offer at the main

68% increase in total patient visits Primary care up 47% 103% increase in total providers listed as FTE* Specialty care Specialty care up 109%

Primary care providers up 52%

providers up 184%

*FTE IS FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT EMPLOYEE

SOURCE: KELSEY-SEYBOLD/ COMMUNITY IMPACT

Percentage of people reporting 14 or more poor mental health days

What the experts say

2018 2019 2020 2021

2022

Looking ahead

Bell said she believes the Bay Area, as well as the broader Houston region, offers high-end medical services in many areas, particularly with the help of the Texas Medical Center. Lower death rates related to cancer, as well as coordinated care that help address barriers that certain socioeconomic groups face, have helped outcomes, Bell said. However, one area Bell said both Houston and the Bay Area have room for improvement is mental health services, which remain limited. Data from the Kinder Institute shows 246 of the 254 counties in Texas—including Galveston and Harris counties—are currently classified as shortage areas for mental health professionals. “Health care providers and educational institu- tions must continue working together to address existing gaps, anticipate emerging health care trends, and support the well-being of our commu- nity,” Bell said.

While the three buildings on the campus are all fully open, except for the ambulatory services within Building B, which is expected to open in early 2026, there is still capacity to fill, Carlson said. Options to add a PET/CT scanner, which creates detailed imaging of the human body, or an additional linear accelerator to help destroy cancer cells are some of what could be added if demand calls for it. Meanwhile, Building A is planned to be expanded further to include more primary care services, Carlson said. Projected demand at the campus could create a need for more specific or specialty doctors, Carlson said.

10 0

Harris County

League City

Webster

U.S.

Mental health providers per 100K people

2018

2022 2019

2023 2020

2024 2021

200

175

100 75 125 150

Harris County

Galveston County

Texas

SOURCE: HOUSTON STATE OF HEALTH/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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Health care

BY CONNOR BEHRENS

Sta work with people in the Greater Houston area.

CONNOR BEHRENSCOMMUNITY IMPACT

More programs could soon be on the way for the center, such as new family planning programs.

CONNOR BEHRENSCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Family Service Center looks to strengthen communities in Houston one mind at a time

123 Rosenberg St., Galveston www.fsc-galveston.org

Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Harris, Liberty and Wharton counties. Today, the center oers services such as individual and family counseling, victim support services and telehealth options. Williams said a key part of the center’s mis- sion is supporting local school districts through counseling and outreach. Mental health aects everyone—regardless of ethnicity, gender, age, diagnosis, or economic status—so it’s important to see clients as quickly as possible, Williams said. “Mental health doesn’t judge,” he said. “It can hit anyone at any time, and you have to know how to navigate it.”

The Family Service Center, a Galveston-based nonprot, served 2,600 patients across Southeast Texas last year—a testament to the importance of mental health, CEO Jared M. Williams said. “Mental health is very vital, especially when you really don’t know the signs,” he said. “You could be going through an episode or going through something in your life. Traumatic experiences can happen and you not know it.” The overview Since 1914, the Family Service Center has been dedicated to providing vital mental health counseling services to those in need throughout

What’s next Looking ahead, one of the center’s goals is to support and strengthen families through family planning programs, Williams said. Because mental health is a condition that can aect anyone, Williams emphasized the importance of keeping services as cost-eective as possible for clients. Part of that eort comes through an annual gala hosted in September. “We are here to provide the most eective and quality care at the most aordable price,” he said.

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BAY AREA EDITION

Government

Development

BY RACHEL LELAND

City Council postpones vote on kayak launch for the 2nd time League City City Council opted for a second time to postpone awarding a contract to build a new kayak launch along Clear Creek. What happened City Council voted unanimously at its May 27 meeting to postpone voting on awarding a contract totaling more than $1 million to Staord-based contractor Jerdon Enterprise to build a kayak launch site on Kansas Avenue. The project is part of a broader one that calls for two launches to be built—one at North Kansas and a second at Dr. Ned and Fay Dudney Clear Creek Nature Center, the lat- ter of which is currently undergoing construction, according to agenda documents. Community Impact previously reported City Council voted to postpone awarding the contract

League City OKs $6.3M in bonds for projects League City approved May 13 issuing roughly $6.3 million in bonds for the Bay Colony West Municipal Utility District, or MUD, which will go to fund water, sewer, drainage and park improvements in the area. What you need to know The bond issuance is broken up into two batches for an area that sits in the city’s southern area to the west of I-45 and north of FM 517, according to maps from the city. In Texas, a MUD is a political subdivision of the state that provides utility services like water, sewer and drainage to a specic area, typically outside city limits, according to the Texas Com- mission on Environmental Quality’s website. Looking ahead City Council’s approval of the bonds means they can now be sold to investors as of May 28, accord- ing to agenda documents.

League City doubles tax exemption Seniors and residents with disabilities in League City will have a greater homestead exemption next tax season. What happened League City City Council voted unani- mously at its May 27 meeting to increase the property tax exemption for senior citizens and disabled residents from $100,000 to $200,000, according to city documents. The exemption, which takes eect in scal year 2025-26, applies to residents 65 and older and those who are disabled under federal disability insurance standards, city documents show. Increasing the exemption would displace around $800,000 in tax revenue, City Manager John Baumgartner said. As a result, ocials said they plan to look for savings.

League City combats Chinese tallow tree

League City bonds for Bay Colony West MUD

Kayak launch sites Under construction Proposed

Water, sewer, drainage*

Dr. Ned and Fay Dudney Clear Creek Nature Center

Total: $6.37M

Parks

League City is com- bating the spread of the invasive Chinese tallow tree and asking residents to help. The details The Chinese tallow tree threatens local ecosystems by

Nonconstruction costs: $0.3M Engineering: $0.3M Bay Colony West park project: $2.18M

Nonconstruction costs: $0.69M Detention Land: $0.4M Engineering: $0.31M Sedona, Section 7 work: $2.32M

CLEAR CREEK

North Kansas Avenue

Invasive Chinese tallow tree leaves.

at its April 8 meeting as well. Council member Sean Saunders on May 27 requested a postponement of the vote so that the contractor could provide building plans with a oating dock instead of a xed dock. Ocials said June 10 they are also trying to lower the cost. Looking ahead The new date to vote on the contract has not been set as of press time June 10, ocials said. If approved, the project will take less than three months to build out.

$3.57M $2.8M

*TOTAL DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR $150,000 SAVED IN SURPLUS CONSTRUCTION FUNDS. SOURCE: LEAGUE CITYCOMMUNITY IMPACT

outcompeting native species and altering habitats, which can reduce biodiversity and impact soil health, ocials said May 15. Ocials in a May 15 news release said they are are asking residents to look for trees with heart-shaped leaves, bright-green tops and pale undersides. Cutting down the tree and removing the root system is needed to prevent regrowth.

CALDER DR.

Bay Colony West Municipal Utility District

646

517

BAY AREA 1033 Bay Area Blvd (281) 486-9558 LEAGUE CITY

KEMAH 243 FM 2094 (281) 538-9095 SEABROOK 3126 Nasa Pkwy (281) 326-5127

196 Gulf Fwy S (281) 316-2140

Transportation

BY JAMES T. NORMAN

80 school zone flashers to be replaced in League City over next 5 years with more modern devices

League City ups speed limit on Bay Area League City City Council approved a new speed limit along Bay Area Boulevard between League City Parkway and Magnolia Greens Lane at its May 13 meeting, according

League City over the next several years will replace school zone flashers across the city to upgrade them with the latest technology, officials announced May 14. The gist Many of the school zone flashers are more than 20 years old, officials said. Officials have replaced 22 this fiscal year and will replace 20 each year until all 80 flashers are replaced. The new flashers will interact with the WAZE navigation app and the TravelSafely app built into certain vehicles. They will send drivers alerts when they enter a school zone and also notify them if they are speeding. “This effort will significantly improve driver awareness, enhance student safety and modern- ize our infrastructure to meet today’s needs,” officials said in a May 14 social media post.

Before

After

to agenda documents. What you need to know

The road’s new speed limit will be 40 mph—up from 30 mph, according to city documents. The road has roughly 2,600 vehicles traveling down it per day.

Improvements • Interact with in-vehicle apps • Notify driver if speeding

PHOTOS COURTESY LEAGUE CITY

What else? City documents show the project will consist of both replacing the school zone signals as well as installing new pavement markings for school zone crosswalks. It will cost $1.68 million over the next five years.

S. FRIENDSWOOD DR.

BAY AREA BLVD.

MAGNOLIA GREENS LN.

League City OKs design contract for intersections League City City Council on May 13 approved a contract for the design of various improvements at a pair of intersections along League City Parkway. Long story short The work at the intersections, once approvals and bids are squared away, will include extending several turn lanes and various other intersection

S. EGRET BAY BLVD.

518

COLUMBIA MEMORIAL PKWY.

270

improvements, such as updating mast arm lengths, upgrading curb ramps and restriping. Looking ahead Design plans should be set in 2026 with con- struction potentially starting in 2027, officials said.

The contract, which went to EHRA Engineering, is for the intersections at South Egret Bay Boule- vard and Columbia Memorial Parkway, documents show. The contract will not exceed $256,000.

646

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DETOURS: The Botanical Gardens of Orange CRITTER: Bottlenose Dolphin OUT THERE: Meanwhile, in Texas MADE IN TEXAS: Copper Craftsman FEATURE PREVIEW: Juneteenth’s Hero, Opal Lee

Above: The Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center.

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DETOURS

A Green Refuge In Orange

Northwest of downtown, alongside Adams Bayou.

BY DANIEL VAUGHN

FOR FIFTY YEARS the gates of Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center were closed. A bitter freeze in 1958 killed much of founder H.J. Lutcher Stark’s plant- ings, including his prized azaleas. Decades later, reopening plans spearheaded by his namesake foundation were also thwarted by nature, first by Hurricane Rita, in 2005, and then by Ike, in 2008. Finally, in 2009, the 252-acre park opened once again to visitors. Gravel paths wander along- side some three hundred plant species, and everywhere are contemplative spaces that feel far removed from the surrounding city, which lies just across the Sabine River from Louisiana. At the placid Pond of the Blue Moon is the towering Cypress Gate, a platform designed by San Antonio–based architecture firm Lake Flato from logs salvaged after Rita. At Ruby Lake, you’ll find a bird blind for viewing the many varieties of waterfowl that come through, and you just might see an alligator sunning on the dock nearby.

About 51,000 bottlenose dol- phins—the most common spe- cies o the Texas coast—are frolicking in the northern Gulf as you read this. Occasionally, though, one of them ends up on land. The Texas Marine Mam- mal Stranding Network, based in Galveston, responds to an average of 134 strandings per year. Executive director Heidi Whitehead says that after hur- ricanes, she and her colleagues have even rescued dolphins from fields and ditches as far as seventeen miles inland. So before you head to the beach, learn what to do if you come across one.

it can be rescued. Then try to keep it shaded and wet.

IF I FIND A STRANDED DOLPHIN, SHOULD I PUSH

CRITTER OF THE MONTH

Bottlenose Dolphin

IT INTO THE WATER? Often, says Whitehead, a

HOW EXACTLY DOES ONE MOISTEN A DOLPHIN ? You can pour seawater over it or cover it in wet towels. Just be sure to avoid the blowhole. MAY I PET IT? Definitely not. Wild dolphins are a protected species, and any form of harassment (such as trying to touch, feed, or swim with them) is illegal. Whitehead says the best thing you can do is be quiet and keep pets and other people at a distance. —Lauren Larson

beached dolphin is su ering from a lung disease brought on by exposure to bacteria, viruses, or fungi, and it must be treated and rehabilitated. If you try to Free Willy a dolphin back into the Gulf, it is unlikely to survive. WHAT SHOULD I DO? First, call 800-9MAMMAL, which is like a dolphin 911, and someone from Whitehead’s group will talk you through keeping the animal safe until

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MADE IN TEXAS

Inside a Copper Mind Jonathan Beall makes modern kitchenware, barware, and water dispensers that last a lifetime.

BY AMANDA ALBEE

When Beall launched Sertodo Copper, in 1997, he traveled the U.S., cold-calling ho- tels and restaurants to sell Mexican-made copper cookware and chafing dishes. Three years later, he moved to Santa Clara del Cobre, Michoacán, a town with a coppersmithing tradition that predates its founding nearly five hundred years ago. There, he joined a copper community led by James Metcalf, the late sculptor and educator who reinvigorated local artisanal traditions. An apprentice- ship with copper maestro Máximo Velázquez Correa had Beall forging hundreds of nails and tools, including hammers and chisels, to cultivate a “manual intelligence” that he says is in decline among modern American creators, who sidestep material knowledge for computer-aided design. To read the full story, please subscribe to Texas Monthly.

IN HIS AUSTIN warehouse, Jonathan Beall sips water from one of his copper cups, an Ayurvedic practice said to stimulate diges- tion and increase immunity. He points to a hand-carved solid-copper vase made us- ing traditional techniques, such as melting recycled copper into ingots and repeatedly annealing and forging the mass into shape, a skill he learned in Mexico. It reminds him of a similar piece he encountered on a trip to Sayulita, on that country’s Pacific coast, almost thirty years ago—he can still see it glittering in the dawn light among a peddler’s wares. “I had never seen anything like it,” he says. “I didn’t know what was happening, but I had a big feeling.”

OUT THERE

Meanwhile, In Texas A man dressed in shorts and sneakers was seen cruising down the center lane of westbound Interstate 40 in Amarillo on an electric scooter . In a cave near Marfa, archaeologists discovered remnants of an atlatl, a straight-flying boomerang, and other components of whatmay be the oldest intact hunting kit found in North America. Almost four thousand Kerrville residents lost power for two hours after a ringtail came into contact with equipment at a substation. On National Beer Day, a train collided with the trailer of a semitruck near Saginaw, spilling hundreds of cans of beer around the tracks. Nearly three thousand people and 1,300 dogs descended on a ranch in Bee Cave for Texas’s largest annual golden retriever meetup . Hoping to steal a car, a man threw a rock through the window of a Tyler dealership, injured himself while entering through the broken glass, and called 911 for help getting out of the building, even though several doors were unlocked. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was bitten by an ostrich while visiting a wildlife park in North Texas. —Meher Yeda

Jonathan Beall polishes a copper vessel at his com- pany’s workshop in Austin on April 24, 2025.

BAY AREA EDITION

Opal Lee at her Fort Worth home, in front of a painting of her family tree.

advantage of the specials. At least four con- versations are happening at once, all of them somehow meeting at a center point, briefly, beforebouncingooneanotherandcontinu- ing in their own universes. When Lee, 98, emerges from a back room, glass of milk in hand, she is vibrant, smiling widely, and moving gingerly, but no one fusses over her. They all seem to know she moves at her own pace, on her own time. “Old people ain’t got nothing but time,” she tells me, set- tlingintoachairinanocethatisoverflowing with honors and ephemera: a signed basketball from the New York Knicks, photos with Pres- idents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, various awards from women’s groups and colleges and civil rights organizations. When I ask Lee how she’s feeling, she tells me she’s wearing a back brace, so she’s feeling good. Her back has been hurting, but it ain’t nothing special. Old people have aches and pains; most of them don’t even know why or where they came from. I want to know what keeps her going, and she smiles. “I feel like I’m everybody’s grandma. And I had good grand- mas.” She recalls her grandparents always findingwaystohelpfolksintheircommunity. “My mom was like that too,” she says. “It’s just part of your makeup.” To read the full story, please subscribe to Texas Monthly .

OPAL LEE LIVES on the same property where her childhood home once sat, inside a house recently built for her by Habitat for Hu- manity. On the front door is a purple wreath. In the center of the wreath is a quote from Lee herself: “If people can be taught to hate, they can be taught to love.” Inside, the house buzzes with Lee’s friends and family. There’s excitement in the air, in part because it is Veterans Day, and at least two veterans are in the home, preparing to circulate through several restaurants to take

FEATURE PREVIEW

Opal Lee Marches On The 98-year-old activist partly

responsible for Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday says, “I got work to do.” BY HANIF ABDURRAQIB

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State

BY HANNAH NORTON

Texas education savings account program to take eect in 2026

The other side

Some opponents of ESAs have expressed con- cerns that the program will divert funding from public school districts facing nancial challenges and unfairly benet wealthy families. “These private schools are not required to accept your children,” Rep. Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos, DRichardson, said on the House oor April 16. “You give up the rights you had in public schools. The full cost of tuition, transportation and textbooks will almost never be covered fully by the voucher.” During the 2023-24 school year, the average cost of Texas private school tuition was $10,965 for kindergarten-eighth grade students and $14,986 for high school students, according to the Texas Private Schools Association.

savings accounts, which families can use to pay for private school tuition and other educational expenses, such as textbooks or transportation. Most participating students will receive 85% of the per-student funding public schools get from state and local sources— about $10,330 in the rst year of the program, according to estimates from the nonpartisan Legislative Budget Board. Texas Education Agency data shows the average Texas public school received $12,815 per student in state and local funds during the 2022-23 school year. Students with disabilities will qualify for up to $30,000 per year under SB 2, while families who homeschool their children can receive up to $2,000 annually .

Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 2 into law May 3, putting Texas on track to become at least the 30th state to enact a program that uses public funds for private education. Speaking to over 1,000 attendees in front of the governor’s mansion, Abbott said he was signing “the largest day-one school choice program in the United States.” The program will launch at the beginning of the 2026-27 school year. “Gone are the days that families are limited to only the school assigned to them by [the] government,” Abbott said. “Today has arrived and empowers parents to choose the school that is best for their child.” SB 2 will set aside $1 billion for education

Also of note

Legislative leaders have vowed to raise teacher salaries and public school funding in tandem with the ESA package. State senators unveiled an amended version of House Bill 2, a nearly $8 billion school nance package, on May 15. “We are going to make, through school choice, public schools even more competitive and better,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said during the May 3 event. “It’s not about us against them or them against us.”

Texas lawmakers, state leaders and private school students listen as Gov. Greg Abbott speaks about Senate Bill 2 during a May 3 event.

To read the full story, visit: communityimpact.com/texas-legislature

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Education

College of the Mainland to end officer academy The College of the Mainland’s law enforcement academy will discontinue after the Texas Commis- sion on Law Enforcement decided to not pursue a new contract for peace officer training. The current agreement will expire March 31, officials said. What you need to know History of academy

CCISD approves $162M bond sale

Clear Creek ISD trustees approved a $162 million bond sale, which stems from the district’s $302 million bond that passed in November 2023. The gist It is the second bond sale. The first one saw $140 million in capital funds for projects in 2024, according to agenda documents. Among several capital projects tied to the second bond sale, other expenses will include legal counsel, a financial advisor, ratings agencies, paying agents and other transaction fees, documents show. What else? Trustees also approved a conversion of debt, worth $47 million, stemming from the 2013 bond.

126 cohorts conducted 1,600+ graduated cadets 1,385 education courses hosted 10K+ law enforcement officials served throughout region

TCOLE officials did not provide an explanation as to why they chose to not pursue a new contract, according to an April 24 news release. “TCOLE’s decision is disappointing, given COM’s longstanding relationship with the commission and the academy’s decades of service to the law enforcement community,” COM President Warren Nichols said in the news release. The history COM’s law enforcement academy began offering basic peace officer training in 1970, according to the news release.

SOURCE: COLLEGE OF THE MAINLAND/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Looking ahead The college is working to partner with four-year institutions in Texas to develop co-enrollment agreements, including a pathway for students to earn a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice on COM’s campus without having to travel to the four-year institution.

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BY HALEY VELASCO

SanJac College expands cancer data program Students nationwide will be able to access San Jacinto College’s cancer data management program by June, officials announced in a May 27 news release. What’s happening? Cancer registrars, which are data specialists who document the full history, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of U.S. cancer patients, are in high demand, the news release notes. The expansion will help registrars track data and is a result of the National Cancer Registrars Associa- tion’s, or NCRA, request that the college expand its access to the curriculum. The latest data available in 2021 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, shows cancer cases are steadily increasing. Diving in deeper San Jacinto College’s cancer data management

CCISD launches educational bus

Percentage of cancer cases compared to overall population

United States

Texas

.60% .55% .50% .45% .40% 0

0.55%

0.52%

Clear Creek ISD will launch a makerspace lab and bookmobile bus named “Voyager” for the community in mid-June. In a nutshell The bus will offer literacy and science, technology, engineering, arts and math, or STEAM, resources and materials for families within the district’s boundaries. A closer look Routes to campuses will take place Mon- days through Thursdays from June 16-July 31, according to a May 23 CCISD news release. It will also visit CCISD campuses throughout the 2025-26 school year. The bus was funded by the Clear Creek Education Foundation through a grant of an unspecified amount, per the news release.

0.44%

0.4%

NOTE: THE LATEST CDC DATA ON CANCER CASES IS FROM 2021.

SOURCE: CDC/COMMUNITY IMPACT

program stands as the state’s only NCRA-accredited program and was the first in the nation to receive this distinction. The program maintains a pass rate above the national certification exam average, according to the news release. “The San Jacinto program has always been an NCRA favorite, being the first NCRA-accredited [clinical data management] program,” Mary Maul, NCRA manager of education programs, said in the news release.

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