Homeowners living within the Lone Star College System’s boundaries will be charged the same tax rate for fiscal year 2024-25 that they were for the previous fiscal year after the college system’s board of trustees approved a flat tax rate on Oct. 3. The action taken On Oct. 3, LSCS’s board of trustees unanimously approved…

For the 35th year, the good times will roll in downtown Conroe this week with the Conroe Cajun Catfish Festival.  The annual event put on by the nonprofit Friends of Conroe takes place the second weekend in October. This year’s festival is set for Friday through Sunday with the carnival opening early Thursday night.  Here’s everything festivalgoers need…

H-E-B is launching tap-to-pay services across all its Texas stores, allowing customers to make quick, contactless payments using digital wallets like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay. The gist Starting on Oct. 7, H-E-B will roll out tap-to-pay technology across Texas, beginning with stores in the San Antonio area, according to a news release…

More than half of the state’s school districts are facing budget shortfalls this year while also navigating the conclusion of federal stimulus funds, forcing districts to make hard decisions related to staffing and programming. In addition, districts are experiencing an increase in educators considering leaving the profession due to lack of funds, increased class sizes…

Trails in the W.G. Jones State Forest are open again after being closed for several weeks in September due to Hurricane Beryl cleanup.  The Texas A&M Forest Service which maintains the urban forest on FM 1488 west of Interstate 45 closed the forest to public traffic Sept. 9. In a statement from the forest service, representatives said…

Three candidates are running for a six-year term to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate. Republican incumbent Ted Cruz is seeking a third term as Texas’ junior U.S. senator. Each state has two U.S. senators—Cruz currently serves alongside Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Cruz is being challenged by Democrat Colin Allred, a third-term congressman from Dallas…