Category: Lake Conroe Area News

Turfgrass has taken a beating over the last few years.  Lack of rain, excessive rain have contributed to many of the issues that most homeowners are experiencing.  This would be a great time to discuss how to handle the issues that are showing up now and will be for the next month or so.
The dry weather and excessive heat can add undue stress to turfgrasses. This has been the case for 2 years in a row. Stress, in just about any plant, opens the window for insects and diseases. In other words, increased susceptibility is the result of stress.
Watering the appropriate amount is important to deter overall turfgrass health issues during drought periods. Turfgrass needs 1” of water per week during the growing season. It is important to make sure your irrigation system is working properly and efficiently.  Do an irrigation audit.  Check for pipe and valve leaks, breaks, clogged heads, sprinkler heads not working, misaligned heads, misting versus spraying due to too much pressure, water spraying onto hard surfaces and runoff into the street. Water your lawn deeply every 3 – 5 days allowing it to dry out between each water event if you decide to water at night.  Regardless of when you water, too much water creates a lot of problems.  Watering deeply will help re-train the roots.  Another tactic is to mow turfgrass as high as it will let you. St. Augustine grass can withstand 4”. Taller grass will create shade which will reduce evaporation of water from the soil and protect the roots from excessive heat.  
One insect that creates quite a stir in the heat of the summer is the chinch bug. Chinch bugs have already been spotted in lawns around the county. Typically, you will see small dead spots flare up around the yard.  The spots will be in the hottest and driest locations.  Next to the sidewalk or driveway or any location that is fully exposed to the sun. These dead spots appear quickly and increase in size rapidly. For example, a 6 inch spot can increase to 2-3 feet within a day or two. 
To check for chinch bugs, mix 1-2 tablespoons of liquid dishwashing detergent in 1 gallon of water.  Pour the mixture over the marginally affected areas.  Monitor for the bugs as they become irritated by the soapy mixture.  They will come up to the surface.  Another option, if you do not want to do the soap trick, is to get down on your hands and knees and separate the grass blades in the areas adjacent to the dead spots.  The grass should still be green in the areas that you inspect and yet still be close to the dead spots. You will see movement of the chinch bugs and they scurry around.
Chinch bugs can be treated with carbaryl, bifenthrin or permethrin. Just make sure to read the labels of the products and apply them according to the instructions.
If you would rather leave the identifying to us, you can bring some samples into our office.  In order to properly diagnose lawn issues, an adequate sample must be submitted.  Include a square of turf from the margin of the affected area so that both healthy and distressed turf is included. The sample should be at a minimum of 10 inches x 10 inches and have a layer of soil on the root system. You can also submit photos for diagnosis.  This will help us narrow down the problem and provide a good recommendation for treatment.
Don’t forget to send your garden questions to Plant Answers at 9020 Airport Rd., Conroe TX 77303 or e-mail: mpotter@ag.tamu.edu. 

Oak Ridge North officials are putting a stop to homeowners looking to register new properties as a short-term rental, a movement that has increased around the country. 
In April, officials debated the topic of banning short-term rental properties from coming to the city that neighbors The Woodlands — after noise complaints and disturbances were made towards some properties.
During a city council meeting on June 24, council members voted unanimously to ban future rentals as well as create a licensing program for long-term rentals and existing short-term rentals as a way to mitigate complaints.
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City Attorney Brandon Morris said the program would allow the city to keep an eye on the rentals currently operating in the city.
“It’s similar to our other rental ordinance,” said City Manager Heather Neeley, noting that a long-term rental usually has to register with the city and have an inspection done. 
It’s not new for cities to try and put more restrictions on short-term rentals associated with companies such as Airbnb, VRBO and Hopper. 
In 2023, New York City officials moved to regulate short-term rentals by requiring rentals be shorter than 30 days and allowing them only if hosts register with the city, according to the Associated Press. In Houston, city council members are looking to create an ordinance of their own after residents raised concerns over the properties in their neighborhoods. 
And in Oak Ridge North, referred to sometimes as a “sleepy town,” officials said parties at some of these properties do not go unnoticed. 
What is in the ordinance?
Any short-term and long term rental are required to register with the city if the property is within city limits, according to city documents. This also bans any new property from being registered as a short-term rental. 
Established short-term rentals are not assignable or transferable and are valid for one year from the date the license was approved, the city documents state. Properties that aren’t considered “established short-term rentals” are not allowed to advertise as one and people are not allowed to rent, lease or stay at a property without a license issued. 
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Licenses to short-term rentals can be revoked if there are life safety or critical violations, information provided on the permit application was materially false or incorrect, and if two or more citations related to parking, noise, or nuisance violations are issued upon the licensed property within a rolling 12-month period, the documents state.
A violation of this ordinance can result in a misdemeanor and a fine up to $2,0000. 
The new ordinance should hopefully give residents some peace of mind, Neeley said. 
“I think the residents, hopefully, will be pleased that this is put into place in order to preserve the neighborhood feel as opposed to the party environment,” she said. 

Several Montgomery County school districts will begin the 2024-25 school year with some changes, such as new campuses, boundary changes, extended breaks and new superintendents. 
Here’s what to know for the upcoming school year:
Opening new campuses
As districts across the county continue to grow, Montgomery and Magnolia ISDs are will open two elementary schools — Creekside and Audubon. 
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Montgomery ISD’s $43.4 million Creekside Elementary School broke ground in June 2023 behind Lake Creek High School off FM 2854. The school is expected to alleviate overcrowding in the Stewart Creek and Keenan elementary schools — designed for a maximum enrollment of 900 students. The elementary school is part of the district’s $326 million bond package voters approved in 2022, which includes a career and technical center, an agriculture science center, and a junior high school. 
Magnolia ISD’s $41 million Audubon Elementary School is part of the district’s $228 million bond package passed in November 2022. The school in the Audubon subdivision is expected to open with more than 500 students, officials said.  
Boundary and zoning changes
With the opening of the Montgomery and Magnolia ISD elementary campuses comes changes to the districts’ boundaries. 
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For Montgomery ISD, students affected by the new elementary boundary were those zoned at Stewart Creek and Keenan elementary schools, officials said. Incoming fifth graders impacted by the new attendance boundary could remain at their current zoned school for the new school year, however, families would have to provide their own transportation.
At Magnolia ISD, boundary changes include Williams Elementary School boundary, which will avoid buses having to cross the railroad tracks around FM 1488 and FM 1774, officials said. Due to the changes, some students in Magnolia Elementary School are expected to move to Williams Elementary School and vice versa. Some students at Nichols Sawmill Elementary and Ellisor Elementary are expected to be zoned to different elementary schools for balancing.
New Caney ISD has also made changes to its zoning for elementary students. Under the current attendance zone arrangement, Tavola and Valley Ranch elementary schools are projected to be over capacity, according to the district’s website. Officials voted to change the attendance zones for nearly 300 elementary students during a regular board meeting in January.  
Changes in New Caney ISD’s schedule
New Caney ISD is expected to start the 2024-25 school year with changes to its schedule. This includes new start and dismissal times as well as an eight-period schedule.

The district’s new start and dismissal times at all campuses is to create more availability of school buses, reduce the time spent and number of students on buses, according to a release from the district. 

For elementary schools, campus start time will be 8:30 a.m. and the dismissal time will be 3:55 p.m. For middle schools, campus start time will be 7 a.m. and the dismissal time will be 2:25 p.m. For high schools, campus start time will be 7:45 a.m. and the dismissal time will be 3:10 p.m. 
The district is also changing its alternating, block schedule to an eight-period per day schedule .
Different start times and extended breaks 
Several districts have made some changes to their academic calendars as well as schedule for students. Some of these changes include starting school a week later and having extended breaks for students and staff. 
Montgomery ISD students will be starting school a week later and will have an additional holiday. Students will be expected to return to school for the 2024-25 school year on Aug. 15, a change from the current year’s official start date — Aug. 10. There will also be a student holiday on Nov. 5 as officials anticipate some campuses being utilized by the county as polling locations for election day, officials said. 
Magnolia ISD students and staff will once more have an extended break in October and February. The fall break for students and staff will be Oct.7-11, while the extended February break for students will be Feb. 17-18. 

New year, new superintendents 
Several school districts have seen changes to leadership, including Willis and Magnolia ISDs. 
In April, Willis ISD named Kimberley James, former deputy superintendent of curriculum and instruction for Corpus Christi ISD, to serve in the district’s lead role after former Superintendent Tim Harkrider announced that he would be stepping down from his role in June 2023, where he was named the new superintendent for College Station ISD. James officially started her new role in May. 
In the same month, Magnolia ISD announced Deputy Superintendent Jason Bullock would serve in the lead role after Superintendent Todd Stephens announced his retirement in March.