New EPA air quality standards could impact Katy area
Harris County and nine other Texas counties don’t meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new national air quality standards for fine particulate matter, a pollutant that federal officials said can have dangerous and costly health effects.
The overview: The national air quality data only reflects information from the 119 U.S. counties pollution levels are collected by the EPA’s monitoring stations, which doesn’t include Fort Bend County.
Zooming in: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality officials said Fort Bend County meets the EPA’s previous standards for this type of pollution, but environmental experts said air pollution is still an issue across the Greater Houston area.
What they're saying: Grace Lewis, senior health scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund, said Harris County’s nonattainment status could affect the region if it doesn’t meet standards by the 2032 deadline.
Just a few weeks after celebrating its one-year anniversary in Katy, Home Run Dugout officially announced a $2.7 million expansion breaking ground in late April.
The details: The entertainment venue—which provides an immersive baseball playing experience, a rotation of events and concerts, and an on-site restaurant and bar with a patio and biergarten—will add 9,242 square feet for more event hosting space.
What else: The expansion will also include 10 new indoor batting bays on the north side of the building, bringing the total number to 22.
The timeline: Construction is estimated to conclude by this summer.
Fort Bend County residents can appeal 2024 property appraisals
The Fort Bend Central Appraisal District has begun distributing property appraisal notices via mail, and residents have until May 15 to appeal local values.
Breaking it down: Both commercial and residential properties saw increases year over year in Fort Bend County.
Key market drivers for property values increasing include:
CI Foodie: 6 new restaurants to try in the Greater Houston area
Looking to get out of your neighborhood to try a new dining experience? Check out the following restaurant news from across the Houston metro, as recently reported by Community Impact.
A new modern Mexican concept from Local Foods Group—the restaurateurs who created eateries such as Local Foods, Eau Tour and Lee's Den—is now open in Houston's West University neighborhood. Maximo serves fast-casual Mexican fare with a Texas flare, including tacos with handmade tortillas, specialty burritos and tortas, and small plates.
Opened April 9
6119 Edloe St., West University Place
🍦 Sun City Ice Cream Shop Sun City Ice Cream Shop, which opened along FM 2920 earlier this year, offers a variety of ice cream flavors and treats, such as milkshakes, cookies, waffles and brownies.
The Harris County-Houston Sports Authority was originally created in 1997 to oversee the plans for financing, designing, constructing and operating a proposed new baseball stadium for the Houston Astros.
The overview: The HCHSA provides oversight to not only the baseball venue, now known as Minute Maid Park, but several of Houston's professional sports facilities, including Shell Energy Stadium, NRG Stadium and the Toyota Center. Aside from operations, the sports authority also promotes the region for sports-related events.
The backstory: Janis Burke joined the sports authority as CEO in 2006, when she became the third CEO and first woman to hold the position. She was recently inducted into the 2024 Sports Events and Tourism Association's Hall of Fame in March.
Community Impact sat down with Burke on April 2 to discuss the sports authority's role in the local economy, upcoming international events and sports development in the region.
Where to attend the Harris Central Appraisal District's property tax workshops
Five upcoming free workshops are being offered by the Harris Central Appraisal District for homeowners to understand the property tax system, how to protest their property values and how exemptions can reduce their taxes.
The details: The in-person workshops take approximately 90 minutes and include time for questions and answers.
The dates and locations are as follows:
April 30, 1:30 p.m. at Cavalcade Community Center, 3815 Cavalcade St., Houston
May 2, noon at Tracy Gee Community Center, 3599 Westcenter Drive, Houston
May 6, 5 p.m. at Sunnyside Multi-Service Center, 4410 Reed Road, Houston
May 14, 10 a.m. at Harris Central Appraisal District, 13013 Northwest Freeway, Houston
Texas Supreme Court temporarily blocks guaranteed income program Uplift Harris
The Supreme Court of Texas has temporarily blocked Harris County’s new guaranteed income program Uplift Harris, issuing a ruling on April 23 that prohibits the county from making payments pending further order, just one day before program recipients were set to receive their first payment installment.
How we got here: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the original lawsuit on April 9 seeking a temporary restraining order against Harris County officials administering the program, citing it as unconstitutional in the 16-page lawsuit.
What happened next: While a state district judge ruled against Paxton's lawsuit on April 18, Paxton filed an emergency motion with the Supreme Court of Texas on April 23. Hours after Paxton's office released a statement, the Supreme Court of Texas issued its administrative stay on the same day.
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