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Happening in Houston

September 25, 2026 by in Neighborhood News

Good morning. It’s Friday, September 25, and Houston’s neighborhood parks are getting a $60 million lift. Don’t miss how Lawrence Park in the Heights will add a shaded, disability-inclusive playground and new trail connections as the city begins upgrades across 25 parks.
 
 
Today’s Highlight
 
CenterPoint Energy was selected for a $50 million U.S. Department of Energy award to install advanced substation technology intended to stabilize the Greater Houston grid and add capacity as demand climbs. The utility calls the work Project TALON, planned for its King Substation in northeastern Harris County and targeted for completion by late 2029. The award, part of the DOE’s SPARK program, remains subject to final negotiations. CenterPoint will fund the rest of the $176 million project and estimates any eventual customer rate impact at less than 50 cents a year.
 
 
Quick Hits
 
01 Garnet Coleman, the Houston Democrat who represented House District 147 for three decades, died of natural causes Wednesday at 65. He helped establish Texas Children’s Medicaid and CHIP and authored the Sandra Bland Act before retiring in 2022.
02 CenterPoint’s delivery charge rose to 6.41 cents per kilowatt-hour this month, a 28% jump from March that adds roughly $14 to an average bill. The increase hits even fixed-rate customers because those plans lock the supply price, not the utility’s separate delivery line item.
03 The Astros beat the Athletics 7-5 in West Sacramento to stay tied with Texas atop the AL West with three games left. Rookie Lucas Spence hit three home runs, and Houston holds the head-to-head tiebreaker, giving the club control of its postseason fate.
04 METRO’s Community Connector will begin charging $1.25 per ride Monday after operating free during its pilot phase. The on-demand shuttle serves five central Houston areas from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, and the fare will include free transfers as the agency integrates the program into its wider transit system.
05 Lawrence Park in the Heights broke ground Thursday as the first of 25 neighborhood parks in Let’s Play Houston, a roughly $60 million public-private push led by Mayor John Whitmire’s office and the Houston Parks Board. The site at 725 Lawrence St. will get a shaded, disability-inclusive playground and trail connections, with work slated to finish in January 2027.
What’s Coming Up
 
 
 Trill Burgers opens its fourth Houston-area location today at 7616 Westheimer Road, west of the Galleria. The Bun B-cofounded chain’s first late-night spot runs 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with drive-thru service extending to 3 a.m. on weekends starting in October.
 
 The Mid-Autumn Festival falls today, and Houston bakeries are stocked with mooncakes in classic lotus and red bean alongside ube-mochi and savory Vietnamese varieties. Sellers include Kin Cafe, King Bakery and Memorial Bakery, where the rich, palm-sized pastries are meant to be shared.
 
 
Interesting…
 
Hotel Daphne became Houston’s only new 2026 MICHELIN Key recipient, joining four returning honorees. The 49-room Heights retreat, which opened last December, earned the distinction MICHELIN reserves for a very special stay, giving the neighborhood’s newest boutique stay a place on the global hotel guide.