Conroe ISD teachers to get raises after funding approved by lawmakers 

Plus: 161 remain missing after Texas floods, Kerrville deaths rise to 111

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Both our beloved state and Montgomery County are hurting this week

Greetings, Montgomery County friends. 

Both our beloved Lone Star State and our cherished Montgomery County are hurting this week after the unimaginable Texas Hill Country floods over the Fourth of July weekend. 

In the 10 a.m. update from Kerr County, 111 have been confirmed dead across the state and 161 are still missing from Kerr County. Among those lost are a Montgomery County recent high-school graduate and a family with ties to East Montgomery County. 

We mourn the loss of Claire “Reese” Manchaca, a recent Caney Creek graduate, who was spending the holiday weekend with friends in the Hunt area. Mark Keough, Montgomery County Judge, posted on Facebook this morning that Montgomery County deputies are escorting her back to Montgomery County today to be laid to rest. 

We also remember the Burgess family. Dad John Burgess was the president elect of the East Montgomery County Rotary Club. John, his wife, Julia, and their two young boys were swept away from the Blue Oak RV Park between Hunt and Kerrville. John and Julia have been recovered and the boys remain missing. 

The only comfort I feel is that Texans are coming together like Texans do. Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha reported this morning that more than 2,000 searchers were still on the ground dedicated to finding each missing person. 

Take care of each other in this difficult time friends. 

Photo of Sondra Hernandez

Sondra Hernandez, Suburban Reporter

shernandez@houstonchronicle.com

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Need to Know

Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough speaks as officials with the Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management and Clear Channel Outdoor launch a countdown to the 2025 hurricane season utilizing digital billboards in Conroe, Thursday, May 8, 2025. Eight billboards in Conroe and Willis will display the actual countdown to the start of hurricane season in Montgomery County on June 1. Clear Channel, which provides the billboard space at no cost to the. county, will also sponsor billboards in Harris, Waller, Fort Bend and Galveston counties.

Photo by: Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle

Montgomery County to crack down on roadside vendors and puppy mills

Montgomery County could add new regulations for roadside live animal vendors, following the passage of new Texas legislation addressing the growing issue.

Read More

The Montgomery County Jail and Law Enforcement Center is seen, Wednesday, May 3, 2023, in Conroe.

Photo by: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer

Kingwood men accused of sexually assaulting teens at New Caney stadium

Two Kingwood men have been accused of sexually assaulting teenagers they met on social media, the Montgomery County sheriff's office reports. 

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Growing Montgomery County

Sprinklers water grass near a home, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023, in Conroe.

Photo by: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer

H2O America to acquire Magnolia-based Quadvest in $540M deal

H2O America and its Texas subsidiaries announced Tuesday that they have agreed to acquire Magnolia-based Quadvest and all of its assets in a $540 million deal.

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A sprinkler waters the grass near a business Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in the Katy area. The city imposed watering restrictions.

Photo by: Jon Shapley, Staff Photographer

Conroe will study entire water system to try to serve new development

As Conroe continues its building moratorium due to lack of water infrastructure to serve new development, the council will study how the city can plan better. 

Read More


Education

Crayons are seen as volunteers pack more than 1,500 backpacks with school supplies at Bradley Elementary School, Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023, in Spring. The annual effort helps provide supplies to students in 13 Conroe ISD schools. 

Photo by: Jason Fochtman/Staff Photographer

Conroe ISD teachers to get raises thanks to funding approved by Texas lawmakers

Conroe ISD teachers will see a pay boost in September thanks to action by Texas lawmakers, who allocated more than $4 billion for school employee raises.

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The painted fingernails of Conroe’s Kylee Davis are seen before a District 13-6A high school softball game at Conroe High School, Wednesday, March 15, 2023, in Conroe.

Photo by: Jason Fochtman/Staff Photographer

Conroe ISD balks at homeschool student participation in district UIL activities

The Conroe ISD Board of Trustees wasn’t supportive of allowing homeschool students to participate in University Interscholastic League activities on behalf of the district.

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Trending

Volunteers help organize supplies at Typhoon Texas donated by community members to support victims of the Guadalupe River flood in Houston, Monday, July 7, 2025.

Photo by: Ashleigh Lucas, Houston Chronicle

Texas flood donations: How to help families impacted by Guadalupe River disaster

Houston and Texas businesses and organizations are accepting donations to help people affected by the Fourth of July floods along the Guadalupe River.

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CHONGQING, CHINA - MAY 04: In this photo illustration, the logo of DoorDash, Inc. is displayed on a smartphone screen with a stock market chart in the background reflecting recent financial activity, on May 04, 2025, in Chongqing, China. DoorDash is a United States-based technology company that operates a food delivery platform, connecting customers with local restaurants and convenience services. (Photo illustration by Cheng Xin/Getty Images)

Photo by: Cheng Xin, Getty Images

DoorDash giving refunds after Wednesday outage and donating to flood relief fund

More than 4,000 reports of outages were made, according to DownDetector.

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Openings and Closings

A new Chuy's Tex Mex restaurant is planned for Willis. It will be in the area of I-45 and FM 1097 in Willis. 

The completion date for the new restaurant is in February 2026. The restaurant promises bold Tex-Mex flavors that won't break the bank. 


Shout Out

Shoutout to the Montgomery County first responders on the ground in Kerr County and across the Texas Hill Country. 

Montgomery County-based nonprofit Heroes for Humanity members were also a part of search, rescue and recovery operations. 

We support all the first responders and rescue operations staff and are grateful for the work you are doing. 


One Last Thing

July's full moon, known as the "Buck Moon," will rise on Thursday as the farthest full moon from the sun in 2025.

It will reach peak illumination around 3:37 p.m. but will not be fully visible until after sunset, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac website.

This moon will be more prominent in 2025 because of the Major Lunar Standstill.


Puzzle of the Day: SpellTower

SpellTower #633

Find and clear words by selecting tiles in the grid. Words must be made up of contiguous tiles. You can use diagonals and cross your own path.

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