Issue 30
Published August 25, 2026 · Bilingual edition
Monday was a busy day in a town that does not usually have busy Mondays. A school board set what you will pay, a college campus filled up for the first real time, and a shop on 1488 got ready to open a door it never actually closed.
Civic Watch · Schools
The School Tax Rate Went Down Monday Night. Whether Your Bill Follows Is a Different Question.
Magnolia ISD adopted a total rate of $0.9325, down 2.58 cents. All of the cut came off operations. The debt rate did not move, which is exactly what the May bond promised.
Read the story →Community · Education
The Magnolia Campus Just Started Its First Fall. Weekend Classes Have Not Started Yet.
Classes began Monday at the 85,000-square-foot center on Escondido Drive. The Friday and weekend sections, the ones built for people who work, do not meet until August 28.
Read the story →Community · Veterans
$361,000 in State Money Is Coming to Montgomery County Veterans. Almost None of It Is Advertised.
One hundred thousand for light bills and past-due rent, $261,000 for the veterans treatment court. The applications go through a county office, not Austin.
Read the story →Business · Retail
The Soap Shop on 1488 Changed Its Name. Today It Cuts the Ribbon Again.
Magnolia Bath and Soap Co. is now Magnolia Ritual. Same family, same suite, same soap, and a bet that a clearer idea is worth the recognition it gives up.
Read the story →Coming next
More on Friday. We are still looking for the people who have been quietly holding things together around here for decades, and we do not always hear about them until somebody writes in. Openings, anniversaries and milestones in Magnolia, Dobbin and Montgomery are always welcome at the newsroom.