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Harris County commissioners reject 64% pay raise for county’s 8 elected constables
A proposed $114,290 annual salary bump for Harris County’s eight elected constables died at Harris County Commissioners Court on Aug. 26 as county leaders continue to develop the fiscal year 2025-26 budget.
In a nutshell: Harris County commissioners considered a proposed 64% salary increase for the county’s eight elected constables, which would raise their annual salary to $292,796. Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia proposed granting the constables the raise if they agree to consolidate their departments’ dispatch and evidence services. However, Garcia’s motion died for lack of a second.
Going forward: When it comes to reviewing salary pay and potential pay raises for elected county officials, such as Harris County’s eight elected constables, officials can pursue such measures through a salary grievance committee.
New professional piercing store offers customized piercings, ear stackings in the Galleria
Known for coining the term “earscaping”, Studs specializes in custom ear piercings and features more than 250 earrings for customers to choose from.
The details: As previously reported by Community Impact, Studs piercers are professionally trained to use implant-grade jewelry and needles instead of piercing guns. The store’s online policy states the company pierces children 13 and older, accepting walk-in customers and appointments.
Piercing jewelry prices range between $35-$120, with a single piercing costing $35 plus the price of the earring chosen, and two piercings costing $50 plus the price of the jewelry.
FOODIE FRIDAY Check out these new restaurants and bars opening across the Houston area.
According to an Aug. 27 filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux will be replacing Sam's Boat in Cypress in 2026.
Following the closure of Sam's Boat at the Towne Lake Center in Cypress, Walk-Ons Sports Bistreaux filed a $1.5 million renovation plan for the location with TDLR on Aug. 27. The sports bar and restaurant offers a variety of craft beers, cocktails, appetizers and entrees such as cajun quesadillas and blackened chicken alfredo.
🦐 New Cajun seafood restaurant opens near Manvel, Pearland (Read more)
🍩 New craft doughnut, coffee shop opens in West University serving unique bakery items (Read more)
😋 Dallas-based Japanese sandwich company to open Houston store (Read more)
🥯 Bagel franchise opens new Clear Lake location (Read more)
Plastered on the welcoming page of the Maison Chinoise website are these words: "The art of contemporary Asian cuisine." This is what the new restaurant is known for—dishes that combine a fusion of contemporary and traditional Chinese cuisine inspired by the vast culinary landscape of China.
The new location is apart of the Lombardi Family Concepts, which opened its first Maison Chinoise restaurant in Dallas in 2023. The Houston menu has not been released yet, but the Dallas menu boasts starters, appetizers, premium housemade dim sum and dumplings, main courses, rice, noodles and dessert.
Harris County to provide improvements to 7 Houston parks
Houston City Council approved an agreement during a Sept. 3 City Council meeting to have Harris County Precinct 4 Lesley Briones’ office operate and maintain seven Houston parks.
The gist: The agreement will have the county maintain the following parks for the next 20 years:
Bonham Park
Cottage Grove Park
Jaycee Park
Kirkwood Greenspace
Reeves Park
Waldemar Park
The Lorraine Cherry Nature Preserve
According to the agenda item, the county will be responsible for operating and maintaining the parks in the same manner it would for other county parks, including mowing every 14 days, litter removal every three days and quarterly playground inspections.
What they’re saying: Council member Abbie Kamin, who has four of the seven parks in her district, said this agreement is important, especially since the city approved a budget in July that will cut $4 million from the park’s budget.
Tomball Fire Station No. 5 installs Harris County’s first Safe Haven Baby Box
Tomball Fire Station No. 5 is now home to Harris County’s first Safe Haven Baby Box, giving parents in crisis a safe and anonymous option to surrender their newborns, founder Monica Kelsey said.
The details: The baby box was dedicated Sept. 2 in partnership with Tomball Fire Rescue, Harris County Emergency Services District No. 15, the city of Tomball and community leaders, including St. Anne Catholic Church and the Cotton Foundation, which funded the installation.
Under Texas’ Safe Haven law, parents may legally surrender infants up to 60 days old at designated facilities. The new baby box—installed in an exterior wall of the fire station—locks automatically once a newborn is placed inside and alerts staff through interior sensors, ensuring immediate care, according to the Safe Haven Baby Box website.
Why it matters: The baby box is the 374th Safe Haven Baby Box in the U.S. and the 12th in Texas, Kelsey, who was herself abandoned at birth and has since championed the program nationwide, said.
Second special session ends without new laws on THC, property taxes
Around 1 a.m. Sept. 4, the Texas Legislature gaveled out of its second special session of the year. On the heels of a two-week Democratic walkout that stymied bills during a previous legislative overtime, lawmakers moved quickly to pass 16 of Gov. Greg Abbott’s 24 priorities in under three weeks.
The details: A long-debated plan to ban or restrict sales of hemp-derived THC and a measure aimed at reining in local property tax growth were among the proposals that did not make the cut. Those proposals fell apart in the final days of the special session, after House and Senate lawmakers were unable to reach agreements.
Also of note: Lawmakers also did not pass bills intended to improve emergency preparedness and communications in the wake of the deadly July 4-5 floods; shield certain law enforcement files from public disclosure; and bar local governments from hiring outside lobbyists.
The governor can call a special session at any time; however, legislative leaders indicated they did not expect to return to Austin to tackle the remaining agenda items.
