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When Katia Moreno first immigrated in 2008 to the United States from Ukraine, she said she had a hard time finding employment as a beauty professional.

Moreno went through extensive training and had experience working in the industry in Ukraine. However, American businesses wanted to hire someone with a list of local clients, which Moreno hadn’t had time to establish yet.

How it started: Despite already knowing the techniques, Moreno said she went back to school in the United States for cosmetology and aesthetics and began rebuilding her list of clients. Her perseverance paid off, and in 2022, Moreno opened Katia’s European Spa.

A closer look: By starting her own establishment, Moreno said she was finally able to incorporate the European practices she loved into her work. She said one of her most popular services is the buccal face massage, which can relieve temporomandibular joint disorder pain, also known as TMJ, and has similar results as injections. 

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The Texas Medical Center recently announced a new yearlong planning effort to improve safety, comfort and access within the Texas Medical Center, according to the Medical Center’s website.

How it works: Using the latest mobility data, fieldwork and employee input, the Healthy Connections Action Plan will assess where mobility improvements are needed and recommend specific projects and programs for enhancement.

What you need to know: To gather feedback about what mobility concerns are the community's priorities, the center released a five-minute survey about mobility values, which is open until Jan. 31.

The survey features a variety of questions regarding safety and accessibility to the Medical Center via multiple modes of transportation. The questionnaire also includes a page where individuals can rank values such as travel time, usability, air quality and affordability.

Stay tuned: As of Jan. 12, the project is in the first phase of outreach. Next steps would include developing recommendations and a plan of action, according to the website.

A new U.S. Postal Service rule could impact when time-sensitive mail, such as tax forms and mail-in ballots, is considered officially sent.

The overview: Effective Dec. 24, mailed items are postmarked when the USPS processes them, rather than the date items are dropped in a mailbox. A postmark refers to the date and location stamped or printed on most mailed items, indicating when and where the USPS “accepted custody” of a mailpiece, per the federal agency.

Zooming in: According to the Texas comptroller’s office, the updated USPS guidance means items could be postmarked “several days” after they are dropped in a mailbox. This includes date-sensitive items sent by Texas residents and businesses, such as property tax payments, federal tax returns, mail-in ballots and required business reports.

To ensure that mail is postmarked on the day it is sent, customers can take mail into their local post office and request that the item be hand-stamped for free, according to the USPS. Texans can also pay property taxes and submit ballots in-person at county offices.