Three candidates are running for Magnolia mayor in the May 2 election. Incumbent Matthew "Doc" Dantzer is not seeking reelection.

What you need to know: Early voting begins April 20 and runs through April 28, according to the Texas Secretary of State's website. Election day is May 2. In Montgomery County, voters can cast their ballot at any polling location during early voting, but must vote at their designated polling place on election day. 

One more thing: Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity. For more election coverage, visit communityimpact.com/election.

Mexquite Cocina Norestense officials confirmed the Mexican steak house has plans to open in Vintage Park. The opening date is not confirmed as of press time, however officials said an opening time frame would be available in the next six weeks.

The details: Specializing in premium cuts of meat and signature mixology, per the website, Mexquite Cocina Norestense plans to offer steaks, salads and specialty cocktails.

The Montgomery County Food Bank board of directors announced April 1 a planned leadership transition, with Kristine Marlow concluding six years as president and CEO of the nonprofit, which saw a period of growth in the community during her tenure. Scott Burns, the food bank’s vice president of growth, was named as the next CEO following a selection process by the board, according to a news release.

Quote of note: “When I started in this role, I knew the power of community and I knew the power of bringing people together, but I didn’t know how great it could be when you can focus on one particular important critical need that people have, and that’s food,” Marlow said to Community Impact.

Key players: Marlow stepped into the role during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time of increased need in the community. Under her leadership, the food bank saw its reach increase from serving neighbors about 55,000 times per month to more than 90,000 times per month in response to local need.

Harris County Precinct 3’s road and bridge department is giving old tires a second life with a new approach to street repairs that aims to cut maintenance costs and clean up landfills.

How it works: The road and bridge crews installed recycled tire rings beneath new asphalt to stabilize the foundation of the road, officials said. Precinct 3 staff performed repairs March 12 along a portion of Lindstrom Road in Crosby, but Road & Bridge Director Jennifer Almonte said the strategy could be replicated throughout unincorporated Harris County to fix potholes and cracks.

More details: Almonte said Precinct 3 decided to pilot the solution after learning about the approach from 3rd Rock Renewables, a Houston-based sustainable construction firm that patented what they call “Mechanical Concrete” technology. Filling end-of-life tires with gravel stabilizes the road base and prevents erosion over long periods of time, per the company’s website.

One more thing: By significantly reducing the frequency of maintenance, the strategy could save the county an estimated $63,000 per taxpayer over the next 10 years, Almonte said. 

Four astronauts boarded the Orion spacecraft on April 1 and lifted off that evening from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida as part of Artemis 2, NASA’s first manned lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972.

What you need to know: Artemis 2 is sending NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a 10-day mission to orbit the Earth and moon, according to NASA’s website.

Quote of note: “Building on the uncrewed Artemis I mission, which sent Orion 1.4 million miles beyond the moon and back, Artemis II will begin with two Earth orbits including a high‑Earth orbit before the crew embarks on a trajectory that will take them thousands of miles beyond the lunar far side—the farthest any humans will have traveled from Earth," Texas A&M professor Dr. Bonnie Dunbar, a former NASA astronaut who has flown five shuttle missions, said in the release.

From Easter egg hunts and Easter brunches to photo opportunities with the Easter bunny, there are several events to celebrate Easter this year.

Old Town Spring Easter Event
During the Old Town Spring annual Easter Event, participating shops will be passing out candy to the kids. Children are encouraged to dress up in their best Easter outfits and bring their baskets.

• April 4, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Free
• 419 Gentry St., Ste. 203, Spring

• April 4, 11:30 a.m.
• $32.48 (admission)
• Play Street Museum Cypress, 25712 Hwy. 290, Ste. E, Cypress

• April 5, 1:30 p.m.
• Free
• 1700 Post Oak Blvd., Fifth Level, Houston

The Texas power grid is undergoing “generational” growth, experts said during the Electric Reliability Council of Texas’ annual summit March 31 in Round Rock. Much of that growth is due to data centers—an industry under scrutiny from state lawmakers as some Texas communities push back against proposed developments.

The big picture: Over 2,000 projects totaling 453,000 megawatts are currently looking to connect to the state grid, ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas said April 1. About 357,000 megawatts of those connection requests are potential data centers, ERCOT documents show.

Looking ahead: Communities should take the lead on discussions about individual data center projects, Vegas told reporters. He said that when “communities that are ready to support those investments,” ERCOT is prepared to help data centers connect to the grid.

During a March 31 discussion on data centers, panelists noted that the projects have an “increasingly high” negative reputation in communities across the state. Austin consultant Eric Goff said developers often need to make commitments to local residents to earn their support for data center proposals.