A new mayor, police chief, fire chief, city attorney and assistant city manager are among the leadership changes Pearland recently underwent.

What's happening: Newly appointed Police Chief Derek Dunham has served in the police department since 2009, according to city documents. Meanwhile, interim Fire Chief Jacob Johnson has served within the fire department since 2007. While the newly appointed Fire Chief Lewis Harris has not previously served within Pearland's fire department, he is a 28-year veteran with the Tucson Fire Department, according to city documents.

What else: From the city government standpoint, Mayor Quentin Wiltz is the third mayor to serve Pearland in a six-year timespan. Before Wiltz was elected in May, former Mayor Kevin Cole served the city from 2020-26, and before Cole, former Mayor Tom Reid served from 1993-2020.

Wiltz’s transition, however, has not been without challenges. During their June 22 meeting, council members debated whether Wiltz should continue the longtime practice of the mayor representing Pearland on the Houston-Galveston Area Council.

Pearland ISD campuses will host Grand Canyon University teacher candidates for field experiences and student teaching opportunities after trustees approved a partnership with the university at its July 14 board meeting.

What you need to know: The partnership allows university students in educator preparation programs to complete required field experiences at PISD campuses, with the district providing placements and mentors, and the university overseeing candidate requirements and background checks, according to district documents. The university will provide a $500 stipend to eligible PISD employees who supervise student teachers during placements, documents show.

Looking ahead: The partnership will begin in the 2026-27 school year and remain in effect through 2029, according to district documents.

The June Housing Market Update from the Houston Association of Realtors reports a rise in home sales and pending activity with steady overall pricing.

By the numbers: The number of single-family homes sold increased by 3.5%, with 8,820 homes sold in June compared to last June with 8,525 sold. The average home price rose 1.2% to $455,159, while the median home price slightly decreased by just 0.3%.

Total property sales across the Houston area rose by 2.6% with 10,181 properties sold, and the number of active property listings increased 2.2%, equaling 59,970.

Also of note: The luxury market remained strong with home sales over the price of $1 million rising 17.1% year over year.

However, the townhome and condominium market showed a 9.3% fall year over year with 439 in June compared to 484 last June, data shows.

In their own words: HAR Chair Theresa Hill said the Greater Houston area is seeing a “little more breathing room” on both sides of the transaction.

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from last week? Check out six trending stories from the South Houston area from July 13-17.

1. Mockingbird Books creates ‘third space’ in Katy

2. New menus for Houston Restaurant Weeks go live ahead of fall event

3. Mia’s Table now serving Southern comfort food in Sugar Land

4. New barbeque spot now serving Friendswood

5. New clothing boutique opens in League City

6. West U officials celebrate groundbreaking on Poor Farm Ditch reconstruction project