Bellaire officials and engineers officially broke ground on Phase 1 of the city’s generator installation project on Aug. 26, Director of Capital Projects Umer Khan confirmed via email.

Why it matters: The three-step project guided by engineering and consulting firm Ardurra Group, Inc., seeks to improve emergency power resiliency at critical municipal facilities in Bellaire in the event of major outages.

Zooming in: City officials selected Ardurra for the improvement project’s consultation and design in 2025, according to agenda documents.

Since then, Ardurra engineers have been tasked with evaluating and redesigning the emergency power infrastructure found at Bellaire City Hall; Renwick Drive Water Well Facility; and the Bellaire, Rice and Wendell lift station facilities.

With Phase 1 of the improvement project now underway, Ardurra consultants have begun conducting facility-by-facility assessments of each site. Their findings will identify what areas of the city’s infrastructure should be improved and shape the foundation of future generator installation designs.

Going forward: The estimated timeframe for the project to be completed is about 22 months, city staff confirmed.

Pizaro’s Pizza, known for its Napolentana, Detroit and New York-style pizzas, is expected to open a Meyerland location in 2027.

About the owner: Pizaro’s began when Bill Hutchinson began making Naples-style pizza as a hobby in 2009, using ingredients from Italy, according to its website. Hutchinson received his certification as a Pizzaiolo from the “Verace Pizza Napoletana” organization in Italy. In 2011, Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana’s first location in Memorial opened.

What’s on the menu: Pizaro’s offers several different pizza styles, including using red tomato sauce as a base or white pizza–featuring no sauce, only garlic and cheese. Other styles include New York style with its large slices and thin crust, or Detroit style with square slices and thick bread.

Other pizzas include:

• Calabrese - tomato sauce, spicy sopressata, pepperoni, mozzarella, basil

• Eggplant Parm - tomato sauce, mozzarella, eggplant, parmesan and basil

• Polpette - tomato sauce, meatballs, mozzarella, ricotta, basil

• 9150 Chimney Rock Road, Ste 50, Houston

The University of Houston has cut 133 classes from its list of core curriculum after conducting a review mandated by Senate Bill 37, which Texas lawmakers passed in June 2025 and went into effect in September 2025.

Many of the removed courses will still be offered for students, university leaders said Aug. 20. However, some professors and students expressed concern about the future of courses cut from the core list.

How we got here: On Aug. 20, UH’s board of regents unanimously approved a list of 147 courses for the university’s core curriculum for the 2026-27 school year. In the 2025-26 school year, UH offered 280 courses under its core curriculum.

The context: Under SB 37, governing boards of higher education institutions must review their core curriculum lists every five years, with the first review due by Jan. 1, 2027, according to the bill posted on the Texas Legislature’s website.

Three candidates will face off during the Nov. 3 election to see who claims the spot to represent US House District 7 for the next two years.

House District 7 covers portions of Houston's inner loop, including West University Place, Bellaire, Midtown and a section of the Heights before branching out toward Fort Bend County and covering cities such as Sugar Land and Mission Bend.

Preparing for the polls: In Harris County, early voting will kick off Oct. 19 at 7 a.m., with polls remaining open through Oct. 30. The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is Oct. 23.
On Election Day, vote centers across the county will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Residents can view more voting center information on the Harris County Clerk's Office.

Something to note: Candidates were asked to limit their responses to 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid criticizing their opponent. Responses may have been edited for length, to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.

Democrat Gina Hinojosa, an Austin state representative, and Libertarian Pat Dixon, a professional engineer, are challenging Republican incumbent Greg Abbott in the Nov. 3 election. Abbott is seeking a fourth term in the governor's mansion.

The big picture: As Texas’ top elected official, the governor signs and vetoes legislation, serves as commander-in-chief of the state military and appoints members of state agencies or advisory boards. Community Impact asked the three gubernatorial candidates for their perspectives on data centers, education, the cost of living and other topics.

The background: Abbott beat 10 Republican challengers in the March primary election, while Hinojosa beat eight other Democratic candidates to advance to the November election. Dixon was selected as the Texas Libertarian Party's candidate during an April nominating convention.

Looking ahead: Early voting runs from Oct. 19-30, and Election Day is Nov. 3.