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When Katie Kildal first entered interior design school, she came up with a portfolio presentation on spaces for children and families. A few years later, she branded her business on the idea that homes can be both aesthetic and functional.

The backstory: Before going back to school, Kildal had been working as a teacher since she was 17 years old. Kildal said she loved decorating her classroom and was always testing out functionality, such as deciding if she should have tables on carpet or on tile. One is easier to clean up, but the other is louder, she said. 

The approach: As a mom of two boys, Kildal said she is always looking through the lens of motherhood and that she wouldn’t put items in a client's home that she doesn’t put in her own. 

The specifics: Katie K. Interiors offers clients several different plans to choose from, covering everything from consulting and designing to purchasing, installing and styling. 

• 6220 Westpark Drive, Ste. 191, Houston

Kerry Pauly, owner of KP’s Kitchen & Bar, recently announced the closure of the restaurant’s Bellaire location.

What’s new: In a May 12 Facebook post, Pauly wrote that the brand will close its Bellaire restaurant in May to focus on the Memorial location.

More details: Pauly first opened KP’s Kitchen & Bar in 2021 and the second location in Bellaire in 2024. The restaurant serves a variety of dishes, including handheld sandwiches, seafood and pasta.  

• 5427 Bissonnet St., Ste. 400, Houston

Houston City Council will revisit its campaign finance reimbursement ordinance at its Ethics and Governance Committee meeting June 18.

Some background: The ordinance was passed in 2016 and placed a limit on how much a candidate can reimburse themselves using campaign contributions. According to the city’s code, for mayoral campaigns, it limited reimbursement to $75,000. For other citywide campaigns, such as controller or at-large offices, the limit is $15,000. For district council offices, the limit is $5,000.

However, in 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of the Federal Election Commission v. Ted Cruz for Senate that a similar federal restriction violated the First Amendment. According to the proposed city agenda item based on the Supreme Court’s ruling, sponsors say the ordinance is now in violation of federal rulings.

What’s next: The next Ethics and Governance Committee meeting is June 18. Meetings only happen a few times a year, and Martinez said he hopes that council members show up to learn and discuss how issues like Proposition A and financial disclosures work.

The District C runoff election for Houston City Council garnered 6,579 early voters during a 14-day stint. According to unofficial totals from the Harris County Clerk's Office, approximately 5,491votes were cast in person at six different polling locations.

All totals are unofficial until votes are reviewed in accordance with the Texas Election Code.

What happened: Joe Panzarella and Nick Hellyar emerged from a seven-candidate race in April to fill council member Abbie Kamin's seat as she leaves behind City Council to run for Harris County attorney.

Panzarella garnered 33.34% of the vote, or 3,131 votes, while Hellyar received 22.54% of the vote, or 2,117 votes. The results of the April 5 election triggered a runoff election for the two top candidates.

At the polls: With the early voting period over, election day will take place May 16. Vote centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on election day, with 20 locations open across the district.

The winner of the runoff will serve on City Council until January 2028.

On May 26, Republican voters will choose their nominee for the Texas Railroad Commission in a runoff election between former Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French and incumbent Jim Wright.

The overview: The Republican railroad commission race is one of several statewide contests that advanced to May runoffs after no candidate received more than 50% of the vote in the March 3 primary election.

Wright and French were the two highest-performing candidates in the five-way primary race, with Wright receiving 32.1% of the vote and French collecting 31.7%.

The winner of the May 26 overtime round will face state Rep. John Rosenthal, D-Houston, in the November midterm election. Third-party candidates may also appear on the November ballot.

Did you know? The railroad commission regulates Texas’ oil and gas industry, while the state's railroads are under the control of the Texas Department of Transportation and the federal government. The agency has three commissioners elected to staggered six-year terms.

At the polls: Texans can vote early from May 18-22, with runoff election day May 26.