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New trail connections and park amenities are rolling out across Harris County Precinct 3, including in Spring area, more than two years after the Parks and Trails Master Plan was initially outlined.

The big picture: Officials with Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey’s office said several projects have been completed since 2023, with additional trail links and park enhancements scheduled to continue through 2026 and beyond.

• Elizabeth Kaiser Meyer Park: Half a mile of the Gourley Nature Trail was reconstructed. New pickleball courts were added.
• Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve: A new playground, boardwalk and south trail connections were added. A new parking lot was completed.
• Russ Poppe Family Park: New pickleball courts were added.
• Dennis Johnston Park: Butterfly Garden received erosion improvements, while fresh gravel and pollinator-friendly flowers were added.
• Judge Ted Poe Community Center: The 8,500-square-foot center was remodeled and renamed.
• I.T. May Park: New pickleball courts were added.

Harris County Emergency Services District 11 announced the grand opening of a third 24-hour emergency service station on Jan. 20 according to a news release.

The details: The new station is located at 8639 Fallbrook Drive in Houston and is in partnership with the Cypress Creek Fire Department, officials said. The new station is one of three opened by HCESD 11 in January alone, with the other two are located at 2900 Cypresswood Drive and 22310 Springwoods Village Parkway in Spring.

In their words: “This is the third new 24-hour station we have added in the first month of 2026. This means faster response times for our community and better coverage,” Chief Executive Officer Jordan Anderson said. “We have partnered with Cypress Creek Fire in Station 601 to strategically position our crews to provide the best and fastest care possible to those we serve in Northwest Harris County.”

Early voting begins Jan. 21 for a special runoff election being held Jan. 31 for the vacant Congressional District 18 seat.

Some context: A special election was held Nov. 4 to fill the vacant congressional seat following the death of incumbent Sylvester Turner in March.

The special election, which had 16 candidates, resulted in a runoff election between the top two vote-getters: Democratic candidates Christian Dashaun Menefee and Amanda Edwards. The winner of the special runoff election will serve Congressional District 18 for the remainder of Turner's unexpired term, which ends in January 2027.

What voters should know: For the special runoff election, polls will be open for early voting in accordance with following schedule:

• Jan. 21-24: 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
• Jan. 25: noon-7 p.m.
• Jan. 26-27: 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County announced in a Jan. 14 news release the expansion of an initiative which aims to increase the amount of law enforcement officers across the system's facilities.

The details: Per the release, METRO is partnering with the following law enforcement agencies for additional uniformed officers on trains, buses, platforms and transit centers:

• Houston Police Department
• Harris County Sheriff’s Office
• Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office
• Harris County Precinct 6 Constable’s Office
• Harris County Precinct 7 Constable’s Office

Three Democratic candidates are running to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate during the upcoming March 3 primary election.

The overview: Jasmine Crockett, Ahmad R. Hassan and James Talarico are competing for the Democratic nomination for a six-year term in the U.S. Senate.

The details: Each state has two U.S. senators, with Ted Cruz and John Cornyn currently representing Texas. Cornyn, whose seat is up for election, is running for reelection in an eight-way Republican primary.

The winning Democratic candidate will face the winner of the Republican nomination in November; the winner of that election will be sworn in to the U.S. Senate in January 2027.

Eight Republican candidates are running to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate during the upcoming March 3 primary election.

The big picture: Republican incumbent John Cornyn is seeking a fifth term as Texas' senior senator. Each state has two U.S. senators—Cornyn currently serves alongside Republican Ted Cruz.

Seven Republican candidates are challenging Cornyn for the Republican nomination: John O. Adefope, Anna Bender, Virgil John Bierschwale, Sara Canady, Wesley Hunt, Gulrez “Gus” Khan and Ken Paxton.

If no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes in the Republican primary, a runoff election will be held between the two top vote-getters on May 26.

Looking ahead: The winning Republican candidate will face the winner of the Democratic nomination in November; the winner of that election will be sworn in to the U.S. Senate in January 2027.