About $128.4 million in infrastructure improvement projects was approved for the Memorial Heights Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone by Houston City Council after it passed the zone’s capital improvement plan budget for fiscal years 2026-2030 on Dec. 3.

The big picture: The Memorial Heights TIRZ spans about 1,456 acres, covering the Greater Memorial Heights and lower White Oak Bayou recreational corridors. Projects in the FY 2026-30 capital improvement plan budget include:

• $45 million in roadway and drainage improvements along Shepherd-Durham Drive and its cross streets
• $27.8 million for reconstruction along 19th Street
• $24 million for the North Canal Project
• $1.3 million in Little Thicket Park upgrades

The owner of Ninja Ramen, Christopher Huang, announced in a Dec. 1 Facebook post that the restaurant will hold a series of events before closing.

What’s happening: After 12 years, Huang wrote that he was ready to “move on to the next chapter” of his life and away from 100-hour work weeks. 

The details: Huang said he was proud of the joy and connection the restaurant brought him and his customers, but that he is looking forward to spending more time with his father and soon-to-be wife. 

• 4219 Washington Ave., Houston

Travelers will be able to fly directly to Rome from George Bush Intercontinental Airport, or IAH, beginning May 1, 2026, Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced Dec. 2.

In a nutshell: Italian airline ITA Airways will offer the flights to Rome Fiumicino Airport, Whitmire said during a press conference. The new Houston connection marks the ninth U.S. destination for the airline, officials said.

Joerg Eberhart, CEO and general manager of ITA Airways, said the airline will start with three nonstop flights per week in May and ramp up to five flights per week by June. The flights are already available for purchase through the airline, he said.

Quote of note: “If we look at what’s going on in the Italian economy and the Houston economy, this gives us now the opportunity to go to Italian companies and try to track more of them and locate their U.S. headquarters here in Houston because we’ve got this great service now,” Houston Airports Director of Aviation Jim Szczesniak said.

A dozen new Texas laws are scheduled to take effect Dec. 4. The new laws come 90 days after the end of a special legislative session that took place this summer.

The overview: Some of the bills becoming law Dec. 4 include:

• House Bill 8, which will replace the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, with three shorter exams beginning in fall 2027
• House Bill 18, which is designed to deter future legislators from leaving the Texas Capitol to prevent a legislative chamber from considering legislation, known as breaking quorum
• Senate Bill 54, which will roll back a short-lived rule that allowed registered Texas voters who moved within a county to update their address at the polls and immediately vote in their new precinct