Magnolia City Council moved Jan. 28 to terminate City Administrator Chris Whittaker, approving a resolution declaring a “lack of confidence” and removing him from office effective immediately. 

The setup: Council took the action during a special meeting after the executive session to consult with the city attorney on employment matters and to deliberate personnel matters related to the city administrator, according to the meeting agenda. 

Before the vote, the council conducted an evaluation discussion in open session at the city administrator’s request. Council members questioned Whittaker about topics including capital improvement priorities and updates on contracts and projects. 

The motion to terminate Whittaker’s employment passed 4-0, with council member Geoff Beyers absent. 

How we got here: Whittaker was appointed to the position during a May 13 Magnolia City Council meeting, as reported by Community Impact.

He replaced interim City Administrator Markus Benoit, who served the city for less than 90 days before being terminated March 28, according to prior reporting.

Don Bar and Bakery officials said the new bakery has plans to open in February. Per the website, Don Bar and Bakery will offer a unique concept as a Mexican panadería offering comfort food.

On the menu: Don Bar and Bakery plans to offer Mexican pan dulce such as conchas and empanadas as well as other bites. Comfort food options include croissants, fajita breakfast tacos, avocado toast and tortilla soup.

There are several events to attend in the Tomball area this weekend. Check them out below. This is not a comprehensive list and events are subject to change.

‘Big Fish’
Wildcat Theater is presenting the show “Big Fish” based on the novel by Danial Wallace.

• Jan. 30, 7 p.m., Jan. 31, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• $10-$20 (tickets)
• Tomball Memorial High School, 19100 Northpointe Ridge Lane, Tomball

• Jan. 31, 6 p.m.
• $350 (individual ticket)
• The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center, 2301 N. Millbend Drive, The Woodlands

With incumbent Rep. Sam Harless, R-Spring, announcing his retirement by the end of his term in 2027, two Democratic candidates are running to fill his position.

Details: District 126 covers parts of Harris County, including Cypress, Spring, Fairbanks and Jersey Village, according to a map of the district. Early voting begins Feb. 17, and election day is March 3.

Campaign finance reports filed in January covering July 1-Dec. 31 show both Republican and Democratic candidates running for Harris County judge raised just over $1 million in total for their March primary election campaigns.

The bottom line: Seven of the nine candidates filed their reports with the Harris County Clerk’s Election Office, with Republican candidate and local firefighters union president Patrick “Marty” Lancton receiving the largest sum, over $500,000 in campaign contributions. Former Houston Mayor and Democratic candidate Annise Parker was second with over $416,000.

Also of note: No campaign finance reports were filed in January for Republican candidates Oscar Gonzalez and George Harry Zoes, according to the county election office.

On the ballot: To learn more about the Harris County judge candidates, head to their questionnaires on Community Impact’s election website.

Democratic primary candidates: here. Republican primary candidates: here.

Two Democratic candidates are running to lead the Texas General Land Office in the upcoming March 3 primary election.

The big picture: Benjamin Flores and Jose Loya are vying for the Democratic nomination for Texas land commissioner. The winning Democratic candidate will face Republican incumbent Dawn Buckingham in November, and the winner of that election will begin serving as land commissioner in January 2027.

Buckingham, who is seeking a second four-year term as land commissioner, is running uncontested in the Republican primary. Community Impact runs candidate Q&As for contested races only.

The context: The General Land Office manages 13 million acres of state lands, with duties such as allocating disaster recovery funds, leasing state lands to generate revenue for the state's Permanent School Fund, preserving state landmarks such as the Alamo and overseeing several veterans programs. It is Texas’ oldest state agency, according to its website.