West University Place and Harris County Flood Control District officials are planning a joint public meeting in February regarding the upcoming reconstruction project taking place by early summer along Poor Farm Ditch.

The event: Residents are invited to attend the meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 3 at West U’s City Hall. During the meeting, HCFCD officials will share design details and inform residents on the project’s next steps leading through construction, according to a city announcement.

How we got here: The flood mitigation project aims to reconstruct Poor Farm Ditch in the Brays Bayou watershed between Bellaire and University boulevards to address its failing concrete lining, which has exceeded its useful life, according to HCFCD officials. Design work on the human-made, concrete-lined Poor Farm Ditch has been underway since 2015, though studies into the stormwater conveyance channel date back to the 1990s, HCFCD officials said.

iWok, an Asian fast-casual restaurant, is opening four locations across the Houston metro this year. 

The gist: Using a robotic chef system, iWok serves fresh entrees, rice dishes and wok-seared bowls in minutes, according to a Jan. 16 news release from the restaurant. 

The system was developed to cook each order individually, the release states, and replicates the exact cooking techniques of Culinary Director Chef J.D. Yang.

How it works: Although the brand incorporates robotic technology, human employees prep the fresh ingredients and plate dishes before serving customers.  Once staff members wash and portion ingredients into separate containers to refrigerate them, the automated system retrieves and delivers the items to a preheated wok.

On the menu: Made with fresh vegetables, proteins and house-made sauces, iWok’s menu features dishes such as Kung Pao Chicken, Mapo Tofu, Mongolian Beef and Umami Wok Shrimp.

Additionally, the new locations will have a robotic boba tea machine with flavors such as berry and mango.

• 2328 W. Holcombe Blvd., Houston

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.