The Harris County Emergency Services District No. 9 board of commissioners will meet Jan. 22 to discuss an array of purchases for the Cy-Fair Fire Department as well as a proposed evaluation of the CFFD chief.

At a glance: In addition to hearing monthly division reports and operational updates, commissioners will discuss and potentially take action on a performance evaluation of CFFD Chief Amy Ramon, according to agenda documents.

Commissioner Cameron Dickey proposed the evaluation in a past board meeting after Ramon said she has not received a formal performance review since before the ESD 9 and Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department merged. Dickey said the board hopes to complete the evaluation by March.

Also on the agenda: The ESD 9 commissioners will discuss a variety of contracts, gear purchases and other investments, including new rescue and bunker gear, the district's 2026 investment policy and several pending invoices for legal services obtained over the summer. 

Stay tuned: The Jan. 22 meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the CFFD Administration Building at 10710 Telge Road, Houston.

The Cy-Fair ISD board may soon seek voter approval of a bond to fund nearly $1.75 billion in district upgrades, according to a Jan. 15 presentation to trustees.

The overview: CFISD's Long Range Planning Committee identified approximately $1.4 billion in Priority 1 needs for the district, including vehicle replacements, facility renovations and security enhancements, per the presentation. Additionally, an estimated $281 million is needed for Priority 2 upgrades and $24 million for other improvements.

Composed of parents and community members, the committee has been evaluating district infrastructure and programs since late September to identify areas needing investment over the next six years. The district last passed a bond in 2019. 

Another detail: CFISD officials said the district does not expect its property tax rate to increase if a bond is approved. However, it’s possible the tax rate—currently $1.0669 per $100 home valuation—could decrease if a bond does not pass.

What's next? The committee will make its final recommendation regarding a potential bond election to the board Feb. 5, per the presentation.  

On March 3, voters in the primary election will decide who will be the Republican candidate in the State Board of Education District 6 in November. Tiffany Nelson and Barbara Denson have filed for the Republican primary. 

The details: Republican incumbent Will Hickman is not seeking re-election.

The context: Michelle Palmer is running unopposed in the Democratic primary to be a candidate in the November elections.

GameStop, a large retail gaming hub in the United States, disclosed in a recent Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing that it closed 590 stores in fiscal year 2024 and expects to shutter a "significant number of additional stores" during FY2025.

What we know: While GameStop has yet to release a standalone press release on the closures, the company's SEC filing states that officials have conducted a "comprehensive store optimization review" and are identifying for closure based on market conditions and individual store performance.

In the company's documents, GameStop notes that a significant number of customers have chosen to download games instead of buying games physically in-store.

"If consumers’ preference for downloading video game content in lieu of physical software continues to increase, our business and financial performance may be adversely impacted," the filing states.

The projections: While GameStop has yet to release a formal list of all individual stores closing by city or region, an unofficial list has been compiled of stores that closed in January.  

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.

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.