The West University Place Police Department is facing space and staffing challenges as it plans for growth.

The situation: The department currently operates with 31 officers and is scheduled to reach 33 by January 2027, though a staffing study concluded it needs 42 sworn personnel to operate at full capacity. To remain competitive, the city approved raising the starting salary for a police officer to $76,585 for fiscal year 2027.

The department also faces physical space constraints, including:

• An evidence room that is 83% full.

• A lack of office, briefing and dispatch space.

• Only 13 parking spaces for 15 marked vehicles, excluding staff cars.

The options: The police station currently occupies just under 12,000 square feet but needs 24,640 square feet. Police Chief Gary Ratliff noted that moving the department to a separate building, known as option A, is the best choice because it provides over 60 parking spaces and the required physical space.

A grand opening celebration for Ramen Tatsu-Ya's Bellaire location will take place Oct. 31 along Beechnut Street, Tatsu-Ya Restaurants officials confirmed in a news release.

Respecting the craft: The Tokyo-inspired shop is known for serving a plethora of traditional bowls, many of which spotlight a 60-hour-to-create ramen broth.

Ramen Tatsu-Ya’s menu notably features a chicken shoyu broth-based ramen, as well as two different vegetarian almond milk tonkotsu ramen options, officials said. Toppings such as beni shoga, goma pork, tofu, nori and Brussels sprouts are also available.

Some context: Chef-owner Tatsu Aikawa established the first Ramen Tatsu-Ya location in Austin with friends and family in fall 2012.

What to expect: The grand opening festivities will kick off at 11 a.m. when lunch service begins.

At this time, attendees can expect door prizes for the first 25 guests, a free-ramen-for-a-year raffle and Halloween treats for those who arrive in costume. A live DJ is scheduled between 6-8 p.m. for dinner guests.

• 4672 Beechnut St., Houston

George Bush Intercontinental Airport welcomed travelers to its redeveloped Terminal B North Concourse on Oct. 22, following an official unveiling on Oct. 21.

The big picture: The three-level, 765,000-square-foot facility is part of United Airlines' $2.6 billion Terminal B Transformation Program. The project began in November 2023 and is expected to increase the number of customers who can fly on peak travel dates in 2026 by 40% compared to 2023.

Zooming in: The redeveloped terminal features the following amenities:

• A 54,000-square-foot United Club, which is the largest airline club in the Americas

• Seating for 800 travelers, two full-service bars and two buffet stations inside the club

• 22 mainline gates, giving United Airlines 48 gates in Terminal B

• 10 large-scale art installations and a dedicated sensory room

• 105,000 square feet of space for retail and concessions

• Climate-controlled jet bridges and a new baggage handling system

Looking ahead: The expansion will also allow United Airlines to add new international destinations, including service to Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico; Cartagena, Colombia; and Caracas, Venezuela.

Unofficial county data shows that 415,730 voters cast their ballots in Harris County during the first week of early voting. According to the Harris County Clerk’s Office, about 15% of the county’s more than 2.7 million registered voters have turned out for the midterm election as of Oct. 22.

Stay tuned: Key details from the election turnout and schedule include:

• Early voting and mail-in ballot totals set a record for first-day midterm turnout Oct. 19, with more than 104,000 in-person votes counted.

• Early voting continues through Oct. 30 at any of the county’s 75 early voting locations.

• Polls are open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. most days, except Oct. 25, when they are open noon-7 p.m.

• Voters can cast ballots in local races for county attorney, county judge and district clerk.

• In-person voting is also available on Election Day, Nov. 3.

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out six trending stories in the Greater Houston area from Oct. 16-23.

• Race Rock breaks ground on $100M expansion in Brookshire 

• League City approves nearly $50M construction contract for Pat Hallisey Park 

• Fort Bend County Tax Assessor-Collector Carmen P. Turner indicted

• Pearland reviews Flock camera use, data-sharing safeguards 

• New 5-year strategic plan aims to position Houston as a premier film destination

• Ronald McDonald House unveils new look, logo as part of worldwide rebranding