Montgomery County Commissioners Court approved a new appointment structure March 5 for emergency services district boards that span more than one commissioner precinct.

In a nutshell: A move county officials said is meant to add consistency to how those boards are filled, it passed in a 4-1 vote after the commissioners discussed oversight, accountability and who should help shape boards that make high-stakes public safety decisions.

Under the new structure, the county judge will select one of the five seats on each ESD board, while the remaining four seats will be recommended by the commissioner—or commissioners—whose precinct includes that district. 
For ESDs that cross into two precincts, each commissioner would select two positions; if an ESD lies fully within one precinct, that commissioner would select four. Final appointments would still require approval from the full court.

Why it matters: The change affects how Montgomery County fills boards that govern local ESDs, which oversee fire and emergency response operations and, in some cases, manage budgets that rival or exceed county department budgets.

Several new stores and kiosks have opened at The Woodlands Mall so far this year, and several more are planning to open or see renovations this year, according to mall management. General manager Ted Harris provided several updates to Community Impact in early March.

Now open
ALT Fragrances
The perfume retailer opened on the lower level of The Woodlands Mall.

• Opened in January

• Opening this summer

• Opening TBD

Cancer Clinician and Translational Scientist Dr. Daniela Matei will become the next director of the Houston Methodist Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center following a national search, Houston Methodist officials announced in a Feb. 27 news release.

The details: Currently chief of the Division of Reproductive Science in Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Matei is an expert in ovarian cancer treatment and research, per the release.

What they’re saying: Chang said Matei’s vision will “enhance the momentum of our research enterprise and support our shared goal of turning scientific innovation into real-world impact for patients.”

What’s next? Matei will begin her role as director in April, per the release.

Houston Airport System officials are urging travelers to arrive early as TSA wait times may exceed two hours in some locations, HAS officials said in a March 8 news release. 

What's happening? Due to the partial federal government shutdown, TSA officers are working without pay creating staffing shortages that have led to longer than typical wait times at airports nationwide, including at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU).

Director of Aviation Jim Szczesniak said HAS is expecting about 2.2 million spring break travelers during the government shutdown.

"Spring break brings some of the busiest travel days of the year," Szczesniak said in a statement. "When more passengers meet fewer security lanes, wait times can grow quickly."

Keep in mind: At HOU, officials said travelers should plan to arrive four hours before their scheduled departure as TSA wait times may extend beyond two hours.

At IAH, officials said travelers should allow extra time for security screening, noting some international air carriers have recently moved from Terminal D to E.

Texas held its primary elections on March 3, with Republican and Democratic voters selecting their parties’ nominees for scores of federal, state and local seats. Yet for some candidates, a major hurdle still remains before the November election.

The overview: Dozens of primary races are headed to May runoffs after no candidate picked up more than half of the vote, triggering an overtime round between the two highest-performing candidates.

The details:  Texas’ runoff election is set for May 26, the day after Memorial Day. Early voting runs from May 18-22, per the secretary of state.

State law requires primary candidates to receive more than 50% of the vote to advance to a general election, meaning a candidate must earn a majority of the vote—not just the highest number of votes—to win their primary outright. This rule means crowded races in Texas primaries and special elections frequently result in runoffs.

In those races, the top two vote-getters advance to a runoff.

Keep reading to learn about voting in the runoffs and who's on the ballot.