Before = Pearland Fire Chief Jack "J." Taylor steps down from his role to retire Feb. 2, he said he was confident he was leaving the department better than he found it.

Marking a milestone: Taylor became Pearland’s fire chief in May 2022 and led the Pearland Fire Department with over 30 years of experience in the fire service.

His leadership helped the PFD earn an ISO Class 1 rating and multiple awards from the American Heart Association and the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Association for excellence in EMS prehospital cardiac care and fire prevention.

In December 2024, the department was recognized as a Best Practices organization by the Texas Association of Fire Chiefs, becoming only the 34th fire department in Texas to receive the designation.

“People know who [the] Pearland Fire Department [is], and that's because of so many different programs and things that we've put in place over the last few years that everybody had hands in,” Taylor said.

Austin-based Western fashion and bootwear brand Tecovas will open a location in Baybrook Mall in Friendswood on Feb. 12, according to a Jan. 27 release from the business.

The details: In celebration, Tecovas will be holding grand opening celebrations with live music from Feb. 20 to Feb. 22, according to the release. The performance schedule is as follows:

• Paige Lewis will play on Feb. 20 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Charlie McCabe will play on Feb. 21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Feb. 22 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

• 700 Baybrook Mall, Ste. F138, Friendswood

Two candidates are facing off March 3 in the Republican primary election for Harris County clerk.

The overview: Lynda Sanchez and Mike Wolfe are competing for the Republican nomination in the race against Democratic incumbent Teneshia Hudspeth for Harris County clerk. Early voting begins Feb. 17, and election day is March 3.

Some context: The Harris County Clerk's Office is responsible for maintaining records from Commissioners Court and other county courts as well as key documents such as property records, marriage licenses, and birth and death certificates, per the office's website. The county clerk also serves as the chief election official for Harris County.

The setup: The candidates responded to four questions, including: 

• Why are you running for this position?
• What do you feel are the major challenges facing the office currently?
• How will you address these challenges?
• How will you work to make the office more user-friendly to residents? 

Eight candidates are vying for the Democratic nomination in the March primary election for Harris County district clerk following the announcement that Marilyn Burgess would not seek reelection to the position.

The details: Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity. Early voting runs Feb. 17-27. Election day is March 3.

What else?: To ensure that candidates are the ones defining their positions in Community Impact's voter guide, if candidates did not complete the questionnaire after multiple attempts to contact them, the website reads "candidate did not respond to questionnaire before press time." Candidates were informed of this policy.