A new shared path for pedestrians and cyclists will be built along the Buffalo Bayou Greenway after the project was approved by Houston City Council on Jan. 28.

The gist: The walking and biking path will connect the Jose Campos Torres Plaza, which is located at the intersection of Austin and Commerce streets, to the Heights Hike and Bike Trail, which is located at the intersection of Elysian and Runnels streets. 
Completion of the connector is expected before this summer, when the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held in Houston.

The details: The project will be a collaboration between the city and the Houston Parks Board. The trail will be about 0.3 miles long, and the total cost is not known yet, said Justin Schultz, the Houston Parks Board president and CEO, via a Jan. 28 emailed statement.

Completion of the connector is expected before this summer ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Bricks & Minifigs will celebrate the opening of its newest location in the River Oaks on Feb. 21. The party will include giveaways, promotions, complimentary refreshments and special appearances from Lego Masters contestants.

Check it out: Bricks & Minifigs is a Lego aftermarket reseller for minifigures, sets, bricks and accessories. The first shop opened in 2010 and is the largest store of its kind that specializes in only new and used Lego items, according to its website.

The shop buys, sells, and trades all Lego products, from unopened sets to bulk tubs of loose pieces to storage-unit-sized collections.

Did you know: Most locations of Bricks & Minifigs are locally owned through a franchise. The River Oaks store will be owned and operated by Houston residents Brandon and Layalie, who collect and build Legos with their two sons.

• 3636 Greenbriar Drive, Houston

Chuck Wemple, Houston-Galveston Area Council executive director, announced Jan. 23 that he will retire in August following nearly 24 years with the agency.

The impact: During Wemple's time as executive director, H-GAC's operating budget nearly doubled, reaching $600 million, and the organization's team grew to almost 500 members, according to a news release. H-GAC consists of local governments representing 13 different counties in the region, which collaborate to prevent and solve shared issues, per its website. 

What's next? The board of directors will conduct a national search for Wemple's replacement, per the release. His retirement is effective Aug. 20.

Quote of note: "After working alongside Chuck for over a decade, I can say there's been a lot to be proud of and even more to be thankful for," Jay Knight, Liberty County judge and chair of the H-GAC board of directors, said in a statement. "Chuck's steady vision, can-do spirit and willingness to try new things have truly set this organization apart. Thanks to his leadership, we've become the benchmark for councils across the country."

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.

The March 3 primary election is coming up, and so is the deadline to register to vote. Eligible Texans must register by Feb. 2 to cast votes in dozens of races, including 18 statewide officials, 38 members of Congress, 166 state legislators and various local seats, such as county judges and commissioners.

How to register: Texans must submit a paper voter registration application by Feb. 2. Applications can be mailed to their county elections office or delivered in-person.

To avoid delivery delays under new federal postmark rules, prospective voters may requests that mailed applications be hand-stamped at a local post office.

The big picture: Texas holds primaries for partisan elected positions at the federal, state, regional and local levels. Republican and Democratic primary voters will have a say in which candidates will represent their chosen political party on the November ballot, shaping who is ultimately elected to each seat.

In recent years, no more than one-fourth of registered Texas voters have cast ballots in primary elections, state data shows.