Democratic candidates Christian Dashaun Menefee and Amanda Edwards are vying for Congressional District 18 in a special runoff election Jan. 31.

Some context: As previously reported by Community Impact, a special election was held in November to fill the vacant congressional seat following the death of incumbent Sylvester Turner in March.

The special election, which had 16 candidates, resulted in a runoff election between the top two vote-getters: Menefee and Edwards. The winner of the special runoff election will serve Congressional District 18 for the remainder of Turner's unexpired term, which ends in January 2027.

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives are elected for a two-year term with no term limits.

Stay tuned: Community Impact will update this article as more Election Day vote totals are released. All results are unofficial until canvassed.

Hand & Stone Massage has soft opened for new clients in the Heights.

What to expect: Hand & Stone Massage offers messages, facials and toning with prices beginning at $79.95 for a first time visit. This is now the 22nd location in the Houston region.

• Opening officially in February
• 2770 Summer St., Ste. 100C, Houston

Harris County roadways are one step closer to seeing a new countywide road flood warning system to detect roadway flooding in real time and alert drivers.

Explained: A motion to advance negotiations with local engineering firm J.M. Torres and Associates LLC passed unanimously at the Jan. 29 Harris County Commissioners Court meeting. The Houston-based firm engineers real-time flood intelligence alert systems and data collectors, according to the business’s website.

What they're saying: “The project will install seven emergency flood warning measures across the four precincts,” Harris County Precinct 2 Media Specialist Alonzo Guadarrama said in an email. “These systems will be able to detect roadway flooding in real time and alert drivers, improving safety and helping reduce the risk of flood-related accidents.”

The impact: At least 812,294 properties in Harris County, or nearly 58% of all properties, have a risk of flooding over the next 30 years, according to data compiled from nonprofit First Street.

Houston’s single-family rental market experienced solid growth in 2025, according to a new update from the Houston Association of Realtors.

Long story short: HAR reports single-family rental leases have increased 9.4% year over year, with a total of 3,283 homes leased in December. There was a 21.2% increase in listings, with 5,486 listings added to the Multiple Listing Service in December compared to 4,525 the prior year.  

Missed any Community Impact articles from this week? Check out the top trending stories from Community Impact's coverage areas in Houston from Jan. 26-30. 

• Kresston expansion brings larger homesites, adds Toll Brothers and Huntington Homes in Magnolia
• IAH to wrap up $1.46B Terminal Redevelopment Program in early 2026
• 7 Harris County judge candidates raised just over $1M for March primary election campaigns
• Harris Health nears $100M capital fundraising goal less than 3 years after bond vote
• University of Houston launches new online film leadership certificate

Houston City Council member Abbie Kamin and Harris County Civil Court Judge Audrie Lawton Evans will face each other in the March 3 Democratic primary election.

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.

Important dates: Early voting runs Feb. 17-27. Election day is March 3.