The city of Bellaire will spend roughly $210 million on capital projects through 2031.

Bellaire City Council unanimously authorized the city’s fiscal year 2027-2031 Capital Improvement Plan Oct. 19 following a presentation by Capital Program Manager Casey Goforth.

Why it matters: The Capital Improvement Plan is a comprehensive roadmap outlining what projects the city will prioritize and invest in over the next five years.

Fulfillment of these projects will address longstanding operational needs identified by Bellaire’s city departments, while supporting the city’s growth and sustainability, according to the agenda.

The takeaways: Goforth said the capital budget for FY 2026-27 is $14,312,390. The largest chunk of this budget will be sourced from the city’s capital bond fund for $11,531,390.

The city is estimated to spend roughly $11.5 million on wastewater projects in 2027.

Blanc Nail Boutique, a luxury salon specializing in pedicure and manicure services, will be opening a new location along the Southwest Freeway in the coming months, officials confirmed.

What to expect: Inside its relaxation-centered space, clients will find acrylic nails, gel extensions, nail art and signature manicure and pedicure treatment options.

Blanc Nail Boutique prides itself on personalized service handled by experienced technicians, premium-grade nail products and the curation of a serene atmosphere, according to the website.

Something to know: As of Sept. 28, officials said the grand opening of Blanc’s new location near West U was initially set for an earlier date, but was postponed until sometime in November.

• 3233 Southwest Fwy., Houston

Harris County Attorney Abbie Kamin’s office will host the fifth annual Families with Pride celebration at Discovery Green, Oct. 24.

How it started: Families with Pride started after a constituent reached out to Kamin’s office when she served as a Houston city council member for District C.

“Blake Ellis, who's now a friend, said, ‘We love celebrating Pride, but with little kids we would really love a place where we can go play with our kids and celebrate and teach them about Pride,’” Kamin said. “And I said, ‘Well, let's create it.’ So, we created this amazing event.”

The event is in partnership with the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce.

Families with Pride is a free, family-friendly event that celebrates togetherness.

It’s an opportunity for LGBTQ families and allies to bring their children to Pride to learn, understand and appreciate diversity, Kamin said.

How it’s going: The event offers kid-friendly activities including live entertainment, an indoor reading room with Pride storytime, art installations, hula hooping and face painting.

Federal, state and local leaders met Oct. 16 to discuss future collaboration on regional flood mitigation projects for Greater Houston.

At a glance: The meeting, closed to the public but open to the media, was the third cross-jurisdictional meeting held to address the region's infrastructure needs. Attendees included FEMA officials and elected leaders from the state House, state Senate, the City of Houston, Harris County and Montgomery County.

The details: Key points from the discussion included:

• Houston city council member Twila Carter emphasized mitigating flood risk before disasters occur.

• Montgomery County Commissioners Ritch Wheeler and Matt Gray noted funding challenges, as the county relies on property taxes and lacks access to sales taxes.

• FEMA deputy division director John Garvin said that predictable projects are most competitive for FEMA grants.

• State Rep. Steve Toth said the group will meet again to begin drilling down on projects.

As Election Day nears, candidates seeking to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate are raising—and spending—large sums of money, their campaign finance reports show.

The details: Candidates and political action committees, or PACs, involved in federal races had until midnight Oct. 15 to submit reports detailing their fundraising and spending from the third quarter of 2026—July 1 through Sept. 30.

• Democrat James Talarico raised $60.2 million and spent $67.2 million, according to his campaign finance report.

• Republican Ken Paxton, the state's current attorney general, reported raising $10.2 million and spending $7.1 million

• Libertarian Ted Brown's campaign finance report shows he raised about $5,208 and spent $3,410

Preparing for the polls: Early voting in Texas' midterm election runs from Oct. 19-30, and Election Day is Nov. 3.

Texans can view a personalized sample ballot with information about dozens of candidates and local propositions at communityimpact.com/voter-guide.