Candidates for the Pearland ISD’s board of trustees Position 2 seat answered questions ahead of the upcoming May 2 election. Board members serve three-year terms with no limits.

What you need to know: 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.

Castle Biosciences will celebrate the grand opening of its headquarters in Friendswood on March 24, according to a March 6 news release from the company.

The details: Castle Biosciences offers molecular prognostic and diagnostic tests for patients with various diseases, including skin, eye and gastrointestinal cancers.

• ​​1500 W. Parkwood Ave., Friendswood

Houston City Council approved $4 million for playground improvements at 11 parks around the city during the March 18 City Council meeting.

What this means: Three parks in District C will receive playground improvements by the end of 2026. Parks include Mangum Manor Park, Cleveland Park and Cherryhurst Park.

District C council member Abbie Kamin said these improvements, especially for Mangum Manor Park, are overdue.

“This is a park that is used daily by residents,” Kamin said. “Going back to 2023, the playground was condemned; it was deemed unsafe. The playground was, in effect, removed and what was left at Mangum Park was an empty field.”

Who it's for: Other parks that will receive part of the approved $4 million funding include:

• Beulah Maxie Park
• Crestmont Park
• Walter Jones Park

With a partial federal government shutdown ongoing, officials with the Houston Airport System said on March 23 that passengers could continue to see growing wait times at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), including in some cases exceeding four hours at IAH.

As a result, federal agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have begun supporting TSA operations at airports nationwide, including in Houston, Houston Airport System officials announced in a March 23 news release.

Some context: Due to the partial federal government shutdown, which began Feb. 14, TSA officers are working without pay, which is creating staffing shortages that have led to longer than typical wait times at airports nationwide.

Diving in deeper: Per the release, with the addition of ICE agents at Houston airports, screening procedures for passengers remain unchanged. Additionally, officials noted the number of available TSA screening lanes can vary by airport and shift, depending on staffing levels.