Four candidates have filed to run in a special election happening in May to fill the empty Bellaire City Council Position 4 seat.

How it happened: After Cindy Cohen-Taylor vacated her seat early in December, the Bellaire City Council officially adopted an ordinance in January to call a special election to fill the vacant seat.

Looking ahead: The special election will take place May 2, with canvassing set for May 12, city officials said. Early voting will be conducted from April 20-27, with the polling location at the Bellaire Civic Center, located at 7008 South Rice Ave.

Nara Sushi, an all-you-can-eat sushi and hibachi restaurant, has opened in Montrose. It opened at the former Sushi King location at 3401 Kirby Drive.

What’s on the menu: The restaurant and bar offer an extensive menu of raw and cooked sushi and sashimi rolls. Other items on the menu include bento boxes, Japanese fried rice, udon and hibachi.

Nara Sushi opened at the corner of Richmond Avenue and Kirby, the former site of Sushi King, a popular neighborhood restaurant that closed in 2023.

• 3401 Kirby Drive, Houston

Select Houston-area residents who have the Waymo app downloaded are now able to take the first public rides in the fully autonomous vehicles, the company announced via news release Feb. 24.

What you need to know: Waymo will continue to invite new riders on a rolling basis to use the service as it kicks off service in Houston. Its service area in the city includes The Heights, downtown Houston and Montrose. Service will open to everyone later this year, according to the release.

Some context: The company previously announced its expansion to Houston last fall, Community Impact previously reported.

Quote of note: “I'm thrilled that we are now launching limited access public rides here in Houston,” Houston City Council member Sallie Alcorn said via news release. “It will give both Houstonians and visitors another safe, high-tech way to get around during exciting upcoming events like the World Baseball Classic and the World Cup."

Select international travelers departing from George Bush Intercontinental Airport will check in at Terminal E effective Feb. 27, Houston Airport System officials announced via news release Feb. 27.

What's changed: Previously housed in Terminal D, Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines have transitioned to IAH's newly expanded Terminal E. Per the release, passengers are encouraged to confirm their check-in location directly with their airline prior to arrival.

Officials said customer service representatives in bright orange polos are stationed in Terminals D and E to assist passengers; passengers arriving at Terminal D will be directed to make a 10-minute walk to Terminal E.

Stay tuned: Additional airlines will continue to transition from Terminal D to Terminal E in phases over the next few weeks, officials said. Officials said lounge locations and parking access remain unchanged.

Over 2.3 million Democrats and nearly 2.2 million Republicans voted in the March 3 election, according to unofficial election results from the secretary of state. Totaling nearly 4.5 million voters, this is “the highest voter turnout for a primary in Texas history,” the secretary of state’s office said.

By the numbers: Nearly one-fourth of Texas’ 18.7 million registered voters participated in the primaries, shattering turnout rates from recent years. Less than one-fifth of registered voters cast ballots in the 2024 presidential and 2022 midterm primaries, state election records show.

Texas’ previous primary turnout record was set in 2008, when 4.2 million voters cast ballots in high-profile presidential primaries.

Zooming in: Election data shows the most people cast votes in the high-profile U.S. Senate races that topped the ticket, with the total numbers of votes steadily decreasing down the ballot in both primaries.

There is “some certainty” that voter enthusiasm will extend to the November midterm election, Republican data analyst Ross Hunt told Community Impact during early voting.