Wayne Mack will face Mark Keough for Montgomery County judge in the Republican primary election. 

Also of note: Early voting begins Feb. 17 for March 3 primary races in Texas, including several county and state contests.

Community Impact sent each candidate a Q&A with a deadline for response to ensure equal opportunity. Answers were limited to 50 words each, and answers that came in over 50 words were cut from the end to fit.

Steve Sanders, who served as CEO at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center from 1994 to 2014, died Jan. 7 in League City, according to his obituary and information from his family.

The backstory: Sanders, whose full name was Glenn Steven Sanders, began working in health care in the Houston region in 1982, and he served as vice president and CEO of Memorial Southeast Hospital until 1994, according to his obituary.

Sanders also brought the Canopy Cancer Survivorship Center to Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center, which provides support services for cancer survivors and their caregivers.

Another detail: Among Sanders' other community leadership roles include chairing the following organizations:

• The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce
• The Woodlands Area Economic Development Partnership
• Yes to Youth
• Lone Star College Foundation
• LifeGift

Houston’s housing market returned to a more balanced pace in 2025, with single-family sales climbing and prices largely holding steady as inventory expanded, according to a year-end update from the Houston Association of Realtors. 

What this means: HAR reported total property sales in the region finished 2025 up 2.3% from 2024, while total dollar volume rose 4.5% to $42.9 billion. Single-family home sales increased 3.8% year over year, with 88,634 homes sold in 2025 compared to 85,373 in 2024. 

A key driver of the shift was more inventory, active listings climbed through the year and hit a record high of 39,490 in July, when the market reached a 5.5-month supply—the highest level since June 2012, per HAR. 

Keep in mind: As supply grew, prices moderated, according to the HAR report the median home price was essentially flat year over year at $334,990, while the average home price rose 0.9% to $426,558 in 2025.

Eat Drink HTX, the sister fundraiser to Houston Restaurant Weeks, will return for its fifth year from Feb. 14 through Feb. 28, according to a Jan. 12 news release from the Cleverley Stone Foundation. 

At a glance: The two-week dining event was designed around the casual dining experience and features lower price points than Houston Restaurant Weeks. While menus won’t go live until Feb. 1, the foundation announced dinner will be priced at $25, with lunch and brunch both priced at $15. 

The local impact: Both Houston Restaurant Weeks and Eat Drink HTX were inspired by Cleverley Stone, the late philanthropist and food correspondent who was passionate about bringing business to restaurants during traditionally slower seasons of the year, according to the release.