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Saturday, February 7, 2026 • Vol. 71 • No. 5
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Democrat Christian Menefee sworn in to Texas’ 18th Congressional District, faces new election in 4 weeks By JUHI VARMA The Leader News Contributor Rep. Christian Menefee was sworn into the U.S. House on Monday, Feb. 2, after winning the special election runoff for Texas’ 18th Congressional District. “Last night, I was sworn in to represent the people of Texas’ 18th Congressional District, and I am deeply grateful for the trust and support this community has placed in me,” Menefee said in an emailed statement
to The Leader. “For more than 330 days, this district went without a voice in Congress, and I don’t take lightly the responsibility of making sure every single person here is finally heard again.” Menefee, 37, a former Harris County attorney, defeated fellow Democrat Amanda Edwards by a wide margin in the January 31 runoff, capturing about 68% of the vote to Edwards’ 32%. New district maps by the Republicancontrolled Texas Legislature have dramatically changed the political land-
scape: the old District 18 boundaries are being replaced by a new map for the March 3 Democratic primary. The March Democratic primary will be the first election held under Texas’ newly redrawn congressional maps. As a result, Menefee and Edwards will face each other again on March 3, but now in a primary for the new District 18. Menefee ran on issues like healthcare reform, immigration, and constituent services after a long vacancy. Former Houston City Council member
SOUTHERN GRACE
Edwards focused on community engagement, infrastructure and local ties. Both are competing for a district long held by prominent Black Democrats like Sheila Jackson Lee and Sylvester Turner. The seat has been vacant for 11 months, following the death of Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Texas), a longtime Houston leader. Turner died in March 2025. See MENEFEE P. 2
petbar: From corporate careers to community hub By ALEKSA RADENOVIC The Leader News Contributor
Tacos A Go Go launches new Heights location featuring first-ever full bar
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Support local restaurants, Houston Food Bank: Eat Drink HTX menus are now live
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Photo from HAR.com
Curb view of the historic Rolle House in Woodland Heights.
Janeen Cook and the house that welcomed all By BETSY DENSON The Leader News Contributor
Valentine’s celebrations return to Meow Wolf, Houston Arboretum
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Coming to a Table Near You: Date nights, game days & Galentine’s
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Margaret Janeen Cook, who passed away on Jan. 22, 2026, at age 91, was exactly the kind of neighbor everyone hopes to have. “Just a sweet southern lady,” recalls Jane Ista, who lived two doors down for 40 years. “She did everything with a smile.” That generosity of spirit ran deep in Janeen’s family, extending back generations to the beginnings of her childhood home on Byrne Street, the historic Rolle House in Woodland Heights. For years, Janeen opened the home for the Woodland Heights Civic Association’s biennial home tours. She guided guests through the house, sharing family photographs and stories that traced both her family’s history and the home’s evolution. The house itself has a love story at its foundation. Janeen’s grandfather, Rolle Painter, was a railroad man who came to Texas See HOUSE P. 2
Charley and Trent Rowan never planned to leave their corporate careers. The idea of owning a business only took shape in 2023, when Charley became pregnant and the couple began thinking differently about their future. “We were looking for something we could do as a family,” Trent Rowan said. “Something we could build together and feel proud of.” The decision meant walking away from the stability of corporate jobs in supply chain and customer service, a move that came with hesitation. Still, the Rowans said the excitement of creating something of their own outweighed the risks. That leap led them to open a brickand-mortar location of petbar Boutique in Houston’s Oak Forest neighborhood, where the business has quickly grown into what they describe as a community gathering place for dog owners. The Rowan’s say their corporate backgrounds prepared them more than they expected. Years spent in structured office environments taught them how to collaborate, manage different personalities and stay focused on shared goals. Charley Rowan’s customer service experience proved especially valuable. “Those skills are directly tied to how we give our customers the best possible experience,” she said. See PETBAR P. 2
Submitted photo
Janeen Cook loved hosting guests at the historic Rolle House in Woodland Heights.
Submitted photo
Trent and Charley Rowan, owners of petbar in Oak Forest, pose with their daughter during a family photo.
Local voices join Houston Grand Opera’s “Hansel and Gretel” By BETSY DENSON The Leader News Contributor Pet of the Week: Meet Juni, a diamond found in the rough
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When Houston Grand Opera’s production of “Hansel and Gretel” opened at the Wortham Theater Center, audiences heard 24 young voices joining the professional cast on stage. Among them is Shreya Puvvada, a 12-year-old from Garden Oaks who attends T.H. Rogers Middle School. This is Puvvada’s third production with the opera company, having previously performed in “La Bohème” and “Il Trittico.” She said her first experience with HGO was so fun that she knew she wanted to come back. “Being in an opera is definitely chal-
lenging because you have to balance so many things at once and it takes a lot of dedication,” Puvvada said. “But the experience is incredibly rewarding, and it has really helped me become a more independent person.” The children’s chorus is led by Karen Reeves, a Shepherd Park Plaza resident who has been preparing young singers for Houston Grand Opera since 1991. Her work with the HGO Children’s Chorus on the Houston Symphony’s performance of Berg’s “Wozzeck” won the 2017 Grammy for Best Opera Performance. She was also the founding director of HGO’s Bauer See WITCH P. 2
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Photo by Michael Bishop
The cast of Houston Grand Opera’s “Hansel and Gretel”, including the children’s chorus, performs the finale at the last dress rehearsal at Wortham Theater Center.