From renovations to new schools, check out eight of the ongoing and recently completed bond-funded projects in Hays CISD.

1. Lehman High School Auditorium

• Schedule: August 2023-January 2026
• Scope of work: added an 800-seat auditorium, scene shop, two classrooms, and storage for fine arts program rehearsals and performances
• Status: 100%
• Cost: $53.1 million
  • Funded by Propositon B of the 2023 bond

• Schedule: March-August 2026
• Scope of work: designs the district’s eighteenth elementary school, which will accommodate 900 students
• Status: 10% complete
• Cost: $4.2 million
  • Funded by Proposition A of the 2023 bond

• Schedule: August 2025-August 2026
• Scope of work: creates covered, lighted, and cooled open-air, outdoor activity facilities to accommodate fine arts and athletic student practices, rehearsals, performances, competitions, and events
• Status: 63%
• Cost: $51.4 million
  • Funded by Proposition D of the 2025 bond

The San Marcos Neiman Marcus Last Call is holding a store-wide sale ahead of its upcoming closure.

In a nutshell: Neiman Marcus Last Call, located in the San Marcos Premium Outlets, will soon shut its doors for good following major closures by its parent company, Saks Global.

The company announced it will close a majority of Saks OFF 5TH locations and all remaining Last Call stores in a Jan. 29 news release.

What they're saying: Saks Global intends to “focus on luxury retail and full-price selling,” maintaining regular operation at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman stores, according to the release.

The San Marcos Neiman Marcus Last Call has sales of up to 70% off daily. An official closing day has yet to be announced.

• Permanent closure following liquidation sale
• San Marcos Premium Outlets, 3939 I-35 S. frontage road, Ste. 1105, San Marcos

Check out six upcoming or ongoing transportation projects across the Austin metro.

Upcoming projects

West Rundberg Lane Extension
Project: The project extends West Rundberg Lane in Austin from Burnet Road to Metric Boulevard, including an expansion of the roadway from two lanes to four lanes with a raised median, an 8-foot shared-use path on both sides, and storm sewer, water and wastewater improvements.
Update: The project is currently in the design phase.

• Timeline: TBD
• Cost: $10 million
• Funding source: Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, city of Austin bond

• Timeline: 2023-29 (entire project)
• Cost: $19.9 million-$21.6 million (west), $42.3 million-$45.4 million (east)
• Funding source: 2022 city of Kyle bond

The Texas Science & Natural History Museum recently opened its latest paleontology exhibit to the public on Jan. 28. Museum attendees can now immerse themselves in how creatures lived by playing a video game, checking out interactive panels and learning where the featured Texas fossils were found across the state.

Dig deeper: Various interactive elements have been introduced to the Epic Encounters space, including the featured creatures touchscreen panels, which give attendees the opportunity to dig deeper into the lives of eight of the animals in the exhibit’s collection.

In addition to the panels, the museum has introduced a choose-your-own-adventure game where individuals can choose to play as one of the five creature options in two environments and see how they would do living out a day in that creature’s life.

• 2400 Trinity St., Austin