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Hutto ISD's academic calendar for the 2026-27 school year will be familiar to parents and students, with a weeklong fall break planned for students in October. 

What you need to know: Trustees approved the academic calendar for the 2026-27 school year Jan. 15, choosing a calendar that has additional student holidays and ends the school year before Memorial Day.

A new Service Street Auto Repair location is under construction in Pflugerville, expanding the city’s growing auto-service corridor and adding another full-service repair option for local drivers.

What we know: The national automotive repair chain already operates a nearby location in Georgetown and offers both routine maintenance and major mechanical repairs.

Service Street locations provide services ranging from oil changes using Valvoline synthetic or blend oils and tire rotations to brake work, engine and transmission repairs, cooling system service, suspension work and advanced computer diagnostics for check engine and electrical issues.

Check out six upcoming, ongoing or completed transportation projects around the Austin metro. 

Upcoming projects
Hwy. 290 extension project
Project: project seeks to reduce congestion along 15 miles of Hwy. 290 between Hwy. 130 and Hwy. 95 South in Bastrop County
Update: public survey concluded Oct. 10

• Timeline: expected to complete first draft of schematic design mid-2026
• Cost: TBD
• Funding source: TBD

• Timeline: total project completion expected in 2026
• Cost: $612 million
• Funding source: federal funding, sale of roll revenue bonds, Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act funds

Round Rock’s Dell Diamond will serve as the home to the Texas Volts, a new professional softball team part of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League.

Overview: The Volts will join the six-team league that also includes the Carolina Blaze, Chicago Bandits, Oklahoma City Spark, Portland Cascade and Utah Talons, with play beginning June 9.

The announcement comes as the AUSL wrapped up its inaugural season and completed a multiyear renewal of its media rights agreement with ESPN.

Diving deeper: Cat Osterman, a four-time All American at The University of Texas will serve as the team’s general manager. The team will be coached by Ricci Woodard, who is also entering her 26th season as head coach for the Texas State University softball team.

With the new year beginning and resolutions underway, individuals may look into body contouring procedures to feel more confident in their bodies, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Sanjay K. Sharma said. 

Affiliated with Ascension Medical Group, the University of Texas Dell Medical School and the University of Texas Medical Branch, Sharma said these procedures are common in the Austin area due to the community’s culture of being outdoors and trying to stay healthy. He spoke with Community Impact about how body contouring works, ideal candidates and tips for community members to know when looking for a provider. 

What is body contouring: Body contouring is a broad-based category in plastic surgery. Any part of the body can be contoured. It can be from areas that are sort of stubborn fat deposits. Patients sometimes want to know how they can get rid of isolated pockets around the abdomen, legs, thighs or arms.