Comal County commissioners approved the appointment of Mark Long to fill the vacant justice of the peace, Precinct 3 position on Jan. 29, following the resignation of Mike Rust.

In case you missed it: Rust had previously taken a leave of absence, during which Long was appointed to serve. After Rust returned, he submitted a formal letter of resignation, stating his final day in office would be Jan. 31, Comal County Judge Sherman Krause said.

As a result, commissioners were required to appoint someone to serve the remainder of the unexpired term, which runs from Feb. 1 through Dec. 31. Long said he was willing to continue serving in the position, prompting the recommendation for his appointment, Krause said.

In their words: Precinct 3 Commissioner Kevin Webb thanked Long for stepping forward and for Rust's service to Comal County.

"Judge Rust has been a great partner for me in Precinct 3 and he will be missed," Webb said.

Frog Hollar Outdoor, a clothing store located at 1273 N. Academy Ave., Ste. 1101, celebrated its five-year anniversary in New Braunfels on Dec. 20.

Some details: The business is owned by New Braunfels local Julie Kirkland. Frog Hollar Outdoor sells outdoor apparel and goods for men, women and children.

Quote of note: Kirkland said being open for five years has been wonderful.

"We have seen so much change and so much support from the local community. It's been amazing to see some of our customers become regulars," Kirkland told Community Impact.

• 1273 N. Academy Ave., Ste 1101, New Braunfels

This discount upscale retailer has announced plans for nationwide store closures, including right here in San Antonio at The Rim.

Latest update: Saks Global, the parent company of Saks OFF 5th clothing stores, announced plans to close the majority of its retail locations in a Jan. 29 news release.

The Saks OFF 5th location at 5819 Worth Parkway at The Rim in San Antonio began a closing sale on Jan. 31 and will permanently close once all inventory is liquidated.

"As we advance on Saks Global's transformation, we are taking decisive steps to realign our business to better serve our luxury customers and drive full-price selling across our core luxury businesses," Geoffroy van Raemdonck, the CEO of Saks Global, said in the release.

Approximately 23 stores officially closed for good on Feb. 2, including locations in Dallas and Grand Prairie.

The context: Saks OFF 5th offered a selection of discounted designer clothing, shoes and accessories.

• 5819 Worth Parkway, San Antonio

This Austin-based cat cafe is expanding southward into San Antonio soon, planning to open the city’s first cat lounge in many years.

In case you missed: Purrfecto Cat Lounge has its eyes set on a to-be-announced location in the Southtown area of San Antonio, near the Lone Star District, founder Lupita Adams said in an email to Community Impact.

The goal for opening has been tentatively set for May, although exact details will be released at a later date, according to the business.

Currently, there are no cat cafes open for business in the city of San Antonio, while Purrfecto’s current brick-and-mortar location is nestled in downtown Austin at 2300 S. Lamar, Ste. 104.

More details: Purrfecto Cat Lounge will offer customers a traditional cat cafe experience, according to its website.

Guests will be able to book appointments for 30 or 70-minute sessions to play and engage with cats, plus sign up for special cat-themed events throughout the year.

• Exact location TBA, Southtown, San Antonio

Texas families can soon apply to receive state funds for private education or homeschooling under the state’s new education savings account program, known as Texas Education Freedom Accounts.

What's happening: The application opens at 9 a.m. Feb. 4 and is designed to be completed in about 15 minutes, according to the state comptroller’s office. Families can apply through 11:59 p.m. March 17.

Parents must submit information about their family's residency, household income, their children's educational history and each child's special education status, if applicable.

The details: To be eligible for the program, students must:

• Reside in Texas
• Be U.S. citizens or lawful residents
• Be eligible to attend a Texas public school, open-enrollment charter school or pre-K program