One of the newest schools in Comal ISD now has a name.

The Comal ISD board of trustees approved Dr. Jerry S. Major Middle School as the name for Middle School No. 9 during a regular meeting March 26.

The details: The school is named in honor of former CISD Superintendent Jerry Major, who was the district's superintendent from 1997-2000, according to a news release. Major was an educator for over 35 years and held numerous leadership roles, according to the release. 

CISD board President Courtney Biasatti said they are pleased to honor the tradition of excellence Major helped establish during his time as superintendent and through his service in the community.

“His legacy of kindness, commitment to education and putting kids first, will be remembered for generations to come,” Biasatti said in the release.

New Braunfels City Council approved a resolution tying economic incentives to the historic Faust Hotel, located at 240 S. Seguin Ave., during a March 9 meeting.

The agreement with the hotel will provide a hotel occupancy tax, or HOT, rebate to support the ongoing renovation at the hotel in downtown New Braunfels, according to agenda documents.

The details: HOT funds typically go toward promoting tourism and events and are collected by state and local government agencies, according to the Texas Comptroller’s office website.

The Chapter 380 Economic Development Program would rebate 100% of HOT generated by the hotel for five years or $1 million, whichever comes first, Deputy City Manager Jordan Matney said.

The program, authorized by the Texas Local Government Code, allows loans or grants of public funds—such as HOT funds—to incentivize economic development, according to the city’s website.

The agreement would promote local economic development, stimulate commercial activity, increase the property's taxable value and preserve a historically significant building in the city's downtown core, Matney said.

From zoo updates to Q&A’s with mayoral candidates, check out the 10 top-read stories across the San Antonio area from March 23-27.

1. Gorillas settle into new San Antonio Zoo exhibit marking the return of gorillas after 35 years
2. Outback Steakhouse closes in Northeast San Antonio after 25 years
3. Locally-owned senior living facility doubles in size with expansion project
4. Q&A: Meet the candidates running for New Braunfels mayor
5. New Braunfels housing development faces setback as rezoning motion fails
6. Anthony’s opens food truck in Cibolo
7. Pawn shop changes name following new ownership in New Braunfels
8. Q&A: Learn more about the candidates running for Live Oak mayor
9. Q&A: Meet the candidates running for New Braunfels City Council District 5
10. Check out 6 of the latest permit filings in the San Antonio Area

In the nine months until Texas’ 90th legislative session begins in January, state lawmakers are expected to hold information-gathering hearings on hundreds of topics that will lay the groundwork for next year’s policymaking.

During a March 27 legislative summit in New Braunfels, four longtime lawmakers shared some of their top priorities for next year.

What they're saying: The legislators said they were focused on furthering some projects from previous legislative cycles, including water preservation initiatives and a new education savings account program.

More details: They said they also intend to study data center operations and how the large facilities impact local water supplies, noting that the legislature will work with local officials to determine how much data center regulation should happen locally and when the state should step in. 

“Does the state need to be involved? Yes,” Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, said. “Does local government need to have a say? Yes. But we’ve also got to remember, so does the private taxpayer. So we need to get a combination of all three.”