For nearly 50 years, Peoples Wellness—also known as Peoples Rx—has been focusing on making people well instead of keeping people sick, said Christie Deschodt, director of marketing and communications for the business. The wellness business operates four Austin-area locations, including its newest location in Westlake, which opened in February.

What they offer: While Peoples began as a pharmacy, the business has been working on evolving the brand into a more concentrated initiative of being a wellness destination for Austinites, Deschodt said. Today, Peoples offers a variety of personalized wellness support services including pharmaceutical-grade supplements, at-home wellness testing kits, inbody scans, and a compounding pharmacy that creates customized medications for both people and pets that ensure optimal absorption.

What’s special about it?: Beyond its pharmaceutical services, other wellness-focused care and support includes locally-sourced prepared meals from Lucky Lime and a line of fresh juices from Stoke Cold Pressed Juice. Peoples is also a “sought out destination” for its gluten-free food options, Deschodt said.

• 2805 Bee Caves Road, Ste. 416, Austin

Stitch Happens is opening in Lakeway at the old Cotton Cupboard location on August 1.

The overview: Stitch Happens offers high-quality fabrics, sewing machines and tools, along with experts to help with creative projects.

Beyond selling goods, Stitch Happens will also offer workshops, classes and a community space for creators.

The details: The website, stitchhappenstx.com, will be live on July 1.

• Opening August 1
• 15310 Storm Dr., Austin

A Sprouts Farmers Market, East 51st Street improvements and a new museum building are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Deposition Technology ($27 million): This project at the semiconductor support and manufacturing company consists of a cleanroom expansion and renovation.

2. East 51st Street ($17 million): This project involves the revitalization of East 51st Street from I-35 to Berkman Drive.

3. Sprouts Farmers Market ($4.8 Million): A new location for the grocery store is coming to Hutto.

4. UT Dinosaur Trackways ($4.2 million): The building is a 2,100-square-foot single-story museum, which aims to conserve and house some of Texas’ most renowned fossilized footprints made 113 million years ago by a sauropod and a theropod near Glen Rose.

5. Texas State University: Student Success Commons at the Albert B. Alkek Library ($3.5 million): This project involves the interior renovation of approximately 38,000 square feet of the sixth floor of Alkek Library to add staff offices and study spaces.

Nearly $8.4 billion in new state funding was not enough to save Texas public school districts from budget shortfalls and campus closures, school administrators said June 1.

What happened: During a 10-hour public hearing at the state Capitol, school district leaders spoke of efforts to stretch their budgets amid high inflationary costs as teachers explained their decisions to leave the classroom due to pay cuts and large class sizes.

The big picture: Last year, Texas lawmakers passed House Bill 2, a $8.4 billion school finance bill designed to increase educator salaries, create a new pot of money for fixed costs, provide more training for teachers and boost special education resources.

Roughly one year later, districts across Community Impact’s coverage areas are cutting staff and closing campuses, citing enrollment declines and budget shortfalls. 

Quote of note: "This funding deficit is the final straw for me, and it will be for countless other educators across the state who must leave or who lose their jobs," Austin ISD French teacher Rachel Preston told lawmakers June 1.