Officials with Comal County’s Emergency Services District No. 7—which services much of the extraterritorial jurisdiction of New Braunfels—shared an update on governance, finances and future planning during a presentation to Comal County commissioners at a meeting Jan. 29.

The details: Several ongoing and upcoming partnerships are in the works in ESD 7, including coordination with the Mayfair development on the future construction of Fire Station No. 8, according to the presentation.

Efforts also include collaboration with the New Braunfels Fire Department on a phase of a training facility near Station 7 along FM 306, and joint efforts with the Lower Colorado River Authority and the city of New Braunfels to improve emergency radio communications, New Braunfels Fire Chief Ruy Lozano said.

By the numbers: Investments such as these are needed as the area continues to grow. ESD 7 responded to more than 1,500 calls in the past year, a roughly 20% increase driven by commercial and residential growth.

Mixxed Threads Clothing Boutique closed its doors in downtown New Braunfels on Dec. 27, according to an Instagram post from the boutique. 

The details: The boutique was located on the second floor of the building located at 165 S. Seguin Ave.

Mixxed Threads Clothing Boutique sold women's clothing, "statement" trucker hats, stationery, custom-fit jeans and more. 

• 165 S. Seguin Ave., New Braunfels

The University of Texas at San Antonio, or UTSA, held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the reopening of the Institute of Texan Cultures, or ITC, at its new location in the Frost Tower Jan. 28.

The details: The ITC was established in 1965 to highlight the rich tapestry of Texan cultures during Hemisfair in 1968. Afterwards, the ITC became a permanent center dedicated to researching the history of the people of Texas. In 1973, ITC became a part of the newly formed University of Texas at San Antonio, according to the ITC website.

The new location will showcase the variety of Texan cultures and host rotating exhibits that focus on different aspects of Texas’ unique heritage.

• 111 W. Houston St., San Antonio

After 26 years in business, Houston-based clothing retail chain Francesca’s started the process of liquidating all merchandise and closing all stores in mid-January, according to a letter from company officials to the Texas Workforce Commission.

The company operates more than 450 stores in over 45 states, with 52 of those stores being in Texas, according to the company website.

What happened: In early January, the company received a notice of default from its lender that required the company to permanently shut down, according to the letter.

“After assessing options, the Company concluded, in its business judgment, that it had no alternative but to immediately cut costs, sell existing inventory, and ultimately cease operations,” the letter states.

• Began liquidating Jan. 14