Virtual reality experience Horizon of Khufu opened in early December in North Austin.

The details: The 45-minute long excursion takes users through the Giza Plateau and Great Pyramid of Giza in ancient Egypt using VR headsets. Tickets for the experience range from $26-$32 and are open to anyone 8 years old or older and at least 4’6”.

Did you know?: Austin is the first Texas city to feature the exhibit, which has been brought to other major cities such as Chicago, Montreal and London. 

• 11000 Middle Fiskville Road, Ste. A1, Austin

Austin ISD is taking its first steps to prepare for the closure of 10 campuses next school year.

What's happening: In early December, AISD Superintendent Matias Segura appointed principals for 17 campuses. Most of these campuses will receive new students from closing schools or implement turnaround plans following multiple failed state accountability ratings.

The details:  The district has appointed new principals for Pecan Springs, Sánchez and Wooldridge elementaries, which will be restarted after receiving three consecutive F ratings amid low academic performance.

Sunset Valley Elementary Principal Elaine Navarro will become the principal of Odom Elementary after Sunset Valley closes.

Ridgetop Elementary Principal Kara Schultz and Reilly Elementary Principal Leyla Olano were appointed as the principals of Pickle and Wooten elementaries, respectively.

AISD will keep the same principals at seven campuses that are receiving students from closing campuses that earned three consecutive F ratings. 

What's next: On Jan. 9, principals will receive survey results from current staff members on where they would like to work and may begin extending job offers.

While some individuals are interested in coping with experiences by enrolling in traditional one-on-one therapy sessions, others may be drawn to healing alongside a community.

Austin-based running club Good Grief has shaped an experience for community members to find solace in staying active while working through their grief with people going through similar situations.

The inspiration: The club was founded by Samantha Hendel who received news in 2022 of her mother’s lung cancer diagnosis. While trying to make sense of the news, a week later Hendel was notified her father had received a colon cancer diagnosis.

To cope with the news, Handel started running in addition to going to therapy. She said while run clubs were popular in the city, she wasn’t finding an exact space like the one she was looking for.

The local impact: Today, the group averages 100 people every Monday morning at Noble Joe’s Coffee Co. in South Austin.

2026 is a big election year in Texas. Voters will see 18 statewide races, all congressional seats, most state legislative seats and a variety of local positions on the ballot.

The overview: The Republican and Democratic primary elections will be held March 3, and the midterm election is set for Nov. 3.

Texas holds primaries for all partisan elected positions, such as state officials; state and federal lawmakers; and county judges, commissioners and justices of the peace. Third-party candidates, including independents, Libertarian Party candidates and Green Party candidates, have separate election processes will not be listed on the primary ballots in March. Eligible candidates representing various parties will appear on the November ballot.

Looking back: All statewide offices on the ballot are currently held by Republicans, although some are not running for reelection. No Democrat or third-party candidate has won a statewide office in Texas since 1994, election records show.

Check out the full article for more details on election processes and an overview of state-level races.