A Blast Swim Academy location is planned on Hwy. 29 in east Georgetown, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

A closer look: The swim school provides water safety, swim lessons and stoke development for children starting at 3 months of age, its website states. The upcoming facility will include an above-ground pool, according to the filing.

Construction on the facility is scheduled to last through November.

What else?: Blast Swim Academy has existing Texas locations in Frisco, Little Elm, Sugar Land and Montgomery.

• 3701 W. Hwy. 29, Ste. 4102, Georgetown

The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office will apply for a grant from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation to purchase a swift water rescue boat.

The details: The $35,519 grant would cover the full cost of the inflatable boat, accessories and the trailer for the swift water rescue team to use during flash flood emergencies, according to county documents.

The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation provides grants to purchase public safety equipment, training and education, and is funded in part by sales at Firehouse Subs restaurants. There is no match required from the county.

Some context: The sheriff’s office owns one boat for the swift water rescue team. The additional rescue boat will ensure there is always at least one operational boat available to the sheriff’s office, according to county documents.

Bill Burden Elementary Principal Christina Gamez will lead Lariat Trails Elementary, opening in August.

What's happening: Liberty Hill ISD announced the selection of Gamez as the principal for its eighth elementary school on Jan. 6. The new campus is slated to open in the Lariat Trails neighborhood off County Road 214.

Career history: Gamez began her career in education as a physical education teacher at Bill Burden Elementary in 2012 after graduating from Texas A&M University.

In 2017, Gamez helped open Rancho Sienna Elementary, where she taught, supervised paraprofessionals and led the campus specials team. As an assistant principal intern, she assisted with the opening of Santa Rita Elementary in 2020.

Gamez was appointed as the assistant principal of Bill Burden after receiving her master’s degree in Educational Administration in 2021. In 2024, Gamez became principal of the campus.

She will continue serving as the principal of Bill Burden until the position is filled, according to district information.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is moving forward with a $5 billion expansion aimed at easing congestion and improving the passenger experience. The project will add 32 new gates, including 26 tied to a new Concourse B, while Southwest Airlines plans to nearly double its presence at the airport with 18 additional gates and about 200 daily flights.

A closer look: As part of the expansion, Southwest will relocate its command center, and open a pilot and flight attendant base, bringing roughly 2,000 new jobs by 2027. The airport is also building a six-gate Concourse M to provide flexibility during construction, schedule changes, delays and diverted flights.

Looking ahead: Additional projects include expanded parking, centralized TSA checkpoints and improvements to baggage handling, as well as ongoing efforts to extend Austin’s light rail to the airport. Officials say these projects will help ABIA handle growth while enhancing convenience for travelers.