Both the town of Prosper and the city of Celina are in the midst of building their fourth fire station this year.

Current situation: Officials broke ground on the Celina station in November, with the station expected to open in March 2027, Celina Fire Chief Shawn White said in an email. The $11.4 million fire station, funded by city bond dollars, will be about 15,725 square feet and will have three bays for fire trucks, a training tower and individual dorms.

Prosper’s fourth station is a 12,000-square-foot facility that will feature five fire engine bays and accommodations for its firefighters once it opens in late March or early April. The $13.8 million station, funded by the town’s 2020 bond program, will open with nine staff members while the department plans to add three additional positions in the upcoming year. 

Shades of Green has closed its nursery at 7401 Coit Road in Frisco, according to the business’s social media.

What’s next: The company will now operate exclusively from its location in Celina.

• 1213 E. Sunset Blvd, Celina

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

Stay informed on five road projects happening in Collin County and Tarrant County. 

Collin County

1. Allen road safety projects 

The project: The city of Allen is using Texas Department of Transportation grant funds to improve 16 intersections. 

The update: Only three intersections have not been completed, but work on all three will begin in February. The three remaining intersections to be improved will be Century Parkway and Bethany Drive, Greenville Avenue and Bethany Drive, and Greenville Avenue and Main Street. 

• Timeline: Work on the remaining three projects is expected to finish up in the fall. 
• Cost: $4.6 million for all 16 projects
• Funding source: TxDOT

• Timeline: spring 2026-fall 2027
• Cost: $27.79 million
• Funding source: town of Prosper 

Following over four hours of public testimony and debate Jan. 28, the Texas State Board of Education is poised to postpone a plan to create a mandatory reading list for K-12 students.

What's happening: Board members said Jan. 28 that they wanted to get more feedback from Texans before moving forward with the policy, which would take effect at the beginning of the 2030-31 school year. The SBOE is required to create the reading list under a 2023 state law, and members said they would likely revisit the proposal during an April meeting.

The Texas Education Agency compiled a list of nearly 300 literary works for the board to consider.

What they're saying: Some speakers expressed concerns Jan. 28 that the TEA’s list was too long and focused too heavily on classical literature that “does not represent the students of Texas," while others said they wanted students to focus on classical literature and historical texts.