Community Impact sat down with the president and chief executive officer of the TurfMutt Foundation, Kris Kiser, to discuss the importance of lawn maintenance and a few tips to ensure your yard looks good year-round.

The TurfMutt Foundation is a nonprofit that advocates for outdoor living and the care and stewardship of yards, parks and other green spaces, according to its website.

Responses have been edited for length, clarity and style.

Why should homeowners take care of their lawns?
Our outdoor spaces, particularly our lawns, are an extension of our home. During COVID, people really did reconnect to the outdoors. It was a safe space where you could entertain, cook and meet with friends and family. It created a connection to the outdoors that we used to have.

What common mistake should homeowners watch out for when planting?
Time of year. You want the ground to essentially be thawed, so you don't want a hard freeze. Remember that newly planted plants will need water, likely supplemental water, until they're established.

Souvenir shop Texas General Store serves as a place to take visiting family and friends for a reminder of Texas.

What’s special about it? Store manager Sherry Barge said Texas General Store offers products that can represent Texas to travelers, from food to souvenirs. Some products include books, crosses, garden flags, home decor, mugs and tabletop gifts in the shape of tiny boots.

In their words: Store owner Jessica Cruz said they also provide locally made products such as hot sauces, seasonings and pickled food. She said there are not many other stores that provide the variety that Texas General Store does.

“We constantly have people that say they’ve had to hunt us out and find us because it’s something that customers need,” she said.

Pop and Pour in Colleyville is set to open later this May.

What's on the menu: The champagne lounge will have sparkling wines from around the world, charcuterie boards and other small bites, said owner Jessica Glenn.

The drink menu will include Kraemer Blanc de Blancs Bruts, which is a French sparkling wine with green apple, citrus, and Asian pear, layered with hints of toasted brioche and fresh-baked croissant, according to an Instagram post from Pop and Pour. The champagne lounge will also serve the Moscato d’Asti, which has notes of sweet peach and citrus, according to a social media post.

• 5665 Colleyville Blvd., Ste. 150, Colleyville

McKinney officials moved forward with site plans for a Chuy's restaurant while Plano ISD anticipates a $44 million budget shortfall in the next fiscal year. Check out six trending stories from Community Impact’s Dallas-Fort Worth coverage areas.

1. McKinney P&Z approves site plan exception for Chuy’s restaurant
2. Next phase of Prosper Coit Road expansion delayed almost a year
3. Plano ISD anticipates $44M budget shortfall next fiscal year
4. Plaza Premium Group opens 2 new lounges at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
5. Collin College, UNT to offer new co-enrollment degree program in Frisco
6. Novartis breaks ground on new $280M Denton facility

After dozens of Texas primary races ended without a clear winner in March, candidates for those seats will face off in an overtime round, known as a runoff election, this month. Texans can vote early in the runoff election from May 18-22, with election day May 26.

How it works: State law requires that primary candidates receive more than 50% of the votes cast to advance to a general election.

In the May 26 runoff election, Republican and Democratic voters will choose who they want to represent them in statewide offices, legislative and Congressional seats, the State Board of Education and county-level positions. The winner of each runoff race will appear on the ballot in November.

On the ballot: The statewide Republican runoff races include:

• U.S. Senate: John Cornyn and Ken Paxton
• Texas attorney general: Mayes Middleton and Chip Roy
• Texas railroad commissioner: Jim Wright and Bo French

• Texas attorney general: Nathan Johnson and Joe Jaworski
• Texas lieutenant governor: Vikki Goodwin and Marcos Vélez