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Two major parks projects in Pflugerville will soon be completed and open for play: the new Kelly Lane Park and the second phase of 1849 Park.

Kelly Lane Park: The neighborhood park located at the southeast corner of the intersection of Kelly Lane and Falcon Pointe Boulevard will have pickleball courts, a new playground and trail connections. Jeff Achee, Pflugerville Parks and Recreation Department assistant director, said the park’s primary purpose is meant to bring more recreation options to underserved areas. The pickleball court will be the first public facility in the city.

1849 Park Phase 2: Most Pflugerville residents—particularly those with children in local sports programs—might be familiar with the current iteration of 1849 Park. The first phase of the park focused on soccer fields, occupying a small portion of the 300 acres set aside by the city for future expansion.

The second phase, which opens in early 2026, will provide the community with its first city-owned baseball and softball facilities.

The Hutto ISD board of trustees approved Jan. 15 an order for a board election to be held May 2.

What's happening?: Two board seats, occupied by trustees Felix Chavez and Shara Turner, are up for re-election in May. Candidates elected to each seat will serve a three-year term.

Check out the top six trending stories in the Austin area for Jan. 12-15. 

1. Round Rock council gives initial go-ahead for speed limit reduction on Greenlawn Boulevard

2. LongHorn Steakhouse saddles up for Bastrop opening

3. Tunnels complete for Lake Travis deep-water intake project

4. Updates on 8 current and future transportation projects in Georgetown

5. Check out 13 of Leander’s latest launches, leavings and local leaps

6. From Thai food to beer: Check out 6 business updates in Dripping Springs

More dollars from the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund will be dispersed to the area as Gov. Greg Abbott announced Jan. 14 that a $15.2-million grant will go to Tekscend Photomask in Round Rock.

Overview: Tekscend manufactures components in semiconductor chip production called photomasks.

The grant money will go to an expansion of the company’s photomask production capacity by 40% at its Round Rock manufacturing facility, according to a news release.

Additionally, the funds will go to modernizing the facility’s equipment to improve efficiency and allow the company to produce components down to 12 nanometers, which is used for manufacturing AI, industrial devices, automotive components and more. The project is expected to create 50 new jobs.

Central Texas dentists have been feeling the effects of a nationwide shortage of dental hygienists, facing difficulties filling vacant positions to serve a growing number of patients

Zooming out: A 2019 study by the Texas Department of State Health Services projected that the demand for dental hygienists would outpace supply from 2018 to 2030. In Central Texas, the shortage of dental hygienists was projected to increase by 116.4% from 2018 to 2030, according to the report.

What they're saying: “As the population increases, new patients are coming into practices in Austin,” said Dr. Shailee Gupta, local dentist and member of Capital Area Dental Society. “Without the proper number of hygienists to go with these practices or community centers, there's no way to be able to meet that demand.”

The approach: To help counteract this shortage, Austin Community College opened an expanded dental hygiene clinic at its Eastview Campus this fall, nearly doubling the program’s annual cohort of students from 18 to 34.