Since opening Card Gurus on West Pecan Street in October, Justin Johnson and Blake Perkins have turned their shared childhood love of card shops into a thriving community for collectors of sports cards, Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, comics and collectibles.

The background: Johnson and Perkins met while working at a retail store in Round Rock, where they found they had similar hobbies and interests. They were both tired of working in the corporate world and fleshed out a plan for opening their own spot.

“It was probably our favorite thing we remember from our childhoods; going to the card shop with our dads,” Perkins said. “We wanted to share that with the new generation.”

What's special about it: One thing the pair thought was missing from card shops was customer service. Having worked retail, they knew they could bring that aspect.

“I hated going into shops where no one would talk to you,” Johnson said. “We want people to know that we’re really grateful they came in here.”

Several businesses have recently opened in Hutto or are coming soon, including gyms, a fiber store and a coffee drive thru.

FitFam Community
The business provides high-intensity interval training and personal training. Owned by Jason Houck, the HIIT classes are designed to maximize results in minimum time.

• Opened April 7
• 21220 Jakes Hill Road, Hutto

• Opening Oct. 10
• 115 East St., Ste. B, Hutto

• 130 Chris Kelley Blvd., Hutto

Austin Community College’s automotive technology and advanced manufacturing facilities are on track to welcome students for the fall 2026 semester, said Sydney Pruitt, senior media relations coordinator. 

The gist: The new facilities will create a hands-on training environment for students to learn the current technology and techniques that companies use, according to the college’s website. The facility will allow the college to offer a more efficient and up-to-date program. 

Quote of note: “Manufacturing is evolving rapidly with advances in automation, robotics and semiconductor production, creating a pressing demand for skilled technicians and engineers,” Dean of Advanced Manufacturing Dr. Laura Marmolejo, said in a press release. “This is about building stronger career pathways for our students and securing a skilled workforce to keep Central Texas at the forefront of innovation.”

A housing development in Pflugerville, an apartment complex in Austin and pool expansions at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Cedar Park are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Carmel East Phase 4 ($529.9 million): Carmel East Phase 4 is part of the final 954-homesite expansion of the Carmel Master-planned community in Pflugerville, Texas.

2. Aluna ($75 million): This project involves the construction of 7,305 square feet of leasing office and clubhouse space for a 372-unit apartment community.

3. Veterans Memorial Pool Expansion ($10.5 million): This project includes a proposed 8,000 square-foot wave pool building, a 1,250 square-foot event building and a 3,000 square-foot splash area at Veterans Memorial Park.

4. AA AUS Lounge ($10 million): This project includes interior renovation of the American Airlines lounge in the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

5. Westlake Dermatology ($5 million): This project involves the construction of a 4,262-square-foot building that will be the site of a new Westlake Dermatology location.

At least 85,000 students will use Texas' new education savings accounts during the 2026-27 school year, an Aug. 3 report shows. Enrollment may grow as the school year kicks off and more families opt in to the program.

The overview: The Texas Education Freedom Accounts program gives families state funds to send their children to private schools or homeschool them, with priority going to students with disabilities and children from low-income households.

About 24% of students participating in the TEFA program have a disability, according to state data, and 80% of participants are from low-income families.

Zooming in: The largest numbers of students participating in the program live in Texas’ largest school districts, data shows. The report lists that 3,327 participants live in Houston ISD’s boundaries, followed by 2,645 participants from Dallas ISD, 2,271 participants from Northside ISD and 2,024 participants from Fort Bend ISD.

Previous state data showed that about 43% of students selected for the program had previously attended a Texas public school, although the Aug. 3 report did not include that information.