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The proposed Fort Worth 2026 bond saw a slight bump of $5 million for a total cost of $845 million.

What’s happening: During a Fort Worth City Council work session Jan. 27, council members got an update that city staff refunded $65 million in debt in December. The move saves $460,000 through fiscal year 2034-35 and means the city was able to increase the bond capacity, according to the presentation.

The plan, by a consensus of the 11 council members, was to add $5 million to the bond for the affordable housing proposition.

That is one of six propositions that could be on the ballot. Streets and mobility infrastructure is the largest portion at $511.5 million, or 60.5% of the overall bond.

What they’re saying: District 4 council member Charlie Lauersdorf questioned why the $5 million was added to public housing when there were suggestions at the previous meeting about adding that money for infrastructure improvements, such as roadwork, according to previous reporting.

Several schools in Denton, Keller and Northwest ISD will receive grants from Tanger Outlets through its TangerKids Grant Program to support programs at the districts, according to a news release.

The gist: Denton ISD will receive $1,750 for Wayne Stuart Ryan Elementary School to go toward its “Si Se Puede” program.

Keller ISD will receive $1,300 for Basswood Elementary School to go toward its “Together We Thrive” program.

Grant amounts and recipients for Northwest ISD include:

• $825 for Medlin Middle School to go toward its “Soaring to New Adventures” program, which is a special education field trip initiative
• $1,000 for the Northwest ISD Education Foundation to go toward the “Fueling Futures: Snack Packs for Student Success” program, which provides snack packs for students in the district

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.

One of those locations includes the Francesca's store at Tanger Outlets Fort Worth.

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

Developers have set a groundbreaking date for Frisco's Grand Park. Meanwhile, a development featuring more than 100 single-family homes has been greenlit in McKinney and a new subdivision is set to bring 65 homes to Flower Mound.

Read some of the top-trending stories from Community Impact's Dallas-Fort Worth coverage areas.

Pottery Barn set to close in Frisco’s Stonebriar Centre

Morphic Development gets zoning approval for homes in north McKinney

Abbott’s Frozen Custard closes McKinney shop

Ice cream and aircraft: 14 business updates in central, East McKinney

Frisco to break ground on Grand Park in April as Exide cleanup continues

Flower Mound council approves 65-home Canyon Falls subdivision

Two Democratic candidates are running to lead the Texas General Land Office in the upcoming March 3 primary election.

The big picture: Benjamin Flores and Jose Loya are vying for the Democratic nomination for Texas land commissioner. The winning Democratic candidate will face Republican incumbent Dawn Buckingham in November, and the winner of that election will begin serving as land commissioner in January 2027.

Buckingham, who is seeking a second four-year term as land commissioner, is running uncontested in the Republican primary. Community Impact runs candidate Q&As for contested races only.

The context: The General Land Office manages 13 million acres of state lands, with duties such as allocating disaster recovery funds, leasing state lands to generate revenue for the state's Permanent School Fund, preserving state landmarks such as the Alamo and overseeing several veterans programs. It is Texas’ oldest state agency, according to its website.