Fells Hardwood Supply will open a brick-and-mortar location in Hutto.

The gist: The business, owned by David Fells, offers premium woods as well as provides custom work on items such as tables, desks, shelves and countertops. Fells said the company is all about making things with wood more accessible, and he plans to launch a local woodworkers monthly meetup with tool demo, new skills and project showcases. The business also plans to offer paid classes focused on how to incorporate traditional tools into power tool-based shops.

The business began out of Fells’ garage in April 2025, expanding into seven climate controlled storage units before now opening his own showroom. Fells said once moved in, the business will have a soft opening this April and plans are in the works for a grand opening in May.

• Opening mid-April

The city of Round Rock is one step closer to extending wastewater services in its extraterritorial jurisdiction, just across SH 130 near the city's border with Hutto. 

What you need to know: City officials approved on April 9 a contract with BGE Inc. to provide engineering services for a future wastewater lift station and force main located near the intersection of CR 100 and CR 118, east of SH 130. The approved contract amount is $289,298, and will be paid out of the city's self-funded water construction budget. 

The details: Round Rock Public Works Director Michael Thane said the area's geology only allows for gravity wastewater drains to flow southeasterly, necessitating a lift station and force main. 

Lift stations, Thane said, like the one the city will use in this instance, function by using a wet well to pump wastewater uphill back west and drain into the city's wastewater system. 

Check out top stories in Austin from April 6-9.

1. New European steakhouse opens in Georgetown

2. Final vision for alternative to Hwy. 71 approved in Bee Cave

3. 204 Texas breaks ground on nearly 600-acre film studio in Bastrop

4. New Leander restaurant grills up classic Persian, Mediterranean flavors

5. Traffic signals coming soon to Wyoming Springs Drive extension in Round Rock

6. New coffee shop to open in Hutto

Texas education officials are currently overhauling the state’s social studies curriculum standards, with policymakers, teachers, parents and historians clashing over how students should be taught about the history of Texas, the U.S. and the world.

The overview: The State Board of Education reviews standards for all curriculum areas every 15-20 years, dictating what Texas' 5.5 million public school students should learn at each grade level.

As written, the plan would reduce the time students spend learning about world history and cultures in favor of more Texas-focused subjects. Critics of the proposal have pushed to include a more diverse set of perspectives to ensure all students feel represented in the curriculum, while those who support it said students’ education should be centered around American exceptionalism, state history and Christianity.

Next steps: The SBOE, which has the final say on the curriculum changes, was taking an initial vote on the plan as of press time and is scheduled to adopt the final standards in June. The new requirements would be rolled out to classrooms in 2030.