After two decades of planning, construction crews are set to break ground on Grand Park in 2026.

The details: Grand Park will be a 1,011-acre “urban oasis” along the Dallas North Tollway, according to the project website.

The backstory: Voters approved funding for Grand Park in a 2006 bond election, according to city documents, but construction has been delayed by cleanup efforts around Exide Technologies, a former lead battery recycling plant that leached harmful chemicals into the soil and water.

Williams Sonoma recently closed in Frisco’s Stonebriar Centre according to store signage.

Also of note: A Williams Sonoma is slated to open in Frisco’s Fields West, a 55-acre urban village in the Fields development, a 2,500-acre master-planned community to be located in north Frisco at the intersection of Dallas North Tollway and Panther Creek Parkway.

• Stonebriar Centre, 2601 Preston Road, Ste. 1216, Frisco

Frisco ISD will remain closed through Thursday, Jan. 29, due to poor road conditions, according to a district news alert. 

The background: Despite rising temperatures, ice remains on campus parking lots, sidewalks, bus loading zones and campus entryways, officials said in a social media post. The current conditions pose safety concerns for families, student drivers and staff, the post states.

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.

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

Severe winter weather has created a significant need for blood donations after forcing many donor centers and blood drives to close for several days.

The big picture: The national blood supply remains at critically low levels, a shortage worsened by the effects of severe winter weather across the country, according to a news release from the American Red Cross. In North Texas, Carter BloodCare closed all donor centers and mobile blood drives for four days, from Jan. 24-27, due to the weather and hazardous travel conditions.

“That put us down about 4,000 units of blood and blood components that would be for the local supply,” said James Black, Carter BloodCare’s senior public relations specialist.

Next steps: All blood types are critically needed, Black said, but particularly universal blood type O negative and platelet donations. Individuals who are eligible to donate can find their closest donor center and make an appointment online, although Black said walk-ins are also welcome.

The March 3 primary election is coming up, and so is the deadline to register to vote. Eligible Texans must register by Feb. 2 to cast votes in dozens of races, including 18 statewide officials, 38 members of Congress, 166 state legislators and various local seats, such as county judges and commissioners.

How to register: Texans must submit a paper voter registration application by Feb. 2. Applications can be mailed to their county elections office or delivered in-person.

To avoid delivery delays under new federal postmark rules, prospective voters may requests that mailed applications be hand-stamped at a local post office.

The big picture: Texas holds primaries for partisan elected positions at the federal, state, regional and local levels. Republican and Democratic primary voters will have a say in which candidates will represent their chosen political party on the November ballot, shaping who is ultimately elected to each seat.

In recent years, no more than one-fourth of registered Texas voters have cast ballots in primary elections, state data shows.