Frisco ISD has entered into a new partnership with Elite Hockey Academy. 

What you need to know: The academy is a hockey development program that aims to prepare students for success academically and on the ice, according to the website. The partnership is expected to provide more academic opportunities for student-athletes through the Frisco Flex virtual learning program, according to an April 9 district news release.

The details: The agreement went into effect March 9 and allows FISD to offer full-time instruction through its Frisco Flex program to students competing in high-level hockey.

Quote of note: “This partnership is about doing what we’ve always done—putting students first and helping each one reach their full potential,” Superintendent Todd Fouche said in the news release. “Frisco Flex allows student-athletes to pursue elite training opportunities while staying connected to the strong academics, relationships and supports that help them succeed.”

Portillo’s is slated to open April 21 in Frisco, a company representative said.

On the menu: A variety of Portillo’s signature menu items will be available at the new Frisco location, including:

• Chicago-style hot dogs

• Italian beef sandwiches

• Char-grilled burgers

• Chocolate cake

16499 FM 423, Frisco

Renovations at Texas Christian University’s Ed Landreth Hall and the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport’s Centurion Lounge are two of many new projects filed recently with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Here are five of the most expensive permits filed with TDLR in the past week.

Texas Christian University Ed Landreth Hall renovations
Texas Christian University is renovating Ed Laundrette Hall with mechanical, electrical and plumbing upgrades; a new theater; audiovisual and technology upgrades; and acoustics, finishes and architectural updates.

American Express Centurion Lounge expansion at DFW Airport
American Express is renovating and expanding an existing lounge at the DFW Airport. The renovations will come with more seating, a new dining area and walk-up ice cream. 

Texas Health Dallas Hamon Tower renovations
Texas Health Resources is renovating the fifth floor of Hamon Tower in Dallas to include 30 medical-surgical beds and 30 intermediate beds.

Texas retailers can resume selling smokable hemp products after a Travis County judge temporarily blocked some of the state’s sweeping new regulations on the hemp industry.

The background: On March 31, the state health department enacted rules changing how THC content is measured in consumable hemp, which industry experts said effectively outlawed most smokable hemp products.

The Texas Hemp Business Council, a federal hemp industry group, and several local hemp companies sued the state April 8, arguing that the state health department does not have the authority to reclassify legal THC levels. State officials have defended the rules, saying they are in line with a September executive order by Gov. Greg Abbott, who at the time called for stricter oversight of the multibillion-dollar hemp industry.

The latest: Travis County District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble sided with the hemp industry in an April 10 ruling, directing the state not to enforce the new THC testing requirement and a restriction on the transportation of hemp products between states. An additional hearing is scheduled for April 23.