Columbus
Community Impact Austin
Georgetown launches online reporting tool for streetlight outages
The city of Georgetown will respond to streetlight outages reported by community members through an online form. (Courtesy Adobe Stock) Georgetown residents can now report streetlight outages where they live through a new online tool. How it works. The streetlight outage reporting tool—launched by the city of Georgetown in June—allows...
Check out 3 businesses coming soon to the Bastrop area
Teapioca Lounge is headed to Bastrop. (Courtesy Teapioca Lounge) From ramen and sushi to authentic Mexican food, check out three businesses coming soon to the Bastrop area. Austin-area locals Daniel Luo and Alex Liu will debut their first restaurant when the pair opens Volcano Sushi & Ramen in the Burleson Crossing Shopping Center.
Little Kitchen Academy closes Austin location
LKA opened its first Austin location in Dec. 2023. (Courtesy Little Kitchen Academy) The Montessori-inspired cooking academy Little Kitchen Academy closed its Arbor Walk location on July 7. The location was the only Little Kitchen Academy in Texas. For nearly seven months, the school offered cooking classes to children ages...
Georgetown-based Meek’s Family Chem-Dry celebrates 20th anniversary
Meek's Family Chem-Dry specializes in cleaning carpet, furniture, upholstery, and rugs as well as stain removal. (Courtesy Meek's Family Chem-Dry) Based in Georgetown, Meek’s Family Chem-Dry professional carpet cleaners is celebrating 20 years of serving residents in Bell, Burnet, Lampasas, Coryell, Williamson and Travis counties. The professional carpet cleaning...
Home sales increase year over year in San Marcos, Buda and Kyle in May
The average home price over the last six months in San Marcos, Buda and Kyle remained above $350,000. (Courtesy Adobe Stock) The most recent data compiled by the Four Rivers Association of Realtors shows the number of homes sold in San Marcos decreased by over 21% year over year. Kyle saw an over 25% increase in homes sold in May 2024, with Buda having about a 9% increase since May 2023.
Cedar Park leaders set sights on future housing regulations as city nears build-out
Cedar Park City Council adopted new housing regulations during its June 27 meeting and will continue to discuss more in the coming months. (Courtesy Adobe Stock) As Cedar Park's population nears build-out—or the number of people expected to fill all of the housing approved for future development—city leaders are considering new housing regulations with a focus on diversifying options throughout the city.
People, pets advised to avoid algae in Lake Travis following dog death
The Lower Colorado River Authority is testing blue-green algae for toxins in Lake Travis near Point Venture after a dog died July 4. (Falcon Sky Photography/Community Impact) The Lower Colorado River Authority is warning people and their pets to avoid contact with algae as a dog died after swimming in Lake Travis.
Dazzle Coffee & Smoothies closes in Round Rock, Pflugerville location remains open
Locally owned by Corey Wertenberger and Mike Scheschuk, the Round Rock coffee shop first opened in December 2015. (Brooke Sjoberg/Community Impact) The Round Rock location of Dazzle Coffee & Smoothies permanently closed at noon on July 9. Locally owned by Corey Wertenberger and Mike Scheschuk, the coffee shop in Round...
Local guide: Short-term rental laws in the Lake Travis-Westlake area
Texas does not issue state-level permits for STRs. Instead, they are regulated at the city or county level, and policies vary widely. (Courtesy Pexels) The Lake Travis region has long been known as a vacation destination, but with the creation of homestay apps, such as Airbnb and Vrbo, short-term rentals have come under increasing scrutiny by local governments.
Starbucks open on Aquarena Springs in San Marcos
Starbucks opened a new location within the Aquarena Crossing development in San Marcos on July 3. (Courtesy Starbucks) The coffee chain sells a wide variety of hot and iced coffee beverages. Starbucks also sells frappuccinos, refreshers, teas, breakfast sandwiches and more. This new Starbucks location also has a drive-thru. Government...
Progress Coffee + Beer closes Cherrywood location amid I-35 expansion plan
Progress Coffee Beer closed its Austin location but is still open in Buda. (Courtesy Dani Parsons) After 15 years of roasting coffee and over a year of serving it to the community in Cherrywood, Progress Coffee + Beer staff closed their downtown location late June. The details. The local coffee...
A pool club, workspace and more East Austin business updates
Casa de Luz East opened in late June. (Courtesy Richard Casteel/Dandelion Gatherings) Check out the latest business openings and those coming soon in East Austin. A new East Austin venue is now booking public and private events in the former Don Limon Mexican Restaurant and Bakery location. Prior to opening, the facility underwent renovations with a $1.52 million loan from Frontier Bank, facilitated by the Austin Economic Development Department.
Austin birth rates lowest of major Texas cities
Austin had the second-lowest study sample compared to the top four Texas cities with 285,094 women sampled and 10,736 giving birth in 2022. (Courtesy Pexels) Editor's Note: This article has been updated to clarify that Austin's birth rate went down 0.7 percentage points in 2022, rather than 0.7%. Despite recent...
City of Hutto to implement Stage 2 water restrictions
City of Hutto water customers will be limited to two days a week of watering outdoors. (Courtesy Pexels) Stage 2 water conservation restrictions will go into effect for city of Hutto water customers beginning July 12. The gist. City of Hutto water customers, including residential, industrial, commercial and institutional properties,...
Shoe Palace now open in Round Rock Premium Outlets
Footwear retailer Shoe Palace opened a new store in the Round Rock Premium Outlets in June. (Brooke Sjoberg/Community Impact) Footwear retailer Shoe Palace opened a new store in the Round Rock Premium Outlets in June. Based in San Jose, California, the shoe store chain offers sneakers and apparel from a...
Spectrum outages leave many Texas customers without service
Customers across Texas are experiencing outages with Spectrum services. (Courtesy Pexels) Editor's note: This story has been updated to include additional comments from Spectrum officials. A significant outage has affected Spectrum customers across Texas, leaving many without internet and cable services July 9. The details. Officials from Spectrum provided an...
Japanese store Daiso to open in Southpark Meadows
Japanese retail chain Daiso is slated to open its third Austin location in September. (Courtesy Adobe Stock) Daiso, a Japanese dollar store, is slated to open a third Austin location. This will be the second Daiso store in South Austin. The company opened a location in the Sunset Valley Marketfair...
Rainey Street trail connection to open July 13
A new trailhead near Rainey Street will increase access to the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail in downtown Austin. (Rendering courtesy The Trail Conservancy) Austinites are invited to celebrate the grand opening of the Rainey Street Trailhead on July 13. The details. In response to growth throughout the Rainey...
Casa Chapala to expand into former Heroes spot at Community Gardens
In addition to the indoor dining area where Heroes was located, Chapala Fiesta will also offer an outdoor patio space near the front, and a beer garden toward the back of the property. (Amanda Cutshall/Community Impact) Casa Chapala and Community Gardens are partnering to open Chapala Fiesta in the former...
FirstChoice Rheumatology offers autoimmune disease treatments in Georgetown
FirstChoice Rheumatology opened in Georgetown in early March. (Parks Kugle/Community Impact) Dr. Sharlene Badhan, a rheumatologist and internal medicine specialist, opened FirstChoice Rheumatology in early March. She has an expertise in autoimmune diseases, and treats a wide range of conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, vasculitis, myositis, spondyloarthritis,...
Community Impact Austin
22K+
Posts
43M+
Views
Hyperlocal news coverage from 9 Austin-area markets
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.