Lifestyle

KYLE, Texas — After a family in Kyle lost their home in a fire, the American Cross of Central & South Texas and Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) jumped in to help find temporary refuge for their seven pets. APA! said the family and their five dogs – Sadie, Dirk,...

Something magical has been happening at Texas State University. The Department of Musical Theater has been making big dreams come true, and Kaitlyn Hopkins has been a kind of empowering fairy godmother at work behind the scenes. Since 2009, Hopkins — recently retired and living once more in New York — has guided countless Texas State students on their paths toward a career in performing arts, including San Antonio’s own Preston Perez, now starring as Hans in the Broadway Across America’s tour of Disney’s “Frozen.” While landing the role of the handsome prince may seem like the ultimate wishcome-true, both Perez and...

Hundreds from across the country named Kyle made their way to the city of Kyle in an attempt to break a Guinness World Record.

As someone who loves wine and learning all about the process, one thing I’ve always had on my bucket list is learning about the winemaking process in my own hands on process! So during our trip to Buda, TX I learned that there is a place where you can make your own wine at Water 2 Wine!

The San Marcos Art League is unveiling their newest Award Art Showcase this May at the San Marcos Art Center, where Art League members can enter to compete for prizes and a spot in the July 2024 Winners’ Showcase. This will be the first time SMAL has ever hosted an art competition showcase at the art center. With submissions that exceeded expectations, 50 local artists will be showcasing their work and competing for the grand prize in this month’s exhibition. “I’m excited to see how inspired our local artists are,” Norman Bean, cochair for the showcase and long-time San Marcos Art...

Two students, junior Logan Venner and soph. Anabelle Gonzales, advanced to the State Texas High School Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) held April 26-27 in San Marcos. Their artwork, carefully chosen from over 33,000 regional high school art entries, stood out among the crowd. Only 1,418 pieces advanced to the state level.

Raven St. John has experienced many things in his years, including being born at Laughlin Air Force Base, experiencing close-up the space shuttle splashdown as a child in Hawaii, a member of the Air Force, and working with the San Antonio Jaycees handling some rather famous musicians. Moving to Lockhart...

Step into a galaxy far, far away with this extraordinary Star Wars-themed Airbnb in Buda Texas! This unique accommodation offers an immersive experience for Star Wars fans, and experience matters! From meticulously crafted decor to themed amenities, every aspect of this stay promises an adventure of galactic proportions. Join me...

Courthouse Nights will have EZ Band, a Norteña music group of Houston on Friday, May 17. The family band (9 pieces) has been playing together for more than 9 years and continues to bring the fun with their fusion of top 40 hits and Hispanic regional music. EZ Band,...

El Pollo Rico opened in San Marcos on May 10. (Sarah Hernandez/Community Impact) El Pollo Rico opened in San Marcos on May 10. This is the Mexican restaurant chain's 18th location in Texas. El Pollo Rico serves chicken and carne asada plates including flautas, quesadillas, gorditas and more. Features Reporter.

The Lockhart Animal Shelter will be getting upgrades in the coming weeks, including indoor and outdoor kennel restoration, outdoor draining, flooring, and divider walls. Austin-based Connolly Architects & Consulting will be providing the work at the shelter. Public Works Director Sean Kelly said the work at the shelter would begin...

In the Texas Hill Country, barbecue is the stuff of legends. You have likely heard of Lockhart, the tiny town that is, officially, the state’s barbecue capital. And for decades, the scene was ruled by just a few smoke-stained joints — Smitty’s, Black’s, and Kreuz Market are among the most iconic — but now Barbs B Q, a restaurant helmed by 25-year-old pitmaster Chuck Charnichart, is shaking up the scene in the most delicious way possible.

“[My favorite thing about running is] going fast.” Angus Umphress, 6. PHOTO BY ASHLEY KONTNIER “I’m happy that I’ve been able to push myself and it feels good to be rewarded.” Evan Gomez, 12. PHOTO BY ASHLEY KONTNIER “[My favorite thing about running is] when my legs move.” Isabella Deitz, 6. PHOTO BY ASHLEY KONTNIER “I’m really excited because I worked really hard for [first place].” Jazmin Harrison, 11. PHOTO BY ASHLEY KONTNIER

Name and grade you teach and at which school: Sheri Moebes, Interventionist at Clear Fork Elementary. Where did you graduate? B.S. in Economics from Texas A&M University. Favorite thing(s) about teaching at Lockhart ISD: “I love making connections and building relationships with as many students and staff as possible. I also love working with small groups of children to help them improve their math skills.”

Prairie Lea, much like other small towns in Caldwell County, exudes a unique charm that sets it apart. The town is not only known for being the home of the Prairie Lea Indians, but also for its newly opened Brandini’s Sandwiches To Go. The tight-knit community of Prairie Lea...

It appears Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ in Buda is up for lease. This is the latest development for the restaurant, which has faced allegations of workplace misconduct and temporarily closed less than a year after opening a brick-and-mortar location. Multiple reports indicate that former employees allege late or missing payments, bounced checks and poor working conditions, prompting an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor. ...

SAN MARCOS — During National Pet Month, the San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter took the opportunity to share its current conditions and how community members can get involved. SMRAS is the stray animal open-intake facility for all of Hays County, explained community engagement coordinator Minnie Buckhaults, meaning that any animal within the county gets transported to the shelter, due to ongoing contracts with the animal control departments. Along with the responsibility of being the county intake shelter, the increasing amount of strays within the cities also causes overcrowding. Buckhaults described the lack of resources as the reasoning behind the high number of stray dogs and cats, citing lack of low cost spay and neuter, low cost vaccination and a general “lack of awareness from our community.” “We are trying to find as many positive outcomes for the animals that enter our facility, whether that be through adoption, transferring them to rescue partners, [etc.],” said Buckhaults. “We just want to get as many animals out [as we can]. A shelter is no place for an animal.” Part of this initiative is the creation of Space Force, a program within the shelter that aims to promote positive opportunities for the animals. “We make sure that anyone that hits the 30-day mark has a bio, they have new photos [and] they have notes that we can talk to a doctor about. And when they hit a 60-day mark, we will make sure that they’ve been on a Dog’s Day Out, that they’ve had a foster plea and a rescue plea. Then, we also identify dogs that may need a little help being advertised, more rescue pleas sent out, more time in the yards or medically checked out,” said Buckhaults. For example, a dog at the shelter named Candidia will be receiving a hospice plea due to the discovery of cancer. Veterinarians estimate she only has six months to a year left to live. Despite the efforts of the shelter, the 93 kennels are filled with more than 160 dogs, some of which are stationed in pop-up crates. During the interview, Buckhaults revealed the stacks of crates in her office filed with puppies, as the shelter is attempting to fill every space to accommodate the amount of dogs. When these numbers rise too high, the shelter has to unfortunately consult behaviorists to determine if any animals must be put on a euthanasia list. In early May, six dogs were planned with a deadline for Thursday, May 9. Prior to the list being posted on social media, three were picked up by rescues. Through various posts and tags from community members, two of the animals were adopted and the last, Jackson, left with a foster. “The only way we could operate is with community involvement,” said the coordinator. “Whereas our team has the one person reaching out to rescues over and over for Jackson, when the community adds their hundreds and hundreds of voices, it really makes a difference.” Buckhaults said that the communities, along with cities, are doing a lot in attempt to aid SMRAS. According to the coordinator, the city of San Marcos recently instated an ordinance which requires all animals to be microchipped in an effort to return dogs to their owners and prevent them from going missing. The city also required pet stores to provide animals from a shelter rather than a breeder if there is going to be an adoption event.

The 3rd Annual Migratory Bird Festival took flight on May 11 in San Marcos, celebrating feathered friends that grace Texas skies. The festival aimed to teach attendees the importance of bird conservation as well as promoting bird-safe procedures to make San Marcos a safer habitat for all. Niki Lake, Discovery...

Logie's On The Square will be located at 150 S. LBJ Drive in San Marcos. (Amira Van Leeuwen/Community Impact) Logie's On The Square will opening a location in downtown San Marcos at the former Aquabrew location. Owner Joe Bendetti said he will be expanding the restaurant by adding a large...