A new Trader Joe’s location in Bee Cave is slated to open on Oct. 29, according to a news release from the business.

The overview: A ribbon-cutting for the new location will be held about five minutes before doors officially open at 9 a.m. Store’s Manager Ian Saunders and Trader Joe’s team members will be present to welcome customers to the new store, according to the news release.

“As a neighborhood grocery store, Trader Joe’s prides itself on hiring from our local community,” the news release stated. “The store hired more than thirty new Crew Members from surrounding areas and transferred in others from nearby Trader Joe’s stores.”

The details: Trader Joe’s is a grocery store chain with over 500 locations in the United States. This new location would mark the fourth to open in the Austin area, with three other locations in Northwest Austin, downtown Austin and Rollingwood. The new location, in the Shops at the Galleria, was previously occupied by Office Depot. 

• 12812 Shops Parkway, Ste. 300, Bee Cave

Eanes ISD scored 94 out of 100 possible points in the Texas Education Agency's Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas rating, or FIRST.

Some context: FIRST assigns school districts an A, B, C or F rating based on 21 indicators that measure its financial management practices and overall financial health and sustainability. Since FIRST's inception in 2003, EISD has received an "A," which is considered "superior achievement."

Breaking it down: The 2025 rating is based on data from the 2023-24 annual financial report. The 21 indicators include critical and ceiling indicators which address the district's overall business operations competency, and financial ratios that assess the district's overall financial health and sustainability.

Something to note: The only indicator EISD did not earn full points on was indicator 8, which is the ratio of current assets to current liabilities. Last June, EISD's total current assets was almost $227 million and its total current liabilities was almost $126 million, with $90 million of the liabilities related to recapture. This indicator was scored four out of 10 points.

As the Austin metro area continues to see expansion in the technology sector, industry leaders are highlighting key critical area of interest: power delivery. 

What you need to know: In an Oct. 22 meeting of Opportunity Austin's Economic Development Council, panelists representing a variety of arms of the local technology industry shared insights regarding technology industry expansion in the area. 

What they're saying: The technology sector in Austin has experienced rapid growth, panelists said, and one of the first questions being asked by companies seeking to locate here are about power supply. 

"So much of our current project was defined by how much power we could bring into the building," said Eric Van Hensbergen, a fellow and member of the leadership team of the architecture and technology group at semiconductor and software design company Arm. "In speaking with a lot of our partners, that's the No. 1 thing that they're looking for in regions that they're expanding into."

These considerations are especially relevant for data centers, he said.

Texas is home to about 3.5 million small businesses, according to the National Federation of Independent Businesses. Estimates show that the average Texas small-business owner could save about $2,500 per year if voters approve an expanded business tax exemption on the Nov. 4 ballot.

The details: State Proposition 9 would exempt up to $125,000 of a business’s personal property, such as equipment, furniture and vehicles, from taxation. Texas business owners currently receive a tax exemption on property worth $2,500 or less.

“At $2,500, virtually everyone's paying this tax,” NFIB Texas Director Jeff Burdett said in an Oct. 24 interview. “If you have a desk, a computer and a chair, you're probably over $2,500 [in inventory]. … It makes no difference for almost any business.”

At the polls: Early voting in the Nov. 4 election began Oct. 20 and runs through Oct. 31. For more information about the propositions and candidates on your local ballot, visit www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide.

The overview: As Community Impact enters its third decade, it’s returning to its roots of growth and deeper reader connections. The “Patron” program, which began in 2020 by reader demand, has relaunched as the InCIder.

“This relaunch represents our renewed commitment to readers who support our local news,” CEO John Garrett said. “Beyond funding great journalism, we also want to reward our InCIders and build deeper connections with them, creating a true sense of community around the work we do.”

Event details: As part of the relaunch, Community Impact will host its first-ever InCIder Hour, a new event aimed at celebrating and engaging the company’s supporters.

The event, open to InCIders only, will take place Nov. 12 from 5:30-7 p.m. at Community Impact Headquarters, 16225 Impact Way, Pflugerville.

Guests will have the opportunity to network with fellow InCIders, meet Community Impact staff and attend a featured conversation with legislative reporter Hannah Norton, moderated by CEO John Garrett.

“Our first event needed to start where all the hard work is put together,” Garrett said. “People are blown away when they see our operation. To be able to sit and chat with the best legislative reporter in Texas, Hannah Norton, makes it an event our InCIder friends deserve and hopefully will enjoy.”