Bastrop County Emergency Services District No. 3, a local government agency expected to increase the number of ambulances in most areas, is seeking a zoning change for the construction of a new facility.

The approximately 2.6-acre site at 1808 Jasper St., Bastrop, will be used as an administration office building. It is currently an undeveloped lot with trees, according to city documents.

Explained: The Bastrop Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of the zoning change from P3 Neighborhood to P5 Core with a vote of 6-0 during a Feb. 26 meeting, and Bastrop City Council will consider the zoning change during a March 24 meeting, according to city documents.

“The proposed improvements fall under the Civic Use category and would not be allowed under the existing P3 Place Type,” Brittany Epling, a senior planner with the city of Bastrop, said in a staff report. “Therefore, the proposed zoning for the property is P5 Core, which allows for Civic Use developments.”

American Legion Post No. 533 in Bastrop was tapped to host the 2026 American Legion Riders Texas State Rally—an event that will be held May 1-3.

The American Legion Riders is a motorcycle-based program within the American Legion made up of military veterans, active-duty service members and sometimes family members who share a passion for riding and supporting veterans.

What we know: The 2026 American Legion Riders Texas State Rally is expected to draw hundreds of riders from across the state for a weekend defined by the steady rumble of engines.

Registration, priced at $55, is available online.

Zooming in: As of March 16, there were 248 registered riders, and Patricia Pierce, the director of the American Legion Riders at Post No. 533, expects that figure to only grow.

“We will be having approximately 400-500 veterans and veteran supporters convene in Bastrop in the first week of May,” she told Community Impact.

Test flights for electric aviation services like air taxis will soon be taking off across the state, including in Austin, following the Texas Department of Transportation's selection for a Federal Aviation Administration pilot program this month.

The details: The federal initiative stems from a 2025 executive order from President Donald Trump to advance aviation systems, including unmanned drones and electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, aircraft.

The FAA selected eight eVTOL pilot projects across the country under that order, including TxDOT's, which are now expected to kick off this summer.

TxDOT is partnering with four aviation companies to launch eVTOL air taxi flights and other services between Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston and smaller communities. The phased project is expected to start this year.

One more thing: While Austin developed its own proposal spearheaded by locally based LIFT Aircraft, that outline wasn't selected by the federal agency.