The city of Kyle is funding a research project that will deploy floating wetlands on Lake Kyle in an attempt to improve water quality and protect the surrounding Plum Creek Watershed, which funnels rainfall and runoff into Plum Creek and its connected waterways.

The overview: Texas State University Professor Sangchul Hwang is the lead researcher on the three-year “In-Reservoir Water Quality Management with Floating Wetlands” project.

The Kyle City Council approved the project on Dec. 16, 2025 and granted Hwang $456,546 in funding.

The roots of floating wetlands absorb nutrients in the water and hold microorganisms that break down and trap pollutants, cleaning the water.

Diving deeper: In 2004, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality identified high E. coli concentrations in Plum Creek that make it unsafe for recreational use.

The project aims to assess current water quality in Lake Kyle and potentially use floating wetlands to improve it.

Looking forward: The full floating wetlands are expected to be implemented and subsequently monitored in spring 2027.

Several events are taking place in the San Marcos, Buda and Kyle area throughout the fall season. From the 2026 Sacred Springs Powwow in San Marcos to the Buda Arts Festival, mark your calendar with these upcoming events.

They're Coming to Get You
The Chambers Theatre will present the theatrical reimagining of Night of the Living Dead, debuting just in time for the Halloween season. The play follows a plot where the dead are waking up and attacking the living, and is written and directed by Heath Thompson.

• September 25-October 11, 7:30-9:30 p.m. and 2-4 p.m.
• The Chambers Theatre, 121 Main St., Buda

2026 Sacred Springs Powwow
The 16th annual festival will include Indigenous music and dancing, arts and crafts and traditional dishes like fry bread and tacos. The event will also include Native jewelry and artwork from over 40 artisan vendors.

• October 3 (10 a.m.-5 p.m.), October 4 (11 a.m.-5 p.m.)
• Meadows Center, 201 San Marcos Springs Drive, San Marcos

A Kia dealership in Austin, a Walmart in Liberty Hill and an Olive Garden in Kyle are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Kia of Central Austin ($36 million): A new 206,601-square-foot Kia dealership is set to begin construction in Austin next spring.

2. Walmart ($12.2 million): A new Walmart Supercenter is coming to Liberty Hill, with construction set to begin in October.

3. Hill Country Bible Georgetown ($6.2 million): This project involves the construction of new admin and student ministry buildings at the Hill Country Bible Church in Georgetown.

4. Olive Garden ($4.1 million): A new Olive Garden restaurant is coming to Kyle, with construction set to wrap up late next year.

5. 3rd Wave Climbing Gym ($2.3 million): This project involves the renovation and change of occupancy of an existing warehouse building into an indoor climbing gym facility.

Texas does not have a single system to connect first responders in emergencies, meaning local and state agencies often operate on a network of radio systems that are not always compatible with one another.

The big picture: State leaders said there are more than 50 different radio systems used by first responder agencies across Texas.

"We have situations where counties and cities are on separate ones, and they never know it until they have to [communicate with] each other," state Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, said during a Sept. 14 legislative hearing.

Looking ahead: King has vowed to pass a bill to integrate first responder communications under a statewide system during the 2027 legislative session, with some emergency management experts calling interagency communications "the No. 1 issue" in the aftermath of disasters.

"[This] is not simply a communication issue—it's a responder safety issue and an operational effectiveness issue," said Kyle Mills, head of planning and preparedness for the Texas A&M Forest Service.