Travis County seeks local feedback on Bee Creek Road improvements
Travis County is welcoming local feedback on planned improvements to a section of Bee Creek Road between Highlands Boulevard and Lakehurst Road.
The overview: The county is preparing to begin planning, design and construction work for the following proposed improvements, according to an Aug. 25 news release issued by Travis County.
Widening Bee Creek Road to three lanes, with one lane in each direction and a center turning lane.
Adding a shoulder on both sides of the roadway.
Adding a shared-use path on one side of the roadway.
The improvements, which were allocated $16 million in funding by Travis County, are intended to address increasing traffic demands, enhanced safety and east-west mobility, according to the news release.
The details: More details, including street photos, maps and diagrams can be found on the project’s “virtual open house” web page. Local residents can share feedback regarding proposed improvements on the webpage during a comment period running from Aug. 25-Sept. 9.
Bee Cave takes first steps on Central Park improvement project
The city of Bee Cave has taken its first steps toward laying out a plan for improvements to Bee Cave Central Park.
The overview: A resolution was passed unanimously by the Bee Cave Development Corporation at an Aug. 26 meeting which allowed the board’s president to execute a professional services contract for park improvements.
“This [resolution is] the first initial start of the project,” City Manager Julie Oakley said at the meeting. “We don’t even have an initial cost of the total project yet, [which] this will help us define, as well as the layout of where a new parking lot would be and any kind of culverts or water quality or drainage aspects.”
The background : The Bee Cave Development Corporation’s Economic Development Strategic Plan was adopted June 24 and included a commitment to funding several capital improvement projects, Oakley said. One of these was infrastructure improvements for Central Park.
Connxus joins national network coordinating health care for Central Texans across state lines
Central Texas residents may now have a more streamlined experience when receiving health care outside of the state.
Connxus, a Central Texas health care nonprofit, joined a national network of health information exchanges known as the Patient Centered Data Home in June. The platform helps Central Texas patients receive care and exchange their health information with medical providers across the country.
How it works: If a Central Texas resident requires medical attention when they are in another state, Connxus can collaborate with other health information exchanges to alert their home provider. The network can then share a patient's medical records with an out-of-state provider and ensure the patient receives follow-up care back home.
What they're saying:“We are able to better care for the Central Texas residents, because we know what is taking place in their medical history across the state lines,” Connxus CEO Eliel Oliveira said.
The new concept will be led by chefs Daniel Berg and Dylan Salisbury, of the Austin-based Berg & Sons Hospitality. The company opened its first restaurant, Bill’s Oyster, in 2023 and opened Teddy’s Restaurant & Bar in 2024.
The menu blends fine dining with casual fare, featuring Pat LaFrieda steaks—sourced from the renowned East Coast butcher—alongside burgers, cocktails and wines at a range of price points, according to a news release.
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😋 Big Daddy Jay's Creole Kitchen serves fresh gumbo in Buda (Read more)
Asian-barbecue fusion food truck Si Baby-Q relocated to Pink Flamingo Food Court in July. The menu features barbecue dishes with an Asian twist, such as brisket and ribs with an Indonesian pepper and spice rub.
Sides include smoked kimchi; queso noodles made with long peppers from India; street corn; roti, or an Indian bread; and a banana pudding dessert.
The food truck also sells smoked meats by the pound and features weekend specials such as smashburgers.
Communities in Texas’ Flash Flood Alley may soon have to install flood warning sirens
Some communities in Flash Flood Alley, which stretches through Central Texas and includes the Colorado and Guadalupe River basins, would be required to install flood warning sirens under a bill advanced by state House lawmakers Aug. 26.
The details: Under Senate Bill 3:
The Texas Water Development Board would identify areas impacted by the deadly July 4-5 floods that have “a history of consistent or severe flooding.”
Local governments in the identified areas would be required to install flood warning sirens if they are not already present.
The state would distribute up to $50,000 in grants to help cities and counties install warning systems.
Lawmakers have said they were concerned that some Hill Country residents and visitors missed or did not receive emergency alerts related to the July 4 floods, which began before sunrise.
Next steps: House lawmakers passed SB 3 unanimously Aug. 26, returning it to the Senate with a minor amendment. If senators sign off on the amendment, the warning siren bill will head to the governor’s desk.
