Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Darling Ingredients for “unlawfully emitting odors and other chemicals” at its Bastrop facility.

The details: Located between Bastrop County Animal Services and Camp Swift, the facility collects and recycles food industry waste to produce animal feed ingredients, biofuels and other byproducts, according to Darling Ingredients.

Paxton announced the lawsuit in a news release Feb. 9.

What we know: Paxton emphasized his desire for Darling Ingredients to be held accountable through “significant” civil penalties and court-ordered relief for violations of Texas’ air quality laws, and urged Darling Ingredients to take a variety of actions, including:

• Stop spreading odors.
• Comply with all permit and regulatory requirements.
• Install real-time hydrogen sulfide monitoring.
• Implement corrective actions that are overseen by independent experts.

Smithville is a little more festive after Faire la Nouba—a celebration store, bottle shop, and niche grocer—opened in early February along Main Street.

The details: The woman-owned, Black-owned and veteran-owned business is located in a fully restored building that dates back to 1895, and operates with the mission to “create joy and make every moment special.”

Zooming out: Rachael Tolbert, who comes from a long line of Nebraska farmers, recounted how she first spotted the building Faire la Nouba in January 2024 while strolling Main Street with her mother.

“At the end of the block, I noticed a for-sale sign through the dusty window,” she said. “Weeks later, I called the realtor only to be told that the building was no longer for sale.”

What they offer: Just over two years after peering through that dusty window, Rachael Tolbert’s business now offers a variety of products ranging from party supplies to kitchenware, home decor and more. 

• Opened Feb. 6
• 110 Main St., Smithville

From a Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient facility to a new McDonald’s and more, here are five of the most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Round Rock: The Department of Veterans Affairs will construct an outpatient facility with a dedicated parking lot for visitors and staff, as well as a service access area in Round Rock.

2. Pflugerville: Two office warehouse buildings, totaling 68,924 square feet, will be built by Workhub Developments to accommodate start-up and flex space for businesses

3. Buda: Illinois-based collision repair provider Crash Champions will build a 15,131-square-foot garage and office space constructed from a pre-engineered metal building.

4. Cedar Park: Another McDonald’s will bring its popular menu items, such as the Big Mac and Quarter Pounder, to the Bell District.

5. Austin: A 6,445-square-foot QuikTrip will soon fuel up South Austin, bringing a full-service pumping station alongside a made-to-order kitchen with grab-and-go options.

A town hall from 1800s Vietnam, Victorian antiques and curated color come together to create a unique wellness experience at Folklore Spa.

After three-and-a-half years of planning and preparing, Folklore is open for treatment at Camp Lucy in Dripping Springs.

The details: Owners Kim and Whit Hanks designed Folklore to encourage engagement, rather than silence and solitude.

“We built it to be more of a social spa,” Kim Hanks said. “We're not going to shush you. You're going to have conversations and play games in these spaces.”

In addition to the therapeutic design elements, personal touches from Kim and Whit Hanks are sprinkled throughout, from the custom tiles of their wedding to the treatment rooms. Each room is named after a place that the couple has enjoyed traveling to together.

What they offer: Folklore’s providers offer a variety of services, including HydraFacials, custom facials, massages, body rituals and “Folklore Stories,” which are longer bookings featuring multiple services. Stories range from three-and-a-half to six hours long.

• 3509 Creek Road, Dripping Springs

In the upcoming March 3 primary elections, Texas voters will have the opportunity to nominate their chosen candidates for the November midterm election. From top state officials to county commissioners, primary elections shape who is ultimately elected to dozens of seats, driving the future direction of the Lone Star State.

Yet less than one-fifth of registered Texas voters participated in recent primary elections, data from the secretary of state’s office shows.

The big picture: March Matters, a group that works to get more Texans to the primary polls, found that 146 of Texas’ 150 state House races were effectively decided during the 2022 primaries, with just four competitive seats during that year’s midterm election.

Data also shows that primary voters tend to be older and represent the more extreme wings of their political parties.

What they're saying: "When primary voter turnout is so small, when only a fraction of voters are voting, your vote counts more,” said Mark Strama, who leads the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at the University of Texas.