Four candidates declare for Cibolo Place 3 council election
Four candidates will contest for the Cibolo City Council Place 3 position in November.
The gist: The four submissions for the council spot as of the Aug. 18 filing deadline are Joe Armstrong, Maria Fishback, Marissa-Ellen Patterson and Charles Ruppert.
The winning candidate will replace incumbent Robert Mahoney, who will be running in the election for the Place 7 council position. Mahoney has served Place 3 since November 2022, according to the city's website.
According to election filings, Armstrong has lived in Cibolo for 4 years and 6 months, Fishback has lived in Cibolo for 21 years, Patterson has lived in Cibolo for 2 years and 2 months and Ruppert has lived in Cibolo for 29 years.
Ruppert ran for the at-large Place 6 council position in November 2024, but lost to Donetta Roberts in a December runoff election, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.
A new Korean barbecue restaurant has officially opened its doors in Live Oak this week.
In case you missed it: KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot opened on Aug. 28 at 7741 N. Loop 1604 E., Manager Jerry Stone told Community Impact.
What’s special about it: KPOT is a nationwide chain that offers traditional Korean barbecue combinations, according to their menu.
Items like beef bulgogi, short ribs and prime brisket, along with fresh vegetables, soups and a variety of noodles are available.
Customers create dishes in a build-your-own meal fashion, which are then heated on stoves at dining tables with assistance from restaurant staff, according to their website.
Also on the menu is a selection of handcrafted buffet-style Vietnamese hot pot classics.
The new location in Live Oak is one of two in the San Antonio area and 168 across the United States, according to the restaurant’s locator map.
1 candidate to challenge incumbent Thomas in SCUCISD Place 5 board election
Two candidates have filed in the Nov. 4 election for Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD’s Place 5 trustee position.
The big picture: The Place 5 position will be contested between incumbent Amy Thomas and challenger Aaron Matheny.
Thomas was elected to the board in November 2021 and currently serves as assistant secretary, according to the district's website. According to her election filing, Thomas has been a resident of the district for 21 years.
According to Matheny’s election filing, he has lived in the district for 7 years and 10 months.
Learn more: Along with the Place 5 election, there will be contested races for Place 4 and Place 7 positions on the Nov. 4 ballot. The Place 6 trustee election will be unopposed, with Bill Paschal as the lone candidate. Early voting in Bexar and Guadalupe counties runs from Oct. 20 through Oct. 31.
FOODIE FRIDAY Check out these new restaurants and bars opening across the San Antonio area.
A new Korean barbecue restaurant has officially opened its doors in Live Oak this week. KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot opened on Aug. 28 at 7741 N. Loop 1604 E., Manager Jerry Stone told Community Impact.
Items like beef bulgogi, short ribs and prime brisket, along with fresh vegetables, soups and a variety of noodles are available.
Customers create dishes in a build-your-own meal fashion, which are then heated on stoves at dining tables with assistance from restaurant staff, according to their website.
A home-based cottage bakery specializing in desserts is now serving the New Braunfels and surrounding areas.
Taste Heaven on Earth—owned by Avion Moore—began operating in June and serves patrons in the New Braunfels, Northeast San Antonio and San Marcos areas.
“I love to cook, but I especially love making banana pudding,” Moore told Community Impact.
Amid Democratic criticism, Texas lawmakers vote to overhaul STAAR and launch new tests in 2027
Both chambers of the Texas Legislature have voted to overhaul the state’s standardized testing system, putting public school students one step closer to taking new exams in the 2027-28 school year.
The details: House Bill 8 would eliminate the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness and replace it with three shorter tests, which students would take at the beginning, middle and end of each school year.
Bill author Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, said HB 8 would “reduce test anxiety, provide teachers with immediate feedback and create a pathway for trust in our system again." The majority of House Democrats and a few Republicans disagreed, arguing Aug. 26 that the bill would increase the amount of time students spend on exams and essentially create “another STAAR test” developed by the Texas Education Agency.
Next steps: After state senators passed HB 8 with a 21-7 vote Aug. 27, the bill returned to the House for consideration of a Senate amendment. If House lawmakers sign off on the changes, HB 8 will be sent to the governor.
