New Braunfels City Council approved an interlocal agreement with Comal County on Jan. 26. that allows the city to use office, training and emergency operations space at the Church Hill Annex.

The details: The agreement provides the city with dedicated office space inside Comal County’s Church Hill Annex, located at 1345 Church Hill Drive. The facility will be available for city training use on an as-needed basis, pending approval from Comal County officials, according to agenda documents.

Collaboration between the two governing bodies supports joint emergency management efforts while maximizing the use of existing county facilities, according to agenda documents.

The agreement also allows city emergency operations personnel to use county staff inside the Emergency Operations Center, which is housed at the annex during disasters or large-scale emergencies, agenda documents state.

Why now? Shared access will improve coordination and communication between local agencies when responding to major incidents, according to the city.

A speech pathology clinic—locally owned by Michelle Andrews—is expanding at its current location at 391 Landa St. Ste. 1128 in New Braunfels.

The details: Pep Talk Pediatrics will be expanding into a previously occupied adjacent room effective Feb. 1, in order to make more space available for the practice, Andrews told Community Impact.

The clinic offers speech pathology services like speech therapy, early language development, treatment for tongue ties, lisps and more.

Quote of note: "I'm passionate about changing lives through increasing communications," Andrews said.  

• 391 Landa St., Ste. 1128, New Braunfels

A new $2.5 million outdoor classroom, located at the future Texas Cavaliers Education Center, is scheduled to open this spring.

What you need to know: Paid for with funds donated by Susan Naylor, the new outdoor classroom will be named in memory of her son, William Naylor Smith, and will provide a dedicated outdoor space on the Alamo grounds for children to learn from experts, according to a news release. The outdoor classroom will feature built-in stairs and greenery.

According to the news release, roughly 155,000 school-aged children visit the Alamo each year. With the opening of the Texas Cavalier Education Center, the number is expected to reach 250,000. The Texas Cavalier Education Center will feature safe school bus access, a STEAM Lab, a Distance Learning Lab and an agricultural garden.

• 300 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio

This iconic San Antonio-born Tex-Mex chain is celebrating a big milestone this year, serving the Alamo City for decades.

What’s happening? Las Palapas is celebrating its 45th anniversary in business in San Antonio throughout 2026. The chain first opened in the city back in 1981 by founder Ron Acosta, and now has over 20 locations throughout San Antonio, Boerne and New Braunfels.

A celebration recognizing the milestone was held on Jan. 13 and featured 45 cent tacos, according to a Facebook post from the chain.

Current situation: One of the chain’s original locations at 11860 Blanco Road in North San Antonio was recently listed for sale, according to a news release from Barlowe Daly Realty, the company’s commercial realtor.

• Locations throughout South Central Texas

Two Republican candidates are running to lead the Texas Department of Agriculture in the upcoming March 3 primary election.

The overview: Nate Sheets is challenging incumbent Sid Miller, who is seeking a fourth term as Texas agriculture commissioner. The winning Republican candidate will face Democrat Clayton Tucker in November, and the winner of that election will be sworn in for a four-year term in January 2027.

Tucker is running uncontested in the Democratic primary. Community Impact runs candidate Q&As for contested races only.

About the agency: The Texas Department of Agriculture's duties include administering federal nutrition programs and grants; facilitating trade of agricultural products; protecting crops from pests and diseases; providing financial assistance to farmers and rural communities; and conducting consumer protection programs, according to the agency's website.