College Station City Council approved a nearly $29 million water infrastructure project at its March 26 meeting.

About the project: The wells project includes drilling three groundwater wells and constructing the infrastructure needed to bring the water into the city’s distribution system.

What council is saying: Mayor John Nichols asked whether the site could support the three wells under groundwater district standards.under groundwater district standards. City staff confirmed the acreage meets requirements and is suitable for development.

Council member Bob Yancy and City Manager Bryan Woods clarified that the vote locks the city into building the wells.

Measuring the impact: As Brazos County continues to grow, the new wells will help ensure water needs are being met. Recent census data suggests Aggieland has grown by almost 20,000 since 2020.

The county received its annual update from the Brazos Valley Groundwater Conservation District at a recent Commissioners Court meeting. Officials outlined how local aquifers are being monitored and managed over the next several decades.

A longtime Bryan restaurant marked a major milestone on March 28. Papa Perez Mexican Cuisine celebrates its 20th anniversary, honoring two decades of serving Tex-Mex favorites.

A family affair: Owners Liz and Mike Perez opened the family restaurant in 2006, and it has since become a local staple known for its fajitas, enchilada plates, tamales and weekend breakfasts.

What you need to know: In social media posts leading up to the event, owners thanked customers for their continued support, saying the restaurant’s success over the past 20 years has been made possible by the community.

• 200 S. Main Street, Bryan200 S. Main Street, Bryan200 S. Main Street, Bryan

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from last week? Check out five trending stories in the Bryan-College Station area from March 23-27.

• Brazos County moves forward with $59M courthouse annex project

• Bryan ISD approves over $146M in contracts for high school rebuilds tied to 2025 bond

• US Modules launches solar manufacturing facility in College Station, creating 200+ jobs

• ROUNDUP: Check out 6 projects filing permits in Bryan-College Station

• Greater Brazos Partnership: US census data shows ongoing growth in Bryan-College Station

In the nine months until Texas’ 90th legislative session begins in January, state lawmakers are expected to hold information-gathering hearings on hundreds of topics that will lay the groundwork for next year’s policymaking.

During a March 27 legislative summit in New Braunfels, four longtime lawmakers shared some of their top priorities for next year.

What they're saying: The legislators said they were focused on furthering some projects from previous legislative cycles, including water preservation initiatives and a new education savings account program.

More details: They said they also intend to study data center operations and how the large facilities impact local water supplies, noting that the legislature will work with local officials to determine how much data center regulation should happen locally and when the state should step in. 

“Does the state need to be involved? Yes,” Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, said. “Does local government need to have a say? Yes. But we’ve also got to remember, so does the private taxpayer. So we need to get a combination of all three.”