At Pflugerville’s May 7 State of the City address, Mayor Doug Weiss discussed investments in infrastructure, focusing on water redundancy projects, road expansions and the development of the Downtown East project.

At a glance: Beyond physical growth, the city celebrated its high rankings in national livability studies and its commitment to inclusive social programs, such as the Special Olympics. The presentation also emphasized economic vitality through tourism initiatives and commercial development aimed at sustaining a population that is expected to exceed 85,000 residents.

Diving in deeper: Weiss said the city continues to make extensive investments in water and wastewater systems. One of the most important of these investments is the construction of a secondary raw water line to provide water redundancy to Lake Pflugerville, he said.

Earlier this spring, Pflugerville entered into stage 3 emergency water restrictions due to a historically low lake level resulting from a break in the existing raw water line.

Plans are in place for a new Tomlinson’s Feed in Pflugerville, according to a project registration with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

The overview: The pet supply store offers food, toys, treats and supplies for dogs and cats. It locations throughout the area also offer anesthesia-free teeth cleaning, microchip scanning and self-serve dog washing stations.

Tomlinson’s Feed was founded in Austin in 1946, starting as a chick hatchery and rural feed store. It’s since evolved over the years, transitioning into a pet supply retailer. The company now has 20 locations in the Central Texas area.

As health care costs continue rising in Texas and across the nation, state lawmakers are working to understand the factors that make health care unaffordable and what can be done to rein in prices.

The big picture: About 5.2 million Texans, or 16.7% of the state’s population, did not have health insurance in 2024, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

For years, advocates have called on Texas lawmakers to pass laws to drive down health care costs and improve access to health insurance. During a two-day hearing April 30 and May 1, a Texas House committee examined why health care costs are rising. Lawmakers will discuss potential policy solutions later this year, committee chair Rep. James Frank, R-Wichita Falls, said.

What's happening: Yale University professor Zack Cooper said that since 2000, U.S. health care spending has grown three times faster than inflation. The average health insurance premium for a family of four is $27,000 per year, he said.

“Every family is basically buying a new Toyota Corolla worth of health insurance," Cooper told lawmakers.