Bastrop County Commissioners approved a licensing agreement for an artificial intelligence technology that will assist the Sheriff’s Office with future cases.

Long story short: The one-year licensing agreement with New York City-based Clearview AI carries a price tag of $17,100 that will be paid for with forfeiture funds, according to county documents. Forfeiture funds are assets seized by law enforcement, according to the Department of Justice.

“Clearview AI is another tool to help with identification of persons involved in a case, helping serve justice for responsible parties,” Bastrop County Sheriff Maurice Cook said. “It is highly effective and accurate.”

The outlook: The service will become accessible April 1 and expire March 31, 2027, according to the licensing agreement.

Bastrop pet owners will soon have another place to shop for—and with—their furry friends as the county’s first PetSmart debuts.

In a nutshell: The Bastrop location will offer pet food and supplies, as well as grooming and training. Some stores also provide veterinary care and boarding; however, company officials declined to comment on whether those services will be available at the Bastrop store.

Remember this? As previously reported by Community Impact, PetSmart will be located in the Burleson Crossing East shopping center. 

Other businesses in that area have recently opened, including LongHorn Steakhouse on Feb. 15 and Sprouts Farmers Market on March 6.

• Opening April 18
• Burleson Crossing East, 655 Hwy. 71 W., Ste. 111, Bastrop

From a mixed-use project to a Target 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. Bell District Block B in Cedar Park: Boston-based General Investment and Development is building a 194-unit mixed-use project that will feature an outdoor pool courtyard.

2. Pathways at Santa Rita Courts East in Austin: The Housing Authority of the city of Austin will construct a four-story, multi-family building that totals 77 units and renovate 11 historic single-story buildings into 27 units.

3. Target in Dripping Springs: The Village at Dripping Springs will feature the area's first Target, totaling about 147,000 square feet.

4. Cigna Healthcare in Austin: The insurance provider will add a 40,100-square-foot office to its portfolio.

5. San Marcos Self Storage in San Marcos: Seven one-story self-storage buildings, totaling approximately 83,085 square feet, will be added.

Beginning April 1, Texans can no longer use food stamps to purchase sweetened beverages and candy.

How we got here: During the 2025 legislative session, Texas lawmakers passed Senate Bill 379, which prohibits Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits from being used to purchase candy and sweetened drinks. In August, the federal government approved a waiver allowing Texas to implement the prohibition beginning April 1.

Texas will be the ninth state to prohibit SNAP benefits from being used on sugary items, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

How it works: Under SB 379, Texans will not be allowed to use their SNAP benefits to buy sweetened drinks containing any artificial sweeteners or at least 5 grams of added sugar, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. SB 379 also bans the purchase of candy with Lone Star Cards.

It is up to Texas businesses to determine which items are no longer SNAP-eligible, update their store purchase systems and train staff to recognize the newly restricted items, according to the HHSC.