The city of San Marcos is asking residents to help decide how to allocate $200,000 of city funding. Community members can vote online on which local projects receive the funds between May 15 and June 15, when the voting period ends.

The two-minute impact: The resident vote is part of the city’s participatory budgeting initiative, according to a city of San Marcos news release. Four city project options were determined during an idea collection phase in February, including:

• The installation of covered bus stops or seating at high-use locations
• The installation of benches in scenic public areas and river areas
• The addition of accessible curb cuts throughout the city, creating smooth transitions from sidewalks to roadways
• The addition of visibility and safety enhancements at specific downtown intersections, selected using community feedback

From a new fitness gym to major expansions completed at the Kyle H-E-B plus! check out some updates on local businesses this Spring.

Now open
Beyond Limits Fitness
A new, locally owned and community-driven fitness gym focused on strength and conditioning coaching has opened in Kyle. The gym offers two HIIT-style classes for full-body and core conditioning, alongside three main lifting days, all led by Owner Brandon Almeida in group training.

• 3300 Dacy Lane, Unit 601, Kyle

Expansions
H-E-B plus!
The grocery retailer celebrated the improvements and redesign of the 182,000-square-foot store May 1. Renovations began in August 2024. According to a news release, the upgrades include a new True Texas BBQ Restaurant and H-E-B Wellness Primary Care Clinic, alongside several department expansions and improvements.

• 5401 FM 1626, Kyle

Texas Disposal Systems, or TDS, has been named the city of Austin’s only qualified waste processor for major demolition and construction projects.

Materials, including concrete, metal, untreated wood and plastics from Austin construction projects, will be directed to the Construction and Demolition Waste Materials Recovery Facility in Creedmoor, according to a news release.

The framework: The facility, operated by Texas Landfill Management LLC in partnership with TDS, has been operational since January 2025, but achieved third-party certification in April. This makes the facility the only authorized processor in the region for Austin’s 50% construction material diversion ordinance, Rick Fraumann, vice president of sales and growth at TDS, told Community Impact.

Check out some of the top trending stories from the Austin area May 11-14. 

1. Jewel of Texas opens in Pflugerville

2. Construction underway on site of future Georgetown Texas Roadhouse

3. Frank & Margie's to open in Odd's Bar + Bistro space

4. Espadas de Brazil to bring Brazilian steakhouse to Bastrop's former Stem & Stone

5. Baylor Scott & White to expand Cedar Park clinic, bring more specialists

6. Austin moving to consolidate technology employees, services after weeks of pushback

Two major provisions of Texas' immigration enforcement law were blocked by a federal judge May 14, extending a yearslong legal battle over state and federal authority to remove undocumented migrants from the country.

What's happening: Siding with two Honduran immigrants who sued the state, U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra struck down two components of Senate Bill 4 hours before the 2023 law was set to take effect. An unchallenged portion of SB 4 will become law May 15.

More details: A May 4 lawsuit challenged sections of the law that would allow Texas police to arrest people suspected of illegally crossing the Texas-Mexico border multiple times and authorize state judges to issue deportation orders for those arrested.

Ezra granted a preliminary injunction against those parts of the law May 14, writing that only the federal government has the authority to enforce immigration restrictions.

Stay tuned: The state attorney general's office is expected to appeal the ruling, but did not respond to a request for comment before press time.