Over the summer, site work on the upcoming Baptist Health System expansion to Boerne began, clearing the way for construction of a new acute care hospital.

The hospital will be the first of its kind for the community, bringing inpatient services and specialized care to the 23-acre site at the northwest corner of I-10 and Hwy. 46.

While construction is not scheduled to begin until 2026, the new development will give Kendall County residents additional options for medical care.

Two-minute impact: Baptist Health System, owned by Tenet Healthcare, operates seven acute care hospitals in the San Antonio region.

Baptist Health System officials said the Boerne hospital will be similar in design to other acute care hospitals, such as the Westover Hills location, which opened in 2024.

Assessing the need: While Kendall County does not have 100,000 residents, statewide data scales the current number of health care professionals to the current population, resulting in a ratio that is higher than the listed number of nurses in the community.

• Here are the candidates running in the March 3 Kendall County primary election
• Boerne waste management changes being implemented Jan. 5
• Boerne City Council approves GBRA water line design amendment
• Fair Oaks Ranch moves forward with SAWS backup water supply project
• Kendall County Burdick Community Center design services approved

Community Impact compiled important holiday travel-related information, including what to know about traffic and airport activity, gas price data, and driver safety tips ahead of the year-end travel season, which runs Dec. 20-Jan. 1.

The overview: Texans should give themselves extra time to reach their destinations the weekend before Christmas, with many travelers expected to hit the road Dec. 21-22. Congestion is also expected as some Texans return home Dec. 26, according to INRIX, a transportation data company.

Minimal traffic is expected Dec. 24-25 and Dec. 31-Jan. 1, although AAA warned in a Dec. 10 news release that unexpected delays could arise from severe weather or crashes.

For the first time, more than 8 million people nationwide are expected to take domestic flights during the year-end holidays.

More information: Texas drivers will likely pay less for gas this holiday season than in recent years, AAA fuel data shows. On average, one gallon of unleaded gas costs about $2.51 in Texas as of Dec. 18, down from $2.65 one year prior.

Northside ISD's changes to school lunch periods have been trending for two weeks, alongside business and restaurant updates. Check out five trending stories from Community Impact's coverage of the San Antonio Metro.

Shaping Schertz: New retail hub adding national favorites along I-35: In October, Panera Bread opened as the first tenant at Schertz Station, a 257,000-square-foot retail and dining hub that will feature a bevy of national chain restaurants and other shopping opportunities.

Locally owned Dos Gatos Kolache Bakery debuts in New Braunfels: Wanting to spread Czech cuisine with Texas flair in Central Texas, Dos Gatos Kolache Bakery Co-Owner Chase Katz said he had been eyeing expansion for the past couple of years.

What else? Northside ISD plans to close high school lunch periods as part of new safety measures in the 2026-27 school year.

Whataburger and Texas Roadhouse celebrated the grand opening of new locations in the San Antonio area.