For fiscal year 2026-27, the city of San Marcos received applications for a total of $1.7 million in Human Services Grant funding from 30 local nonprofit organizations to support 40 programs.

The City Council approved the allocation of $750,000 in grants to be awarded to 32 programs serving the community on Sept. 15.

The gist: The Human Services Advisory Board, or HSAB, reviews grant applications and recommends allocations of Human Services Grant funding to the council each year.

Board members evaluated each organization’s application using guidance from the City Council and previous feedback. HSAB assessed which programs would have the greatest impact on high-priority community needs.

The board identified food programs and services for survivors of domestic abuse as the highest priority programs for FY 2026-27 funding.

Six of the organizations receiving funding were previously awarded Community Development Block Grant, or CDBG, funding for the upcoming year, including:

• Hays-Caldwell Women's Center

• CASA of Central Texas, Inc.

• Blanco River Regional Recovery Team

• Salvation Army

• HOME Center

• Greater San Marcos Youth Council

Austin Community College District, or ACC, broke ground on its new Healthcare Professions Building at the Hays Campus with more than 100 attendees on Sept. 22.

The overview: Community leaders, college representatives, employees and students celebrated the start of construction. The building will expand access to programs preparing students for regional healthcare careers, according to an ACC news release.

The new building was funded through ACC’s 2022 General Obligation Bond and provides the college with expanded capacity to provide clinical training to students, according to the release.

The facility will accommodate between 900 and 1,000 students and support programs including:

• Nursing

• Dental Hygiene

• Sonography

• Surgical Technology

• Radiological Technology

• Other healthcare professions

Diving deeper: Continued growth in demand for skilled healthcare professionals in the region was a major driver of the project, according to the release.

ACC’s School of Health Sciences and School of Nursing currently offer more than 15 degree programs, with more than 3,400 students enrolled in the fall 2026 semester. The programs are available across the Eastview, Round Rock, Elgin and Highland campuses.

A senior living facility in Leander, a LongHorn Steakhouse in Kyle and a drive-thru coffee shop in Cedar Park are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Hayden Grove Northline ($50 million): This project involves the construction of a senior independent living, assisted living and memory care facility with associated common-use spaces.

2. 901 E. Fifth St. refresh ($39 million): This project involves the renovation of the first through fourth floors of 901 E. Fifth St. in Austin. Renovations include the Level 1 lobby area and the addition of amenities to Level 2, including a conference center, fitness center and tenant lounge.

3. LongHorn Steakhouse ($3.5 million): A new LongHorn Steakhouse location is coming to Kyle, with construction set to begin in December. 

4. LaundroLab ($1.5 million): This project involves the demolition of the interior of a former restaurant to build a laundromat. 

5. 7 Brew ($400,000): A new 7 Brew location is coming to Cedar Park. Construction on the drive-thru coffee shop is set to wrap up in December.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality must stop issuing new permits for data centers, Gov. Greg Abbott said Sept. 21.

The overview: His order expands an existing pause on data center development in the state amid consistent public criticism of the booming industry. Abbott, who is running for a fourth term as governor, has recently moved to slow the growth of data centers after calling Texas “the epicenter of AI development" last year.

The context: Hundreds of proposed data centers are currently being audited by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the state power grid.

Some developers may be able to get around the ERCOT pause by building in-house power infrastructure that is not connected to the grid, experts have said.

However, any construction project impacting at least 1 acre of land requires permits from TCEQ.

What they're saying: "As Texas faces increasing pressure on our water supplies and electric grid, we need to ensure that data centers operate efficiently and sustainably," said Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas.