From development changes to public safety updates and more, catch up on the latest news impacting Bastrop County residents.

1. Bastrop council replaces city development code: A new set of land-use rules is shaping Bastrop's future after council replaced the city's development rules with the Bastrop Development Code.

2. Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office gets enhanced facial-recognition tools: The sheriff's office now has access to more than 70 billion images that can be used alongside facial-recognition software to help identify people involved in cases.

3. Nearly 90-day burn ban lifted for unincorporated Bastrop County: Though the ban is lifted, officials emphasized that residents should remain cautious when burning outdoors.

4. Mural planned for South End District in Bastrop: Artists are being sought for a mural on the College Street-Hwy. 71 overpass honoring the heritage of the historically Black neighborhood.

5. Bastrop County ESD 3 ahead of schedule: Originally set for October, Allen Johnson, executive director of ESD 3, said delivery of 15 ambulances will begin in June.

From dog grooming to scenic wine tastings and more, here are 13 of the latest business and dining updates throughout the Bastrop County area. 

MooseBelly BBQ (opened April 1): Alicia and Jackson Bolton offer traditional barbecue with a twist, including blueberry-glazed ribs, apricot-rosemary glazed sausages, smoked Gouda and brie brisket macaroni and cheese and more.

Hartwell Performance Automotive (opened March 23): Mason Stratton offers a variety of services for domestic and imported vehicles inside the former A Plus Automotive building, including oil changes, brake and suspension repairs, diagnostics and more.

Uptown Cards and Collectibles (opened March 13): Force of Will Gaming owners Billy and Dawn McFarland opened a second specialty hobby shop in town, which offers collectible sports and gaming memorabilia.

Frontier Cellars (opened March 7): Lance and Alysen Bondy offer a tasting room overlooking a 2-acre lake at their 73-acre winery. Guests can enjoy indoor and outdoor seating at the veteran-owned business, which makes its wines exclusively from Texas-grown grapes.

Texas Roadhouse (opens late spring): Will offer hand-cut steaks, ribs, and scratch-made sides.

Central Health is aiming to make a lifesaving opioid antagonist more accessible to Travis County residents.

The Travis County hospital district plans to install 13 new naloxone distribution units in Austin, Pflugerville, Bastrop, Del Valle and Manor between April and September.

What you need to know: Naloxone, also known as Narcan, is a fast-acting medication used to stop and reverse an opioid overdose and death from occurring, according to Central Health information. The county’s 45 current and future distribution units include outdoor vending machines, wall-mounted dispensers and newspaper-style kiosks.

Over the next six months, Central Health is slated to open distribution units at CommUnityCare Health Centers and Integral Care—the county's mental health authority. The organization will install four units at the Travis County Jail in Del Valle.

The impact: From 2023 to 2024, drug related-accidental deaths decreased by around 22%, while fentanyl-involved deaths fell by about 36%.

Central Health has distributed more than 3,200 free boxes of naloxone to community members, totaling over 6,400 doses, from October to March, according to Central Health data.

Check out the latest transportation updates around the Austin metro.

Upcoming projects

Austin Transit Partnership approves Light Rail maintenance building construction, land acquisition contracts: On April 15, the agency approved a contract in an amount not to exceed $25 million for the construction of an operations and maintenance facility as part of Phase 1 of the project. The facility will serve as the light rail's home base for the trains to be cleaned, serviced and maintained. The agency also approved a resolution not to exceed $230 million to acquire up to 18 parcels of property to use as part of Phase 1.

Ongoing projects

Greenlawn Boulevard widening
Project: The city of Round Rock is reconstructing Greenlawn Boulevard from an existing four-lane divided roadway to a six-lane divided urban roadway with pedestrian and lighting improvements.
Update: Per city officials, the traffic pattern was adjusted in March, reducing a portion of Greenlawn Boulevard to one lane in each direction.

• Timeline: completion is expected by April 2027

• Cost: $13.95 million

• Funding source: type B sales tax revenue

Texans interested in casting a ballot in next month’s primary runoff election have until April 27 to register to vote or update their registration, if applicable.

The background: Texas’ primary runoff election will be held May 26. A runoff is held when no candidate secures over half of the vote in a partisan primary race.

Registering to vote: Prospective voters must submit a paper application, which is available online. Applications must be printed, signed and mailed to the voter registration office in a voter’s county of residence.

On the ballot: Various federal, state and local races will appear on the May 26 runoff ballot.

At the top of the ticket, Republican voters will pick between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton to determine the party’s nominee for U.S. Senate. The winner of that race will face state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, in November.

Something to note: The runoff election is separate from upcoming local elections, which take place May 2. Visit www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide for more information about those elections.