On June 2, the city of New Braunfels launched a new initiative designed to help residents maintain their properties and comply with city codes.

The initiative is called NB Tool Shed. It provides residents in the New Braunfels city limits with free access to essential yard maintenance equipment, which are all fueled prior to check out, according to a news release.

How it works: Residents can create a free profile online, fill out the required forms and then reserve equipment online. Equipment pickup will be Fridays, and returns will be Mondays, the release states.

Tools offered include:

• Lawnmowers

• Weed trimmers

• Leaf blowers

• Pressure washers

• Hedge trimmers

• Extension cords

• Manual pole saws

Something to note: Although some individuals may have “New Braunfels” in their mailing address, that does not mean they live inside the city’s limits. To determine if your address is inside the city limits, you can view the City of New Braunfels General Reference Map.

Virtuosa GYN has officially joined Methodist Hospital Northeast and will now operate as Methodist Physicians | Virtuosa Women’s Health to expand access to comprehensive, specialized women’s health care services in the Northeast San Antonio region, according to a June 2 news release.

What they offer: The clinic provides a range of health care treatments including minimally invasive hysterectomies, minimally invasive treatments for uterine fibroids, fertility-sparing surgeries, endometrial ablation and pelvic organ prolapse correction. Methodist Physicians | Virtuosa Women’s Health also offers urinary incontinence treatment, ovarian cyst removal with fertility preservation and mesh-free reconstructive services, the release states.

Digging deeper: Methodist Physicians | Virtuosa Women’s Health was founded by Dr. Susan Crockett, a board-certified board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon, according to the release. Methodist Hospital Northeast CEO Jerrica George said this is the launching point for growth for the practice and new services.

Texas State University has been selected for a new statewide initiative—the Texas Rural Hospital Officers Academy—that will strengthen financial and operational leadership and stability of rural hospitals and protect access to health care across Texas.

The background: The academy was established by House Bill 18 during the 2025 Texas legislative session and will deliver more than 100 hours of specialized training each year for leaders of rural hospitals and health systems throughout the state. The academy's goal is to address the growing risk of hospital closures, according to a news release from Texas State.

Zooming in: The program aims to reduce financial instability that can lead to service reductions or hospital closures by strengthening leadership. According to the release, training in the academy will include competencies for operating hospitals in resource-constrained rural environments, such as:

• Regulatory compliance
• Revenue optimization
• Health care management

Texans are on track to use more electricity this summer than ever before, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas announced during a board meeting this week.

The details: ERCOT, which operates the power grid for the majority of Texas, is forecasting high temperatures and moderate rainfall this summer. Coupled with the proliferation of data centers and other large projects, demand on the grid could surpass 92 gigawatts, officials estimated June 2.

This would break ERCOT’s current demand record of 85.5 gigawatts, which was set during an August 2023 heat wave.

What it means: However, ERCOT officials said a grid emergency or blackout is unlikely this summer. State officials have said this is due to:

• The addition of nearly 11 gigawatts of power capacity to the grid in the last few months
• The agency's ability to require large facilities to reduce their energy use in tight times