Book Drive for Kids is celebrating half a decade of operation in the Austin area this spring, said Brooke Terry, director of the Austin chapter.

How it works: The nonprofit expanded to Austin in April 2021, hosting free book fairs at Title I and low-income elementary schools. April 15 marks the organization's fifth anniversary since its inaugural distribution event.

Book fairs through the nonprofit are free for all students and schools.

Why it matters: Terry founded the organization to promote literacy by providing access to books for children enrolled in low-income schools. In half a decade, Book Drive for Kids has distributed over 50,000 books to homes and classrooms in the Austin area.

During the 2024-2025 school year, the nonprofit organization helped nearly 6,500 children, including Title I students, foster care children and at-risk youth. Currently, nearly 7,000 students are on a waitlist for a free book fair, Terry said.

Liberty Hill officials have given a green light to developing the city’s next five-year strategic plan, outlining priorities for growth and development. 

The details: City Council members approved a $95,000 contract with consultant Future iQ at its March 25 meeting.

City Manager Thomas Hunter said the plan will serve as a roadmap to implement City Council’s short-term goals. He also said it will help to ensure that the city’s different departments are all on the same page.

“It’s going to take all hands on deck to be able to ride this next wave of growth and to capitalize on the economic opportunities that are going to be right in front of us,” Hunter said. “Having strategic plan alignment is significantly important.”

Get involved: Hunter said staff expect the plan to take six months to develop. He described the process as “a public engagement-heavy endeavor.”

City staff said there will be several opportunities for public input in the coming months, including booths at city events like Whimsy and Wonder and the Independence Day Spectacular.

Williamson County commissioners adopted the Atlas 14 Floodplain Mapping Study March 24, which identifies flood-prone areas to guide growth and development in the county, as well as helps reduce flood risk, according to county documents.

How it works: The Atlas 14 study identifies flood-prone areas using updated scientific rainfall data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as well as topographical information.

Williamson County will use the study for drainage and floodplain management in unincorporated areas of the county, according to a news release.

The Texas Water Development Board accepted the study in 2025, and with recent court approval, the study can regulate the floodplains and enforce permits for encroachment.

The impact: In the past decade, Williamson County has experienced severe flooding, including in 2010, 2015 and 2017. Most recently, deadly floods over the July 4, 2025, weekend devastated parts of the county.

The South Terminal at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is officially shutting down March 31 after less than a decade in operation.

The details: The auxiliary terminal is being demolished to make way for new midfield taxiways as part of the multiyear "Journey with AUS" campus expansion. That includes the addition of the 26-gate Concourse B with a new connecting tunnel to the existing Barbara Jordan Terminal, and the development of a temporary six-gate southern terminal called Concourse M.

The South Terminal was initially expected to have a longer presence at ABIA, and its early closure led to costly legal proceedings between the city and former facility operator LoneStar Airport Holdings.

What else: Ahead of the South Terminal closure, Austin Aviation unveiled its initial designs for the nearly 38,000-square-foot Concourse M. Its gates on the west side of ABIA's airfield are meant for relief and diversions during Journey with AUS construction as the Barbara Jordan Terminal is expanded and improved, and while Concourse B remains in development.