New fitness studio Pulse Vitae opened Jan. 1 in Lakeway, offering 15-minute workouts using wireless electrical muscle stimulation technology. 

The details: The technology centers around low-impact results, with sessions led by trainers and designed for all ages and activity levels, according to the business. 

The studio is owned by Rosemary Omar, an Austin native. The privately owned business in the Randalls shopping center takes the spot of the former Manduu franchise location, and plans to soon offer additional wellness visits performed by a physical therapist. 

• 2303 S. RM 620, Ste. 135, Lakeway

A new tool adopted by four Central Texas fire departments could improve how officials prepare for and respond to wildfire threats. 

Diving in deeper: Known as the Mitigate platform, the new tool has been adopted by Lake Travis Fire Rescue, Pflugerville Fire Department, Westlake Fire Rescue and Travis County Fire Rescue. 

Developed by fire science company FiSci, Mitigate combines data on vegetation, weather and topography to simulate how wildfire could spread, according to a news release. Mitigate uses proprietary AI and predictive analytics to produce maps highlighting risk areas, how fast fires could spread and more.

“Central Texas is a patchwork of grasslands, wooded corridors, and dense neighborhoods. Each of those environments reacts differently to fire,” said Ken Bailey, Travis County Fire Rescue fire chief, in the news release. “This modeling helps us see those differences clearly and plan around them, well before smoke is in the air.”

The platform allows agencies to test fire mitigation in a virtual environment, and has been used in evacuation planning for communities with narrow roads or limited exits.

Nearly 400 acres of The University of Texas at Austin's land is set to be rezoned for research and science uses, a move that could help clear the way for the future UT Medical Center's development in Northwest Austin.

The details: First announced in 2023, the new medical center including a UT hospital and MD Anderson Cancer Center is envisioned as a multibillion-dollar addition to UT's academic health system. It was originally set to rise near other health care facilities downtown, but university officials confirmed this month that the project would instead be built west of the J.J. Pickle Research Campus in Northwest Austin and open in 2030.

Further details about the medical center project, such as its exact location or scope, haven't been released as of early 2026. For now, UT is seeking to rezone several properties it owns near The Domain, including the Pickle campus, specifically for research and science uses. The city Planning Commission advanced the zoning case Feb. 24, and City Council will consider it next month.

With a few days left to vote early in the March primaries, more Texans have turned out to the polls this year than in recent primary elections.

The gist: The increase is particularly pronounced among Democratic primary voters, state data shows, with more than twice as many Democratic votes cast by Feb. 24 than in Texas’ last gubernatorial primary.

Zooming in: Statewide, nearly 1.3 million Texans, or about 7% of the state’s 18.7 million registered voters, cast early ballots through Feb. 24, the eighth day of the 11-day early voting period. This is up from about 6% turnout at the same point in 2024 and about 4% turnout in 2022.

In interviews with Community Impact, election analysts attributed Texas’ rising primary voter turnout in part to a slate of competitive, high-profile races on each party’s primary ballot.

At the polls: Early voting in Texas’ Republican and Democratic primaries runs through Feb. 27, and primary election day is March 3. During early voting, registered voters can visit any polling location within their county of residence.