With the 79th Bastrop Homecoming & Rodeo approaching, city officials are seeking contractors to complete upgrades at Mayfest Park Rodeo Arena, including new seating and shade structures.

What’s happening: City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino said during a May 26 council meeting that bids are out for concrete foundations at Mayfest Park, 25 American Legion Drive in Bastrop. She noted the foundations must be poured before the city can install new bleachers and shade covers.

The cost: Bastrop City Council also approved the first reading of a budget amendment that includes $477,110 for shade covers at Mayfest Park. Finance Director Judy Sandroussi said the funding would come from the city’s fiscal year 2025-26 bond series for the Old Iron Bridge and quality-of-life park projects.

Why it matters: City officials previously said the updates will improve the overall visitor experience at local rodeos and other community events.

“Homecoming is coming quick,” Carrillo-Trevino said during the meeting.

An annual tradition, the 2026 Bastrop Homecoming & Rodeo will run July 28-Aug. 1 at Mayfest Park.

Chicago-style thin-crust pizza is headed to Bastrop.

What’s happening? Crust Pizza Co. franchisee Josh Ellis and his team will serve handcrafted pies, pastas, salads and more in Bastrop’s Sendero development.

As previously reported, the family-friendly restaurant will fill 2,500 square feet indoors and offer a 350-square-foot patio.

What else? Those interested in working at Bastrop’s Crust Pizza Co. can apply online for positions, including cashier and runner, kitchen, team lead and manager.

• Sendero, 853 SH 71 W., Ste. 158, Bastrop 

Check out some of the most-read stories from the Austin area June 1-4. 

1. The Peach Cobbler Factory now open in Round Rock

2. Liberty Hill annexes property on Hwy. 29 to become commercial development

3. Mountain Mike's opens first Williamson County location

4. Georgetown officials remove local alcohol permit fee

5. Austin raises senior, disabled homeowner property tax exemption by $12K

6. Bastrop's Texas Roadhouse sets late July opening

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport officials announced May 24 that its newest airline partner, Cayman Airways, will offer a seasonal nonstop route between Austin and Owen Roberts International Airport in the Cayman Islands through August.

The details: According to officials, the route is Cayman Airways' only nonstop service from Texas. The route will operate on Sundays weekly through Aug. 16 on a Boeing 737-8 aircraft and feature:

• 160 seats, including a Business Class cabin
• Free carry-on bag and personal item
• Complimentary meals and the airline's signature Seven Fathoms Rum Punch
• Free streaming inflight entertainment
• Device charging at every seat

The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed June 3 that a case of the New World screwworm, a parasitic fly, was detected on a cattle ranch in South Texas.

The overview: The case marks the first domestic detection of screwworm in a decade and the first Texas case in approximately 50 years. The flesh-eating parasite is a threat to the state’s $15.5 billion cattle industry.

Zooming in: No additional infestations have been identified, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins told reporters. Federal and state officials have emphasized that they do not anticipate issues with the food supply chain, as the screwworm only targets live animals and does not infest meat, fruit or vegetables.

However, experts have warned that a larger, prolonged screwworm outbreak could cause a spike in beef prices.

A widespread infestation is estimated to cost Texas at least $1.8 billion per year in damages, according to a USDA analysis of a 1976 screwworm outbreak. Texas cattle, sheep and goat producers would face about $732 million in annual losses.