Matti Bills, a highly recognized Austin-area restaurateur, is set to open her newest dining spot on Main Street in downtown Buda.

What's happening? The Buda Economic Development Corporation announced the upcoming opening of Astra Restaurant & Bar. The restaurant will bring a diverse menu built with locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients.

On the menu: The restaurant will offer a variety of menu items, including artisan sandwiches, sourdough pizza, handmade pastas, seasonal vegetable dishes, burgers, craft cocktails and house-made soft-serve waffle cones.

Astra Restaurant & Bar will feature an on-site garden and source ingredients from other urban farms, according to the Buda EDC. It will include a wood-fired oven, espresso and matcha service, and a shaded outdoor space.

Key players: Bills is the co-founder of Mum Foods, an Austin restaurant featured in the Michelin Guide's “The Best Barbecue in Austin” list, and Howdy Child in San Antonio. She is also the founder of Three Six General in San Marcos—the bodega and butcher shop that will produce the cured meats for Astra Restaurant & Bar.

• 404 Main St., Buda

Sari Fujimaru is a mindfulness teacher and board-certified coach based in the Texas Hill Country who helps clients navigate stress and life transitions through mindfulness-based coaching, meditation and holistic wellness practices.

Fujimaru offered strategies for easing stress and staying grounded through change.

What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the conscious effort to focus on what is happening in the moment, internally and externally. It is about being fully present here and now. 

What role does it play in physical wellness?
Mindfulness helps reduce stress, leading to better sleep and energy. It lowers tension by calming the nervous system and harmonizes a mind-body connection for overall vitality. Scientifically proven benefits of mindfulness include significant reductions in anxiety and depression, effective pain management, improved focus, lower blood pressure, and healthier eating habits that promote better digestion and weight management.

Central Texas dentists have been feeling the effects of a nationwide shortage of dental hygienists, facing difficulties filling vacant positions to serve a growing number of patients

Zooming out: A 2019 study by the Texas Department of State Health Services projected that the demand for dental hygienists would outpace supply from 2018 to 2030. In Central Texas, the shortage of dental hygienists was projected to increase by 116.4% from 2018 to 2030, according to the report.

What they're saying: “As the population increases, new patients are coming into practices in Austin,” said Dr. Shailee Gupta, local dentist and member of Capital Area Dental Society. “Without the proper number of hygienists to go with these practices or community centers, there's no way to be able to meet that demand.”

The approach: To help counteract this shortage, Austin Community College opened an expanded dental hygiene clinic at its Eastview Campus this fall, nearly doubling the program’s annual cohort of students from 18 to 34. 

Texas health officials are proposing sweeping new regulations on the state’s hemp industry, including raising the fees required to sell and manufacture consumable hemp products by roughly 10,000%.

The overview: In late December, the Texas Department of State Health Services published a slate of proposed rules regulating consumable hemp products. The proposals include:

• A prohibition on sales to customers under 21 years old
• Stricter testing and labeling requirements
• Guidelines for product recalls
• Tens of thousands of dollars in annual fees