All underground concrete work on the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority’s deep-water intake project is now complete, according to Aaron Archer, vice president of civil engineering firm Walker Partners.

Archer said it’s a significant milestone for the BCRUA. He gave updates on the project to the Leander City Council at its Dec. 18 meeting.

The details: Archer said that the mining and lining of the tunnels, shaft and suction chamber is complete.

He also said that construction of the pump station building, where water will be brought up from the underground tunnels, has begun.

The intake maintenance building is also under construction.

Once completed, the BCRUA’s Raw Water Intake project will be able to pump 145 million gallons of water from the lake per day.

Archer said that Phase 1D of the BCRUA project, which consists of expansions to the BCRUA water treatment plant, was substantially completed in November and will be officially completed in January.

While some individuals are interested in coping with experiences by enrolling in traditional one-on-one therapy sessions, others may be drawn to healing alongside a community.

Austin-based running club Good Grief has shaped an experience for community members to find solace in staying active while working through their grief with people going through similar situations.

The inspiration: The club was founded by Samantha Hendel who received news in 2022 of her mother’s lung cancer diagnosis. While trying to make sense of the news, a week later Hendel was notified her father had received a colon cancer diagnosis.

To cope with the news, Handel started running in addition to going to therapy. She said while run clubs were popular in the city, she wasn’t finding an exact space like the one she was looking for.

The local impact: Today, the group averages 100 people every Monday morning at Noble Joe’s Coffee Co. in South Austin.

Here are five of the most-read CI Texas stories from this year and the latest updates on these trending topics.

1. Texas Senate passes bill that would nearly double property tax exemption for seniors, people with disabilities: Elderly and disabled homeowners were set to receive a $200,000 property tax exemption this year.

2. Texas House bill would make it easier to remove students from the classroom: The law gives teachers more discretion to remove students from the classroom if they are repeatedly disruptive or threaten the safety of others.

3. What to know about the 17 state propositions on the Nov. 4 ballot: Nearly 3 million Texans voted in the November election, approving all 17 constitutional amendments.

4. Texas House bill would prohibit cellphone use in K-12 schools: Under House Bill 1481, cellphones and other personal communication devices are prohibited bell-to-bell in Texas public schools.

5. Texas families can now access 2022-23 A-F school accountability ratings after multiyear legal battle: The state later released ratings for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years in August.