ATX-RRK: Impact 9/9/2025

Texas Baptist Children’s Home celebrated its 75th anniversary in Round Rock on Sept. 5.

The overview: The nonprofit organization provides housing for children, single mothers and youth aging out of foster care.

Through the Family Care Program, the organization houses up to five families of single mothers and their children in its cottages. TBCH’s Home Base Program provides housing for youth, ages 18-24, as well as resources to help them further their education or find a career.

Upcoming events in Round Rock include a family campout, an arts festival, concerts and more. Check out this noncomprehensive list of things to do around Round Rock.

Family campout: The Round Rock Parks and Recreation Department will host its 14th annual Family Campout at Old Settlers Park. Attendees will set up a tent, eat dinner, play games and sit around a campfire eating s’mores.

Music on Main: Fall 2025: A series of free concerts will be held in downtown Round Rock on Wednesdays this fall. Spanning all genres, nine bands are set to perform at Prete Plaza starting in September and running through November.

Round Rock Arts Fest: The city of Round Rock will host its annual Round Rock Arts Fest in the downtown area, featuring visual and performing artists. With nearly 100 artist vendors, the event will include interactive art experiences, performances, food trucks and more.

 

Two months after 25 campers and two counselors died in the historic July 4 flooding at Camp Mystic, Gov. Greg Abbott signed three new laws Sept. 5 that he said will “make youth camps safer” and ensure Texas communities are better prepared for future disasters. The flood victims' families attended the Sept. 5 bill signing ceremony in Austin.

The details: Under the two-pronged camp safety package, summer camps are required to remove existing cabins from floodplains by Jan. 1.

Camps must also develop and annually update comprehensive emergency plans, set up warning systems to notify campers if something is wrong and install ladders so campers can climb on cabin roofs during floods.

Looking ahead: Two other disaster preparedness bills, as well as legislation designed to regulate Texas’ multibillion-dollar THC industry, did not pass during the recent special legislative session, which ended around 1 a.m. Sept. 4.

When asked Sept. 5 if he planned to call a third legislative overtime to continue work on those policies, Abbott told reporters to "stay tuned."

A new business dedicated to beekeeping and swarm removal is now serving Hutto and the surrounding area.

Overview: Beeware Beekeeping, owned by Ethan Witt, leases bees to landowners who own 5-20 acres and are looking for an agricultural tax exemption on their property. Depending on the acreage, owners would need roughly 5-12 beehives to acquire the exemption, which in Texas requires proof of agricultural activity for five of the previous seven years.

For land that doesn’t currently meet the requirement, owners can start the process and file for the exemption once the land becomes eligible.