The third San Marcos H-E-B location opened its doors on Oct. 7, expanding food access for residents on the east side of I-35 and the city’s south side.

The 114,000-square-foot full-service grocery store broke ground on Nov. 4, 2025. The H-E-B represents an estimated $53 million capital investment in the city and created over 400 jobs: approximately 212 full-time and 238 part-time.

“H-E-B is built to reflect the community it serves, and this store is no exception,” said Jeff Martinez, general manager of the new H-E-B location. “We've gone all out for you, bringing together fresh food, quality products and convenient services you know and love from H-E-B.”

The impact: San Marcos City Council members have expressed the need for more grocery options in the city for several years. On May 7, 2024, council adopted a resolution to support tax incentives for grocery store development in the city.

The new H-E-B helps alleviate the access struggles community members on the east side of I-35 in San Marcos face.

The city of Kyle entered into a partnership with the Guadalupe Blanco River Authority, or GBRA, to restore and enhance a 2.5-acre riparian habitat along Plum Creek by removing invasive species and planting native trees.

The full story: A riparian habitat is land located along the edges of a river, stream, lake or other body of water, including streambanks, riverbanks and floodplains.

On Oct. 20, the Kyle City Council approved a partnership with the GBRA to restore the habitat, located adjacent to Waterleaf Park and Bunton Creek Reserve Boulevard. The Plum Creek Water Conservation District and Texas A&M Forest Service will also partner on the project.

The project includes planting 400 trees and shrubs on the property and will be fully funded by a Watershed Protection Plan Implementation grant from the GBRA, totaling $50,000, according to agenda documents.

The details: The city will not fund the project and will not be responsible for replacing dead trees, according to agenda documents.

Austinites can now fly directly to Anchorage, Alaska. The new nonstop destination from Alaska Airlines will begin service from Austin to Anchorage on June 12 and will operate once weekly on Saturdays through Aug. 7.

The details: This is the latest domestic expansion for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, announced on Oct. 27. The new destination is also the only nonstop connection between Central Texas and the state of Alaska.

Zooming in: Anchorage is Alaska’s largest city and a gateway to the Kenai Peninsula, offering travelers access to Alaska’s state and national parks, outdoor adventures and Denali, according to a news release.