ATX-LTW: Impact 8/18/2025

A new brewery is coming soon to Spicewood. 

The overview: Located off Hwy. 71, Highway 71 Brewing Co is owned by two couples–Kevin and Staci Caputo as well as Les and Shannon Butler. 

The details The new brewery will celebrate its grand opening on Sept. 6, offering craft beers, handcrafted mock-tails and nitro brew coffee. The new location will also feature indoor pickleball and golf simulators.

Reauthorization of a city road tax will be put to a vote in West Lake Hills upcoming Nov. 4 election, following an ordinance passed by West Lake Hills City Council.

The overview: At an Aug. 13 City Council meeting, officials in West Lake Hills called a special election on Nov. 4 for voter approval of a sales and use tax at the rate of one half of one percent, or $0.005, to provide revenue for maintenance and repair of city streets.

The details: The tax will expire after 8 years, on the anniversary of the city’s Aug. 13 council meeting, unless the tax is reauthorized.

On Nov. 2, 2021, the city held a special election to authorize a road tax at the same rate, which will expire on Nov. 2 of this year if not reauthorized by voters.

The city also approved a road bond in 2021, which set aside $11.8 million in funding to improve Camp Craft Road, Redbud Trail, Westlake Drive, Laurel Valley Road, and Yaupon Valley Road.

The Michelin Guide Texas ceremony will take place Oct. 28 at the Houston Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, according to an Aug. 12 news release. Attendance is by invitation only.

What you need to know: Chefs will be invited to the ceremony to discover whether their restaurants have received a Michelin Star or another Michelin Guide distinction, according to the release.
To assess the quality of a restaurant, the inspectors apply five criteria defined by Michelin, including:

• Product quality
• Mastery of cooking techniques
• Harmony of flavors
• Personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine
• Consistency over time and across the entire menu

The Texas Education Agency released public school accountability ratings for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years on Aug. 15, wrapping up a legal battle that began nearly two years prior. Texans can find the updated accountability ratings for K-12 districts and individual campuses at www.txschools.gov.

The big picture: Across the state, most school districts and campuses maintained or improved their A-F ratings between the 2023-24 to 2024-25 school years. Of 1,208 districts, 24% received a higher rating, while 64% kept the same rating and 12% received a lower rating, TEA data shows.

Thirty-one percent of Texas’ 9,084 public school campuses received a higher grade in 2025. Meanwhile, 55% received the same grade and 15% received a lower grade. The TEA said that 757 campuses improved from a B or lower in 2024 to an A in 2025.

What they're saying: “Year over year, our schools have gotten better across the state for our kids,” Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath told reporters Aug. 14.

Here are the top trending Community Impact stories in the Austin metro from Aug. 11-15.

• Billboard on Bee Caves Road receives resident complaints, city violation notice

• More than 100 homes for sale in master-planned community Parkside on the River near Georgetown

• Snarf's Sandwiches now serving sub sandwiches in far Northwest Austin

• Bastrop to get second McDonald’s location

• The Thirsty Longhorn will bring bar, stadium-style food to Georgetown

• Leander makes $347K adjustment to roadway rehabilitation project