Owners Michael Portman and Jayson Rapaport will expand Birds Barbershop this summer, targeting a July opening, according to a representative from the business. 

What they offer: Birds Barbershop offers color services, styling and cuts for adults and kids with any hair length. The business is not exclusively for men, according to its website—it serves all genders, styles and ages. 

Clients can make appointments online, call ahead or walk-in for same-day services. 

The background: The shop was initially founded in 2006 and has grown to nine locations across Austin in 20 years.

• 9900 W. Parmer Lane, Ste. A-215, Austin

Several Austin Energy investments in solar generation and power grid resilience totaling up to $172 million were approved this spring.

The details: The energy-related projects advanced by City Council are expected to add dozens of megawatts of generation capacity to the AE grid. During peak service times, 1 MW can serve about 250 residential customers, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.

New projects will include solar installations on a defunct city landfill and dozens of city-owned sites and buildings, and a new battery storage partnership with Base Power.

Dozens of potential city sites were initially identified for the new solar installations, and about 100 remain under consideration. The project advanced ahead of a key deadline with federal solar tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act expiring soon.

Check out some of the most read Austin-area stories April 20-23. 
1. Handmade history: A century of Round Rock Donuts
2. 19 updates from Georgetown's business and dining community
3. Keating Auto Group buys Toyota of Cedar Park, City Limits Subaru
4. 13 Bastrop-area business and dining updates to know
5. City of Austin acquires 50 acres of parkland in South Austin
6. San Marcos to weigh plan for neighborhood north of Texas State

Texas residents are increasingly facing damaging storms that drive up home insurance rates and other housing costs. Ahead of the state's 2027 legislative session, consumer advocates and insurance industry representatives are urging lawmakers to consider affordability solutions.

What's happening: The average Texas home insurance premium—the amount paid to an insurance company—was $3,291 in 2024, according to the latest Texas Department of Insurance data. In total, premiums rose about 50% between 2022-24.

Texas’ high propensity for natural disasters has been “the No. 1 driver” behind recent rate increases, said Rich Johnson, a spokesperson for the Insurance Council of Texas.

Stay tuned: While Texas can't legislate itself out of weather risks, lawmakers have considered some policy changes to increase disaster resiliency and boost regulatory oversight of the insurance industry. Proposals range from creating grants to help residents weather-proof their homes to placing limits on future rate hikes.