New Braunfels Utilities crews responded to a sanitary sewer overflow May 27 after a storm system caused a temporary power outage at the Rio Bar Screening Facility, which resulted in an unauthorized discharge of about 550,000 gallons of untreated wastewater into the Guadalupe River.

What you need to know: There is no impact on NBU’s drinking water system, according to a May 27 news release. NBU is communicating with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and following all required reporting and notification procedures related to the incident, the release states. NBU is also coordinating with the city of New Braunfels, neighboring agencies and downstream water purveyors to inform them of the occurrence. 

NBU CEO Ryan Kelso said they have begun implementing additional measures to strengthen their systems to reduce the likelihood of a similar event, which include:

• Identifying critical facilities near environmentally sensitive areas
• Increasing testing and verification of backup systems and alarms
• Enhancing staffing and monitoring capabilities during severe weather events

A new Smoothie King location has opened its doors in New Braunfels.

The details: Smoothie King opened its doors at 312 FM 306, Ste. 100, on May 18. The New Braunfels franchise is owned by local Paul Flores, who said they have smoothie options that fit a variety of lifestyle goals.

"We're excited to bring a convenient new option to the FM 306 community with drive-thru, walk-up and mobile ordering," Flores said.

What they offer: Smoothie King serves smoothies and smoothie bowls. The smoothie shop also serves avocado toast, chicken bites and other snacks. 

• 312 FM 306, Ste. 100, New Braunfels

Officials with Methodist Hospital Northeast celebrated the grand opening of its heart and lung specialty center, located at 12500 Judson Road, Ste. 210, Live Oak, with a ribbon-cutting May 20, according to a news release.

Two-minute impact: The clinic, which began seeing patients May 19, had already served 14 heart failure patients by the time of the ribbon-cutting the following day—an early sign of the growing need for specialized cardiovascular care close to home, the release states.

The Methodist Heart and Lung Institute Northeast Specialty Center offers cardiovascular care for heart failure patients. The clinic is led by Heart Failure Transplant Cardiologist Dr. Allen Anderson, according to the release.

Methodist Hospital Northeast CEO Jerrica George said the center reflects the hospital’s ongoing commitment to providing quality, specialized care close to home.

Nearly $8.4 billion in new state funding was not enough to save Texas public school districts from budget shortfalls and campus closures, school administrators said June 1.

What happened: During a 10-hour public hearing at the state Capitol, school district leaders spoke of efforts to stretch their budgets amid high inflationary costs as teachers explained their decisions to leave the classroom due to pay cuts and large class sizes.

The big picture: Last year, Texas lawmakers passed House Bill 2, a $8.4 billion school finance bill designed to increase educator salaries, create a new pot of money for fixed costs, provide more training for teachers and boost special education resources.

Roughly one year later, districts across Community Impact’s coverage areas are cutting staff and closing campuses, citing enrollment declines and budget shortfalls. 

Quote of note: "This funding deficit is the final straw for me, and it will be for countless other educators across the state who must leave or who lose their jobs," Austin ISD French teacher Rachel Preston told lawmakers June 1.