Hays County defendants deemed incompetent to stand trial could soon receive treatment in the county jail under a program approved on Jan. 6 by the Commissioners Court.

The overview: After several months of collaboration between the Commissioners Court, the Criminal District Attorney’s office, the Sheriff’s office and Hill Country Mental Health, the Jail-Based Competency Restoration Program will provide mental health services on-site to qualified individuals in the Hays County jail who are awaiting trial.

Why it matters: “This is actually a major issue because of the mental health crisis that we’ve got in our country [and] county, that we’ve been trying to ... deal with for the last couple of years,” Division Chief, Assistant Criminal District Attorney Landon Campbell said at the meeting.

A closer look: Texas law states that defendants must be considered competent to stand trial. If an individual is deemed incompetent to stand trial and ineligible for outpatient care, they are placed on a waitlist to be transferred to the state hospital system. The JBCR program will bring services directly to the county jail.

From laundering services to golfing, check out six business updates for Buda and the surrounding areas.

Now open: Buda Laundry
Zack Kasey and Adam Ahmad are the owners behind Buda Laundry, which provides self-service and commercial laundry services, including pick-up and delivery; wash, dry and fold; same-day turnaround; and more.

• 953 W. Goforth Road, Ste. 104, Buda

• The Corner on Main, 2260 Main St, Bldg. 7, Buda

• 112 North Main St., Ste. 112-A, Buda

A new U.S. Postal Service rule could impact when time-sensitive mail, such as tax forms and mail-in ballots, is considered officially sent.

The overview: Effective Dec. 24, mailed items are postmarked when the USPS processes them, rather than the date items are dropped in a mailbox. A postmark refers to the date and location stamped or printed on most mailed items, indicating when and where the USPS “accepted custody” of a mailpiece, per the federal agency.

Zooming in: According to the Texas comptroller’s office, the updated USPS guidance means items could be postmarked “several days” after they are dropped in a mailbox. This includes date-sensitive items sent by Texas residents and businesses, such as property tax payments, federal tax returns, mail-in ballots and required business reports.

What to know: To ensure that mail is postmarked on the day it is sent, customers can take mail into their local post office and request that the item be hand-stamped for free, according to the USPS. Texans can also pay property taxes and submit ballots in person at county offices.