In a move to create a holistic and coordinated approach toward protecting the county’s senior population, the Bexar County Commissioners Court officially celebrated the creation of the Bexar County Senior Justice Assessment Center, or SJAC, Dec. 16.

In a nutshell: According to county documents, the SJAC is a county-led interagency task force designed to combat senior abuse. SJAC will meet weekly to review and discuss cases involving abuse, crime, exploitation or neglect of individuals age 65 years or older.

During the presentation, which celebrated the creation of the SJAC and the acceptance of the Victims of Crime Act, or VOCA, grant, totaling $186,755.99, Judge Veronica Vasquez said Bexar County has the highest Adult Protective Services intakes and completed investigations per capita in Texas, and that SJAC will provide a much needed role within the county.

According to county documents, the core team will meet weekly to review high-risk, high-needs cases in an effort to enhance communication and lead to improved outcomes for survivors.

A new upscale restaurant is on its way to the Stone Oak neighborhood of North San Antonio.

Latest update: Called Katerina Restaurant, the eatery is planning to open soon at 18740 Stone Oak Parkway, according to their website.

As of press time, no specific opening date has been announced by the business, but construction is well underway on-site.

The restaurant’s location was the former home of Frida Mexican Restaurant & Bar, which closed back in September 2024, according to previous reporting from Community Impact.

On the menu: On the menu will be a variety of American steakhouse fare, although few details have been released to the public, according to Katerina’s website and social media platforms.

DJ’s Bar & Grill is the sister restaurant to Katerina, co-owned by Katerina Akimova and Dick Jones. That business is also located on San Antonio’s North side, at 1806 N. Loop 1604 W.

• 18740 Stone Oak Parkway, San Antonio

Schertz officials are one step closer to opening a new trail and completing pedestrian crossing improvements along West Dietz Creek.

Some details: Schertz City Council approved a $331,319 agreement with engineering firm Halff Associates Inc. to provide design, engineering and construction management services for the West Dietz Creek Trail Project on Jan. 6.

The estimated $1.35 million project will consist of building a 10-foot-wide concrete, multi-use path along West Dietz Creek. There will also be pedestrian crossing improvements at:

• Wiederstein Road
• Savannah Drive
• Maske Road
• Schertz Parkway

Hundreds of Texas private schools have been approved to participate in the state’s new education savings account program, per a map released by the state comptroller in early January.

The overview: As of press time, 775 private schools and prekindergarten providers had been approved to accept education savings accounts, or ESAs. There are over 1,300 accredited private schools in the state, according to the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission. 

Of the approved schools, there are:

• 233 schools in the Houston area
• 195 schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area
• 94 schools in the San Antonio area
• 70 schools in the Austin area