A cornerstone of the badminton community in Williamson County has moved from Liberty Hill to a larger location in Cedar Park. Bonbon Badminton—now Bonbon Badminton & Tennis—moved south July 2.

What to expect: The business offers a variety of equipment, racket stringing and personalized customer service for both badminton and tennis players.

“By expanding into tennis while continuing to support the sport that started it all, Bonbon Badminton & Tennis looks forward to growing alongside the vibrant racket sports community in Cedar Park and throughout Central Texas,” owner Brandon Tan said in a statement to Community Impact.

The store offers “a carefully selected” variety of items for both badminton and tennis players, Tan said. Interested clients can purchase rackets, strings, shuttlecocks, tennis balls and apparel like shoes.

“Whether someone is picking up a racket for the first time or competing at a high level, Bonbon is committed to helping every player find the right equipment and enjoy the game,” Tan said.

• 200 E. Cypress Creek Road, Ste. 103, Cedar Park

Williamson County commissioners voted 3-2 to utilize $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act interest funds for the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter expansion at an Aug. 11 meeting.

What happened: Director of Animal Services Misty Valenta presented the proposal to commissioners at the meeting, saying that the additional $2 million will allow:

• Upgrading kennel materials to extend their lifespan and reduce maintenance costs
• Adding 12 additional dog kennels for population needs
• Prioritizing construction for animal housing
• Constructing a tower element required by the Georgetown Unified Development Code

Austin leaders approved a record $6.63 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2026-27. The spending plan was adopted alongside a higher tax rate that would increase the typical homeowner's property tax bill more than 8%.

The details: The new budget will be nearly 5% larger than the current $6.3 billion plan for FY 2025-26. Departments responsible for parks and libraries, public safety and health programs, and housing and homelessness services are included within the $1.54 billion general fund, which is growing about 3.6%.

Austin's FY 2026-27 tax rate was set at $0.579948 per $100 in property value, the maximum allowed under state law without seeking voter approval. The new rate will increase the typical annual property tax bill from $2,074 to about $2,250, based on the city's projected median homestead value of $484,907.

In a divided vote, officials also funded the start-up of a new joint emergency communications office to begin transitioning some of the city's 911 response system away from Austin Police oversight.

St. David’s HealthCare announced it acquired 14 Texas MedClinic Urgent Care centers in August.

Latest update: The urgent care centers will be rebranded as St. David’s CareNow Urgent Care clinics, per an Aug. 3 news release.

This brings the number of urgent care facilities under the St. David’s system to 39 in Central Texas alone, according to the company.

In their own words: “Access to convenient, high-quality urgent care is essential for the health and well-being of our growing community,” David Huffstutler, president and CEO of St. David’s HealthCare, said in the release. “Adding these urgent care facilities significantly expands the St. David’s CareNow footprint into new Central Texas communities, including Burnet, Liberty Hill, Jarrell, Lockhart and Dripping Springs, connecting more patients to the trusted care and resources of St. David’s HealthCare.”