In order to be in line with Texas House Bill 471, Hollywood Park City Council voted to draft an ordinance that would bring the provided compensation package in line with state requirements Nov. 11. 

In a nutshell: Hollywood Park Fire Chief Eric Burnside said first responders who are injured on the job and fall under the workman’s comp plan receive 70% of their salary from the state, with the additional 30% of their salary covered through sick and vacation leave. However, with the passing of HB 471, cities are now required to cover the remaining 30%.

Place 3 council member Dale Randol said drafting the ordinance will require care due to the fact that multiple aspects of the law are open for interpretation.

After further discussion, the City Council voted to table a motion, while research is conducted and an ordinance is drafted.

Stay tuned: City staff will conduct research and draft the ordinance, which will be placed on a future meeting agenda.

A new convenience store with a fully stocked Dunkin’ inside has opened next to VIA’s Stone Oak Park and Ride location along the US 281 frontage road.

The details: Owned by Sachin Bhutani and Muhammad Amin, Market@StoneOak, an upscale convenience store, offers a variety of snacks and drinks, such as Dubai chocolates, craft beer and sodas, as well as everyday items like milk, eggs and bread.

The Dunkin’ Donuts is owned by Kishore Samtani and offers a wide selection of coffee, baked goods, donuts and breakfast sandwiches that are served all day.

• 22255 US 281 N., San Antonio

A dozen new Texas laws are scheduled to take effect Dec. 4. The new laws come 90 days after the end of a special legislative session that took place this summer.

The overview: Some of the bills becoming law Dec. 4 include:

• House Bill 8, which will replace the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, with three shorter exams beginning in fall 2027
• House Bill 18, which is designed to deter future legislators from leaving the Texas Capitol to prevent a legislative chamber from considering legislation, known as breaking quorum
• Senate Bill 54, which will roll back a short-lived rule that allowed registered Texas voters who moved within a county to update their address at the polls and immediately vote in their new precinct