Kristen Hoyt, the winner in the Republican primary race for Comal County judge, has been sworn in following a unanimous vote from the county Commissioners Court, according to a March 5 news release.

In a nutshell: Hoyt—who faced no Democratic opposition for the seat—won the race with 67.27% of the vote in the March 3 primaries, as previously reported by Community Impact.

Hoyt stepped down from her post as Comal County tax assessor-collector to pursue the judge’s seat, following the December decision from the late Sherman Krause not to seek reelection. Krause died in his home Feb. 7, Community Impact previously reported.

Her opponent, Kayne Parrish, received 5,985 votes, or 21.84% of the vote. Deb Hindman, who dropped out of the race but still appeared on the ballot, received 2,983 votes, or about 10.89% of the vote. Election night results show that 41,359 voters cast a ballot, which equals about 28% voters registered in Comal County. 

What else? The appointment takes effect immediately, according to the release.

A new mural on the facade of the New Braunfels Westside Community Center, located at 2932 S. I-35 frontage road, is now complete.

New Braunfels city officials celebrated the completion of the "Choose Kindness" mural, by local artist Johnny Duncan, with a ribbon-cutting Feb. 27.

The details: The "Choose Kindness" mural comes from a local campaign of the same name spearheaded by the McKenna Foundation in 2025, according to its website. The campaign aims to highlight the good deeds of the residents and organizations in Comal County, inviting site visitors to document those who "chose kindness."

The campaign became what city officials wanted the public to connect to the New Braunfels community, Deputy City Manager Jordan Matney said.

"This project aligns perfectly with our strategic plans," Matney said. "We are choosing to make investments in quality, we are choosing to move forward with our programs and creating spaces for our communities to have."

• 2932 S. I-35 frontage road, New Braunfels

The Comal ISD board of trustees approved a $2,853,808 purchase for 17 school buses from Longhorn Bus Sales on Feb. 26.

The details: The funds will purchase seventeen 77-passenger school buses equipped with seat belts, cameras, GPS navigation systems and air conditioning, CISD Director of Transportation Jessica Fischer said. The buses will also have tinted windows to help with the summer heat. The investment also allows service facilities to keep their current inventory of parts instead of purchasing new parts for different buses, Fischer said.

The background: The purchase is funded through the district's 2023 bond program—Proposition A—which allocated $5.5 million for replacement buses to address an aging fleet, according to board documents.

The district has already spent $2.26 million of those funds for additional school buses, and the proposed purchase would exhaust the remaining 2023 bond balance, board documents state.

What's next: The buses will arrive from Longhorn Bus Sales within a year to a year and a half and will enter rotation soon after, Fischer said.

National banking corporation PNC Bank is growing in New Braunfels with a second location.

The expansion is part of a larger effort across the U.S., said Cari Hensley, vice president of regional communications for PNC Bank, in an email to Community Impact.

The details: The newest branch will be located inside the former Zaxby's Chicken location at 1916 Hwy. 46. PNC Bank offers personal and business banking services, including checking and savings accounts and several loan options, according to the bank's website.

PNC Bank offers personal and business banking services, including checking and savings accounts and several loan options, according to the bank's website.

• 1916 Hwy. 46, New Braunfels