Kendall County Commissioners on Jan. 13 reviewed grant opportunities for repairs related to damage caused during flooding July 4. Within the grant approvals was an allotment of $1 million, which could be used for the installation of outdoor warning sirens and flood-related products, according to the agenda.

The details: Grant coordinator Christina Peese said the grant agreement is with the Texas Water Development Board, and county employees are working to identify the placement of flood detection equipment.

“A group of county employees has already met once, and is planning on meeting later this month to discuss the areas within the county that would warrant a siren and/or flood detection equipment, as well as to review the companies that could possibly provide this type of equipment,” she said.

Peese said an extra $250,000 may be requested if the initial $1 million does not cover the cost of projects deemed necessary.

Fair Oaks Ranch staff and officials are working on the development of the 2026 Strategic Plan, which is designed to outline future projects and priorities within upcoming city budgets.

During the development process, residents, business leaders and stakeholders will have opportunities to provide input on the plan and learn about local needs.

The overview: According to a Jan. 13 news release, city leadership will conduct a series of conversations to identify what residents value most about Fair Oaks Ranch, the challenges the community faces and potential solutions to address them.

A Strategic Planning Engagement Portal will be launched on the city website Jan. 16, serving as the primary tool for gathering community ideas.

For residents who would like to participate in the development process in person, two open houses are scheduled for Jan. 20 at the Police Training Room, located at 7286 Dietz Elkhorn Road. The first session will be from 1-3 p.m., while the second session will be from 7-9 p.m.

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

Effective Jan. 12, VIA Metropolitan Transit launched its largest set of service improvements that has ever been simultaneously implemented.

In a nutshell: According to a news release, the changes were feasible due to the hiring of 107 new full-time bus operators and the accelerated progress of the Better Bus Plan—VIA’s multiyear initiative designed to improve frequency, reliability and overall system performance. The changes affect 30 routes across VIA’s service area, the release states.

According to the release, VIA used data—such as bus operator availability, current travel patterns, requests from the public and opportunities to maximize improved customer experience with faster, more reliable service—to determine route changes and updates.

Some context: VIA’s Better Bus Plan is an initiative designed to create a faster, more direct service on traditional bus routes. Using this plan, VIA is adding to both its bus service and VIA Links zones by evaluating existing bus routes, adding new routes and finding potential areas for change.

Texas health officials are proposing sweeping new regulations on the state’s hemp industry, including raising the fees required to sell and manufacture consumable hemp products by roughly 10,000%.

The overview: In late December, the Texas Department of State Health Services published a slate of proposed rules regulating consumable hemp products. The proposals include:

• A prohibition on sales to customers under 21 years old
• Stricter testing and labeling requirements
• Guidelines for product recalls
• Tens of thousands of dollars in annual fees