Last fall, Gary Parente launched Curbside Compost with a simple goal—make composting easier for Williamson County residents and turn everyday food scraps into a small, steady act of sustainability.

About the program: As a Cedar Park resident, Parente launched his organic recycling concept to extend composting services to residents north of Austin—which already has mandated compost pickup from the city.

Curbside Compost provides an airtight bin for residents to dispose of their food scraps in, which they then place on the curb on their scheduled pickup day. Parente leads the services, collecting the scraps, cleaning the bins and leaving a new liner. Residents can sign up for the composting service for $29 per month.

Quote of note: “We ensure these materials are recycled back into the earth, enriching local soil and supporting a healthier ecosystem,” Parente said.

In a move aimed at strengthening Liberty Hill’s long-term water reliability amid rapid city growth, crews broke ground Feb. 25 on an Advanced Water Purification Facility pilot project, according to an update from Director of Public Works Jacob Parsons.

Some context: The water treatment facility is at the core of Liberty Hill’s long-term water plan, according to city officials. The purpose of the facility will be to purify reclaimed wastewater to meet drinking water standards and reuse it for city water customers.
The city's water needs are projected to increase by 12% per year for the next 10 years and then by 16% per year through 2050, according to Community Impact's previous reporting. The development of a full-size purification facility is expected to provide 4 million gallons of clean drinking water per day once completed.

The pilot facility will be used to test water purification methods, which will eventually be used at a future full-size facility. 

What’s next: Construction of the pilot facility is currently scheduled to be completed by October, Parsons said.

St. David’s Georgetown Hospital has been recognized for providing a high level of breastfeeding education and support to patients in recent years.

The big picture: The hospital’s investments are designed to encourage more new mothers to breastfeed their babies amid a 12% increase in deliveries since last year, said Kelsey McKenna, a lead international board-certified lactation consultant and registered nurse with St. David’s Georgetown. 

How it works: Since 2021, St. David’s Georgetown has been recognized as a Texas Ten Step Facility. Texas Health and Human Services awards the designation to hospitals that have implemented policies, staff training, resources and procedures that educate patients on the benefits of breastfeeding and teach them best practices.

Why it matters: Many new mothers are unaware of the benefits of breastfeeding and how it differs from formula, Kelsey said. Breast milk is the “perfect first food” that can provide a lifetime of immunities for babies and decrease the risk of developing allergies, Type 2 diabetes, obesity and many chronic illnesses, she said.

The Texas Education Agency must correct roughly 4,200 errors in its elementary and middle school curriculum, the State Board of Education ruled Feb. 25.

The overview: The changes to the Bluebonnet Learning materials, a set of state-developed textbooks, include replacing improperly licensed images, fixing formatting errors or typos and correcting factual errors.

The SBOE approved the Bluebonnet materials in November 2024. The curriculum, which became available to districts ahead of the 2025-26 school year, has been criticized for frequent biblical references in the reading materials, although proponents said the materials would help improve student outcomes.

Zooming in: Before approving the changes, several board members expressed concerns about the “unprecedented” number of issues with the state-developed textbooks, noting that Texas taxpayers will cover the costs of reprinting the updated materials, as they were developed with state funds.

“I’m very concerned that, as a board, we have set a precedent for sloppy publishing. Many times, even if it's a typo, it could become an error of fact,” SBOE member Pam Little, R-Fairview, said.