City staff in New Braunfels continue to work on trail projects throughout the community to help improve mobility and walkability for residents.

At a glance: Jeff Bransford, New Braunfels' park development manager, said trails are the most popular and requested park and recreation amenity in New Braunfels.

"I think one of the reasons that they're so popular is that they can be enjoyed by just about everyone regardless of age or ability," Bransford said.

Alligator Creek Trail-Sunflower Ridge: This multimodal trail will fill a gap in the Sunflower Ridge subdivision, extending the Alligator Creek Trail.

Mission Hill Park-Phase 2: This park will be the city's highest observation point with trails. It will also have a meeting room space for 25-30 people.

Dry Comal Creek Trail: This trail will feature a multiuse hike-and-bike trail along Dry Comal Creek, connecting Landa Park to the city limits.

Waterway Lane: The trail will connect Gruene Road to FM 306. The corridor is right of way that the city no longer intends to use as a road, Bransford said.

A local jeweler is celebrating the expansion of its storefront in New Braunfels.

What you need to know: Mixie Permanent Jewelry opened its refreshed retail space on Nov. 20 at 1720 Hunter Road in Gruene.

Owner Jo Hartman said her business has an entirely new showroom next to BarBelles Boutique. The new showroom offers more space for customers, events, jewelry repairs and more.

“We’ve grown as the demand is there for us,” Hartman said.

The new space has more tables and machines for customers and employees to use for services like fitting and repairs. The new showroom also allows Hartman to host events with larger groups like pop-ups, markets and more, Hartman said. Mixie Permanent Jewelry specializes in custom jewelry fittings, adjustments and repairs.

• 1720 Hunter Road, New Braunfels

Northside ISD's changes to school lunch periods have been trending for two weeks, alongside business and restaurant updates. Check out five trending stories from Community Impact's coverage of the San Antonio Metro.

Shaping Schertz: New retail hub adding national favorites along I-35: In October, Panera Bread opened as the first tenant at Schertz Station, a 257,000-square-foot retail and dining hub that will feature a bevy of national chain restaurants and other shopping opportunities.

Locally owned Dos Gatos Kolache Bakery debuts in New Braunfels: Wanting to spread Czech cuisine with Texas flair in Central Texas, Dos Gatos Kolache Bakery Co-Owner Chase Katz said he had been eyeing expansion for the past couple of years.

What else? Northside ISD plans to close high school lunch periods as part of new safety measures in the 2026-27 school year.

Whataburger and Texas Roadhouse celebrated the grand opening of new locations in the San Antonio area.   

Community Impact compiled important holiday travel-related information, including what to know about traffic and airport activity, gas price data, and driver safety tips ahead of the year-end travel season, which runs Dec. 20-Jan. 1.

The overview: Texans should give themselves extra time to reach their destinations the weekend before Christmas, with many travelers expected to hit the road Dec. 21-22. Congestion is also expected as some Texans return home Dec. 26, according to INRIX, a transportation data company.

Minimal traffic is expected Dec. 24-25 and Dec. 31-Jan. 1, although AAA warned in a Dec. 10 news release that unexpected delays could arise from severe weather or crashes.

For the first time, more than 8 million people nationwide are expected to take domestic flights during the year-end holidays.

More information: Texas drivers will likely pay less for gas this holiday season than in recent years, AAA fuel data shows. On average, one gallon of unleaded gas costs about $2.51 in Texas as of Dec. 18, down from $2.65 one year prior.