Hays County officials and parks department staff celebrated the opening of Karst Canyon Preserve on March 27. The 175-acre preserve features a stretch of Dry Cypress Creek, the Wimberley Bat Cave and a habitat for the endangered golden-cheeked warbler.

The big picture: Karst Canyon is the biggest addition to the Hays County park system in a decade, said Karl Flocke, Hays County director of parks and natural resources. The preserve is located in the Greater Jacob’s Well Natural Area.

The Watershed Association purchased the site in 2019, stopping the established plans for high-density development of more than 1,000 residential lots. Hays County purchased the land in 2025 with funding from the Parks and Open Spaces Bond.

The preserve’s first phase included 2 miles of trail that connect to the North 40 Trail at Jacob’s Well Natural Area.

Diving deeper: The preserve features distinctive karst landscaping, shaped by soluble limestone that forms sinkholes, caves and springs. The terrain is essential for recharging the Trinity Aquifer and supporting regional water sustainability, according to Hays County.

From wellness treatments to new retail, read about six business updates to the greater Buda area.

Now open: Organically Whole Health & Wellness
Owner Anita Lansing said she offers natural, non-invasive alternatives to pharmaceutical-centered care. Treatments are offered to reduce inflammation, boost energy, improve circulation and sleep, strengthen muscles and ease soreness.

• Opened Feb. 21
• 200 N. Main St., Cottage B, Buda

Coming soon: Buda Ice Cream Shoppe
Locals Tim and Alex Otto are opening an old-fashioned ice cream shoppe in historic downtown Buda. Tim and Alex also own Kids Tooth Team Pediatric Dentistry at 1245 Main St., Ste. 300, Buda.

• Opening May 15
• 112 N. Main St., Buda

• Opened in 2016
• Inspired Minds Art Center, 121 Main St., Buda

Check out the latest updates on upcoming, ongoing and completed transportation projects across the Austin metro. 

Upcoming projects
Austin’s I-35 cap-and-stitch vision faces uncertain funding future: The outlook for Austin's ambitious plans to cover stretches of the redesigned I-35 with public amenity decks remains unclear due to the high costs of constructing the project, which city staff advised not to fund as of this spring. City Council committed last year to pay the Texas Department of Transportation $104 million to add structural supports along I-35, which are needed for any future decks to be built. But no funding has yet been set aside for the development of caps and stitches or public amenities. 

Ongoing projects
Greenlawn Boulevard widening
Project: The city of Round Rock is reconstructing Greenlawn Boulevard from an existing four-lane divided roadway to a six-lane divided urban roadway with pedestrian and lighting improvements.
Update: Construction began in January, per city officials.

• Timeline: completion is expected by April 2027

• Cost: $13.95 million

• Funding source: type B sales tax revenue

At least 257,000 students have applied for Texas’ inaugural education savings account program, according to the state comptroller’s office. Less than half of those applicants are likely to be accepted.

The overview: Applications for Texas Education Freedom Accounts close at 11:59 p.m. March 31. Students enrolling in private schools will receive $10,474 to spend on tuition and related expenses, while homeschool students can get up to $2,000 each, and students with disabilities may qualify for up to $30,000 each.

Through March 29, about 23% of applicants had indicated they would be homeschooled while 77% of applicants said they wanted to attend a private school, state data shows.

Program funding is capped at $1 billion for the 2026-27 school year, meaning between 90,000 and 100,000 students will likely be accepted.

By the numbers: About 34,000 students indicated in their application that they have a disability, per the comptroller's office. Students who have a disability and are considered low- or middle-income will receive priority acceptance into the program under state law.