As Bastrop’s population grows and ages, new housing developments are underway in the city—from single-family to active-adult communities and long-awaited affordable housing options for seniors. Locals are welcoming these developments, as each is filling a need for more housing options. 

The details: Kathy Metcalf, president of the Bastrop Community Senior Center, is pleased that developers have targeted Bastrop for affordable housing.

“My mother is 84, and her rent went up from $800 to $1,250,” she said during an Oct. 21 Bastrop City Council meeting. “She makes $1,700 a month. I subsidize her, but there’s only so much money I make.”

A desire for upscale senior homes was also identified for the Bastrop County area.

“For the longest time, Bastrop was on our radar,” said Bryan Beil, vice president of land acquisition for PulteGroup—the builders working on Del Webb Lost Pines. “Its proximity to the airport, small-town charm and just the number of 55-plus households in this area made it feel like a great opportunity.”

The Firehouse Subs team is now serving its signature hot sandwiches in the Burleson Crossing shopping center.

What's happening? Firehouse Subs is the latest of several eateries to call the Burleson Crossing area home, with others including:

• Tropical Smoothie
• Smokey Mo's BBQ
• Chipotle Mexican Grill
• LongHorn Steakhouse
• Jeremiah’s Italian Ice

• Burleson Crossing, 707 Hwy. 71 W., Ste. 118, Bastrop

Here are the top Community Impact stories in the Austin area from Dec. 22-25.

1. Tunnels complete for Lake Travis deep-water intake project

2. Check out these 9 Austin-area restaurants open on Christmas Day

3. Check out these new and coming soon Georgetown-area businesses

4. Billboard on Bee Caves Road set for January court case

5. Cinemark Stone Hill Town Center upgrade coming soon

6. Austin sees 46% drop in pedestrian crashes after left-turn safety pilot

2026 is a big election year in Texas. Voters will see 18 statewide races, all congressional seats, most state legislative seats and a variety of local positions on the ballot.

The overview: The Republican and Democratic primary elections will be held March 3, and the midterm election is set for Nov. 3.

Texas holds primaries for all partisan elected positions, such as state officials; state and federal lawmakers; and county judges, commissioners and justices of the peace. Third-party candidates, including independents, Libertarian Party candidates and Green Party candidates, have separate election processes will not be listed on the primary ballots in March. Eligible candidates representing various parties will appear on the November ballot.

Looking back: All statewide offices on the ballot are currently held by Republicans, although some are not running for reelection. No Democrat or third-party candidate has won a statewide office in Texas since 1994, election records show.

Check out the full article for more details on election processes and an overview of state-level races.