The Texas A&M Forest Service will build a new office in Smithville.

Collin Woodland, a task force coordinator at the existing Smithville office on Kellar Road, confirmed the project to Community Impact in an email.

The details: Construction of the 11,422-square-foot facility—which has a scheduled start date of Jan. 1, 2026, and completion date of Jan. 28, 2028—is estimated to cost $2.5 million, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

It will be located at 306 Meduna Road in Smithville, which is nearly 13 miles from the existing office.

Bastrop residents can now grab a freshly blended drink at Tropical Smoothie Cafe, which opened its doors in the Burleson Crossing shopping center in late November, joining other recently opened eateries, including Volcano Sushi and Ramen, Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, Chipotle and Smokey Mo's BBQ.

The details: The 1,341-square-foot store had been undergoing approximately $250,000 in renovations since late August, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

What we know: Tropical Smoothie Cafe—which offers online ordering, in-store pickup, delivery and more—is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.

As part of a promotion for its grand opening weekend, the first 50 customers who arrive at the cafe on Dec. 6 in Bastrop will win free smoothies for a year, according to a social media post from Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

What they offer: Menu items include a variety of smoothies, bowls, flatbreads, wraps, sandwiches and salads.

• Burleson Crossing, 717 Hwy. 71 W., Ste. 400, Bastrop

Nine new medical cannabis dispensaries could soon open in Texas, the Department of Public Safety announced Dec. 1.

The overview: The nine companies were preliminarily approved to join three existing dispensaries that provide medical-grade, low-THC products to eligible patients through the Texas Compassionate Use Program. The program's expansion comes after state lawmakers passed House Bill 46 this spring.

Lawmakers also allowed dispensaries to store products in multiple locations, which advocates said would cut costs, and added more qualifying conditions to the program.

Zooming in: The nine providers given conditional licenses Dec. 1 are:

• Verano Texas LLC in West Texas
• Trulieve TX Inc. in the Panhandle
• Texas Patient Access LLC in North Texas
• Lonestar Compassionate Care Group LLC in North Texas
• Lone Star Bioscience Inc. in South Central Texas
• PC TX OPCO LLC, dba PharmaCann, in Southeast Texas
• Texa OP, dba TexaRx, in the Rio Grande Valley
• Story of Texas LLC in Southeast Texas
• Dilatso LLC in North Texas