City of Kyle officials have made significant progress on eight road projects included in a road bond approved by voters in November 2022.

At a Feb. 17 meeting, council members received updates on the projects, including progress on ongoing projects, completed projects and total cost estimations.

The overview: Over 80% of the needed land parcels are in the later stages of acquisition, said Rick Klatt, General Engineering Consultant program manager. In total, 207 parcels are required.

The projects, aiming to improve the city’s transportation network, will develop new roads and reconstruct and widen existing roads, according to previous Community Impact reporting. The road developments in the bond include:

• Marketplace Avenue
• Bebee Road, West and East
• Kohlers to Seton
• Windy Hill Road
• Center Street
• Bunton Creek Road
• Kyle Parkway/Lehman Road
• Old Stagecoach Road

An Illinois-based collision repair provider is headed to Buda.

The details: The team at Crash Champions will build a 15,131-square-foot garage and office space constructed from a pre-engineered metal building.

Construction on the auto body and repair shop is expected to run from March 23 to Sept. 23, and cost $4.5 million.

One more thing: The Buda location will be the second Crash Champions in Hays County; the first is in San Marcos at 1220 S. I-35.

• 18000 S. I-35, Buda

A new restaurant has opened inside a historic building in downtown New Braunfels.

Latest update: Old City Hall Restaurant & Bar opened on Feb. 17. It is located inside the old New Braunfels City Hall building, which first opened 97 years ago, according to a news release from the business.

The restaurant is owned by the Wiggins Hospitality Group, which was formed in 2009. The company also owns McAdoo’s Seafood Company and La Cosecha Mexican Table, according to previous reporting from Community Impact.

On the menu: Old City Hall Restaurant & Bar serves upscale American diner and steakhouse fare, from specialty gourmet burgers to beef tartare.

The restaurant can seat up to 200 guests and has additional private dining spaces. Old City Hall Restaurant & Bar also has a full-service cocktail bar serving traditional beverages and more, the release states.

• 200 N. Seguin Ave., New Braunfels

With a few days left to vote early in the March primaries, more Texans have turned out to the polls this year than in recent primary elections.

The gist: The increase is particularly pronounced among Democratic primary voters, state data shows, with more than twice as many Democratic votes cast by Feb. 24 than in Texas’ last gubernatorial primary.

Zooming in: Statewide, nearly 1.3 million Texans, or about 7% of the state’s 18.7 million registered voters, cast early ballots through Feb. 24, the eighth day of the 11-day early voting period. This is up from about 6% turnout at the same point in 2024 and about 4% turnout in 2022.

In interviews with Community Impact, election analysts attributed Texas’ rising primary voter turnout in part to a slate of competitive, high-profile races on each party’s primary ballot.

At the polls: Early voting in Texas’ Republican and Democratic primaries runs through Feb. 27, and primary election day is March 3. During early voting, registered voters can visit any polling location within their county of residence.