Thinking about an e-bike? Austin Energy customers can get up to $600 back through the utility's E-Ride rebate program—and income-qualified customers enrolled in the Customer Assistance Program can receive up to $1,300.

Learn more about the rebate tiers, application requirements and what riders should know about battery safety after a fire suspended CapMetro's Bikeshare service.

Dallas-native bagel shop, Shug’s Bagels, is still coming soon to Austin, despite continued delays. 

Shug’s initially notified Austinites of its plans to open a location on North Lamar and Parkway in August 2024. Due to delays with paperwork and filings, the shop is looking forward to a late summer opening date at the earliest, its team shared on social media. 

The backstory: Shug’s, known for its stacked breakfast and lunch sandwiches, initially launched in Dallas in 2018. Led by owner and founder Justin Shugrue, the spot soon expanded to include additional locations in Dallas and New Orleans. 

On the menu: Shug’s sells customizable bagels, breakfast and lunch classics and bagels by the bag. Customers can choose from plain, everything, french toast, blueberry and jalapeño cheddar bagels. 

What we know: In a recent update shared on Instagram, the team announced that Shug’s Bagels won’t be open until August 2026 or later. The business does not currently have an opening date, and is waiting for final approvals and paperwork. 

• 1206 Parkway, Austin

A surgeon at Orthopaedic Specialists of Austin is now performing an ultrasound-guided carpal tunnel release procedure, making Dr. Harrison Kay the first physician in the Austin area to offer the technology, according to a July 7 release from the practice.

The details: The procedure uses real-time ultrasound imaging to guide a device through a small incision below the wrist, releasing the ligament compressing the median nerve. It is performed under local anesthesia in an office setting for eligible patients.

The practice said patients typically return to normal activities within three to five days, compared with two to four weeks after traditional open surgery.

What's next: Individuals experiencing carpal tunnel symptoms, such as numbness, tingling or hand weakness, can schedule a consultation to determine whether the procedure is right for them.

Austin officials are reviewing the potential impacts of decades of proposed development in the Dog's Head before their upcoming vote on a tax-backed financing plan to support its build-out. City leaders also revealed an Amazon robotics manufacturing project is lined up as the Dog's Head's anchor industrial tenant.

The details: Through the summer, Austin and Travis County leaders have considered the creation of a Dog's Head tax increment reinvestment zone, or TIRZ, to reimburse a share of significant infrastructure needed for the area. County commissioners declined to join the TIRZ plan in mid-July, citing the need for more details and assurances from Endeavor, while City Council members are scheduled to consider the financing plan July 23.

What else: City staff have framed the TIRZ as a major benefit that'd raise new public revenue, attract major development and employers, create new jobs, and address local food and healthcare access issues. They also announced Amazon as the first major tenant in the Dog's Head, where a 300-acre robotics facility is planned.

A new subdivision in Leander, off-campus student housing in Austin, and a pair of oil change spots are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. 900 West 23rd: This project involves the new construction of off-campus student housing.

2. Glory Hill Subdivision ($3.5 million): Glory Hill Subdivision is a new construction project in Leander for 43 single-family lots on 15.45 acres.

3. Brushy Creek MUD Sewer Capacity Project ($1.9 million): This project involves the installation of 3,000 linear feet of 12" sewer line, crossing through an existing accessible parking space located at Brushy Creek North Park.

4. Jiffy Lube ($1.8 million): This project includes the construction of a commercial building for use as a 2,226 square-foot Jiffy Lube.

5. Valvoline ($1.4 million): A 3,447 square-foot Valvoline Instant Oil Change is planned for Austin.

Sandy Creek resident Georgia Bishop was out of town when 22 inches of rain fell on parts of northwest Travis County over the July 4, 2025, weekend. When Bishop returned home days later, her community was significantly changed.

What happened: Residents of the hard-hit Sandy Creek neighborhood described a “wall of water” that tore through their community last July, washing away homes, cars and roads. Nine people died in the flooding, including Bishop’s best friend, 16-year-old Felicity Jarmon.

The context: One year later, residents of the unincorporated Travis County community are still working to rebuild from last July’s catastrophic flooding. Central Texas has seen two straight years of intense, deadly flooding in July, leaving some residents on edge as they recover from last year’s disaster and mourn lost loved ones.

Community Impact spoke with Bishop and Kylie Nidever, whose neighborhood in Hunt flooded last year, on July 13, days before heavy rainfall hit large swaths of the state once again. Officials confirmed two deaths due to this year's floods, while 137 people died last July.