The Bastrop County Commissioners Court approved a $313,963 construction contract with MRI Builders for an expansion at the Bastrop County Animal Services facility at 589 Cool Water Drive.

Bastrop County expects MRI Builders to break ground the week of Dec. 15-19.

“The contractor has 150 days in the contract to complete his portion of the project,” Lyndsey Schroeder, public information officer for Bastrop County, told Community Impact. “He is expecting it to take less time than that.”

The details: During a Dec. 8 meeting, Leon Sciafe, a purchasing agent for Bastrop County, told commissioners the scope of the work for the approximately 4,000-square-foot addition will include:

• Forming and pouring of a 100-by-40-foot concrete slab
• Installing a pre-engineered, bolt-together metal building
• Building walls made from concrete masonry unit
• Insulating the roof deck
• Painting and epoxying the floors and walls

Kudos, a convenience store brand the Greater Houston Retailers Cooperative Association launched in 2024, will open a location in Bastrop as part of a master-planned community called Adelton.

The details: Construction of the 5,774-square-foot location is scheduled to begin in March. It will feature a kitchen with a variety of menu items, such as tacos, burgers and cheesesteaks, said Taylor Medlin, a spokesperson for Adelton developers Benchmark Austin.

Quote of note: “We are determined to make people feel good when they walk into our stores and to improve the communities we serve,” GHRCA CEO Brian Trout said in a news release.

One more thing: Adelton Elementary School in Bastrop ISD opened its doors to students in the community on Aug. 13.

• Within the Adelton development, 100 block of Adelton Boulevard, Bastrop

Austin’s light rail project, known as Project Connect, hit a major federal milestone that positions the multibillion-dollar initiative for on-time construction.

The details: The Federal Transit Administration awarded the project a “Medium-High” rating in its FY 2026-27 funding recommendations—the highest given in this year’s large-project review.

ATP CEO Greg Canally said the rating is a “key step,” signaling strong viability as the project seeks $4.1 billion in federal funding, or roughly half its total cost.

A closer look: The federal ranking criteria include an assessment of the project’s plans for land use and economic development.

ATP has partnered with the city to advance land use policies that support transit-oriented development.

Recent local changes, including eliminating parking minimums and creating new TOD zoning overlays, are helping shape mixed-use, walkable districts along the future line.

Of note: ATP and the city are also overhauling the permitting process to reduce delays, aiming to cut review times from years to months.

Utility agreements, risk planning and preconstruction work are underway as ATP targets a 2027 construction start and 2033 opening.

Texas voters will see 18 statewide races on the ballot in 2026.

The overview: Texas will hold Republican and Democratic primary elections on March 3 to determine who will appear on the statewide ballot in November. Texas is one of 17 states with open primaries, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, meaning registered voters can cast their ballots in either primary and do not need to register with a specific party.

What to know: The 18 statewide races on the 2026 primary ballots are:

• U.S. Senate
• Governor
• Lieutenant governor
• Attorney general
• Comptroller of public accounts
• General land commissioner
• Agriculture commissioner
• Railroad commissioner
• Texas Supreme Court, chief justice
• Texas Supreme Court justice, Place 2
• Texas Supreme Court justice, Place 7
• Texas Supreme Court justice, Place 8
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals judge, Place 3
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals judge, Place 4
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals judge, Place 9
• 15th Court of Appeals, chief justice
• 15th Court of Appeals justice, Place 2
• 15th Court of Appeals justice, Place 3