Following over a year of litigation, the city of Bee Cave reached a settlement agreement with developers of the West Austin Business Park. 

Diving in deeper: The property will be sold to Austin-based space satellite company CesiumAstro, per the terms of the agreement, for its global headquarters. The facility will be used to produce satellite communication technologies, according to a Jan. 5 news release from the city. Cesium has worked with the city to modify the development’s design, and the development agreement will be altered to ban warehouse and distribution uses.

West Austin Business Park developers Velocis and KBC will pay the city $500,000 as part of the settlement. The updated Cesium facility is expected to generate no more than eight trips per month, rather than the hundreds previously expected under the warehouse plan, according to the city. 

Check out the latest updates from Eanes and Lake Travis ISD's December board meetings, including EISD's budget optimization survey and LTISD's pre-K program expansion. 

Eanes ISD receives community feedback on budget optimization plans

A ThoughtExchange survey opened from Nov. 20-Dec. 5 to gauge the Eanes community's thoughts on potential next steps to reduce future projected multimillion dollar budget shortfalls. The survey saw 1,856 participants including parents, secondary students, staff members and community members provide 1,079 thoughts and 40,423 ratings.

Former interim superintendent Tom Trigg said the survey results will help administration modify the proposed budget packages ahead of the Jan. 13 board meeting, where the board could wrap up budget optimization discussions in order to vote on a plan at its Jan. 27 meeting.

Lake Travis ISD to expand pre-K program

LTISD officials are planning to expand the district's pre-K program in 2026-27 with more classrooms and campuses. The expansion will include a new program at West Cypress Hills Elementary and Lakeway Elementary, and additional classrooms at Serene Hills, Lake Travis and Lake Pointe elementaries.
 

Each school year, Austin-area school districts are tasked with meeting federal and state nutrition guidelines while serving meals that are appetizing to students.

These regulations, ranging from limits on sodium, sugar and fat, are intended to help prevent disease in the United States but can present challenges for districts who must attract students to generate funding, said Susan D'Amico, President of the Texas Association for School Nutrition.

“We don't get money for a meal unless a child takes it ... so we have to make the food appealing to students also," D'Amico said.

Something to note: Nationwide, Austin ISD has set a gold-standard for school nutrition through its scratch cooking and sourcing products from local farmers, said Stacie Sanchez Hare, director of No Kid Hungry Texas—a national nonprofit that advocates to end childhood hunger.

Dig deeper: Although federal and state funding covers the cost of meals for some students, No Kid Hungry and local nonprofits like Hungry Souls are partnering with school districts to address food insecurity experienced by families in Central Texas.

Fast-casual eatery Jason's Deli is celebrating its 50th anniversary by honoring the fresh food, people and communities that have defined the restaurant, officials announced in a Dec. 30 news release.

The background: The deli was founded in 1976 by Joe Tortorice Jr. in Beaumont and has since branched out to 114 Texas locations and 235 delis nationwide in 27 states, per the release.

What's new: According to the release, the eatery is celebrating its anniversary by spotlighting new soups during the National Soup Month of January, while also rolling out new items, including the Deli-Bration Cookie—a sugar cookie topped with sprinkles—and returning others.

In their own words: “Our 50th anniversary is about staying true to what’s made Jason’s Deli special since day one—thoughtfully prepared dishes, diverse selections and genuine care for the people we serve,” Clare Wilson, vice president of culinary and R&D at Jason’s Deli, said in the release.