Plans for a new certified fire training facility in New Braunfels are moving forward with additional support from Comal County’s Emergency Services District No. 7.

New Braunfels City Council approved an interlocal agreement with Comal County to fund the project’s final phase during a regular meeting Jan. 12.

About the project: The final phase of the training facility will replicate real-world fire scenarios firefighters may encounter across the city and within ESD 7, New Braunfels Fire Chief Ruy Lozano said.

The planned site will feature a five-story burn prop for live-fire simulations, along with a two-story “mock city” environment that allows crews to practice navigating a variety of emergency scenarios. An apparatus bay will support equipment storage and on-site training operations, Lozano said.

Assessing the need: The training facility addresses a major challenge. While structure fires make up a smaller share of overall call volume, they are considered low-frequency, high-acuity incidents—which need consistent, extensive and realistic training, Lozano said.

The Daiquiri Depot, located at 311 FM 306, Ste. 1A, rebranded to Sip Society + Daiquiri Depot on Feb. 2, owner Jordan Matt told Community Impact.

What’s new: The name change follows the addition of Sip Society's new coffee bar and themed seating area. 

“My kids were my inspiration for the merger and to do a new brand,” she said. “I wanted to make it a one-stop shop for beverages.”

Looking for a libation? Sip Society's coffee beans are locally sourced from New Braunfels-based Texas Artisan Roasters, Matt said. The menu also includes a wide variety of dirty sodas, matcha, boba tea and more.

The Daiquiri Depot side of the shop is still serving Texas-style frozen daiquiris, from the Gruene Rapids to the Sweet Magnolia, Matt said.

• 311 FM 306, Ste. 1A, New Braunfels

Texas families can soon apply to receive state funds for private education or homeschooling under the state’s new education savings account program, known as Texas Education Freedom Accounts.

What's happening: The application opened at 9 a.m. Feb. 4 and is designed to be completed in about 15 minutes, according to the state comptroller’s office. Families can apply through 11:59 p.m. March 17.

Parents must submit information about their family's residency, household income, their children's educational history and each child's special education status, if applicable.

The details: To be eligible for the program, students must:

• Reside in Texas
• Be U.S. citizens or lawful residents
• Be eligible to attend a Texas public school, open-enrollment charter school or pre-K program

In the upcoming March 3 primary elections, Texas voters will have the opportunity to nominate their chosen candidates for the November midterm election. From top state officials to county commissioners, primary elections shape who is ultimately elected to dozens of seats, driving the future direction of the Lone Star State.

Yet less than one-fifth of registered Texas voters participated in recent primary elections, data from the secretary of state’s office shows.

The big picture: March Matters, a group that works to get more Texans to the primary polls, found that 146 of Texas’ 150 state House races were effectively decided during the 2022 primaries, with just four competitive seats during that year’s midterm election.

Data also shows that primary voters tend to be older and represent the more extreme wings of their political parties.

What they're saying: "When primary voter turnout is so small, when only a fraction of voters are voting, your vote counts more,” said Mark Strama, who leads the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at the University of Texas.