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Mi Ranchito offers a "memory of Mexico" in South Austin
Between live oaks and picnic benches, Mi Ranchito sits on approximately two acres of land in South Austin. The family-owned and operated restaurant serves Mexican dishes, drinks and desserts.
Staying local: The Mi Ranchito team has been serving tacos and tamales in South Menchaca since 2004. Before Mi Ranchito opened its brick-and-mortar location, owners Celio and Leticia Najera operated a food truck of the same name just a few blocks away from their current location.
The new restaurant opened in November 2024, and is owned by Celio, Leticia and their daughter Erika.
What’s on the menu: The menu at Mi Ranchito features a range of hand-crafted dishes, from tacos, tamales and enchiladas to soups and salads. In addition to the expansive list of savory entrees, Mi ranchito also offers specialty espresso drinks, aguas frescas and paletas, which are frozen treats made with fresh fruit.
Check out these 20 new nonstop destinations from Austin’s airport
In August, the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport announced a series of new destinations and nonstop flights beginning this fall to locations both nationally and around the globe.
International
Amsterdam, Netherlands: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Calgary, Alberta: WestJet
Cancún, Mexico: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines
Frankfurt, Germany: Lufthansa
London, United Kingdom: British Airways
and more.
Domestic
Fort Lauderdale, Florida: JetBlue Airways, new service starts Nov. 20
Fort Myers, Florida: Southwest Airlines, new nonstop service starts March 2026
San Diego, California: Alaska Airlines, increased frequency starts Jan. 7
San Francisco, California: Southwest Airlines, new service started Aug. 5
and more
Find details on nonstop flights and services on the airport's website, and visit individual airline websites for ticketing information.
Water district serving cities of Buda, Kyle, others declares Stage 3 drought
Austin-area residents with water wells served by the Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer Conservation District must reduce groundwater pumping Oct. 1, with drought declared for the district in September.
What you need to know: These include the cities of Buda and Kyle, as well as individual well owners and water utilities.
What happened: The board of directors voted Sept. 11 to declare a Stage 3 exceptional drought for the second time in the board's 38-year history. The first time the board declared this level of drought was in December 2023, according to a news release from the board.
What's next? As a result, permitees must reduce the amount of water they are pumping from the aquifer by 30-100%, based on the type of permit they hold. The portion of the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers managed by the board is estimated to serve about 100,000 people.
8 new mobile STEM labs to visit 270 Texas schools this school year
Education in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, may become more accessible for Texas public school students this school year.
What happened: Officials from national education nonprofit Learning Undefeated and the Texas Education Agency celebrated the opening of eight new mobile STEM labs at a Sept. 10 ribbon-cutting ceremony in Austin. The TEA-funded labs are expected to visit 270 school districts across the state in the 2025-26 school year.
Notable quote: “In an ever-changing world, access to STEM education remains critical to help prepare our students for career pathways and lifelong success,” said Alejando Delgado, TEA deputy commissioner of operations.
The overview: Learning Undefeated built eight new mobile STEM labs after receiving a $3.5 million grant from the TEA, according to Learning Defeated information. The organization opened its first mobile STEM lab in Texas in 2020.
The nine regionally-based labs will now visit elementary and middle school campuses across the state’s 20 educational service center regions. Kindergarten through eighth grade students may participate in a variety of STEM activities to learn engineering design.
New Worlds Conference returns to Austin, taking attendees through the future of space
Austin locals and visitors alike can venture to space with EarthLight Foundation’s annual New Worlds Conference, combining all things science, exploration, technology, art, music and literature and their connection with space exploration.
What to know: From Oct. 23-25, community members can engage with a variety of interactive activities, speakers and more while learning about space exploration and connecting with like-minded individuals.
The three-day event will feature a mix of TED-style sessions showcasing topics from national space policy and space biomedicine to private space stations, cloud cities on Venus, farming on the moon and the ethics of artificial intelligence-human partnerships.
What else?: In addition to the conference’s presentations, attendees will have the chance to get to know 10 early-stage NewSpace startups as well as visionary university students competing in Space Tank, a showcase for emerging ventures to gain visibility, mentorship and community.
The finale: After two days of learning and building community, participants will enjoy an evening of ceremony, costume party, concert and fundraising at the conference’s Space Cowboy Ball.
