Austin's racquet sports scene has seen a surge in popularity over the last several years as more pickleball and padel facilities have opened or announced new locations across the metro, offering clinics, drop-in play, tournaments and a variety of community amenities.

Pickleball Grove
The facility will feature eight indoor pickleball courts, four of which are built for tournament championship games; four outdoor pickleball courts; and three indoor padel courts. Other amenities will include PlaySight cameras on each court and lessons from certified coaches.

• Opening in 2026
• 5411 Reimers Peacock Road, Spicewood

• 8201 N. RM 620, Ste. 130, Austin

• 511 Industrial Blvd., Austin

Austin Energy is planning for operational challenges and potential billing increases as new data centers with growing electric power needs are established in the region.

What residents should know: City officials said the scope and speed of proposed developments like data centers carry "significant challenges" for the public power utility given the amount of power they could end up using. Similar impacts are being felt statewide, with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, projecting its peak demand to nearly double by 2028 largely due to data center additions.

It remains to be seen how many major data center plans will materialize around Austin in the near future. The addition of large users to the grid could end up impacting AE's electricity rates as those facilities come online, officials said. For now, major users will not be added until upgrades to protect current customers are complete.

We Are Blood is encouraging Central Texas to kick off the new year by donating blood at a local hospital.

The overview: In honor of its 75th anniversary, the organization will host its Partners for Patients event from Jan. 2-9 at nearly 20 hospitals and emergency medical service agencies across Central Texas. The blood drive campaign, held during National Blood Donor Month, is intended to combat blood shortages experienced during and after the holidays, according to We Are Blood information.

How it works: Interested participants can sign up for a time slot to donate blood at several locations from Jan. 2-9.

Why it matters: “During the holidays, emergencies do not slow down,” said Davis Winget, Williamson County clinical practices captain, in a news release. “As first responders, we see firsthand how donated blood saves lives every day. Partnering with We Are Blood helps ensure patients have what they need when it matters most.”