News & Updates
In Memoriam: A ‘Force of Nature,’ James Avery Took Texas Jewelry Business National
His studio was a two-car garage tucked into the Texas Hill Country, his techniques learned from a library book, and his designs inspired by a hard-won faith. From that humble start, James Avery created a signature jewelry line long recognizable for its handcrafted...
Travis County implements reclaimed water program to save water and tax dollars
Travis County is set to save an estimated 10 million gallons of water per year and also help save thousands of dollars in taxpayer money with its reclaimed water plan for cooling. During a press conference Tuesday, Commissioner Brigid Shea, whose district represents...
Solar Panels Vandalized at Confluence Park
When Confluence Park opened to the public in early March, those who poured time and money into the project hailed it as a new hub of environmental learning and appreciation. Less than eight weeks later, the solar panels in the small array atop the park’s classroom...
Private land conservation’s role in mitigating flood risk
There is little debate among scientists that our climate is changing, and in Texas that has meant ever-larger storm events resulting in catastrophic flooding. This Earth Day, we should take a moment to reflect on some potential solutions that can help our communities...
A North American Climate Boundary Has Shifted 140 Miles East Due to Global Warming
In the late 1800s, geologist and explorer John Wesley Powell first described a clear boundary running longitudinally through North America along the 100th meridian west that visibly separated the humid eastern part of the continent from the more arid western plains....
Asphalt is the last crop
Missed in the coverage of the recent release of the 2018 farm bill is an obscure program that will significantly impact the future of Texas. It is not a commodity program, nor does it deal with nutrition assistance. It is smaller in scope and cost than those programs,...
Texas Added Some 3 Million People Between 2010 and 2017. Here’s Where They Came From.
The constant drumbeat we hear from the national media is that Texas is the big destination inside the United States. More people are moving from other parts of the U.S. to Texas than to anywhere else. Related: New Census Data: Greater SA Home to 2 of Nation’s...
WTCPUA mulls Hamilton Pool Road water quality, The Backyard
Within a span of 24 hours, West Travis County Public Utility Agency board members hosted a town hall meeting, announced improvements slated for the coming year, approved water quality protections for the Hamilton Pool Road corridor and agreed to take a hard stance on...
Vulcan and TCEQ take heat at public hearing on concrete plant permit
Vulcan Materials has come under intense public criticism for its plan to open a concrete batch plant near a school in Kendall County, but The complaints came to a head last week at the agency’s public hearing on the requested permit for the plant, the final chance for...









