News & Updates
Hill Country Dark Skies
"You don't have to tell me about it." This was the start of a conversation with a prominent Fredericksburg resident. "My neighbor has two floodlights on his garage that light up my windows all night." Another well-established Fredericksburg businessman said it this...
Trump taps Susan Combs for Interior Department post
Former Texas Comptroller Susan Combs is joining the Trump administration as an assistant secretary of the interior for policy, management and budget. The nomination of Combs — subject to U.S. Senate confirmation — was announced by the White House Monday evening. If...
Towns sell their public water systems — and come to regret it
This hard-luck town just south of Chicago is weighing a decision confronting many small and midsize cities with shrinking populations and chronic budget deficits: whether to sell the public water system to a for-profit corporation. Lake Station desperately needs the...
Heavy sprinkler use causes boil advisory in neighborhood near New Braunfels
Residents of a gated community northwest of New Braunfels are under a boil water notice because of heavy sprinkler use, according to New Braunfels Utilities. People in the Copper Ridge subdivision off of Texas 46 must boil water until further notice before drinking,...
Owners of 100-year-old farm worry about new highway route
The Texas Department of Transportation has recommended a new route for State Highway 29 in Williamson County after a two year study. After studying an area surrounding the current route from Southwestern Boulevard to SH 95, TxDOT said the area often floods, there are...
Hill Top Cafe targeted by TCEQ
The Hill Top Café, the popular eatery located 10 miles northwest of Fredericksburg, has faced a series of violations from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) over the past four years. Johnny Nicholas, who purchased the venue with his late wife,...
Abbott signs hot air balloon hog hunting bill in spite of warning that it could be a “catastrophe”
Wild hogs and hot air balloons aren't a good mix, wrote one Republican lawmaker to Gov. Greg Abbott in May, trying to convince the governor to veto a bill he said could create a "future catastrophe." The request seemingly fell on deaf ears; Abbott signed the...
Glass-bottom boats in San Marcos being restored for future tours
The ecosystem that lives in the clear waters of Spring Lake in San Marcos is magical but can be hard to see if you’re just standing by the shore. At the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, glass-bottom boats can give you the experience of seeing what happens...
Invasive Zebra mussels found in Lake Travis, Texas wildlife officials say
Zebra mussels, which have seriously affected the economy, environment and recreation on Texas reservoirs and rivers, have been found in Lake Travis, state wildlife officials said Tuesday. Biologists from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Lower Colorado...