Bertram Mayor Michael Dickinson will resign effective Jan. 21 for health reasons. Mayor Pro‑Tem John Baladez will run city business until the May election.

Austin Parks plans prescribed burns on the east side of Lake Walter E. Long to reduce wildfire risk and restore prairie. Expect visible smoke near SH 130 and FM 973.

Metal straps bolted into Brazos Street planters sparked online alarm and prompted a city investigation into an apparently unpermitted installation.

Santa Rita Ranch sold 483 new homes in 2025 and ranked No. 29 nationally, driven by a mix of housing options, schools and resort‑style amenities. The Liberty Hill community remains Austin’s top‑selling master‑planned neighborhood.

An 85‑acre mixed‑use plan would add up to 425 homes and 10 acres of retail to Georgetown’s Hwy. 195 corridor. Final city vote is set for Jan. 27.

Federal prosecutors apologized after officials deported a Babson College freshman from Boston to Honduras in violation of a judge’s order. The judge suggested a student visa as one potential fix.

A One Dumplings & Noodle Bar reopened in Bee Cave in mid‑December, bringing soup dumplings, baos and noodle bowls back to the Highway 71 strip.

Austin police investigate the city's fifth homicide after Seferino Hernandez-Perez was found dead following gunshots on S. Meadows Drive.

A 17-year-old was found being held against her will at a Uhland home; three people were arrested on aggravated-kidnapping and related charges.

Austin ISD released new stop‑arm camera clips that it says show Waymo robotaxis driving past buses with stop arms extended, prompting fresh federal scrutiny. The district has asked Waymo to pause service during school‑run hours and regulators want answers by Jan. 20.

A new downtown pilot pairs a clinician, paramedic and crisis-trained officer to respond to urgent 911 mental-health calls. Officials say the team has helped about 100 people so far.

The Texas DPS commemorates National AMBER Alert Day, stressing the importance of its Statewide Alert Program in protecting children and urging public vigilance.

New Jersey-based Ugly Dumpling will open its first Texas restaurant at The Arboretum, serving xiao long bao, dim sum and noodles. The team is targeting a late January or early February opening.