Real Estate Photographer in Dripping Springs, TX

Read about six business updates in Dripping Springs including new businesses and an anniversary.

Now Open

Rice and Oak Thai Texas Grill Kitchen

The Thai restaurant opened early this year in downtown Dripping Springs. Rice and Oak’s menu features woks, curries, rice bowls, shareables, soups and more. Rice and Oak is owned by Siwaphan Sampaotong. Sampaotong also operated the Aroi Thai food truck in Belterra from 2014 until 2025.

Coming soon

Hear in Texas

The New Braunfels-based audiology practice is opening a location in Dripping Springs at the Arbor Center. Owned by Sally and Carlos Miranda, Hear in Texas will offer a range of services, including hearing assessments, cognitive screenings, cochlear implants and tinnitus management.

In the news

The Barber Shop

Mercer Street’s local pub is celebrating 15 years of business in Dripping Springs. The business gets its name from the fact that it was previously a barber shop, but now the spot offers a selection of craft beer and wine rather than haircuts and shaves.Relocations

Capri Microblades

Licensed esthetician Capri Jentsch recently moved from Blushing Belle to a new spot off Old Fitzhugh Road to offer permanent makeup and paramedical tattooing. Services include lip blushing, permanent eyebrows and more.

Closings

Garbo’s

The Austin-based restaurant will close its Dripping Springs location almost two years after opening in April 2024. Garbo’s will still be serving its signature lobster rolls and more at its two additional brick-and-mortar locations in North Austin and ever-moving food trucks.

Juniper Tree Market

After five years, the market is closing in downtown Dripping Springs. Juniper Tree will continue to sell their jewelry, apparel and decor Friday through Sunday throughout January.

By Sienna Wight

Sienna is an Education Reporter covering Dripping Springs, San Marcos and Hays County ISDs. She joined Community Impact in September 2025 after serving as the Austin metro intern. Originally from Houston, Sienna moved to Austin in 2020 to study Writing and Rhetoric at St. Edward’s University. When she’s not writing, she is reading, cooking or hiking with her dog. Send tips to swight@communityimpact.com.

Editor

Elle joined Community Impact in November 2022 and is the editor of the Central and Southwest Austin editions of Community Impact. She previously covered Austin ISD, the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and all things Dripping Springs as a reporter. Elle graduated from St. Edward's University with a degree in communication and minors in journalism and Spanish. As a student, she served as editor-in-chief at Hilltop Views. Prior to CI, she interned at Austin Woman. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @byellebent.

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Become an InCIder

Several high school football players from Central Texas signed national letters of intent on Wednesday to play college football next season. The list includes nine players from Dripping Springs and eight from Lake Travis.

Although many top recruits signed in December, this was an opportunity for area players to sign in February. Among the notable players to sign were All-Central Texas offensive Player of the Year Trae Hill of Cedar Park (Abilene Christian), Vandegrift receiver Brock Chilton (Air Force) and Liberty Hill running back Jack Pitchford (TCU).

Here are more area stars playing at the next level:

Daniel Aganbi, DL, Lake Travis (Murray State)

Pierce Atkins, DL, Lake Travis, (St. Ambrose (Iowa) University)

John Ault, OL, Dripping Springs (Hardin-Simmons)

Merrick Bloomgren, WR, Dripping Springs (Air Force)

Dylan Brasher, LB, Dripping Springs (Tulane)

Trevin Candeh, LB, LBJ (Howard Payne)

Luke Carter, QB, Glenn (Carthage (Wis.) College)

Deshaun Castillo, WR, Vista Ridge (Texas Lutheran)

Brock Chilton, WR, Vandegrift (Air Force)

Kaden Cockburn, LB, Liberty Hill (Mary Hardin-Baylor)

Orrin Cole, LB, Liberty Hill (Mary Hardin-Baylor)

Victor Cruz, OL, Lake Travis (Texas Wesleyan)

De'marcus Davis, ATH, Glenn (Schreiner Univ.)

Braelon Deloatche, LB, Glenn (Angelo State)

Braydon Doane, PK/P, Lake Travis, (UTSA)

Bennett Eivens, OL, Vista Ridge (Rice)

Sam Fishman, OL, Lake Travis (Texas-Permian Basin)

Thomas Foote, LB, Vandegrift (Colorado School of Mines)

Zephaniah Franks, OL, Glenn (Angelo State)

Tyler Glowacz, OL, Bowie (Colorado Mesa Univ.)

Jaceton Gotta, RB, Dripping Springs (Hardin-Simmons)

Sean Grandusky, OL, Glenn (Midwestern State)

Braylen Griffin, DB, Lake Travis (Middle Tennessee State)

Louis Hickman, Jr., RB/WR, LBJ (Blinn College)

Trae Hill, RB, Cedar Park (Abilene Christian)

Vann Hopping, RB, Lake Travis (Yale)

Jayelen House, QB, LBJ (Tyler Junior College)

Malachi Igharo, C, Dripping Springs (Yale)

Kris Kershaw, OL, Hutto (MidAmerica (Kan.) Nazarene)

Daniel Killian, OL, Dripping Springs (Schreiner Univ.)

Jackson Lang, DE, Bowie (Tarleton State)

Mason Lastor, LB, Westlake (Southern Nazarene (Okla.) Univ.)

Carter Mannon, OL, Vandegrift (East Texas A&M)

Eric Mathews, OL, LBJ (Howard Payne)

Kyle Ortiz, RB, Glenn (Schreiner Univ.)

Wyatt Porowski, LB, Vista Ridge (Schreiner Univ.)

Ben Reed, WR, Vista Ridge (Midwestern State)

Ethan Schenk, OL, Vista Ridge Ridge (Colo. State-Pueblo)

Hunter Sims, DL, Liberty Hill (Mary Hardin-Baylor)

Daniel Simpson, OL, Liberty Hill (UTSA)

Javarlyn Smith, WR, LBJ (Howard Payne)

Samuel Sorto, DB, Hutto (Graceland (Iowa) Univ.)

Strider Stone, OL, Lake Travis (Texas Wesleyan)

Rohan Sturgeon, DE, Vandegrift (North Texas)

Miles Teodecki, QB, Vandegrift (Penn)

Deveon Toney, LB, Glenn (St. Ambrose (Iowa) Univ.)

Brutus Tortorice, DL, Glenn (Ottawa (Kan.) Univ.)

Colten Tripp, FS, Dripping Springs (Valparaiso)

Alex Vick, OL, Dripping Springs (Schreiner Univ.)

247Sports Embed Resource

TCU held their second Top Target Day on Sunday with close to 20 prospects making their way to the Fort Worth campus.

Among the visitors that made it to campus was Dripping Springs (TX) offensive lineman Hudson Whitenight. It was a return visit for the big lineman, who has already visited TCU multiple times during his recruitment.

Whitenight was impressed with his time on campus. He was particularly impressed with getting to talk more with new offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis and learn more about the offense he plans to utilize.

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FORT WORTH – TCU (13-8, 3-5) will continue its season Sunday at Colorado (12-9, 2-6) at 1 p.m. CT on TNT as well as TruTV and HBO Max.

NOTES

- The Horned Frogs are 4-3 away from Schollmaier Arena this season.

- TCU is looking for consecutive road wins for the first time since Dec. 24, 2023 (at Georgetown, at Hawaii).

- Of TCU's five Big 12 losses, three were by six points or less.

- According to ESPN's Power Index, TCU has the easiest remaining schedule among Big 12 teams.

- Sophomore David Punch leads the team in points (14.7) and rebounds (7.5).

- Punch is one of three players nationally averaging at least 14 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 2 blocks.

- Punch's 2.3 blocks per game ranks second in the Big 12 and 17th nationally.

- Punch ranks 11th in the Big 12 with 7.5 rebounds per game.

- Liutauras Lelevicius is TCU's top 3-point shooter at 41.9 percent. He is at 57.7 percent in Big 12 play.

- Jayden Pierre is TCU's top 3-point shooter at 41.1 percent. He has made a three in all but two games.

- Brock Harding ranks fourth in the Big 12 and 21st nationally with 6.3 assists per game.

- Harding has had five or more assists in every Big 12 game and 10-straight games overall.

- Harding has had five or more assists in 16 games this season, which ranks as the 10th most nationally.

- Harding ranks fifth in the Big 12 with 1.9 steals per game.

- Harding is one of three players in the Big 12 averaging at least 8 points, 6 assists and 1 steal.

- Xavier Edmonds has recorded three-straight double-doubles, the first TCU player since 2018 to do so.

- Edmonds is averaging 17.2 points and 8.8 rebounds in the last five games.

- Edmonds earned a spot on this week's Big 12 Starting Five.

- Tanner Toolson is leading the Big 12 in free throw percentage in Big 12 play at 90.9 percent.

- TCU ranks 24th nationally in KenPom's defensive efficiency rating at 98.3.

- TCU ranks third in the Big 12 with 14.3 turnovers forced per game.

- TCU ranks third in the Big 12 and 39th nationally in turnover margin at +3.0.

- TCU has had less than 10 turnovers in a game seven times this season.

- TCU ranks sixth in the Big 12 with 7.6 steals per game.

- TCU ranks third in the Big 12 and 28th nationally with 15.4 fastbreak points per game.

- TCU ranks second in the Big 12 and 19th nationally with 5.1 blocks per game.

- It is Jamie Dixon's 10th season with the Horned Frogs. His 517 career wins ranks 20th among active coaches.

- Dixon was inducted into the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame in August.

- Dixon is one of just 11 active head coaches who have made at least 15 appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

- Colorado is 12-9 overall and 2-6 in the Big 12 following its sixth-straight loss, a 97-67 defeat at No. 8 Iowa State on Thursday.

- The Buffaloes are led in scoring by Isaiah Johnson's 16.6 points per game which ranks 16th in the Big 12. Barrington Hargress is averaging 14.0 points and 4.5 assists. His assist/turnover ratio of 3.39 ranks fourth in the Big 12.

- Colorado ranks second in the Big 12 and 27th nationally in free throw percentage, shooting 77.1 percent from the line. The Buffaloes average just 9.9 turnovers per game, which ranks second in the Big 12.

SERIES HISTORY

- Colorado leads the all-time series 4-3.

- The Buffaloes won the series last season, 2-1. CU beat TCU, 69-67, in the first round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship on March 11, 2025. During the season, both teams defended their home court with TCU winning 68-57 and CU winning 76-56.

- TCU's last win in Boulder came on Dec. 3, 2008 with the score 62-46.

LAST TIME OUT

- TCU held Houston to 28.6 percent shooting in the second half but could not overcome a 13-point deficit at halftime in a 79-70 loss to the No. 10 Cougars on Wednesday.

- The difference came at the free throw line where Houston was 22-of-24 and TCU was 16-25.

UP NEXT

- TCU will host Kansas State on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 1 p.m. The game will air on TNT and at halftime, TCU will recognize the 40th anniversary of the 1986 Southwest Conference Championship team.

247Sports Embed Resource

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to include the correct construction totals. TDLR reports indicated H-E-B is building a $237 million Lubbock store and $150 million fuel station.

H-E-B’s long-rumored second Lubbock store just went from speculation to reality. New state filings reveal not only the size and scope of the grocery giant’s next move, but also when construction is expected to begin.

According to newly filed Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) records, H-E-B is planning a massive new grocery store, fuel station and car wash in Lubbock, with construction slated to begin in late 2026 and wrap up in 2027. All TDLR filings are subject to change without notice.

State records show H-E-B is constructing a 128,000-square-foot location in Lubbock, its second in the tortilla-loving West Texas town, as well as a 9,000-square-foot fuel station and car wash. TDLR filings list the projects costing $237 million and $150 million respectively. However, H-E-B clarified with MySA that construction totals are closer to $23 million for the store and $15 million for the fuel station/car wash, a combined $38 million project.

An H-E-B spokesperson confirmed the second location, but did not specify any details on the store's offering.

"While no construction date has been finalized, we are excited to serve more customers in Lubbock and surrounding areas with a new store," the spokesperson said in a statement to MySA.

Both projects are listed as privately funded, new construction developments on private land. Construction for each is scheduled to begin on December 21, with completion targeted for November 10, 2027, according to the TDLR filings.

The site sits near West Loop 289, across from Academy Sports + Outdoors and adjacent to an established shopping corridor, high-traffic area that would place the new store closer to thousands of west Lubbock residents.

H-E-B first entered the Lubbock market in 2020 with a flagship store that introduced features like curbside pickup, a gas station, car wash, True Texas BBQ and Texas Tech-branded merchandise.

While H-E-B has not yet announced the project publicly or confirmed what amenities the new store will include, the scale and cost outlined in the state records signal a major expansion of the grocer’s West Texas footprint.

Find it: 5805 19th St., Lubbock, TX 79407