Real Estate Photographer in San Marcos, TX

San Marcos and Texas State University may see fewer electric scooters and bikes this summer, as the city could soon begin searching for a new vendor. Spin, the micromobility company behind the dockless scooter-share program, notified officials it plans to cease local operations by June 30, according to a news release.

The company cited low ridership and the impact of tariffs on parts and devices as reasons for ending its service, the news release states.

City and university officials are in talks with Spin to maintain service. If the company follows through with its departure, the city will begin selecting a new provider.

The overview

Spin launched in San Marcos in September 2021 through a partnership between the city and Texas State, the news release details. Since then, users have logged more than 322,000 rides. The most recent contract extension came in 2024 extending Spin to this June. City Council voted at its June 2 meeting to renew the agreement through 2026—offering Spin the opportunity to reconsider its exit.

“The micromobility program increases transportation options in San Marcos, reduces traffic congestion, and improves transportation equity,” Public Works Director Sabas Avila said in a news release. “We appreciate the partnership we’ve had with Spin and Texas State University ... and look forward to continuing the service, whether with Spin or a new vendor.”

What’s next

If Spin follows through with its exit, the city plans to secure a new vendor by the fall, aligning with the start of Texas State’s new semester.

Until a new vendor is secured, alternative transportation options include:

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Hooters in San Marcos closed on June 4.

What's happening

The restaurant is permanently closed, according to an automated voicemail from the location's phone number. The restaurant's social media pages have been deactivated, and the location has been removed from the Hooters website.

"After careful consideration of what is needed to best position our company for the future, Hooters made the difficult decision to close our San Marcos location, effective June 4, 2025," a company spokesperson said in a statement to Community Impact.

The statement went on to explain the move is part of the company's long-term goals to continue its "iconic legacy under a pure franchise business model."

"We are committed to supporting our impacted team members throughout this process and are incredibly grateful to our valued customers for their loyalty and dedication to the Hooters brand," officials said.

The background

Located next to Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, this was the only Hooters location in San Marcos. It opened in 2016.

Hooters has four locations in San Antonio, including one in Selma.

Hooters is a national chain that serves chicken wings, appetizers, burgers, salads and more.

Features Reporter

Sarah is a features reporter for the San Marcos/Buda/Kyle and Southwest Austin editions of Community Impact. She graduated from Texas State University with a degree in journalism in May 2023. She worked for the school's student-run newspaper, The University Star, for three years in roles such as life and arts reporter, life and arts editor, and managing editor. Before joining CI, Sarah was a health reporting intern for Texas Community Health News at Texas Public Radio in San Antonio. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading fiction books, listening to music and spending time with her family.

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This week has been nothing less than a "rollercoaster of emotions" for staff and students at a life-saving Texas facility. Many students have spent this past week scrambling to find housing and career alternatives after the Department of Labor announced a "phased pause" of 99 Job Corps campuses, set to take effect by June 30.

News spread quickly across the nation's largest Job Corps campus, located just outside of Austin in San Marcos. The 60-year-old Gary Center serves nearly 1,400 students enrolled, many of whom feared they’d be forced to pack up and leave earlier this week, the Center’s director told KVUE.

Job Corps Centers, federally-funded centers operating nationwide, were established as part of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 to offer free housing, job training and career assistance to low-income, at-risk people between ages 16 to 24.

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The initial decision to cease operations came after an internal review of the program’s outcomes and structure. The report, released by the department of Labor, noted a national graduation rate below 40% and highlighted what officials described as "serious incident reports" that raised red flags about program oversight.

"Job Corps was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education, training, and community," Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in the release. "However, a startling number of serious incident reports and our in-depth fiscal analysis reveal the program is no longer achieving the intended outcomes that students deserve."

But for Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra, President Donald Trump's administration rationale rings alarm bells.

" It's just so unfortunate that this population is who we choose to pull the rug out from under, especially with a 92% success rate [at Gary Job Corps],” Becerra said. "I'm not trying to be an alarmist, but it's not a good look to just pick up and throw out the most vulnerable among us because of some broad stroked budget cut."

He added, " Judging what Gary Job Corps is doing compared to the rest of the national average is like trying to get Texas temperature based on Alaska's thermometer."

However, the Trump administration's was dealt a major blow on Wednesday, June 4, when a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking the administration's move to eliminate Job Corps centers around the U.S. President Trump has been confronted with 303 active legal challenges that are halting his executive actions as of Thursday, June 5, according to Lawfare.

For 22-year-old Jessica, who, thanks to a TikTok, found Gary Job Corps after being kicked out of her Houston home and moved to San Marcos to restart her career, she finds herself in limbo.

"At first, I was really worried… How was I going to support myself?" she said. Now, with classes and operations resuming Friday, June 6, she says the lawsuit has renewed a glimmer of hope.

The Department of Labor is scheduled to appear in court on June 17.

The Gary Job Corps Center, a cornerstone of vocational training in central Texas, is slated to shut down by the end of the month, following a sweeping decision from the U.S. Department of Labor under the Trump administration to close centers nationwide.

The closure could leave 1,400 currently enrolled students and 500 staff members in the lurch in the San Marcos area, KVUE reported.

The 60-year-old Texas institution—home to the largest Job Corps campus in the U.S.—provides free educational and vocational training for hundreds of students in fields such as construction, automotive technology, cybersecurity and healthcare.

The closure is part of a broader effort from the U.S. Department of Labor, which announced last week that the Job Corps would halt operations nationwide. The move could close down dozens of centers across the country and displace thousands of students.

However, the future of these centers remains in limbo as a judge temporarily blocked this order, with an expected court hearing on June 17.

The U.S. Department of Labor decided to implement the nationwide closures after an internal review revealed lagging outcomes.

"Job Corps was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education, training, and community,” said U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer. "However, a startling number of serious incident reports and our in-depth fiscal analysis reveal the program is no longer achieving the intended outcomes that students deserve."

The cuts are in line with the Trump administration's efforts to drastically reduce the size of the federal workforce and slash federal spending.

The closures are expected to occur by June 30, 2025.

SAN MARCOS, Texas — A free education and vocational training program in San Marcos is closing after 60 years in operation. Gary Job Corps currently has about 800 students who are working to get their GEDs or technical training. The US Department of Labor says the decision was made to pause operations at several Job Corps centers across the country, including San Marcos, because students are not getting the results they deserve.

"My support structure was gone," said Michael Sanchez.

Sanchez lost both of his parents within a year of each other. He was left with very few options until he discovered the Gary Job Corps.

"It just completely altered the trajectory of my life," said Sanchez. "I was headed to prison or worse, guaranteed. There was no other way about that."

Sanchez graduated from the program and now works in the IT Department at Gary Job Corps. His success story is balanced by what the Department of Labor considers unacceptable results at Job Corps Centers nationwide.

According to the Department of Labor, the Job Corps program has faced significant financial challenges under its current operating structure.

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"In PY 2024, the program operated at a $140 million deficit, requiring the Biden administration to implement a pause in center operations to complete the program year. The deficit is projected to reach $213 million in PY 2025."

The news release announcing the pause in operations went on to state that the action reflects the Trump Administration's commitment to ensure federal workforce investments deliver meaningful results for both students and taxpayers.

The first Job Corps Transparency Report was released in April 2025. It analyzed the financial performance and operational costs of the most recently available program year, which was 2023.

"Let’s work to make it better instead of turning it off," said Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra.

"No organization is perfect. None, nowhere. So, the Gary Job Corps will have opportunities for improvement. Of course they will. But shutting it all down is not a good option. It is not a good resolution," said Becerra.

Sanchez is weeks away from losing his IT job at the Gary Job Corps Center. He says it would be fairer to students, staff, and taxpayers if each center were evaluated individually and given the opportunity to improve outcomes and operations.

"A lot of the students we deal with were already unsuccessful in traditional high school. We are successful with them here. So, oh well, the kids are only making $16 to $20 an hour when they graduate. Well, they were making nothing before they came here. They were a complete drain. They were headed in the direction I was going - to jail or something else," said Sanchez.

The pause in operations will occur by June 30. 800 students and several hundred staff will be impacted.