To offset rising energy costs and do right by the environment, the Army Residence Community is installing a solar thermal power system that will use the sun’s energy to heat water. I produced this video to complement this print story about solar power.

Enchanted Springs Ranch in Boerne just began its Summer Chuck Wagon Dinner, where visitors can wander an Old West town, eat barbeque in the cowboy way, and try to avoid gun-toting bad guys.

Veracity Aviation is a new helicopter flight school based in New Braunfels. Owner Derrick Smith created the company after his former employer, Silver State Helicopters, went bankrupt.

John Lopez of JS Shop in Poteet makes ink pens from cow manure. He said he’ll never run out of supplies in South Texas.

Gifts Galore, a shop in Pleasanton, is well known for its chocolate tamales. Owner Catherine Brown said she came up with the recipe in a dream. The store seems double blessed, because it also survived a recent fire.

Neysayers said olives wouldn’t grow in Texas, but Sandy Oaks Olive Orchards in Elmendorf is one of the budding businesses that proved them wrong.

The city of Helotes hosted the first Helotes Live Music Marketplace, which included vendors and music, to promote the Old Town Helotes area and its businesses.