The top three buzzwords in Gillespie County in 2025 were BESS, development and flooding. The Standard-Radio Post’s year-end review highlights battery energy storage systems that are encroaching on county land with little to no state regulation. It also shows how the community can have an impact on government, when it lobbies for clean water and less development. The annual look back on the year also showed the strength of Gillespie County in its response to natural disasters.