breakfast of champions

Texas Olympic superstar Simone Biles shares new Wheaties box cover with her legion of fans

Fans of the breakfast of champions — and actual champions — are in luck, as a Houston-born G.O.A.T. has landed on the cover of an iconic cereal brand.

Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, has once again graced the cover of Wheaties. The Texan G.O.A.T. revealed the box on her social media channels on Thursday, January 19. She first appeared on a Wheaties box cover in June 2022.

"It’s here!!! My second @wheatiescereal box is rolling out in stores now. Keep an eye out for the new design in a cereal aisle near you," she wrote on a post that netted more than 36,000 likes.

Biles unveiled the Wheaties box cover in Houston at an appropriately titled "Breakfast of Champions" event at the World Champions Centre in her hometown of Spring on Thursday. The event was hosted by Friends of the Children–Houston(Biles is an ambassador for the nonprofit), a group that helps children in the foster care system.

Friends of the Children's mission is especially dear to Biles, who was adopted by her grandparents and made a point to pose for photos with grinning young fans in the system. She participated in a Q&A session and was accompanied by her fiancé Jonathan Owens, a rising star safety for the Houston Texans.

"I am honored to be featured on my second Wheaties box and grateful for the opportunity to highlight Friends of the Children, an extraordinary organization that is working to make sure other youth have access to mentors and the support to dream big in life," Biles said at the event. "I hope my journey can be an example to all children that anything is possible, and I'm excited to help expand access to resources and mentorship in my hometown with the launch of the Friends of the Children—Houston chapter!"

Photo courtesy of Friends of the Children Houston

The most decorated gymnast in history has once again graced the cover of Wheaties.

Boasting seven Olympic gold medals, 25 World Championship medals, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded by President Joe Biden in 2022, Biles was the center of a global debate when she took a self-imposed break during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which raised awareness on the importance of mental self care. Her public crusade against convicted predator Larry Nassar shed light on the plight of victims everywhere.

Happily engaged to Owens and living her best life, she also launched a clothing line with athleisure brand Athleta.

Hit the Road

Austin City Council passes resolution over MoPac expansion concerns

Photo courtesy of KVUE

The City Council has taken issue with some environmental concerns and planning that may be outdated.

The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) has been looking to make improvements on MoPac Expressway South from Cesar Chavez Street to Slaughter Lane to try to improve traffic. It is looking to add up to four express toll lanes.

But the Austin City Council recently passed a resolution over its concerns with the project.

“[The resolution] tells the city manager to work with the CTRMA on the MoPac South Project. When you see state money being spent on projects that affect the local community, we want to make sure we are holding the highest standard possible," Councilmember Paige Ellis said.

Some of the concerns listed in the resolution include that it's been more than 11 years since CTRMA held its original scoping meeting; that the Recommended Build Alternative has not changed substantially since 2015; and that fine particulate matter in the air in Travis County already exceeds healthy metrics; plus others.

Ellis said she has some environmental concerns.

"The environment is protected for species like the golden cheeked warbler and salamanders, so we want to make we are sure limiting impervious cover," Ellis said.

The CTRMA said its environmental study evaluates potential harms and mitigations to things like water quality and endangered species. The CTRMA added that it has "worked extensively with the city of Austin throughout the study."

Read the full story, including information on how to submit feedback, and watch the video at KVUE.com. CultureMap has added a paragraph to this excerpt listing some details from the City Council document.