Local news | Hill Country News

City of Round Rock officials and community members cut the ribbon on the newly expanded Round Rock Sports Center during a ceremony held Nov. 17, 2025. The $17.5 million project added 25,000 square feet, including additional courts, championship seating, and expanded parking.

Round Rock sports center expansion completed before year’s end

ROUND ROCK, Texas — The City of Round Rock wrapped up an expansion of the Round Rock Sports Center in November, capping off one of its key quality-of-life projects before the end of 2025. The … more

Staff Reports | 1/8/26

Toll increases take effect across Central Texas roads

Toll rates across Central Texas increased on Jan. 1, 2026, following the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority's (CTRMA) annual adjustment tied to inflation. Most drivers will see toll increases … more

Staff Reports | 1/8/26

The Austin area ranked No. 3 nationally in the 2025 U-Haul Growth Index, which tracks one-way moves. The metro’s rise was fueled by migration into cities such as Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville and Georgetown.

Austin ranks No. 3 as Texas dominates U-Haul moving list

Austin rose to No. 3 on the 2025 U-Haul Growth Index, marking a continued surge in one-way migration to Central Texas. The ranking, based on more than 2.5 million customer transactions across the … more

Staff Reports | 1/8/26

Austin Energy crews work on high-voltage equipment as part of the utility’s ongoing infrastructure upgrades aimed at improving grid reliability and resilience.

Austin Energy unveils $735 million grid resiliency plan

Austin Energy has announced a 10-year, $735 million plan to strengthen the city’s electric grid against extreme weather and other disruptions. The Electric System Resiliency Plan (ESRP) aims to … more

Staff Reports | 1/8/26

Round Rock ISD's Bland named ISSA emerging leader

ROUND ROCK — Quincy Bland, Round Rock ISD’s director of custodial services and waste management, has been named to the International Sanitary Supply Association's (ISSA) Emerging Leaders Class of … more

Staff Reports | 1/1/26

Ryan Bownds (second from left) with members of the Williamson County District Attorney’s Office.

Wilco Prosecutor Earns Justice Honor from Children’s Advocacy Center

GEORGETOWN, Texas — Ryan Bownds, chief of the Special Victims Unit in the Williamson County District Attorney’s Office, has received the 2025 Excellence in Justice Award from the Williamson … more

Staff Reports | 1/1/26

Faubion Elementary, one of Leander ISD’s oldest campuses, will close after the 2025–26 school year as part of a districtwide consolidation plan.

Faubion Elementary to close in 2026 as LISD responds to budget crisis

Leander ISD will close Faubion Elementary after the 2025–26 school year, marking the district’s first school consolidation as it works to address a $13 million budget deficit. The decision, … more

Staff Reports | 1/1/26

Bags of gifts and bicycles await pickup during Round Rock High School’s Spirit of Giving Gathering, an annual student-led event supporting local families.

Round Rock HS students rally for families in holiday giving drive

ROUND ROCK, Texas — Students at Round Rock High School brought holiday cheer to local families through the campus’s third annual Spirit of Giving Gathering, an event that has grown in both scale … more

Staff Reports | 1/1/26

New overhead signs direct drivers toward the soon-to-open northbound 183A Toll express lanes and the eastbound exit to RM 620 and SH 45, as seen on December 26, 2025 in North Austin. Delineator posts now separate the tolled lanes from general traffic ahead of the January 2026 launch.

Northbound 183 Express lanes to open in January

AUSTIN — The long-anticipated 183 North Mobility Project is nearing a major milestone, with northbound express toll lanes set to open before Jan. 10, 2026. The $612 million expansion aims to ease … more

Staff Reports | 1/1/26

Williamson County jury gives life term in child sex abuse case

GEORGETOWN, Texas — An Austin man convicted of sexually abusing a child under his care was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole by a Williamson County jury on Dec. 17. … more

Staff Reports | 12/25/25

Creative 3D Technologies Inc. founder Ethan Baehrend poses with the company's technology. The company builds additive manufacturing devices and is moving its HQ to Cedar Park.

Startup Creative 3D Technologies relocates to Cedar Park

CEDAR PARK, Texas — Creative 3D Technologies, an Austin-based 3D-printing startup, has relocated its headquarters and manufacturing operations to Cedar Park, the city announced last Friday. … more

Staff Reports | 12/25/25

Central Texas homebuyers appear to regain confidence as pending sales rise

AUSTIN — Homebuyers in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos region showed renewed interest in November despite the seasonal lull, with pending sales climbing 4.5% year over year, according to the … more

Staff Reports | 12/25/25

Texas touts job growth despite modest September gains

AUSTIN — Texas leaders highlighted continued job and labor force growth in its September report, released this week, but the state’s monthly gain of 4,600 nonfarm positions — in a state of … more

Staff Reports | 12/18/25

Leander ISD board meetings to relocate in 2026

Leander ISD will shift the location of its Board of Trustees meetings to the Lippe Instructional Materials Center beginning in January 2026. The new meeting site is located at 1775 W. New Hope Dr., … more

Staff Reports | 12/18/25

WCRAS team members stand beside a newly installed Reunion Station outside the Anchor Bar in Round Rock on Dec. 11, 2025. The bright yellow stations help community members scan lost pets for microchips and contact owners directly.

Reunion stations help reunite lost pets in Round Rock

The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter has begun rolling out "Reunion Stations" across Round Rock in an effort to reunite lost pets with their owners without requiring shelter intake or police … more

Staff Reports | 12/18/25

Members of Westwood High School’s Computer Science Club gather in the main hallway with a ceremonial check presented by Spike, a Harvard-founded tech startup, after winning a national prediction market competition.

Westwood computer science club wins national tech competition

AUSTIN — Westwood High School’s Computer Science Club has won a nationwide student tech competition hosted by Spike, an investing platform launched by Harvard University students. The … more

Staff Reports | 12/18/25

Austin Energy Employee Routed Nearly $1M to Fake Vendors

A former Austin Energy employee is accused of defrauding the City of Austin of nearly $1 million by routing payments to fictitious vendors over a six-year period. According to a report released … more

Staff Reports | 12/18/25

Deputy Superintendent Chris Clark was appointed acting superintendent at last Thursday's board meeting.

Clark Named Acting Superintendent After Gearing's Retirement

LEANDER, Texas — Leander ISD has appointed Deputy Superintendent Chris Clark as acting superintendent following the retirement of Bruce Gearing, who led the district for six years. In a 6-1 … more

Staff Reports | 12/18/25

Gov. Greg Abbott, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan, Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport CEO Ghizlane Badawi announce the airline's Austin expansion, expected to create 2,000 new jobs, on Dec. 12, 2025.

Southwest Airlines will bring 2,000 new jobs to Austin as city works to expand crowded airport

Southwest Airlines is building a new crew base for pilots and flight attendants that will bring 2,000 new jobs to Austin as part of an economic development agreement struck between the company, the … more

Paul Cobler, The Texas Tribune | 12/18/25

Williamson County to launch suicide survivor outreach program

Williamson County is finalizing plans to implement a Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors (L.O.S.S.) program that will deliver immediate, on-site support to those grieving a recent suicide. The … more

Staff Reports | 12/18/25

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