City crews will install traffic light arms at two intersections of the Wyoming Springs Drive extension in the next few weeks. 

The details: As the road project to extend Wyoming Springs to Old Settlers Boulevard progresses, crews will add traffic signal arms at its intersections with Creek Bend Boulevard and Old Settlers Blvd., per an April 1 update from the city of Round Rock. 

About the project: Extending Wyoming Springs between Creek Bend Blvd. and Old Settlers Blvd. is intended to enhance connectivity and reduce traffic congestion in western Round Rock, as previously reported by Community Impact. 

Cost to the city: The $29.7 million road project is funded through a combination of sales tax revenue, city-issued bonds and the Williamson County Road Bond program.

Book Drive for Kids is celebrating half a decade of operation in the Austin area this spring, said Brooke Terry, director of the Austin chapter.

How it works: The nonprofit expanded to Austin in April 2021, hosting free book fairs at Title I and low-income elementary schools. April 15 marks the organization's fifth anniversary since its inaugural distribution event.

Book fairs through the nonprofit are free for all students and schools.

Why it matters: Terry founded the organization to promote literacy by providing access to books for children enrolled in low-income schools. In half a decade, Book Drive for Kids has distributed over 50,000 books to homes and classrooms in the Austin area. During the 2024-2025 school year, the nonprofit organization helped nearly 6,500 children, including Title I students, foster care children and at-risk youth. Currently, nearly 7,000 students are on a waitlist for a free book fair, Terry said.

From high school sports amenities to more parks and stores, here are five of the most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Titan NorthPark IX in Georgetown ($18 million): A 281,213-square-foot warehouse shell building will be built.

2. West Bastrop Village Pond Park ($2.6 million): The 106,000-square-foot park will offer sidewalks, athletic courts, playgrounds and open green space.

3. Gattis Retail Center Bldg 2 and 3 in Round Rock ($2.4 million): Developers will build two shell buildings on a roughly nine-acre tract of land as part of a future retail center.

4. Hendrickson HS Turf Field & Pond Design in Pflugerville ($2 million): Hendrickson High School will replace its existing baseball and softball fields with artificial turf fields. The project will feature a new drainage system and modification of the existing detention pond.

5. Eldorado Expansion in Austin ($1.5 million): Eldorado Cafe will add 4,402 square feet in restaurant space after becoming the tenant of an adjacent suite.

Funding for Texas’ education savings account program is expected to dry up before it reaches all low-income applicants, the state comptroller’s office announced April 2.

The overview: More than a quarter of a million students applied for the first year of Texas Education Freedom Accounts, which will give participating families access to state funds to send their children to private school or homeschool them.

The details: Most eligible students will be placed on a waitlist for the 2026-27 school year, as the $1 billion program is expected to serve between 90,000 and 100,000 students. State officials said all funds are expected to go to students with disabilities, their siblings and children from low-income families.

The state will use a four-tier, randomized lottery system to determine who is accepted. Once funding runs out, the remaining students will be placed on a waitlist.

How it works: Students with disabilities can receive up to $30,000 each in ESA funding, depending on their individual needs. Other accepted students will receive $10,474 for private education or $2,000 for homeschooling.

Three medical cannabis businesses have been conditionally approved to participate in the Texas Compassionate Use Program, state officials announced April 1.

The big picture: The companies received conditional licenses from the Texas Department of Public Safety in an effort to expand access to medical cannabis products. Under the compassionate use program, physicians can prescribe medical-grade, low-THC products to eligible patients in partnership with licensed dispensaries.

Zooming in: Two of the three businesses given conditional licenses April 1 are affiliated with existing medical cannabis dispensaries that work in several other states. The new licensees are:

• GTI Texas, LLC (doing business as RISE Dispensaries) in West Texas

• Cresco Labs Texas, LLC in East Texas

• Texas Medica Collective, LLC in Northeast Texas

Conditional licensees must pass additional state evaluations before they can begin operating, according to the DPS.

More context: As Texas expands its medical cannabis program, the state is also tightening restrictions on the multibillion-dollar consumable hemp industry, Community Impact reported.