Smokey Mo’s BBQ is marking 25 years of serving authentic Texas barbecue.
The backstory: The restaurant chain was founded in Cedar Park in July 2000 by Morris “Mo” and Lisa Melchor, a married couple who wanted to share their passion for classic Texas barbecue. The popularity of their first store led them to expand, and Smokey Mo’s now has 21 locations throughout Texas.
What they offer: The restaurant is known for its ribs, brisket, sausages and pork belly burnt ends, in addition to a wide range of sides from mac and cheese to potato salad. All meats are smoked in-house daily, according to the company’s website.
Bojangles, a southern chicken fast-food chain, is coming to Liberty Hill after City Council Sept. 24 approved a site plan for 1.58 acres.
The property in question is at 13003 Hwy. 29, according to agenda documents.
Two-minute impact: The drive-thru restaurant will be accessible from Hwy. 29, and it is part of the larger Heritage Ridge development in the surrounding area, according to the documents.
The restaurant will be within the city limits, and it is one of the properties in town where all available sales tax will go to the city, instead of being shared with the local emergency services district as is the case in some areas.
Texans have through Oct. 6 to register to vote in the Nov. 4 election
The Nov. 4 election is coming up, and so is the deadline to register to vote. Eligible Texans must register by Oct. 6 to cast votes in various local races and weigh in on 17 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution.
What to know: Texans who need to register to vote must submit a paper application. The application is available here and must be printed, signed and mailed to the election office in the voter’s county of residence.
Texas does not allow online voter registration, unless residents are updating, renewing or replacing a Texas driver’s license or ID card.
Zooming in: To be eligible to register to vote, an individual must:
Be a U.S. citizen
Reside in the county they apply to vote in
Be at least 18 years old by Election Day
Not have been declared mentally incapacitated without the right to vote by a court
Registered voters can check their voter registration status online at any time and update identifying information, such as their name and address, online through Oct. 6.
Thousands of Texas businesses barred from selling THC to customers under 21
Many Texas retailers can no longer sell consumable THC products to customers under 21 years old after the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission approved two emergency rules Sept. 23.
The overview: The new rules, which were drafted after Gov. Greg Abbott issued a Sept. 10 executive order requesting tighter THC regulations, apply only to retailers that sell alcohol. The rules state that businesses may not sell, serve or deliver consumable hemp products to minors and must check all customers' IDs before selling them THC products.
Zooming in: About 60,000 Texas businesses hold TABC licenses and will be prohibited from selling THC products to minors. Those businesses include bars, restaurants, liquor stores, grocery stores and some convenience stores.
However, the rule does not apply to THC retailers that do not sell alcohol or have a TABC license, such as smoke shops, gas stations or online sellers. The TABC and the Texas Department of State Health Services are working to determine how to best enforce age restrictions for THC retailers that do not sell alcohol, agency spokespeople said.
