City and county officials, community members, and representatives from Ascension gathered Aug. 21 to celebrate the opening of an expansion to the health care system’s Williamson County hospital.

About the project: Ascension first broke ground on the project in September 2024, and the patient tower took just under two years to build.

The 216,000 square-foot, six-story tower will allow staff to take on the increased demand for care, hospital President Andrew Gnann said.

The expanded tower added 96 additional beds to the hospital, and has capacity for up to 160 beds. This would bring the total number of beds at the hospital to 341.

The tower, which opens Sept. 1, also has:

• Two new operating rooms

• An additional MRI

• A new catheterization lab

• A new observation unit

• An expanded emergency room

What they’re saying: Speakers highlighted the history of the hospital, which is built on land donated by the Avery and Nelson families and largely funded by local philanthropy.

A new 900-home single-family community is soon to be under construction near Rockride Lane and CR 110, with completed homes expected to be available for purchase in 2027, according to representative for developer Risewell Homes.

About the project: Homes in the Starling community will range in size from 1,700-3,600 square feet, have three to five bedrooms and two to four bathrooms, per the developer. Each home will also have either a two- or three-car garage.

Price ranges are not yet available for homes.

What's next: Construction will break ground in the next couple of months, around September or October, per the representative.

Check out these trending stories from the Austin area Aug. 17-20. 

1. The Farm Fresh Network brings locally grown food to Texas schools

2. Hutto, Williamson County poised for $674M Blue Origin facility

3. Eagles Nest Street extension moves forward in Round Rock

4. 4 changes Bastrop drivers should know near Sendero, Burleson Crossing

5. Local Georgetown bakery celebrates 5-year anniversary

6. New Braunfels ISD receives 'B' rating from TEA for the 2025-26 school year

Incumbent state Rep. Caroline Harris Davila, R-Round Rock, will face Democratic challenger Chris Jimenez in the race to represent District 52 in the Texas House of Representatives.

District 52 primarily consists of a large portion of Williamson County.

What to bring to the polls: Voters should bring a photo ID with them to the polls. According to the Texas Secretary of State's office, acceptable forms of photo ID include:

• Texas driver's license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)

• Texas election identification certificate issued by DPS

• Texas personal identification card issued by DPS

• Texas handgun license issued by DPS

• U.S. Military identification card containing the person’s photograph

• U.S. citizenship certificate containing the person’s photograph

• U.S. passport (book or card)

The last day to register to vote is Oct. 5, and early voting begins Oct. 19.

A quick note: The candidates submitted responses to questions from Community Impact ahead of the Nov. 3 election.