Leander’s latest addition along the 183A Toll Frontage Road is now open, as The Home Depot officially opened its doors April 23.

What they offer: The Home Depot bills itself as "the world's largest home improvement retailer." It offers a wide variety of tools, appliances, building materials, paint, gardening supplies and more. It also offers services including truck, tool and large equipment rentals.

Also of note: The Home Depot held a ribbon cutting ceremony April 22. Attendees included local elected officials, representatives of the Leander Chamber of Commerce and community groups like Scouting America.

• 9541 183A Toll Frontage Road, Leander

A surgeon with Ascension Seton Cedar Park performed the Austin area's first single-port robotic-assisted colorectal procedure, according to a news release.

The overview: Dr. Amar Shah, a board-certified colon and rectal surgeon, performed the "landmark" surgery, according to the release. It was a single-port procedure, meaning that only one incision was made.

While robotic-assisted surgery was initially cleared for use in general laparoscopic surgery by the Food and Drug Administration in 2000, this technology was recently approved for rectal and transabdominal procedures.

The technology can now be used for a variety of colorectal procedures, including tumor removal, according to the release.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport officials announced May 24 that its newest airline partner, Cayman Airways, will offer a seasonal nonstop route between Austin and Owen Roberts International Airport in the Cayman Islands through August.

The details: According to officials, the route is Cayman Airways' only nonstop service from Texas. The route will operate on Sundays weekly through Aug. 16 on a Boeing 737-8 aircraft and feature:

• 160 seats, including a Business Class cabin
• Free carry-on bag and personal item
• Complimentary meals and the airline's signature Seven Fathoms Rum Punch
• Free streaming inflight entertainment
• Device charging at every seat

Check out the latest transportation updates across the Austin metro.

Upcoming projects
CR 175 widening
Project: The project will widen south of Creek Meadow Cove to RM 2243 in Leander, and is expected to improve capacity and regional connectivity.
Update: Phase 2 preliminary design is complete, and design completion is expected later this year.

• Timeline: 2027-28

• Cost: $42.8 million

• Funding source: 2023 road bond

Completed projects
Hwy. 71 and Uplands Ridge Drive signal
Project: The new signalized light provides easier access to and from the H-E-B in Bee Cave for those traveling east or west on Hwy. 71 through a protected turn in and out of The Uplands neighborhood.
Update: The new traffic light was activated in May. 

• Timeline: completed mid-May

• Cost: not available as of press time

• Funding source: TxDOT

Texas’ sweeping immigration enforcement law can take effect for now, a federal appeals court ruled May 29.

The background: Senate Bill 4 gives Texas officials the unprecedented authority to arrest and deport migrants suspected of crossing the Texas-Mexico border illegally. State lawmakers passed the measure in late 2023, and it has largely been tied up in court since.

The latest: In an unpublished order May 29, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowed SB 4 to take effect as the case continues, lifting a lower court order that had blocked portions of the law. 

What they're saying: In a joint statement, a trio of civil rights groups decried the May 29 decision as “disappointing and out of step with the Constitution,” saying that they would continue to fight the law in court.

Gov. Greg Abbott celebrated the order as a “major border security victory.” State agencies have not detailed their plans to arrest, detain or deport migrants under SB 4.