Owner and self-proclaimed pitmaestro Rico Smith started sharing his barbecue skills with the community while he was working at Texas Roadhouse. Throughout the 2014 summertime, Smith crafted his meals in his apartment complex and his brother made deliveries.

In 2017, Smith officially left the restaurant business and put his money together to buy the food truck which houses Down South Texas BBQ on Howard Lane today.

Growing up with a Jamaican and Alabama background, Smith said it was important for him to bring some of his family’s culture to the truck. One of the truck’s unique items is its smoked oxtails which take 16 hours to cook.

Diners can order meats by the pound, plates, sammiches, tacos, nachos and Southern sides. Available meats include brisket, spare ribs, pulled pork, smoked turkey and hot links. The sides, which are mostly made by Smith’s brother, include collard greens, macaroni and cheese, barbecue beans, potato salad and corn on the cob.

• 1716 W. Howard Lane, Austin

Austin City Council approved a program to provide an economic development incentive to the South Korean genetic testing company 3billion for the company's American branch, which is coming to far northwest Austin near Cedar Park.

Austin City Council voted in favor of the incentive at its Feb. 5 meeting, with council member Ryan Alter voting "no."

The details: The program will award $1,000 to 3billion US for every job the company hires in Austin. In documents provided to City Council, Austin Economic Development staff said they estimate the city will award $200,000 to the company over a 10-year period. The documents said the company will create 200 full-time jobs in Austin with an average salary of $95,000.

Round Rock ISD will celebrate the opening of its employee health clinic, the 4YOU Health Center, this month, about a year after the district first considered it as a cost containment measure for its self-funded health care plan.

How we got here: The district's board of trustees first entertained discussion of a clinic geared toward its employees in February 2025. The idea, Chief of Human Resources Eddie Curran said, would be to provide the same services employees receive through their primary care doctors but at a fraction of the cost as the district observed a 15% increase in health care costs from 2021 to 2025. 

The board later approved a contract in August with Marathon Health to run the clinic. 

In a nutshell: The worksite clinic will provide in-house medical services to RRISD employees, Curran said last year.

Williamson County officials are exploring alternative options for voter polling locations in the city of Hutto, with the county-owned Hutto Annex building still undergoing renovations and potentially for sale.

Hutto City Council denied the county use of City Hall for early voting and election day in the upcoming March primaries unless other options are first exhausted.

What’s happening: At a Jan. 22 Hutto City Council meeting, Williamson County Elections Administrator Bridgette Escobedo requested use of Hutto City Hall as a polling location. The city and county previously partnered in May and November 2025 to use the site for voting.

Hutto council members voted to use City Hall as a last resort option, stipulating that the county should consider local churches and the Hutto Annex building first.

Some context: The Hutto Annex building is a county-owned facility that is currently undergoing renovations. Williamson County Facilities Director Dale Butler said that renovations could last another month or two, making the building “not in a usable space.”