Church of Whitestone, located inside The Crossover is undergoing renovations to include new classrooms for the Whitestone Kids ministry and new offices for the staff.

Learn more: Services will not be impacted during the construction, according to a spokesperson from the church.

The Church of Whitestone also recently celebrated its two-year anniversary. The church is led by Tauren and Lorna Wells, who serve as the lead pastors, according to the church website.

• 1717 Scottsdale Drive, Leander

Exterior home painting service Paint Pro is now serving the Cedar Park and Leander areas. 

How it works: The business repairs and repaints stucco, brick, siding and fascia for homes around Austin and the surrounding areas. Paint Pro recommends that homeowners repaint their homes every four to five years to repair paint discoloration and sealant breakdown due to sun and heat damage. The business also power-washes homes before repainting them.

Learn more: Interested customers can contact the business by calling 512-808-6811 and visiting Paint Pro's website or Facebook page.

• 2500 CR 279, Ste. A-2, Leander

Check out six upcoming or ongoing transportation projects across the Austin metro. 

Upcoming projects
Crystal Falls Parkway rail bridge
Project: Leander city officials are considering building a railroad bridge over Crystal Falls Parkway at US 183, removing the current ground-level rail crossing and allowing traffic to flow uninterrupted by passing trains.
Update: The city is actively seeking a $40 million grant from TxDOT. The design phase is expected to take around two and a half years, followed by roughly three years of construction.

• Timeline: 2029-32
• Cost: $103 million
• Funding source: TBD

• Timeline: total project completion expected in 2029
• Cost: $4.5 billion
• Funding source: TxDOT and CAMPO

A first-of-its-kind study of the Williamson County Transformative Justice Program shows a reduction in arrest rates and jail time, according to a county news release.

Researchers with the Texas A&M University’s Public Policy Research Institute presented the study and findings at a Feb. 3 Commissioners Court meeting, and commissioners authorized the district courts to apply for grant funding for the program for fiscal year 2026-27.

About the program: Launched in 2020, the Transformative Justice Program is a felony-diversion program for youth and emerging adults. The program is geared toward 17-to-24-year-olds who have committed a felony, an age group that is overrepresented in the criminal justice system.

The impact: Emerging adults who graduated from the program were:

• 48% less likely to get arrested
• 61% less likely to be arrested for a felony

Texas gained more new residents last year than any other U.S. state, recently released U.S. Census Bureau data shows. Yet the Lone Star State’s overall population growth slowed significantly amid a nationwide reduction in immigration from other countries.

The big picture: Texas grew by 391,243 residents in 2025, bringing the state’s total population to 31.7 million. This includes:

• Domestic migration: Over 67,000 people moved to Texas from other states.
• International migration: Over 167,000 people moved to Texas from other countries.
• Natural change: There were roughly 157,000 more births than deaths in Texas.