Yesterday’s Gone expands women’s shelter services in Liberty Hill
A $114,200 donation from the Round Rock Stake and East Round Rock Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has enabled Yesterday’s Gone, a women’s shelter in Liberty Hill, to expand its facilities.
The non-profit has added three new homes and three additional community vehicles thanks to the donation, and a grand opening for the additions will be held Sept. 9, according to an Aug. 28 press release.
“This gift expands Yesterday’s Gone’s ability to provide safe housing and reliable transportation for individuals and families healing from trauma and abuse. The new homes will offer stability and dignity, while the vehicles will ensure residents have access to employment, education, healthcare, and essential resources,” the release states.
Yesterday’s Gone does not release its specific location for the safety of its residents.
Dining, sports, and family care: 17 business updates for Leander and Cedar Park
Leander saw the arrival of several new businesses, with more on the horizon. Check out the latest updates in your area.
Now open
Injera & Beyond The restaurant serves authentic West African staples, including injera (a type of spongy flatbread) and doro wat (a chicken and egg stew considered the national food of Ethiopia). Manager Gabriella Samuel said the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony is one of the restaurant’s signature offerings. Coffee is ground and roasted in-house and then presented in a ceremonial Ethiopian pot called a jebena.
Opened August 14
410 W. Whitestone Blvd., Ste. 100, Cedar Park
Riverbat Bites Food Pantry Students at all Austin Community College campuses can access healthy groceries, snacks and hygiene products which students can access free of charge. Additionally, students will now be able to get support enrolling in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program if they are interested in receiving extra food support.
Austin airport CEO highlights $10B economic impact amid expansion plans
Austin airport CEO Ghizlane Badawi spoke at a Round Rock Chamber luncheon Aug. 28, outlining the multibillion-dollar expansion currently underway and the hefty economic benefit for the region.
The big picture: Badawi characterized the airport as the “economic engine for Central Texas,” noting that a 2018 Texas Department of Transportation study estimated Austin-Bergstrom International Airport’s economic impact at $7.6 billion—a figure now projected at approximately $10 billion, Badawi said.
What’s happening?: Presently, under the expansion initiative—Journey with AUS—there are six projects under construction and five in design.
Looking ahead: City of Austin officials gave the green light to new lease agreement with airlines during an Aug. 28 council meeting. This means airlines will commit to the expansion program and lease the over 20 new gates airport officials expect to open in the early 2030s, according to an ABIA news release.
WilCo animal shelter receives no-kill designation for 2024
The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter achieved a no-kill year in 2024, according to a recent report.
Explained: The no-kill designation means that WCRAS, which is the only shelter that serves Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Hutto, Georgetown and unincorporated areas of Williamson County, saved at least 90% of the dogs and cats that came in last year.
The 10% margin is for animals that may require humane euthanasia due to severe medical or behavioral issues—not because of overcrowding.
Best Friends Animal Society, a national animal welfare organization, releases an annual report which shows the number of no-kill shelters across the country.
Digging deeper: WCRAS is able to take in more strays than the national average while still maintaining the no-kill title, Animal Services Director Misty Valenta said at an Aug. 26 commissioners court meeting.
“We don't close our doors in order to change our numbers,” Valenta said. “We welcome the community in when they need help, including the pets that are lost.”
