Otsuka ICU Medical LLC announced plans for a $500 million expansion through a new facility and upgrades to its existing facility in Austin, with the goal of improving the long-term supply of IV solutions and supporting new IV products, according to a news release.

What’s happening: Otsuka ICU Medical will expand its existing 700,000-square-foot manufacturing site in Austin with a new 500,000-square-foot facility. The project is meant to help strengthen the supply chain of IV solutions and also bolster the transition to non-DEHP IV solutions containers.

Some context: The expansion is the first major milestone part of the joint venture by ICU Medical Inc. and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory Inc., which began in 2025. ICU Medical, which is headquartered in California, specializes in the development, manufacturing and sale of medical devices. Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory, which is based out of Japan, is a global IV solutions manufacturing subsidiary of Otsuka Holdings Co.

Williamson County commissioners are considering slowing down the justice center complex project, which plans to construct a jail and courtrooms near SE Inner Loop in Georgetown, in order to prioritize community engagement.

Officials discussed the next steps of the project at a July 21 Commissioners Court meeting.

The current situation: The county is currently wrapping up Phase 2 of planning for the new justice center complex, a project that began a year ago with an initial needs assessment. Although the county has purchased a site for the project, commissioners said they have not authorized final designs, contractors or any actual construction.

Commissioners are pushing to slow down the process to rebuild public trust and actively engage local residents, the school district and the city of Georgetown, Precinct 4 commissioner Russ Boles said at the meeting.

What's next: County Manager Rebecca Clemons plans to bring a proposal for public engagement and to begin preliminary design concepts to the first Commissioners Court meeting in August.

Nonprofits contracted by the city often failed to provide agreed upon services or results, while Austin generally paid their expenses in full regardless of whether performance targets were met, a new internal audit found.

The details: Austin officials stressed those findings may not apply to all local organizations contracted for family and social services, on which the city spent roughly $100 million annually, and instead reflect faults with government oversight. City management agreed to process reforms that are now in the works.

The audit tracked nonprofits' outputs, or service delivery results, as well as outcomes, or the impact of services provided. Less than one-fourth of the sampled nonprofits met all city performance expectations.

Out of more than 151 specific output and outcome goals in their contracts, more than 44% underperformed. Most of those unmet targets had "significant deviations" between expected results and what was provided.

Check out some of the most-read stories from the Austin area July 20-23. 

1. New bridge over Onion Creek opens in Buda, increasing city access

2. Liberty Hill approves $1.5M for preliminary planning of downtown project

3. Sunbird Ranch neighborhood to offer land-lease model for homebuyers 55-plus in Georgetown

4. New Braunfels to conduct full analysis of police headquarters due to structural issues

5. iScream Gelato coming to east Round Rock

6. Lost dogs and e-bikes: 5 stories to know in Bastrop-Cedar Creek