Southern breakfast chain Waffle House submitted plans to open its first location in Aggieland after years of rumors and requests from residents.

In a nutshell: The restaurant is planned for the expanding Rudder's Landing commercial development in west Bryan. This announcement follows over a decade of requests from Bryan-College Station residents, including an October poll by Shape College Station where Waffle House was voted the most requested restaurant.

The highlights:

• No construction dates have been announced yet.

• Joey Dunn, the deputy city manager of community services, expects the city's side of the process to last up to only a few months.

• Bryan Mayor Bobby Gutierrez said the talks have been going on for months and there’s still work to be done, but residents should stay tuned for more announcements in the near future.

• Bryan Mayor Pro Tem James Edge told Community Impact the great anticipation of a Waffle House location could create a demand for more in the future.

College Station City Council voted unanimously on Oct. 22 to change the definition of a data center to allow future construction only on certain types of land.

What you need to know: According to agenda material, the change was recommended to the council by the Planning and Zoning Commission on Oct. 15. The ordinance would restrict future data center development by requiring conditional use permits for select types of land throughout the city.

City Land Development Review Administrator Robin Macias said the proposed property types include business parks and light-to-heavy industrial districts. Macias added that concerns about water and energy production, along with potential noise from the centers, could lead to problems within the community.

Zooming in: City Manager Bryan Woods said this ordinance would be a great way to tackle the problem with land the city doesn’t directly own and allow it to have more decision-making power.

What to expect: The council unanimously approved the ordinance.

A new traffic signal at the intersection of Hardy Weedon Road and Hwy. 30 is expected to be activated Nov. 3. The city warned this will change traffic patterns for drivers traveling through the area.

What readers should know: The city of Bryan said crews will be on site that day to adjust pavement markings to match the new traffic patterns. Drivers should use caution as the signal is activated and watch for updated signage.

According to the city's Street & Sidewalk Projects website, Phase 1 had an $835,180 construction contract and is funded through the city's fiscal year 2027-28 bonds.

How we got here: The signal is designed to improve safety for drivers turning on and off Hwy. 30, particularly as nearby residential neighborhoods continue to grow, the city said in a social media post.

The signal’s completion marks the end of Phase 1 of the Hardy Weedon improvement project, which is intended to help the intersection and roadway safely accommodate increased traffic from the surrounding neighborhoods.

More than 4.5 million Texans cast ballots in the first seven days of early voting in the Nov. 3 election, state data shows.

The overview: From Oct. 19-25, 23.8% of Texas' 19 million registered voters had voted in-person or by mail, according to voter turnout data submitted by counties and reported by the secretary of state. This is slightly below early voting turnout at the same point in 2018 and several percentage points above turnout in 2022.

Some context: Turnout this fall follows voter enthusiasm during the March primary election, when more Texans voted early than in recent primaries. In total, about 4.5 million people—or one-fourth of voters registered at the time—cast ballots in Texas' March election, setting a primary turnout record.

At the polls: Registered voters can visit any polling place in their county through Oct. 30, the last day of early voting. Election Day is Nov. 3. Texans can read Q&As with dozens of candidates, find local polling sites and print a custom sample ballot at communityimpact.com/voter-guide.