A planned 3-mile waterline along CR 255 will help serve about 25,000 water customers in northwest Georgetown, officials announced at a Jan. 29 press conference.

About the project: The CR 255 waterline project includes the construction of a 30-inch diameter line connecting to Georgetown’s Daniels Mountain water storage tank, and tie into an existing 30-inch waterline on CR 289 and Ronald Reagan Boulevard, according to Georgetown Communications Manager Keith Hutchinson.

U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, announced $3.5 million in federal funding will be dedicated to the $10.6 million waterline project. The city will pay for the remaining $7.1 million.

The impact: The project is in a “high-growth area” of Georgetown’s water utility territory, according to Hutchinson. Northwest Georgetown has seen multiple housing and commercial developments along the Ronald Reagan corridor.

What they're saying: "We want to grow," Carter said at the press conference. "We want to give people good places to live and good places to work. But we also want to make sure that we have enough water.”

Georgetown Sleep Center closed permanently last month following the retirement of provider Dr. James Curlee, according to a statement by the company. 

Details: Patients can request medical records, now managed by Morgan Records Management, through the sleep center's website.

Georgetown Sleep Equipment and Supplies remains open for CPAP equipment.

• 3121 Northwest Blvd., Georgetown

Round Rock City Council unanimously approved an interlocal agreement Jan. 22 to join a regional task force aimed at reducing vehicle-related crimes across Central Texas.

The setup: The agreement brings Round Rock together with the cities of Hutto, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Leander and Pflugerville, along with Williamson County, to create a Regional Vehicle Burglary Suppression Taskforce.

The task force will focus on investigating auto thefts, vehicle burglaries and catalytic converter thefts through coordinated, multiagency enforcement efforts.

Assistant Police Chief Tom Sloan told council members the agreement formalizes cooperation that already occurs among neighboring jurisdictions, noting that many vehicle crime suspects operate across city boundaries.

“A lot of Round Rock suspects do not live in Round Rock,” Sloan said. “They live elsewhere. By approving this interlocal agreement, we can work together to better address catalytic converter thefts, auto thefts and vehicle burglaries.”

Check out six upcoming, ongoing or completed transportation projects across the Austin metro, including toll roads in North Austin and Cedar Park, various lane expansions and improvements for cyclists and pedestrians.

Upcoming: New Hope Drive expansion
The traffic changes come as the city is working to expand New Hope Drive from four to six lanes and open an innovative intersection design at New Hope Drive and 183A Toll.
Update: The project is in the design phase.

• Timeline: expected completion summer 2027
• Cost: $1.8 million
• Funding source: 2022 transportation bond

• Timeline: total project completion expected in 2026
• Cost: $612 million
• Funding source: federal funding, sale of roll revenue bonds, Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act funds

Four Republican candidates are running for Texas lieutenant governor—the second-in-command to the governor—in the upcoming March 3 primary election.

The big picture: Republican incumbent Dan Patrick is seeking a fourth term in the lieutenant governor's office. The lieutenant governor leads the Texas Senate and can exercise the powers of the governor if the governor dies, resigns, is removed from office or is absent from the state, according to the Texas State Historical Association.

Patrick is challenged by three Republican candidates: Timothy Mabry, Perla Muñoz Hopkins and Esala Wueschner. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes in the Republican primary, a runoff election will be held between the two top vote-getters May 26.

Stay tuned: The winning Republican candidate will face the winner of the Democratic nomination in November. The winner of that election will be sworn in for a four-year term in January 2027.

Three Democratic candidates are running for Texas lieutenant governor—the second-in-command to the governor—in the upcoming March 3 primary election.

The overview: Vikki Goodwin, Courtney Head and Marcos Vélez are seeking the Democratic nomination for Texas lieutenant governor. The lieutenant governor leads the Texas Senate and can exercise the powers of the governor if the governor dies, resigns, is removed from office or is absent from the state, according to the Texas State Historical Association.

Stay tuned: If no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes in the Democratic primary, a runoff election will be held between the two top vote-getters May 26.

The winning Democratic candidate will face the winner of the Republican nomination in November, and the winner of that election will be sworn in for a four-year term in January 2027.