Four proposed amendments to Hutto’s city charter will not be on the ballot this November. Instead, City Council opted to push the election to May during an Aug. 6 meeting.

What happened: Council members and legal staff discussed several potential propositions, including rules for filling council vacancies, city manager contracts and the budget approval process.

Additionally, members talked about adding holdover language to the charter.

Council member Aaron King said the proposed holdover language would allow a council member to continue serving even after they've moved out of the city, until their replacement is appointed.

“To me, no, that's not OK,” King said. “If you, during your time as a city council member, choose to move to another city, then you've essentially said, ‘I'm done serving on [council].’”

The council also considered adjusting members’ pay as part of the amendment process.

The action taken: Ultimately, Council decided not to place the charter amendments on the November ballot, opting instead to revisit the proposal for a future May election.

St. David’s HealthCare announced it acquired 14 Texas MedClinic Urgent Care centers in August.

This includes one Pflugerville and one Hutto location at:

• 1501 FM 685, Pflugerville

• 440 Chris Kelley Blvd., Hutto

Latest update: The urgent care centers will be rebranded as St. David’s CareNow Urgent Care clinics, per an Aug. 3 news release.

This brings the number of urgent care facilities under the St. David’s system to 39 in Central Texas alone, according to the company.

In their own words: “Access to convenient, high-quality urgent care is essential for the health and well-being of our growing community,” David Huffstutler, president and CEO of St. David’s HealthCare, said in the release. “Adding these urgent care facilities significantly expands the St. David’s CareNow footprint into new Central Texas communities, including Burnet, Liberty Hill, Jarrell, Lockhart and Dripping Springs, connecting more patients to the trusted care and resources of St. David’s HealthCare.”

New data from Austin Transportation and Public Works shows that there have been fewer crashes, fewer injuries and less speeding along Cameron Road/Dessau Road after safety improvements were completed earlier this year as part of an ongoing safety project. 

Breaking it down: The project's largest safety improvements involved adjusting the lane configuration for 5.5 miles between US 290 and Parmer Lane, which was completed in January. According to Austin TPW, along this section there has been:

• A 27% decrease in the number of crashes per year, and crashes with serious injuries or deaths down 16%
• A 46% reduction in traffic incidents and 46% reduction in people seriously injured or killed
• A drop from 20% to 2% in drivers going 10 miles per hour or more over the speed limit

Check out the top trending stories from Aug. 3-6 in the Austin area.

1. New 40,000-square-foot fitness center to open in Kyle

2. Bee Cave issues cease and desist to developers near Sweetwater community

3. Woodside neighborhood developer proposes 500-home expansion to Sun City in Georgetown

4. Conejo's Tex-Mex Cantina to hold soft opening Aug. 5

5. Leander ISD committee proposes $591.2M-$708.5M 2026 bond

6. McDonald’s second Bastrop location to hold ribbon-cutting

Free Youth Mental Health First Aid training in Travis County teaches any adult who works with kids to recognize when a young person is struggling and step in.

County mental health authority Integral Care offers upcoming virtual sessions scheduled for Aug. 19, Sept. 9, Oct. 16 and Nov. 12, each running from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Who it’s for: Trainer Emily Hammer calls it a "gatekeeper training," designed for whoever a young person already feels comfortable with, not just mental health professionals.

How it works: The roughly four-and-a-half-hour course, capped at 30 people, walks through video scenarios and role-plays built around a five-step action plan. Certification meets Texas school-staff requirements under House Bill 3.