Halftime Sports Bar & Grill will open its first location in Cedar Park on July 27.

About the business: The sports bar is owned by Jeremy Tracy and Ramon Kreher. As noted on the website, Halftime is a high bar with a good atmosphere and great food.

What’s on the menu: The menu includes an assortment of salads, burgers, pizza and wings. There are also more than 50 beers on draft. 

• 11200 Lakeline Mall Dr., Ste. F-18, Cedar Park 

Looking for something to do as summer winds down? Check out these events in Cedar Park from Aug. 15-Sept. 12. 

Mom and Pop Card Show: Attendees can find a variety of cards, such as Pokémon and sports cards at the show, perfect for both collectors and casual card fans. 

• Aug. 16, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Pinoy Pickleball US National Championship Series: Serving as the first stop of the US National Championship Series, Pinoy Pickleball will celebrate Filipino heritage featuring Pinoy food, cultural dance performances and precolonial history.

• Aug. 29, 11 a.m.

Shred Fest: Join Cedar Park Parks & Recreation for a multi-event skateboarding competition in celebration of Go Skateboarding Day. This event features prizes, food and music.

• Sept. 4, 6-10 p.m. 

Hope, Heroes & Handbags: Designer purse bingo
At this signature fundraising event, attendees can play bingo to win luxury handbags while supporting the Williamson County Children's Advocacy Center.

• Sept. 12, 5-10 p.m.

With large parts of the state under an extreme heat warning or heat advisory through July 23, the operator of Texas’ independent power grid is projecting record-breaking electric demand this week.

What's happening: As of 3 p.m. July 22, there were 90,027 megawatts of demand on the grid with 113,543 megawatts of power available, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas' real-time supply and demand dashboard. One megawatt of electricity can power about 250 homes during peak times.

This would break ERCOT’s current demand record of 85.5 gigawatts, which was set during an August 2023 heat wave. ERCOT spokesperson Trudi Webster cautioned that this week’s demand records are preliminary.

What it means: Texans should not expect a grid emergency during this week’s extreme heat.

ERCOT previously projected that demand would surpass 92,000 megawatts this summer, due to high temperatures, moderate rainfall and the growth of data centers.

This week's triple-digit temperatures come during the sunniest parts of the day, allowing the state to rely in part on solar energy to power the grid.

Gov. Greg Abbott named Robert S. Howden, one of his senior advisers and his office's legislative director, as Texas' 116th secretary of state effective July 18. Howden will succeed Secretary of State Jane Nelson, who resigned effective July 17 more than three years after she took office.

The overview: As the state's chief elections officer, Howden will be responsible for overseeing the application of Texas election laws and assisting local election officials. The secretary of state's office also manages business records, government rules and regulations, and other official duties.

Following Abbott's appointment, Howden must be confirmed for the position by at least two-thirds of the Texas Senate. The state Legislature's next regular session will begin in January.