City officials voted to allow 1,000 housing units on undeveloped land off MoPac near Circle C. The decision came despite opposition from many local residents who raised concerns about traffic and safety.

Key changes approved for "Tract 110" off MoPac include:

• Permitting 1,000 apartments, including 100 affordable units and 10,000 square feet of commercial space instead of a previously limited office project

• Striking a requirement to build a new segment of South Bay Lane

Zooming in: A traffic impact analysis will be required when formal site plans are submitted to the city. If the analysis suggests improvements, like a new traffic signal or a shared-use path along Dahlgreen Avenue, the property's developer will have to support those features.

Council member Paige Ellis, who represents the area and engaged with stakeholders on the case, called it the most complex she's seen in her district and supported what she called a "workable plan" for the tract's future.

Austin officials approved more than $4 million in contract extensions for public health, housing, legal aid and food access programs Sept. 24.

The details: The approvals came despite some reservations about spending and oversight after compliance issues were reported across Austin's social services portfolio; city memos outlining the contracts and detailed staff evaluations weren't distributed to officials until after they voted.

Most council members still voted to extend the more than a dozen contracts this fall to avoid service gaps in the months ahead. And both elected officials and city staff are planning for a more rigorous review and funding changes for social service contractors ahead of the next fiscal year 2027-28.

Additions to Leander High School, a new H-E-B in Buda and an apartment in Austin are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the metro this week.

1. Leander ISD high school modernization ($68 million): This project involves building additions and renovations at Leander High School.

2. H-E-B ($61.2 million): A new H-E-B grocery store is coming to Buda, with construction set to begin next spring.

3. The Ridge Apartments ($11.8 million): This project involves the construction of a four-story multifamily building

4. Residence Inn ($11 million): The hotel brand is coming to Hutto, with construction set to begin in December.

5. Texas State University pitching lab and batting cages ($4 million): This project includes an addition to the existing softball pitching facility and a new pre-engineered metal building to house baseball's pitching and hitting facility.

A Round Rock hospital is the first in the greater Austin area to offer a new, minimally invasive treatment for artery blockages.

The overview: St. David's Round Rock Medical Center announced Sept. 1 that it began offering the percutaneous transmural arterial bypass procedure, which creates an alternate pathway for blood to flow around a blocked artery, according to a news release.

The PTAB procedure was first performed by vascular surgeons Drs. Nicolas Zea and Kofi Quaye at St. David's Round Rock.

The treatment is generally recommended for patients with peripheral artery disease, a condition that limits blood flow to the legs, the release states.

What they're saying: “This milestone reflects our commitment to bringing advanced, innovative vascular care to the communities we serve,” JW Newman, chief executive officer of St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center, said in the release. “By offering the latest medical innovations to our patients, we are expanding access to advanced treatment options and improving quality of care for those who previously had limited options.”

The Texas Education Agency is asking state lawmakers to spend $97.3 billion on K-12 education initiatives and staffing in the next two years, up from about $91 billion in the current state budget.

The details: During a Sept. 29 hearing on the agency's legislative appropriations request, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath noted that the TEA is "largely a pass-through vehicle to fund schools around the state of Texas." This means that while funding would be allocated to the agency under Article III of the state budget, the majority of that money would be sent to school districts, outside of funds used to pay TEA staff and cover operations for associated entities, such as the State Board of Education.

The TEA is asking for about $49.6 billion for fiscal year 2027-28 and $47.7 billion for fiscal year 2028-29, totaling $97.3 billion for the 2028-29 biennium. Morath said those amounts would "preserve 100% of all funding for public schools" through the Foundation School Program, which is the state's main funding source for K-12 schools, and other initiatives.