Several new business have recently opened in Round Rock or are planned for the area, including a local boutique and outlet locations for Old Navy and Buckle.

Sweet Irene’s Boutique

Owned by Melissa Moody, the boutique carries clothing for women and children, candles, jewelry, and home decor, with some stock supplied by local vendors.

• Opening Oct. 24

• 110 S. Lampasas St., Ste. 4, Round Rock

Buckle

The clothing retailer, which sells clothing for men, women and children, will open in the Round Rock Premium Outlets. The store carries a variety of brands, including Birkenstock, Free People, Miss Me and Rock Revival.

• Opening in November

• 4401 N. I-35, Ste. 793, Round Rock

Old Navy

The retailer, which sells clothes, shoes and accessories for men, women and children, is planning a location at the Round Rock Premium Outlets. Renovations to the upcoming store's 12,264-square-foot space are expected to take place from February through May.

• 4401 N. I-35, Round Rock

In October, the Round Rock City Council approved measures to support local theater and business expansion.

The big picture: City staff said an agreement partially subsidizing rent paid by the Penfold Theatre was extended for three more years, with the intent that another extension will be unnecessary.

What else? The city also moved forward with a performance-based incentive agreement for PulseForge, a local semiconductor business.

Holly Wilson, an organic gardening instructor and Native Plant Society of Texas teacher with 40 years of experience, shares advice for maintaining a healthy garden in Central Texas. Wilson recommends planting in the fall, from mid-October through the end of November, to allow plants to establish deeper root systems that tolerate drought.

To maintain a healthy and sustainable garden, Wilson advises:

• Considering a plant's mature size, soil, water, sun and shade requirements before purchasing.
• Using integrated pest management and avoiding chemical pesticides.
• Making compost and vermicompost to provide nutrients and fertilizer.
• Mixing compost into the soil before planting, or gently mixing it around the plant afterward to avoid disturbing the root system.
• Using native plants, which support the environment better than non-native or exotic plants.
• Utilizing the Native Plant Society of Texas website database for gardening resources.

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.