The PGA Tour is returning to Austin with the inaugural Austin Championship at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa on Nov. 9-12.

The tournament will showcase 120 players, marking PGA Tour’s first event in Austin since the 2023 World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play. The Austin Championship has the potential to return annually, depending on if PGA Tour secures a lead sponsor for the event, according to Ian Helm, tournament director at HNS Sports Group.

The big picture: The PGA Tour is taking over Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa this fall with a reimagined tournament, hosting the Austin Championship as part of the FedExCup Fall series.

The FedExCup Fall series includes eight events that shape each golfer’s eligibility for the 2027 PGA Tour season. The tournament will see 120 players compete for a $6 million prize and 500 FedExCup points.

Dripping Springs officials are seeking contracting firms for phase one of the South Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility expansion.

Latest update: Dripping Springs City Council approved the invitation for bids for phase one at an Oct. 20 meeting.

Work items in the first phase will include:

• An influent pump station

• Aeration basins

• Yard piping

• UV disinfection

The project utilizes funds from the Texas Water Development Board, which were awarded in July, according to previous Community Impact reporting.

The current facility has a daily treatment capacity of 162,500 gallons. Once both phases of the expansion are complete, the facility will be able to treat about 820,000 gallons per day.

Some context: Dripping Springs officials began the process of updating wastewater infrastructure more than 10 years ago based on growth trends and projections in the area. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality awarded the city a Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit in 2019, but a lawsuit paused momentum on the project until 2025.

New apartments in Austin, a Brazilian steakhouse in Cedar Park and a Burlington in Bastrop are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Rio Grande Apartments ($97.3 million): This building will house 300 student housing apartment units. The building will be 30 stories tall with a lobby, study spaces, pool deck and leasing, amenity and fitness areas.

2. Grace Learning Center ($25 million): This project involves constructing a four-story, 48,000-square-foot worship assembly building for Grace Covenant Church.

3. Fogo de Chao ($4.5 million): A Fogo de Chao location is coming to Cedar Park. The Brazilian steakhouse has a location in downtown Austin.

4. Burlington ($3.3 million): A Burlington is coming to Bastrop as part of the Burleson Crossing East development.

5. P. Terry’s ($950,000): A new P. Terry’s Burger Stand location is coming to Liberty Hill, with construction set to begin early next year.

Early voting in Texas began on Oct. 19 and will continue until Oct. 30, before election day on Nov. 3. Austin-area voters can now head to the polls, trading their “I Voted” sticker for freebies and discounts at businesses across the city.

Voters can find their closest polling site at communityimpact.com/voter-guide.

This list is not comprehensive.

Taco Flats

Voters can present their voting sticker at any Taco Flats location for a free TF Original taco.

• 5520 Burnet Road, Ste. 101, Austin; 1110 W. Lynn St., Austin; 2500 E. 6th St., Austin; 12221 Riata Trace Parkway, Ste. 100, Austin; 900 Ranch Road 620 S, Ste. c104, Lakeway

Nunya Neighborhood Bar

After going to the polls, voters can visit the east Austin bar for a free beer or hot dog.

• 1806 E. 12th St., Austin

Hyperreal Film Club

The local movie theatre is offering free popcorn to voters who show their “I Voted” sticker.

• 301 Chicon St., Ste. A, Austin

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.