Three candidates will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot for Pflugerville City Council, Place 4.

Zooming out: Trent Barlow, De Juana "De J." Lozada and Gregory L. Harrington are vying for the Place 4 spot on Pflugerville City Council.

The seat is currently held by Rudy Metayer, who is term-limited and cannot seek reelection.

In their own words: Candidates were asked to keep responses to 50 words or fewer, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines or for style and clarity.

Early voting runs from Oct. 19-30, and Election Day is Nov. 3.

On Oct. 1, the City of Pflugerville will transition its Emergency Medical Services from Allegiance Mobile Health to Travis County Emergency Services District No. 2, also known as the Pflugerville Fire Department.

What you need to know: The transition will take place at noon, and Allegiance and ESD No. 2 will simultaneously monitor calls from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. to ensure there are no gaps in service.

Mayor Doug Weiss said there should not be a noticeable difference for residents, but the transition will benefit the community by increasing the number of available ambulances.

“The first provider that shows up when you call 911 might not be an ambulance; it might be a fire truck,” Weiss said. “But they are all trained and ready to provide that care. So it increases the number of folks who can provide that care.”

Dig deeper: Weiss said the city decided to make the transition because they wanted a public entity providing the service

Hutto has several new and coming soon businesses, including a beauty lounge, a new breakfast spot and a hotel.

Doll House Beauty Lounge

The storefront is a collective of three women-owned businesses under one roof. Bailey Graves and Amy Paton own Hutto Lash Co. and GloStudio, respectively. A third tenant, Leo Aesthetics, offers Botox, filler, cosmetic injections, GLP-1 services and peptide therapy.

• Opened Aug. 3

• 102 Taylor St., Hutto

Munch Munch Waffles and More 

With an existing location in Liberty Hill, the restaurant serves a variety of breakfast and brunch foods, including chicken and waffles, omelettes, and biscuits and gravy. 

• Opening TBD

• 170 Alliance Blvd., Ste. 100, Hutto

Residence Inn by Marriott

According to a Sept. 28 filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the hotel brand is planning to build a 87,899-square-foot location. Construction on the hotel, which will also include an outside pool, is expected to begin in December and last through September 2028.

• 328 Ed Schmidt Blvd., Hutto

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.”

Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Department of Transportation recently announced a 10-year transportation plan that will invest almost $140 billion in roadway improvements across the state. 

The framework: The Texas Transportation Commission approved the 2027 Unified Transportation Program at an August meeting. The funding includes $95 billion for projects across the state and $43 billion for development and routine maintenance. The investment is expected to improve safety, reduce congestion and strengthen the supply chain.

Quote of note: “This 10-year plan reflects the scale and complexity of meeting Texas’ transportation needs in one of the fastest-growing states in the nation,” TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said in a news release. “It is focused on practical outcomes—improving safety, preserving the system we have, and supporting reliable movement for people and goods.”

The big picture: The 2027 UTP includes over $1.5 billion for Austin-area projects, including improvements to I-35 in Travis County and SH 71 in Bastrop County.