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.”

After closing for nearly a year, Venezuelan restaurant Arepitas reopened in a new Round Rock location in August.

Latest update: Arepitas first opened in 2021 at 3200 Greenlawn Blvd., Ste. 300, Round Rock, and closed in November 2025.

On the menu: Arepitas offers Venezuelan cuisine such as empanadas, tostones, and arepas as well as a variety of tacos, sandwiches, and burgers.

• 910 Round Rock Ave., Round Rock

Firefly Aerospace opened a new facility for spacecraft production this month, significantly expanding its ability to produce moon landers and orbital vehicles. Local and state government officials, as well as representatives from NASA and the Texas Space Commission, joined the company Sept. 22 to celebrate the opening of its new cleanroom at its Cedar Park headquarters.

What’s new: The new cleanroom is four times the size of Firefly’s existing cleanroom, a company representative said. Using both cleanrooms, Firefly will be able to produce up to 12 lunar landers and orbital vehicles simultaneously, Vice President of Spacecraft Ray Allensworth said.

The new cleanroom was funded in part by an $8.2 million grant from the Texas Space Commission and a $1 million grant from the city of Cedar Park. Texas Space Commission Executive Director Norm Garza said Firefly’s project was one of the first to receive funding from the state commission and be completed.

Quote of note: “It's really meaningful to have this level of support from the city and from the state. I think it really shows how invested they are and how they really see the value of companies like Firefly growing in Central Texas. I think it's really important to not just add companies like Firefly in Central Texas, but keep growing them and build a foundation,” Allensworth said.

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.