A new Chipotle Mexican Grill location recently opened in Hutto.

The gist: The fast-casual restaurant offers build-your-own options for burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, salads and tacos.

Customers can choose from a selection of protein, including carne asada, chicken, steak, beef barbacoa, carnitas, or sofritas, which is a plant-based protein. The restaurant also serves lifestyle bowls, with low-calorie, high-protein and vegetarian options.

2260 Muirfield Bend Drive, Ste. 100, Hutto

Pflugerville City Council recently approved a $1.3 million construction contract to build ADA-compliant pedestrian infrastructure throughout the city.

Overview: The ADA improvements are meant to enhance pedestrian safety, accessibility and compliance with ADA standards across high-use corridors, according to city documents.

The project includes the construction of pedestrian infrastructure for 15 intersections throughout Pflugerville. Improvements include installing pedestrian signals, upgrading pedestrian ramps and poles, installing new wiring, replacing traffic signals and pedestrian indications, providing battery backup units and upgrading pavement markings.

The cost: Danny Magee, assistant director for traffic and transportation, said at a Dec. 9 meeting that the construction bid from Elecnor Belco Electric came in much lower than four other proposals the city received. The $1.3 million contract with Elecnor Belco Electric is nearly 40% less than the estimated cost of the project.

For over half a decade, Meals on Wheels Central Texas has supported seniors and functionally homebound Texans to remain in their homes for as long as possible.

From meal delivery to home repairs, MOWCTX spearheads various efforts to support the greater Austin area.

“Our mission is to help those who are aging or functionally home-bound age in place,” MOWCTX CEO Henry Van de Putte said. “Because that's the most dignified way to live and it's the most economical way to live and it's the most humanitarian way to live.”

The big picture: Founded in 1972 as a part of Meals on Wheels America, MOWCTX has grown the number and scope of its services over the past 52 years.

The nonprofit offers various meal and nutritional programs, including:

• Home-delivered meals
• Healthy Options Program for the Elderly
  • Grocery delivery
• Groceries to go
  • Volunteer-supported grocery shopping
• Congregate lunch centers

Williamson County’s Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors program will soon provide practical support to individuals and families affected by a suicide. The volunteer-run program aims to intervene in the immediate aftermath of the loss.

About the program: The LOSS program will send two trained volunteers, including at least one suicide loss survivor, to the scene of a suicide, helping connect families or individuals with community resources.

County officials are finalizing program details such as logistics, volunteer training requirements and procedures in order to integrate the program into local response protocols, a county news release states.

Get involved: Those interested in volunteering can email Senior Death Inquest Investigator Rubean Leal at [email protected]. Loss survivors and other community members are encouraged to inquire, the release states.