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Elenita's Taco Truck now open in Liberty Hill

Elenita's Taco Truck opened in Liberty Hill in December, co-owner Elena Soto said.

The details: Soto owns the food truck with her daughter, Grace Salazar. The family previously owned Elena's Mexican Restaurant. Elenita's is just a short distance from the former Elena's location. Elenita's is open for breakfast and lunch, serving Mexican staples like tacos, burritos, tortas and soups.

  • Opened Dec. 8
  • 14251 Hwy. 29, Liberty Hill
 
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mark your calendar
Check out these 9 events coming to the Leander, Liberty Hill areas in late February and March

Locals can find their next read at the Boozy Book Fair, hang out with goats at Whitestone Brewery or celebrate Mardi Gras at The Crossover.

Mardi Gras Celebration
Celebrate Mardi Gras at The Fieldhouse with New Orleans-inspired drinks and live music.

  • Feb. 21, time TBD
  • Free (entry)
  • 1717 Scottsdale Drive, Ste. 160, Leander

Boozy Book Fair
Three local bookstores—Paper Bark Birch, Phat Tracks Books and Records and The Secret Lantern Books and Games will team up to host a Boozy Book Fair at The All Good. 
  • Feb. 28, 2-6 p.m.
  • Free (admission)
  • 601 E. Whitestone Blvd., Ste. 500, Cedar Park

Mason Heritage Day
Residents can visit Leander’s Mason Homestead for a day of food, history and pioneer demonstrations of roping, branding, candle making and planting. Leander Historical Preservation Commission and the Williamson Museum will partner for the event, bringing booths, to-go activities and hands-on experiences for all. Kathy Howell, a Mason family descendant, will also be discussing the house and Leander history throughout the event.
  • March 7, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
  • Free
  • 1101 S. Bagdad Road, Leander
 
Transportation Tuesday
Bridges, paths, highways: 6 Austin metro transportation project updates

Check out six upcoming or ongoing transportation projects across the Austin metro. 

Upcoming projects
Crystal Falls Parkway rail bridge
Project: Leander city officials are considering building a railroad bridge over Crystal Falls Parkway at US 183, removing the current ground-level rail crossing and allowing traffic to flow uninterrupted by passing trains.
Update: The city is actively seeking a $40 million grant from TxDOT. The design phase is expected to take around two and a half years, followed by roughly three years of construction.

  • Timeline: 2029-32
  • Cost: $103 million
  • Funding source: TBD

Ongoing projects
I-35 Capital Express Central project
Project: The project will add two nontolled high-occupancy vehicle lanes from Hwy. 290 to Hwy. 71, removing the upper decks and widening the corridor. 
Update: The northbound I-35 Riverside Drive exit 233 and Holly Street entrance ramp exit 234A will be permanently closed as crews prepare for the reconstruction of Lady Bird Lake bridge.
  • Timeline: total project completion expected in 2029
  • Cost: $4.5 billion
  • Funding source: TxDOT and CAMPO
 
williamson county coverage
WilCo youth felony diversion program reduces arrests, jail time

A first-of-its-kind study of the Williamson County Transformative Justice Program shows a reduction in arrest rates and jail time, according to a county news release.

Researchers with the Texas A&M University’s Public Policy Research Institute presented the study and findings at a Feb. 3 Commissioners Court meeting, and commissioners authorized the district courts to apply for grant funding for the program for fiscal year 2026-27.

About the program: Launched in 2020, the Transformative Justice Program is a felony-diversion program for youth and emerging adults. The program is geared toward 17-to-24-year-olds who have committed a felony, an age group that is overrepresented in the criminal justice system.

The impact: Emerging adults who graduated from the program were:

  • 48% less likely to get arrested
  • 61% less likely to be arrested for a felony

They also spent about 36 fewer days in jail on average, and 80% of graduates had fewer misdemeanors and felonies than nongraduates.

 
Stay In The Know
Census data: Texas continues to grow, but people are moving here at a slower rate

Texas gained more new residents last year than any other U.S. state, recently released U.S. Census Bureau data shows. Yet the Lone Star State’s overall population growth slowed significantly amid a nationwide reduction in immigration from other countries.

The big picture: Texas grew by 391,243 residents in 2025, bringing the state’s total population to 31.7 million. This includes:

  • Domestic migration: Over 67,000 people moved to Texas from other states.
  • International migration: Over 167,000 people moved to Texas from other countries.
  • Natural change: There were roughly 157,000 more births than deaths in Texas.

The state grew by 1.2% from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025, which is more than twice the national growth rate of 0.5% in the same period. This marks a slowdown in Texas’ growth since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Worth noting: Suburban communities outside the state’s urban population centers, such as cities and towns in Montgomery, Tarrant and Williamson counties, saw the most growth due to migration in recent years, according to data from the Texas Demographic Center.

 
What's Happening at CI
📧 New newsletter alert: Bryan-College Station

Community Impact is now covering BCS, from growth and schools to business and city happenings.

Live, work or hang out in Bryan or College Station? Or know someone who does? Stay connected or share with your neighbors.
 

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