Hutto City Council directed city staff to conduct a cost comparison for a three-vehicle test of Tesla Cybertrucks for the Hutto Police Department and other city departments.

The details: The cost comparison will compare current patrol vehicles against Tesla Cybertrucks, looking at fuel and maintenance costs, safety features, and longevity. 

Council also asked staff to consider costs associated with charging infrastructure, repair and parts availability, warranties, data privacy and liability, and insurance.

The discussion: Council member Jerrel Reynolds said he purchased a Cybertruck in April and started looking at fuel costs, oil changes and basic maintenance. He said he found the vehicle to be low maintenance.

Additionally, the Las Vegas Police Department has 10 Cybertrucks in its fleet, Reynolds said, and he suggested the city reach out to that department for more information. 

Quote of note: “I think this is the future," Mayor Mike Snyder said. "Are we ready for the future today? I don’t know. It’s going to come down to what is the cost of the vehicles side by side.”

Hopdoddy Burger Bar will begin serving up its slate of handcrafted burgers in Pflugerville on Oct. 27, according to a news release from Pennington Public Relations.

The overview: In addition to a classic cheeseburger, the restaurant serves a variety of specialty burgers, including the Saucy Seoul, the Roosevelt and the Magic Shroom. Additionally, the Thunderbird features a chicken patty and three veggie burger options are offered.

Other menu items include chicken tenders, salad bowls, fries, alcoholic drinks and shakes.

Hopdoddy Burger Bar has several existing Austin-area locations, including ones in Round Rock, Cedar Park and Leander.

What else? The business is located in a new development that's part of Pflugerville's Stone Hill Town Center. The restaurant shares a building with an upcoming Cava location.

• 18708 Limestone Commercial Drive, Ste. 120, Pflugerville

Check out the latest updates on upcoming or ongoing transportation projects across the Austin metro.

Upcoming projects

Freedom River Parkway East and West

Project: Construction of new east-west roadway connections from Hwy. 29 to RM 1869 and from Bagdad Road, or CR 279, to Hwy. 29, improving Liberty Hill bypass connectivity.

Update: Both projects remain in the design phase through 2026 as part of the Liberty Hill bypass connectivity network.

• Timeline: early 2027–early 2029

• Cost: $36.3 million (East); $61.5 million (West)

• Funding source: Williamson County 2023 road bond

Ongoing projects

MoKan Trail: Boggy Creek Bridge Segment

Project: The project is a 1.5-mile trail in Austin connecting the Pedernales Street bike path to the Southern Walnut Creek Trail.

Update: Phase 5, the bridge over Boggy Creek, is the trail's final piece and is expected to be complete by late 2026.

• Timeline: expected completion in late 2026

• Cost: $5.3 million–$5.8 million

• Funding source: 2020 mobility bond, Community Project Funding

As Election Day nears, candidates seeking to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate are raising—and spending—large sums of money, their campaign finance reports show.

The details: Candidates and political action committees, or PACs, involved in federal races had until midnight Oct. 15 to submit reports detailing their fundraising and spending from the third quarter of 2026—July 1 through Sept. 30.

• Democrat James Talarico raised $60.2 million and spent $67.2 million, according to his campaign finance report.

• Republican Ken Paxton, the state's current attorney general, reported raising $10.2 million and spending $7.1 million

• Libertarian Ted Brown's campaign finance report shows he raised about $5,208 and spent $3,410

Preparing for the polls: Early voting in Texas' midterm election runs from Oct. 19-30, and Election Day is Nov. 3.

Texans can view a personalized sample ballot with information about dozens of candidates and local propositions at communityimpact.com/voter-guide.