College Station City Council will decide whether to renew the contract for its 84 Flock automated license plate reader cameras at its Sept. 24 meeting.

What you need to know: According to agenda material, the council is set to hear two differing contract amounts. Contracts for Texas Department of Transportation roads and non-TxDOT roads are separate and not to exceed $158,000 and $141,061.80, respectively.

The most recent council discussion about the cameras was in July, when residents debated privacy concerns and abuse of power. CSPD Chief Billy Couch gave a presentation to the council and clarified that the Flock cameras in College Station do not: 

• Use facial recognition

• Use vehicle occupant identification

• Use audio recording

• Share police information with Flock

Get involved: College Station City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Sept. 24 at City Hall, 1101 Texas Ave. Residents can sign up for public comment at the meeting or send a comment to the council via the city’s website.

The Bryan-College Station area welcomed several new food options in September, headlined by the debut of Aggieland's Sprouts Farmers Market, to open on Sept. 25.

Three other restaurants also opened in the area during the month:

• NY Street Dogs opened Sept. 2 in Bryan, serving authentic New York-style hot dogs with classic toppings, mac and cheese and other items.

• Teriyaki Madness opened Sept. 11 in College Station, offering Asian-cuisine-inspired bowls.

• Rosie’s Pasta Bar and Catering opened Sept. 17 in College Station, featuring local ownership, in-house bread and various pasta options.

College Station ISD voters will decide between incumbent Heather Simmen and challenger Karen Strope on Nov. 3 in the race for the school board's Place 7 seat.

Meet the players: Candidates were asked to keep Q&A responses within 50 words, 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.

Community Impact asked candidates five questions, including "How will you ensure students with different needs and backgrounds have opportunities to succeed?" Candidates answered in part:

• Heather Simmen*: "I'll keep supporting [CTE] opportunities alongside special education, emergent bilingual, and academic programs so every student, regardless of background or ability, can succeed."

• Karen Strope: "We must provide strong academics, career and technical opportunities, advanced programs, interventions, and support services so students can succeed based on their individual strengths, needs, and goals."

To cast votes for a U.S. senator, governor, state attorney general and dozens of other races during the Nov. 3 midterm election, Texans must ensure they are registered to vote or have submitted an application by Oct. 5.

How it works: To be eligible to register to vote, an individual must:

• Be a U.S. citizen

• Reside in the county they apply to vote in

• Be at least 18 years old by Election Day

• Not have been declared mentally incapacitated without the right to vote by a court

Getting registered: Eligible Texans must submit a paper voter registration application by Oct. 5. The online form must be printed, signed and mailed to the applicant's local elections office.

One more thing: Voters who are already registered have through Oct. 5 to update their name or address, if needed.

Some voters may appear on the state "suspense" list if local officials cannot confirm their address, although they will still be able to vote in the election.

More information: Learn more about federal, state and local races at communityimpact.com/election.