The city of Leander plans to open its new senior center in January.

Russell Alabastro, Leander Capital Improvement Program project manager, said at the Dec. 18 City Council meeting that he expects the project to be substantially completed by the end of the month.

City Manager Todd Parton said the city is planning on holding a ribbon-cutting in January and a formal dedication ceremony later in the year, likely March.

What to expect:
The senior center is located at 709 Municipal Drive and will include a variety of amenities, including:

• Multipurpose room
• Full kitchen
• Fitness room
• Activities room

Panda Express is scheduled to open in Liberty Hill in June 2026, according to a company representative. The restaurant will be located along Hwy. 29 in the Heritage Ridge retail development.

Some context: There are well over 2,000 Panda Express restaurants in the United States, including more than 300 in Texas, according to the company’s website.

This will be the first Panda Express in Liberty Hill.

About the restaurant: Panda Express is a fast-casual American-style Chinese restaurant. Menu items include orange chicken, chow mein, Beijing beef, and Kung Pao chicken.

• 12291 W. Hwy. 29, Liberty Hill

Here are the top Community Impact stories in the Austin area from Dec. 22-25.

1. Tunnels complete for Lake Travis deep-water intake project

2. Check out these 9 Austin-area restaurants open on Christmas Day

3. Check out these new and coming soon Georgetown-area businesses

4. Billboard on Bee Caves Road set for January court case

5. Cinemark Stone Hill Town Center upgrade coming soon

6. Austin sees 46% drop in pedestrian crashes after left-turn safety pilot

2026 is a big election year in Texas. Voters will see 18 statewide races, all congressional seats, most state legislative seats and a variety of local positions on the ballot.

The overview: The Republican and Democratic primary elections will be held March 3, and the midterm election is set for Nov. 3.

Texas holds primaries for all partisan elected positions, such as state officials; state and federal lawmakers; and county judges, commissioners and justices of the peace. Third-party candidates, including independents, Libertarian Party candidates and Green Party candidates, have separate election processes will not be listed on the primary ballots in March. Eligible candidates representing various parties will appear on the November ballot.

Looking back: All statewide offices on the ballot are currently held by Republicans, although some are not running for reelection. No Democrat or third-party candidate has won a statewide office in Texas since 1994, election records show.

Check out the full article for more details on election processes and an overview of state-level races.