Food chain Taco Bell has outlined plans to construct a 2,565-square-foot location in Leander, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing. The fast-food restaurant has two existing locations within the city limits.

Craving tacos? Fan favorites include the nacho fries, soft and crunchy taco, cheesy gordita crunch, crunchwrap supreme and cinnamon twists. Taco Bell also offers a selection of specialty drinks, including the strawberry passionfruit agua refresca and the MTN DEW Baja Blast.

What’s next? Construction on the new location is scheduled to begin in late June and last until mid-September, according to the filing.

• 11300 S. US 183, Leander

Leander will repair the Lakewood Park Splash Pad, which was damaged in the July 2025 floods, according to city documents.

The overview: “Flooding caused extensive damage to the splash pad surfacing at Lakewood Park, rendering the amenity unsafe and unusable for the community,” the documents state.

City Council approved the purchase of materials and installation services with Cunningham Recreation on March 5.

The repairs are expected to cost about $186,000. Most of that amount will be covered by an insurance claim. The city’s deductible of $25,000 will be partially covered by $18,750 in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds. The city did not provide a timeline for the repairs.

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

Upcoming projects

Old Fitzhugh Road
Project: The city of Dripping Springs is aiming to beautify Old Fitzhugh Road while improving traffic flow, pedestrian access and connectivity. 
Update: Per city officials, Old Fitzhugh Road will be restricted to one-way operations throughout construction. Driveway closures and reconstruction of private driveways will be coordinated with property owners before construction.

• Timeline: spring 2026-spring 2028
• Cost: $4.7 million
• Funding source: city of Dripping Springs, Hays County Parks and Open Space Grant, TxDOT

The International Academies of Emergency Dispatch awarded the Williamson County Emergency Communications Center the designation of Emergency Medical Dispatch Accredited Center of Excellence, officials announced at a March 3 commissioners court meeting.

This award makes the department the first Tri-ACE, or three-time Accredited Center of Excellence, emergency communications center in Texas.

What it means: Williamson County Emergency Communications manages 911 and nonemergency calls, and dispatches critical care and specialized operations for law enforcement, fire and medical agencies. The department serves a growing population of 750,000 people and dispatches for about 28 agencies, officials said at the March 3 meeting.

The award adds to two others that the emergency communications center has received—for emergency police dispatch and emergency fire dispatch. These three designations make the center the first in Texas and 32nd in the world to achieve a Tri-ACE distinction.

How it works: As an accredited center of excellence in emergency medical dispatch, Williamson County Emergency Communications meets the academy’s highest level of standards, according to a county news release.

Texas held its primary elections on March 3, with Republican and Democratic voters selecting their parties’ nominees for scores of federal, state and local seats. Yet for some candidates, a major hurdle still remains before the November election.

The overview: Dozens of primary races are headed to May runoffs after no candidate picked up more than half of the vote, triggering an overtime round between the two highest-performing candidates.

The details:  Texas’ runoff election is set for May 26, the day after Memorial Day. Early voting runs from May 18-22, per the secretary of state.

State law requires primary candidates to receive more than 50% of the vote to advance to a general election, meaning a candidate must earn a majority of the vote—not just the highest number of votes—to win their primary outright. This rule means crowded races in Texas primaries and special elections frequently result in runoffs.

In those races, the top two vote-getters advance to a runoff.

Keep reading to learn about voting in the runoffs and who's on the ballot.