ATX-NNW: Impact 8/25/2025

Check out the latest Northwest Austin business updates, including new restaurants, gyms, and a first-of-its-kind veterinarian surgical clinic.

Now open
First Watch
With a chef-inspired menu and rotating seasonal offerings, the restaurant offers classics such as avocado toast and specialty entrees including smoked salmon eggs Benedict and lemon ricotta pancakes.

• Opened July 28
• 3500 E. Parmer Lane, Ste. 10140, Austin

• 3220 Feathergrass Court, Ste. 128, Austin

Round Rock ISD Place 6 Trustee Tiffanie Harrison tendered her resignation in an Aug. 21 meeting, after serving on the board for nearly five years.

Remember this: Harrison, a former RRISD marketing teacher, was first elected to serve on the board in the November 2020 board election. She was reelected to a second term in 2024.

What they're saying: "I will always be grateful for the Round Rock ISD community," she said. "This isn't just a community where I have been a trustee. This is the beloved community that has raised me from the first grade at Fern Bluff Elementary all the way through Round Rock High School and my tenure as a teacher."

What's next: Similar to the resignation of Trustee Jun Xiao in 2022, the board will appoint someone to serve in her seat on the board until the term is up in November 2026, as the deadline to call a special election has passed.

Community members can spend 30 minutes a week helping children increase their reading literacy at a local elementary school with Education Connection’s Literacy Partners program. 

Diving in deeper: Now accepting applications for the 2025-26 school year, the nonprofit organization partners with 18 school districts across Central Texas to serve in 121 schools. The program allows volunteers to read once a week with two students selected by classroom teachers for 15 minutes each. 

Volunteers must pass a school district background check and sign a pledge to protect student confidentiality, according to the organization. Necessary training will be provided to volunteers by Education Connection. 

The background : Education Connection created its literacy partnership program in 2009 with the goal of having every child reading by the end of third grade, according to previous Community Impact reporting. 

Some of the districts include:

• Austin ISD
• Bastrop ISD
• Georgetown ISD
• Hays CISD
• Lake Travis ISD
• Leander ISD
• Liberty Hill ISD
• Pflugerville ISD
• Round Rock ISD

Austin-area colleges and universities offer various education opportunities for a range of students, from recent high school graduates to working parents. Check out the information below for important terms to know, deadlines, testing requirements and more.

Note, some institutions have specific application requirements and deadlines based on major. 

For more information visit the respective college website or discuss questions with an academic or college counselor.

Terms to know: Read below for definitions of common terms you may encounter during application season, defined by College Board and Apply Texas.

Early action: nonbinding application sent in before regular deadline; applicant will receive admission decision earlier in the admission cycle; can apply to other colleges

Early decision: binding application; sent in early to first-choice college; receive admission decision in advance; must attend the college if accepted

The breakdown: Colleges vary in their admissions requirements and deadlines. For example, The University of Texas at Austin requires standardized testing scores, while other schools such as Concordia University Texas do not require tests for admission.