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Leander's Conejos Tex-Mex Cantina expanding to Round Rock and Cedar Park

Conejos Tex-Mex Cantina will open two new locations in Round Rock and Cedar Park in addition to the original restaurant in Leander.

The timeline: Co-owner Bobby Hernandez said he expects the Round Rock location to open in June or July and the Cedar Park location to open in October or November.

What's on the menu: Hernandez said the menu will be the same across all three locations. The Conejos website describes it as "a menu that blends classic Mexican staples with bold Tex-Mex flair with Southern style." Offerings include tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, quesadillas and more.

 
Latest news
Cedar Park looks at requiring registration for short-term rentals

Cedar Park officials are weighing a proposal to require the registration of short-term rentals within the city.

Some context: The city defines a short-term rental as “the rental of all or part of a residential property for a period of 30 consecutive days or fewer to an individual who is not a permanent resident.” Short-term rentals include rentals through websites like Airbnb and Vrbo.

City staff estimates there are about 200 short-term rentals operating within the city today.

The framework: The proposed ordinance would require short-term rentals to register with the city and require owners to pay an annual registration fee of $100 per property.

Why it matters: Short-term rental owners are already required to pay hotel occupancy taxes. Staff documents state that registration “would promote fairness and consistency by helping the city ensure proper collection of hotel occupancy taxes ... which contribute to services and amenities that benefit the entire community.”

What’s next: City Council is set to vote on the proposed ordinance at its April 23 meeting.

 

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Your Weekend To-Do List

Check out these weekend events across the metro area.

Encore for the Palace: A Benefit Concert

Austin Reggae Festival

April 17-18, 7:30 p.m.
Georgetown

April 17-19
Austin

More info

More info

 

Earth Day & Arbor Day Celebration

Springfest

April 18, 9 a.m.-noon
New Braunfels

April 18, 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Bastrop

More info

More info

 
To submit your own event, click here.

Latest Education News
Students, educators share concerns about sweeping rewrite of Texas social studies curriculum

Texas education officials are currently overhauling the state’s social studies curriculum standards, with policymakers, teachers, parents and historians clashing over how students should be taught about the history of Texas, the U.S. and the world.

The overview: The State Board of Education reviews standards for all curriculum areas every 15-20 years, dictating what Texas' 5.5 million public school students should learn at each grade level.

As written, the plan would reduce how much time students spend learning about world history and cultures in favor of more Texas-focused subjects. Critics of the proposal have pushed to include a more diverse set of perspectives to ensure all students feel represented in the curriculum, while those who support it said students’ education should be centered around American exceptionalism, state history and Christianity.

Next steps: The SBOE, which has the final say on the curriculum changes, was taking an initial vote on the plan as of press time and is scheduled to adopt the final standards in June. The new requirements would be rolled out to classrooms in 2030.

 
CI Texas
Texas House panel approves $8k fines for Democrats who left state during summer redistricting fight

Nearly eight months after a Democratic walkout over congressional redistricting, a GOP-led Texas House committee moved to charge 52 of their Democratic colleagues up to $8,354.25 each in fines.

What happened: After six hours behind closed doors, the House Administration Committee approved the fines in a brief public session April 10. The panel's six Republicans voted to impose the fines, while the five Democrats voted against them.

The background: Over 50 House Democrats left the state in early August to fight a plan to redraw Texas’ congressional boundaries. They remained out of Texas for two weeks, impeding the progress of legislation during two special legislative sessions, although the congressional map and more than a dozen other bills ultimately passed after the Democrats returned to Austin.

Something to note: The fines were reduced by $1,000 per person to reflect two days when the House was not in session, lawmakers said. Some Democrats were also charged lower amounts because they did not participate in the full two-week walkout or their absences were partially excused.
 

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