The city of Hutto will begin reshaping the downtown area Feb. 17, when crews begin updating signage and restriping East Street in an effort to expand parking.

The gist: The new signage and road stripes will be installed as the city prepares to transition East Street to a one-way road beginning March 5. The change is part of phase 1 of the project to expand downtown parking from 141 spaces to over 400 spaces.

As part of the first phase, East Street will shift to one-way going northbound. The east side of the street will continue using parallel parking, while parallel parking will be added on the west side, between Pecan Street and Live Oak Street. This will create 11 additional spaces.

The Hutto and Pflugerville housing market saw a year-over-year increase in home sales in January, according to data provided by Unlock MLS.

Overview: The number of homes sold in Hutto rose by around 96% in January, compared to January 2025, while Pflugerville saw a slight uptick with a 4.5% increase.

Check out the top 6 most-read stories from Feb. 9-12 in the Austin area. 

1. Unofficial voting results show Na’Cole Thompson wins race for Leander mayor

2. Round Rock officials weigh neighborhood compatibility for Skybox data center

3. True Texas BBQ brings brisket and more to Bastrop H-E-B

4. Twice the Ice changes ownership in Georgetown

5. Portion of Gilleland Creek Trail in Pflugerville to close

6. From tacos to trims: Check out 9 Liberty Hill business updates

A grant from the Texas Water Development Board could allow Williamson County officials to purchase and install $1 million of flood warning equipment in areas vulnerable to flash floods.

What happened: Commissioners approved the grant agreement at a Feb. 10 meeting, allowing the Office of Emergency Management to start project plans.

The grant could provide outdoor warning sirens, flood gauges and sensors as well as communication software testing training, County Emergency Management Director Bruce Clements said at the meeting.

The OEM will identify locations most prone to flooding in the county to come up with a project proposal for the grant. Proposals are due to the TWDB by Dec. 31.

There is no local match requirement for the grant.

Why now? TWDB is administering the program pursuant to Senate Bill 3 and Senate Bill 5, which awarded flood prevention grants to 30 counties. Grants will be dispersed after project plans are submitted.

Texans will see candidates for 18 statewide positions on the March primary ballot, including one state railroad commissioner, the state land commissioner and the state agriculture commissioner.

The overview: Despite its name, the Railroad Commission of Texas does not govern the state’s railroads. So what do railroad commissioners and the leaders of other Texas agencies do?

Community Impact compiled information about various state agencies to help inform Texans before they head to the polls for the March primary elections.

At the polls: Early voting runs from Feb. 17-27, and primary election day is March 3.