A new Willie’s Grill & Icehouse is coming soon to Leander, said Kelsie Penn, managing partner of the new location. The restaurant, serving Texas-inspired dishes, will open to customers in late March.

What’s on the menu: Willie’s Grill & Icehouse brings together the best of Texas cuisine, according to its website, including southern cajun dishes, Tex-Mex and burgers made in-house. The menu includes comfort food like chicken fried steak, onion rings and fried pickles. Willie’s also serves up loaded fries, salads, seafood boils and sandwiches.

Looking for a libation? To beat the Texas heat, patrons can also grab one of the many frozen beverages on the menu, including a beerita or the frozen Jack and Coke. Following the icehouse tradition, Willie’s also has an array of cold beers.

Learn more: The Houston-based restaurant also has locations in Kyle, Pflugerville, College Station and Georgetown.

• 1412 Bright Lane, Leander

Voters in Williamson County will be able to use any of the county’s polling locations in two upcoming May elections.

This comes after some residents experienced longer-than-average wait times and other complications on election day during the March primaries, which had precinct-based voting.

The update: The local Republican Party announced it will adjust its primary runoff contract with the county to allow voters to cast ballots at any polling location in the county, rather than in their specific voting precinct.

The runoff election for the March primaries will take place May 26, with early voting running May 18-22.

Additionally, the upcoming local elections May 2 will also allow for countywide voting locations, as set by Williamson County. Round Rock, Hutto, Cedar Park and Georgetown have city council seats on the ballot in this election. 

Some context: The local Republican and Democratic parties determine election day procedures for primaries. 

From a mixed-use project to a Target and more, here are five of the most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Bell District Block B in Cedar Park: Boston-based General Investment and Development is building a 194-unit mixed-use project that will feature an outdoor pool courtyard.

2. Pathways at Santa Rita Courts East in Austin: The Housing Authority of the city of Austin will construct a four-story, multi-family building that totals 77 units and renovate 11 historic single-story buildings into 27 units.

3. Target in Dripping Springs: The Village at Dripping Springs will feature the area's first Target, totaling about 147,000 square feet.

4. Cigna Healthcare in Austin: The insurance provider will add a 40,100-square-foot office to its portfolio.

5. San Marcos Self Storage in San Marcos: Seven one-story self-storage buildings, totaling approximately 83,085 square feet, will be added.

• Open fires, such as brush burning and bonfires
• Outdoor burning of trash, leaves or debris
• Campfires and fire pits in nondesignated areas

Texas families now have an additional two weeks to apply for the state’s new education savings account program, a Houston federal judge ruled March 17.

What's happening: U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett ordered the state comptroller’s office to extend the application deadline to March 31 over concerns that no Islamic private schools had been greenlit to accept state ESA funds. In two lawsuits filed in early March, four Muslim parents said they felt deterred from applying for education savings accounts because the Islamic schools they send their children to were not among the 2,200 schools authorized to participate in the program.

Parents previously had until 11:59 p.m. March 17 to apply for the program.

Latest update: In a March 17 news release, the comptroller’s office confirmed that applications would be accepted through March 31 in compliance with the judge’s order.

Over 229,000 students had applied for the $1 billion program as of March 17, Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock said. The state will use a need- and income-based lottery system to determine who is accepted.