Cedar Park’s newest liquor store, Cedar Reserve, will be holding a soft opening this weekend at its location on West Parmer Lane. The store will offer a wide range of liquors, wines and craft beers.

The details: Cedar Reserve is owned by Portland, Oregon, native Jiten Patel. Patel said he wants the Cedar Reserve to provide a high-end experience for the community.

Patel said he is aiming for a soft opening Dec. 5, with a grand opening to follow on Dec. 15.

• Soft opening Dec. 5
• 12301 W. Parmer Lane, Bldg. 2, Ste. 201, Cedar Park

The first project under a new Austin Energy program promoting solar panels on commercial properties is now complete, while the city moves forward on a separate plan to install solar at dozens of public buildings.

AE's Solar Standard Offer program incentivizes businesses and property owners to install their own solar panels or lease rooftop space to solar developers. In exchange, they're compensated by the utility based on energy generated by the new panels.

The first solar array developed under that program was completed this fall at a Northeast Austin business park, and officials gathered Dec. 3 to mark the project and its public benefits.

That update came as Austin works to launch its own solar installations at dozens of city-owned sites around town. That project, proposed this spring by City Council, must move forward by next summer or risk losing federal tax credits needed to make it financially viable.

A dozen new Texas laws are scheduled to take effect Dec. 4. The new laws come 90 days after the end of a special legislative session that took place this summer.

The overview: Some of the bills becoming law Dec. 4 include:

• House Bill 8, which will replace the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, with three shorter exams beginning in fall 2027
• House Bill 18, which is designed to deter future legislators from leaving the Texas Capitol to prevent a legislative chamber from considering legislation, known as breaking quorum
• Senate Bill 54, which will roll back a short-lived rule that allowed registered Texas voters who moved within a county to update their address at the polls and immediately vote in their new precinct