The youth sports and mentorship nonprofit RBI Austin has started construction on its new 33-acre athletics and education campus in East Austin.

The details: An affiliate of Major League Baseball's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program, RBI Austin has operated from leased spaces since its launch in 2009. The nonprofit now serves more than 1,700 children and is working to open its permanent home—the new Youth Development Complex at 7401 Loyola Lane—by late 2027. The project includes:

• An outdoor field for baseball, softball and other activities

• A covered turf training field

• A headquarters building with classrooms, a weight room and offices

RBI Austin has raised $7.2 million of the estimated $15.1 million needed for the complex, and a capital campaign is underway to raise the remaining funds. The nonprofit hopes to serve 3,400 youth annually within three years of the complex opening.

Early voting in Texas began on Oct. 19 and will continue until Oct. 30, before election day on Nov. 3. Austin-area voters can now head to the polls, trading their “I Voted” sticker for freebies and discounts at businesses across the city.

Voters can find their closest polling site at communityimpact.com/voter-guide.

This list is not comprehensive.

Taco Flats

Voters can present their voting sticker at any Taco Flats location for a free TF Original taco.

• 5520 Burnet Road, Ste. 101, Austin; 1110 W. Lynn St., Austin; 2500 E. 6th St., Austin; 12221 Riata Trace Parkway, Ste. 100, Austin; 900 Ranch Road 620 S, Ste. c104, Lakeway

Nunya Neighborhood Bar

After going to the polls, voters can visit the east Austin bar for a free beer or hot dog.

• 1806 E. 12th St., Austin

Hyperreal Film Club

The local movie theatre is offering free popcorn to voters who show their “I Voted” sticker.

• 301 Chicon St., Ste. A, Austin

In July, Texas' top elected officials directed most state agencies, appellate courts and public universities to cut spending by 3% in their base budget requests for the next two years.

The overview: Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows said those reductions will help Texas hold a "strong fiscal position" by expanding property tax relief and maintaining public education funding when the legislature returns to Austin next year.

The issue: Dozens of agency leaders have warned that the cuts, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars, are not sustainable. They would cause Texas residents to lose "essential" services and lead to losses in state revenue, leaders said at the capitol and in budget documents.

Government institutions protesting the budget reductions include the comptroller's office, the attorney general, Texas' Cancer Prevention and Research Institute, state criminal justice agencies and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Check out the latest transportation project updates across the Austin metro.

Austin pushes back on proposed Parmer Lane highway conversion: Austin City Council approved a resolution directing city staff to work with regional transportation agencies to prioritize safety, walking, biking and transit in proposed Parmer Lane improvements amid concerns that a plan to convert the corridor into a multilane highway could increase traffic, noise and pollution.

Kyle reevaluates 6 priority intersections marked for roundabouts: On Aug. 18, the Kyle City Council approved an almost $500,000 reevaluation of 12 intersections where roundabouts were recommended. The results of intersection analyses at six priority locations were presented on Oct. 20. Of the six intersections reevaluated, four were recommended for road remedies other than roundabouts and two were recommended to continue pursuing roundabouts.

Pflugerville's FM 685 median removal to bring overnight lane closures Oct. 26-30: As part of the city’s Downtown East project, a new traffic light is being installed at the intersection, and Main Street is being extended from its current terminus at N. Railroad Avenue.