Pflugerville officials opted to delay a decision about whether to keep the city's Flock Safety cameras during an Aug. 11 City Council meeting.

What happened: Council decided not to vote on an agreement with Flock to extend the lease of automated license plate readers that would cost $87,500 per year.

Several members of the community spoke at the meeting opposing the contract. 

“This is not simply about cameras,” Pflugerville resident Samuel Caswell said. It is about privacy; it is about government surveillance, accountability and the kind of community we want Pflugerville to be.”

The background: The Pflugerville Police Department has utilized Flock automated license plate reader cameras since 2022. According to the city, the cameras are located in key areas to capture images of vehicle license plates, and do not track people or use facial recognition. They are also not used for immigration enforcement or any other purpose outside of lawful public safety work, city documents state.

Nexgen Spa and Nails will be opening a second location in Pflugerville, owner Hanna Nguyen confirmed.

The details: With an existing location in Hutto, the business offers a full range of nail and spa services, including manicures, pedicures, acrylics, gel nails and waxing.

The new location will be in the H-E-B-anchored Pflugerville Retail Center.

• 17713 N. SH 130 service road, Ste. 100, Pflugerville

Williamson County commissioners voted 3-2 to utilize $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act interest funds for the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter expansion at an Aug. 11 meeting.

What happened: Director of Animal Services Misty Valenta presented the proposal to commissioners at the meeting, saying that the additional $2 million will allow:

• Upgrading kennel materials to extend their lifespan and reduce maintenance costs
• Adding 12 additional dog kennels for population needs
• Prioritizing construction for animal housing
• Constructing a tower element required by the Georgetown Unified Development Code

Check out some of the most-read stories about the Austin area from Aug. 10-13. 

1. Franklin Barbecue to temporarily close in East Austin

2. Cedar Park officials approve $5.6M for transportation, community projects

3. New running shoe store to open in San Marcos outlets

4. Claw machine arcade coming soon to New Braunfels

5. Discount Tire opens second location in Georgetown

6. H-E-B plans store upgrades in Pflugerville

The Texas Education Agency released public school accountability ratings for the 2025-26 school year on Aug. 14.

"We use [A-F ratings] as a way to evaluate our own performance as adults, and then build action plans so that the way that we run our schools next year can be even better than last year," Education Commissioner Mike Morath said during an Aug. 14 news conference.

The overview: Across the state, 85% of campuses received a C rating or higher, which is considered “acceptable" academic performance.

Schools are rated based on three criteria: student achievement, school progress and closing the gaps.

Zooming in: At least one district, Austin ISD, is at risk of being taken over by the TEA after two of its middle school campuses received their fifth consecutive failing grades this year. State law requires the agency to shutter those campuses or take control of the district.

Any potential state-mandated closures or takeovers will not happen immediately, as districts with concerns about their ratings have through Sept. 11 to appeal scores to the TEA.