What started as a garage gym has emerged as a training hub for Leander locals and families.

The highlights: The Boxing Academy opened in December, offering a space for both youth and adults to learn and practice the sport. The locally owned gym features both private and group lessons, including family boxing sessions where parents and children can train at the same time.

Owner Ray Lugo said The Boxing Academy is a "family-friendly" establishment. He said he works with many children from the area and provides a constructive outlet for those dealing with difficult situations, including bullying.

Of note: Also a veteran, Lugo served in the military for 10 years. Additionally, he boxed in over 70 fights as an amateur boxer. Today, "Coach Lugo" provides students with boxing skills, confidence, discipline and work ethic, according to the gym's website.

• 1351 183A Toll, Ste. 62, Leander

Liberty Hill is moving forward plans for new infrastructure that will treat wastewater, which will be reused for irrigation within Santa Rita Ranch.

In a nutshell: City Council approved a $5 million contract Feb. 25 with engineering firm Garver for final design and construction of the North Fork Wastewater Treatment Plant.

According to city documents, the city hired a different engineering firm to design the plant in 2022, but in 2023, city staff identified problems with the design.

In January 2024, the city hired Garver to review those initial plans. After Garver’s review, it was determined that the original plans were "unusable" and required a complete redesign, staff documents state.

What’s next: Construction of the facility is scheduled to be completed by spring 2029. While the facility is initially planned to primarily serve Santa Rita Ranch, Director of Public Works Jacob Parsons said he expects it will serve other developments as well in the future.

“It just depends on what growth we see because we know it’s going to grow,” Parsons said.

At a press conference Feb. 27, CIS Central Texas invited city officials, county leaders, state representatives and educators to discuss a study conducted by Harvard University.

The big picture: The study identified short- and long-term outcomes for high-risk students who received CIS support.

Key findings from the study include:

• Higher academic achievement
• Increased graduation and two-year college enrollment
• Greater economic mobility

Over 2.3 million Democrats and nearly 2.2 million Republicans voted in the March 3 election, according to unofficial election results from the secretary of state. Totaling nearly 4.5 million voters, this is “the highest voter turnout for a primary in Texas history,” the secretary of state’s office said.

By the numbers: Nearly one-fourth of Texas’ 18.7 million registered voters participated in the primaries, shattering turnout rates from recent years. Less than one-fifth of registered voters cast ballots in the 2024 presidential and 2022 midterm primaries, state election records show.

Texas’ previous primary turnout record was set in 2008, when 4.2 million voters cast ballots in high-profile presidential primaries.

Zooming in: Election data shows the most people cast votes in the high-profile U.S. Senate races that topped the ticket, with the total numbers of votes steadily decreasing down the ballot in both primaries.

There is “some certainty” that voter enthusiasm will extend to the November midterm election, Republican data analyst Ross Hunt told Community Impact during early voting.