ATX-LLH: Impact 11/3/2025

The Leander ISD board of trustees named Laura Marques as the appointee to fill the vacant Place 6 seat during a special meeting Oct. 30.

The gist: The board approved Marques in a 5-0 vote. Trustee Paul Gauthier was not present.

The seat was left vacant by former trustee Francesca Romans, who announced her resignation Oct. 22 due to health reasons. The board officially accepted her resignation during a special meeting Oct. 28 and interviewed four candidates in closed session, including Marques.

During the Oct. 28 meeting, trustee Anna Smith said that a Texas Government Code outlines the process for trustee resignations and provides the framework for how vacancies may be addressed.

The board considered a special-called election but due to cost savings and leadership continuity concluded that naming an appointment was in LISD's best interest, she said.

Next steps: According to district officials, Marques is expected to be sworn in sometime in November. She will hold the position until November 2026, which is when Romans' term would have ended.

Labatt Food Services, a U.S. food service distributor, will build a new warehouse and facilities in Jarrell, near I-35 and Ronald Reagan Boulevard.

Williamson County commissioners approved a tax abatement agreement at an Oct. 21 meeting for the development in return for its $42 million investment in the county.

Diving in deeper: Labatt Food Services plans to build a 150,000-square-foot warehouse and ancillary facilities on a 48-acre tract in Jarrell, according to county documents. The estimated cost of the project, including the buildings, property improvements, machinery and other equipment, amounts to $42 million.

The specific terms of the tax abatement agreement with Labatt Food Services include a 30% property tax reduction for 10 years, contingent on the company hiring 150 permanent employees.

Here are the top Community Impact stories in the Austin area from Oct. 27-31.

1. Taiwan-based tech company to locate first US manufacturing facility in Georgetown

2. TxDOT spends $748M to burrow bus-size tunnels under Central Austin

3. The Flats opens in downtown Round Rock after relocation

4. Check out 3 of the latest development stories in Bastrop County

5. GFiber to start connecting Georgetown homes, businesses in 2026

6. New Bee Cave Trader Joe’s opens Oct. 29

Since Nov. 7, 2000, at least one person has died on Texas roads every day, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. As the Lone Star State nears 25 years of daily traffic deaths, officials at all levels of government are investing in new roadway safety projects and encouraging Texas drivers to do their part to curb deadly crashes.

The big picture: In the past 25 years, over 91,000 people have died on Texas roads. That is enough people to fill Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, according to TxDOT.

On average, 11 people died daily on Texas roads last year. In 2025, an average of 10 people had died per day as of Sept. 24.

Zooming in: State and local leaders found that the top factors in severe crashes include:

• Impaired driving
• High speeds
• Distracted driving
• Pedestrian and cyclist safety
• Lack of seatbelt use
• Roadway or lane departures
• Wrong-way driving

Millions of Texans may see delays in their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits beginning Nov. 1, as the federal government shutdown reaches the one-month mark.

The latest: The federal food assistance program is set to run out of funding in November, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Two federal judges ruled Oct. 31 that the Trump Administration must use federal contingency funds, which are stockpiled for emergency expenses, to fund SNAP in November, although the next steps surrounding SNAP benefits were unclear as of press time.

The local impact: Over 3.5 million Texans receive SNAP benefits each month, according to Feeding Texas, the statewide network of food banks.

“People are at risk of going hungry if the government doesn't reopen and SNAP benefits are delayed. … These are already vulnerable Texans,” Feeding Texas CEO Celia Cole said in an Oct. 27 interview.

Food banks across the state Texas food banks previously expanded their operations to meet increased demand as thousands of federal workers go without paychecks during the shutdown.