Back Nine Golf will open its Pflugerville location in July.

The details: The golf simulator spot is 3,000 square feet, has four bays and is open 24/7. The simulators let golfers play courses like Pebble Beach or St. Andrews on any schedule, day or night, without leaving the neighborhood.

Golfers can bring their own clubs, although most Back Nine locations offer clubs for rent. On average, it takes around 45 minutes to an hour to play 18 holes on a golf simulator.

The business offers memberships, but they are not required to play at the new location.

The Back Nine recently opened a location in the Round Rock-Hutto area and another in Cedar Park.

• Opening July 6
• 2606 W Pecan St., Suite 202

The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization dedicated about $131 million in federal funding for nine road projects and one trail project in Williamson County, according to a June 12 county news release.

Projects include the construction of an overpass at the intersection of Chandler Road and FM 1660 in Hutto, as well as widening Red Bud Lane from two to five lanes from Gattis School Road to Heatherwilde Boulevard in Round Rock.

What they’re saying: “I am grateful the CAMPO board sees the need in our fast-growing county for continued improvements to our transportation system, and I congratulate [Precinct 2] Commissioner [Cynthia] Long for securing this federal funding through CAMPO for Williamson County,” Williamson County Judge Steve Snell said in the release.

How it works: CAMPO selected projects to receive funding from the 2028-31 open call for projects. The evaluation process includes independent reviewers weighing risk assessment, project readiness and the cost-benefit analysis, according to the release.

An apartment complex in Cedar Park and a central kitchen for the Austin State Support Living Center, or ASSLC, are among the most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Cedar View ($82 million): Cedar View will include approximately 425 apartment units and approximately 12,000 square feet of indoor amenity space.

2. Austin SSLC Replacement Kitchen Building ($11.1 million): This project involves the new construction of approximately 9,600 square feet of space for a central kitchen facility at the Austin SSLC Campus.

3. Lakeline Boulevard Shared Use Path ($7.4 million): This project includes the construction of approximately 4 miles of 8- to 10-foot shared-use path from New Hope Drive to Little Elm Creek.

4. Connie's Last Stand ($3 million): This project involves the renovation of a 2,244-square-foot historic home with a 1,000-square-foot glass conservatory addition to be used as a restaurant.

5. Old Stagecoach Road from Center Street to Six Creeks Boulevard ($1.7 million): The roadway will be reconstructed to include pedestrian elements.

Texas education officials gave preliminary approval June 23 to the state’s first mandatory reading list, which includes nearly 200 literary works that public school students would begin reading as soon as 2030.

The overview: The proposed list incorporates about a dozen stories from the Bible, including the tale of David and Goliath in second grade and direct biblical excerpts beginning in fourth grade. In total, students would be required to read more than two dozen texts in early elementary grades and about 10 literary works per year from sixth grade through high school.

What's happening: Members of the Republican-led State Board of Education voted 9-5 to cut several titles from the reading list June 23, following nearly eight hours of public testimony a day earlier.

More than half of those who testified June 22 asked the board to shorten the list, include more diverse authors and remove religious references. Others praised the SBOE for creating a list that they said would teach students about “American exceptionalism” and prioritize classical literature.