Round Rock's newest professional sports program will hold its inaugural home opener at Dell Diamond on June 18.

What you need to know: The home opener will be played at 6 p.m. June 18 at Dell Diamond, 3300 E. Palm Valley Blvd., Round Rock. Gates will open at 4:30 p.m.

Ahead of the game, attendees can enjoy a Volts cowbell giveaway and free snow cones for the first 1,000 fans, and face painting and hair braiding, rock wall climbing, mechanical bull riding, games and other activities, according to event organizers.

How we got here: The team announced its selection of Round Rock's own Dell Diamond as its home in January, as part of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League.

The Volts join the six-team league that also includes the Carolina Blaze, Chicago Bandits, Oklahoma City Spark, Portland Cascade and Utah Talons, with play beginning June 9.

Recently released performance data for the 2025 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness administered this spring to grades three through eight show some gains and declines among Round Rock ISD students, compared to state averages.

The Texas Education Agency released statewide and district-specific test scores for the STAAR math, reading and social studies exams June 16. Science scores will be released July 31. 

What you need to know: Statewide trends show steady growth in reading scores, as well as gains in math and social studies.

The local impact: In RRISD, data for passing scores show students performed above state average in 12 subjects and below state average in one subject, seventh grade math.

A Crunch Fitness in Austin, an AutoZone in Lago Vista and the Plaza Saltillo Station Double Track and Trail Project are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Plaza Saltillo Station Double Track and Trail Project ($40.6 million): This project involves a change from single track to double track, building platforms and canopies for passenger waiting areas, and associated utility relocations and right-of-way flatwork.

2. Emergency Animal Hospital of Buda ($1.7 million): A new emergency animal hospital is coming to Buda, with construction set to begin in August.

3. Snack Time C-Store & Gas Station Building ($1.6 million): This project involves the construction of a single-story gas station building with a proposed deli.

4. Crunch Fitness ($1.5 million): A new Crunch Fitness location is coming to Austin. 

5. AutoZone ($1.2 million): A 6,800-square-foot AutoZone is coming to Lago Vista, with construction set to begin in December.

Changing drinking preferences are hitting retail shelves across Central Texas, with THC- and CBD-infused drinks increasingly positioning themselves as alternatives to traditional alcohol.

A closer look: Shayda Torabi, the cofounder of RESTART CBD + THC—a hemp retailer based in Austin—said many consumers are drinking less alcohol while actively looking for an alternative with an effect, not just a mocktail—what she referred to as the “sober curious movement.”

“People don't just want an adaptogenic drink, they don't just want a fizzy knockoff cosmopolitan. They want that drink that they're subbing alcohol for to have some experience, to have some effect,” Torabi said. “I think that's where cannabis beverages have really nicely parlayed into this next generation of consumers.”

What you should know: Torabi explained that many consumable hemp products can range from 2 milligrams to 10 milligrams of THC, but some products contain dosages as high as 100 milligrams. For first-time users, Torabi recommends starting with a low dose, around 2.5 milligrams of THC.