ATX-LLH: Impact 10/22/2025

Harmony Science Academy marked the opening of its ninth Central Texas campus in Leander on Oct. 17.

What you need to know: Harmony Public Schools held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of its Leander campus, which opened in August. 

Mustafa Altindag, HPS Central Texas area superintendent, said the campus received a record 4,400 applications for students to attend. The Leander campus was able to accept 640 students for its elementary program, he said. 

Check out these events in Leander and Liberty Hill in November and December, including artisan markets, a home tour and a Christmas festival.

This list is not comprehensive and events are subject to change. 

Wildfire Farmers Market
Vendors gather at Wildfire Park each Saturday to sell grass-fed meat, free-range eggs, sourdough bread, cheeses, vegetables, local honey, vintage clothes, jewelry, woodworking and more. 

• Every Saturday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Free (admission)
• 209 W. Broade St., Leander

Williamson County will apply for over $1.4 million in federal grants to support the juvenile justice system and help prevent at-risk youth from entering the justice system following commissioner approval at a meeting Oct. 14.

Explained: The federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention offers grants for local governments to fund programs or other intervention initiatives that prevent juvenile delinquency.

Williamson County is seeking two OJJDP grants:

• $633,555 for mentoring youth affected by substance use
• $815,804 to support youth exposed to violence

As water restrictions and shortages become more common in Texas communities, state lawmakers are asking voters to approve $20 billion to fund new water supply projects and improve existing systems over the next 20 years.

The overview: If voters approve State Proposition 4, which is on the November ballot, the state will create a dedicated funding stream to help local utilities access more water and upgrade their infrastructure. Without the new funding, Texas’ water crisis could deepen, experts say.

“We’ve got 1,500+ people moving to Texas every day, and not one of them is bringing a single drop of water with them,” Dean Sharp, who leads the management division of the Texas American Water Works Association, said Oct. 16.

Key takeaway: Despite the $1 billion annual price tag, Proposition 4 would not create any new state taxes or increase costs for Texans, lawmakers and experts said. Beginning in 2027, the money would come from existing sales tax revenue and be deposited in the Texas Water Fund, a state account that voters approved in 2023.