After dozens of residents spoke in support of The 75 Oaks, Leander City Council members unanimously voted to approve a special use permit for the family farm Oct. 15.

The overview: The permit allows the farm to continue farm sales and educational workshops for the next decade. The farm store drew city attention in September 2025 when a code inspection found it lacked a certificate of occupancy.

The 75 Oaks is currently zoned as a single-family urban or manufactured home, but it keeps goats and sheep on a 2.39-acre parcel instead of the required three acres.

The outlook: With the special use permit, the farm can continue operating without making alterations. The 75 Oaks offers a variety of services and products, including:

• Pasture-raised eggs, plants, dairy and other farm products

• Educational programming for toddlers, school-aged children and adults

• Leander's only native plant nursery recognized by the Native Plant Society of Texas

A new food truck serving Mediterranean fare is now open in Liberty Hill. Crazy Falafels opened for business in mid-July, owner Noubar Ishak said.

What’s on the menu: Ishak said the menu takes inspiration from his family’s Lebanese and Armenian heritage. Crazy Falafels serves kebab plates, falafel wraps and veggie dishes. The business also offers platters and sides.

Quote of note: “We want to share the love that we have,” Ishak said. “We want everybody to come here hungry and leave here happy. Our number one goal is to bring healthy Mediterranean food out in the area.”

• 112 CR 214, Liberty Hill

Early voting in Travis County runs Monday, Oct. 19, through Friday, Oct. 30, ahead of Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

What you need to know: Voters can use any of Travis County’s 45 early voting locations, County Clerk Dyana Limon-Mercado said.

Locations are open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. every day, including on weekends, according to the county’s schedule, except for one polling site that’s only open Oct. 30. Voters can find their closest polling site at communityimpact.com/voter-guide.

Voters should bring one of seven accepted forms of photo ID, such as a Texas driver license or U.S. passport, according to the Texas Association of County Election Officials.

On the ballot: The county has more than 700 ballot variations, Limon-Mercado said.

Austin voters will see two bond propositions and eight proposed city charter amendments, according to previous Community Impact reporting.

Council races are on the ballot in districts 1, 3, 5, 8 and 9, according to the city of Austin.

As Election Day nears, candidates seeking to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate are raising—and spending—large sums of money, their campaign finance reports show.

The details: Candidates and political action committees, or PACs, involved in federal races had until midnight Oct. 15 to submit reports detailing their fundraising and spending from the third quarter of 2026—July 1 through Sept. 30.

• Democrat James Talarico raised $60.2 million and spent $67.2 million, according to his campaign finance report.

• Republican Ken Paxton, the state's current attorney general, reported raising $10.2 million and spending $7.1 million

• Libertarian Ted Brown's campaign finance report shows he raised about $5,208 and spent $3,410

Preparing for the polls: Early voting in Texas' midterm election runs from Oct. 19-30, and Election Day is Nov. 3.

Texans can view a personalized sample ballot with information about dozens of candidates and local propositions at communityimpact.com/voter-guide.