Margarita’s Mexican restaurant in Liberty Hill closed its doors permanently in early January, according to a Facebook post from the restaurant. The restaurant shared a message thanking customers for their support and the team for their hard work and commitment. 

On the menu: Margarita’s served handmade Mexican cuisine, including quesadillas, tacos, nachos, salad, fajitas and more. 

More details: The social post stated that Time Out Sports Bar will close permanently, effective Jan. 5. 

• 10280 W. SH 29, Liberty Hill

Three candidates are running for mayor of Leander in the Feb. 7 special election.

The details: The position is open after Mayor Christine DeLisle stepped down in October. The winner will serve out the remainder of the current term, which expires in May 2027.

Community Impact asked all three candidates about their campaigns and their priorities if elected.

CI: What makes you uniquely qualified to serve on the Leander City Council?

Pantalion-Parker: Experience—6 years on City Council, record attendance missing only 3 meetings. Achievements include launching the first transportation and water studies, making the Smart Code optional, and improving ease of doing business through third-party process analysis and reforms. Added CapMetro and sales tax to the ballot, empowering voters to decide.

Thompson: Leander is home for my family and my business. As Mayor Pro Tem, I handle day-to-day city operations with proven leadership getting real results for residents. Colleagues selected me three times to serve in this role. Endorsed by both Leander firefighters and police associations, residents benefit from steady direction and trusted relationships across city departments and the region.

Sanders: As an engineer, I regularly create new things that never existed before, by looking at things from new and different perspectives than others have done in the past. I am the only candidate for Mayor who brings new ideas to the table, for solving old problems.

Central Texas dentists have been feeling the effects of a nationwide shortage of dental hygienists, facing difficulties filling vacant positions to serve a growing number of patients

Zooming out: A 2019 study by the Texas Department of State Health Services projected that the demand for dental hygienists would outpace supply from 2018 to 2030. In Central Texas, the shortage of dental hygienists was projected to increase by 116.4% from 2018 to 2030, according to the report.

What they're saying: “As the population increases, new patients are coming into practices in Austin,” said Dr. Shailee Gupta, local dentist and member of Capital Area Dental Society. “Without the proper number of hygienists to go with these practices or community centers, there's no way to be able to meet that demand.”

The approach: To help counteract this shortage, Austin Community College opened an expanded dental hygiene clinic at its Eastview Campus this fall, nearly doubling the program’s annual cohort of students from 18 to 34. 

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is moving forward with a $5 billion expansion aimed at easing congestion and improving the passenger experience. The project will add 32 new gates, including 26 tied to a new Concourse B, while Southwest Airlines plans to nearly double its presence at the airport with 18 additional gates and about 200 daily flights.

A closer look: As part of the expansion, Southwest will relocate its command center and open a pilot and flight attendant base, bringing roughly 2,000 new jobs by 2027. The airport is also building a six-gate Concourse M to provide flexibility during construction, schedule changes, delays and diverted flights.

Looking ahead: Additional projects include expanded parking, centralized TSA checkpoints and improvements to baggage handling, as well as ongoing efforts to extend Austin’s light rail to the airport. Officials say these projects will help ABIA handle growth while enhancing convenience for travelers.

Pegatron Corporation, a Taiwan-based electronics manufacturing company, plans to begin construction on its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Georgetown by March, according to Williamson County documents.

The property is located in the Blue Springs Business Park near SE Inner Loop and Blue Springs Boulevard.

The details: The 168,784-square-foot building is a shell space, and Pegatron plans to renovate the facility for its manufacturing and assembly operations, according to Georgetown documents.

The update: Williamson County commissioners approved a tax abatement agreement with Pegatron on Jan. 6, which will exempt 30% of the assessed value of the land, improvements and tangible personal property for 10 years.

The benefits are contingent on performance metrics, including starting construction by March 31. 

In case you missed it: The city of Georgetown approved an economic incentive agreement and tax abatement agreement for Pegatron on Dec. 9.

About the company: Pegatron works on design and manufacturing for a wide range of electronics. The company is also involved with the hardware needed for data centers.