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The Morning Impact — your neighborhood's most important stories, delivered every morning.
So far in 2025, Community Impact has covered two election cycles, major transportation updates, development news and local businesses throughout the greater Austin area.
Read on to learn more about the top stories this year to date.
1. Billboard on Bee Caves Road receives resident complaints, city violation notice
A billboard placed near the intersection of Bee Caves Road and River Hills Road has received a notice of violation from the city of Austin following local resident complaints.
The billboard, located at 106 River Hills Road, is within the city of Austin’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. It currently displays an advertisement for the Cicero Institute.
The department with authority over the billboard, the city of Austin’s Development Services Department, did not receive any requests or applications for the billboard, and the city of Austin did not issue a permit for the billboard structure, a department representative said.
Read the full story by former Reporter Karoline Pfeil.
2. A regional destination: Texas’ second-largest retail store set to bring visitors to Cedar Park
Some retail stores can double as destinations, places to take the entire family that offer attractions and food beyond just shopping. The upcoming CedarView development is hoping to become a hub for destination retail.
Two of those destinations are NFM, formerly Nebraska Furniture Mart, and Scheels, a sporting goods outlet. Both NFM and Scheels will be situated within the 117-acre CedarView development, which currently has additional retail space. Jennifer Petrovich, the real estate broker for the development, said an announcement regarding several new tenants should be coming soon.
Read the story by Reporter Haley McLeod.
3. City of Austin to take unauthorized billboard to court
The city of Austin is pursuing legal action to address what it describes as a “prohibited” billboard placed on Bee Caves Road, near the intersection of River Hills Road.
An Austin Development Services Department representative confirmed Aug. 18 that the billboard’s owners, Media Choice, had not taken the appropriate action required in the city’s notice of violation within 14 days of its issuance July 30.
Consequently, the case was taken to municipal court, the representative said. As of Sept. 5, a court hearing has not yet been scheduled.
4. Check out these 20 new nonstop destinations from Austin’s airport
In August, the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport announced a series of new destinations and nonstop flights beginning this fall to locations both nationally and around the globe.
Find out more from Reporter Haley McLeod.
5. Billboard in Round Rock faces removal amid ordinance violation
A billboard recently built on RM 620 in Round Rock has drawn attention from city officials, over a year after a political action committee attempted to petition the city in an effort to change a local sign ordinance.
The billboard—featuring two business advertisements on each side—is managed by MediaChoice, which handles a portfolio of static and digital billboards throughout the state, according to its website. Located at 16420 RM 620, in Round Rock’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, the signage violates a city sign ordinance that prohibits billboards from being placed within 150 feet of the roadway, City Manager Brooks Bennett told Community Impact.
