🌱 Cedar Park Prepares For Storm + Couple Escapes Fiery Collision

Happy Thursday, neighbors! Here's everything you need to know about what's happening locally today.

First, today's weather:

Morning icy mix; cloudy. High: 30 Low: 21.

Here are the top 3 stories in Cedar Park-Leander today:

1. With icy weather hitting the Austin metro area today, city leaders are reflecting on the deadly winter storms of 2021 and the lessons they've learned to better prepare for this year's weather events. In an interview segment, Cedar Park Mayor Corbin Van Arsdale told KVUE the City prepared for this week's storm with "extra communications, extra staffing, extra supplies, and extra communication." Mayor Van Arsdale noted that he's particularly proud of the fact that, during last year's storms, Cedar Park was one of the few communities that was able to keep its water on the whole time. (KVUE.com)
2. Last week, a Leander couple escaped a fiery head-on collision with hardly a scratch. As of yesterday, the couple is still trying to figure out how they survived. The driver of the other vehicle did not stick around after the accident as investigators claim the ATV the driver was hauling on the trailer was stolen out of Callahan County in 2020. The Travis County Sheriff’s Office is looking for information leading to the driver's identification. (FOX 7 Austin)
3. On May 7, voters for municipal and school board elections will also be asked to decide on two proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution. Both of the proposed amendments deal with property taxes. The first proposition on May’s ballot would authorize the Legislature to cut the property tax limit for the homesteads of elderly or disabled residents “to reflect any statutory reduction from the preceding tax year.” The second proposed amendment would increase the homestead exemption for school district property taxes from $25,000 to $40,000. (Port Lavaca Wave)

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Today in Cedar Park-Leander:

• City Council Regular Meeting At Leander Public Library (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• All Leander ISD schools will be closed today (Feb. 3) due to inclement weather. All classes, including virtual ones, are canceled, and the district will notify families by this afternoon about potential Friday closures. (Facebook)
• The Cedar Park Public Library is pausing curbside service due to the upcoming weather. However, they are also extending holds to make sure residents have plenty of time to get to the Library safely. (Facebook)
• Texas Farmers' Market is celebrating Black History Month by encouraging shoppers to support the amazing Black-owned businesses at its markets, this month and every month. Check out their list on Instagram. (Instagram)
• The Leander ISD Educational Excellence Foundation's collaborative grant cycle is now open. Any Leander ISD staff member is eligible to apply for up to $5,000 in funding. Learn more and apply at leeftx.org/collaborative-grant. (Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Thursday. I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow morning with a new update!

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.