🌱 Cedar Park Public Amenity Water Shutoffs + Hospital Capacity

Good morning, Cedar Park-Leander! Here's everything you need to know to get this Wednesday started off right.

First, today's weather:

A couple of showers. High: 60 Low: 29.

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

1. Due to freezing temperatures, water is off at the following Parks amenities starting Wednesday: Restrooms at Brushy Creek Lake, Brushy Creek Sports, Nelson Ranch, Buttercup, Milburn and Veterans Memorial Parks; Community Gardens at Milburn and Veterans Memorial Parks; and dog wash stations and dog water fountains at Cedar Bark Park. You can sign up to receive important alerts from the City and partner agencies, via e-mail, text message, and/or phone call to your mobile or landlines. (City of Cedar Park, Texas-City Government)
2. Yesterday, Texas health officials reported to the federal government approximately 78 percent of inpatient beds and 91 percent of intensive care unit beds in hospitals across the state were occupied. Around 21 percent of inpatient beds and 40 percent of ICU beds statewide were filled by COVID-19 patients. Visit the link for the latest figures for hospitals in Williamson County. (Cedar Park-Leander Patch)
3. Leander ISD in central Texas sat on the precipice of a new controversy in the Fall of 2020 as students began a tentative return to in-person schooling. At the time, the district rolled out student choice book clubs for high schoolers with a selection of books in English language arts classrooms intended to provide a more diverse range of views and learning experiences. After parent complaints about some of the books, Leander announced its decision to ban 11 books from classrooms. By the time the decision in Leander was made, book challenges in schools had swept through Texas and other parts of the country. (School Library Journal)

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Today in Cedar Park-Leander:

• Outdoor Storytime At The Cedar Park Public Library (10:30 AM)

From my notebook:

• Looking for a house in the Cedar Park-Leander area? Here's a look at the latest properties that hit the market. (Cedar Park-Leander Patch)
• Remember to send in notes and/or surprises for your teachers, the administrators, or the staff at Reed Elementary to show them how much you appreciate them! (Instagram)
• Are you a student at Texas State or currently have a loved one enrolled? If so, Twin Lakes Family YMCA invites you to see them on Wednesday, Feb. 2 at the Texas State Career Fair! (Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Taxes in Retirement Webinar (February 7)
• Estate Planning Webinar (February 7)
• Centaur Technology Global Online Auction (February 8)
• Taxes in Retirement Webinar (February 8)
• Taxes in Retirement Webinar (February 15)
• Add your event

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! See you tomorrow morning for another 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.