Abbey Archer

Highlighted Work

Williamson County Sun •

Haven GTX opens day program for adults with disabilities

The Haven GTX, a new nonprofit, is giving adults with intellectual disabilities a place to learn, socialize and stay active through a five-day-a-week life enrichment program offered at First Presbyterian Church.The tuition-based program was started by Randy and Cindy Smith, who have a 28-year-old son with a disability named Cole. The Smiths have designed the program alongside Executive Director Ivonne Rodriguez to stimulate the mind, body and soul of each Friend who enters the door. Rodriguez ha...
Williamson County Sun •

Freedom for a price: Bail bond industry is a quiet but thriving part of downtown Georgetown

Within a mile of the Square, there are eight bail bond businesses — some in small houses with neon signs, others in unassuming office buildings — working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to get people who are innocent until proven guilty, out of jail. The bail businesses are not heavily trafficked — or even noticed — by the typical visitors who seek out shopping and dining options around vibrant historic downtown Georgetown. The thriving industry, however, is crucial for people sitting in the...
Williamson County Sun •

Making custom hats the old fashioned way

Nathaniel Funmaker makes custom hats the on the Square old-fashioned way, using equipment that is more than 100 years old.“There is newer equipment, but I won’t have it. I don’t like that. I like what I like,” he said. “This was how it was originally done.” Nathaniel's Custom Hats offers 12 different named styles, like cowboy hats, crossovers and fedoras. Mr. Funmaker also allows clients to customize the height of the crown as well as the width and curl of the brim. Sometimes, the measurements d...
Williamson County Sun •

Waterloo Gin brings spirit to Georgetown

For drinkers who grimace at the bitter bite of London-style gin, a gin infused with floral botanicals from the Texas Hill Country may be the secret to a refreshing summer cocktail. 
Waterloo Gin, a spirit brand owned by John Paul DeJoria, has its headquarters in the historic Gold’s building on the Square. “There's a big opportunity for more American style gin, and one that has the kind of history and origin story that we have,” said David Kerston, the President of Waterloo Gin. “We're just super...
Williamson County Sun •

Catching life: inside Haven Birth and Wellness

A woman squatting in an inflatable tub releases a purposeful moan— followed by a deep, soft scream, as licensed Georgetown midwife Ashley Collie instructs the expecting mother to “Get your baby! Your baby’s in front of you. Get your baby.” The mom swoops her baby up out of the water while dad comforts her from the other side. “Oh my god, oh!” the mom said. Her baby releases a healthy, choking scream. A nurse in the background prepared the couple’s bed by placing a sheet of plastic painters drop...
Williamson County Sun •

Farmer looks at shifting agriculture landscape

The thing Dwight Arldt loves most about farming is that he doesn’t have to deal with people.A mile north of Weir, along County Road 194 — known locally as “Redneck Road”— Mr. Arldt grows wheat on 45 acres. He leases the land, along with a couple other properties, and owns some of his own. In total, he farms about 450 acres —  growing wheat, corn, maize and grain sorghum.Like many farmers, Mr. Arldt relies on leased land. He’d renewed his agreements year-to-year for 41 years. However, the land ma...
Williamson County Sun •

Teen court hears real traffic ticket case

A teenager shifted nervously in his seat on March 24. He had already paid his traffic ticket for failing to stop for a school bus, but now he had to go before the Teen Court to remove it from his record. Teen Court is a diversion program within Williamson County’s juvenile justice system that allows some teens who have committed a crime to participate in a peer-led court process with volunteer teen judges, attorneys and jury members.Teen court volunteers, ages 13-18, learn all aspects of courtro...
Williamson County Sun •

Williamson County Cold Case Unit working on 12 unsolved cases

Debra Jackson was found strangled in Williamson County, only wearing orange socks, on Halloween in 1979. Rachel Louise Cooke went on a run in 2002 and never came home. When these cases, and many others, came across the desk of the Williamson County Cold case detectives — they had no suspects and no leads. With each cold case, the detectives started the investigation from scratch. “Our job [as cold case detectives] is to bring a case from 1979 or 2002 up to the level of professional standards of...
Williamson County Sun •

A piece of Greece in Georgetown

Plaka Greek Cafe is the only Greek restaurant in Georgetown, and it’s the type of place only residents would know about. The buffet serves food specifically inspired by Plaka— the oldest neighborhood in Athens, Greece. The narrow stone streets are pedestrian only and adorned with small shops, tavernas and picturesque churches. The experience of walking through the Plaka Greek Cafe parking lot — with cars zooming past on Williams Drive and the nearby I-35 service road — may be different than wand...
Williamson County Sun •

Storm chaser calls Georgetown home

“I've never been scared looking at a tornado,” stormchaser Gabe Cox said. “It's kind of like atmospheric performance art, if I could say it that way. [...] It’s only when they intersect with humanity that it becomes potentially tragic.” Mr. Cox is a Georgetown resident who works as a storm chaser— driving across the county to document tornadoes and hurricanes. He currently reports storms closer to home working with KXAN news to livestream footage of local weather events. His footage has been use...
Williamson County Sun •

Couples counselor, sex therapist offers relationship advice for Valentine’s Day

Special occasions like Valentine's Day or an anniversary can put a lot of pressure on a couple. “When you put pressure on something, that’s usually the opposite of arousal, said Sonya Jenson, a Georgetown couples counselor and sex therapist.  “As you start to think about love and passion and the celebration of your relationship, you start to also notice [things] about the relationship that aren’t functioning,” Ms. Jenson — whose practice is in South Georgetown at 601 Quail Valley Drive, Suite 11...
Williamson County Sun •

Georgetown takes to Square to protest administration

During the national Walk out for Freedom on Tuesday, January 20, Williamson County residents took part by protesting Immigration Customs Enforcement, President Donald Trump and his recent talk of making Greenland the next U.S. state. Protestors walked around the Williamson County Courthouse and the Square in downtown Georgetown. (Photo by Kaitlyn Wilkes)

During the national Walk out for Freedom on Tuesday, January 20, Williamson County residents took part by protesting Immigration Customs Enfor...
Williamson County Sun •

Psychic offers insights to those who believe

Iza Avalos starts her intuitive readings at Silver Moon Curios by asking her clients to take a deep, grounding breath. As a psychic, she considers herself to be the bridge to the client’s higher self and their spirit world — not necessarily a predictor of the future. “My goal is to help my clients on their journey, to trust in themselves more and be more in harmony with their spirit, their higher self,” she said. Silver Moon Curios on Rock Street near the Square hosts a different intuitive reade...
Williamson County Sun •

Retired rodeo clown Larry Clayman inducted into national hall of fame

After a career as a rodeo clown, bull fighter and announcer — one that allows him to meet a president, a queen and a pope — Florence resident Larry Clayman will be inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame this November.

He was the guest of honor at the 32nd annual Clayman’s Rodeo this weekend, a Georgetown event founded in the 1990s by his nephew Jim Bob Clayman and Kelly Clayman.
Williamson County Sun •

Georgie’s brings coastal flavors to the Square

Georgie’s, a coastal restaurant serving fresh seafood, opened this summer on the Georgetown Square in the former Barrel’s and Amps space. Georgie’s is owned by Matt Luckie, Mike Farr and Shane Stark. Mr. Stark is the chef and owner of Mongers, a high-end seafood restaurant in Austin. Mr. Luckie owns several bars in Austin with his company FBR Management Group, including Austin-mainstays like Mean Eyed Cat, Star Bar, Lala’s Little Nugget, Gibson Street Bar and others. He said he had been trying t...
Williamson County Sun •

Mikey V’s builds new manufacturing facility in Jarrell

Pepper, Dill Pickle Jalapeño and Moroccan Madness hot sauces are only the tip of the iceberg of what is being produced at the new manufacturing facility in Jarrell. With the new machines, Mikey V’s is growing from producing 4,800 to 18,000 bottles of hot sauce per day. Michael Valencia, the owner of Mikey V’s, said the company also does private labeling for other brands. This means that some of Mikey V sauces are also secretly sold under the label of much larger companies — while more refined ve...
Williamson County Sun •

Keeping parking free for the people

Being a “parking ambassador” might sound like a cutesy title for someone who gives tickets to illegally-parked vehicles. But Dan Pulatti — who has been the Georgetown Police Department’s parking ambassador on the Square for the past two years — said, by definition, the title fits the job. An ambassador is someone who promotes an activity or is a representative of a specified cause.“I’m not a car ticketer,” Mr. Pulattie said. “In the broad scheme of things, it’s a job that represents Georgetown t...
Williamson County Sun •

Austin Lampworks glows up Georgetown

Austin Lampworks offers a unique perspective on the lighting industry by combining sentimentality and creativity. The eclectic Georgetown store provides lamp repairs, custom lamps and custom shades.Owner Gary McNabb runs the business with his son, Kevin. After running it as a home business for many years, Austin Lampworks moved to a brick and mortar on Williams Drive a year and a half ago.  Now it shares a the space with new tenants Bella & Birdie and All Things New, which Mr. McNabb said has bo...
Williamson County Sun •

Georgetown Barbershop welcomes new owner, continues local legacy

“Anyone who says ‘You can’t make it in America’ is lying,” Esin Lau, founder of Georgetown Barbershop said.“I come from a small, small town in Turkey and here I am cutting hair.” Ms. Lau opened Georgetown Barbershop in 2013, becoming the first woman in the city to own a barbershop. After more than a decade of growing the business, she recently sold it to Mandy Guerra, who has worked there for the past five years. “I just wanted to really continue her legacy,” Ms. Guerra said, explaining that Ms....
Williamson County Sun •

Wilco hemp businesses experience surge in sales

Dozens of Williamson County hemp and THC retailers are facing closure amid new state regulations, while hemp users could be fined or face jail time if Senate Bill 3 is signed by Governor Greg Abbott.Senate Bill 3 passed the Texas House of Representatives in a 95-44 vote on May 21. The bill — which, as of June 5, sits at the governor’s desk for final approval — would ban the sale of hemp-derived products containing Delta THC variants. Delta variants are the psychoactive components of the cannabis...
Williamson County Sun •

Aviation company expands to Georgetown airport

Southwest Aerospace Technologies — a Georgetown-based aviation services company — has expanded into a new hangar at the Georgetown Executive Airport.A family business, CEO Kurt Encinias runs the company with his wife and CFO Renee Encinias. Mr. Encinias said the company now touches “every spectrum of aviation” for business jets, with clients including large corporations and wealthy individuals. SWAT sells used airplane parts, has a teardown facility, a repair station and an engine shop.Mr. Encin...
Williamson County Sun •

First moon mission by Wilco-based Firefly Aerospace a success

Firefly Aerospace — a private aerospace company with headquarters located in Cedar Park — successfully completed Blue Ghost Mission 1 in partnership with NASA. On March 16, the company’s unmanned Blue Ghost lunar lander completed 14 days of surface operations on the moon and operated over 5 hours into the lunar night. This marks the longest commercial mission on the moon to date. The mission was funded by NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload services, a program dedicated to collecting data that could...
Williamson County Sun •

Brass Peacock speakeasy opens near City Post Chophouse

A new prohibition-era themed bar with a secret entrance is hiding near City Post Chophouse, just off the Square.Brass Peacock had a soft opening this fall, and is set for a grand opening early in 2025. The speakeasy-style bar serves specialty cocktails, charcuterie boards and desserts, and is open Fridays and Saturdays after 6 p.m., with live jazz music starting at 7 p.m.“This [speakeasy] space is really giving Georgetown an elevated late night option,” said Kevin Cummings, the owner of Brass Pe...
Williamson County Sun •

Aerospace company plans to launch lunar lander by end of year

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost team is getting closer to blast-off. After spending the past four months running lunar simulations and evaluating data, the Williamson County-based team is working non-stop on the company’s new lunar lander, which is scheduled to launch by the end of the year.Blue Ghost Mission 1 is a part of the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services — a federal program that works with American companies to take technology and science to the moon’s surface. Program findings could...
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Highlighted Work