Abbey Archer

Highlighted Work

Williamson County Sun •

Judge helps teen struggling to support family

Sixteen-year-old Kevin Rodriguez was riding down the sidewalk on his e-bike when a car came around the corner and hit him. He wasn’t hurt, however, his bike was broken — leaving him without transportation to get to his part-time job at McDonald’s. Kevin’s dad had just had surgery and was out of work for six months, so Kevin couldn’t miss a shift. Most days — trying to work around school, ROTC and wrestling practice — he walked to work for an eight-hour shift. He had no time to do his homework, a...
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 •

Meet artists at the South Main Arts Festival

The fourth annual South Main Arts Festival will take place this weekend, and artists are getting excited to set up their booths at 817 South Main Street. The event — held Saturday, October 18, from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. — will feature juried artist booths, food vendors, art exhibits, a wine tasting room at Grace Heritage Center and music performances by Shelley King and Carolyn Wonderland. Caleb Crisp will paint a mural live, and a pop-up exhibit by resident artists Alex Vietti and Iris Kwon will...
Williamson County Sun •

Retired rodeo clown Larry Clayman inducted into national hall of fame

Larry Clayman, left, helps apply clown makeup on his son, Matthew William Clayman at the 32nd Annual Clayman Rodeo held at Windsong Farm on Saturday, October 4, 2025. Larry Clayman, 85, a longtime rodeo clown and bullfighter is being inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame on November 7-8.

Larry Clayman, left, helps apply clown makeup on his son, Matthew William Clayman at the 32nd Annual Clayman Rodeo held at Windsong Farm on Saturday, October 4, 2025. Larry Clayman, 85, a longtime...
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 •

An ‘outpour of support’ for families in need

Georgetown volunteers continue to answer the call to support residents displaced or affected by the flooding that took place across Williamson County July 5. In the Georgetown area, the heaviest damage was at two RV parks — Shady River and GoodWater — on Highway 29 west of Jonah. On Sunday, a grassroots effort formed to aid residents in both communities. Established nonprofits such as The Caring Place, Helping Hands of Georgetown and The Georgetown Project also stepped in to assist families in n...
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 •

Rise Up Chiropractic opens in Georgetown

Georgetown Chiropractor Shanna Jackson has opened a new clinic, Rise Up Chiropractic, just north of Westinghouse Road at 2951 Farm to Market Road 1460, Ste. 1402.After spending 10 years at the start of her career as a surgical technician, at age 40, she decided to go back to school because she believed there were alternative ways to address medical issues. She started practicing in 2017, after graduating from Sherman College of Chiropractic.Dr. Jackson is now certified to provide services for ev...
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...
Williamson County Sun •

Staccato Ranch opens “Lone Star Hideout” run-n-gun course

Staccato — an award-winning, Florence-based manufacturer of high-performance pistols for both law enforcement and civilians — opened an 800-acre shooting ranch on County Road 233 earlier this year. The company hopes it will one day will have the reputation of being the “Disneyland of shooting.”The ranch’s ever-expanding arsenal of experiences include indoor and outdoor ranges, run- n-gun courses, clay shooting and even fishing, alongside Staccato’s product store, manufacturing facility and headq...
Williamson County Sun •

Mermaid Pearl offers swim lessons for humans

She goes by Christen Killebrew on land and Pearl the Mermaid in the pool. In Georgetown, she’s been making the dreams of both children and adults come true through mermaid swim les- sons, parties and advocacy.“I teach students not just how to use the tail, I teach them basic diver safety rescue skills,” Ms. Killebrew said. “In the long run, you get to learn how to actually save somebody while you're in the tail.”Mermaid tails became a popular swim accessory in 2023, after the Netflix docuseries...
Williamson County Sun •

Simple Sparrow Care Farm offers mental health care, soothing experiences

A 16-year-old-boy was sitting in the waiting room with his hood on, unwilling to participate in his therapy. Marti Smith, occupational therapist and co-founder of Simple Sparrow Care Farm, observed that he was downregulated, feeling hopeless and depressed. She texted the farm’s founder, Jamie Tanner, and told her to “get the ball python.” “The snake is a really upregulating animal,” Ms. Tanner said. She brought over the snake and sat with Ms. Smith. The whole session, they sat, talking about the...
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