Abbey Archer

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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 •

UT recruits Sun City for aging, cognition study

The Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin is launching the BRAINFIT study, exclusive to Sun City residents. Researchers are seeking people over age 60 who are healthy or experiencing mild cognitive decline. The study aims to learn how the brain stays healthy with age by observing electronic signals during certain activities. Dr. Jared Benge, a principal investigator in the study, is an associate professor at UT Austin and a neuropsychologist in UT Health Austin’s Comprehensive...
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 •

How AI can affect warfare, education

Artificial intelligence was the focus of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce’s latest luncheon September 18 at the Sheraton Austin Georgetown Hotel. Will Hurd – a former politician and AI expert — joined KVUE news anchor Bryan Mays for a Q&A about AI and its future implementation. Mr. Hurd spoke in a free flowing manner about how AI has affected his everyday life, warfare and the importance of AI being taught in schools. Mr. Hurd is chief strategy officer for Chaos Industries, a defense technolog...
Williamson County Sun •

Italian-inspired vineyard, event space growing in Florence

The Vineyard at Florence is a Tuscan-style resort featuring a boutique hotel, villas, event spaces, a wine tasting room and a restaurant that’s become a destination for visitors. It is a popular wedding venue, romantic get-away and date spot for couples looking to experience a little bit of Italy in Williamson County. Farmer’s Commons, the property’s restaurant, is open seven days a week and offers a brunch on weekends with live music on the terrace. Farmers Commons serves Italian and Southern-i...
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 •

Bowling builds personal ties

Todd Pettengill started bowling in team leagues at Lucky Strike Georgetown, which is owned and operated by Bowlero, last year. “League bowling is really fun,” Mr. Pettengill said. “I joined because I'm retired and my daughter kind of pushed me. She said, ‘You need to get out and just meet people.’ ” Mr. Pettengill was happy to report that he has made many great friends through bowling, more than he has through any other activity. Bowling is considered one of the oldest sports in human history —...
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 •

Couple opens cocktail bar in Downtown

Juniper Cocktails & Kitchen opened July 29, bringing craft cocktails and European-style tapas just off the Georgetown Square. Engaged couple Hannah Matthews and Andrew Newport started it with the goal of opening a welcoming cocktail lounge and kitchen that remains open after the restaurants on the Square close. “We always like to say that while we’re not fine dining, we are refined dining,” Mr. Newport said. The atmosphere of the place is upscale but guests are allowed to wear casual or formal a...
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 teen Elle Townley nominated for Texas Country Music Award

Sixteen-year-old Elle Townley has been nominated for the 2025 Young Artist of the Year award at the Texas County Music Awards. This is the third time she has been nominated, and she said she is hoping this year will be the year. “I have been singing ever since I could talk,” Elle said. “But I really started performing publicly when I was 8-years-old.” Elle Townley lives in Georgetown and has played events including the Christmas Stroll and Red Poppy Festival for the last few years. She has been...
Williamson County Sun •

With track record of success, iTumble Gymnastics plans to expand

Jarrell-based iTumble Gymnastics has been cartwheeling, flipping, and jumping toward their goal of opening a new facility for the past eight years. Owner Jake Clear said he hopes the planned 20,000-square-foot facility is now only two years away. The gym is officially under contract for land across from their current facility, located at 180 Town Center Boulevard. Although he is a former athlete, Mr. Clear did not initially intend to become a gymnastics coach. At age 19, he worked three jobs: dr...
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 •

Family Barn offers play space for families

Family Barn, an indoor play area with a coffee shop, offers local families a break from the summer heat. Designed for children ages six months to 6 years, the play space provides a safe, engaging environment for children to explore while parents relax.“It’s a win-win situation for parents and their kids,” said Artyom Korenskiy, who has operated Family Barn for the past year. His step-brother opened the Georgetown business at 1231 Leander Road three years ago.Mr. Korenskiy said he designed the sp...
Williamson County Sun •

The Vera Gallery opens on the Square

The Vera Gallery is a high-end art showroom and gallery that opened on the Square earlier this year.The business sells paintings and scarves by American artist and entrepreneur Vera Neumann, as well as work by local female artists. It is located at 110 West Eighth Street, the former site of the Georgetown Antique Mall.Christina and Greg Sharp own the gallery and the licensing rights to Vera’s art collection. Ms. Neumann was born in 1907 to Ukrainian immigrants and grew up in New York City. She a...
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 •

Gym owner finds motivation in training others

Warm up, stretch, workout, track progress — this was the usual regimen Brennan Eggers would start his clients off with when he started as a trainer at Georgetown Fitness more than five years ago. A student at Southwestern University at the time, he fit working as a personal trainer into his busy schedule as a physics major. Mr. Eggers liked that, through personal training, he got to help others achieve their health goals. His more motivated clients helped motivate him. He loved the gym. Georgeto...
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 •

BiG opens Grace Place community for special needs adults

For 14 years, Brookwood in Georgetown has operated vocational programs for adults who are diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Programs are offered at three campus communities four days a week, while the soap, jewelry, pastries and other goods produced by Brookwood’s clients — called citizens — are sold at the BiG Cafe and Shop in Georgetown.Now, the organization has opened its new permanent residential community, Grace Place, on a 127-acre property between Georgetown and...
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 •

Boy scouts, tree sales keep holiday traditions alive

Christmas is only two weeks away, and many Georgetown residents have already picked out their trees for this year. The Sun spoke to three local groups that have provided trees to families for years, who spoke about holiday traditions and shared their experiences, as well as insights into proper Christmas tree care and how the industry has changed in recent years. Troop 155 sells trees to fund scouting experiences Instead of selling popcorn or a typical chocolate bar fundraiser, Georgetown Boy Sc...
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