Abbey Archer

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Williamson County Sun •

Seeds of Strength hits milestone

Has distributed more than $2.5 million since 2010Seeds of Strength, a women’s philanthropic giving circle founded in 2010, announced that it has raised and distributed $2,547,488 for Georgetown nonprofits since the group’s inception. The group’s spring meeting and awards ceremony was held on May 21 at Grace Bible Church, during which $180,000 in grants was presented to eight nonprofits.“Surpassing the $2.5 million threshold is a monumental milestone for Seeds of Strength,” President PamCarlson s...
Williamson County Sun •

Author Mark Pryor speaks at Hill County Author Series

Mark Pryor, a mystery novelist and criminal defense attorney, spoke about his new book The Most Mysterious Bookshop in Paris on May 14 at the Georgetown Public Library as part of the Hill Country Author Series. The Most Mysterious Bookshop in Paris is part of a series that features Hugo Marston as the protagonist. In previous novels, Hugo was a Security Ambassador for the United States Embassy in Paris. However, in the latest novel, Hugo retires and opens his own bookshop — only to be pulled int...
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 •

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 •

Kilwins wins heart this Valentine's season

“Valentine’s Day at Kilwins is the most fun circus you could ever go to,” said Teresa Bostick, Team Lead at the Kilwins chocolate shop on the Square.Throughout the year, Kilwin’s offers its well-known chocolate truffles, caramels and ice cream, aw well as specialty products like caramel apples and chocolate dipped items, including Oreos, marshmallows and pretzel rods. There are 32 different flavors of ice cream with cake cones and housemade waffle cones. They recently added Dubai Buckeyes to the...
Williamson County Sun •

Annual gem show highlights local collectors' passions

Ken Oliver has been collecting rocks ever since he got a Rocks and Mineral Kit in fifth grade. Now at 86, he has a collection of several hundred rocks and minerals. Some are glistening in display cases in his living room while others are stored in boxes. “Rock collecting is very easy,” Mr. Oliver said, citing a joke. “You can pick it up as you go along.”Mr. Oliver serves as an education ambassador for the Williamson County Gem and Mineral Society, a group of about 15 members who meet monthly and...
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 •

Healthcare providers give updates on insurance, expanding medical services

As federal insurance policies face possible major changes and Georgetown’s population continues to grow, area healthcare leaders say they are bracing for challenges and new opportunities. 
At the November 19 Georgetown Chamber of Commerce luncheon, representatives from Lone Star Circle of Care and St. David’s Georgetown Hospital outlined expected spikes in the uninsured population, concerns over possibly expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits and new medical services coming online to keep resid...
Williamson County Sun •

Water-based cremations offer gentle, natural sendoff for beloved pets

In a shopping center shared with a gym, salon, Vietnamese restaurant and liquor store, Carlson Pet Memorial quietly offers pet cremation through aquamation, a water-based process that releases no carbon into the atmosphere.Owners Abraham and Laura Nimeh describe the water process as a gentler alternative to fire cremation. The alkaline hydrolysis machine, a large metal cylinder, uses alkali-charged water heated to 204 degrees. The remains are reduced to an ash-like substance over 20 hours, and l...
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 •

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...
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