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Williamson Museum director discusses museum’s role preserving county artifacts

Danelle Houck, the executive director of the Williamson Museum, sat down with Community Impact to discuss the history of the museum ahead of its move from the farmer’s bank into the historic courthouse just across the Georgetown Square.

What do you do in your role as executive director?
My job is really to tell the stories [and] to support the staff—everything from what they need [for] exhibits to talking to different cities [about] how we can help tell their history, making sure it's all preserved.

That's what's really fun is being able to tell history in a way that's accessible and fun and engaging, but also reflects our county.

What are your goals for the museum?
We want to make history fun. Like it's not your just boring history class, right? If it's not behind a case, we want people to touch and interact with it.

 
In Your Area
East Georgetown sees influx of health care practices, among other new and coming soon businesses

East Georgetown saw several health and wellness businesses open recently, include a pediatrics practice, a dry eye treatment center and a mental health clinic.

Seva Pediatrics
Owned by Dr. Shubhra Malik, the practice offers outpatient pediatric care, including well-child and sick visits, sports physicals, hearing and vision screenings, behavioral and ADHD consultations, lab services, and vaccinations. Malik said Seva means “to serve” in Hindi.

  • Opened June 15
  • 2951 FM 1460, Ste. 901, Georgetown

Dry Eye Care Texas
The clinic offers diagnostic testing and imaging as well as procedure-based dry eye treatment, including intense pulsed light, radio frequency and low-level light therapy. Patients at the Georgetown location will be seen by therapeutic optometrists, Drs. Lucy Ton and Priyal Desai.
  • Opened April 6
  • 1502 Blue Ridge Drive, Ste. 301, Georgetown

Mind Body Optimization
The mental health clinic assesses, diagnoses and treats patients experiencing anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, grief, obsessive-compulsive disorder, trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. The practice offers traditional therapy, medication management and other individualized treatment plans.
  • Opened May 11
  • 2951 FM 1460, Ste. 201, Georgetown

 
Transportation Tuesday
Bridges, e-bikes, federal grants: 6 Austin metro transportation updates

Check out six transportation project updates across the Austin metro.

$131M in CAMPO grants to fund WilCo road projects: The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization dedicated about $131 million in federal funding for nine road projects and one trail project. The projects span Georgetown, Hutto, Leander, Liberty Hill, Northwest Austin and Round Rock.

Austin seeks to rein in 'chaotic' e-moto use: A resolution advanced by city leaders this spring will now result in proposed updates to city code defining electronic motorcycles and mini-bikes and their legality, establishing when and where they're permitted and setting related penalties. A report on those changes will be presented by late July.

I-35 northbound lanes to temporarily close for up to 4 weekends: The Texas Department of Transportation will close the I-35 northbound main lanes between Slaughter Lane and SH 71/Ben White Boulevard as part of the I-35 Capital Express South Project from 11 p.m.-9 a.m. on July 10 and 11, July 17 and 18, and July 24 and 25 if needed.

 
CI Texas
Biblical readings, Texas-centered history lessons to be required in K-12 schools in 2030

Texas' Republican-led State Board of Education approved a sweeping rewrite of the state's social studies curriculum standards and a list of dozens of books that students will be required to read each school year, both of which are infused with biblical references. The new requirements will begin rolling out to public school classrooms in the 2030-31 school year.

The details: As many as 25 texts will be read each year in early elementary school grades, with about 10 books required in later grades. The reading list was created under a 2023 state law requiring “at least one literary work” per grade.

The new social studies curriculum standards will expand lessons about Texas and American history, deemphasizing some teachings about world cultures and people of color. The standards also expand the amount of content students will be expected to learn each year.

The debate: Proponents of the new standards and reading list said they will teach students to love their state and country, while critics said the policies do not include diverse perspectives.

 

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