ATX-GEO: Impact 10/13/2025

Georgetown ISD broke ground on its fourth comprehensive high school in October.

What you need to know: The new campus, located on D.B. Wood Road, will serve grades nine through 12 and have a capacity for 2,200 students once completed, according to the district. 

What happened?: District officials and staff marked the groundbreaking Oct. 9, highlighting partnerships with Cambrian Environmental to map geological features of the karst site on which the school will be built, as well as Native Plant Rescue Project, which relocated over 500 plants of 20 different species to places such as Lake Georgetown, a Texas Parks and Wildlife facility in San Marcos and pollinator garden in Williamson County. 

The Caring Place, a Georgetown-based nonprofit organization, is conducting a Hunger Free Holidays Food Drive through Dec. 31. With a goal of collecting 350,000 pounds of food by the end of the year, the organization is accepting donations to provide food support to children, families and seniors in Georgetown and northern Williamson County.

The details: Individuals—or businesses, schools and churches conducting a food drive—can drop off donations at 2000 Railroad Ave., Georgetown. The Caring Place also provides blue barrels to assist in collecting food and monetary donations for food drives.

The most needed items are in-date, nonperishable:

• Canned vegetables
• Canned soups
• Boxed cereals and breakfast items
• Peanut butter
• Canned proteins
• Personal hygiene items

Pflugerville’s annual Deutschen Pfest returns Oct. 17-18 at Pfluger Park, marking its 49th year with a weekend full of community spirit, live music, and fun for the whole family.

The specifics: The festival runs Friday, Oct. 17, from 5-11:30 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 18, from 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Tickets are available online, and attendees wearing a 2025 Deutschen Pfest or Pfun Run T-shirt receive free two-day admission.

Activities to do: The Biergarten will showcase Pflugerville’s local nonprofits, serving beer and snacks to support community causes. Visitors can take part in stein-holding contests, catch live German music or watch college football on a 16-by-10-foot big screen.

Meanwhile, the Wunderpark will be filled with kid-friendly attractions, including carnival rides, pony rides, a petting zoo, face painting and the “Touch-A-Truck” exhibit. Children under age 6 receive free admission.

Check out the top trending Community Impact stories in the Austin metro from Oct. 6-10.

1. Hwy. 290 extension could improve travel between Travis and Bastrop counties

2. Bridge placed over Lake Creek to connect Round Rock West with downtown area

3. Austin ISD unveils plans to close 13 schools in 2026-27 school year

4. Cedar Park’s Firefly launches $855 million bid for defense tech company

5. Bastrop Automotive to be built on FM 969

6. Samsung employees to move into office building on Taylor campus this November

Texas’ power grid is unlikely to have issues this December, according to an Oct. 3 report by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.

The details: During the winter, demand for electricity spikes when people get up in the morning and return home in the evening. This December, the tightest period is expected to be from 7-8 a.m. each day, when little to no solar power is being produced. ERCOT found that there will be a 1.81% chance of a grid emergency during that time.

“Under typical grid conditions, the deterministic scenario indicates that there should be sufficient generating capacity available," the report reads.

The background: Texas' grid withstood three cold snaps early this year. ERCOT last asked residents to voluntarily reduce their energy use in January 2024.

Legislative approach: State lawmakers approved legislation this spring that is designed to make the grid more reliable by tightening regulations on large electric consumers, such as data centers. In extreme grid conditions, those customers will be required to switch to backup power to reduce strain on the grid.