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For many facing a Parkinson's disease diagnosis, leaving a neurologist’s appointment is the beginning of a long, and often isolating, journey, said James Lavender, executive director of Georgetown Area Parkinson’s Support.

Patients sometimes wait six to 12 months before seeing a specialist after an initial diagnosis, while dealing with fear and grief about the path ahead, Lavender said.

GAPS supports Williamson County residents with Parkinson’s, as well as their family members and caregivers, by addressing the mental and emotional effects of living with the disease.

What they do: Based in Georgetown, GAPS serves greater Williamson County as the sole support organization of its kind in the area. The organization’s main mission is to ensure that those living with Parkinson’s and their loved ones do not isolate themselves in their grief, Lavender said.

Why it matters: Parkinson's disease is the fastest-growing movement disorder, surpassing Alzheimer's and dementia. In Georgetown, the single movement disorder specialist diagnoses 40-60 new patients each month, Lavender said.

JABS Smashburger and Shawarma Point were announced as dining tenants for the upcoming The Junction entertainment venue in Georgetown.

The details: The restaurants are operated by brothers Faraz and Faseeh Vorha. They replace previously-announced tenant Wholly Cow Burgers, Matt Marshall with development firm Cooley Capital Companies said.

About the project: The Junction has planned dining, event, entertainment and work space across nearly 60,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor facilities, Marshall said.

It also will feature an additional 30,000 square feet across three building for flexible office space.

Georgetown-based Sweet Lemon Kitchen and Dough-Go Pizza as well as King's Chicken Wings and Taconmaye will also open in The Junction's dining space.

• 210 Blue Springs Blvd., Georgetown

An apartment complex in Cedar Park and a central kitchen for the Austin State Support Living Center, or ASSLC, are among the most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Cedar View ($82 million): Cedar View will include approximately 425 apartment units and approximately 12,000 square feet of indoor amenity space.

2. Austin SSLC Replacement Kitchen Building ($11.1 million): This project involves the new construction of approximately 9,600 square feet of space for a central kitchen facility at the Austin SSLC Campus.

3. Lakeline Boulevard Shared Use Path ($7.4 million): This project includes the construction of approximately 4 miles of 8- to 10-foot shared-use path from New Hope Drive to Little Elm Creek.

4. Connie's Last Stand ($3 million): This project involves the renovation of a 2,244-square-foot historic home with a 1,000-square-foot glass conservatory addition to be used as a restaurant.

5. Old Stagecoach Road from Center Street to Six Creeks Boulevard ($1.7 million): The roadway will be reconstructed to include pedestrian elements.

Texas education officials gave preliminary approval June 23 to the state’s first mandatory reading list, which includes nearly 200 literary works that public school students would begin reading as soon as 2030.

The overview: The proposed list incorporates about a dozen stories from the Bible, including the tale of David and Goliath in second grade and direct biblical excerpts beginning in fourth grade. In total, students would be required to read more than two dozen texts in early elementary grades and about 10 literary works per year from sixth grade through high school.

What's happening: Members of the Republican-led State Board of Education voted 9-5 to cut several titles from the reading list June 23, following nearly eight hours of public testimony a day earlier.

More than half of those who testified June 22 asked the board to shorten the list, include more diverse authors and remove religious references. Others praised the SBOE for creating a list that they said would teach students about “American exceptionalism” and prioritize classical literature.