Here are some important dates to know in Georgetown ISD as students head back for the spring semester.

What you need to know: Students will return to classrooms in GISD Jan. 6, following the holiday break.

Looking ahead: Check out some important dates for GISD students.

• Spring break: March 16-20
• Last day of school: May 22

Aegis Dental Group is coming soon to Williams Drive Retail Center, according to real estate firm Resolut Re. 

The details: The dentistry offers dental care from routine services to emergency procedures, as well as cosmetic work such as teeth whitening and dentures, according to its website. 

The dental group has three locations in Indiana. 

Williams Drive Retail Center will also welcome several new businesses, such as 50/Fifty Pilates and Einstein Bros. Bagels, according to Resolut Re. There is still open retail space available. 

• 3900 Williams Drive, Georgetown

Texas charter system Harmony Public Schools launched a new virtual learning platform on Jan. 5 that allows students across the state to take high school courses online.

The overview: The Harmony Online Learning program includes dozens of courses aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards, all of which are self-paced, according to a news release.

More details: Students can choose from dozens of courses in core subjects, electives, Advanced Placement and Career and Technical Education, according to the program’s website. The offerings aim to help students complete credit recovery, get ahead with their requirements and access courses not available at their home campus. Credit earned through Harmony may be applied toward high school graduation requirements depending on local district policies, per the release.

One more thing: Interested families can enroll online, and spring courses begin Jan. 12, per the release. The cost of tuition per course is $325, a spokesperson from Harmony Public Schools told Community Impact.

Five months after historic flooding deluged parts of northwest Travis and southwest Williamson counties, recovery in the Sandy Creek community remains slow and complex. For residents, rebuilding has meant navigating permits, aid applications and long-term housing decisions alongside repairing physical damage.

Some context: The flooding, described by meteorologists as a rare 1,000-year event, renewed concerns about warning systems, infrastructure vulnerabilities and one-way-in, one-way-out neighborhoods. Travis County approved a temporary tax increase to cover recovery and mitigation costs, while shifting focus to long-term recovery groups which are helping distribute millions in aid through partnerships with nonprofits.

The outlook: Residents say navigating multiple systems remains overwhelming and slow, arguing recovery efforts need to move faster to meet the scale of the disaster. As county-led mitigation and funding efforts are handed off to ongoing support networks, many residents say true recovery will require faster systems, clearer communication and long-term state support.