Family-owned business McIntire’s Garden Center is celebrating 50 years of growing in Georgetown. 

Marking a milestone: In 1976, Ruby McIntire opened the business, passing it on to her son, Mark Ney. He then passed it on to his daughter, Katie Ney, who has owned it since 2019. The garden center offers plants, supplies, expert advice and sometimes just a place to stroll through the rows of green. A lot may have changed in half a century, but the center remains true to its roots: Prioritizing the customers and the plants, Katie Ney said. 

In her own words: Caring for the health of the plants and everyone that walks through the door is her favorite part of the job, Katie Ney said. 

“We all have injuries—whether we are plants, people, animals—we all have things that we need help with. We need water, we need bug care, we need a mental break, we need a hug,” she said. “For 50 years, [McIntire’s Garden Center] has been a place where people can find what they need.” 

• 303 Leander Road, Georgetown

The Georgetown ISD board of trustees unanimously voted Aug. 17 to call for a voter-approval tax rate election, or VATRE, that proposes to increase the district’s tax rate by $0.06 to $1.1106 per $100 valuation.

If passed, the tax rate increase will amount to a $7.97 increase in the annual tax bill for the median homeowner with a homestead exemption. District leaders say revenue raised by the VATRE—which will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot as “Georgetown Independent School District Proposition A”—would fund staff compensation, student programs and instructional support.

"Georgetown ISD’s goal is to continue academic growth by recruiting and supporting dedicated teachers in every classroom,” Superintendent Devin Padavil said. 

By the numbers: District officials say revenue raised by the VATRE would be used to fund 3% pay raises for teachers and hourly staff, while all other staff would receive 2% raises. In dollars, this could increase teacher compensation by $2,300, while starting teacher salaries would increase from $57,000 to $59,000.

A Logistics Park in Georgetown, a hotel in Austin and a Scooter’s Coffee in Cedar Park are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Northland Project ($60 million): This project involves the interior finish-out of an existing shell building.

2. Green Point Building 3 ($42 million): This project is part of the 231-acre GTX Logistics Park in Georgetown, and involves the construction of a 753,481 square foot concrete tiltwall warehouse shell.

3. East Austin 7th Street Hotel ($34 million): This project includes the construction of a new, 5-story commercial hotel.

4. Scooter's Coffee ($400,000): A new Scooter’s Coffee location is coming to Cedar Park, with construction set to wrap up in the spring.

5. Starbucks ($400,000): A new Starbucks location is coming to Bastrop, with construction set to wrap up in April.

A countywide burn ban is now in effect in Williamson County as drought conditions increase across the area.

A closer look: The Williamson County Commissioners Court issued the ban at 11:05 a.m. Aug. 18. The order can remain in effect for up to 90 days, though the commissioners court or county judge may lift it earlier if conditions improve.
The ban prohibits outdoor burning of combustible materials unless the fire is contained within an enclosure that contains all flames and sparks. This includes burning household yard waste such as leaves, grass, brush and other trimmings, as well as burning trees, stumps, shrubs or other vegetation for land clearing.

Violating the burn ban is a class c misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500, according to a county news release. Residents can view the full order and additional restrictions on the Williamson County burn ban status webpage.