The Georgetown Police Department is working to add patrol personnel over the next few years amid a steady rise in calls for service, Police Chief Cory Tchida told City Council on Feb. 10.

The gist: Overall crime rates have dropped in the city, despite a rise in population, Tchida said.

The police department reported a 7.38% decrease in the most serious offenses—which include murder, robbery and drug violations—in 2025 compared to the previous year. Despite the drop in serious crimes, calls for service increased by 4.25%, amounting to more than 30,000 calls last year, according to city documents.

The average response time for the highest priority calls rose to 9 minutes and 15 seconds in 2025, up from about 8 minutes and 30 seconds in 2024, according to city documents.

Something to note: Staffing has also contributed to slower response times, Tchida said. While the department hired eight new officers, it lost 13 from retirement, termination and resignation. This leaves operational efficiency sitting at just under 80%.

San Pedro Limon owner Yuri Paz and her husband, Victor, opened a second location in January to “make the dine-in experience better," employee and family member Jessie Benitez said.

The details: The Mexican restaurant's owners and staff decided to move their tortilla machine to the new location, which now operates as a to-go restaurant without seating.

Sit-down dining is still available at the original location at 905 N. Austin Ave., Georgetown.

This expansion of services will give customers a more convenient and efficient experience, Benitez said.

• 1004 S. Austin Ave., Georgetown

Georgetown ISD trustees Laura Kincheloe and Anthony Blankenship will assume three-year terms for places 4 and 5, respectively, in 2026.

What happened: Both board members filed to run in the upcoming May 2 board election and were unopposed after the filing period ended Feb. 13. GISD will no longer conduct the election due to both seats being uncontested, a GISD spokesperson said.

The details: In January, Kincheloe was appointed to Place 4 following the resignation of former Place 4 trustee Stephanie Blanck, who served on the board for nearly six years.

Kincheloe is a registered nurse with a doctoral degree in education in leadership in nursing from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. A Georgetown native, Kincheloe graduated from Georgetown High School in 2008.

Blankenship has served on the board since 2023. He is a U.S. Army veteran who has a bachelor's degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design and a health science degree in diagnostic radiography.

In 2020, Blankenship published a book about healthy family leadership that has won several literary awards.

From a neighborhood amenity center to a new aircraft hangar and more, here are five of the most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Pflugerville: A 30,875-square-foot aircraft hangar with offices will be constructed at the Austin Executive Airport.

2. Round Rock: The Islamic Center of Round Rock will construct a two-floor worship assembly.

3. Cedar Park: Crestline at Brushy Creek, a new community in Cedar Park, is building a neighborhood pool, pool house and parking lot totaling 1,684 square feet.

4. Leander: Baltimore, Md.-based Highway 29 Commercial will construct an 11,261-square-foot shell building. Leander Technology Park, a 50-acre community, will support 13 buildings with approximately 230,000 square feet of space, according to St. John Properties.

5. Bastrop: The breakfast and lunch chain will launch its Bastrop spot within the upcoming development, Sendero. The Toasted Yolk Cafe offers a variety of meals across its breakfast, brunch and lunch menus.

Thousands of students who apply for Texas’ education savings accounts will likely not be accepted into the first year of the program, application data from the state comptroller’s office shows.

What's happening: Over 101,000 students had applied for Texas Education Freedom Accounts as of Feb. 15. Applications close at 11:59 p.m. March 17.

Program funding is capped at $1 billion for the 2026-27 school year, meaning between 90,000 and 100,000 students will likely be accepted. With demand expected to outpace available funding, applications will be prioritized through a need- and income-based lottery system.

Zooming in: Over 70% of program applicants were from low- or middle-income households, according to data from the comptroller’s office. Under Senate Bill 2, the 2025 law that created the program:

• “Low-income” is defined as families with annual household incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty line, or about $66,000 for a family of four.
• “Middle-income” is defined as families with incomes at or below 500% of the federal poverty line, or about $165,000 for a family of four.