ATX-GEO: Impact 10/1/2025

Located off Shell Road and Williams Drive in Georgetown's 78628 ZIP code, the Gardens at Verde Vista neighborhood is a boutique, gated community.

The overview: With about 150 homesites, the neighborhood's homeowners' association website describes it as "a perfectly sized community to live comfortably." It offers two home styles—gardens and villas—each of which has an open-concept floor plan, a gourmet kitchen and spacious bedrooms, the website states.

The details: Construction on the neighborhood began in 2016 and lasted through 2024, with a number of custom builders working in the community.

With three home closings in the past year, the estimated median home value in the neighborhood is $490,000-$515,000.

• Square footage: 1,600-3,300
• Homes on the market: 6 (as of Sept. 22)
• Schools: Georgetown ISD's McCoy Elementary, Forbes Middle and Georgetown High
• Amenities: community center, gym, game room, event hall, barbecue area, walking trails, ponds

Williamson County commissioners approved the maximum rate of 6% for the Williamson County Health Care Provider Participation Program at a Sept. 23 meeting.

About the program: This health care program allows nonpublic hospitals to contribute to a fund that helps recapture uncompensated expenses. This fund can help cover costs from caring for Medicaid, low-income or uninsured patients.

How it works: To do this, hospitals in the county make payments to the local provider participation fund, or LPPF. This payment is calculated as a percentage of each hospital's net patient revenue. 

Williamson County sends the money from the LPPF to the state, which uses the funds to pay the nonfederal share to receive matching funds from the federal Medicaid program. The money is then returned back to the hospitals as Medicaid supplemental payments.

What happened: Commissioners voted to keep the payment rate at 6%, the same rate as the previous year. The program has helped bring over $540 million of funding to hospitals in the county.

Hand to Hold, a nationwide nonprofit based out of northwest Austin, is celebrating 15 years of helping families cope with medical crisis.

The details: Hand To Hold was first created in late 2010 to help provide mental health support for families with an infant in the neonatal intensive care unit, which specializes in the care of ill or premature infants.

The nonprofit connects families to resources such as support groups, bereavement therapy, podcasts, peer-to-peer mentoring and counseling services for before, during and after a NICU stay.

It also offers resources for health care providers, including webinars and podcasts on how to help families through these difficult periods.

• 12325 Hymeadow Drive, Ste. 4-102, Austin

According to a Sept. 26 press release, Target has launched a first-of-its-kind accessible self-checkout experience designed for guests with disabilities, including those who are blind or have low vision.

The self-checkouts will roll out nationwide beginning this holiday season and in early 2026 as part of Target's ongoing checkout improvements, according to the release.

What to expect: Per the release, the innovation is a guest-first design that primarily supports people who are visually impaired while supporting those with motor disabilities.

The technology works with Target’s existing self-checkout system and includes:

• Braille and high-contrast button icons
• A headphone jack with adjustable volume controls
• Physical navigation buttons and a dedicated information key