Volunteers with Native Plant Rescue Project, an environmental nonprofit organization, gathered plants and seeds at the site of the Southwestern University 560 development Nov. 14.

NPRP works with landowners and developers to visit natural sites before they are cleared in order to conserve native species and their genetic diversity, board member Sara Torres said at the event.

What happened: NPRP volunteers collected plants, such as Blazing Star, Winecup and Mealy Blue Sage—all native to Texas. By preserving these species, NPRP can save the local genetics of common plants, Torres said.

Native species collected will be transferred to The Trail Conservancy and Williamson County Master Gardeners, which will rehome them in Central Texas. Georgetown officials also plan to use some of the plants to build a native community garden, city utilities conservation coordinator Hailey Vickich said.

The impact: Preserving and planting native plants comes with a host of benefits, such as helping water conservation and mitigating flood risks.

A new Chipotle Mexican Grill location will be built on Williams Drive in Georgetown, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. 

The details: Construction on the shell building is set to start in April, and wrap up in September. The project will cost an estimated $1.2 million, and is located near Simmer Down Cafe. 

This will be the second Chipotle in Georgetown, with the first located off of North Austin Avenue. 

• 4621 Williams Drive, Georgetown

Georgetown locals can explore an array of events in late November and December, including watching a production of Disney’s Frozen at the Georgetown Palace Theatre and visiting Sweet Eats Farm for its annual Christmas At The Farm days. 

Disney’s Frozen
The Georgetown Palace Theatre will present the regional premiere of Disney’s Frozen. The show will feature songs from the original movie, as well as music written exclusively for theatre. The production is directed by Kristen Rogers. Georgetown Palace Theatre will host an ASL night on Nov. 29 with hearing loop technology available on the main floor of the Springer Stage.

• Nov. 21-Feb. 1, times vary
• $18-$40
• 810 S. Austin Ave., Georgetown
• www.georgetownpalace.org

• Nov. 28-Dec. 24
• Ticket prices vary
• 14400 E. Hwy. 29, Georgetown
• www.sweeteats.com

Texans began receiving full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits Nov. 14, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced. The renewed SNAP payments came after two weeks of delays due to the 43-day federal government shutdown, which ended Nov. 12.

The overview: SNAP is a federally funded program that provides low-income individuals and families with monthly stipends to spend on groceries. The food assistance program ran out of funding Nov. 1, one month after the government shut down amid disagreements over federal health insurance subsidies.

The details: Over 3.5 million Texans receive SNAP benefits each month, according to Feeding Texas, the statewide network of food banks. Payments are issued on a rolling basis throughout each month.

“For SNAP clients who receive benefits on or after the 14th of the month, full benefits will be issued on their normal issuance date,” the HHSC website states. “SNAP clients who already received partial benefits will receive the rest of their monthly amount on or after Nov. 14.”