Liberty Hill ISD board appoints new Place 4 trustee Jamie Etzkorn
The Liberty Hill ISD board of trustees unanimously voted to appoint Jamie Etzkorn to Place 4 at a Sept. 15 meeting.
What's happening: Etzkorn, a Williamson County associate judge, replaced former Place 4 trustee Kathy Major, who formally resigned in August.
The Place 4 position will be on the ballot in May to fill the remainder of the unexpired term and again in May 2027 to fulfill a full three-year term. Etzkorn was selected out of 11 candidates who applied for the Place 4 seat from Aug. 19-26, said Christopher Stoltz, LHISD communications and website coordinator.
Career history: Etzkorn has resided in LHISD with her husband and daughter, a Legacy Ranch High School student, since 2013, according to an LHISD news release. Over the last 12 years, Etzkorn has participated in campus and district committees, Parent Teacher Organization leadership roles, booster club support and volunteer work.
She oversees mental health hearings as an associate judge for Williamson County Court at Law No. 2 and manages a private law practice in Liberty Hill.
Leander and Liberty Hill home prices drop for August 2025
Median home sale prices rose year over year for August in the Leander-Liberty Hill market.
The median home sale price for August 2025 rose to $495,000, up from $487,000 the previous year. The region has seen an increase in the number of homes on the market, and more homes are under contract than last year.
Austin budgets $12M for Central Texas higher education partnerships
Austin officials sign off on new collaborative agreements with six Central Texas colleges and universities meant to result in a range of new projects and public research.
City partnerships with area higher education institutions isn't a new concept, and a formal agreement with The University of Texas at Austin has been in place for years. However, city leadership recently decided that official partnerships could improve that work—and further collaboration between colleges and universities.
Following City Council authorization in September, Austin departments could spend up to $12 million on various projects, research, trainings and other initiatives under the agreements now set to go into place.
2 Austin homeless shelters to change operator after alleged misrepresentedrecords found
Nonprofit Urban Alchemy's contract with the Austin Homeless Strategy Office, or HSO, to operate the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, or ARCH, and the Eighth Street Women’s Shelter will not renew. The decision comes after some staff, identified by Urban Alchemy, "misrepresented Homeless Management Information System exit dates and records," according to a city memo.
What happened: An Urban Alchemy spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Community Impact that the nonprofit notified Austin officials after discovering the issue and terminated the employees responsible.
What's next: HSO officials plan to enter into an emergency contract with Endeavors, which City Council will need to approve Oct. 9. The agreement would authorize Endeavors to operate the shelters through Sept. 30, 2026. HSO officials will begin the process of seeking a new operator for the shelters Oct. 1, 2026, according to the memo.
"We are grateful for our years of partnership with the city of Austin and to the community and guests we served and impacted," an Urban Alchemy spokesperson said.
