Here is a recap of what was featured in the Wednesday, Sept. 25, e-edition of the Taylor Press. The e-edition is emailed to subscribers and available at www. taylorpress.net.
Sheriff: Three jailed in plot to take out judge GEORGETOWN — A man, his mother and his adoptive father are facing charges following an interagency probe into reports of an assassination plot targeting a judge overseeing a child-custody case, Sheriff Mike Gleason said.
A bitter courtroom battle centered around a Liberty Hill family situation is believed to have sparked the incident, which led to extensive safeguards for the unidentified Williamson County jurist and his family, the sheriff added.
Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell said judicial safety is a top priority in the effort to carry out justice.
Meanwhile, authorities have declined to specify the exact protective measures that were put into place.
According to Gleason, Clinton Harmon, 38, has been charged with attempted capital murder, a first-degree felony, and is being held on a $2 million bond. He was arrested in Louisiana and, at press time, was slated to be extradited to Williamson County, the sheriff added.
The sheriff also named two other defendants: Teresa Harmon, 59, and Matthew Harmon, 60.
They were arrested in Bastrop, and each is being held on a $1 million bond for the thirddegree felony counts of retaliation, Gleason said.
Late last week, the sheriff detailed the case during a press conference, saying the chain of events began with an emergency call at about 2:30 a.m. March 8 alerting peace officers to a double shooting in Liberty Hill.
A teenager making the call reported his mother and her boyfriend had been shot by an unknown intruder as they slept in their home, the sheriff said.
Investigators noted nothing was taken from the home, raising suspicions the event was no random act of violence but a targeted hit, the sheriff added.
According to the sheriff, the female victim identified her ex-husband as the only person she would suspect of having carried out the attack, as the two were in the throes of a child custody battle over their 7-year-old son who was not at home at the time of the intrusion.
Texas Mamma Jamma Ride rolls back through Taylor This may have been the fourth year in Taylor for Lone Star Circle of Care’s Texas Mamma Jamma Ride, but enthusiasm for breast-cancer prevention and services is stronger than ever.
On Saturday, Sept. 21, hundreds of riders, volunteers and community members descended on Murphy Park, many sporting their team jerseys and wearing pink ribbon accessories, to raise funds for LSCC’s Big Pink Bus, a mobile mammography unit that provides free and low-cost mammograms to underserved women across Central Texas.
The Samsung team raised about $30,000 among 28 riders, said spokeswoman Michele Glaze.
Since 2021, the Big Pink Bus has provided 5,500 mammograms to area women and assisted more than 800 of them with diagnostic services. Organizers said the Mamma Jamma has raised about $1.3 million since the bus was launched, and for this year, it has already brought in about $250,000 of its $575,000 goal for when the campaign ends in November.
At the event, riders of all skill levels participated in four different courses, ranging from 15 to 70 miles, with staggered starts, allowing everyone to finish at a similar time.
Throughout the day, country-music singer Garrett Pekar also performed.
As in years past, many riders, volunteers and spectators took part to support loved ones struggling or who had lost the battle with breast cancer.
To see video of the event, visit the Taylor Press Facebook page at facebook.com/ GoTaylorTx/.
Hutto parks plan approved
HUTTO — The City Council is preparing to potentially implement $73 million in parks’ improvements, recently approving a master plan for Hutto parks that will add parkland, facilities and amenities.
The master plan includes 13 renovation projects totaling $2.5 million, 35 new facility projects totaling $68.9 million and $1.4 million spent on 10 natural enhancement projects.
Mary Keilers with park consultant firm Clark Condon said Hutto is considered an average service provider compared to the baseline of other U.S. cities regarding parkland, but will need an additional 407 acres by 2030 to satisfy the projected population of 65,000. Data from the National Recreation and Parks Association suggests Hutto needs 13 additional playgrounds, 10 more tennis courts, a dog park, a skate park, a nature center, two outdoor pools and various other athletic fields and courts to meet the national average of recreational facilities by 2030.
The city is already short on playgrounds and athletic fields to meet today’s population, according to the agency’s database.
Keilers identified enhancing the experience of park visitors, filling gaps in programming and addressing urgent renovations as the top priorities for the next three years.
Hutto ISD begins use of data platform
HUTTO — The Hutto Independent School District is introducing data-driven instruction to classrooms this fall with its new high-tech viewing platform.
With Abre, a kindergarten to 12th grade data solutions service, the school district hopes to utilize in-depth student data to inform its teaching practices and improve student achievement, educators said.
Faculty and staff were introduced to the platform this fall after the district worked with Abre to build it this past spring and summer.
Teachers can view data collected from inside the classroom, such as attendance, assessment results, grades and behavior, as well as third-party data, including results from standardized tests such as the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, Advance Placement and college-admission exams.
Beyond teachers and staff, Abre provides administrators and district leaders access to information on enrollment, behavior and intervention, graduation readiness, family engagement and more.
To identify trends and areas of improvement, educators can take a deep dive into the material, breaking it down by demographics or grade level, and even focus on an individual student.
The district also hopes the all-in-one platform will streamline data viewing and improve efficiency.
The district is working on incorporating common benchmark assessments and college, career and military readiness data into the platform. In the spring, Hutto ISD plans to roll out access to parents, who will be able to monitor their child’s progress and have access to their schedules. Soon after, students themselves will be able to use Abre to see their grades and other academic results.
Other dashboards the community can view include bond project finance reports and strategic plan progress.
Parents will be able to hear feedback based on the data from teachers at parentteacher conferences in November.
