The Curious Case of the Missing Chief (and Other Trail Mix)

June 10, 2025

Monday, June 9, 2025

🖐️ Greetings from Pflugerville, that charming spot between a Rock and a Weird Place. In this week's Pflyer, we've got a mysteriously vanishing police chief, a new state title for our trail obsession, and more pfun than you can shake a stick at (just don't call it a hiking stick).

Pflugerville Police Chief Pulls a Disappearing Act

In a move that feels more like a firing with extra steps, Pflugerville Police Chief Jason O’Malley abruptly retired last week amid an unspecified. The city isn’t spilling the tea on what’s being, sparking wild speculation (did he oversleep the Pfun Run?). O’Malley had led the force since 2021, but now he’s off into the sunset, leaving Lieutenant Chet Vronka holding the bag (and the badge) as interim. Pflugerville is basically playing Clue with this mystery – until officials crack, we’re left guessing whether it was the Chief, with the paperwork, in the evidence room.

Pflugerville Crowned 'Trail Capital of Texas'

Pflugerville has a new claim to fame: we’ve been officially designated the “Trail Capital of Texas”. That’s right—our humble 'burb boasts 71 miles of pathways (plenty of space to walk off all that BBQ), with an estimated 94.8% of residents living within half a mile of a trail. Governor Abbott signed off on it last week. The city says our 56 miles of public trails (plus 15 more in the ETJ) outclass any other Texas town. Basically, if you’re not on a Pflugerville trail right now, are you even living here? Time to lace up and enjoy our newly-minted glory.

Water You Doing? City Invests in Infrastructure & Teens

In other news making a splash: Pflugerville is investing in its waterworks and training some teens to manage them. City Council approved nearly $8 million for water and wastewater upgrades (thrilling, we know). It also extended a partnership with PfISD to teach local high schoolers the glamorous art of wastewater management. Yes, 23 brave students signed up this summer to learn where everything goes when you flush. It’s a dirty job, but soon we’ll have homegrown experts – and you can bet these kids will never take hour-long showers again.

Coming Up This Week

  • Pflugerville Pfarmers Market - Tue, June 10, 3–7 p.m. @ 901 Old Austin Hutto Rd. Fresh produce and pfriendly vibes. Bring a tote bag and some cash, your taste buds will thank you.

  • Yoga in the Park - Sat, June 14, 9 a.m. @ Pfluger Park. A free outdoor yoga session on the basketball court. Perfect for finding inner peace (or discovering you’re not as flexible as you thought).

  • Juneteenth “Rock the Block” - Fri, June 20, 8–10 p.m. @ Downtown Pflugerville (100 E. Main St). Live music (The Peterson Brothers), line dancing, and food trucks – a community celebration of freedom. Come for the culture, stay for the funky bass lines.

Quick Bits

  • Quote of the Week: “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” — Charles Darwin
    (Pretty fitting for a week where the police department, trail system, and teen workforce are all evolving faster than Pflugerville’s traffic detours.)

  • Stat of the Week: 94.8% – The share of Pflugerville residents living within a half-mile of a trail. Lace up, trailblazers. 🚶‍♂️

  • Weird Pflugerville Fact: All five seasons of NBC’s Friday Night Lights were filmed in Austin and Pflugerville. Yes, the Panthers were basically us with better lighting and more drama.

Until next time,