Rae, a 20-year-old journalism student, was hit by a car on May 3 on RM 2222, and she is recovering slowly and will have to learn to walk again.

By LYNETTE HAALAND
Four Points News

A 20-year-old journalism student who was hit by a car on May 3 at 10301 RM 2222 near River Place is recovering slowly. She’ll have to learn to walk again with her pelvis fractured in multiple areas but she has been moved from ICU and sat in a chair in her hospital room on May 14.
“(Rae) still has a long way to go but she’s fighting hard and showing improvement,” Valeta Jones stated on Monday on the GoFundMe page entitled “Compassion Counts”.

Jones is taking Rae under her wing. Rae doesn’t have insurance or family support at this time.

“When I found out that (Rae) had nowhere to go and no family support, without a second thought I took her in,” stated Jones.

“(Sunday) was a great day for her and one of the best Mother’s Day gifts ever. (Rae) spent several hours sitting in a chair! Her speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy all went well,” added Jones.

Chantal Locke, an Austin Police Department motorcycle officer and a first responder to the May 3 accident, helped create the GoFundMe page to help with medical expenses.

“I have been approached by many who witnessed the crash and felt compelled to help this hopeful young, journalism student, who works part-time,” Locke said.

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Many families gathered at the National Day of Prayer last week in Steiner Ranch.

Many from the community gathered at the 3rd annual Steiner Ranch National Day of Prayer on Thursday at Towne Square.

“It went great, had 60 – 70 adults and children. It was a wonderful morning,” said Sabryna Taggart, who helped organize the event with her husband Dan.

Many participated in National Day of Prayer including Shawn Dilbeck, worship pastor at the Church at Canyon Creek, who sang the opening and closing songs;  Don Dumbacher, Steiner pastor of Hill Country Bible Church; Darril Holden Jr., teaching pastor at Austin Christian Fellowship; Josh Howard, youth pastor at HCBC; Burton Hackney, elder at ACF; and Chris Turnley.

Local leaders from the Moms in Prayer International group shared words, scripture readings and prayed with the group including Debbie King, Amy Kerr and Amy Mintner.

Students participated too including Abby and Kate, seniors at Vandegrift, Ashley, Bronson and Cole, Canyon Ridge Middle School, 7th and 8th graders, who read Bible verses, and Emilia King and Eden McSpadden representing elementary schools in Steiner.

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L-R Charlie Little, VHS principal, Andrew Peterson, Adrian Sherwood, and LISD Superintendent Dan Troxell at the LEEF STAR Banquet on April 27.

The LEEF STAR Banquet on April 27 at Austin Baptist Church featured students recognizing teachers who made an impact. L-R Charlie Little, Elijah Kabigting, Carol Morris, Sarah Beatty, Mee-A Pavey, Andrew Peterson, Adrian Sherwood, Renee Robinson, Shelby Kohn, Preston Mayo and Jonathan Jones.

L-R Shelby Kohn and Renee Robinson at the LEEF STAR Banquet.

By KIMBERLY STRENK
LEEF Board Member

The Leander ISD Educational Excellence Foundation held its annual Student  & Teacher Academic Recognition banquet on April 27 at Austin Baptist Church. Six LISD high schools selected outstanding high school seniors who in turn recognized the one educator who had the biggest impact on their educational journey during their time in Leander ISD.
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Autism center, housing development will now be considered together

By CASSIE MCKEE
Four Points News

MileStone Community Builders, the developer at the center of a controversial zoning dispute in River Place, has submitted an amended zoning application for the 82-acre tract, forcing the case to go back to the Zoning and Platting Commission for reconsideration. The date for the ZAP hearing has not been set yet.

One of the biggest changes is that instead of dividing the land into two separate zoning cases — one for a proposed autism center and the other for a MileStone housing development at the end of Milky Way Drive — and considering the requests separately, the two cases will now be combined into one.

A letter from a MileStone representative was sent on April 27 to Greg Guernsey, director of the planning and zoning department for the city of Austin, notifying the city of MileStone’s intent to modify its application. The zoning case was scheduled to go before the Austin City Council on May 4 for its first public hearing but will now be postponed so that the case can go before ZAP.

“As has been repeated throughout the entire process of this case, the development proposal for each tract is inextricably tied to the other and both portions of the overall development plan rely on the other as a cohesive development plan in order to provide a successful project,”  the letter states. “In the end, approving a rezoning on only one portion of the development would not bring the overall project to fruition with the compromises and community benefits that are, in essence, a package to ensure a viable planned project.”

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