Kyla Peeples of Vandegrift High School finished second and earned a silver medal with in the Class 6A high jump event, with a leap 5 feet, 8 inches, at the UIL State Track and Field Meet at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas, on Friday, May 12, 2017.

Kyla Peeples with her silver medal and high jump coach Brady Ruiz.

By ZACH SMITH
Four Points News

Vandegrift’s Kyla Peeples used her experience from competing in the UIL State Track & Field meet last year to leap onto the medal stand this season.

The sophomore finished with a silver medal in the girls’ Class 6A high jump Friday afternoon, clearing a height of 5 feet, 6 inches. Northwest Nelson’s Sanaa Barnes finished at the same height but won the gold based on fewer misses.

“I’m so excited, I have no words,” Peeples said. “I didn’t know what to expect coming out here. My goal was to jump 5 feet, 8 inches and anything more would be great.”

She matched her winning height from both the area and regional meets, which is also her personal record.

“Both her event coach, Brady Ruiz, and I are very happy with the result and her season as a whole,” Vandegrift head coach Colin Sully said. “After winning the area and region competitions, Kyla came into the state meet with confidence and jumped like a seasoned veteran.”

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Repairs have been made to the Bella Mar lap pool in Steiner Ranch and to the area around it after minors were caught on video vandalizing it.

By LYNETTE HAALAND
Four Points News

Minors — who vandalized the lap pool in Steiner Ranch at the Bella Mar Community Center over the weekend of April 22 – 23 — have been identified.

Several individuals were recorded vandalizing the Bella Mar lap pool which was drained in late April for seasonal maintenance and repairs.

High resolution footage showed multiple individuals throwing large rocks into the empty pool and other individuals shattering pool lights with smaller rocks.

Footage captured from security cameras was shared with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office and the investigation continues.

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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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