By SCOTT COLEMAN, Four Points News

The sustained excellence at Vandegrift’s storied golf program only grew at this week’s UIL state tournament as the school’s boys squads captured first-place and third-place finishes, as well as a historically best runner-up finish by the Vipers’ girls team at Wolfdancer Golf Resort in Cedar Creek.

Two under-par rounds of 285 and 287 gave Vandegrift an insurmountable lead and the boys Black Team notched a 47-shot victory over second-place San Antonio-Alamo Heights in Class 5A thanks to the team of Cooper Dossey, Tobin Niblett, Brandon Hoff, Lucas Mylet, and Daniel Martinez.

“Remarkable performance… couldn’t have scripted a better finish to the season,” said VHS golf coach Matt Wernecke.

Boys Black Team – Coach Matt Wernecke, Daniel Martinez, Lucas Mylet, Cooper Dossey, Tobin Niblett, Brandon Hoff, Coach Cliff Ellis
Girls Black Team – Story Shaw, Jensen Jalufka, Sarah Rovenstine, Hailey Derrickson, Sophia di Gesualdo
Boys Silver Team – Wyatt Speaks, Jacob Rockefeller, Luke Dossey, Dalton Doerr, Foster Givens

Continue reading →

By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

Superintendent Bret Champion is leaving Leander ISD — and a lasting legacy — to lead the Klein ISD in northwest Harris County in Houston.

“It has been a blessing and an opportunity to walk alongside quality educators and a great community,” said Champion, who has worked in LISD for 22 years, starting as a teacher, then assistant principal, principal and administrator.

He became the superintendent in 2008 and will begin as Klein’s superintendent in July.

LISD is a fast-growth district with nearly 37,000 students and Champion will be going to another fast-growth district with 50,000 students.

“The great news is that both districts are well prepared for the growth,” Champion said.

Bret Champion expects Leander ISD to get a lot of applicants for the superintendent job he is leaving. “This job will certainly drive a lot qualified folks to apply,” he said. “This is a great place to live and to work, it’s working for a great board and terrific community and staff that is so student-focused.”
Photo taken by Scott W. Coleman on December 2013.

Continue reading →

By KIM ESTES, Four Points News

A new College Board program offered in a non-content specific, interdisciplinary format will be available next fall at Vandegrift High School.

Called AP Capstone, the addition is part of the College Board’s Advanced Placement series and is designed to complement all other areas of study.

Students do not have to be in other AP classes to enroll in AP Capstone. “Capstone classes can complement anything for secondary success,” said Lisa Brittain, Leander ISD director of College and Career Readiness.

The program helps students develop the ability to do inquiry, learn about gathering information, find out what information to trust or how to put that information in context, how to form an argument based on data, evidence and information and, finally, how to communicate it.   Continue reading →

By SARAH DOOLITTLE, Four Points News

Thanks to recent rains, all six lakes along the Highland Lakes chain managed by the Lower Colorado River Authority are now at 100 percent of capacity after a prolonged drought from late 2010 to early 2015.

On Thursday, hydroelectric operations began at Mansfield Dam to produce electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. And on Monday, LCRA opened one floodgate in the dam.

“The rain in the Highland Lakes watershed has been more than lakes Buchanan and Travis can safely hold without allowing levels to rise significantly higher in the flood pool on Lake Travis,” said Clara Tuma, LCRA spokesperson.

The opening of the floodgate at 8 a.m. on Apr. 25 attracted a crowd of nearly two hundred, according to LCRA security officers stationed at a platform the base of the dam. LCRA temporarily opened the platform to allow public viewing of the opened spillway, and hundreds visited throughout the day on Monday to view and photograph this rare event.

LCRA general manager Phil Wilson speaks with media at Mansfield Dam on Monday, when one of the floodgates was opened. Hundreds of people came out to watch the event. Wilson, a local Four Points resident, was encouraged to see so many kids watching the event and seeing first hand how a dam works.

Continue reading →

By KIM ESTES, Four Points News

A local craft brewery took name-calling to heart and defended itself against a big Colorado brewery to win exclusive rights in Texas to a contested moniker, said Max Schleder, president of Oasis Texas Brewing Company.

The tale of two ales began when New Belgium Brewing Company of Fort Collins claimed the trademark, Slow Ride, the name of a beer made by both it and Oasis Texas Brewing.

Just this past month, however, the two breweries reached an agreement giving Oasis Texas Brewing exclusive rights in Texas to sell its American Pale Ale under the Slow Ride label. Continue reading →