Dawn Scott and her daughter Ava Marie, whom she adopted when she was an infant.

By CASSIE MCKEE, Four Points News

Legislation that would have allowed Texas-born adults who were adopted as minors to access their original birth certificates died in the final days of the most recent legislative session and supporters are blaming State Sen. Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels) for killing it.

Steiner Ranch resident Dawn Scott, who has a 9-year-old daughter she adopted as an infant, lobbied hard for the legislation and said she was “deeply saddened” that it did not pass.

“I believe it is a basic human right to have the dignity of self-knowledge to know who your family is – to know your ancestral roots,” Scott said. “Adopted adults grow up in a family that represents only half the picture.”

But her lobbying efforts were doused during the legislative session. Continue reading →

Steiner Ranch resident, Dante Fichera, is riding the 150-mile American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure this weekend. To support Fichera with a donation to ADA go to http://main.diabetes.org/goto/DanteFichera1

Steiner Ranch resident, Dante Fichera, will put his mettle to the petal this weekend when he cycles 150 miles in the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure.

“I think cycling is just one way to get the word out and get people exercising and thinking about nutrition,” Fichera said. “ADA uses donations to develop educational programs to help diabetics to either cure or manage their condition through nutrition and exercise.”

ADA is also working on finding a cure for Type I diabetes, which they say they are getting close to, Fichera said.

He and other riders will leave from Freescale in south Austin on Sept. 12 for Fredericksburg. They ride back Sept. 13. For cyclists at other levels, he noted there is also a one-day ride on Sept. 13 with routes ranging from five to 63 miles. Continue reading →

By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

Vandegrift High School’s composite scores on the ACT college-entrance exam continue to be higher than Leander ISD and the state and national averages.

For 2015, the average ACT composite score (scale of 1 – 36) for a VHS graduate was 26 and for a LISD graduate, it was 23.9. These scores were higher compared to the state and national average composite scores of 20.9 and 21 respectively.

LISD Superintendent Bret Champion announced that these scores were achieved even amid a 21 percent increase in the number of ACT exams given across the district. Continue reading →

By CASSIE MCKEE, Four Points News

Austin resident Jack Mayberry believes there is an epidemic in Austin of which few are aware. Mayberry recently stood in front of the Randalls in Steiner Ranch passing out flyers that read, “Coyotes are Killing Our Pets.”

This summer Four Points News reported on a Steiner Ranch family whose 25-pound-dog, Louie, was fatally injured by a coyote while walking with his owner on the trails near River Heights Overlook on June 22. The following day, another dog belonging to Steiner resident Victor LaRocca was also nearly attacked while walking on the greenbelt but LaRocca was able to scare the coyote away. Both dogs were off leash at the time of the incidents.

“Austin is growing very rapidly… there is a possibility for more interactions between people and coyotes,” said Stefan Hunt, a wildlife biologist with Texas Wildlife Services.

Continue reading →

By KIM ESTES, Four Points News

Mike Stock’s family has a house in Steiner Ranch, but the road is now their home as they tour South America in a 1995 Toyota 4Runner. They left in February and are not coming back “until we are through,” he said.

For Mike and his wife, the open road soothes their restless spirits. Their daughters, Sierra, 9, and Zoe, 6, are enjoying the experience too.

“We love how our kids are learning about each other and the world in real time. It is such a joy to see the world through our daughters’ eyes, to see their amazement when they ask us a question and we don’t have the answers,” Mike said.

Ruins in old town Antigua, Guatemala.

Continue reading →