(Right) Pam Waggoner, Leander ISD Board of Trustees president and founder of the Four Points Traffic Committee, updated the community on the progress of the second access road to Vandegrift at the LISD community meeting on Sept. 27 at VHS. (L-R) Jimmy Disler, LISD chief facilities and operations officer, Charlie Little, VHS principal, and were at the presentation.

Leander ISD is proposing a second access road behind Vandegrift through the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve that would be one mile with a 100-foot right of way and an 800-foot bridge to protect habitat below.

Second meeting this week

By LYNETTE HAALAND
Four Points News

Leander ISD has a second meeting this week with local representatives of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as it continues the discussion on building a second access road to Vandegrift HS through the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve.

The first meeting was Sept. 13 and school officials say it was successful.

“The first one was a very good meeting,” said Jimmy Disler, LISD chief facilities and operations officer. “We worked together, addressed concerns. Everyone got different tasks to complete and information to gather. Both sides were getting information. The meeting this week is to continue dialogue with them. It’s been positive so far. We’re happy.”

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Vandegrift Vipers senior outside hitter Ryan Palmieri (15) in action during Leander ISD’s annual Volleypalooza tournament at Vandegrift High School in Austin, Texas, on Thursday, August 24, 2017.

By ZACH SMITH
Hill Country News

Listen closely before the next Vandegrift volleyball match. Before the JV game is even over, the varsity team has already begun their pregame routine, blasting a trio of songs in the locker room and sweating after jumping around together.

It always ends with the same song, Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” right before the team goes out.

“I’m pretty sure you can hear it playing in the gym,” senior Simone Priebe said.

After a fantastic non-district schedule, the Lady Vipers were ranked for a few weeks. But they began district play with two losses in their first three games. Since then they have won against Leander, Vista Ridge and Westlake.

Vandegrift has always relied on younger players to play key roles. Priebe and fellow senior outside hitter Ryan Palmieri have been on varsity since they were freshmen. And with a first-year head coach and a roster yet again filled with youth, their leadership has been key to the team’s success.

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Danae Gibbs, a Riverbend Church staffer, was shot twice by the Las Vegas shooter at the Harvest 91 concert on Sunday night.

By LYNETTE HAALAND
Four Points News

Danae Gibbs, a part time children’s ministry staff member at Riverbend Church, was one of the hundreds of wounded victims in the Las Vegas mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival.

Gibbs was shot twice: once in the groin, and once in the abdomen. As of Monday night, she was out of surgery and in recovery at University Medical Center in Las Vegas. She was still groggy from the surgery but she is expected to recover well, said Kevin Hedges, Riverbend pastor of creative arts.

On Sunday night, Gibbs, 23, was at the three-day country music festival listening to Jason Aldean with a friend as part of an early birthday celebration. Gibbs will be turning 24 later this month.

Gibbs, who lives in the San Marcos/New Braunfels area, graduated from Texas Tech University in the class of 2017 several months ago.

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By MONICA LITTLE
Contributor

Photos by Bill Seitzler, Monica Little

Middle school night was Friday night at the Viper football game where 8th graders, who are in band, dance and football, from Canyon Ridge and Four Points middle schools, were invited to participate with students in the same organizations at Vandegrift.

It is a night the middle school is welcomed to get a glimpse of what is to come. It is a night 8th graders may for the first time dance or perform in front of a full stadium with a packed and spirited student section. A night they can ask a high schooler anything from should I take that AP class to how heavy is that drum? A night for the first time they will trade up their mini tuba for a sousaphone with pride. A night the students of Vandegrift welcomes their brother or sister into their beloved section for just one night.

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