The West Austin Chamber of Commerce has enlarged its footprint to stretch along Texas State Highway Loop 1 (MoPac Expressway) and near a portion of Highway 45.

By LYNETTE HAALAND

Four Points News

The West Austin Chamber of Commerce is nearly doubling its footprint while eyeing membership growth with its new leadership team Sean Ziari, chairman, and Morgan Briscoe, president.

“I am passionate about supporting the future of this area, both short and long term,” said Ziari, who took over as chairman in January succeeding Ray Freer.

“It’s a great environment to be a part of,” said Briscoe, the organization’s first president who began her role in January. “Like the people living in the communities we serve, our member businesses truly want to help one another succeed.”

Currently, the West Austin Chamber has just over 130 members and has a goal of 200 members by the end of 2017. It would like to grow by another 100 or so members by the end of 2019.

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On March 15, a double homicide happened at 2014 Whitebead Trail across Lake Austin from Steiner Ranch.

By LYNETTE HAALAND
Four Points News

The suspect in last week’s double homicide near Four Points shot and killed himself Friday after a police chase in Mississippi, according to law enforcement authorities.

Randall Lee Burrows, 54 of Lakeway, was suspected of killing Richard Dale Guthrie and Susan Gulla-O’Leary on March 15 at 2014 Whitebead Trail in the community called Apache Shores across Lake Austin from Steiner Ranch.

At 7:40 p.m. on Wednesday, TCSO deputies responded to a report of shots fired. They arrived at the scene and found the bodies of Guthrie and Gulla-O’Leary, both 60-years-old and from Austin. Both had gunshot wounds.

Another woman was shot and hospitalized in critical condition.

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Zack’s American Bistro in Steiner Ranch is closed. The costs and rent increased and “it was no longer viable,” said co-owner Tracy Shinsel.

High rent cited

By LYNETTE HAALAND
Four Points News

After four years in business, Zack’s American Bistro in Steiner Ranch is closed.

“It came down to rent. It started out reasonable and the rate has gone up almost 50 percent since we opened four years ago,” said Tracy Shinsel, Zack’s co-owner. “Finally I couldn’t do it any more.”

The costs and rent increased and “it was no longer viable,” Shinsel said. “We hadn’t been making money for the last year and they, Whitestone REIT, wanted to increase (rent) again.”

In February 2013, Shinsel and Bryan Cromwell opened Zack’s at 5145 RM 620, Bldg. C in the Quinlan Crossing shopping center. On March 9, a lockout notice from the property manager Whitestone REIT/Whitestone Quinlan Crossing was posted on the door stating “delinquency of rent payment.”

Zack’s had around 2,800-square-feet of dining space and an expansive outdoor patio. Shinsel and Cromwell had been working with the property owner regarding rent, maintenance and property tax increases but negotiations failed and their doors were locked.

“This happened very quickly and we were not notified in advance,” Shinsel said.

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The fire on Jan. 7 that destroyed the construction of the Islamic Center of Lake Travis is still under investigation. Now the electronic data is in the hands of a government agency that operates under the oversight of the FBI.

By KIM ESTES
Four Points News

The investigation continues into a January fire that destroyed an Islamic center that was under construction in Hudson Bend, said Travis County Fire Marshal Tony Callaway.

“It is still an open and ongoing case. If we had been able to rule out arson, we wouldn’t have gone this far. But, that doesn’t mean it is arson,” said Callaway.

Firefighters were called early in the morning on Jan. 7 to the 4700 block of Doss Road where the future Islamic Center of Lake Travis was in flames. It was to be a two-story, 2,700-square-foot structure.

As required by Federal law, the fire was reported to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  “Any fire to a faith-based group, regardless of the religion, has to be reported to ATF,” Callaway said.

Now, in fact, electronic data gathered in the investigation is in the hands of a government agency under the oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“We have sent quite a bit of electronic data. They will analyze it deeper and make sure we’re not missing something and the investigation has been as thorough as possible,” said Callaway.

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