By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

A District 6 Candidate Runoff Forum featuring candidates Don Zimmerman and Jimmy Flannigan will take place next week in Four Points and the public is welcome to attend and ask questions.

“This is a chance to show that Four Points is an important part of their district. This is a chance where Four Points has direct input. We need to make sure they hear our voice for our neighborhood,” said Brian Thompto, Steiner Ranch Neighborhood Association chairman.

The Four Points Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the forum on Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 7-8:30 p.m. in the great hall at Austin Baptist Church, 7016 Ribelin Ranch Dr. off of RM 2222. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. The runoff election day is December 16.

Questions for the candidates can be emailed ahead of time at CandidateQuestions@FourPointsChamber.com

Also those who attend the forum can submit questions to the panel to be answered by the two candidates. There will be a forum moderator.

“Ask questions, raise issues that are of importance to our community, and hear views of the candidates,” Thompto said. “We need community input that our questions do get asked.”

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Viper band and Vision Dance Co. at Bands of America Super Regionals in San Antonio last weekend. Photo by Rich Keith

By RICH KEITH, Four Points News

The Vandegrift High School marching band and Vision Dance Company took 10th place in the Bands of America Super Regional finals contest at the Alamodome in San Antonio on Saturday.

“The Bands of America San Antonio Super Regional is known for being the hardest marching competition in the country,” said Mike Howard, VHS director of bands.

Notably, Leander ISD became the first school district to send four band programs to a single BOA finals performance.

“Out of 65 bands, it is amazing that half of the 14 finalist bands are from the Austin area. Above that, four of the bands are from Leander ISD,” Howard said. “This was an historic night for Central Texas bands and Leander ISD.”

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By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

David Estrada

The Travis County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes unit continues to investigate the double stabbing which occurred Friday morning at Steiner Ranch Steakhouse. David Estrada, 23, was arrested on two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Estrada, who has a prior police record, is accused of stabbing two people at the restaurant located at 5424 Steiner Ranch Blvd. just before 1 a.m. on October 31.

The arrest affidavit states Estrada “pulled a knife out during the fight, proceeded to stab the other two subjects.”

The victims, Christopher De la Rosa, 25, and James Shelton, 24, were taken to St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center.

Shelton sustained a total of five stab wounds while De la Rosa had two stab wounds, the affidavit said.

On Friday morning, one was in surgery and the other was in stable condition. Both are expected to fully recover, said Lisa Block, spokesperson with TCSO.

Estrada was also injured and was taken to Lakeway Regional Medical Center. “The wounds were not extremely serious,” Block said. He had a self-inflicted cut on his hand, she said.

The arrest affidavit states Estrada was with a group of about 20 friends having dinner around 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. “After dinner, a few friends reconvened at the bar area of the restaurant to have some more drinks before leaving. While at the bar, witnesses stated that they heard a verbal confrontation begin between Shelton and Estrada. (It) progressed into a physical confrontation. Shelton and Estrada were on the floor of the bar area of the restaurant fighting when witnesses say they observed Estrada take a knife out of his front pocket and begin stabbing Shelton in the abdomen and arms while on top of him,” the affidavit said.

De la Rosa apparently tried to break up the fight and Estrada then stabbed him in the chest and abdomen.

Witnesses described the knife as silver in color with a three-inch blade. The affidavit goes on to state: “Witnesses observed Estrada attempting to clean the blood off his knife and folding it back up before deputies arrived.”

Patrons and staff at the steakhouse ran to the victims to “try and stop the bleeding and render first aid,” the report states.

Estrada was arrested and booked at 4:45 a.m. on Friday into Travis County Jail.

The affidavit states Estrada has prior arrests for Assault/Causes Bodily Injury/Family Member and Violation Bond/Protective Order.

By SARAH DOOLITTLE, Four Points News

Vandegrift High School recently contacted parents to inform them of the presence of community-associated Methicillan-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) on campus. Several student athletes have been affected and are being treated for skin infections.

Parents responded with concern. As a result, the district has provided detailed information to families about MRSA and the steps Leander ISD is taking to clean facilities and prevent the further spread of infection.

Staph infections are a somewhat frequent occurrence from middle school to professional locker rooms, but the infections — caused by the very common staphylococcus bacteria — are highly contagious and require treatment and aggressive prevention to curtail a widespread outbreak.

Varsity Viper football players have have been affected but the school did not release a list of those suspected of having the infection.

The presence of CA-MRSA on the VHS campus is not new or unique, according to Veronica Sopher, LISD spokesperson. Continue reading →