By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

A Four Points area invention team is one of 15 teams nationwide that has been awarded up to $10,000 in grant funding from the Lemelson-MIT Program as part of its 2014–2015 InvenTeam initiative.

The teams, representing schools across the country, comprised of students, teachers and community mentors will pursue year-long invention projects that address real-world problems.

The mission of the Four Points area team is to invent a continuous flow water device for firefighters. The idea stemmed from the 2011 Labor Day weekend wildfires that affected Steiner Ranch. They will showcase their ideas at Massachusetts Institute of Technology next summer at EurekaFest.

“I am extremely proud of this outstanding group of young men and women, who competed with hundreds of teams from around the nation for this opportunity,” said Jan Masterson, educator sponsor of the local Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam and Four Points Middle School science teacher.

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By CASSIE MCKEE, LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

Last week consultants for Leander ISD filed a draft Habitat Conservation Plan with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in hopes of one day getting a new Vandegrift HS and Four Points MS access road.

If all goes well, LISD hopes to have an Endangered Species Act permit in place by the end of 2015. The project will still require other approvals, as well as identification of funding, and preliminary cost estimates exceed $12 million. However, LISD and parent stakeholders believe that obtaining a second point of access is critical to the efficient functioning of the two schools at the Vandegrift/Four Points campus and is also needed to enhance safety.

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By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

A Leander ISD bus driver was arrested and charged with a DWI Thursday afternoon while taking 20 to 30 children home on bus #336 from River Ridge Elementary in Steiner Ranch.

Kathy Loraine Legrand booking photo.

Kathy Loraine Legrand, 61, was charged with driving while intoxicated with child passengers, a state jail felony, according to an arrest affidavit. Legrand said she had Xanax before driving the bus. Blood tests were pending at the time of this report.

Jail records show that Legrand was booked at the Travis County Jail on Thursday night with bail set at $35,000. She was released on Friday.

A star jail felony is punished by 6 months to two years in a state jail and up to a $10,000.00 fine.

The arrest happened off of Merlene Drive off of S. Quinlan Park Road before 4 p.m. on October 16 after Legrand destroyed a mailbox and hit tree branches.

Bus #336 destroyed this mailbox before the driver, Kathy Loraine Legrand, was arrested for DWI on Thursday afternoon.

The bus was occupied by a mix of kindergarten to fifth grade students. No children were injured, but another bus was brought in to take the remaining students home.

“We immediately terminated (Legrand) and cooperated with the police and authorities and provided police with information,” said Veronica Sopher, a spokesperson for the district.

Kathy Legrand was driving bus #336 on Thursday, taking kids home from River Ridge Elementary School before being arrested and issued a DWI.

“We made phone calls to parents who had students involved,” Sopher said. RRE had additional counselors and resources available at the school on Friday in case there was concern or stress surrounding the situation. Continue reading →

By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

Oasis Texas Brewing Company participated in the  Great American Beer Festival this month in Boulder, Colo. winning the gold medal for their English-style Best Bitter, London Homesick Ale.

The gold medal is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a beer. The medal comes a mere five months after Oasis Texas Brewing began production.

“We won gold at the Great American Beer Fest. It’s the superbowl of American beer competitions! This is huge,” said Max Schleder, president of the brewery and managing partner of the Mansfield event space, which the brewery is housed in.

Brew Master, Spencer Tielkemeier has been brewing beer for over five years having competed many times before on winning teams. However, this is Tielkemeier’s first win as the head brewer.

The local Oasis Texas Brewing Company team L-R: Head brewer Spencer Tielkemeier, Hailey Tielkemeier, Max Schleder, Lesa Kirkconnell, Andrew Rice, Kirby Kirkconnell, Hamilton Stewart, Bob Schultz and Charlie Papazian, Brewer’s Association president.

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