By CASSIE MCKEE, Hill Country News

It’s been a highly unusual winter in Central Texas with three bad-weather days for Leander ISD students; however, the LISD Board of Trustees’ plan to make up one of the missed days on Memorial Day has upset many local veterans and parents.

Leander resident and Marine James Crabtree created an online petition last week to urge the LISD board to not have school on Memorial Day. He then sent out a press release and began speaking out through local Austin media. He and several other local veterans and parents spoke during the citizen’s comments portion of the LISD School Board meeting last week on Feb. 6.

Leander resident and Marine James Crabtree created an online petition last week to urge the Leander ISD board to not use Memorial Day as a bad weather makeup day. Crabtree also spoke at LISD’s board meeting last week.
photo by Cassie McKee

It is a personal fight for Crabtree. While serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom, he said his battalion lost 10 men.

“It’s the one day our nation has set aside to honor them and all those we’ve lost in our nation’s armed forces,” Crabtree said, prior to the LISD meeting. “It should be a day that is more than just another random school day or a day for mattress sales.”

After learning that the district was planning to have school on Memorial Day, Crabtree said he and other community members sent emails to the Board of Trustees to ask them to reconsider. He said he received a response from the assistant superintendent of human resources. Continue reading →

By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

The reopening of the upper Panther Hollow trail in River Place was celebrated on Saturday with a ribbon cutting and hike. Some 50 people attended.

R-L Alan Glen, Jim Casey, Christie Griffith, Sandy Perry and others cut the ribbon in celebration of the reopened upper trail on Saturday.

River Place resident Steve Snodell was the first to run the trail after the ribbon was cut.

“We’re looking forward to this. We helped get it reopened,” said Dylan Drummond. He and his daughters Madison, 9, and Kennedy, 6, took their dog for a hike at the event.

Dylan Drummondand his daughters Madison, 9, and Kennedy, 6, took their dog for a hike at the event.

“This is my top favorite trail in or near Austin. I’m excited it is open again,” said Alex Horn, who used to walk the trail before it was closed nearly two years ago. Saturday she bought four year old Siberian Husky mix, Whiskey, from the Austin Humane Society for a hike on the trail. Continue reading →

By SARAH DOOLITTLE, Four Points News

Pierce Your Heart, an event that is free and open to the public, will be hosted on Valentine’s Day Feb. 14 at the Medical Towers at Riverplace to benefit Four Points resident Pierce Broe.

Pierce Broe, his face slightly swollen from steroid therapy, shows off his fishing skills. 

Pierce, an 11 year-old student at River Place Elementary, is in many ways an ordinary fifth grader–he has two brothers and one sister and loves fishing, lacrosse and his friends.

In June of 2013, Pierce spent a lot of time at home making the colorful woven paracord bracelets so popular with other kids his age. He kept having to ask his mom for help, though, because he couldn’t grip with the fingers on his left hand. His parents, Janel and Kevin Broe, were stumped but mostly unconcerned. Pierce is, after all, a boy’s boy and they assumed he had injured the arm in some act of daredevil athleticism.

Over the next couple of weeks, however, his left arm continued to weaken. Gradually Pierce’s stride also changed until, her son no longer able to walk without difficulty, Janel took him to see the family pediatrician. That was on a Friday afternoon. Within hours, tests had detected a tumor in Pierce’s brain and he was admitted to Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas. By Sunday, Dell neurosurgeon Dr. Timothy George performed a biopsy. Continue reading →

By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

Photos by Paula Schumann

River Place Elementary hosted its first Family Night Out to Build a Healthy Heart recently and dozens of families came out to enjoy.

“We had over 250 people brave the cold and ice to come eat, shop a farmers market, be active and listen to Lindsey Carmichael speak,” said Sara Milam, RPE volunteer and organizer of the Jan. 23 event.  

Carmichael gave a demonstration and spoke about  “just try it,” you never know what might happen. That’s how she became an archery Olympian and scholar.

Carmichael, who is from Lago Vista, was diagnosed at the age of four with McCune-Albright syndrome. She experienced a number of bone fractures and surgeries. This required her to use body casts, crutches and a wheelchair at various times. She overcame numerous obstacles as her femurs and tibias eventually required the support of steel and titanium rods.

In the 2004 Paralympic games in Athens, Carmichael placed sixth overall in archery and set a world record. In 2008 at the Beijing Olympics, she took bronze. In 2011, she was listed on the University of Texas Dean’s Distinguished Graduate list. Continue reading →