Category Archives: Steiner Ranch

Five Viper FFA teams going to state

The Vandegrift FFA entomology team (L-R) Aurod Ounsinegad, Alex Beaucamp, Michael Maher, and James Autry placed 2nd overall at their contest at Texas A&M University on April 6 and qualified for state on April 27 at Texas Tech University. Individually, Autry placed 1st, Ounsinegad 5th, Maher 11th, and Beaucamp 12th. This contest requires that students correctly identify insects, order, their mouthparts, metamorphosis, and significance. The competitors must also take a general knowledge exam over entomology as well. Joe Lemmons coaches entomology.
The Vandegrift FFA vet sciences team L-R Shane Shockley, Jessica Powell, Gyliana Larracuente Arroyo, and Samuel Weiss placed 3rd at their area contest hosted at Blinn College on April 5 and qualified for state on May 4 at Texas A&M. This will be Vandegrift FFA’s 4th consecutive appearance at the state vet science contest. Magan Escamilla, VHS agriscience teacher and FFA advisor, is the vet sciences coach.
Continue reading

94-acres at Wilson Parke/RM 620 rezoned general office

Some 80 acres of undeveloped land surrounding the SAS office site was rezoned to general office on April 11 by the Austin City Council. Courtesy city of Austin

Grandview’s SAS property rezoned, cleared for sale

By LESLEE BASSMAN, Four Points News

More development is coming to Four Points as another parcel of undeveloped land was rezoned by the Austin City Council last week.  

With a developer planning to construct about 362,000 square feet of office buildings on a 94-acre tract at 11920 Wilson Parke Avenue at RM 620, Austin City Council approved rezoning the site from interim-rural residence to general office district during its April 11 meeting. The item passed on the council’s consent agenda, with District 8 Council Member Paige Ellis abstaining.

The office buildings are slated to be located north of the intersection of Wilson Parke and Vista Parke Drive, according to a Feb. 25 letter sent to the city from engineering firm Big Red Dog. The development is expected to be constructed in 2020 and a traffic impact analysis showed the proposed use will generate about 3,692 average daily trips.

Continue reading

Many local residents still oppose Travis County’s route F

By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

David Greear, assistant public works director at Travis County, answered many questions from residents at the Travis County Steiner Ranch Area Evacuation Plan Open House on Thursday. LYNETTE HAALAND

Nearly 200 local residents attended the Travis County Steiner Ranch Area Evacuation Plan Open House on Thursday, and the vast majority seemed to want to weigh in on their opposition to the county’s preferred route F – the only permanent road being considered.

On display were maps and designs of three routes still up for consideration. Teams of Travis County officials were answering questions and hearing feedback at the April 18 event at Canyon Ridge Middle School.

Continue reading

VHS Art Club gets commissioned for Earth Day sculpture

Vandegrift sophomores Emily Huang and Nidhi Katta building their commissioned piece called “Ariel”. THAO ROTH

By CODI FARMER, Vandegrift Voice

Vandegrift sophomores Emily Huang and Nidhi Katta started celebrating Earth Day early this year. The VHS Art Club they lead received a check from the Leander Parks and Recreation board for a sculpture of wings entitled “Ariel”. The piece was made entirely out of recycled materials and was submitted for an Earth Day sculpture competition last year. Not only did the club win first place for their category, but it also got commissioned to create a more durable version of the wings to be placed in the new Leander park being designed called Lakewood Park.

“Originally, we made it out of cans and cardboard and the cans were cut into feathers,” Huang said. “We ended up winning first place in the wall hanging category of the competition and we were paid extra money to make another set that would be more durable so it could be put outside.”

The Leander Public Arts Commission had been searching for sculptures for the park and after not getting many responses from area artists, the commission decided to go searching in school competitions.

Continue reading

Family, rescuer coping after shooting in Steiner

Ryan Wells is credited as a hero for his act of bravery in subduing Britt Howe until police arrived after Howe shot his gun during an aggravated assault and kidnapping case at the Meritage at Steiner Ranch apartments on Sunday. “I only did what I’ve always been taught,” Wells said. “Protect the ones you care about, especially if they can’t protect themselves.”

By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

The victims are still shaken as the investigation continues on Britt Howe, who remains in custody, charged with aggravated kidnapping and assault, after he drove his mother at gunpoint to his ex-wife’s apartment in Steiner Ranch before firing shots into the apartment on Sunday.

“They are slowly coping. They are very upset and very scared of every little bump,” said Ryan Wells, the family friend who rescued the family and subdued Howe until police arrived at the scene.

Wells said that it is not helping that Meritage at Steiner Ranch has yet to come and fix the door that was bashed in.

Continue reading