Free Republic

Parents in the Austin, Texas, area expressed outrage after a technology teacher read a Dr. Seuss-style poem mocking “evangelicals” and parents who have expressed concerns about books they call pornographic. Krista Tyler, instructional technology specialist at Grisham Middle School in the Round Rock Independent School District (ISD) read the poem at the Leander ISD school board meeting Dec. 16. “Everyone in Leander liked reading a lot/ but some evangelicals in Leader did not,” Tyler begins. “These kooks hated reading, the whole reading season./ Please don’t ask why, no one quite knows the reason./ It could be perhaps critical thinking causes...

To many youngsters, Halloween is one of the best times of the year. Who wants to worry about going to school the next day when you could be staying home eating candy? That seems to be the sentiment of many students in Round Rock ISD. According to Change.org, a petition to get their district to cancel the day after Halloween has gained nearly 14,000 signature, as of Wednesday morning. Students are almost at their goal of 15,000 signatures.

The attorney for a man who police say shot and killed a Leander ISD teacher and coach says his client has been been no-billed by a grand jury, meaning he won't be indicted. Larry Smith is accused of shooting and killing his next door neighbor Adam Ladner during an altercation in January. It all started when Smith called police for a noise complaint against Ladner. After police left Ladner's home, Smith says Ladner became violent with him. According to court documents, at some point during this physical confrontation, Smith shot Ladner. When officers arrived, Ladner was dead on Smith's property.

An arrest affidavit said he had been staying at a home used as an in-home day care in Cedar Park on Marysol Trail near Lakeline Boulevard and FM 1431. Police say the first victim, 4-year-old boy, told investigators in July about two separate incidents of abuse by Kelley. The second victim was also a 4-year-old boy. The Cedar Park Police Department is investigating the potential of other victims.

A dog was shot and severely injured by a Leander police officer Monday night after the officer attempted to serve a warrant at the wrong address, according to the dog’s owners and a statement from the Leander Police Department. The dog, a German shepherd named Vinny that works as a therapy dog, was shot in the neck and is recovering at the home of his owners in Liberty Hill. Renata and James Simmons, the dog’s owners, are baffled and distraught by the actions of the officer. According to the statement from LPD, Warrant Officer Woodson Blase arrived at the Simmons’...

Taylor used to be a player in Williamson County, with it and Georgetown vying for funds and the attention of passers-through. But no more, and despite what many city officials will tell you, it will not be a player unless something is done to counteract the rapid growth of surrounding communities. What needs to be done is, Taylor needs to forget its past and embrace something residents see as so vile, that when I first arrived here I thought its mere mention was a dirty word. I am speaking of Rick Perry’s Trans-Texas Corridor. The Texas Department of Transportation (another...

St. Leander, a close friend of St. Gregory the Great, was born in Carthagena to a family of high nobility. He was the eldest brother of several saints. His brother, St. Isidore, succeeded him as Bishop of Seville. Another brother, St. Fulgentius, became Bishop of Carthagena, and his sister, St. Florentina, became an Abbess in Carthagena. When he was still young, Leander retired to a Benedictine monastery where he became a model of learning and piety. In 579 he was raised to the episcopal see of Seville, where he continued to practice his customary austerities and penances. At that time,...

Annie Barrera wanted her two children to be bilingual. But when she moved into the Leander school district six years ago, she found that foreign languages weren't taught to elementary school students. So Barrera took the teaching into her own hands. She volunteered as a part-time Spanish teacher at Steiner Ranch Elementary. Now, Barrera has successfully helped bring Spanish classes to nearly all elementary schools in the district. She is one of dozens of parents across the country who have started grass-roots foreign language programs during the past decade. "We're living in such a global society that it's important to...

Population figures show Sweetwater slipping fast BY JOHN REYNOLDS AVALANCHE-JOURNAL Alongside its reputation as the rattlesnake capital of the world, Sweetwater has earned another, albeit unwanted, title: fastest shrinking city in Texas. 10 fastest growing cities Statistics from the Census Bureau's city-by-city population estimates for July 1, 2002, released Thursday. The estimates were considered accurate only for cities with populations of 10,000 or greater. City 2001 (est.) 2002 (est.) Percent Change Leander 9,646 11,661 20.9 Cedar Park 32,325 37,764 16.8 McKinney 63,198 73,081 15.6 Frisco 41,882 47,652 13.8 Allen 51,303 57,216 11.5 Rockwall 20,103 22,334 11.1 Sachse 11,761 13,015 10.7...