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News
Memorial for Riad Hamad
Ann Fowler 09.MAY.08
More than three weeks after the body of a beloved middle school teacher was pulled from Ladybird Lake, a memorial will be held for the man whose life and death remain mysteries. The service is scheduled for 1 P.M. on Saturday, May 10, at the St. James Episcopal Church, 1941 Webberville Road in Austin.
When Riad Hamad’s body, bound with duct tape, was pulled from the water, the initial reaction was that a murder had occurred. But quickly–some say too quickly–the Austin Police Department said Hamad had likely bound himself to make his suicide look like a murder. Some questioned whether federal authorities had suggested to APD investigators that the ruling of “suicide” would make things easier for everyone. Court documents were released, which some local media insinuated showed that Hamad may have raised money for terrorists at best, or stole money from his beloved charities at worst. [more] |
FLUM finally finished
 | | A City of Austin facilitator known only as Sheila, told an Oak Hill group to make final changes to the Future Land Area Map because their time was up and other neighborhoods needed attention. |
Ann Fowler 02.MAY.08
OAK HILL - An aggressive moderator set a tone of utter urgency to a Tuesday night meeting that the City was determined to end with a finished Future Land Area Map (FLUM).
A City of Austin facilitator told a group gathered to make final changes to the Future Land Area Map; and that the city had already spent an extraordinary amount of time working with Oak Hill and its neighborhood plan and now needed to send those resources to other areas of Austin. An hour into the scheduled 2-hour April 29 meeting, as the evening bogged down in confusion between land use and zoning, the facilitator, identified only as Sheila, told the group they could neither extend the meeting past its 9 pm close nor schedule another meeting. [more] |
West Park plan to be unveiled at special OHAN meeting: Local neighbors express concerns
Ann Fowler 02.MAY.08
The May 7 meeting of the Oak Hill Association of Neighborhoods (OHAN) will include a long-anticipated presentation on the West Park PUD development near Hwy. 290 West and FM 1826 – a proposed Town Center for Oak Hill. Property representatives have been showing preliminary plans to local neighborhood associations. These plans reportedly include a hotel, condominiums, ballfields and a movie theater.
Residents adjacent to the property are concerned about increased light and noise in their backyards. Others are concerned with increasing the impervious cover. Local resident Bruce Melton told the Gazette, “My main concern is aggressively surpassing 25% impervious cover allowed under the development ordinance for this watershed. [more]Local burglar arrested: Code enforcement, graffiti, car accidents also discussed at Commander's Forum
 | | Lt. Craig Cannon, Highway Enforcement Command unit with APD, emphasizes the importance of getting vehicles off the road when accidents occur. –photo by Joanne Foote |
Joanne Foote 02.MAY.08
Approximately 20 citizens took part in Tuesday’s Commander’s Forum Agenda at the Clinton Hunter South Substation of the Austin Police Department (APD). The Southwest Area Command division, located on Ralph Ablanedo Drive, held their quarterly forum, with citizens hoping to meet new Commander Brad Conner. However, he was unable to be at the meeting due to recent minor surgery.
Topping the agenda was news that a career burglar, Michael J. Shugart, born September 27, 1964, was recently arrested. According to police, Shugart was responsible for the recent break-in at the Gazette and had a pattern of stealing and forging checks. He was arrested and charged with 11 counts from Travis and Milam Counties and additional charges are expected to be filed. Information found on the Travis County Jail website show the charges against Shugart include burglary of buildings and residences, theft, false information or forgery and parole violation. He is currently in custody and the police department is still processing information on his case.
Two speakers were on the agenda during this particular forum. Matthew Christianson, Assistant Division Manager with Code Enforcement, discussed his area of expertise. “We recently pulled a bunch of units together so we could look at how to address nuisance problems and overlaid that territory with the police commands, so that we could work very closely with the district representatives. We deal with the property problems and the district representatives deal with the people problems,” explained Christianson. [more] |
25.APR.08 Questions remain in death of Oak Hill teacher: Police suspect suicide but case is still open
25.APR.08 Original Earth Day flag flies in Oak Hill
18.APR.08 Teachers death stuns Clint Small campus
18.APR.08 Developers give sneak peek of town center concept: West Park PUD plan said to be a work in progress
11.APR.08 AISD bond monthly cost equals cup of coffee
11.APR.08 City to take another stab at FLUM flap
11.APR.08 Pinnacle sprucing up
04.APR.08 City tries to clarify FLUM confusion
04.APR.08 Highway 71 will get safety improvements
04.APR.08 Circle C developer Bradley stars in movie 'The Unforseen'
04.APR.08 Band forced to bow out of Fair: Mario Matteoli takes place of Uncle Lucius in line-up
04.APR.08 License plates can help conquer cancer
04.APR.08 Rotary Golf Tournament to raise money for scholarships
28.MAR.08 OHWF Ad
28.MAR.08 World's Fair Preview: Grammy winners open and close festival
21.MAR.08 Concerns over FLUM
21.MAR.08 TxDOT accused of hiding information on 290 project: Required environmental study could cause major delays
21.MAR.08 Oak hill residents give input on park planning
21.MAR.08 Oak Hill real estate market stays above national trend
14.MAR.08 Contact Team hashes out changes to Oak Hill plan at lively meeting
14.MAR.08 Council candidates in Oak Hill seeking votes
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