🌱 Students Speak On Fentanyl Awareness + ISD Legislature Priorities

Hey there, friends! Elaine here with today's edition of the Cedar Park-Leander Patch newsletter. Let's dive into what's happening these days in town, including:

• Two Leander High students speak up about fentanyl poisoning.
• What Leander ISD wants the Texas Legislature to focus on.
• Cedar Park turned 50 years old!

But first, today's weather:

Milder; misty in the morning. High: 68 Low: 61.

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Here are the top stories today in Cedar Park-Leander:

1. Haven Gier and Alexandra Schiller, students at Leander High School, are spreading awareness about the dangers of fentanyl use. Along with other classmates, Gier and Schiller launched Fentanyl Awareness Week. "Each day during lunch, the group acted out skits and put together all sorts of activities, all of which were aimed at showing their classmates the impact fentanyl has." Their project included receiving stories of Leander peers who lost their lives to the drug, and inviting two mothers to an assembly held on Friday, to share their story on losing their children to fentanyl poisoning. Visit KVUE for more on this story.
2. Leander ISD has some priorities that it would like the Texas Legislature to focus on. Here are some of the issues the ISD Board of Trustees filed: Funding for special education programs and pre-k classes; relief for fast-growth districts; increased funding for hiring staff; resources for professional development; better monitoring of student data privacy; and HB 4545, that determines remediation for students who don't do well on state exams. Community Impact Newspaper has more details.
3. Happy belated 50th birthday to the City of Cedar Park! The city was officially incorporated on Feb. 24, 1973, after a few hundred residents petitioned. At the time, Cedar Park had about 700 residents, and is now a vibrant and bustling community with almost 84,000 people. Former aldermens and city council members joined together to celebrate this special milestone, remembering the past and looking forward to the city's future.
   ( City of Cedar Park)

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Today in Cedar Park-Leander:

• Prayer & Meditation Garden Construction at Good News United Methodist Church (9 AM)
• Lapsit Storytime at Cedar Park Public Library (9:45 AM)
• Family Storytime at Cedar Park Public Library (10:30 AM)
• "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" at Shine On Performance Center (3 PM and 7 PM)
• Music at the Library: Jon Klekman Quartet at Cedar Park Public Library (3 PM)
• Peacemaker Pre-Party ($40) at Haute Spot (5:15 PM)
• Star Struck Gala benefiting Hill Country Community Ministries at The Crossover (6 PM)

From my notebook:

• Patrons of Emergency Animal Hospital of Crystal Falls: "Emergency Animal Hospital of Crystal Falls in Leander will relocate from its temporary building to a new, larger location Feb. 28." (Community Impact Newspaper)
• National Society of Collegiate Scholars has a "good-deed" message: "NSCS Service Tip of the Day! Contact with local charities and non-profit organizations to see if they need help with their programs. By doing so, you are aiding your campus and community engagement!" (NSCS via Instagram)
• A good, ol' fashioned game night! "Come and share your love of board games on Sunday, February 26 at 4:00 p.m. We will have some classics set out to play, as well as new ones to try. Adults and youth of all ages are invited to participate." (Cedar Park Public Library Facebook)

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You're all caught up for today! See you tomorrow for another update.

— Elaine Thompson

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Cedar Park-Leander Patch newsletter? Contact me at CedarParkLeander@Patch.com