🌱 RR Student Pushes Asian American Studies + Steve Sheets To Retire

Happy Friday, neighbors! I'm back in your inbox this morning with your fresh copy of the Round Rock Daily. Here are all the most important things to know about what's happening in town. Today we'll cover:

• Round Rock eight grader pushes State Board of Education to include Asian American Ethnic studies in Texas schools
• Round Rock City Attorney of 45 years retires after many years of dedication to the city
• Announcement of the Round Rock Classic schedule is in!

But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and hot. High: 99 Low: 70.

Here are the top stories today in Round Rock:

1. Ayaan Moledina is a 13-year old, Pakistani-American student at a Round Rock middle school who wanted more inclusiveness regarding Asian-Americans and what is taught in history classes. Every year, he sat in class and listened and read how his religion is negatively portrayed in regards to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Moledina states that this isolated tragedy is not what is representative in his religious practices taught at his mosque. All of this sprung Moledina into action along with other Asian-American students, to push the State Board of Education to include an Asian American ethnic studies course (the first in all of Texas). These students had hope that this would pass, but unfortunately this proposal has been delayed, mainly by conservative parents in opposition to having these types of classes taught in Texas public schools. Read more on this important article here.
2. Following up on the aggravated assault which stemmed from a domestic dispute on September 9th, where a driver intentionally hit and ran over a pedestrian near the Walmart at IH-35 and SH-45, Round Rock police are now looking for any witnesses at the scene. The suspect Andrea Estwick was arrested for aggravated assault charges with a deadly weapon on September 20th. The victim was in critical condition at the time of the incident but is now stable. If anyone was a witness to this crime, citizens can send information to email: bvillegas@roundrocktexas.gov or call 512-671-2709. (FOX 7 Austin)
3. A bittersweet farewell to Round Rock's City Attorney for the last 45 years, Stephan "Steve" Sheets. He has proudly served the city's citizens and elected officials for quite some time and has accomplished so much for Round Rock since October 3, 1977. Sheets has worked some serious magic on the city's economic development, specifically negotiating incentive agreements with these companies: Dell Computer Corporation, Emerson Process Management, Simon Property Group, IKEA, Texas State University, Texas A&M, Austin Community College, Scott & White Hospital, Seton Hospital, Bass Pro Shop and Kalahari Resorts and Conventions. Sheets has accomplished much more than we can list here for Round Rock, and his colleagues have spoken highly of him as having a servants' heart. From the start of his time with Round Rock, there was a population of only 5,000...Today, he has served approximately 125,323 citizens. (City of Round Rock)
4. Peak Events LLC, Karbach Brewing, The City of Round Rock, and the Round Rock Express are all partnering to host the Round Rock Classic. This event will take place February 24-26, 2023. The very exciting lineup will include these teams: LSU Tigers, Iowa Hawkeyes, Kansas State Wildcats, and the Sam Houston Bearkats. The teams will face each other in a round-robin format, with two games to be played each day. If you'd like to see the full schedule, you can check it out here.

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Today in Round Rock:

• Round Rock Job Fair at Round Rock ISD Human Resources (11 a.m.)
• Spirit Night at Playland Skate Center (5 p.m.)
• T.I. Concert at Round Rock Amp (6 p.m.)
• Singles Meet and Greet at Pinthouse Pizza (6 p.m.)
• Fun Nights 'Acoustic Night' at Yonders Point (6:30 p.m.)
• Lochnroll at The Brass Tap (9 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• A Round Rock parent is fully supportive of E3 Alliance, a data driving education group that works towards creating the strongest educational pipeline to give students the best possible future. In particular, Round Rock parent John Jackson believes his children are set up for success with these advanced math classes by E3 Alliance. The results are kids graduating high school, getting into college, and landing living wage jobs upon college graduation. (FOX 7 Austin)
• Who else is ready for some Fall fun?! The Hairy Man Halloween Trail of Fun is here for kids of all ages. In the daytime, there are many activities for the littles to enjoy before dark. Some fun activities to look forward to: Meeting Beetlejuice and Dracula, a pumpkin patch, live DJ, interactive displays for photo ops, a giant spiderweb, and more! (Kids Out and About)
• Sweet Berry Farm has always been a fun tradition for me and my family. It's free (there are paid activities), it's outdoors, there's a crazy amount of pumpkins for all the cutest photo ops, and they also have things to do non-pumpkin related. Check out their schedule of events here and choose a good day for you to go out and enjoy!

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Home for the Holidays Gift Market of Waco (September 23)
• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (September 26)
• Online Webinar with specialists for Assisted living in Georgetown, TX (September 30)
• Add your event

Alrighty, you're all caught up for today. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with another update!

— Elaine Thompson

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Round Rock Daily? Contact me at RoundRock@Patch.com