Here is a recap of what was featured in the Wednesday, Jan. 19, e-edition of the Taylor Press. The e-edition is mailed to subscribers and available at www.taylorpress.net.
RUN FOR THE ROSES WINNERS NAMED
On Saturday, Jan. 15 runners braved the early morning chill at Murphy Park for the 2022 edition of the Taylor Garden Club Run for the Roses 5K/10K.
In the men’s 5K the overall winner was Domingo Juarez with a time of 22:20. The Masters group winner was Michael McDavid with a time of 25:19.
The women’s 5K overall winner was Ivania Covington with a time of 12:54. The Masters group winner was Alison Talk with a time of 30:09.
In the men’s 10K, the overall winner was Mark Bond with a time of 43:27. The Masters group winner was Edward Sannwaldt with a time of 50:31.
In the women’s 10K, the overall winner was Jessica Michinock with a time of 1:01:22. The Masters group winner was Sharon Boon with a time of 1:27:31.
CHANDLER FIRE INVOLVED RECYCLABLES
Approximately a full day was needed to put out the fire on Chandler Road northwest of Taylor recently.
The fire at the Balcones Resources recycling center Friday, Jan. 14, was primarily extinguished by around 10 p.m., but Taylor Fire Department Chief Daniel Baum said firefighting efforts continued until noon Saturday, Jan. 15.
“Fire was deep seated in large piles of refuse materials,” said Baum. “The cause of the fire has not been determined and remains under investigation.”
Two firefighters were injured and transported to a hospital overnight.
“A Taylor firefighter was released Friday evening,” said Baum, “while a Jarrell firefighter was kept overnight for observation.”
Although the fire’s cause is unknown, the fire involved bales of recycled materials ready for shipping and piles of unprocessed material. The Taylor Fire Department was dispatched to the 9800 block of Chandler Road at 11:59 a.m. Friday.
“Most of the material was cardboard, paper products and plastics,” said Baum. “The presence of an automatic sprinkler system limited the spread of fire inside the building and helped firefighters save the structure.”
More than 60 firefighters battled to extinguish the blaze. Assisting Taylor were fire departments from Hutto, Round Rock, Georgetown, Pflugerville, Leander, Sam Bass, Weir and Jarrell.
BRUSH FIRE IN HUTTO
A brush fire came close to a Hutto subdivision recently but took no homes or lives.
On Jan. 14, a brush fire broke out near the intersection of County Road 198 and Apache Pass. The blaze broke out around 1:35 p.m. and was contained by numerous agencies and departments by 5 p.m. No structures were hurt beyond small ember damage.
Williamson County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) deputies and the Hutto Police Department were first on the scene. Firefighters from Hutto and Thrall arrived to battle the blaze.
Officers who first arrived helped to evacuate nearby homes in The Lookout subdivision being threatened. Units from constable’s offices in precincts 1, 3 and 4 also showed up to help.
“The majority of the evacuation was done by a handful of WCSO and Precinct 4 deputies and Hutto officers, most of who had just left the fire at the recycle plant, going door to door,” said Lt. Mike Pendley, Williamson County Constable’s Office Precinct 4. “With the assistance of Williamson County Emergency Communications, they established an evacuation plan on the fly while fighting the fire with fire extinguishers and garden hoses.
“The neighbors really stepped up and saved their own property,” said Pendley. “Fire assets were spread thin and called in from the agencies.”
Other fire departments who assisted in the effort were from Pflugerville, Round Rock, Travis County, Georgetown and Leander.
