Here is a recap of what was featured in the Wednesday, Aug. 7, e-edition of the Taylor Press. The e-edition is emailed to subscribers and available at www.taylorpress.net.
KERLEY WINS BRONZE IN 100-METER
PARIS — Taylor High School alumnus Fred Kerley made Taylor proud once again as the former Duck track standout reached the podium in the men’s 100-meter finals for the second straight Summer Olympic Games.
In a race for the ages, Kerley crossed the line in third place at 9.81 seconds for a bronze medal, finishing just behind USA Track and Field teammate Noah Lyles in first place and runner-up Kishane Thompson of Jamaica. Lyles won gold in a photo finish with a time of 9.79 seconds, just 0.005 in front of Thompson.
Kerley, who previously won the silver medal in the 100-meter at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, had plenty of support Sunday at a watch party held for the semifinals and finals at Second Street Station Kitchen & Bar in Taylor.
Kerley continued his stay at the Olympics for Team USA in the men’s 4x100-meter relay Thursday, Aug. 8 at 4:35 a.m. CST to advanc to the finals Aug. 9.
CITY UNVEILS NEW DISTRICT PLAN
The city is sectioning off 1,500 acres of land near the airport for a special district, aimed at future growth with Samsung Austin Semiconductor’s needs in mind. The new designation required an amendment to the city’s Envision Taylor comprehensive plan. Assistant City Manager Tom Yantis presented the proposal during a public hearing at the July 25 City Council meeting.
In fact, residential development has already begun in the area now referred to as Small Area Plan–Special Employment District North. The new Turner Springs, Megatel and Silicon Vistas subdivisions are building in the northern section of the district.
Yantis and his staff have been working with Michael Watkins Architects since August 2023 to develop the future land-use guide. Before Samsung announced its investment in Taylor, the land was designated for regional employment-center use, and city officials hoped to attract larger industrial businesses to the U.S. 79 corridor.
The area covers a large swath of highway frontage west of the airport and north of 79. The assistant city manager said they are anticipating needing two additional traffic signals on 79 to accommodate expected industrial growth in this section.
The plan also calls for the highway-fronting portions of land to be set aside for auto-oriented commercial such as grocery stores, restaurants or banks. That was a concern to the owners of Floyd’s Glass, a business with a 48,000-square-foot facility in the area deemed for commercial.
Attorney Jeff Howard, representing Floyd’s Glass, asked if the area where his client’s factory is located could be redesignated as commercial or industrial, rather than just commercial, in case the business needs to expand.
Yantis said city staff would work with anyone who had concerns about how the plan would affect their existing property and usage.
TEACHERS GET READY FOR 100TH YEAR OF DUCKS
Cheers erupted around Heritage Square as teachers from Taylor Independent School District competed for a spirit award during the district’s convocation Monday morning, Aug. 5.
The convocation is a gathering of the entire district’s faculty and staff at the beginning of each academic year to welcome in the new session and new staff, similar to an orientation. With a lot more to celebrate this year, the event resembled more of a party in honor of 100 years of being the Taylor Ducks, officials said.
Students also participated in the celebration, including performances from the cheerleaders, Hi-Steppers, band and color guard and alumni who spoke about what it means to be a Duck.
MISSING CHILDREN SCAMS MORE PREVALENT
HUTTO — The endearing face of a missing toddler and a parent’s plea for help hits a nerve most people cannot ignore — and internet scammers know it.
While several of these posts are fake, and the number seems to be rising, that doesn’t mean the public should stop caring or offering assistance, police said.
In the last month, there have been at least two legitimate local episodes where law enforcement or parents of missing children reached out to the public.
Hutto police used Facebook to ask the community to help find a 17-year-old girl still being sought as of press time.
In a second case originating just outside Hutto’s city limits, the parent of a missing 15-year-old girl also used social media to ask the community for help. Williamson County deputies were on the lookout for the teen, who was reunited with her family last week.
During the same time, there were also posts about a toddler having been found wandering alone in Hutto, with police said to be looking for the parents, and another alert about an autistic boy reported missing in Hutto.
Both were scams. Not all hoaxers ask for money, however.
The agency said there are several ways to determine when to click “share” on a missing child post.
At the very least, a legitimate notification should have the child’s name, the date he or she went missing, the location where the subject disappeared, the law enforcement agency handling the case and a phone number to reach the investigating officer.
The post should come from a police agency or a credible news source. And it should have a call to action other than just “sharing,” officials said.
According to officials, signs to proceed with caution include:
• Having the comments turned off, not allowing comments on the post
• Not coming from an identifiable and credible source
• Misspellings, improperly used words and syntax errors
• No call to action other than asking “please share”
• Vague details or incomplete information about the child
• No phone number or a false phone number
• No name of a law enforcement agency to contact Long said fear of a hoax should not stop a person from contacting police to verify an alert or to report a missing child.
