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Thursday, August 14, 2014
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Announcing duo ready to broadcast
Volume 51, Number 17
Page 9A Page 1B
$1 Springtown, Texas 76082
William Spiekerman and his mother Katie run through the welcoming crowd of family, friends and SHS cheerleaders and football players Aug. 8. William was returning home after a month-long intensive feeding program at Baylor Health Care System’s Our Children’s House. Photo by Natalie Gentry
Where there’s a Will Theft rerun lands (Spiekerman) there’s a way parolee in PC jail
By Natalie Gentry Four-year-old Springtown resident William Spiekerman has been busy his entire life. Born six weeks early, Will was sent to Cook Children’s Medical Center with multiple organ failure. There he endured various surgeries and lots of therapy, followed by dialysis at home. Will also had end-stage renal disease from injuries received at birth. He was placed on the organ transplant list and at the age of 2 his doctors performed a kidney transplant. During the surgery Will received a kidney from 22-year-old Ashlie Wright after the Paradise woman died following a brain aneurysm.
a “G button.” The “G” stands for “gastric.” “In addition, his donated kidney has a hydration requirement of a liter of water per day,” Spiekerman said. “Most kids his age can’t do that.” Will was admitted to the intensive in-patient pediatric feeding program at Baylor Health Care System’s Our Children’s House located in Dallas. Designed for children who are ready to wean from supplemental tube feedings, this program provides intensive treatment and caregiver training; daiSomething worth chewing on After overcoming all the medical ly oral, motor, sensory and behavioral odds, this summer was time for Will therapy; and five structured feeding sessions per day. to learn to eat by mouth. Until now he has always been fed through a tube in his stomach called PLEASE SEE TODDLER, PAGE 2A. “You would never know by looking at him how hard he has fought,” said Will’s mother Katie Spiekerman. “We still say, ‘Where there’s a Will, there’s a way.’” It’s only the scars on Will’s stomach that tell the story of a God who has plans and a boy who doesn’t give up. Through the challenges, the Spiekermans have realized that life is about placing things in order of priority and putting forth their best effort.
Julie Witt was paroled after wrecking 45-plus weddings through theft, deceit in 2007-2008 by carla noah stutsman Allen and Melody Shelton got married in 1968 and, when they moved to their property north of Azle in 1969, they planted a red oak tree to com-
tures and facilities over the years. But a devastating fire in 2007 burned the former main building to the ground. Not long after, in March 2008, the Sheltons discovered that the woman they had hired, taught, and trusted to help run their successful business had robbed them blind. More devastating than the monetary loss, though, was the damage to their reputation. The woman, Julie Sue Witt, was convicted of theft $20,000-100,000 and sentenced to 12 years in the state penitentiary for her crime. The Sheltons thought she should have been sentenced to 20 years. Witt was paroled just 18 months later in June 2011. Now, the Sheltons say they’re saddened to learn “she’s done it again” – this time to a Weatherford attorney.
Julie Sue Witt
Witt steals again Witt, 45, – who has also used the surnames Steen, Hawkins and Weisbrod, among others – was arrested Tuesday, July 22 by Parker County Sheriff’s deputies. She was charged with the same crime she committed
Making the grade: TEA reports SISD met state standards... and then some By Natalie Gentry Springtown Independent School District (SISD) “Met Standards” as a district, according to accountability summaries released by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Aug. 8. In addition, two SISD campuses received “Distinction Designations.” New system This is the second year of TEA’s new accountability system, which awards schools and districts one of two possible ranks: “Improvement Required” or “Met Standards.” Four categories – called indexes – are utilized to calculate ratings: student achievement on standardized tests, student progress from the past year, closing performance gaps among sub-populations, and post-secondary readiness for college and the workforce. According to TEA, approximately 85 percent of all individual campuses throughout the state were awarded “Met Standard” ratings. Springtown Elementary Five SISD campuses earned the “Met Standards” rating. However, despite exceeding the requirements on three of four categories – including “student achievement” – the performance report for Springtown Elementary School (SES) revealed that the “student progress” target had not been met.
As a result, that campus received an “Improvement Required” rating that has already spurred changes throughout SISD. “After seeing our fourth grade math scores last spring, we all recognized that receiving an ‘Improvement Required’ label at SES was almost a certainty,” Superintendent Mike Kelley said. “Our Administrative Team recognized a need to improve in a number of areas, but particularly in elementary math.” “We changed some staffing patterns and actively sought specialists in the subject,” he continued. “This fall, each elementary campus will begin school with a new math specialist added to the list of faculty positions.” The District has been through this before. Springtown Intermediate School (SIS) was placed on an improvement list two years ago, and Goshen Creek Elementary School (GCES) received a “Improvement Required” rating last year. Kelley indicated disappointment that all six campuses had not met standards, but was sure of a quick response by the campus staff. “I’m very confident that SES’ scores will rebound, just like scores at Springtown Intermediate and Goshen Creek rebounded over the last two years,” Kelley said. “I’m excited about the coming year, and the steps we are taking to meet the challenges
in front of us.”
Goshen Creek memorate their new life together. After falling onto the “Improvement The owners and proprietors of A&M Required” list last fall, GCES’ scores Gardens, a popular wedding and event climbed significantly in two catego- venue for years, invested countless hours and untold dollars into the lush PLEASE SEE SISD, PAGE 3A. garden, water features, garden struc-
PLEASE SEE WEDDING, PAGE 5A.
Highland Circle Grass Fire
A grass fire in the hilly terrain between Highland Circle and Highland Drive Aug. 7 required equipment from the La Junta, Springtown and Reno Volunteer Fire Departments to subdue the flames. Photo by Natalie Gentry
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