News

Special to The Highlander

Texas Tech University is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Celia Merrill as the regional site director for Texas Tech at Highland Lakes in Marble Falls and Texas Tech at Fredericksburg.

Merrill brings to the position a combination of higher education teaching experience and consulting work that focuses on community collaboration among public and private sector stakeholders to address education, workforce, and economic development needs. She has taught technical communications for Texas Tech University and English for Central Texas College.

UPDATE: Organizers released a schedule of events as follows: Statement of Purpose ( 9 a.m.); Community Speakers (9:10 a.m.); Unity March Begins in Johnson Park (10 a.m.); "I Can't Breathe" Nine Minutes of Silence (11:15 a.m.); Community Speaker (11:30 a.m.); Prayer of Unit (12:05 p.m.); Breaking of Bread/Lunch (12:15 p.m.); and Event officially ends (1 p.m.).

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

Marble Falls police have readied resources and contacted several area agencies to stage at key points around the city in preparation of a Black Lives Matters (BLM) protest planned for Saturday, June 13 in Johnson Park, officials said.

By Nathan Hendrix
Staff Writer

In light of national events, Granite Shoals Police Chief Gary Boshears provided a public overview of the department's use of force policy to inform citizens how officers are expected to handle public interactions.

“We have ongoing conversations about current events,” Boshears told the council at the June 9 regular meeting held via video teleconference. … Email nathan@highlandernews.com.

From staff reports

After meeting with city leaders on Friday, June 5, organizers of a Black Lives Matter protest scheduled for next weekend have agreed to move the event to Johnson Park rather than stage it at the intersection of RM 1431 and US 281.

The BLM protest will be held Saturday, June 13, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will feature guest speakers from the faith community as well as a prayer circle that will begin and end the event fro all who wish to participate.

Organizers of the event, which include recently graduated Marble Falls High School students, have re-iterated to officials this will be a peaceful protest led by local individuals.

CIty officials said Friday they have been in contact with other communities in the area who have held similar events and all were held without incident.

By Nathan Hendrix
Staff Writer

Marble Falls Independent School District officials offered clarification into the reasoning for not applying the fourth nine-week grading period towards the majority of high school students' GPA and class rank after receiving community feedback.

MFISD Superintendent Chris Allen said he has fielded several calls on the topic from parents, and he stressed that the recommendation from administration was made with careful consideration. …

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

A second resident from the Bertram Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center reportedly has died while at a facility where patients who test positive COVID-19 are transferred to undergo treatment, officials said.

As of deadline Thursday, June 4, final confirmation of the cause of death was pending from Burnet County Health Authority Juliette Madrigal and the Department of State Health Services (DSHS). The age and gender of the patient and the official date of death had not yet been released. …

Special to The Highlander

Baylor Scott & White Health announced Thursday, June 4, they will cease providing labor and delivery services at the medical center in Marble Falls by the end of July.

Contributed/Alamy Stock Photo

The Marble Falls/Lake LBJ Chamber of Commerce is hosting a free Drive-In showing of Back to the Future with the gates opening at 8:30 p.m. tonight Friday, June 5 in the Marble Falls High School parking lot. Attendees can also help support the chamber by purchasing available concessions. Pre-order free tickets. Donations at the event are welcome. Space is limited to 144 cars. Go to marblefalls.org for more information.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

A series of heated social media exchanges prompted Marble Falls police June 2 to coordinate with organizers of a planned Black Lives Matter (BLM)  protest event in the community, officials said, in an effort to preempt any potential public safety issues.

National BLM organizers have promoted protests aimed at calling attention to the in-custody death of a black man on May 25 in Minnesota.

By Phil Reynolds
Contributing Writer
The Llano County Hospital Authority Board has started looking at options for keeping health care in the
county as well as continuing ambulance service after the end of this year. The Baylor Scott & White (BSW) health care system now runs the Llano hospital under a contract with the county, and runs the ambulance service under a separate contract; both are due to expire at the end of this year.  …