News

Representatives for the Highland Lakes, and Burnet County in particular, expressed their support for the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump on Friday.

Trump, who won the November general election, was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, while Mike Pence was sworn in as his vice president in a ceremony on the west front of the White House.

“This afternoon, our nation witnessed the most miraculous part of our system of government – the peaceful transfer of power,” said U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, R-Austin, a member of the House Financial Services Committee, serves as Vice Chair on the Subcommittee on Monetary Policy and Trade.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Texas Rangers and other Texas Department of Public Safety and law enforcement officials swelled the crowd from Horseshoe Bay Saturday, Jan. 21, to memorialize Ranger Stanley Keith “Stan” Guffey.

The event marked the 30th Anniversary of the event Jan. 22, 1987, in which Ranger Guffey died in the line of duty, rescuing a two-year-old kidnap victim in Horseshoe Bay. The Texas Department of Public Safety and its Texas Ranger division, the Texas Ranger Association, retired Texas Ranger Association and the City of Horseshoe Bay and local businesses sponsored the event for the unveiling of a Texas Ranger monument from the People of the State of Texas.

“Texas Rangers are woven from a special fabric,” said Josefina Garza Guffey Jennings, Guffey's widow, when she addressed the crowd. “It is not that that Rangers are extraordinary men, it is that extraordinary men , and now women, join the Texas Rangers.”

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Cottonwood Shores City Council gained a new member Thursday, Jan. 18. Brigitte Thomas was sworn in to fill the unexpired term of Marley Porter in Place 2 on the council.

Porter's resignation was accepted during the same meeting.

Porter, an architect and developer, has been involved in many projects in Cottonwood Shores and surrounding cities, including Marble Falls and Granite Shoals, but primarily by donating his time for design and grant work.

"Mayor Donald Orr and I sat down just after the first of the year and talked about all the decisions coming up before the Council on our CastleRock Development,” said Porter. “As architect and partner in the development, I would be constantly abstaining from voting to avoid any potential perceived conflict of interest.

An early morning accident on Friday, Jan. 20, claimed the life of a Marble Falls resident.

Brian Michael Young, 50, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, which took place on Farm-to-Market Road 1431 near the intersection with FM 1174 in Williamson County at about 7:43 a.m. Friday.

Young was driving a 2015 Nissan Versa and was headed eastbound, about seven miles west of Lago Vista, when it appears his vehicle went into the opposite lane, striking a trailer being pulled by a 2013 Ford F-250 traveling westbound.

A piece of rebar from the trailer dislodged and went into Young's vehicle, fatally injuring him. No information was available immediately on the name of the driver of the Ford F-250 or that driver's condition.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

A man accused of killing a former Miss Aqua Boom in New Mexico has had his trial date pushed back from this week to April 10.

Albert Gene Hunsaker II is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and tampering with evidence in connection with the Jan. 30, 2016, death of 36-year-old Naomi Ruth Chaney, whose body still has not been found.

Chaney, a Marble Falls High School graduate who was born Jan. 30, 1980, had been reported missing after last being seen near Twin Peaks, N.M., on Jan. 30, 2016, which was her 36thbirthday.

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

The Highlander

A Burnet man arrested last year for using surveillance equipment to spy on his neighbor getting undressed has now been indicted on child pornography and indecency charges, while his fiancee was indicted on three counts of indecency with a child, including once by sexual contact.

James Williamson, 45, and Fatima Sparks, 35, were booked into the Burnet County Jail on Friday, Jan. 20. Williamson is being held in lieu of $100,000 bond on charges of indecency with a child by exposure, possession with intent to promote child pornography and possession of child pornography.

Sparks is being held in lieu of $75,000 bond, or $25,000 on each of three counts against her, one for indecency with a child by sexual contact and two for indecency with a child by exposure.

Marble Falls Independent School District (MFISD) announced the process and timeline for the selection of the new principal for Marble Falls High School (MFHS) during the regular board of trustees meeting Monday, Jan. 16.

That process includes opportunities for community input.

The district will post the MFHS principal position officially on Jan. 23, and Superintendent Dr. Chris Allen expects to make a recommendation of the high school’s new instructional leader for board approval April 17.

To give the Principal Selection Committee time to access top candidates to recommend to Allen this spring, MFHS is being led currently by interim principal Emmett Aubry. Aubry is an experienced educator who served as a superintendent, high school principal, and as an interim secondary principal since his retirement from full time education. Aubry replaced former MFHS Principal Manny Lunoff resigned effective Friday, Oct. 21.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Marble Falls City Council meeting Tuesday, Jan. 17, began with an introduction of the city's new fire marshal by Fire Chief Russell Sander.

Fresh from his first day on the job at Marble Falls Fire Rescue, Thomas “Tommy” Crane told the council the welcome he receive here made him and his wife look forward to finding a home here.

“The night I was staying here at the Hampton for my first interview, I went out to dinner,” said Crane. “Complete strangers included me in their conversation. This is a friendly town and I look forward to working with the fire department and the business owners to keep it safe.”

Willis Engineering was chosen from among seven firms that applied to design a city sewer project to be funded by a 2016 Community Development Block Grant.

A potent weather system to our north is pushing the strong and gusty northwest winds that began late last night and promise to persist through Sunday afternoon. The strongest winds, with gusts to around 45 mph, will occur during the day on Sunday. Along with the wind, relative humidity will drop below 20% out west near the Rio Grande Sunday afternoon and and below 35% elsewhere.  This wind threat alone will be enough to carry fire quickly, especially in wildland grasses that are cured for the winter. A Fire Weather Watch has been issued for all of South Central Texas, and some locations could be upgraded to a Red Flag Warning.

The high wind could also result in hazardous driving conditions for high profile vehicles, displace loose objects, result in minor property damage, and cause isolated power outages.

The NWS forecast for Marble Falls and surrounding area:

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The annual Girl Scout Cookie Sale kicks off in Marble Falls this weekend and, weather permitting, two central outdoor sales points will be offered by Wildflower Trails Service Unit 605.

Local cookie monsters can feed their need with curb service from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, at 418 US 281, home of 1st United Bank.

On Sunday, Jan. 22, Girl Scouts will be posted at entrances to the Marble Falls Walmart Supercenter, 2700 US 281.

Even if weather curtails the weekend events, scouts will be selling individually around the area in coming weeks, spreading cooking joy while improving their own communication and marketing skills and earning the money for camp experiences and service projects. A delivery text order can even be placed to 512-586-1534.