News

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Marble Falls City Council acted Tuesday night, Dec. 6, to tie up one more detail necessary before final announcement of the hotel operater to be involved in the $25.3 million downtown hotel/conference center project.

The council and the EDC will meet again Dec. 20 to consider bonds for the project and, as EDC Executive Director Christian Fletcher has expressed the hope an announcement of the hotel operator would be a “Christmas present,” the identity of that flagship company could be close at hand.

The detail completed Tuesday by the council was approval of a five-year Hotel Occupancy Tax Reimbursement Agreement with Novak Cobalt Partners, LLC, for 50 percent of taxes collected from the hotel.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

It became official last week: Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge has expanded by 520 acres.

The exchange of $3 million to deliver the new property into the administration of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was made by the Trust for Public Land. Just out of the limelight was Friends of Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, a citizen non-profit of about 160 members, representing hundreds, if not thousands, of small contributors and workers to raise half the cost.

David and Cynthia Castleberry already were committed to preserving the land involved as Peaceful Springs Nature Preserve, a quiet corner of Burnet County dedicated to ecotourism. Residents of Bertram, Oatmeal and Smithwick are familiar with the property that runs along Farm to Market Road 1174, just south of Farm to Market Road 1869.

Cover those plants and watch out for the pets. The National Weather Service has issued an alert for high winds and freezing temperatures.

An arctic cold front will move through South Central Texas late tonight, Wednesday, Dec. 7. Much colder conditions will occur Thursday through Friday, along with windy conditions Thursday. A freeze is expected across portions of the area Thursday night into Friday morning.

A hard freeze is possible across the Hill Country and portions of Central Texas with a light freeze along the I-35 corridor and east. The winds will make temperatures feel much colder Thursday and Thursday night.

By Martha Norwood

HLN Coorespondent

Board members of SOS (Save Our Spicewood) want all citizens in Spicewood to know that this organization is for everyone in the Spicewood area.

“We want a better quality of life for all of us,” said SOS Vice President Orion Weldon. Weldon pointed out that SOS has a substantial website presence that he hopes everyone will use. According to Weldon, his group has spent many hours making the site accessible to all citizens of Spicewood. To review or comment on the information on the site, visit www.saveourspicewood.com. SOS is now listed as a charitable corporation and donations are tax deductible.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

With 11 new works in place, the 11th Annual Sculpture on Main in Marble Falls began officially Friday, Dec. 2, with a Meet the Artists reception and the presentation of four major awards.

Best of Show was awarded to “Bull's Eye,” and 8-foot tall, 2,500-pound creation by acclaimed New Mexico granite sculptor Candyce Garrett.

“We were pleased to receive an entry by a sculptor of Candyce Garrett's stature,” said Carolyn Bates of the board of directors of Highland Lakes Creative Arts (HLCA), sponsor of Sculpture on Main. “The entry is valued at $120,000.”

The Commendation Award went to “Cache del Mar” by Marshall Cunningham and the People's Choice Award, to “Trois Jets D'eau” (Three Water Jets) by Helene Vachon and Mark Jaschke.

“We were able to add a new award this year—a Kid's Choice Award,” said Bates. “That went to the “Freshwater Cowgirl” by Anthony St. James.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

A mobile forgery operation and drug contraband were confiscated by the Granite Shoals Police Department (GSPD) Friday, Dec. 2, when officers arrested a Longview woman and her female transient companion.

“We see lots of forgeries and credit card fraud, but this is the first time we have seen a whole mobile operation going on,” said GSPD Chief Gary Boshears.

“The Dollar General store staff called us Thursday night,” said the chief. “The two women had tried to make a purchase with a check the store declined and reported as a possible fraudulent check The two suspects left, but the staff provided a description of them and their vehicle.”

Officers quickly located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop on Ranch to Market Road 1431 near the intersection with Farm to Market Road 1980.

By Alexandria Randolph

The Highlander

Garrett James Ballard will go to the 33rd District Court Monday to face trial in the fatal shooting of his two friends just over two years ago.

The plea deadline for Ballard, a 23-year-old Burnet County man who was indicted on a capital murder of multiple persons charge in Nov. 6, 2014, was at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 29.

District Attorney Sonny McAfee said Ballard pled not guilty in an arraigment hearing early on in the court proceedings. Ballard's trial is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 5.

“I expect it will take all week,” McAfee said regarding the trial, but could not comment further about potential tactics taken by the defense, namely local attorney Eddie Shell.

It is possible the defense will argue on grounds of diminished capacity, meaning that Ballard could receive a lesser sentence due to his admitted hallucinogen induced delusion during the time of the killings.

The National Weather Service has issued a warning for along and East of I-35, where area-wide showers may concentrate into 2-5 inches with isolated downpours of more than 6 inches possible.

An upper level low pressure system will move slowly across northern Mexico and Texas today through Monday, with persistent rains expected through the period.

Most of the rain is expected to be light to moderate today through Sunday with some brief heavy downpours of 1 to 2 inches possible Saturday morning through Sunday afternoon. 

The storm system could produce more widespread heavy downpours Sunday night into early Monday as the upper low begins to cross Texas.  Soil moisture conditions are not expected to be conducive to flooding initially, but there is a potential for flooding by Sunday night. Areas generally east of I-35 are expected to see the heaviest rainfall and possible flooding.

The Pedernales Electric Cooperative Board of Directors voted 6-0 Wednesday, Nov. 30, to give written notice to director James Oakley that the board will consider his possible removal on Jan. 17 if a complaint filed against Oakley is found to merit such discipline.

In a resolution approved at a special called meeting, the board voted to establish a committee to investigate the complaint against Oakley and determine what punishment, if any, he may face for a social media post made earlier in the month in which Oakley commented it was “time for a tree and a rope” for the suspected killer of a San Antonio police officer.

Board President Emily Pataki indicated the committee, which will be comprised of directors Kathy Scanlon, Paul Graf and herself, can consider all avenues open to them through the cooperative's bylaws, including removing Oakley from the position he has held since 2013.

Predictions of possible rain have the City of Granite Shoals cancelling the lighting ceremony for Christmas by the Highway tonight, Friday, Dec. 2.

A “light brigade” of volunteers assembled and appied finishing touches to its annual light display and set tonight for the ceremony at 6 p.m. That will not take place, according to City Manager Ken Nickel.

Work that began Monday, Nov. 28, went on each day to erect displays on Ranch to Market Road 1431.

“We worked from 9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. every day until the displays are complete,” said Donna Maier, chairwoman of the Granite Shoals Beautification Advisory Group.

Work went on for some time behind the scene, but the first visible sign went up Monday, Nov. 21, when three Pedernales Electric Cooperative bucket trucks arrived to install the tall light trees that punctuate the ensemble of thousands of lights.