News

When the Cottonwood Shores City Council meets at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, they will have all thier financial ducks in a row to consider issuing $1.5 million in certificates of obligation for a new water plant.

Anticipating action on Dec. 1, the council will meet with Bill Blitch of Blitch Associates, Inc., a financial advisory firm, working primarily in the utility industry, assisting in funding bond sales .

No citizens came to address the council on Thursday, Sept. 29. Members are hoping that is because they understand the council's financial strategy to pay for water plant replacement.

The only items on the agenda were approval of the budget the Fiscal Year 2016-2017 and the tax rate to support it, a rate voters could legally oppose, if they did not understand the council's analysis.

by Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Four citizens are being considered for appointment Oct. 11 to Granite Shoals City Council Place 3.

Eric Tanner took an early end to his term limit in order to work toward voter acceptance of the street bond election Nov. 8. The Oct. 11 meeting of the council will be the charter-mandated deadline for a requisite five-vote appointment for the replacement to serve his unexpired term.

Citizens had until Sept. 30 to apply with City Secretary Elaine Simpson, so each applicant could be validated in time for interviews in open session of the council and a vote on the appointment. In order of their application submissions, the candidates are James D. “Jim” Davant, Will Skinner, Arturo Rubio and Terry G. Scott.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

A newsletter and a link to a community survey about a potential north-south Colorado River crossing below Wirtz Dam have been launched by the Capitol Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) and two public meetings have been scheduled on the topic.

When CAMPO met with Highland Lakes governmental representatives in Marble Falls on Sept. 9, staff members were finalizing the survey to gather public opinion on the project. In the weeks since and with plans to continue through November, they have moved through public events such as FiestaJAM and the Burnet Bluegrass Festival discussing the project with the people they met.

Now, two public meetings will take that interface a step further. The open house discussions to share information and gather input each will take place from 4-7 p.m.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The man who drowned on Lake Buchanan Saturday has been identified as Dennis Fernandes, 37, of Round Rock.

The body was recovered about 4:30 p.m. Monday by Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) Game Wardens and the Buchanan Dam Fire Rescue volunteers and the name of the victim was released today.

“Friends and family of Fernandes called 9-1-1 on Saturday about 4 p.m.,” said Steve Lightfoot, a TPWD public information officer.

The event occurred north of Buchanan Dam near Big Chief RV and Cabin Resort off Farm to Market Road 690, as a boat drifted out from an unsecured anchor. Fernandes apparently had gone in to the water to help swimming children back onboard when he slipped beneath the water and did not resurface.

by Alexandria Randolph

Highland Lakes Newspaper

A Granite Shoals man is in custody following the break-in and burglary of a food pantry.

Granite Shoals Police said William Edward Flemmer, 49, was arrested at his Granite Shoals home on Friday, Sept. 23 at 7:05 p.m. on Castlewood Drive on two charges of burglary of a building.

A new release issued by Granite Shoals Police stated that Flemmer was identified as the suspect of two early morning burglaries that occurred on Sept. 13 at the Black Pearl Market and Joseph's Food Pantry. Granite Shoals Chief Gary Boshears said the burglary at the market took place at 2:30 a.m., and the burglary at the pantry, about seven blocks away, took place between 6-7 a.m.

BY ALEXANDRIA RANDOLPH

Pumpkin spice lovers, rejoice! Area meteorologists are predicting a cold front to move in over the weekend, with fall weather on its skirt-tails.

The National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio shows a chance for thunderstorms over the weekend, with a 20 percent chance Friday, Sept. 23, a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms Saturday, and a 60 percent chance on Sunday. Highs will remain in the upper 80s over the weekend.

In his web blog, Lower Colorado River Authority Meteorologist Bob Rose said “big changes in the weather are expected” with the advent of the cold front.

“Small changes in the pattern are forecast to take place as early as Friday when tropical moisture is drawn inland by a broad trough of low pressure moving east from the West Coast,” Rose wrote. “Some scattered, spotty rain showers will be possible around the region, but rain amounts should average less than a quarter inch.”

BY ALEXANDRIA RANDOLPH

HIGHLAND LAKES NEWSPAPERS

A Kingsland man was arrested on Sunday on warrants issued by Marble Falls police in connection with the Atkins Pharmacy burglary earlier this month.

The Austin Police Department arrested William Franklin Buse, 48, on charges of burglary of a building, a state jail felony, after Marble Falls police said the owner of the business had identified him due to a previous encounter at the store at 701 Third Street.

According to an arrest affidavit, police recovered surveillance footage from the scene of the crime which captured images of the suspect during the burglary.

“Upon review of the surveillance video, (the owner) recognized the suspect as an individual he'd spoken with in the parking lot of the pharmacy the previous day,” wrote Sgt. Trisha Ratliff in the affidavit.

Surveillance footage from the previous day was reviewed and police confirmed the suspect was the same individual.

BY GLYNIS CRAWFORD SMITH

THE HIGHLANDER

Residents of Marble Falls will not see quite as large a water rate increase as anticipated when the sale of $7.93 million in bonds for infrastructure projects was first proposed.

The Marble Falls City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 20, came to a consensus on a plan from among at least six detailed water rate changes.

“We talked about an across-the-board water rate increase of 12 percent (when the sale was proposed),” said Finance Director Margie Cardenas. “We got a really good interest rate and were able to do a little better.”

Overall, increases will average 10.7 percent in the plan the council asked staff to finalize for approval.

A GoFundMe account has been set up for a family struggling after two members were critically injured in a rollover accident in Burnet County.

Shawn Lingo and his 11-year-old son, James Spiller, were ejected from their vehicle on Sunday, Sept. 18, as both sustained life-threatening injuries. Lingo was transported to Seton Medical Center of Williamson in Round Rock, while Spiller was STARflighted to Dell Children’s Hospital in Austin.

The GoFundMe page was set up by Patsy Stephens, whose sister Rachel Lingo is the wife of Shawn Lingo and mother of Spiller. The goal is to raise $5,000 to help the family cover some of their day to day bills for the next few months while their loved ones recuperate. So far, $1,275 has been raised for the family.

According to an update on the page, Shawn Lingo underwent back surgery and has been moved to a different floor to begin physical therapy.