News

BY ALEXANDRIA RANDOLPH/BURNET BULLETIN

A first-time kayaker drowned in the Lampasas River on Saturday afternoon, Texas Parks and Wildlife officials said.

A 26-year-old Killeen resident who was originally from Mexico, drowned on Saturday mid-afternoon, May 21 during a kayaking trip on the Lampasas River in Burnet County.

“It was his first time to kayak as far as we can tell,” said Cody Hatfield, Captain Game Warden for TPWD. “With all the rains we had, the rivers are up and the waters are running swiftly.”

Hatfield said the man was kayaking with several friends near Farm to Market Road 2657 when he fell from his kayak into the water.

Burnet County Sheriff's Department officials said the deceased was doing contract work in Killeen. Identification of the man is pending notification of kin.  

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Craig Magerkurth, a new Place 1 member of the Marble Falls City Council, joined two incumbents in taking the oath of office Tuesday, May 17.

Magerkurth, Reed Norman in Place 3 and Richard Westerman in Place 5 drew no opponents this year, eliminating the need for a May 7 city election.

Jane Marie Hurst was re-elected as mayor pro tem by fellow council members after City Secretary Christina McDonald will administered the oaths.

The Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department is hosting its 2016 Fundraiser & Scholarship Fund Bull Ride on Saturday, May 21.

The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Charley Taylor Rodeo Arena on US 281 south of Marble Falls. This year's event will have Mutton Bustin' and “a whole lot of bull riding,” said Marble Falls Area VFD Asst. Chief George Tennison. “We hope to see everyone there.”

The department has partnered with Diamond Cross Rodeo Company to host the event. There will be $1,500 available in prize money as well as buckles for the bull riding competition and hard luck draw for the finals.

Admission to the event is $10 for adults and free to kids six and under.

Proceeds from the event benefit the volunteer fire department as well as educational and training scholarships.

BY ALEXANDRIA RANDOLPH/BURNET BULLETIN

The Highland Lakes area is under a flash flood watch until Thursday at 10 p.m.

The National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio issued a flash flood watch for Llano, Burnet, Williamson, Blanco, Travis and a number of surrounding counties early Thursday morning.

Meteorologists stated that the watch continues for all of south Central Texas.

“Locally heavy rainfall is expected for much of today and early evening as an upper level disturbance pushes across the area and interact with a surface stationary boundary just to the south of highway 90. One to three inches of rainfall are expected over already saturated grounds due to recent heavy rain episodes. Flash flooding is possible.”

The major concern is runoff from highly saturated ground.

“Soils are already very saturated and most of the rain will runoff into area creeks, streams and low lying areas,” the watch read.

UPDATE: As of 2 p.m. Thursday, the low water crossings closed in Marble Falls are as follows;

- 1400 block of Nature Heights Drive, between US 281 and Commerce Street

Area of Concern:

All of South Central Texas for flash flooding and subsequent river flooding, with a slight risk for severe storms and isolated tornadoes primarily in the Coastal Plains. See attached graphics.

Threats & Impacts:

Tornadoes:  A few tornadoes in the Coastal Plains possible, low risk elsewhere

Winds:  Up to 60 mph

By LEW K. COHN

The Highlander

Managing Editor

Texas Tech Chancellor Robert Duncan's recent visit to Marble Falls has revealed just how important the Highland Lakes campus is to the university system. Friday, May 6 was the first time the chancellor had visited the campus at the Frank Fickett Educational Center and he noted that the regional site is definitely “an asset in the Texas Tech System.”