News

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Work to realign Avenue N with in Marble Falls took a wider and deeper approach last week, after contractors discovered a geological hitch in plans for the  $662,516 project.

The path of Avenue N north to Bluebonnet Drive at Ranch to Market Road 1431 was preceded by geotechnical surveys but core samples never struck a pocket of what city engineer Eric Belaj told the city council was like quick sand or toothpaste. The first estimate of the fix was $50,000, but that pricetag may be whittled by more than half.

by Alexandria Randolph

Burnet County employee Ben (“Benny”) Weems died Monday afternoon, March 7, as the result of a major collision between two large vehicles on US281 about 2.5 miles north of Marble Falls.

Weems, who worked for Burnet County Precinct 1, was driving a county-owned dump truck when it collided with an 18-wheeler hauling gravel at 12:16 p.m. about a half-mile north of the railroad crossing in the 7800 block of US281.

Texas Department of Pubic Safety (DPS) troopers working the scene said the dump truck was traveling northbound on US 281 in the outside lane when an 18-wheeler loaded down with a haul of gravel attempted to make a left turn into the southbound lanes of the highway from the entrance of Lhoist North America, a rock quarry.

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

Children in foster care often have to move from home to home, toting their personal items in plastic bags along the way. Sometimes they don’t even sleep on the same pillow as they did the night before.

Children in the newly-0formed Leadership Club at Spicewood Elementary helped fellow youngsters by holding a donation drive for personal care items, ranging from socks to shampoo, as part of the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) for the Highland Lakes Area project known as the CASA Case Project, a partnership with the First Baptist Church of Marble Falls.

Keith Powell, Colt Elementary principal, announced last week that he is retiring at the end of the 2015-2016 school year. The search for a new principal will begin after Spring Break, officials said on Thursday, March 3.

Powell has served the community as a Marble Falls Independent School District (MFISD) administrator since August of 2000, and principal at Colt since 2011.

Past students remember Powell as an assistant principal at Marble Falls High School, Marble Falls Middle School and principal of Highland Lakes Elementary, until becoming principal of Colt Elementary.

In addition to 16 years of service in the MFISD, Powell will retire after 31 years of service educating children in Texas public schools.

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

Just at the time when Central Texas was in danger of entering into a drought yet again, a weather system is set to drop an anticipated 2-4 inches of rain over the region this week. Although plants will be happy with the rain since the region is classified as “abnormally dry” – one step away from “moderate drought,” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor – the system also could bring two rounds of thunderstorms starting Tuesday morning through late in the week, according to forecasts by meteorologists with the National Weather Service (NWS) Austin/San Antonio region, on Monday morning.

Let's talk...Women 2 Women is a women's health conference taking place Saturday, March 12, and organizers are asking for a call in advance to reserve a sandwich lunch to round out visits to the event from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

The fun, educational meeting with people who provide services for women throughout this area will include subjects such as heart attack in women, vaccines for adults, incontinence and dealing with abuse and introduce the participants to Use It Or Lose It Exercise, healthy eating habits and how to get the most out of 15-minute meetings with their doctors.

The Great Texas Warrant Roundup begins Saturday, March 5. 

Marble Falls and Granite Shoals are among 300 counties, justices of the peace courts, constables and municipalities participating. You could find yourself served with an outstanding warrant from any of them and jailed.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

A record number of voters cast ballots in the March 1 Party Primary Election, a process that will be repeated for the eight candidates in four county runoff races.

“The turnout beat the 2008 primary, which was the biggest we know of,” said Doug Ferguson, Burnet County elections administrator. “The total was 11,751 of about 27,000 registered voters.”

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

Folks might have noticed fire trucks from both the Horseshoe Bay and Marble Falls fire departments heading to the Lower Colorado River Authority’s (LCRA) Thomas C. Ferguson Power Plant in Horseshoe Bay Monday morning, Feb. 29; but rest assured, it was just a training exercise.

Horseshoe Bay Fire Department and Marble Falls Fire Rescue personnel and apparatus teamed up to practice a high-angle extraction of an unconscious person using a truck’s ladder.

This time, it was a 180-pound mannequin Horseshoe Bay firefighters use for training and exercise dangling in a stretcher from the Marble Falls Fire Rescue truck’s ladder as he was lowered from the heights of the power plant.

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

Downtown Marble Falls will be the place to be Saturday, March 5, between the grand opening celebration for the Highland Lakes Farmers’ Market, Main Street Market Days and the Marble Falls Walk-A-Dog-A-Thon, all of which have overlapping schedules.

“It will be a really busy Saturday in Marble Falls,” said Sandy Boulter, market manager and co-owner of 5L Farms.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Highland Lakes Farmers’ Market, at Falls Creek Park, is set to begin at 10:30 a.m., with live music from “new, up-and-coming local musicians” starting at 11 a.m., Boulter said. The drawing for door prizes will begin at noon (but folks do not have to be present to win).