News

by Alexandria Randolph

A Cottonwood Shores man was indicted Tuesday, Feb. 3, on charge of indecency with a child.

Roger Dale Dunlap, 32, was indicted by the 424th District Court on a second-degree felony charge of indecency with a child by sexual contact. He was booked into Burnet County Jail Feb. 7, and was released the same day on bond of $50,000.

According to the indictment, on or about Aug. 28, 2014, the defendant “intentionally or knowingly cause (the victim), a child younger than 17 years of age, to engage in sexual contact by causing (the said victim) to touch the genitals of the defendant.”

For more on the story, see Friday's Highlander.

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula and Alexandria Randolph

One Marble Falls High School student and another male from Granite Shoals are in the hospital in critical condition after a car accident on CR120 around 10:30 Thursday night. Two other men were pronounced dead at the scene, said a Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Friday, Feb. 6.

School officials confirmed Friday morning that two are dead.

The four men were driving a 1998 Dodge pickup truck when the driver lost control due to a high rate of speed, said Trooper Robbie Barrera. She did not think that weather was a factor. The truck caught fire during the crash and came to rest against a tree in a pasture, Barrera said. 

The driver, Robert Groth, 17, of Granite Shoals was pronounced dead at the scene. Groth was a MFHS graduate. Passenger Ramie Griffin, Jr., 15, of Sedona, Ariz. also died at the scene.

A man who allegedly shot at a Llano Police Officer has been apprehended, officials said Thursday evening.

According to Llano Police, around 11:20 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 3, a Llano police officer attempted to pull over a dark gray 2003 Ford Mustang for a traffic violation.
But, according to the police, the driver of the vehicle — bearing Texas license plate CSSP037 — did not stop and police chased it for about 24 miles on TX 71 to the Mason County community of Pontotoc.

There, the suspect vehicle turned onto Commerce Street, where gunshots were fired at Llano police.

An officer returned fire and was not injured; it is unknown whether the driver was injured. The Mustang was found stuck in mud and covered with a tarp in San Saba County.

Three people were transported by helicopters to area hospitals after a two-vehicle head-on collision Wednesday afternoon at the Cow Creek bridge on FM 1174.

The site of the accident is about 12 miles south of Bertram and about three miles north of the FM 1174 intersection with FM 1431.

Witnesses said a pickup pulling a trailer south on FM 1431 crossed into the north-bound lane and struck a car carrying three people.

The three people in the car were airlifted by helicopters from Marble Falls and Austin to area hospitals.

The names of the injured and the hospitals they were taken to were not released.

The driver of the pickup was administered a series of field sobriety tests by Department of Public Safety officers investigating the accident and was subsequently handcuffed, placed in the back of a DPS patrol car and taken from the scene.

See Friday’s Marble Falls Highlander and the Feb. 11 Burnet Bulletin for the complete story.

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

The Hill Country Blenders old-time barbershop quartets are ready to make any “special someone” feel even more cherished during Valentine's Day season by serenading them with song.

In addition to a love song serenade, each special someone will receive a red rose and a photograph of themselves with the quartet.

Around 12 men are members of the Hill Country Blenders, and they practice and perform all year long, said member Chuck Johnson at practice Tuesday evening, Feb. 3.

The Blenders quartet can serenade sweethearts or special friends at home, work, or any location in the region, including Marble Falls, Meadowlakes, Burnet, Granite Shoals, Kingsland, Buchanan Dam and Horseshoe Bay. 

“Your thoughtfulness will be long remembered and the gift package will say, ‘I love you!’ or ‘You’re special!’ long after the last chord,” according to the Hill Country Blenders.  

by Alexandria Randolph

A 15-year-old Marble Falls High School student was arrested on felony charges after students made staff aware of a threat made over social media.

Marble Falls Police would not identify a student who allegedly posted threats about fellow students and a teacher on the internet Thursday night, Jan. 29, but said the student was charged with making a terroristic threat, a third degree felony.

Marble Falls Police Sgt. Tom Dillard said the dispute originated over some school assignments.

“Threats were made over social media... Facebook and Instagram,” Dillard said. “The circumstances of the threat specifically mentioned a group of students and a teacher.”

Dillard said the student was transferred into the custody of the Juvenile Probation Department Thursday night.

For the full story, see Friday's Highlander.

by Alexandria Randolph

With help from an Austin based company, Marble Falls Fire Rescue and Marble Falls Area EMS will now have the equipment that makes it possible to give the doggy breath of life to endangered pets.

Sponsored by Invisible Fence, Marble Falls Fire Rescue will be participating in Project Breathe, an effort to provide pet friendly equipment kits to first response organizations.

“To most people, pets are like their children,” said Marble Falls Firefighter Ken Schwake “Our business is life safety. It doesn’t matter if it’s human life or animal life.”

Specially designed reusable pet resuscitation masks in three separate sizes were donated by Invisible Fence and will now be available on one fire engine and six EMS vehicles.

“These masks will be available in all of southern Burnet County,” Schwake said, and added that smoke inhalation is the leading cause of death for both pets and people during a fire.

by Alexandria Randolph

In the calm and collected environment of Marble Falls Police Chief Mark Whitacre’s office, the concept of shootings and officer involved deaths seems a distant possibility, but the three trained officers in the room remind that it’s a possibility officers face every day.

According to an Federal Bureau of Investigation news release issued Nov. 2014, 27 officers were killed feloniously in the line of duty in 2013. Out of those, at least nine attempted to defend themselves and failed.

“It’s an almost daily thing,” said Marble Falls Police Capt. Glenn Hanson, and added that while formerly employed at another police department, he and his partner used to make a routine out of asking, “Are you alright with the Lord today?”

by Alexandria Randolph and James Walker

A Meadowlakes man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to two counts of theft of property and one count of burglary of a building.

Jeffrey Dollar, 36, was sentenced to five years on the charge of Theft of Property Greater Than $20,000 and Less Than $100,000 and an additional two years in prison on the burglary charge.

The burglary and the theft occurred Feb. 19 and 20, 2014. Dollar’s arrest followed a four-hour pursuit by Burnet County Sheriff's Deputies that traversed a large portion of eastern Burnet County just days after posting bond on another charge.

The 33rd Judicial District Judge Allan Garrett ordered the sentences to be served concurrently.

Dollar, who was arrested last year, gets credit for 337 days spent in the Burnet County Jail.

For the full story, see Friday's Highlander.

by Alexandria Randolph

One was injured and another under investigation after a boat wreck in Kingsland, Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 28.

According to reports by dispatch officers, a boat accident occurred at roughly 2:50 p.m. in the 500 block of Crestwood near the intersection of Wildflower.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Capt. Cody Hatfield said a speedboat carrying a couple in their early to mid 40s collided with a private dock on an arm of the Colorado River on the Llano County side along Crestwood Drive.

Hatfield said the crash is still under investigation and officials “haven’t come to a final conclusion” on why the boat wrecked.

For the full story, see Friday's Highlander.