News

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

Chique, Unique & Antique in Marble Falls will be hosting a Veteran’s Day commemoration Tuesday featuring “HeroSketch” artist Cheryl Roberts, of Kingsland. Roberts will be showing and selling her prints of military-inspired drawings. Her work has been commissioned by the U.S. Armed Forces, although things have been a little slow since budget cuts, she said Thursday.

“I’ve always loved and had a high respect for the military because my dad was a WWII veteran, but I wouldn’t have believed you if you said I’d end up drawing for the military,” she said.

As a self-taught artist Roberts’ earliest start is lost in the haze of childhood. “Since I was little, I can remember drawing with pencils, crayons, and anything else I could get a hold of,” Roberts said. “It’s something I picked up naturally.”

It was her desire to use art to make people happy combined with a near-death experience in a fire that led to where she is today.

Highland Lakes community organizations are offering up plenty of activities to celebrate Veteran’s Day Tuesday, Nov. 11, and honor those who have served the nation. Veteran’s Day started as Armistice Day, recognizing the end of WWI on Nov. 11, 1918. Now, social clubs, churches and municipalities recognize the national holiday.

-Rotary Club of Marble Falls Veteran’s Day Ceremony, Veteran’s Memorial in Johnson Park, Marble Falls, noon. This year, a flyover by a P-51D Mustang pilot is scheduled.

-Falls on the Colorado Museum Veteran’s Commemoration: 6:30- 8 p.m., 2001 Broadway, Marble Falls (Historic Granite School).

-Marble Falls Middle School men’s choir performs at Colt Elementary, 2200 Manzano Mile, Marble Falls, at 1 p.m. The public is welcome.

-Marble Falls Elementary students perform a play for veterans at 1:30 p.m. Parents are welcome.

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

At an executive session last month during a business meeting, the board of directors for the Cottonwood Shores Volunteer Fire Department voted to oust Heather Hyslop, its former chief, and promote Travis Hockensmith to fire chief from assistant fire chief.

Hyslop, who is still on the roster as a firefighter and goes on calls, had been fire chief since January.

“It just wasn’t working,” Hyslop said. “As fire chief, I was responsible for both positive and negative things within the department, but I wasn’t made aware of some things that were happening.”

Hyslop said she wanted to work out her issues with the board, but they were "not conducive" to her ideas, which included bringing in more outside instructors and increasing training in communication and chain of command structures.

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

In its dual-county vote for three open city council seats, Horseshoe Bay voters picked, by a clear margin, current city leadership over the one challenger who does not currently hold a city leadership position.

Planning and Zoning Commissioner Jerry Gray garnered the most votes, 783, followed by Councilman Craig Haydon (649), Councilman David Pope (655). 601 voters picked challenger Donald Beeman, a retired businessman. 

Gray, Haydon and Pope will be sworn in at the next council meeting, Nov. 18.

“I’m looking forward to it, I think it’ll be an enjoyable experience,” Gray said Wednesday. “This is my first time to hold elected office, or to serve on a city council.”

At this point, Gray sees mainly routine city business in his future as a councilman, although water-related issues are apparent as the city awaits approval from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for its effluent project.

By James Walker

Republicans continue to rule the Texas political landscape, both statewide and locally after Tuesday’s unofficial election results.
State attorney general Greg Abbott soundly defeated Democratic state senator Wendy Davis in the governor’s race and will succeed Rick Perry, the state’s longest-serving governor, in January.
Abbott got 76 percent of the vote in reliably-Republican Burnet County to 22 percent for Davis.
That was better than Abbot did statewide, where with 67 percent of the votes counted, he had 60 percent and Davis had 38 percent.
Several local candidates, all of them Republicans and none facing opposition, also were formally elected.
The Burnet County vote total was 11,857. In the last off-year election, in 2010, 12,071 voted in the county.

For the full story, see Friday's Highlander.

by Alexandria Randolph

The Marble Falls Parks and Recreation Commission is seeking historical accounts for an award application to acknowledge the park system’s legacy.

Marble Falls Parks and Recreation Department Director Robert Moss and staff are working on an application for the Lone Star Legacy Award, and continue to gather documentation of Johnson Park in its early years.

Moss said while he has plenty of photos of the park, he is missing photos from two very significant decades.

“I don’t have anything from the 30s and 40s,” he said, and added that he made requests to the Burnet County Historical Society and Falls on the Colorado Museum for photos as well as stories from those who remember the early days of the park.

To share information, documents or memories of Johnson Park with Parks and Recreation staff, call 830-798-6250.

For the full story, see Friday's Highlander.

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

Cottonwood Shores officials hope to make an offer to one of three final candidates to fill the position of police chief by next week, an administrator said Monday, Nov. 3.

Officer Chris Bieze has been acting as interim chief since former police chief Harold Piatt’s last day on the job at the end of October. Bieze is one of the three finalists.

“We’re not going to go long without a permanent police chief,” said Mayor Donald Orr. “We’re down to the final review process.”

 After whittling down almost 40 applications with Piatt’s help, five candidates were interviewed by phone, followed by in-person interviews of the final three candidates by Orr and Sheila Moore, city administrator and secretary.

“As a courtesy,” the city council, possibly in executive session, will discuss the candidates at its meeting Thursday, Nov. 6. “It’s important for the council to be part of the process, but it’s a staff hire,” Orr said.

by Alexandria Randolph

Jo’s Dog Park is moving into its fundraising phase with a recommendation by the Parks and Recreation Commission Monday.

The founder of the organization, Megan Klaeger, has scheduled an upcoming fundraiser for the park at RBar & Grill on Nov. 19 from 5 p.m. until closing time.

The fundraising kick-off holiday social will have special guest for dogs and their parents.

“We’re going to have Santa Claus come so you can take pictures with your pup,” she said.

The fundraising phase for the group is beginning with the help of an official recommendation by the Parks and Recreation Commission on Monday. Commissioners voted to recommend Marble Falls City Council approve the creation of a dog park within the city at an existing park site.

For the full story, see Tuesday's Highlander.

Staff Reports

Meteorologists are predicting “significant” amounts of rain in the Hill Country and South Central Texas during a rain event from the afternoon of Tuesday, Nov. 4, into Wednesday afternoon, and possibly even into late-week.

“Widespread and significant rains will develop across the region... significant rain totals are forecast,” according to Bob Rose on the Weather (Oct. 31), the blog of Lower Colorado River Authority meteorologist Bob Rose.

The National Weather Service also predicts heavy rainfall and associated hazards.

“Locally heavy rains of 1-3 inches, with isolated totals of 4-5 inches” are possible, according to Paul Yura, meteorologist with the NWS in Austin and San Antonio region.

by Alexandria Randolph

An emergency medical call in late September led officers to seek arrest warrants for a couple on drug charges.

On Oct. 29 and 30, Marble Falls Police Officers arrested Bryan James Brand, 24, and reported girlfriend Savannah Georgia Teare, 19, of Spicewood, respectively on charges of a first degree felony charge of manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance.

Marble Falls Sgt. Tom Dillard said officers answered a call in the Vistas Apartments on Mustang Drive for a drug related medical issue. 

“The male subject had apparently overdosed,” he said. “While officers were on scene, the female subject also had medical issues. They were both transported by EMS.”

For the full story, see Tuesday's Highlander.