News

By Nathan Hendrix
Staff Writer

The City of Bertram is looking to heal the wounds of the past and prepare for the future with the hiring of a new police chief.

Special to The Highlander

The Lower Colorado River Authority announced several significant actions to further enhance public safety on Lake LBJ following the historic flooding of last October, according to a press release Feb. 14 from the entity.

Lake LBJ and Lake Marble Falls are currently drawn down to allow property owners an opportunity to clean up debris and repair docks and other property damaged during the flooding.

The refill of Lake LBJ is scheduled to begin on Sunday, Feb. 24 and conclude by the end of the day on Wednesday, Feb. 27. The refill of Lake Marble Falls is scheduled to begin on Monday, March 18 and conclude by the end of the day on Thursday, March 21.

Following the refill of the lake, LCRA crews will:

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

Two men are being treated in South Austin hospital after their single-engine experimental fixed wing aircraft crashed into a utility pole in Horseshoe Bay, police said Friday, Feb. 15.

At about 4:04 p.m. Friday, the Horseshoe Bay Fire Department and Horseshoe Bay Police Department were notified of a plane crash in the 6800 block of Ranch-to-Market Road 2147, Horseshoe Bay Police Chief Rocky Wardlow said.

Upon arrival, police and fire personnel found a Van's RV-8 homebuilt plane had crashed into a utility pole on the south side of the highway. The aircraft was occupied by two men — a pilot later identified as Charles Scott, 75, of Lakeway, and a passenger later identified as Stanley Graham, 73, of Austin, Wardlow said.

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

With a week left for candidates for city council and school boards to file for election, the city of Marble Falls has four candidates in place for four positions on the May 4 ballot.

Special to The Highlander
H-E-B, Texas' finest grocery store and the first company inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame, is teaming up with The Highlander, your hometown newspaper since 1959, to run the retailer's weekly shopping inserts.

Every Tuesday, H-E-B inserts will be found in The Highlander on newsstands and in subscribers' mailboxes, chock full of weekly specials for Market, Seafood, Produce, Household Essentials, Bakery, Deli, Floral, Health and Beauty and more! Look for great H-E-B Meal Deals which will save you time — and money!

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

Marble Falls Economic Development Board members approved a contractor to demolish two Backbone Creek-side homes and ultimately transfer the cleared property to the city of Marble Falls for park space, officials said.
The municipal park space plans are pending approval by the Marble Falls City Council.

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

Burnet County commissioners expressed their concern Wednesday that reclassification of Texas 29 from US 281 in Burnet west to Ranch Road 2341 would make it harder to fund any future improvements to the highway.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

A representative from the Lower Colorado River Authority unveiled Feb. 5 how the entity responded to the October flood event and addressed criticism about river management as Lake Marble Falls and LBJ residents continue to recover from the devastation.

Special to The Highlander

In consultation with the Llano and Burnet county judges, the mayors of Horseshoe Bay, Marble Falls and other incorporated towns on lakes LBJ and Marble Falls, the Lower Colorado River Authority announced Feb. 7 an amended schedule for the current drawdown of Lake LBJ, a Lower Colorado River Authority press release stated.

The refill of Lake LBJ now is scheduled to begin Feb. 24. The refill of Lake Marble Falls continues to be scheduled to begin March 18.

“The revised schedule for refilling Lake LBJ will allow our communities and businesses to restore operations, which will better serve our citizens and visitors to our communities,” Llano County Judge Ron Cunningham said in the LCRA press release. Communities on Lake LBJ include Kingsland, Granite Shoals, Highland Haven, Horseshoe Bay and Sunrise Beach.

From staff reports

Police identified a man who was killed in a two-vehicle crash on RR 2147 West Feb 4, just off the intersection of Rocky Road.

The accident happened around 12:45 p.m. that afternoon and blocked traffic for about two hours while crews assessed and cleared the scene.

Alvis McClure, 78, of Horseshoe Bay was traveling east in a Jeep SUV, when he left his lane and went into on-coming traffic, Marble Falls police reported.

The SUV collided with a Ford pickup truck driven by David Martin 46, of Marble Falls.

Burnet County Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace Debbie Bindseil pronounced McClure dead at the scene.

There were no other reports of injuries.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Police ordered an autopsy.

As crews cleared the scene, traffic was blocked, re-routed and/or stalled for about two hours.