News

Property owners and volunteers cleaning up the mess left by the Hill Country flood are urged to get vaccinated to protect themselves from bacteria in the water. 

Individuals may receive Tetanus and Hepatitis A vaccines at Lakeshores Church, 700 US Hwy 281, Marble Falls, Thursday, Oct. 25 from 7 to 9 a.m.

Both insured and uninsured individuals will be provided vaccines.

If you are insured, bring your insurance card to verify.

A body found near Circle Drive near Kingsland on Lake LBJ during Tuesday's flooding has been identified as a woman who went missing in Llano River flooding in Junction nearly three weeks ago.

The Travis County Medical Examiner has identifed the body as being that of Charlotte Moye, according to the Burnet County Sheriff's Department, which issued a press release Saturday, Oct. 20.

Sheriff's deputies responded to a call to the Lake LBJ waterfront in the 700 block of Circle Drive at 11:58 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16. The complainant believed he had located a body that had washed ashore during flooding on Lake LBJ.

Patrol deputies arrived and called investigators to the scene. The victim was pronounced deceased by Burnet County Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Roxanne Nelson and an autopsy was ordered. The body was sent to the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office for identification and an autopsy.

By Richard Zowie

The Highlander

In Central Texas, where the Llano and Pedernales Rivers flow into the Colorado River and where many cities are built near or around the rivers, heavy rains often result in floods.

By Savanna Gregg

Staff Writer

The Highlander

After buckets of rain filled the Colorado and Llano Rivers on Tuesday, Oct. 16, the Lower Colorado River Authority made the decision to open eight flood gates at Buchanan Dam to release much of the floodwaters.

This in turn created a hazard for residents living along Lakes Buchanan, Inks, Wirtz, Starcke, Mansfield, and Tom Miller as waters began to rush through the Highland Lakes on Tuesday evening.

To ensure the safety of its campers and visitors, officials at Inks Lake State Park decided to close their trails on Tuesday, Oct. 16 when the first four gates were opened.

Upon the next four gates being opened on Wednesday, Oct. 17, park officials made the decision to close the park entirely, moving 34 campers out and discouraging other visitors as waters continued to rise.

By Savanna Gregg

Staff Writer

The Highlander

The City of Horseshoe Bay has returned to 100 percent water production capacity. Citizens may begin to utilize water for full domestic use and cleanup operations.

Currently, there are some residents and locations who are encountering slightly discolored water issues. This discoloration is directly attributed to the recent floods. The color of the water is aesthetic in nature only and poises no health issues to the public. City staff is diligently working to mitigate the color issue. A Boil Water Notice was never issued for the City of Horseshoe Bay during the flood event. The water remains safe for consumption.

Please contact the city if you have any questions regarding water quality, 830-598-8741.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer
 

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has ordered the city of Marble Falls to alert all residents today (Oct. 17) to boil water for consumption, following flooding of several neighborhoods due to stormwater runoff making its way into the Highland Lakes from the Llano River in the last 24 hours.

The Marble Falls Police Department Emergency Operations Center (EOC) issued the alert, “Due to conditions which indicate that the potability of the drinking water supply has been compromised as a result of recent flooding.”

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

Utopiafest organizers announced on their website Wednesday, Oct. 3, they are moving the festival to Reveille Peak Ranch on County Road 114.

Burnet County Sheriff Calvin Boyd confirmed the move Wednesday and said he believes “this is a much better location for this type of event” than a private ranch on Shady Grove Road (County Road 200).

“I think this was something they had planned on doing after the public hearing and it was actually the first site they originally picked,” Boyd said. “I think they have a much better chance of getting a (mass gathering) permit with this new location. Reveille Peak is set up for events like this and getting out there is much safer, so I feel better about it.”

From staff reports •

Storm runoff caused a scare among some Pecan Valley and Meadowlakes residents Sept.8 and 9, as motorists were temporarily blocked from leaving their neighborhoods to avoid a flooded low-water crossing on Avenue N and a rain-swollen Backbone Creek crossing in Johnson Park in Marble Falls.

Residents reported the rise of the creek starting Saturday and subsiding throughout the day until another round of of storms swept through the area on Sunday.

“Avenue N on Saturday and Sunday was closed for some time because of water over the road,” Marble Falls Fire Rescue Chief Russell Sander said. “Johnson Park did have water over the bridge on Sunday.

Everything was temporary,” he added.

From more than 5 inches of rain in Marble Falls to nearly 4 inches in Spicewood were reported due to torrential thunderstorms and steady rain.