News

By Savanna Gregg

Staff Writer

The Highlander

From staff reports •

On Sept. 4, Johnson City Police Department stopped a vehicle coming through town loaded with a variety of drugs and a stolen firearm.

With the assistance of the Blanco County Sheriff's Office, investigators detected an “odor of marijuana” and then conducted a search on the vehicle.

Seized were: nine pounds of marijuana; two pounds of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) wax; and more than two and a half pounds of liquid THC as well as illicit hashish and Ecstacy.

Authorities charged the occupants with several first and second degree felony charges and a state jail felony charge of possession of a stolen firearm.

Suspects remain in the Blanco County Jail.

The Marble Falls Rotary Club will hold its 17th annual 9/11 Day of Remembrance Ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11, at Marble Falls Lakeside Pavilion.

This year marks the 17th anniversary of the terrorist attacks carried out against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, which saw the destruction of the twin towers of the World Trade Center, damage to the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and the crash of Flight 93 in rural Pennsylvania.

Each year the Marble Falls Rotary Club, with support of the Marble Falls mayor and city council, holds a ceremony on the anniversary of the attacks for personal reflection, prayer and thought in remembrance of the victims’ families and rescue workers involved in the 9/11 tragedies, and to honor, remember and reunite with area first responders.

From staff reports

The Burnet County burn ban has been lifted as of Thursday, Sept. 6, Burnet County Judge James Oakley said.

Soaking rains fell throughout Burnet County this week, with some areas reporting up to three inches of precipitation within a 24-hour period ending at 6 a.m. Thursday. The rain caused the county's Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) average to drop 32 points from 523 to 491, with a high of 703 (just north of Burnet) and a low of 320 (near Marble Falls).

The KBDI is used to determine forest fire potential. The drought index is based on daily water balance, where a drought factor is balanced with precipitation and soil moisture (assumed to have a maximum storage capacity of eight inches) and is expressed in hundredths of an inch of soil moisture depletion.

UPDATE: Fire agencies reported the brush fire 90 percent contained. As of 10 p.m. Aug. 25, evacuated residents returned home. No reports of property damage or injuries, according to the Llano County Office of Emergency Management.

From staff reports •

A piece of mulching equipment operating on the right-of-way on Texas 71 just inside Llano County near the Burnet County line caused a brush fire Saturday, Aug. 25, which threatened the Horseshoe Bay Airport and prompted officials to notify HSB residents of the need to evacuate for safety.

Officials were not sure exactly how many acres were burned Saturday afternoon. Residents living east and north of the airport were advised to evacuate to Quail Point Lodge, which is owned by the Horseshoe Bay Property Owners Association.

A helicopter could be seen dropping water on the fire and firefighters from multiple agencies responded to the blaze, which occurred after noon Saturday.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

Marble Falls Independent School District voters will have one more thing to decide on the Nov. 6 general election ballot — a $55 million bond issue to make necessary improvements to campus facilities.

MFISD trustees voted unanimously at Monday night's regular meeting to call for the bond election after receiving a recommendation from a citizen-led committee last month.

“This bond issue would touch every campus in the district and we would be able to address these needs with bond funds without increasing our tax rate,” MFISD superintendent Dr. Chris Allen said. “In fact, we could reduce the tax rate and still be able to pass this bond. If reduced, this would be the second time the district has reduced the I&S (interest and sinking) tax rate in three years.

By Connie Swinney
The Highlander

With an eye on utilizing various entities to pay off the debt, Marble Falls city officials moved closer Aug. 7 to issuing a proposed $6.35 million bond issue to fund a portion of the first phase of a multi-faceted parks improvement project as well as downtown area improvements and utility upgrades.

UPDATE: As of Aug. 14, Burnet County Commissioners rescinded the disaster declaration but approved keeping a less restrictive burn ban in place.

By Connie Swinney
The Highlander

By Connie Swinney
The Highlander