News

Authorities have sent a human skull found in the receding Lake Buchanan shoreline Aug. 8 for forensic testing to determine identity and age of the bones, according to the Llano County Sheriff's Office.

The human skull was found by an individual on a personal watercraft that evening as the recreationist was attempting to dock the watercraft on the shoreline in an area of Poppy's Point on the west side of the lake just of Ranch Road 261 in Llano County.

On Aug. 9 the following day, the Department of Public Safety dive team members spent about three hours searching for other bones but found none, Llano County Sheriff Bill Blackburn said.

By Phil Reynolds

The Highlander

The City of Cottonwood Shores has kept the same property tax rate, 54.38 cents per $100 of property valuation, for three years. Now a 14 percent leap in overall valuation is forcing city council members to lower the tax rate to keep from facing the possibility of a rollback tax election.

By Phil Reynolds

The Highlander

Sy Schiffman leaned on his crooked cane in the driveway of the Sunrise Beach Volunteer Fire Department’s new training building and squinted in the sun and mumbled something about they just said that’s what they needed.

By Alexandria Randolph

HLN Correspondent

After criminal investigations resulted in the raid of a ministerial boys’ home last week, details emerging about the ministry and those who run it are only leading to more questions.

The Joshua Home in the 2500 block of Farm to Market Road 243 is under investigation by local and state authorities over allegations of “abuse, neglect, labor violations, fraud, licensing violations and human trafficking,” stated a Burnet County Sheriff’s Department release on Wednesday.

Sheriff Michael Hall of McDonald County, Missouri, gave Burnet County Sheriff’s Office a heads up when he heard the facility had relocated to the area.

“He called a few weeks before (we executed the warrant) and talked to our investigators,” said Burnet County Sheriff Calvin Boyd.

Hall could not be reached for comment as of press time.

By Savanna Gregg

The Highlander

Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS) officials were hopeful residents evacuated from Park Road 4 and County Road 116 (Hoover Valley Road) due to fire would be allowed to return to their homes at 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 31.

More than 50 local personnel from 17 different departments have responded to a blaze which consumed 557 acres, forced evacuations of residents from 150 homes and closed the two major roads as well as Inks Lake State Park.

Fortunately, no one has been killed or injured and no homes have been reported damaged from the grass fire, which began at about 2:52 p.m. Sunday, July 29, along County Road 116, better known as Hoover Valley Road, near Park Road 4, close to Inks Lake State Park, and quickly escalated to yet another raging wildfire for Burnet County.

On Monday, July 30, Burnet County Judge James Oakley signed an emergency disaster declaration and order banning all outdoor burning in the county.

Previous exemptions for welding, cutting, grinding, outdoor cooking using wood or charcoal and burning of prickly pear for livestock consumption have now been removed.

By Savanna Gregg

The Highlander

While an investigation into a Bertram-based “residential home for troubled boys” continues, a Llano County organization is making sure people know they are in no way affiliated with the group home.

The confusion has come about due to the similarities in the names of the two organizations. Authorities on Wednesday removed eight juvenile males were removed from the Joshua Home near Bertram after an investigation into allegations of abuse, neglect, labor violations, fraud, licensing violations, and human trafficking.

Meanwhile, in Kingsland, is the headquaters of His Joshua House, a faith-based drug and alcohol recovery house for men. It is also a non-profit corporation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Eight juvenile males were removed from the Joshua Home near Bertram Wednesday after an investigation into allegations of abuse, neglect, labor violations, fraud, licensing violations, and human trafficking, the Burnet County Sheriff's Office reported today.

During the past several weeks, investigators and officials from many state and local agencies conducted joint investigations into the Joshua Home, which purports to be a residential home for troubled boys and which is affiliated with a nonprofit organization known as The Joshua Home Ministries.

The National Weather Service (NWS), continuing its Excessive Heat Warning for the area, says tomorrow will top a week of broiling heat from today's expected high of 107 to a possible 209 tomorrow.

Their warning:  Prolonged exposure to this excessive heat could lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion or even heat stroke.