News

By Glynis Crawford Smith

Burnet Bulletin

Funeral services will be held today, Thursday, Feb. 15 for a young Burnet man killed in a freak accident at his home.

Justin Battles, 26, a graduate of Burnet High School, died at his home Saturday night, Feb. 10, in an accident that left him pinned between his truck and a wall of home in Bertram.

“He had a little fire pit and he liked to cook out there,” said Bertram police chief J.J. Wilson. “He had music playing in his truck and the theory is that he must have reached in to turn the music off and knocked the standard shift into gear.

“He only had a second to respond to try to get it back out of gear when it began to move forward in first gear and pinned him against the house.”

By Phil Reynolds

The Highlander

Law enforcement officers from all over Burnet County gave more than 100 people tips on staying alive during an active shooter incident Thursday evening at the Marble Falls High School auditorium.

Burnet County Deputy Sheriff Tracy Weems, who led the hour-long event, said the first big step toward avoiding being a victim is to have a plan.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

A contained fire at the Republic Services transportation station at 2411 Farm to Market Road 963 northeast of Burnet High School on Monday, Feb. 12 may delay pick up service around the area.

Deputy chief John Miller of the Burnet Fire Department was on duty when the call came in about 5 p.m.

“They were piling refuse about 25-30 feet high against a wall when they noticed smoke coming from fire in a scoopful,” he said. “They tried their fire extinguisher to no avail and called us.

“It was a deep bedded fire in such a big pile that we kept going back through night to keep water on it. By 10 a.m. this morning it was wrapped up and the bay doors were open.”

Today, Friday, Feb. 9, H-E-B opens its doors to a new, world-class Marble Falls store.

“Welcome to your new H-E-B,” store director Rudy Gill said Thursday at a sneak preview of the new 111,000-square-foot facility, located adjacent to its old store at 1503 RM 1431 West in Marble Falls.

“I am extremely proud to serve this Marble Falls community and I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you better,” Gill said. “Over the past few months, we have spent a lot of time putting together a great team to run this store. It is truly an honor for us to get to serve you. If there is anything we can do to make your experience better, we hope you will let us know.”

By Lew K. Cohn

and Frank Shubert

The Highlander

First responders from Burnet, Llano, Blanco and Lampasas counties were honored Thursday, Jan. 18, at the 15th annual Hill Country 100 Club awards banquet and meeting at the Galloway-Hammmond YMCA of the Highland Lakes in Burnet.

Grocery giant H-E-B is recognizing Marble Falls ISD as one of the top school districts in Texas, naming MFISD one of only three Small District Finalists for the prestigious 2018 H-E-B Excellence in Education district award.

Winners will be announced at an awards presentation at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Houston on May 6.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The 16th Annual Faith Academy Gala was held Saturday, Jan. 27, and supporters again topped $300,000 in donations during the event.

As of Monday, Jan. 29, the total was $325,000 and donations and pledges were continuing to arrive.

Stuart Nunnally, DDS, founder and chairman of the board expressed his gratitude to benefactors who have supported the school from its beginnings in 1998. The gala alone now has contributed contributed some $2.5 million.

“Some of our most successful students have attended Faith Academy on scholarships you provided,” he said. “We have high hopes for a dyslexia program you are helping to fund.”

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Residents of Granite Shoals will have the opportunity to stop in for Coffee with the Council, an event going on from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 3.

Mayor Pro Tem Jim Davant and city council members Todd Holland and Shirley King will be on hand to answer questions and get to know people at Crazy Gal Restaurant, 8037 Ranch to Market Road 1431.

A lot has been going on people may want to ask about.

A $264,000 contract, finalized at a meeting Monday night, Jan. 29, engages KC Engineering, Inc. to perform engineering services and project management for the $3 million road infrastructure project.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

An introduction to Hill Country Children's Advocacy Center (HCCA) was on the Granite Shoals City Council agenda Tuesday night and HCCA Executive Director Kelly Forister received a warm welcome.

HCCA was created in 1992 to resolve inconsistencies inherent in investigations of child abuse and to stop the re-victimization of children being seen in agencies around the country responsible for protecting them. The center, through its Sunshine House in Burnet, provides forensic interviews and exams, trauma-informed counseling, as an interface among agencies and as an education provider for families, communities and law enforcement.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Granite Shoals City Council on Tuesday night (Jan. 9) gave city staff the nod to negotiate a contract with K.C. Engineering, Inc. for development of the specifications for the city's road bond project.

“Three companies responded to the city's request for qualifications,” said Assistant City Manager Peggy Allen Smith. “The staff recommended K.C. Engineering in Marble Falls.

“After we negotiate a contract that is approved by the council, we expect it to take a couple of months to draw up specification of contractor bids. That keeps us on the schedule we have been estimating, with paving work going on between August and October.”

Water notices

Smith, who serves also as utility director, said residents could expect another notice with their water bills for a fourth quarter sample of trihalomethanes (TTHM) that exceeded the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality (TCEQ) limit.