News

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

The attorney for Llano Police Chief Kevin Ratliff said Thursday his client has done nothing wrong and is looking forward to his case being “set for trial as soon as the law allows us.”

“Unless there is some evidence out there that I don't know of which convinces me otherwise, I believe my client has done nothing wrong,” said defense attorney Austin Shell. “I believe his presence prevented a situation from getting out of hand and he handled the situation calmly and coolly and his actions prevented a man from being tased.”

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

Burnet County has submitted their order and now they must sit back and see if local transportation needs are given a slice of the federal funding pie.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Ask anywhere in the state of Texas where the next road project needs to be and drivers will tell you it needs to be on the road they travel.

Regular travelers on Ranch to Market Road 1431 should be pleased to learn one of their “most needed” projects is moving to the front of the line—slow moving traffic turnouts.

Check the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Project Tracker and you now will find them scheduled between Lago Vista and Marble Falls as Tier 2 Projects.

The safety measure as been for more than seven years a campaign of Al Schwerman of Lago Vista, a resident who travels frequently between Lago Vista and Marble Falls.

“People are always asking me about it because they know I've been interested, so I was pleased when I called TxDOT recently and they said it was on track for July 2019 and maybe sooner,” said Schwerman.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

The Horseshoe Bay City Council on Tuesday, Jan. 16, approved a final funding agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) regarding improvements to Ranch to Market Road 2147 and bids could b e let as soon as next spring.

The city will contribute $120,000 in matching funds toward the $2 million improvement project to widen the road and include turn lanes from Big Spur to Bay West Boulevard.

Last year, Mayor Steve Jordan announced the city and received notification of a committment from TxDOT to widen the thoroughfare through the heart of Horseshoe Bay to Llano County.

Former Texas House Speaker and current Texas Rep. Tom Craddick of Midland owns a home in Blue Lake Estates and reportedly was instrumental in convincing TxDOT to add the project to the priorities list.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Marble Falls City Council on Tuesday, Jan. 16, put the force of a resolution behind an application for funding of a new hike, bike and nature trail on the city's north side.

The resolution supports application to to Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) for a $200,000 grant for development of a trail at the Park View park site east of Mormon Mill Road and bounded on the east by Park View Drive and on the south by Park Ridge Drive.

The item was part of the council's consent agenda, so discussion was not part of the meeting, but the council based its decision on background material provided by Robert Moss, director of the Marble Falls Parks & Recreation Department.

A Blanco man has been sentenced to multiple life sentences for aggravated robbery, aggravated sexual assault and aggravated kidnapping to be served, in part, consecutively to prevent his ever being released.

Timothy Wade Foth, 39, last known to have resided at 625 Forest View Drive, Blanco. was sentenced Wednesday, Jan. 24, by a Blanco County jury to three life sentences for Aggravated Sexual Assault plus 99 years for Aggravated Kidnapping along with 50 years and a $10,000 fine for Aggravated Robbery after a three-day day trial in Blanco County.

In a press release Tuesday, Jan. 30, Sonny McAfee, 33rd and 424th Judicial District Attorney   praised the cooperative effort between law enforcement at various levels to obtain justice for the victim.

By Savanna Gregg

The Highlander

A warm winter day turned into a nightmare for a 5-year-old Granite Shoals girl and her family this past Saturday, Jan. 20.

Emily Rose Oehler and her family were enjoying their day outdoors at Longhorn Caverns State Park in Burnet when Emily was struck by a western diamondback rattlesnake.

“(Oehler) was playing off the trail in an un-manicured section of high grass when she received the bite,” said Cory Evans of Inks Lake State Park.

By Phil Reynolds

The Highlander

Llano city officials don’t plan to hire any police officers to replace four who are on paid administrative leave, according to City Manager Scott Edmonson.

City council members went behind closed doors during the Monday, Jan. 22, council meeting to talk the matter over with city attorneys, but took no action following the executive session, Edmonson said.

“We have the city covered with the four remaining officers and the Llano County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO),” Edmonson said.

He explained the sheriff’s office and the city have a memorandum of understanding that calls for sheriff’s deputies to back up city police officers when necessary.

The Burnet County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) on Thursday, Jan. 18, reported that the man accused in the road-rage incident near Smithwick on Nov. 30 is in the county jail under five counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The man is David L. Meyer, 45, of Rockford, Ill. He was shot by an off-duty Austin Police Department officer who observed a family under attack in the 1200 block of Ranch to Market Road of 1431.

“Mr. Meyer had been recovering from his injuries in an Austin-area rehabilitation facility,” said the BCSO press release. “He was transported to the Travis County Jail initially, and then was transferred to the Burnet County Jail on Jan. 17. His bond is set at $100,000 for each count. This matter is being referred to the 33rd/424th District Attorney's Office for prosecution.”

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

Burnet County Commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance Tuesday, Jan. 9, which prohibits the opening of a solid waste disposal landfill in the county.