News

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

It was a red letter day for Hoover Valley Volunteer Fire And Emergency Services on Wednesday, Dec. 20. They took possession of a new, state-of-the art brush truck to be known as the Iva Avery.

A check representing an almost $100,000 grant to purchase the vehicle was delivered, along with the truck by Nicole Lang, central branch fire coordinator for the Texas A&M Forest Service.

Brush Truck 5350 will be christened the Iva Avery for an important reason. That is the name of a single supporter who made sure the purchase would happen as soon as the grant came through. The volunteer fire department had been in line for the grant since 2014. To be sure they would be able to meet their match of a small percentage of the purchase price, Avery made her donation in advance.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

A motorist passing through Marble Falls Thursday morning, Dec. 21, had a bad start to his holiday when he drifted into the wall of the US 281 bridge.

North and southbound traffic was delayed for about 45 minutes while Marble Falls police and fire personnel cleared the wreckage of the 2017 Camry from the inside lane.

“He was driving through Marble Falls from San Antonio to pick up his kids for the holiday,” said Patrol Sgt. Jimmy Cole. “He was tired and just drifted to the left.

“No one hit him from behind and he had just a few minor injuries. That is a reason it is so important to observe that 35 mph speed limit approaching and crossing the bridge.”

“We felt bad for him,” added Cole. “We gave him a lift to rent a car.”

From published reports

A 26-year-old Llano High School graduate remains in the Erath County Jail in lieu of $855,000 bond, charged with shooting a Tarleton State University student in Stephenville last week in what authorities are calling a case of mistaken identity.

Shawn Patrick Layton was caught by the Region 6 Special Operations Group at about 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, in the 1100 block of West Hyman in Stephenville during the execution of a search warrant and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a controlled substance in penalty group 1 less than a gram and possession of marijuana less than two ounces.

Bond was set at $750,000 on the aggravated assault charge, $50,000 on the controlled substance charge and $5,000 on the marijuana charge.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

They may be plowing new legal ground, but the City of Marble Falls appears set to make a court challenge to the proposed Asphalt Inc. rock crushing plant south of Texas 71.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

As tempting as it may be to clear up every bill from 2017, don't feel tempted to respond to an email asking you to clear a debt with the Marble Falls Library Thrift Store.

Someone is “spoofing” the local thrift store and using that ID as bait for “phishing,” the term for cyber ne'er-do-wells out to capture your username, passwords and account information or money for their own gain.

Thrift store manager Virginia Cervantez says that twice recently customers have reported received email notices headed: Purchases 2017 that instruct the receiver to remit a Thrift Store balance by PayPal to atlantaprecisionpianotuning.com/Invoices-Overdue/.

As of Monday, Dec. 18, the new Burnet County Emergency Service District (ESD) No. 9 Emergency Medical Service (EMS) station in Spicewood is operational — bringing a community effort to reality.

The station is located on Spur 191, adjacent to the Spicewood Elementary School, and will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by Marble Falls Area Emergency Medical Service (EMS).

Once the station is online, average paramedic response time for the Burnet County-Spicewood region will be reduced from 22 minutes to less than 10 minutes; a difference that could mean life or death for patients in need of assistance.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Victory in a years-long effort to establish a comfortable general fund balance seems to be in sight for the City of Granite Shoals.

City Manager Ken Nickel told the city council Tuesday night, Dec. 12, that he would have to wait for an official pronouncement from the upcoming audit, but the city's own summary of Fiscal Year 2016-2017 is promising.

“Between the increase in revenue and less money expended we are $243,456, net, to the good,” he said. “Added to current reserves, I believe we will hit the 90-day reserve of normal or best practices.

“It is nice to have the balance, but we have to remember, one major expense could knock it out.”

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Jewell, an Oldcastle Company, has announced it expects its a new state-of-art, 23,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Burnet County to be operational by the end of December 2017.

The multi-million dollar plant is located on the east side of US 281, not far from the intersection with Farm to Market Road 1855, about six miles north of Marble Falls and seven miles south of Burnet. The 15-acre tract will include an on-site quarry for raw materials.

This new plant will service Central Texas, including the Austin and San Antonio markets, according to a company press release Wednesday, Dec. 13. A grand opening is planned for late February or some time in March.

The Highlander notes publishing deadlines and office closures for the Christmas and New Year's Day holidays.

Deadlines are as follows for the Highlander:

* Tuesday, Dec. 19, at noon — Classifieds and News deadline for Dec. 22 edition

* Tuesday, Dec. 19, at noon – Classifieds and News deadline for Dec. 26 edition

* Tuesday, Dec. 26, at noon — Classifieds and News deadline for Dec. 29 edition

* Tuesday, Dec. 26, at noon — Classifieds and News deadline for Jan. 2 edition.

* Tuesday, Jan. 2, at noon — Classifieds and News deadline for Jan. 5 edition.

The Highlander office will be closed Monday, Dec. 25, for Christmas. The office will reopen at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 26. The office will again be closed Monday, Jan. 1, 2018, for New Year's Day and the office will reopen at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 2.