News

By Richard Zowie

The Highlander

A school fuel station project is under delay due to a sole bid that wasn’t within budget, and the Marble Falls Independent School District trustees heard of a “STEAM” curriculum that would emphasize the arts, during the school board’s Nov. 13 regular meeting.

The trustees also approved votes for the upcoming Burnet Central Appraisal District board race for 2018-2019.

Marble Falls ISD Transportation Fueling Station update

Work on building a new transportation fueling station facility for the school district has hit a snag.

The $1.7 million project, to be paid for out of the fund balance, would move the existing facility to the corner of Colt Circle and Indian Trail.

Jeff Gasaway, assistant superintendent of administrative operations, reported they received only one bid for the second phase, but the bid was not within the district’s allotted budget.

Llano County final, unofficial results for Nov. 7 Election Day confirm the decisions of Burnet County voters.
Cynthia Clinesmith and Reagan Lambert won the two Horseshoe Bay City Council seats.
Llano County results were 302 votes, or 42.48 percent, for Clinesmith and 271 votes, 38.12 percent, for Lambert. Hoover received 138 votes, 19.41 percent, of 711 votes cast.
Mayor Steve Jordan, unopposed, received 384 votes.
Also in Horseshoe Bay, Llano County voters said “yes” to the proposition to reauthorize a local sales and use tax at the rate of one-fourth of one percent to provide revenue for maintenance and repair of municipal streets. The vote was 367 votes, or 83.79 percent, in favor and 71 votes, 16.21 percent, against.
In Burnet County, voters in the  Horseshoe Bay City Council race, gave Cynthia Clinesmith, 15 votes, or 46.88 percent, Reagan Lambert, 14 votes, 43.75 percent, and Dennis R. Hoover, three votes, or 9.38 percent.

With the Burnet County Elections Office, final unofficial election results in, Nov. 7 Election Day voters lifted the totals in support of the $3 million for road improvements in Granite Shoals.
A scant 354 voters cast ballots in the election, but 194 of them, or 54.8 percent, voted for the proposition and 160, or 45.2 percent, against. A no vote would have killed the proposed road rehabilitation project for the three primary, north-south city streets. Approval means that bonds authorized last year can be sold and the project can move forward.
It is believed it is the first time in Texas that a city council asked voters if they were sure of a previous vote.
Of 152 early voters, 53.29 percent had voted against the proposition.

The early voting report from the Burnet County Elections Office, just in did not look promising for supporters of the $3 million for road improvements in Granite Shoals.

Of 152 early voters, it was 47.71 percent to reaffirm the bonds and 53.29 percent against.

In Horseshoe Bay, all 12 who voted for Proposition 1(reauthorization of a local sales and use tax at the rate of one-fourthof one percent to provide revenue for maintenance and repair of municipal streets) supported it. The candidate count was Reagan Lambert, 11 votes;  Cynthia Clinesmith, 8 votes and Dennis R. Hoover, one vote. When all Burnet and Llano county votes are in, the top two vote getters will take council seats.

Mayor Steve Jordan, unopposed, logged 10 votes.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

If ever a job were custom made for a new employee it is senior vice president of community services at the Texas Housing Foundation (THF).

Former county judge Donna Klaeger, instrumental in creating the THF Community Resource Center in Marble Falls, has been named to the position that will coordinate services in that center, others in Llano and Liberty Hill and one being created in Johnson City.

Mark Mayfield, president and CEO of the Texas Housing Foundation, made the announcement Wednesday, Nov. 1. Known jointly as Community Resource Centers of Texas, Inc. (CRC) their mission is to provide social and public health services to qualified clients supported by area nonprofit organizations and government agencies.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

On Wednesday, Nov. 7, Glenna Deskins will be recognized for what customers of the Marble Falls H-E-B knew already.

She is to receive the Spirit of H-E-B Award for the Central Texas Region.

The pharmacy technician is probably best known for her winning smile that greets customers at the annual the vaccination clinics inside the H-E-B Pharmacy. Deskins has been with the local H-E-B store for 19 years, a second career after retiring here with her husband, Darvis, 20 years ago.

“I had worked in the medical field all my life, starting with answering the phone up to office manager with internal medicine, pediatrics and surgery,” Said Deskins. “It wasn't long after we retired before pharmacy seemed like a good fit.”

There is a good reason everyone associates Deskins with flu season.

A Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Highway Patrol Trooper died Saturday afternoon in Bell County following a traffic crash and a Temple news source reports a driver at the scene was from Marble Falls.

Senior Trooper Thomas Nipper, 63, was conducting a traffic stop on the south bound shoulder of I-35 in Temple, at approximately 3:05 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, when his patrol car was struck from behind by a Chevrolet pickup, according to a DPS press release.

Trooper Nipper was transported to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased. The crash, which took place in the Temple city limits, is under investigation and no additional details have been available from the DPS.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

As Marble Falls moves along a path to annex new property south of current city limits, it may have to negotiate extraterritorial jurisdiction territory with Round Mountain.

The Marble Falls City Council held public hearings on the annexation of 1,290 acres of land on Oct. 24 and Oct. 30 and it was at that second meeting that considerations about Round Mountain came to the agenda. This Tuesday night, Nov. 7, a second executive session will look at the boundaries of their most southerly neighbor.