News

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

Construction on the Pedernales Electric Cooperative's new Northwest Operations Center in Marble Falls is about 65 percent complete, and barring any major delays, should be ready to move in by late January, PEC officials said Thursday.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

Burnet County residents are invited to “Remember Our Fallen” at a traveling exhibit on display at Lakeside Pavilion through Monday, Sept. 11.

The Texas-specific version of the “Remember Our Fallen” memorial, created by non-profit Patriotic Productions in conjunction with Bellevue University, is being brought to Marble Falls by Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home and the Texas Funeral Directors Association.

The exhibit arrived in town Thursday, Sept. 7, with an escort from local first responders from the intersection of US 281 and Texas 71 south of town to Lakeside Pavilion. It will open  for viewing through the local recognitions of the 16th  anniversary of the 9-11 terror attacks on New York and Washington, D.C.

As cities finalize new tax rates, the Burnet Central Appraisal District (CAD) is already begun 2018 field work.

However, Chief Appraiser Stan Hemphill is bringing city councils up to date on the work of the CAD and, when he spoke Tuesday, Sept. 5, to the Marble Falls City Council, he confirmed what anyone driving down city streets and county roads can see.

“A lot of building has been going on in the county,” said Hemphill, whose office regularly receives notice of building permits from cities and the county. “New construction for 2017 has been $150 million county-wide.

“There are a lot of new subdivisions (and) Marble Falls has already exceeded the ownership changes it had last year. Mustang Ridge in Marble Falls, for example, is mostly sold out and most of the lots have changed hands.”

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

In a series of unanimous votes, the Marble Falls City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 5, approved ordinances adopting the Fiscal Year 2017-2018 tax rate and budget and amendments to the Master Fee Schedule and the Marble Falls Economic Development Corporation budget.

The total tax rate of of .6340 or 63.4 cents per $100 valuation, is comprised of .3982 for the Interest and Sinking Fund (I&S) and .2358 for maintenance and operation (M&O). The total is 1.43 cents per $100 valuation lower than the previous year and the percentage devoted to maintenance and operation, slightly greater.

“This $41 million budget has been a five month process for the staff,” said Finance Manager Margie Cardenas. “And it represents your work at the July 2013 workshop.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Before the city council meeting Tuesday, Sept. 5, one of the new patrol vehicles that had arrived at the Marble Falls Police Department (MFPD) was capturing the attention of those arriving.

The City of Marble Falls Police Department has taken delivery of four new Ford Explorer Police Interceptors.

The Interceptors, the law enforcement model of an Explorer, replaced older Ford Crown Victoria Interceptor sedans that had logged more than 100,000 miles each. They were purchased through the Houston-Galveston Area Council of Governments (HGAC) buy board at a substantial discount.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Marble Falls Police Department (MFPD) has released the identity of the driver who died in the Aug. 31, four-car crash in the 1900 Block of Ranch to Market Road 1431.

Capt. Tom Dillard, who was part of the team investigating the rush hour accident, said Alonso Castaneda Vazquez Jr., 39, of Colorado City was the driver of the 2017 Honda Civic stolen in June in Dallas.

“He rear-ended a truck and, we assume, he didn't want to stay on the scene in a stolen car and did a U-turn into oncoming traffic,” explained Capt. Glenn Hanson, MFPD public information officer.

Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

According to a notice published in The Highlander Friday, Sept. 1, the southernmost edge of the City of Marble Falls is to be the site of a new rock and concrete crushing plant.

Asphalt, Inc., the company against which the Spicewood Community was unsuccessful in its attempts to block a hot mix plant, has applied for an air permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Citizens have just 30 days to submit comments in the process.

The notice comes just as Central Texas-Gateway to the Hill Country Beautification Project has set Saturday, Sept. 9 as the seeding of the intersection of US 281 and Texas 71. Members of that non-profit organization have been working closely with the new Gregg Ranch development.

Both of them are expressing concern already.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The driver of a car stolen in Dallas died in a four-car crash he caused at 4:39 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31, on Ranch to Market Road 1431 in Marble Falls.

Clearing a four-car crash on the major east-west thoroughfare at rush hour led to 15-45-minute traffic jams on every alternate route—all exacerbated by lines of cars at fuel stops responding to rumors of a gas shortage Thursday.

“The 2017 four-door sedan was stolen in June,” said Capt. Glenn Hanson of the Marble Falls Police Department (MFPD). “He rear-ended a truck and, we assume, he didn't want to stay on the scene and did a U-turn into oncoming traffic.

“Four vehicles were involved and someone was injured in each vehicle. One seriously-injured woman was transported to Dell-Seton Hospital, I understand.”

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

While local residents work diligently to do what they can for victims of Hurricane Harvey, officials recommend caution and offer some sound advice.

That includes thinking down the road to arrival.

“After so many calls to offer help, official statements have been issued from Burnet County Judge James Oakley and Marble Falls Mayor John Packer about being effective,” said Burnet County Emergency Management Coordinator Jim Barho. “After Hurricane Katrina, two truckloads of donations had to be thrown away. They were not cleaned or sorted by size and for boys or girls, men or women and they didn't have a clear destination.”

We Are Blood, a provider of blood to Central Texas hospitals, is currently experiencing a critical shortage of O Negative and O Positive blood. With school starting, Labor Day weekend fast approaching, and the potential for severe weather in the area, the critical need for O Negative and Positive blood is anticipated to continue through the next two weeks.

Eligible donors — even those who do not know their blood type — are encouraged to take part in mobile drives or visit one of the three We Are Blood locations:

* AUSTIN NORTH: 4300 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin.

* ROUND ROCK: 2132 North Mays, Ste. 900, Round Rock.

* AUSTIN SOUTH: 3100 W. Slaughter Lane, Austin.