News

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Marble Falls City Council took a stand of sorts against rising natural gas prices for some 1,325 citizens who are customers of ATMOS.

The city is a member of the ATMOS Texas Municipalities (ATM), a group of municipalities served by the ATMOS Energy Corporation, Mid-Tex Division. The ATM had retained legal counsel and consultants to review the latest proposed rate increases by the natural gas service company.

ATMOS was seeking a $57.4 million increase that equated to a base-rate increase of about 8.35 percent. The company settled for a $48 million hike, or a base-rate increase of about seven percent.

“Most of the cities involved have approved the increase,” said City Manager Mike Hodge. “It went into effect June 1.”

So far, however, the Marble Falls council declines approval, if only to make a point.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The City of Horseshoe Bay has made no official comment on events that may have led the death of Supervisor for Water Plant Operations Steve Hawley, as an investigation into his passing after scuba diving at work on May 26 continues.

Hawley died May 31 at St. David's Hospital in Austin. He had been transferred there from the Baylor Scott & White Level I Trauma Center in Lakeway.

“Steve will be sorely missed,” said Horseshoe Bay City Manager Stan Farmer. “He was more than a colleague; he was part of our family here. He had worked for the city for five years.”

Horseshoe Bay Police Chief Rocky Wardlow, echoed Farmer's sentiment.

“It is a big loss,” said Wardlow. “I considered him a friend myself and this is a big loss.”

Emergecy medical personnel may be the first to encounter a traumatized child and now they have another tool in their kits to provide the best care in the Highland Lakes area.

Two trauma-informed care trainings were provided by Phoenix Center for 26 Marble Falls Area Emergency Medical Service (MFAEMS) professionals to expand awareness of the impact of trauma childhood trauma and provide effective tools and strategies for interacting with children and families in emergency situations.

This community collaboration began after Kevin Naumann, president of the Marble Falls Independent School District (MFISD) Board of Trustees and the operations director for Marble Falls Area EMS, attended an MFISD board meeting in November 2016 and heard about the numerous trauma-informed trainings Phoenix Center has provided for the school district.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Ask any travelers that frequent the uphill climb east along Broadway Street or the interchange of Mormon Mill Road and Mission Hills Drive at US 281 in Marble Falls and they will tell you a lot has been going on this spring.

The first has the biggest budget impact and the second the biggest effect on traffic and safety.

Broadway Street

The big project is a complete overhaul of Broadway—a $470,000 Capital Improvement Project begun in May—to bring one of the city's oldest residential streets into the 21st Century.

“We held several public meetings with all the people that live along Broadway, informing they of what was happening,” said City Engineer Eric Belaj. “Basically we are allowing local traffic in off-construction hours and blocking through traffic during working hours.”

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

Marble Falls Independent School District will give all staff a three-percent midpoint general pay increase (MGPI) beginning in 2017-18 after the Board of Trustees voted to do so Monday night.

During a special called meeting, Marble Falls ISD trustees approved a plan to include the salary increase for teachers, nurses, librarians, administrative, administrative/professional, clerical/paraprofessional and auxiliary staff.

Also included was a $25 per month additional contribution to employees' health insurance benefits, which gives employees an extra $300 per year in their paychecks to cover the cost of their health insurance premiums.

Local first responders will be taking advantage of plans by Panda Express to come to Marble Falls.

Training will be going on during the next several weeks in an abandoned building in the 2000 block of US 281 North, next to Chick-fil-A, so citizens don't need to be alarmed by an increase in first responder traffic there.

“The building is slated for demolition to make way for the new Panda Express,” said Marble Falls Fire Chief Russell Sander. “This provides area fire departments an excellent opportunity to train firefighters in a commercial building and practice some skills that normally require special facilities to complete.

“No actual fire will be used during this training.”

Sander made his comments in a press release to alert residents they would see increased Marble Falls Fire Rescue and other first responser activity around the building at various times.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

A Kingsland motel has been declared “uninhabitable” by the Texas State Fire Marshal and tenants have been barred from staying there unless or until repairs have been made.

State and local officials converged on the LBJ Motel at 13813 Ranch to Market Road 1431 about 11 a.m. Monday, June 5, to investigate.

“Essentially there had been a lot of complaints about the motel, about loose wiring and other things,” said Burnet County Sheriff Calvin Boyd on Tuesday. “The state fire marshal said the people there could stay the night, but they had to be out by 8 a.m. this morning.”

The official notice was posted on the door of the motel office at a little after 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Free meals for children and students are being served in school cafeterias and from food and book busses again this summer by the Child Nutrition Services of the Marble Falls Independent School District.

“Cafeterias at Marble Falls High School (MFHS) and Marble Falls Elementary School (MFES) are open to the public for meals that are free for ages one-18,” said Elizabeth Almazan of Child Nutrition Services. “Adults can eat a breakfast for $2 and lunch for $3.50.”

The MFHS cafeteria, 2101 Mustang Drive, will be open through June 30, with breakfast from 7:15-7:45 a.m. and lunch from 11:30 a.m.-noon.

The MFES cafeteria, 1909 Broadway Street, will be open, except for July 4, through July 28, with breakfast from 7:15-7:45 a.m. and lunch from 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Busses with free food and books to enjoy this summer will stop at two locations for lunch (no breakfast) through July 29, except for July 4.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Granite Shoals City Council on Tuesday, May 23, resolved to name the city airport after its longtime manager, the late Robert T. “Bob” Sylvester.

Now to be known as Granite Shoals Bob Sylvester Airpark, the municipal field, bounded by Forest Hills, Mystic, Green Forest and Sherwood Forest drives, is to be formally changed to a Federal Aeronautics Administration (FAA) public designation.

“That will allow pilots to land without city manager permission,” said City Manager Ken Nickel. “Pilots will be able to turn on the lights for night landings, as well as using it in the daytime.”