News

Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The City of Cottonwood Shores has just one decision on the May 6 ballot—city sales tax.

Each seat up for election on the city council had a single applicant. Mayor Donald Orr was unopposed as were Brigitte Stella Thomas for Place 2 and Stephen Alexander for Place 4.

The choice, then, is “for” or “against” Proposition 1: Shall the city council be reauthorized to impose a local sales and use tax at the rate of one-fourth of one percent to continue providing revenue for maintenance and repair of municipal streets?

“During the past 10 years that this has been in existence, Cottonwood Shores has been able to hard top or re-top most all of our streets,” said Mayor Orr. “We still have several to finish. We would like to continue to rely on this revenue, dedicated specifically to streets, to fund this effort.

Note: In publication, two errors were made in relating responses by Bobby Brown in the Tuesday, April 25, edition of The Highlander. The corrected quotes are seen below in red type.

Although David Baker drew no challenger, he offered responses to the questions we asked and those answers are included also here in HighlanderNews.com,  following candidate forum biographies.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Early voting began Monday, April 24, and in Meadowlakes, two places on the ballot are contested.

In their ballot order, Edwin O'Hayre and Mel Hazlewood are candidates for Place 4 and Bobby Brown and Charles Henley are in the running for Place 5.

Two candidates for mayor of Granite Shoals will face off Saturday, May 6, in the General Election. They are incumbent Mayor Carl Brugger and challenger Mike Steenbergen.

Filing unopposed for re-election were businesswoman Anita Hisey and Jim Davant, a retiree who has served on the Planning & Zoning Commission and Street and Water Advisory Group, and local surveyor Todd Holland, for Places 1, 3 and 5, respectively.

The Highlander asked the two mayorial candidates five questions about their qualifications and ideas for being the city's chief municipal leader and their responses appear below. In the interest of fairness, we have alternated which candidate's answer appears first.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

As some candidates prepare to go to voters May 6, the candidate for Place 4 on the Marble Falls City Council will apply directly.

Until May 8, City Secretary Christina McDonald is accepting applications for appointment to the place that drew no candidates for the 2017 General Election.

Mayor John Packer filed for re-election, but no other incumbent asked to return. Only two citizens filed for three seats up for election this spring.

David Rhodes will assume Place 2, now held by Mayor Pro Tem Jane Marie Hurst, and Megan Klaeger filed for Place 6, now held by Council Member Ryan Nash. No one filed for Place 4.

As a result, not election will be held and it falls to the city council to appoint the replacement for Council Member Rachel Austin-Cook, now serving in Place 4.

The successful candidate will serve until the May 2018 General Election.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

April is Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month and Highland Lakes residents are being called upon to take part is special Go Blue observances Monday, April 24, and Sunday, April 30.

A ceremony to honor all child victims of abuse and neglect will be held from 5:30-6 p.m. April 24 at the amphitheater of Johnson Park, 230 Avenue J, in Marble Falls.

The annual bell ringing event is sponsored by Court Appointed Advocates (CASA) for the Highland Lakes Area and Marble Falls Daybreak Rotary.

Other groups dedicated to the protection of children, the Burnet County Child Welfare Board (BCCWB), the Hill Country Children's Advocacy Center (HCCA), and Child Protective Services (CPS) caseworkers will be on hand also for the signing of a proclamation at the Burnet County Commissioners Court Tuesday, April 11, and other similar city events throughout the month.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Cottonwood Shores has a new police chief.

On the job since April 10 is Gregory Palmer, a 23-year veteran of law enforcement.

“Cottonwood Shores was blessed with multiple excellent candidates,” said Shiela Moore, city administrator and city secretary. “Mayor Donald Orr, Mayor Pro Tem Stephen Sherry and I interviewed many candidates for the position. We narrowed the results down to our top four candidates and presented them to the council in a special meeting March 28.”

The city council agreed with the opinion of the selection committee and Palmer was invited to become the new chief of the Cottonwood Shores Police Department.

Palmer holds Master Peace Officer’s certification. In addition to positions with the Trinity and Houston police departments, he has served with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office.

A grand opening of the new Granite Shoals Wildlife Viewing Station will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 30.
The announcement was made at the April 11 meeting of the Granite Shoals City Council.
“This is the newest feature for Quarry Park,” said City Manager Ken Nickel. “It is similar to one at Inks Lake State Park. It was all at their expense.”
Directional signs will lead walkers to the station, just steps off the Leo Manzano Hike Bike & Run Trail. The trail begins near the entrance to city hall and 2221 North Phillips Ranch Road. Viewers will be able to observe and photograph birds and other wildlife at a small pond.

CONSUMER ALERT:  H-E-B Voluntarily Issues a Precautionary Recall

H-E-B and Hill Country Fare sandwich bread with a best buy date of April 29 or earlier is being recalled for potential rubber in the product. The recall was based on the discovery of a single piece of rubber in a single loaf of bread.

No injuries were reported when a Austin Western Railroad (Watco Companies) train derailed early this morning, April 19, on the west side of Bertram at the intersection of Texas 29 and County Road 252, just across from Johnnie Mae Wheeler Park.

Mechanical failure likely is the reason 22 rail cars and two engines left the tracks at about 1:17 a.m., with an early investigation pointing to a rail breaking, causing the No. 6 boxcar to derail, according to Bertram Police Chief J.J. Wilson. All of the cars were empty, so there was no spill to clean up. Only two engineers were aboard at the time of the incident.

Originally, two crossings in Bertram at Lampasas and West streets were blocked, but they were cleared by 3:45 a.m. Heavy equipment crews were on the scene, working to remove the toppled cars. A repair crew is being called in from Houston to repair the rail, which could take several days.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

In an investigation still ongoing in Granite Shoals, Dustin Allen Badger, 27, is facing first degree felony charges of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child and Sex Abuse of a Child Continuous of a victim younger than 14.

Badger was arrested on the first charge April 12, while victim outcry interviews were still underway at the Hill Country Child Advocacy Center. The Granite Shoals Police Department (GSPD) requested cooperation from the press to delay coverage as the investigation continued.

Arrest on the second charge took place Monday night, April 17, and Tuesday the GSPD issued an official press release on the investigation of the young man with no prior assaultive or sex offenses on his record and, in Burnet County, only one previous arrest for driving with an invalid license.