Cottonwood Shores

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

Before noon on March 18, 10 requests came into the Highland Lakes Crisis Network office, 1007 Broadway Ave., from elderly residents asking for help obtaining groceries as the coronavirus scare continues to clear store shelves in the community.

“By coincidence one of the people who we deliver (Meals on Wheels) to called in today needing help grocery shopping,” said Ron Munos, a HLCN volunteer, who works with the Meals program as well. “She's afraid to get out. My wife got her list, and if it's not perishable, we'll pick it up this afternoon because we deliver to her anyway.

By Nathan Hendrix
Staff Writer

The City of Granite Shoals is considering the implementation of a boat launching fee, assessed to both residents and visitors, to counter rising costs of ramp maintenance.

By Connie Swinney
The Highlander

As Helping Center Executive Director Sam Pearce has known for years, a dry, hot summer can lead to a food drought without community assistance.

From staff reports

Cottonwood Shores and auto theft task force authorities have issued a public warning about a “dangerous felon,” wanted for crimes including illegal possession of a firearm and evading arrest.

By Phil Reynolds
Contributing Writer

With the approval of what may be a unique city agency Thursday, Cottonwood Shores city council members took another step toward what some city officials believe to be a path to development.

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

With a week left for candidates for city council and school boards to file for election, the city of Marble Falls has four candidates in place for four positions on the May 4 ballot.

From staff reports

Police identified a man who was killed in a two-vehicle crash on RR 2147 West Feb 4, just off the intersection of Rocky Road.

The accident happened around 12:45 p.m. that afternoon and blocked traffic for about two hours while crews assessed and cleared the scene.

Alvis McClure, 78, of Horseshoe Bay was traveling east in a Jeep SUV, when he left his lane and went into on-coming traffic, Marble Falls police reported.

The SUV collided with a Ford pickup truck driven by David Martin 46, of Marble Falls.

Burnet County Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace Debbie Bindseil pronounced McClure dead at the scene.

There were no other reports of injuries.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Police ordered an autopsy.

As crews cleared the scene, traffic was blocked, re-routed and/or stalled for about two hours.

By Phil Reynolds

The Highlander

The City of Cottonwood Shores has kept the same property tax rate, 54.38 cents per $100 of property valuation, for three years. Now a 14 percent leap in overall valuation is forcing city council members to lower the tax rate to keep from facing the possibility of a rollback tax election.

Burnet County continues to see strong gains in sales tax rebates, as almost every city has experienced an increase of more than eight percent above last year's rebate revenue, with one exception.

Marble Falls, Burnet, Granite Shoals, Cottonwood Shores and Horseshoe Bay all have seen a significant jump in sales tax allocations as the percentage exceeds that for cities in the state, as Texas cities received $439.8 million in July 2017, or eight percent more revenue than in July 2016, and are up 3.2 percent overall for the year.

Those allocations are based on sales made in May by businesses that report tax monthly, according to Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

It was a mystery that bedeviled the cast of the newest Hill Country Community Theatre play, “Murder Weapon.”

What was in the theatre building in Cottonwood Shores that was leaving behind a mess, including overturned coffee cups and tossed trash, as evidence of its existence? Could it be a poltergeist or perhaps something far more sinister?

As it turns out, the culprit was caught after a trap was laid nearly as craftily as the one set for the suspect in the late Brian Clemens' suspenseful thriller, set to debut at the theatre on April 20.
The cast held a character workshop Thursday, March 30, before a cage trap was set out on the stage. At 7:45 a.m., play director Laura Gisi came into the theatre and found the culprit, Rocky Raccoon, wearing his “mask” and finally where he belonged – behind bars.