Fredericksburg

Special to The Highlander

Texas Tech University is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Celia Merrill as the regional site director for Texas Tech at Highland Lakes in Marble Falls and Texas Tech at Fredericksburg.

Merrill brings to the position a combination of higher education teaching experience and consulting work that focuses on community collaboration among public and private sector stakeholders to address education, workforce, and economic development needs. She has taught technical communications for Texas Tech University and English for Central Texas College.

By Richard Zowie

Staff Writer

The Highlander

A Burnet resident and founder of Pecos Bill P-51 Freedom Flyers died Nov. 17 in Fredericksburg when his P-51 airplane crashed near an apartment complex on the tourist town's east side.

According to AV Web, Cowden Ward Jr. was flying the vintage World War II plane in a reenactment flight and was believed to have had a passenger who was a World War II pilot. Both he and passenger Vincent Losada, 93, of San Antonio, were killed.

The crash occurred around 3:16 p.m. on Saturday at Friendship Place Apartments, at 707 South Creek Street in Fredericksburg. Fredericksburg Fire EMS, Fredericksburg Police Department, Gillespie County Sheriff’s Department, and Texas Department of Public Safety were dispatched.

According to a City of Fredericksburg press release, no bystanders were injured, and residents of the apartments were later allowed back into the complex.