Kingsland

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

Requests from local city leaders, citing continued flood-damage repair, prompted the Lower Colorado River Authority to extend a drawdown of Lakes Marble Falls and LBJ for three more weeks, officials said.

The initial eight-week drawdown will go through March 18 with both waterways expected to be back to normal operating range by March 22.

Starting Dec. 30, crews began lowering Lake Marble Falls to reach its 7-ft. level today and Lake LBJ to about 4 ft.

“We jointly reached the conclusion that the drawdown should be extended three weeks to allow property owners more time to complete repairs and cleanup,” Marble Falls Mayor John Packer said in an LCRA statement.
Horseshoe Bay Mayor Steve Jordan added: “The close working relationship we have with LCRA allowed us to be a participant in reaching the decision to continue the lake drawdown period.”

By Nathan Hendrix
Staff Writer

One Hill Country resident is able to hear life with a little more clarity after a generous gift from a local business.

Dolores Kasper, 88, of Kingsland received a free pair of Phonak Bolero B90-SP hearing aids from Estes Audiology on Tuesday, Jan. 22 as part of the company's gift of hearing program.

“These are top-of-the-line,” said Tricia Hastings, patient care coordinator at Estes. “They are strong enough to fit the severity of her hearing loss.”

Kasper is a retired small business owner who now lives alone in Kingsland; she has been a patient with Estes for over five years. She is blind and wheelchair-bound, but still finds joy in life. Throughout the entire appointment with Dr. Katherine Sonnamaker, Kasper told jokes and laughed as if nothing ailed her.

“It's so nice to be able to do this for her,” Sonnamaker said. “Hearing is all she has left to connect with the world.”

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

Llano County investigators believe a man suspected in the stabbing death of a 49-year-old Kingsland woman may have caused his own life-threatening injuries.

A neighbor in the 200 block of Ridgeway called 9-1-1 around 4:45 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19 in Kingsland, according to a press release from the Llano County Sheriff's Office.

“The caller claimed a man showed up at his door with injuries. Deputies were dispatched to the scene and through an initial investigation and talking to the injured man, determined that a homicide occurred at a residence in the 300 block Ridgeway Street,” the release stated. “A female victim was found at that residence.”

The victim was identified as 49-year-old Rachel Mansell.

Investigators were dispatched to the scene and determined the case to be a “homicide.”

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

Flooding, fire and the loss of the beloved Bluebonnet Belle topped headlines in The Highlander for 2018.

Historic flood event

By Phil Reynolds
The Highlander

Llano County commissioners will try again today, Friday, Nov. 16, to agree on whether or not to accept a Lower Colorado River Authority grant for flood debris cleanup. They’ll also look at proposals from potential contractors for debris removal and they’ll make the results from the Nov. 6 election official.

Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

Almost a month after the Llano River flood event, residents continue to drive past several piles of post flood trash on state right-of-way along Ranch to Market Road 1431 and RM 2545, considered main thoroughfares within the community.

Both the Texas Department of Transportation and Llano County Commissioners recently contracted with private entities for trash removal.

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

Capital Excavation Company crews continued Sunday afternoon working on the south side of Ranch to Market Road 2900 to undertake what will be a monumental task — building a new 2900 bridge within 150 days.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) officials conducted a press conference in Austin Oct. 26, revealing the bridge could be completed as early as April 2019.

Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

Plans take shape to replace the collapsed RR 2900 Bridge in Kingsland, as Texas Department of Transportation coordinate engineering meetings, draft designs and seek an emergency contract to potentially begin the process in December, officials say.

On Oct. 16, flood waters from Junction swept into the Llano River eventually slamming into the Highland Lakes at the mouth of Lake LBJ, washing away the structure.

By Savanna Gregg
Staff Writer

In the face of disaster, victims rely on faith to remain strong and face the adversity head-on. After the Hill Country flood on Tuesday, Oct. 16, members of the Granite Shoals Faith Alliance and the Texas Baptist Men's group stepped up to instill that faith in members of their community and help many families back on their feet.

A body found near Circle Drive near Kingsland on Lake LBJ during Tuesday's flooding has been identified as a woman who went missing in Llano River flooding in Junction nearly three weeks ago.

The Travis County Medical Examiner has identifed the body as being that of Charlotte Moye, according to the Burnet County Sheriff's Department, which issued a press release Saturday, Oct. 20.

Sheriff's deputies responded to a call to the Lake LBJ waterfront in the 700 block of Circle Drive at 11:58 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16. The complainant believed he had located a body that had washed ashore during flooding on Lake LBJ.

Patrol deputies arrived and called investigators to the scene. The victim was pronounced deceased by Burnet County Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Roxanne Nelson and an autopsy was ordered. The body was sent to the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office for identification and an autopsy.