Llano County Sheriff's Office

A Letter from Llano County Sheriff Bill Blackburn:

I would like to address the article in last week’s paper concerning the “depopulation” of the Llano County Jail.

First, only in the last two weeks did I know the term “depopulation” existed.

As to my current understanding of the term, it would mean shutting down jail operation, firing all jail personnel, transfer all prisoners to Burnet County Jail, transport people arrested in Llano County to Burnet for incarceration, which includes all arrest made by the City of Llano, Sunrise Beach Village, the portion of Horseshoe Bay that lies in Llano County and all arrest made by Llano County SO in all of Llano County, all arrests made by Texas Rangers, Texas DPS troopers, Texas Parks and Wildlife and any and all Federal Agencies that arrest in Llano County.

This story appeared in the Tuesday, Aug. 6, edition of The Highlander. It prompted a letter to the editor on Thursday, Aug. 10, also found here on HighlanderNews.com and to be included in the Friday, Aug. 11, print edition of The Highlander.

By Phil Reynolds

The Highlander

Llano County commissioners got an earful Monday from county residents who want to keep the county jail open.

Commissioners held a budget workshop but part of that involved a study by Precinct One Commissioner Peter Jones on the feasibility of turning Llano County Jail prisoners over to Burnet County under a contract yet to be written.

Jones emphasized that he hasn’t finished the study. But he said preliminary numbers indicate that the county could save some $170,000 a year by sending inmates to the reginal jail in Burnet.

No word is yet available on the condition of a motorcyclist airlifted from an accident between Kingsland and Buchanan Dam at 12:44 a.m. this morning, Friday, July 28.

Records of the call that came in to the Llano County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) just shortly indicated the rider was without a helmet.

The Texas Department of Public Safety is in charge of the investigation, but LCSO, Llano Emergency Medical Service and the Buchanan Dam Volunteer Fire Department responded to the call. AirEvac transported the injured man to the trauma center at Baylor Scott & White Hospital – Williamson County in Round Rock.

The scene of the accident was between Twin Liquors, 7317 West Ranch to Market Road 1431 and Pat's Pub at 7018 West RM 1431.