Llano County Texas news

By Phil Reynolds

The Highlander

Watch out for the guy on the other side of the aisle, but also keep an eye on your friend from the city.

That was the advice from State Rep. Andrew Murr, R-Junction, to about 50 constituents at the Kingsland Library on Wednesday, Oct. 4.

Murr, in his second term as a representative, led a lively conversation that ranged from problems with school funding to campaigning for Speaker of the House in the town hall-style meeting that ran from 4-:30 p.m.

A problem rural representatives like him face is that urban legislators far outnumber them, Murr said. He noted that of the 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives, 100 are from only 15 counties. That leaves the remaining 50 members to cover the rest of the state.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

Burnet County commissioners voted unanimously to accept $1.82 million from the Capital Area Council of Governments to upgrade the CAPCOG Western Counties Radio Interoperable Communications System used by Burnet, Blanco and Llano counties.

Also in their Tuesday, Sept. 26 meeting, commissioners also unanimously approved a contract with Motorola for upgrades to the 11 towers in the Western Counties system.

By Phil Reynolds

The Highlander

Llano County commissioners adjusted the proposed 2018 budget downward by $1,748 before finally approving it, but only after no one showed up at a Monday, Sept. 11, hearing on the budget.

The action sets the county’s budget for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. It’s $574,042 more than the budget set for this year, an increase of of nearly 3.9 percent.

The Hill Country Humane Society (HCHS) is busy putting the finishing touches on its second annual Wags & Whiskers Gala, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 23, from 6-10 p.m.

Sponsorship opportunities and tickets priced at $50 each are still available to the public by calling HCHS directly at 512-793-5463.

The gala will take place at the Hill Country Hall, 15675 Texas 29, Buchanan Dam. Festivities will include dinner by Spyke’s Bar-B-Que of Kingsland, dancing to the sounds of the Instigators Band, silent auction items, and door prizes.

Rather than planning one more pre-school trip to the Gulf Coast, Highland Lakes residents were tracking path of Hurricane Harvey.

The storm was elevated from Tropical Depression status Thursday, Aug. 24, expected to make landfall late Friday in between Corpus Cristi and Matagorda Bay as a Category 3 storm, with winds exceeding 110 mph, according to the National Weather Service (NWS)--the firs of that kind since Hurricane Ike in October of 2005.

It prompted the first Storm Surge Warning ever issued officially by the National Weather Service—one in effect along the Texas coast from Port Mansfield to High Island. A Storm Surge Watch is in effect from south of Port Mansfield Texas to the Mouth of the Rio Grande.

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.

Chi Omega Fraternity alumnae in Blanco, Burnet, and Llano counties recently formed a new alumnae group, Highland Lakes Chi Omega Alumnae that meets next tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 3.

The new group will be meeting together on a regular basis for fun and friendship. Their most recent event was held at the home of Jean Anderson in Horseshoe Bay, where everyone enjoyed a wonderful dinner and the lovely view of Lake LBJ from her spacious deck.

Other events have included a pizza dinner and wine tasting at Flat Creek Enoteca in Marble Falls and an organizational luncheon at Francesco's in Marble Falls. The next Chi Omega Alumnae meeting will take place Thursday, Aug. 3, at 5:30 p.m.

If you are a Chi Omega Fraternity alumna living in the area and interested in joining the group, please contact highlandlakeschio@gmail.com. Be sure to include your contact information, address and initiating chapter.

By Phil Reynolds

The Highlander

Llano County Precinct 2 Constable Richard Harris just got a new deputy. Only this one has four legs instead of two, and gets his kicks from a tennis ball.

Llano County commissioners unanimously agreed Monday to impose a burn ban county-wide. The vote was unanimous.

The ban is effective immediately, County Judge Mary Cunningham said.

Precinct 2 Commissioner Linda Raschke said with weather conditions as they are, headed into a Central Texas summer, it’s likely the ban will remain in effect until autumn.

The Burnet County Commissioners Court instituted a ban on outdoor burning June 27.