Llano County

A Llano woman was sentenced in a San Antonio courtroom to three years in federal prison Thursday, April 25, for stealing more than $900,000 from Arrowhead Bank in Llano, officials announced.

U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez sentenced Kelley Ranae Jones, 45, to the prison term followed by five years of supervised release and ordered that she pay $905,372.49 in restitution to the bank, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs..

By Phil Reynolds
Contributing Writer

Topics at the Llano County Precinct 2 town hall Tuesday, April 16, may have been few in number but they were wide-ranging in scope.

By Phil Reynolds
Contributing Writer

That new bridge over the Llano River may get a new name if Kingsland community leaders have something to say about it.

From staff reports

A Buchanan Dam man died March 28 after the all-terrain vehicle he was driving collided with a dump truck on Texas 261 near Bluffton, according to the Department of Public Safety report.

The incident happened around 11:33 a.m. that morning on the remote roadway, located in Llano County.

James Richard Von-Krosigk, 64, was initially sitting on an ATV parked at the entryway of his residence as a southbound 1996 Freightliner dump truck approached on Texas 261.

“Unit 1 (the ATV) shot out in front of unit 2 (the dump truck),” the DPS report stated.

The dump truck “swerved to the left crossing the double yellow line, trying to avoid crashing into unit 1 (the ATV),” according to the report.

From staff reports

On Monday, Feb. 25, President Donald Trump granted Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's request for a presidential disaster declaration for 33 Texas counties, including Burnet and Llano counties.

This action provides access to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation grant programs for impacted communities that are recovering and rebuilding following severe weather and flooding this past fall, especially the Oct. 16 Highland Lakes flood.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

A new perspective and new leads prompted the Llano County Sheriff Office Nov. 27 to take another look at a homicide cold case involving the discovery of a woman's body submerged and cemented into the hull of a boat just up from Inks Dam nearly a decade ago.

The woman, 46-year-old Holly Simmons of Buchanan Dam, was last seen alive Nov. 28, 2006 after she dropped one of her children off for school.

Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

The Texas Department of Transportation opted to re-open Slab Road (Ranch Road 3404) in Kingsland Nov. 13, despite concerns about whether the river-swollen roadway was safe for vehicle traffic.

Following the Oct. 16 Llano River flooding originating from Junction-area stormwater runoff, officials closed the roadway due to swift water and dangerous conditions. The closure changed Llano Independent School District bus routes and prompted commuters to search for detours.

Slab Road is one of two main thoroughfares in the Kingsland community which takes commuters south to Texas 71. The other roadway, Ranch-to-Market 2900, was closed due to flood waters washing away the bridge, at confluence of the Llano River and Lake LBJ. TXDOT has placed reconstruction of a new RM 2900 bridge on a six-month timeline for completion.

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.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

Llano County officially elected a new county judge in final but unofficial results during Tuesday's general election as a slate of unopposed Republican candidates filled the ballot.

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has asked President Donald Trump to approve a presidential disaster declaration for Burnet and Llano counties in the wake of flooding and severe weather which devastated the Highland Lakes last month.