Marble Falls news

By Nathan Hendrix
Staff Writer

The Marble Falls Independent School District school board last week weighed the benefits and drawbacks of relocating the newly-founded STEAM Academy to Marble Falls Middle School for the 2019-2020 school year.

Special to The Highlander

A really nice love song is a great way to express love for your best gal or guy. If you are not that confident of your singing voice, the Hill Country Blenders have a deal for you!

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 Nathan Hendrix
Staff Writer

The Marble Falls Independent School District school board discussed preliminary plans for extensive paving additions and changes to be made at several campuses throughout the district at the monthly board meeting on Jan. 22.

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

The name Dorothy Crockett became synonymous with Horseshoe Bay, thanks in large part to her tireless chronicles of the comings and goings of local residents through her weekly “Horseshoe Bay Happenings” column in The Highlander.

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

A Waco company will be making upgrades to the Burnet County Jail security system that will have the jail using manual controls for about a week during the installation.

After hearing a quick presentation from Sydaptic Inc., the Burnet County commissioners on Wednesday, Jan. 23, approved contracting with the company for $695,137 to install new hardware and software controls at the jail on Polk Avenue (Texas 29).

Sypdatic did not submit the lowest overall bid, but did submit what officials believed to be the best bid overall. Jail Capt. Matt Kimbler told commissioners a committee which studied bids submitted for the work recommended going with Sydaptic because of the amount of time the system would be down.

By Connie Swinney

Growing up in west Texas, I was privileged to view the world from a perspective which emphasized exceptionalism, self-sufficiency, hard work and faith.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

From water and infrastructure provisions to public health and safety response, an upcoming Marble Falls Town Hall Meeting will examine the municipality's response and community's recovery in the wake of the October flood event.

The Town Hall Meeting is scheduled for 6 pm. on Tuesday, Jan. 29 at the Marble Falls Public Safety Facility (police station/municipal court building), 606 Avenue N in Marble Falls.

“We'll discuss the incident, the response and the recovery,” Assistant City Manager Caleb Kraenzel said. “How did the city do? What feedback? How we can do better?”

On Oct. 16, flood waters from the Llano River rushed into the Highland Lakes submerging lakeside homes and damaging private property as well as some public roadways and city infrastructure. Along with the city of Marble Falls, community's impacted by flood waters included Cottonwood Shores, Granite Shoals, Horseshoe Bay and Kingsland.

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

The Marble Falls High School Mustang cheerleaders reached new heights Friday, Jan. 18, with a sixth-place finish in Class 5A Division II at the UIL Spirit Competition in Fort Worth — the program's best finish ever.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

After nearly a week of being in-service Marble Falls Fire Rescue personnel noticed the benefit of the entity's new squad response SUV.

“It's a better use of resources,” Marble Falls Fire Capt. Sam Stacks said. “It's going to improve our customer service.”

Crews placed the response vehicle in service the morning of Jan. 15.

“So far, it's working great,” Marble Falls Fire Engineer Randy Rankin said. “It's putting less wear and tear on the engine.

“It's also much easier to maneuver.”

Along with the new SUV, the department received a $553,968 U.S. Department of Homeland Security Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) grant.

The grant increases the number of firefighters within the agency, adding one to each shift. Each shift will staff five firefighters. The new crew members were sworn in on the same day the vehicle went into service.