Marble Falls Police Department

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

When the owner of a local business filed the report of an attempted burglary, he brought his own video of the crime and that led a quick identification of the perpetrator.

“The suspect knows we have identified him and talked with him,” said Detective Sgt. Trisha Ratliff of the Marble Falls Police Department on Thursday, Feb. 2. “We are having a serious discussion with him about whether he will turn himself in or be arrested.”

“It was an attempted burglary of a van, but due to the damage to the vehicle, the higher class charge will be criminal mischief,” the detective said.

Damage estimates now exceed $2,500.

“It happened Friday night (Jan. 27), but I didn't notice it until Sunday (Jan. 29),” said Shawn Wagner, owner of Economy Plumbing Services on Commerce Street in Marble Falls. “We caught him on two different cameras.”

Blue Santa, Christmas Market set for Saturday

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Two special Marble Falls events will be going on in the central city Saturday, Dec. 10—one for shopping and the other for giving.

Christmas Market on Main, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. will line the historic Main Street boulevard with great gift selection extras and holiday treats.

Blue Santa will be making his big appeal from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. in Johnson Park on Avenue J and the event is aimed especially at enjoyment for children.

The Marble Falls Police Department is challenging the city to fill a police car with gifts and donations for families in need. But bounce houses, games and chances to meet police officers, much like National Night Out, are planned for kids who come to meet the actual Santa in Blue.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

November has been bustling in the City of Marble Falls with the groundbreaking for the Avenue N Public Safety Facility on Nov. 14 and city council meetings Nov. 15 to set sewer repairs in motion and Nov. 21 to canvass the record charter amendment vote.

On Nov. 15

The $275,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) announced last month and another proposed for $300,000 in 2017-18 will be administered by Langford Community Management Services of Leander, following the decision by the Marble Falls City Council Tuesday, Nov. 15.

Langford was the only company of seven qualified service companies contacted by the city to bid for the $30,000 contracts, but it came with staff recommendation.

“I have been working with the city since 1997,” said Langford's Margaret Hardin.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Construction on the new Marble Falls Public Safety Center (PSC) is set to begin next month, following action by the city council Tuesday, Oct. 18, to approve a construction contract.

A contract was approved with STR Constructors, LTD, for $3,482,635 for the new center to house the Marble Falls Police Department and Municipal Court on Avenue N.

“We had six builders submit sealed competitive bids, one of the qualified being the low bidder,” said City Manager Mike Hodge. “The official submitted total $3,725,000 and we were able to negotiate that down.”

Jettisoned from the initial plans prepared by architects for the project, R. Gill Architects of Horseshoe Bay, were such items as copper pipe in favor of synthetic plumbing materials and alternate bids for a sally port (controlled entrance) and some covered parking.

Marble Falls and Burnet again will be sites for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22.

The free no-questions-asked service allows the public to dispose of unused, unwanted prescription medications.

In cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) events are being carried out at 4,700 collection sites nationwide, operated by 3,800 local law enforcement agencies and other community partners.

“America is presently experiencing an epidemic of addiction, overdose and death due to abuse of prescription drugs, particularly opioid painkillers,” reads the DEA announcement of the event. “(More than six million) Americans age 12 and over—2.4 percent of the population—abuse prescription drugs, according to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health released last month, more than abuse cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, and methamphetamine combined.

BY ALEXANDRIA RANDOLPH

HIGHLAND LAKES NEWSPAPERS

A Kingsland man was arrested on Sunday on warrants issued by Marble Falls police in connection with the Atkins Pharmacy burglary earlier this month.

The Austin Police Department arrested William Franklin Buse, 48, on charges of burglary of a building, a state jail felony, after Marble Falls police said the owner of the business had identified him due to a previous encounter at the store at 701 Third Street.

According to an arrest affidavit, police recovered surveillance footage from the scene of the crime which captured images of the suspect during the burglary.

“Upon review of the surveillance video, (the owner) recognized the suspect as an individual he'd spoken with in the parking lot of the pharmacy the previous day,” wrote Sgt. Trisha Ratliff in the affidavit.

Surveillance footage from the previous day was reviewed and police confirmed the suspect was the same individual.

by Alexandria Randolph

Highland Lakes Newspapers

Marble Falls Police said Tuesday that they are still pursuing leads in a shooting that occurred on July 21.

Marble Falls Capt. Glenn Hanson said police had “received a few tips” about the incident in which an unidentified 27-year-old man was shot in his bed at his home in the 400 block of Avenue R on Thursday night, July 21 at 11:22 p.m.

“We're still working on some of that information,” Hanson said. “We have some leads that we believe will ultimately prove fruitful.”

Currently police have two suspects, but do not yet have enough information to arrest them.

“It's hard to say that they are local – they come and go, but they are known to us,” Hanson said.

BY ALEXANDRIA RANDOLPH
HIGHLAND LAKES NEWSPAPERS
A family of three has been indicted on charges stemming from an alleged aggravated kidnapping in May of last year.
James Russell Graves, 45, of Hoover Valley, son Ty Russell Graves, 18, of Hoover Valley, and Ty's mother Patricia Michelle Neff, 45, of Georgetown, were all indicted on charges of aggravated kidnapping for ransom on July 7.
James Graves was taken into custody Thursday, July 21, to face criminal proceedings.
The charges stem from an incident on Monday night, May 18, 2015, when between 9:30 -10 p.m., Marble Falls police got a call from a 26-year-old man who stated he was at Walmart and had been held against his will.
“He told officers that there was a vehicle outside with ‘bad people with guns,’” Marble Falls Police Sgt. Tom Dillard said during the investigation. “When officers arrived, they found exactly what he described.”

by Alexandria Randolph
Highland Lakes Newspapers

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

No one had to order out for lunch at Marble Falls Police Department (MFPD) Headquarters Monday, July 18, thanks to a Fearless Blue recognition cooked up by members of Hillside Bible Study at Marble Falls First United Methodist Church and the Ridge Readers reading circle.

“We were driving home from Sunday school and we passed the police station and one of us said, 'We ought to do something for them,” said Yvonne Kyler in a small presentation ceremony. “Everyone wanted to be part of it.”

By noon Monday, a gift basket, bouquet of roses and a table loaded with sandwiches and goodies for lunch had been assembled for delivery to MFPD.

The group was headed back to the church for a prayer service for all the victims of violence against law enforcement and for the safety of all who serve.