Marble Falls Texas news

The 61st Annual Marble Falls Rodeo will be going on tonight, Friday, July 14, and tomorrow, July 15, culminating with a performance by Nashville recording artist Genevieve Allen.

Historic Main Street in Marble Falls will be scene of the 10 a.m. Rodeo Parade Saturday.

An icon of the arts of Mexico was remembered in Marble Falls Monday, July 10, and in a way she might have approved.

Frida Kahlo (July 6, 1907 – July 13, 1954), an artist of international fame, employed indigenous Mexican themes in her paintings and became a feminist icon through her lifestyle and depiction of the female experience.

She loved traditional cuisine, collecting recipies for elaborate parties that have been reproduced in a still-popular cookbook. Her paintings, however, cement her reputation in the art world. In her self portraits, and often in public appearances, she dressed in traditional costumes with imaginative headdresses. The Día de Muertos was one of her favorites.

At Marta Stafford Fine Art in Marble Falls, her 110th birthday was celebrated Monday with a hatmaking luncheon,  featuring Robin Chiesa of Old Glory Millinery & Hattery in Llano.

Summer in Texas typically brings hot, dry weather and an increased risk for wildfire. In order to help residents learn how to reduce their wildfire risk, a Firewise presentation is being offered by the Texas A&M Forest Service on Saturday, July 15.

The presentation is sponsored by Burnet County Emergency Services District No. 6 and Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department (MFAVFD). The public is invited.

The presentation is being held in the Fellowship Hall of First United Methodist Church (1101 Bluebonnet Drive) in Marble Falls starting at 10 a.m. and continuing until noon.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

As construction on the new H-E-B store moves forward, Marble Falls regulars at the store's gas pumps are about to choose a new favorite fuel stop.

“Our pumps will close around Aug. 1,” said Rudy Gill, new manager at the local store. “They probably will be closed about a year.

“First, they will be working on getting old tanks removed and will not be able to replace them until the new parking lot is finished.”

H-E-B Fuel employees will not be out of a job, however.

“We have places for them,” Gill reassured.

Youth rodeo Wednesday, July 12 will kick off the 61st annual Marble Falls Rodeo, with events continuing through Saturday night, July 15, at the Charley Taylor Rodeo Arena.

Admission is free for the first two nights, so fans can whet their rodeo appetites on pole bending and barrel racing and other sports for youngsters from four counties at the Marble Falls Youth Rodeo Friday and move on to enjoy the slack night events like steer saddling, team roping, tie-down roping and breakaway roping heats on Thursday night.

“We always try to make sure the rodeo goes exactly two hours,” said Marble Falls Rodeo Publicity Chairman Mike Dyer. “Overflow goes to the slack rodeo.”

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The exhilaration of the Marble Falls Community Fire Works show was shattered at about 10:20 p.m. last night, Tuesday, July 4, when a pedestrian, Cynthia Lee Young, 60, of Spring Branch, was struck and killed as she was leaving the event.

It has since been learned that young was a corrections officer with the Comal County Sheriff's Office (CCSO).

As Young and her family left Lakeside Park through Falls Creek Park area, she was struck by an eastbound pickup on Yett Street at the intersection with Main Street. Her family crossed the street safely.

"Traffic leaving the celebration in Lakeside Park was down to not even an a trickle of stragglers when this occurred," said Detective Capt. Tom Dillard, one of a large team of Marble Falls Police Department officers on the scene or on duty until about 4 a.m. Wednesday. "We had begun our debriefing at the mobile command center when we heard shouts for help.

The exhilaration of the Marble Falls Community Fire Works show was shattered at about 10:20 p.m. last night, Tuesday, July 4, when a pedestrian, Cynthia Lee Young, 60, of Spring Branch, was struck and killed as she was leaving the event.

"Traffic leaving the celebration in Lakeside Park was down to not even an a trickle of stragglers when this occurred," said Detective Capt. Tom Dillard, one of a large team of Marble Falls Police Department officers on the scene or on duty until about 4 a.m. Wednesday.  "We had begun our debriefing at the mobile command center when we heard shouts for help.

"We were able to get to the victim quickly and she was still alive when she was transported to the helipad at Marble Falls Fire Rescue. It is unclear to the police department at this time exactly when she passed away."

By Glynis Crawford Smith
The Highlander

The City of Marble Falls annunced this week that Seventh Street repairs that may inconvenience traffic are about to begin.

The Seventh Street project, to begin Monday, June 26, will involve work from US 281 to Avenue J that should be complete in about 45 days.

“We will take out the old, dilapidate road, replace it and add curbing off Avenue J,” said Chad Smith, Street Department superintendent. “We will try to keep traffic open as much as possible.

“It won't be as large an undertaking as Broadway Street, but there will be times traffic will be blocked.”

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Marble Falls City Council took a stand of sorts against rising natural gas prices for some 1,325 citizens who are customers of ATMOS.

The city is a member of the ATMOS Texas Municipalities (ATM), a group of municipalities served by the ATMOS Energy Corporation, Mid-Tex Division. The ATM had retained legal counsel and consultants to review the latest proposed rate increases by the natural gas service company.

ATMOS was seeking a $57.4 million increase that equated to a base-rate increase of about 8.35 percent. The company settled for a $48 million hike, or a base-rate increase of about seven percent.

“Most of the cities involved have approved the increase,” said City Manager Mike Hodge. “It went into effect June 1.”

So far, however, the Marble Falls council declines approval, if only to make a point.