Marble Falls Texas news

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 Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Former students of Marble Falls High School are making their reservations for their big MFHS Ex-Students Reunion on Saturday, Oct. 15, but the spotlight will be on the 6'es—every class graduating in a year ending in the number 6.

The graduating class of 1966 will be one of those and they are planning something special for their 50th reunion.

The main event will begin at 10 a.m. in the high school cafeteria, with cookies, coffee, lemonade and old friends and former teachers, sharing pictures and memories and snapping new shots for 21st Century-style sharing.

A catered fajita lunch will be served for $15 and reservations should be placed in advance to guarantee a meal.

Once the ex-students event ends at 1 p.m., the class of 1966 will relocate to the Holiday Inn Express, 714 Corazon Drive, for their 50-year class reunion from 2 -6 p.m.

BY ALEXANDRIA RANDOLPH

A suspicious person wearing a full body black and white clown costume was spotted in a residential area in Liberty Hill, police reported Thursday.

On Wednesday night, Oct. 5 at approximately 11:51 p.m., Liberty Hill Police Officers went to investigate a suspicious person call at the Carl Shipp Townhomes in the 300 block of Loop 332.

“The caller reported noises and banging on their garage door,” police said in a release.

The caller looked outside and observed a person of unknown race or gender wearing a full-body black and white stripped clown costume with white face pain and wearing a black afro style wig. The person was described as being about 5 feet, nine inches tall with a slim build.

“The subject was last seen fleeing into the wood line towards TX 29,” police said. “Officers conducted an area check and did not locate anyone or any evidence left behind.”

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Hunters looking for the big bucks can mean big bucks of the green variety to business.

Texas ranks first or second every time a national survey is conducted. The Lone Star State's 2.71 million hunters and anglers spend $4.1 billion annually and support 65,993 jobs, according to a study reported by the Congressional Sportsman Foundation.

“There’s no question that deer hunters boost the economy in small towns such as Burnet for the several weeks they are in the area,” said Kim Winkler, executive director of the Burnet Chamber of Commerce.

by Alexandria Randolph

Highland Lakes Newspapers

When Eddie Schlegelmilch joined his daughter, future son-in-law and grandson for a morning at the Kiwanis Club Main Street Car Show in Marble Falls, he probably simply expected a day out. What his family surprised him with was a dream come true.

Schlegelmilch, a cancer patient, has been in hospice care in Kingsland for the last six months. His daughter Sara Schlegelmilch and her fiance Jay Reichert moved to Marble Falls to be nearer to him.

On the morning of Saturday, Oct. 1, Eddie's eyes lit up as he scanned a row of antique cars, and saw his own burgundy 1931 Ford Model A.

“We stole it and put it in the car show,” Reichert said. “He had been restoring it for over 15 years… He tried a lot on his own and came a long way until the engine went out.”

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

More than 120 ogle-worthy autos are expected for Marble Falls Main Street Car Show to be held by the Marble Falls Kiwanis Club from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1.

“This will be the fifteenth annual event and it is one of the very few downtown car shows in this part of the country,” said chairman Jack Sargent. “The city will close three or four blocks of Main Street and the show cars will line both sides and up the middle.”

There is no charge to the public to view the cars. In addition to the silent auction aimed at car fans, all the shops and eateries downtown will be open for business.

“This will be going on the same time as the Citywide Garage Sale in Johnson Park,” Sargent noted. “It is no more than a 15-minute walk for that shopping excursion sponsored by the Marble Falls/Lake LBJ Chamber of Commerce. We think the two events compliment each other.”

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

An Apple Tree ceremony on Wednesday, Sept. 21, honored volunteers with Friends of the Marble Falls Library who logged more than 290 years of service to reading resource at 101 Main Street.

Of 17 volunteers honored, none had devoted fewer than 15 years to the programs of the library and efforts of the Friends, including the Library Thrift Store at 300 Avenue J. Each added an apple and a leaf to the towering tree near the entrance to the library and Mardi Cockerham, president of the Friends, explained its significance.

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 Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Reports of telephone outages began rolling in shortly before noon today, Wednesday, Sept. 21., according to Marble Falls Police Chief Mark Whitacre.

The fault lies with a fiber optic line cut between Fredericksburg and Stonewall the chief said. That was confirmed about 4:45 p.m. by Gordon Shattles, the public relations manager of Frontier Communications in the company's Dallas office.

"A construction crew in the area severed a Frontier line," he said. "Our team was out immediately to re-splice and repair the line and now we are bringing everyone back online. If phones are not up yet, they will be very soon."

Chief Whitacre said Marble Falls and Blanco County phones went down, but emergency dispatch calls were routed through Burnet County."

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Marble Falls Fire Marshal Johnny Caraway will officially retire as of Monday, Sept. 19, and the city will begin immediately looking for his replacement.

“Mr. Caraway was in the office on Friday, Sept. 9,” said City Manager Mike Hodge. “He said he had been considering retirement for a while and had decided to submit his resignation.”

Hodge said that Caraway, who lives in Burnet, had served both as fire chief and, most recently, as interim chief during the search for Fire Chief Russell Sander.

Sander will be part of the review panel for applicants.

“A fire marshal conducts inspections, based on the fire code adopted by the city council,” said Sander. “He also is charged with investigating the causes of fires. We have people in the department that can perform some of those duties.”