Marble Falls Texas news

Veterans Day again will be celebrated by Falls on the Colorado Museum (FOCM) in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Marble Falls but a month-long exhibit honoring veterans is opening at the museum at 2001 Broadway Street.

At the Veterans Day program at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, the warhorse Reckless and the Bluebonnet Chorale will return to add to the recognition of all U.S. military veterans.

Marine Staff Sgt. Reckless' proxy, Dixie, commemorates one of the greatest Marine heroes of the Korean War. The original Sgt. Reckless was a chestnut horse that carried needed ammunition to the Fifth Marines during a five-day battle.

A Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Highway Patrol Trooper died Saturday afternoon in Bell County following a traffic crash and a Temple news source reports a driver at the scene was from Marble Falls.

Senior Trooper Thomas Nipper, 63, was conducting a traffic stop on the south bound shoulder of I-35 in Temple, at approximately 3:05 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, when his patrol car was struck from behind by a Chevrolet pickup, according to a DPS press release.

Trooper Nipper was transported to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased. The crash, which took place in the Temple city limits, is under investigation and no additional details have been available from the DPS.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Do your artistic dreams include meeting one of the “Old Masters” face to face? Tonight is your opportunity.

Friday, Nov. 3, is another Marble Falls First Friday Art Walk and artists of the Highland Arts Guild Gallery will greet visitors to their Fall Show & Sale Preview as the masters and their subjects from artistic annals.

Tour the gallery at 318 Main Street with the likes of Rosie the Riveter, Vincent Willem van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa or Johannes Vermeer's Girl with the Pearl Earring. Or, meet them along Main Street when they take a stroll. But look closely to identify them, you may find they are keeping up with the times and fashion.

In addition to new art, visitors can enjoy refreshments while browsing extra works of art, a Christmas gift table and a red tag sale on some of the artist's gallery pieces.

The lighted Jack-o-Lanterns on Ranch to Market Road 2147, between Marble Falls and Cottonwood Shores, are the entries in an annual family Halloween pumpkin carving contest.

The Nickes-Hulsey clan puts out the entries for passersby to enjoy. This photo was shared by Michele Horner who loves the comraderie of the family's participation.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

“Get your PINK on, Marble Falls.”

That is the message from Marble Falls Fire Rescue for a breast cancer awareness event Thursday, Oct. 26.

“Our pink fire truck program escort members of the community affected by breast cancer to the big event at Old Oak Square on Main Street,” Marble Falls Fire Chief Russel Sander said. “We hope everyone will wear ping and join us from 4-6 p.m. for pink cupcakes and cookies and pink lemonade.”

A commemorative photo of what the department wants to be a sea of pink will be taken from atop a ladder truck.

“We are calling on all of Marble Falls to join us,” said Sander.

Local firemen, including members of Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department have been sporting pink logos on special uniform shirts to promote the event.

Sander told the Marble Falls City Council he expected to see them in the crowd.

Before opening its doors the new Burger King will be taking on a good neighbor project through a licensing agreement approved by the Marble Falls City Council Tuesday, Oct. 17.

The project is the rehabilitation of the triangle of city property at the southwest corner of the intersection of Ranch to Market Road 1431 and US 281.

“We have been faced for a number of years with what to do with that corner,” said Robert Moss, director of the Parks & Recreation Department. “When and if we improved it, it woud have taken more maintenance.”

Robes St. Juste of Hill Country Restaurant Services LLC was at the meeting to discuss the proposal and quickly agreed to extend the terms of the agreement to 10 years.

“We want to take care of it for as long as we are here,” he said.

Jimmie Vaughan, of Fabulous Thunderbirds and Austin music scene fame, will play FiestaJAM on Saturday, Oct. 21, but he is icing on the cake of a music festival has grown to four days of Marble Falls Hill Country fun beginning tonight, Thursday, Oct. 19.

Visitors can sample wines from award-winning local vintners, craft beers from regional brewmasters and samples from area chocolatiers, as well as wine seminars and regional foods.

“We have more musicians and more events than ever before,” said event co-founder Robert Linder. “There is literally something for everyone.”

The Marble Falls High School Choir literally is willing to “go to the mattresses” to raise money for their annual choir trip.

The choir will host its third annual Mattress Fundraiser this Saturday, Oct. 21, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Marble Falls High School, 2101 Mustang Drive. Every purchase benefits the MFHS choir, which will travel to New York City for spring break.

In the past two years, the choir has raised $10,400 in just two days and they hope to see similar success with more than $5,000 in sales Saturday.

October is Earth Science Month, and in keeping with that timeframe, The Falls on the Colorado Museum (FOCM) will host an afternoon with a fossil specialist and three geologists!

Kenny Bader will present a 30-minute program on fossils beginning at 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 14. Bader is the Manager of the Osteological Prep Lab a part of the Vertebrate Paleontology Lab in the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin.

At 1:45 p.m., three geologists from the Upper Highland Lakes Nature Center, Frank Caramanica, PhD; Charles Beierle MA, and Billy Hutson BSEE, will give a 30-minute presentation on our local geology. With their presentation, we all will be more educated as to why our town was named MARBLE Falls and not LIMESTONE Falls!

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

This has been Fire Prevention Week in the Highland Lakes and events of the observance will continue into coming days at Marble Falls and Granite Shoals elementary schools.

A proclamation by mayor John Packer at the Tuesday, Oct. 3,  meeting of the Marble Falls City council  drove home the theme: “Every Second Counts, Plan Two Ways Out!”

Fire Chief Russell Sander and Fire Marshal Tommy Crane were on hand for the proclamation.

“We will be in the schools with a Fire Safety House during the week,” said Crane. “Children can practice exiting drills in simulation.”