Marble Falls

Want to find out more about spring courses at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Texas Tech University? Come to the OLLI Spring Kickoff Reception and walk the red carpet wth OLLI on Friday, Feb. 3!

The reception will feature hors d'oeuvres and beverages and interested parties can sign up for one of several award-winning OLLI spring courses at the Frank Fickett Educational Center at 806 Steve Hawkins Parkway, Marble Falls.

The event starts at 5 p.m. and the cost is free but an RSVP should be made to 830-990-4948.

OLLI offers unique opportunities for local citizens ages 50 and older who wish to continue their learning experiences. For more information, visit hillcountry.olli.ttu.edu.

Veterans of the Vietnam War era will be honored at 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, at the Vietnam War 50th Anniversary Commemoration of Burnet County Veterans Services and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10376.
Congressman Roger Williams will address the program to be held at the VFW Post, 1001 Veterans Drive, in Marble Falls.
The public is invited to honor active duty U.S. military personnel who served between Nov. 1, 1955-May 15, 1975. For more information, contact Bill Worley of Burnet County Veterans Services 830-265-8403 orvetsvc@burnetcountytexas.org.

BY CHRISTI BERTELSON/HIGHLAND LAKES NEWSPAPERS

One man is in serious condition at the Austin Trauma Center following a boat accident Sunday during the Lake Fest in Marble Falls.

Scott “Scotty” Lumbert, driver of the top fuel hydro drag boat “Spirit of Texas” was racing in the final rounds against “Nitrochondiac” during Sunday’s event, when his boat crossed the finish line and began to flip, according to video footage The Highlander acquired from sources.

The boat said to be traveling at speeds of 240MPH, looked as though something malfunctioned as it crossed the finish line and began to roll down the Colorado River for several hundred feet before coming to a stop.

“I was there at Sunday’s event, watching from around the starting line,” said Captain Glenn Hanson of the Marble Falls Police Department.

by Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

Highland Lakes Newspapers

Very few people have not heard of the theory of six degrees of separation — the theory that everyone and everything in the world are connected by six or fewer steps from any other person or thing in the world.

This theory was originally introduced by a Hungarian author, Frigyes Karinthy, in a 1929 short story, “Chains” (Lánczemek) and is used to demonstrate how the world, though incredibly large, can be a small place through our interconnectedness.

by Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

Highland Lakes Newspapers

This year has been a tough one for entertainers. We have lost some great names in the arts, including Prince, David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Glenn Frey, Patty Duke, Maurice White, Harper Lee, Pat Conroy, Merle Haggard and Muhammed Ali.

This week, we added another name to the list of greats we have lost — our very own columnist, former Texas Press Association president and Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame honoree Willis Newman Webb.

Willis passed away at his residence in Lake Charles, Louisiana, on Monday, July 18, at the age of 79. Below this column is the first of the last two columns Willis wrote for us. The other will appear in next week's Highlander.

by Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

Highland Lakes Newspapers

For the past few months, my fellow cast and crew at the Hill Country Community Theatre have been recreating the fictionalized story of sharpshooters Annie Oakley and Frank Butler on stage in the Irving Berlin muscial “Annie Get Your Gun.”

The production features some of the most recognizable music in the history of American theater, including the anthemic “There's No Business Like Show Business” and the rousing “Anything You Can Do.”

As of today, July 29, we have three more productions of this show — at 7:30 p.m. tonight and tomorrow, July 30, and at 2:15 p.m. Sunday, July 31 — before we say goodbye to Col. Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show and strike the set.

BY ALEXANDRIA RANDOLPH/HIGHLAND LAKES NEWSPAPERS

The U.S. Marshals are hunting a Marble Falls man previously convicted on drug trafficking charges.

Thomas Richard Sims, 35, is wanted for violating the terms of his release following several years in prison on distribution and possession charges. A warrant was issued for his arrest on Saturday, July 26.

Supervisory Deputy Hector Gomez of the U.S. Marshals Western District of Texas said Sims went missing just before he was scheduled to check in to a substance abuse treatment program.  His probation officer purchased him a ticket to the program on July 8, but Sims never showed up.

Sims is expected to be hiding in Burnet County or the greater Austin area.

“His network isn’t there anymore, but we figure he’ll be in Marble Falls or the Burnet County area, or here in Austin,” Gomez said. “We figure if we get his name and photo out, it will shake the trees up a little bit.”

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The annual Double Horn – Rockvale Reunion will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 30, at the Church of Christ, 711 Broadway Street in Marble Falls.

The two communities that grew up southeast of Marble Falls in the 1850's first thrived and then diminished over the decades, but a sense of community brings about 100 residents and friends, old and new, together each year.

By Alexandria Randolph

Highland Lakes Newspapers

For those going out on the town on Independence Day weekend, there are a number of local celebrations to visit for July 4th activities.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

No one seemed to notice a lone 73-year-old lady who waited quietly in the room full of men signing up for races in the 2016 Marble Falls Adult Soap Box Derby.

“Hello, I'm Alice Gardiner and I'll be racing against you in the derby,” she said, finally.

The others seemed unimpressed and, after a few courteous greetings, returned to conversations. That is, until her next words: “Hey guys, the builder of my soap box is sitting over there and he was the original engineer who developed the Corvette.”