news

From staff reports •

The Lower Colorado River Authority was expected to open flood gates at Wirtz and Starcke Dams Tuesday, Oct. 9, and Wednesday, Oct. 10, due to a large inflow of water from flooding along the Llano River which will pass through Lake Marble Falls.

City of Marble Falls issued an alert Monday afternoon to remind residents that while Lake Marble Falls' level is expected to remian within its normal operating range as a constant-level lake, fast moving currents could carry away unsecured boats and other aquatic items. Residents were being asked to monitor weather conditions for the next several days as conditions could change.

Editor's Note: Bertram Police Chief JJ Wilson offered comments in response to the indictments against him in the Friday, Oct. 5 issue of The Highlander. In that same issue, 33rd/424th Judicial District Attorney Wiley ("Sonny") McAfee also offered a statement from the DA's office.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

The 424th Judicial District Grand Jury indicted Bertram Police Chief James Jay (“JJ”) Wilson Oct. 2 on charges of felony aggravated perjury, felony misuse of official information and misdemeanor official oppression, court documents stated.

The charges stemmed from three incident allegations in Burnet County in connection with a dispute over hay ownership, the release of criminal background information and a sworn statement in a drug-related arrest, according to the grand jury indictments.

From staff reports

A Richmond woman died after Aug. 18 a personal watercraft she was operating crashed into boathouse on Lake LBJ in an area near the Legends Golf Course, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Debra Stribling, 56, was on the vessel around 8 a.m. that morning when the accident happened.

“(The victim) sustained fatal injuries when the personal watercraft she was operating crashed into a bulkhead and a boathouse,” according to the press release.

Stribling was pronounced dead at the scene by a Burnet County justice of the peace. The victim was a retired pharmacist.

The Texas Game Warden STORM boating accident reconstruction team is assisting with the investigation.

Oct. 14 and

The public is invited again to "have a cup of coffee" with Marble Falls Mayor John Packer at Numinous Coffee Roasters, 714 Ranch to Market Road 1431 in Marble Falls from 7-8 a.m. today, Friday, Oct. 14.

The informal, come-and-go event series does not require an RSVP, just a healthy curiosity about what is going on in the city.

The invitation reads: "come share your thoughts and ideas about your community and hear about some of the new projects in the city."

“I am looking forward to the opportunity to meet one-on-one with our residents and learn about the issues that are important to them,” said Packer.

Glynis Crawford Smith/The Highlander

An ambitious plan for streets, an old debate over the airport and a pilot program to thin urban deer all were tackled by the Granite Shoals City Council Tuesday, Feb. 9.

See the story in the Friday, Feb. 12, edition of The Highlander.

Boots & BBQ to benefit Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of the Highland Lakes takes place at Marble Falls Lakeside Pavilion, 307 Buena Vista Drive on Feb. 20, with barbecue 6:30-8 p.m. and dancing to the music of Les Hartman and his band until 11:30 p.m. 

Reservations at $40 per person are available at the CASA website, highlandlakescasa.com or by calling the CASA office at 325-388-3440.

By Glynis Crawford Smith/The Highlander

Short term rentals, the rentals of residential property for less than 30 days that has become a hot button issue in some cities, emerged quietly Tuesday, Feb. 2, in a joint workshop of the Marble Falls City Council and Planning & Zoning Commission.

Read the report in the Friday, Feb. 2, edition of The Highlander.

By Glynis Crawford Smith/The Highlander

In a cost share agreement between Faith Academy and the City of Marble Falls, the school will have better fire protection and the city will get a bargain in infrastructure into its extraterritorial jurisdiction. 

As approved by the Marble Falls City Council Tuesday night, Feb. 2, Faith Academy will pay an estimated at $162,000 toward a new water main to the school and the city will add $40,000 to bring the line from proposed 4-6-inch service to the requisite eight-inch main.

See the full story in the Friday, Feb. 4, edition of The Highlander.