Top Highland Lakes stories of 2023
The aftermath of a structure fire that started at 6 p.m. Oct. 4 in the building housing China Kitchen, 705 First St. in Marble Falls. Staff photo by Nathan Bush
The past year was a busy one in the Highland Lakes for residents and journalists alike. Top stories in 2023 reported by DailyTrib.com included fatal accidents, contentious court cases, deadly crimes, drought, and big decisions by local governments in Marble Falls and Granite Shoals.
Here are the top five headlines from the most viewed stories in 2023 by DailyTrib.com readers:
- Marble Falls landowners respond to eminent domain threat
- Cause of death determined in Kingsland killings; reward offered
- TPWD orders removal of illegal dam on Llano River tributary
- Marble Falls football coach, AD resigns
- ‘We’re in trouble’: Water coalition calls for crowd at LCRA meeting
Below is a month-by-month recap of some of the biggest happenings in the Highland Lakes in 2023.
JANUARY
Marble Falls ISD superintendent leaving for Midway district
Marble Falls Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Chris Allen announced his resignation on Jan. 3, 2023, to become superintendent of Midway ISD in Waco. Allen served at MFISD for over seven years before his announced departure.
Arrests made in Tow double homicide
Teens Kyler Nathaniel Allen and Jordan Ostrander were arrested on Jan. 16, 2023, for the killings of Preston Wessling and his son, Evan Wessling, both of Tow. The two suspects were charged with capital murder.
FEBRUARY
Granite Shoals city manager search halted amid conflict on job ad
The city of Granite Shoals stopped its city manager search after members of the City Council voiced their displeasure with a decision by then-Mayor Aaron Garcia to approve an advertisement for the search without seeking opinions from councilors or the City Manager Search Committee. The search started after the June 2022 firing of City Manager Jeff Looney.
Controversy surrounding Garcia’s decision ultimately led to a five-month investigation by the city’s Ethics Review Commission to determine whether to censure Garcia. The charges were dismissed by the commission in May.
Marble Falls man gets life for 2022 murders
William Allen Rutland, 52, pleaded guilty to charges of capital murder of multiple persons on Jan. 30, 2023, for the Sept. 13, 2022, killings of Teresa Gail McDowell and her brother, John Arnold McDowell. Rutland was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The murders marked the first killings in Marble Falls since 2017.
MARCH
MFISD taps Gasaway as superintendent
Marble Falls ISD Interim Superintendent Dr. Jeff Gasaway was named the lone finalist for superintendent by the district’s Board of Trustees on March 6, 2023. He officially took the helm on March 27 after a mandatory 21-day waiting period.
Burnet County Judge James Oakley indicted on four charges
A grand jury indicted Burnet County Judge James Oakley on March 7, 2023, on four charges stemming from two cases. One of the charges was a felony, while three were misdemeanors.
Charges brought forward by 33rd and 424th District Attorney Sonny McAfee included tampering/fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair, two counts of abuse of official capacity, and official oppression.
Only one charge, involving the use of a county vehicle to drive to Pedernales Electric Cooperative board meetings, was included in an August trial held in Blanco County, where a jury found him not guilty.
Smith is Granite Shoals city manager
In a 5-2 vote, the Granite Shoals City Council hired Peggy Smith to serve as the city’s permanent city manager. Formerly the assistant city manager, Smith served as interim after former City Manager Jeff Looney was fired in June 2022.
Llano County library injunction granted; appeal filed
The Llano County Library System was ordered to return controversial books it removed from circulation in 2022 to library shelves and the system’s digital catalog following an injunction granted by U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division.
APRIL
New Marble Falls City Hall requires ballot measure
Progress on constructing a new City Hall for Marble Falls slowed after attorneys advised city officials that the project would require a bond referendum. The decision came after the Marble Falls City Council unanimously approved a $2 million land purchase at the corner of Broadway and Main streets to serve as a potential location for the new facility.
MAY
Granite Shoals gets new mayor, keeps veteran councilor
Kiel Arnone was elected mayor of Granite Shoals during the May 6, 2023, elections. Arnone won the mayoral race with 221 votes to opponent Jim Davant’s 200 votes, or 52.49 percent to 47.51 percent of the total 421 votes cast.
The race between Arnone and Davant followed a decision made by incumbent Mayor Aaron Gracia to not seek reelection.
Cottonwood Shores elects new mayor for first time in a decade
Jared Dodd defeated incumbent Donald Orr and opponent Cassandra Clark to become mayor of Cottonwood Shores. Dodd won with 96 votes to Orr’s 61 and Clark’s 3.
The win marked the first new mayor for the city since 2013.
Westerman concedes Marble Falls mayoral race
Incumbent Mayor Richard Westerman conceded the May 6 election to Councilor Dave Rhodes after initially asking for a hand recount. Rhodes won by a two-vote margin. Westerman received 224 to Rhodes’ 226.
Westerman decided against a recount after a spot-check of results by Burnet County Elections Office officials showed no impact on the race’s outcome.
JUNE
Wet spring couldn’t douse drought
The region endured a brutal summer-long drought in 2023 as 100-plus-degree temperatures and dry skies forced towns across the Highland Lakes to adopt water restrictions to help preserve levels in the area.
Concerned comments on proposed car washes flood social media
A pair of proposed car washes in Marble Falls became controversial online as residents grappled with the possibility of their construction at the corner of U.S. 281 and RR 1431 and next to Walmart on U.S. 281.
Traffic and environmental concerns topped the list of issues for residents during the online frenzy.
Cause of death determined in Kingsland killings; reward offered
Two deceased Kingsland residents were found floating in the Llano River at the Slab, a popular swimming spot on CR 307, on June 10.
The two bodies, identified as Mark Baldwin and Kellie McCormick, were found after a bystander noticed them “lying face down” in the water. Autopsy reports determined the causes of death as blunt force trauma.
No one has yet been charged in the killings.
JULY
Marble Falls landowners respond to eminent domain threat
The Marble Falls City Council unanimously voted to invoke eminent domain to force the sale of a 2-acre easement on an 800-acre historic ranch in Marble Falls.
The city moved forward with the decision to help aid the construction of a wastewater treatment plant on adjacent land behind Walmart on U.S. 281.
Moore Peak Fire signals risk ahead
Over 700 acres of rugged ranch land near CR 307 and Texas 71 burned in mid-July at Moore Peak. The wildfire was the first major fire of the season in the Highland Lakes. It was 100 percent contained on July 16 after four days of burning in southeast Llano County.
Opposition grows to proposed private dam on Llano River
A private dam proposed for the South Llano River sparked controversy as Llano County residents and public officials worked to convince the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to deny a permit for the project.
Dissenters such as Llano Mayor Marion Bishop, state Rep. Andrew Murr (R-Junction), and Llano County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jerry Don Moss lobbied against the recreational dam to ensure the vitality of the area’s water supply.
AUGUST
Growing Marble Falls may ask LCRA for more water
In early August, the city of Marble Falls discussed upping its firm water contract with the LCRA by 4,000 acre-feet to accommodate the city’s anticipated growth. The updated contract was included in the city’s budget for the next fiscal year.
No flow in the Llano River
Water ceased to flow over the Llano City Dam on Aug. 23 after months of extreme drought conditions in the area. It marked the second summer in a row that the river stopped.
Burnet County Judge Oakley found not guilty of misuse of government property
A six-person jury determined Burnet County Judge James Oakley was “not guilty” of misusing government property on Aug. 31 following a two-and-a-half-day trial.
The jury was tasked with determining whether Oakley knowingly and willfully intended to gain personal benefit by driving a Burnet County-owned vehicle to meetings of the Pedernales Electric Cooperative Board of Directors. Oakley is a member of the board. Three other grand jury charges brought against Oakley were quashed but later appealed. A ruling is pending from the state’s Third Court of Appeals.
SEPTEMBER
Marble Falls prepares to buy $7M groundwater system over protests
Marble Falls city officials moved forward with a $7 million contract to buy the Capstone Ranch groundwater system despite mounting protests from the system’s users on Sept. 17.
The city purchased the system to diversify its water resources and increase its overall capacity to prepare for expected growth.
Residents of Capstone Ranch, who used the system, aimed to prevent the sale to stave off increases in their water rates. While unsuccessful at stopping the sale, landowners were able to secure a compromise with the city in December to provide limited relief for ratepayers.
Granite Shoals city manager’s job in jeopardy
The city of Granite Shoals considered firing City Manager Peggy Smith in late September following news of alleged mismanagement of the city’s finances during the 2022-23 budget year and for her failure to present a balanced 2023-24 fiscal year budget.
Councilors learned Smith failed to reconcile funds since her tenure as interim city manager began in June 2022.
OCTOBER
Granite Shoals mayor, councilor resign over city manager vote
Granite Shoals Mayor Kiel Arnone and Councilor Kevin Flack announced their resignations on Oct. 3 after a failed attempt by the City Council to fire City Manager Peggy Smith on grounds of alleged financial mismanagement of the city’s budget.
Arnone served as mayor for a total of five months before issuing his resignation. Mayor Pro-tem Ron Munos was appointed mayor on Oct. 10 following the vacancy.
Fire rips through China Kitchen, other businesses in downtown Marble Falls
A massive fire at First Street Plaza in Marble Falls on Oct. 4 destroyed multiple businesses housed in the commercial office building, including China Kitchen, Texas Ink Slingers, Hudson Electric, Lakeside Smoke Shop and CBD, Hair Loft, and Family Taekwondo Center.
Marble Falls Fire Rescue was aided by the Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department, Granite Shoals Fire Department, Horseshoe Bay Fire Department, Burnet Fire Department, Spicewood Fire Department, and Lake Travis Fire Rescue. The Marble Falls Police Department and Marble Falls Area EMS were also on the scene.
Permit application pulled for private dam on South Llano River
A permit for a controversial private dam across the South Llano River was withdrawn by Edwards County landowner Gregory C. Garland on Oct. 20 after months of public opposition to the project.
The decision to withdraw from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality permitting process followed dissent from government entities, water advocacy groups, and hundreds of residents.
Collier withdraws Lake LBJ dredging applications with plans to resubmit
Collier Materials withdrew all four of its applications to establish two sand and gravel dredging operations and two processing plants on Lake LBJ on Oct. 23.
Two of the applications were for Kingsland I Sand and Gravel on the Llano River arm of Lake LBJ and Kingsland II Sand and Gravel at the confluence of the Llano and Colorado rivers. The other two permit requests were to establish sand and gravel processing plants under the Highland Lakes Watershed Ordinance.
Save Lake LBJ and the Lake Buchanan Communities Alliance were among the top two advocacy groups against the applications.
NOVEMBER
Corner car wash no more; Marble Falls EDC buys spot for $2M
The Marble Falls Economic Development Corp. moved forward with a $2 million purchase of a piece of land on the corner of U.S. 281 and RR 1431 on Nov. 1 to fend off a proposed car wash on the property.
The decision came after an onslaught of online dissent from residents when plans were made public for a Tidal Wave Auto Spa at the busy intersection.
Plans for the site remain unclear, but discussions are on the first agendas for both the Marble Falls City Council and Marble Falls EDC in 2024.
Thurman wins Horseshoe Bay mayor’s race; incumbents snag council seats
Horseshoe Bay voters elected Elsie Thurman to serve as the city’s fourth-ever mayor on Nov. 7 following a hotly contested election against challenger Donald Beeman.
Thurman won the race with 1,427 votes to Beeman’s 894 votes.
The mayor’s race turned divisive in the small town of fewer than 5,000 people following a slew of election-related controversies. An anonymous letter was sent in city mail that disparaged Beeman’s character, and a political action committee formed by part-time residents mailed high-dollar flyers to sway voters’ opinions.
That was followed by Horseshoe Bay Resort banning board members of tje Horseshoe Bay Property Owners’ Association and Beeman — who serves a board persistent — from resort amenities. The resort then filed a $1 million lawsuit against Beeman and the POA.
Marble Falls football coach, AD resigns
Marble Falls head football coach and Athletic Director Brian Herman submitted his resignation on Nov. 7 after five seasons with the Mustangs.
Herman posted a record of 21-32 during his time with the program. The Mustangs went 3-17 in the final two years of his tenure.
DECEMBER
Marble Falls snags Vandergrift coordinator as AD, head football coach
Vandegrift passing game coordinator and recruiting coordinator Keri Timmerman was named the next head football coach and athletic director for Marble Falls High School on Dec. 18.
Timmerman’s Vandegrift squad went 36-7 during his three-year tenure with the program, finishing as the Class 6A state runner-up in 2022.
Marble Falls ISD Superintendent Dr. Jeff Gasaway recommended the hire to the district’s Board of Trustees after fielding over 100 applications for the position.
Burnet football coach resigns, AD to retire at the end of 2023-24
Burnet CISD announced major shakeups to its athletic department on Dec. 19 with the declared departures of head football coach Bryan Wood and Athletic Director Kurt Jones.
Wood turned in his resignation, while Jones plans to retire. Both are leaving at the end of the 2023-24 academic year.
A search to fill both vacancies is currently underway.
Talks of killing feral cat prompts Granite Shoals emergency meeting
An emergency meeting was held on Dec. 19 by the Granite Shoals City Council after a recording of a discussion regarding killing feral cats by the city’s Wildlife Advisory Committee was posted online.
The Dec. 19 meeting ended with an agreement by the City Council to form a new committee tasked with determining the best practices to manage the city’s feral cat population.
Councilors also spoke about fixing the city’s relationship with the Hill Country Humane Society. The animal shelter publicly severed ties with the city in the hours following the released recording.
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thank you for this succinct review review of 2023 in the Marble Falls area. I look forward to reading more in 2024 as we go through another year of growth in the area.