POSTED 4-10-2010
MARBLE FALLS — A day rarely goes by that Marble Falls Realtor Pat Burton doesn’t cross the U.S. 281 Bridge over Lake Marble Falls.
“We’ve crossed that bridge now for 48 years. (I wish) I had a nickel for every time I went across it,” she said. “The kids used to get on their skateboards and go all the way across the bridge. They were on the street, right there on the highway. There wasn’t much traffic back then.”
POSTED 4-10-2010
HIGHLAND LAKES — Republican nominations for three county races and a contest for a state Supreme Court seat will be decided during a statewide runoff election Tuesday.
Voters in Burnet County will settle the Republican nomination for county district clerk, choosing between current 33rd state Judicial District employee Sheila Frazier and county Deputy District Clerk Casie Wills.
POSTED 4-8-2010
MARBLE FALLS — Just in time for the completion of its new building, the Marble Falls Church of Christ is preparing for an influx of at least 100 kids for the Texas Bible Bowl this weekend.
The contestants begin registering Friday at the church, 711 Broadway, with the Bible Bowl 8 a.m.-noon Saturday.
"It’s simply where kids have been taking a school year of classes on one of the books of the Bible and now they’ll get tested on it," said Ken Waugh, the church’s youth minister. "We have 10 kids from our church participating. But the rest will come from all over the state."
In years past, Abilene Christian University hosted the event, but Waugh said last year was the last time for the college. Yet organizers didn’t want the event to end, so they developed the Texas Bible Bowl and looked for a place to host it.
That’s where the Marble Falls church came in.
"When we decided to host it, we were still under construction," Waugh said. The church recently completed a larger building and razed the old facility at the same location. "But this has worked out great."
The Bible Bowl is an academic-style test in which students answer questions based on a topic, which this year is the Book of Second Samuel, Waugh said.
"They’ve been studying it since August," Waugh said.
Second Samuel starts out with David learning of King Saul’s death. Then the people of Judah chose David as their new king. It tells King David’s story through his old age.
The Bible Bowl is open to students from third through 12th grades, Waugh said.
"Adults can also do it," he added.
The competition is divided by age and played with teams of four. Students younger than sixth grade take part in the elementary category, while junior division is for students in sixth through ninth grades.
The senior division is for high school sophomores, juniors and seniors. Anyone older competes in the adult division.
The junior and senior divisions also have "experienced" and "inexperienced" classifications.
An "experienced" team includes at least one member who has competed in a Bible Bowl at ACU, Harding University, Lubbock Christian University or Oklahoma Christian University.
The format is based on five rounds with an optional Power Round. In some rounds, contestants are allowed to consult the Bible. Rounds can last from 10 to 25 minutes, depending on the topic. Rounds one through four are worth up to 40 points while the bonus round can earn a competitor up to 50 points.
"The desire is for the kids to just learn something," Waugh said. "Some kids are great at taking test and academics. They excel at it and this is something for them. God gifts us all differently and this is one way."
Along with the 100 students, Waugh said the community can expect an additional 70 parents and sponsors.
"So it’s something that’s going to benefit the area as well," he said.
"They’ve planned a picnic and some fun things at Johnson Park (noon-5 p.m.) and then they’ll come back in the evening for a banquet (7-9 p.m.)," Waugh said. "Most will probably leave early Sunday morning. It should be a busy weekend."
For more, call (830) 693-5575 or go to www.texasbiblebowl.org.
Video: Watch it on
the 4-7-10 newcast
on ThePicayuneTV.com
POSTED 4-7-2010
MARBLE FALLS — Pat Hancock is on a mission from above.
Hancock credits a higher power for inspiring her to create an emotional care center for low-income patients when she first moved to Marble Falls more than two years ago.
IN PHOTO: The Rev. Max Copeland (seated) listens as Place of Hope Executive Director Pat Hancock welcomes guests to the free clinic’s grand opening Wednesday. The facility, 1009 Falls Parkway in Marble Falls, offers free medical and counseling services to eligible residents. Staff photo by Chris Porter
Now, after a year and hundreds — if not thousands — of volunteer hours later, Place of Hope is expanding to include medical needs at 1009 Falls Parkway.
A grand opening was held earlier today to herald the new services.
"I felt I wasn’t qualified to be the executive director of a center like this," Hancock said. "So I went and spoke to God, and he led me to see it through."
The nonprofit organization provides physical and emotional healing for patients who don’t have the means to afford health insurance, said Hancock, a Navasota native.
"I’ve had I don’t know how many people come to me who say they need medical care, but they can’t afford (health) insurance," Hancock said. "We’ll serve people up to 250 percent of the poverty level for free."
Patients at higher income levels will pay on a tiered system depending on their family income, Hancock added.
Medical services at Place of Hope will be provided by volunteer doctors and nurses, including several from Temple-based Scott & White, which operates the nearby Llano Memorial Hospital and the future Lake of the Hills Regional Medical Center south of Marble Falls.
"Scott & White has released all of their doctors to volunteer with us," Hancock said.
The center will have regular doctor’s hours each Friday, along with a physician on duty one Saturday each month, officials said.
Patients can be treated by a physician, meet with certified volunteers to deal with emotional trauma issues or receive assistance with prescriptions through the center’s Medical Assistance Program, Hancock said.
Place of Hope started in 2009 at its current location as a training center for volunteers who assisted victims of emotional and physical trauma, but now will add the new services.
Hancock said physician Brooks Blake helped her locate the building. The pair had visited a similar clinic in College Station and met with doctors there who provided advice and encouragement.
The full facility includes six exam rooms, counseling offices, a chapel and an area where patients can receive assistance obtaining prescriptions, Hancock said. The facility is funded entirely by community donations and volunteers, though officials said they’ll begin applying for government grants soon.
"Our belief is that healthier citizens build healthier communities," Hancock said.
Hancock said the facility always needs volunteers and cash donations, adding a chuck-wagon fundraiser is scheduled for Oct. 22 in Marble Falls’ Johnson Park, 230 S. Ave. J.
For more information on medical services, or to donate or volunteer, call (830) 798-8120.
POSTED 4-7-2010
MARBLE FALLS — Internet sellers beware: Someone may be trying to scam you.
That’s the word this week from Marble Falls police, who say an attempted scam by a user of the popular online-sales site Craigslist nearly landed a Marble Falls resident in hot water.
Police Sgt. Glenn Hanson said quick thinking by local bank tellers — who had seen the scam before — saved the would-be victim from losing hundreds of dollars.
"We get these every so often; usually once every few months one will pop up," Hanson said Wednesday. "It’s a very typical scam that’s perpetrated usually on Craigslist."
Here’s how the scam works: A seller will post an item — say, a bicycle — on the Web site. A short time later, a buyer responds and offers to mail a payment to the seller in exchange for the merchandise.
"Someone will engage you and say, ‘I’m going to buy it. Where do I send the money?’" Hanson said. "Eventually, you’ll get a money order or possibly a counterfeited check."
However, there’s a catch, Hanson said: The payment is usually several hundred dollars greater than the seller’s asking amount.
"If you’re asking for $100, they’ll send $1,100," he said. "(The buyer) will say, ‘Oops, my secretary made a mistake.’ They’ll have you take your payment and ask you to wire the rest back, usually to some obscure address."
Later, the check or money order comes back as forged or counterfeit — leaving the person who made the bank deposit on the hook for the whole amount, Hanson said.
In the recent case, he said a local seller received a counterfeit check drawn on an account stolen from an Arlington bank with a branch in Marble Falls.
"Fortunately, the bank had already flagged that account because there had been an incident with it before," Hanson said. "So the bank workers were able to catch it before it could be deposited."
Hanson said the bank informed police, who are investigating.
Such scams are relatively common on Craigslist, which has grown exponentially in the digital age. According to the Web site’s abuse-prevention section, nearly every instance of a buyer asking a seller to wire money back has been a scam, with many of the perpetrators living outside the United States.
"The best thing to do to prevent this is to deal with local people that you can meet face-to-face," Hanson said. "Otherwise, you leave yourself open to this type of scam."
Hanson said officers deal with scams frequently, though few have resulted in a resident losing money.
"That’s the nice thing, because most of these are caught early on," he said. "We’ll usually take the report and turn it over to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service."
Anyone who thinks he or she is the target of an online scam can call their local police department or visit the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov to fill out an online complaint form.
Video: Watch it on
the 4-9-10 newcast
on ThePicayuneTV.com
POSTED 4-8-2010
MARBLE FALLS — A locally produced documentary portraying the harshness of past communist rule in Romania premiered before a sold-out audience at the Uptown Marble Theater Wednesday.
"It broke my heart," Horseshoe Bay resident Roseanne Davis said. "It was awesome. It was an eye-opener. It is going to make me research more."
The Highland Lakes Tea Party Coalition presented the film "Dream Killers" at the theater at 218 Main St.
PHOTO 1: Kingsland residents Julian and Elena Chitta relax before the premier of the film "Dream Killers" April 7 in Marble Falls in front of a sold-out crowd at the Uptown Marble Theater. Narrated by Elena Chitta, who lived in Communist Romania during the cold war, the film portrays the harshness of that country’s rule. Staff photos by Raymond V. Whelan
PHOTO 2: An acrylic and tint painting by Cottonwood Shores artist Terry Cantu was adopted for the "Dream Killers" film promotional poster
"It is an educational movie," said Craig Cosgray, the film’s producer who lives in Spicewood. "We believe it is a clarion call. We hope to educate folks and wake them up."
The nearly one-hour film was narrated largely by Elena Chitta, a Kingsland resident who lived in Romania under communist tyranny during the Cold War.
While growing up in her native land, she witnessed the communist system manipulate and disrupt education, health care, an independent media, labor rights, property rights and religious freedom, Chitta recalled.
Also, her father was imprisoned as a dissenter to communist rule, and her mother died of a heart attack after communist-run hospitals failed to give her proper care, Chitta said.
Along with her husband, Julian, Chitta is now an American citizen.
Many contemporary "progressives" in the United States support policies similar to what communist ideologues and officials espoused in Romania, Chitta said.
Chitta spoke before a standing ovation after the film.
"I am scared," Chitta said. "I have seen these so-called progressives before. They are a threat to your life, liberty and happiness. The promised land is changing. Please don’t let that happen."
The film project began after Tea Party Coalition local member Pat Dickey met Chitta during a "Tax Day" Tea Party on April 15 last year in Marble Falls, recalled Andrew "Drew" Crosby, president of the coalition.
It took about nine months to assemble the film with assistance from about 30 people living in the Highland Lakes, including Horseshoe Bay resident Mark Sommer, who directed the film, Crosby said.
"It is amazing what can happen when some motivated people get together," Crosby added.
About 650 local members are on the the coalition’s e-mail list, Crosby said.
The coalition plans to hold its second Tax Day Tea Party 5 p.m. April 15 at Lakeside Park, 305 Buena Vista.
"We believe in smaller government and lower taxes," Crosby said. "We are not in favor of the federal government taking over health care. We do not support Democratic or Republican candidates. We welcome anybody."
Video: Watch it on
the 4-7-10 newcast
on ThePicayuneTV.com
POSTED 4-6-2010
MARBLE FALLS — The CEO of Ronn Motor Co. produced records showing a federal tax levy against his company had been lifted when he met Tuesday with city officials about the publicly owned showroom and manufacturing plant he will run.
The plant will later become a vocational and technological center offering job training to adults and juveniles.
IN PHOTO: The Scorpion HX supercar has made appearances at auto shows around the world. Owner Ronn Motor Co. plans to operate a manufacturing plant in Marbel Falls. File photo
Ronn Maxwell presented the Internal Revenue Service document to the Economic Development Corp., which plans to lease the 76,000-square-foot building to Ronn Motors for up to three years for use as a manufacturing plant for automotive hydrogen-cell technology.
The EDC board also met in executive session to discuss Ronn Motors’ contract, and the board also heard an update on a proposed vo-tech center that will open at the Ronn Motors plant after the automaker vacates the facility.
The document shown at the meeting Tuesday backs up Maxwell’s earlier claim that an IRS lien filed against Ronn Motors for more than $98,000 in unpaid taxes last December was “an error.”
According to the federal lien, the company owed $98,026.37 in payroll taxes when the document was filed Dec. 21, 2009.
However, the document presented by Maxwell Tuesday — dated Dec. 23, 2009 — shows that all federal claims to Ronn Motors finances and property had been lifted two days after the initial filing.
“We’ve already taken care of it. It was an error,” he told The Daily Tribune March 16.
At the time, he indicated he didn’t wish to discuss the matter further. Also, a check at the time with the Burnet County District Clerk’s Office indicated there were no records from the IRS of the lien being released.
The lien was first reported by The Daily Tribune in March after public documents revealed IRS claims that Ronn Motors failed to pay payroll taxes during a nine-month period in 2008 and 2009.
Maxwell Tuesday declined to say how the matter was resolved, and IRS officials said they were unable to comment specifically on the case due to privacy laws.
Cottonwood Shores-based Ronn Motors produces and markets green-energy technologies, including a system that uses hydrogen to increase fuel efficiency in cars and trucks.
The company also produces the eco-friendly Scorpion HX supercar, which uses the hydrogen-cell technology.
A prototype of the $250,000 sports car recently was featured on a Discovery Channel TV series, “World’s Most Expensive Rides,” according to a company press release.
Ronn Motors last fall signaled its intent to move to Marble Falls after the EDC purchased a former candle factory at 1707 Colt Circle for about $1.7 million with plans to turn the building into a vocational learning center.
According to an agreement between the EDC and Ronn Motors, the company will occupy the building for up to three years, locating its executive offices, showroom and manufacturing facility there.
In return, Ronn Motors has promised to create at least 20 full-time jobs with an average pay of $27,000 by the end of its first year in Marble Falls, with an additional 75 full-time jobs added by the end of its third year.
If those jobs aren’t created on time, Ronn Motors would have to pay the EDC $27,000 for each position not created, according to the company’s agreement with the EDC.
Following the three-year lease term, the company has pledged to build a $3 million facility within the Marble Falls city limits, according to documents.
Once Ronn Motors vacates the building, the new vocational center — dubbed the Highland Lakes Career and Technology Center — will move in, officials said.
EDC Higher Education Liaison Bobbie Walker said a planning group for the new facility met last week.
The meeting included representatives from the city, the EDC, the Marble Falls Independent School District and Central Texas College, Walker said.
“It’s hoped that all parties would work together and support each other,” Walker said. “We also hope to identify quickly the most-needed training area. Our target is to have classes in the building in three years, but we want to have other areas involved.”
The next EDC meeting is noon May 5 in council chambers, 800 Third St.
chris@thepicayune.com
POSTED 4-5-2010
Marble Falls Area EMS Inc. crews check out the driver and passengers of a Nissan Altima involved in a collision in the 1100 block of U.S. 281 in Marble Falls Monday about 11:40 a.m. Along with the paramedics, Marble Falls police officers and firefighters responded to the three-vehicle collision, which also involved a dump truck. The accident occurred between RR 1431 and Mormon Mill Road. Staff photo by Daniel Clifton
BUCHANAN DAM — Faulty wiring in a kitchen lighting fixture led to a brief fire that consumed part of the ceiling in a Willows subdivision home off CR 141, officials have determined.
Cassie Volunteer Fire Department Capt. Bill Pennington gave an update Friday and said the March 14 blaze started in the attic of a one-story house being remodeled by its owners.
