For the past six years, cancer survivor and Joseph’s Hammer board member Helen Smith has helped raise money to build a chapel next door to the Ellen Halbert Unit, a Burnet prison for women battling substance abuse.
On March 18, Smith saw how that work has started to pay off during a site tour of the now-under construction facility with other board members, supporters, and media. Crews recently poured an 8,250-square-foot slab, laying the foundation for the chapel and study rooms for the inmates.
“I can’t believe it!” Smith said from her wheelchair being steered by husband Dave.
One of four founding members of Joseph’s Hammer, Smith has been integral to the nonprofit’s crusade to raise over $2 million to build a worship center next to the prison.
“She’s a powerhouse,” said group chairman Pam Stevenson.
The tour was the first time the full board saw Smith since she was admitted into hospice over a year ago.
“She lived to see this day,” member Lynn Zinnecker said.
Organizers started the project about six years ago to provide more class space for inmates. Members of Hill Country Fellowship of Burnet have been teaching the women for over 10 years.
The classes were so popular that many inmates were unable to attend.
“It would be like if you went to church on Sunday morning and the pastor was standing at the door and saying, ‘We’re at capacity. You can’t come in,’” Zinnecker said.
The new chapel should solve that issue.
“Every woman has a right to experience God,” she said. “With this, they will.”
The effort to build the chapel wasn’t easy.
“With every single obstacle we’ve faced, we’ve kept on going,” Zinnecker said.
Costs for building materials in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic nearly doubled the price tag of the chapel and further prolonged construction.
“We kept trying to fundraise,” Zinnecker said. “We never stopped.”
Standards set by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the entity that governs prisons in the state, added to the project’s lengthy timeline.
“It was a long and laborious process,” Zinnecker said. “It’s not anyone’s fault, it’s just how the system works.”
Large doses of patience, persistence, and prayer ultimately paved the way.
“We just kept at it,” Zinnecker said. “God has been all over it. He’s opened a door and made a way, every single time.”
Ellen Halbert Unit Senior Warden Kamilah Coger can’t wait to see the chapel in all its glory.
“We’re excited to know that we’re going to have a place of worship for our administrators, volunteers, and clients here that they can go to,” she said.
Coger is equally excited to see the impact the chapel’s programs will have on the inmates.
“They’re going to have more time to spend with volunteers,” she said. “They’ll be able to socialize and network with people outside of the unit and communicate with people that really care about their well-being.”
Joseph’s Hammer board members and donors hope to cap off the past six years of work by opening the chapel’s doors in the next year.
“It will be the chapel that God built,” donor Jan Burrows said.
Smith is already planning her return to the site when that day comes.
“I’ll bring my boa next time,” she said with a laugh.
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A summer job fair for Marble Falls students is April 10 from 12:20-1:40 p.m. in the library at the high school, 2101 Mustang Drive. Businesses seeking seasonal help can register online.
The Marble Falls Independent School District is hosting the event.
“Having a variety of businesses represented allows our students to see what may be of interest to them and to apply for multiple job opportunities,” said Megan Hamilton, MFISD communications specialist. “It is a beneficial service for businesses and students in our community.”
District officials will provide employers with tables and other supplies at the fair, where they can share information and talk to prospective student applicants.
“Business owners interested in participating are asked to bring applications and/or flyers to advertise their open positions,” Hamilton said.
Visitors are required to check in at the front office and must bring their state-issued IDs to be scanned before entering the job fair.
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The body of a missing woman was found in a wooded area off of Llano County Road 321 on Saturday, March 16. Livingston resident Tammy Lynn Snow, 57, went missing on March 12, the day she arrived at Long’s Fishing Camp in Kingsland.
According to Llano County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Brad Evans, she was camping alone with her two dogs.
Snow arrived at the camp between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., according to an LCSO media release.
“Her dogs got loose, and she went to look for them in her car,” Evans said. “She got her dogs in the car but then lost her keys.”
She received a ride back to her campsite and was last seen by nearby campers as she was walking along the same road at around 9 p.m.
Snow left her belongings at her campsite and her two dogs in her vehicle. A Horseshoe Bay animal control officer took the dogs, which were reported in good condition, to a local animal shelter.
A Starflight helicopter and drones from the Llano County Attorney’s Office were used to assist in a search of the wooded area around her car, the campsite, and along the Llano River. Members of the Llano County Sheriff’s Office and the Kingsland Volunteer Fire Department searched by land on ATVs. Texas EquuSearch and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department also assisted.
The cause of death won’t be known until autopsy results come back, which could be six to eight weeks, Evans said.
“We definitely need some answers from the autopsy,” he told DailyTrib.com when asked if foul play was involved in Snow’s death.
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Daniel Reyes Limon, 29, of Llano County was sentenced to 99 years in prison and handed a $250,000 fine after a jury found him guilty of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute on Feb. 27.
Limon was arrested on Jan. 31, 2023, after Llano County Sheriff’s Office deputies found 2.16 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in a car speaker during a routine traffic stop. Limon ran from the deputies and was caught in a backyard in a nearby neighborhood.
During the February trial, assistant district attorneys Camilla Cutbirth and Michael Walker asked the jury to take a stand against drug dealers on behalf of Llano County. Walker pointed to the large amount of meth involved, while Cutbirth encouraged jurors to send a message to whomever might step into Limon’s shoes.
The jury returned with a guilty verdict after a 30-minute deliberation.
“I’m very proud of what this jury did and the message they’re sending,” Cutbirth said in a media release announcing the verdict.
Limon was sentenced by 33rd Judicial District Court Judge Allan Garrett, who heard evidence of two previous convictions. Limon was given 12 years each for possession of meth and possession with intent to deliver meth in 2016. He was released after seven years served and was on parole when he was arrested on the most recent offense.
“The Sheriff’s Office did a great job catching a major dope dealer in Llano County, and the jury certainly did their part by sending this repeat offender away for 99 years,” said District Attorney Wiley “Sonny” McAfee in the media release. “The drug problems in our country are ruining lives and neighborhoods. We have to work together to eliminate illegal drugs or convince criminals who push their poison in our counties to go elsewhere.”
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Llano River Railroad is on track to restoring the city’s locomotive legacy and boosting tourism down the line. The nonprofit, which operates the Llano Railroad Museum, is raising money to fix up a 1954 Pullman passenger car to get visitors on board and engaged with the town’s history.
Llano is the final stop on 29.9 miles of a rail line that passes through Kingsland on its way to Burnet. This stretch is part of the Austin and Northwestern Railroad system and on the National Register of Historic Places.
The railroad was operational from 1892 to 1996 and largely responsible for the growth and prosperity of Llano and other nearby communities.
According to Llano River Operations Director Chris Slade, the group’s ultimate goal is to fully restore at least 10 miles of the old line and offer rides to visitors along the most scenic stretch near the Llano River.
“People want to ride a train,” he said. “You’ll get to see 10 beautiful miles of the river that you couldn’t see otherwise. We think it’s going to bring big value to Llano County.”
Slade said it could be a few years before the rail line is operational. The nonprofit is applying to CapMetro for a right-of-way along the line that would then let it seek grants from the Texas Department of Transportation to restore the railroad to a usable condition.
While the process could take years, Slade said the group will continue chugging along until the job is done.
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The pastor of a Granite Shoals ministry and food pantry was arrested on March 14 on a charge of indecency with a child by sexual contact. This is the third time that 68-year-old Roy Guerrero Sr. was arrested on the charge, adding up to seven total counts and allegations from three people.
Guerrero was released from the Burnet County Jail on Thursday on a $40,000 bond and is currently awaiting a May 24 status hearing in the 33rd Judicial District Court as well as April 29 hearings on his previous charges.
He is the pastor of Jesus the Divine Teacher Ministries and head of Joseph’s Food Pantry in Granite Shoals.
The latest charge against Guerrero stems from an alleged incident in 1999. In Texas, the crime of indecency with a child by sexual contact has no statute of limitations. It is a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.
Guerrero was first arrested in September 2023 on five counts of child indecency from five different incidents with the same accuser in 1996. He was arrested again in December 2023 related to a 2002 incident with a different child.
According to BCSO Investigator Chris King, the lead on Guerrero’s cases, the initial person who came forward in September encouraged the next two to do the same.
“We had the original victim come in, and the other victims saw it happen in the paper or were made aware of it through word of mouth,” he told DailyTrib.com.
He explained that many victims of child crimes don’t come forward because they’re afraid they won’t be believed.
“I can tell you, just by speaking with victims, they’re afraid people won’t believe them,” he said. “It just takes someone to step up and talk about it.”
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approve a Marble Falls EDC project to provide qualified financial incentives for the Flatrock Crossing Commercial Development in exchange for economic development obligations to the EDC and city of Marble Falls
discussion and action regarding the annexation of about 7 acres south of Texas 71
update from City Manager Mike Hodge on recent water leaks
consider an out-of-state travel request by the Marble Falls High School theater department to travel to Indiana University in Bloomington for the International Thespian Festival
consider the purchase of a new travel trailer for the Marble Falls High School band
approve funds for repairs to The Falls on the Colorado Museum
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Learn more about upgrades to the U.S. 281-Texas 71 junction in south Marble Falls during a come-and-go meeting from 5:30-7:30 p.m. March 28 at Marble Falls High School, 2101 Mustang Drive. You can also view the event online from March 28 through April 12.
Project displays and maps will be available in person and online. People can also submit written comments via either option. Texas Department of Transportation representatives will be at the March 28 open house to answer questions.
The estimated $80 million project will address increased traffic at the junction due to several large housing developments recently built or planned in the area. Work is expected to begin between 2028 and 2033.
“The goal is to move traffic more efficiently and enhance safety at the interchange,” TxDOT’s Bradley Wheelis told DailyTrib.com in August 2023. “TxDOT is looking at future growth projections in the area and planning to redesign the interchange to accommodate that growth.”
To view the March 28 meeting online, visit the TxDOT website and enter “US 281 at SH 71 interchange” in the site’s search bar.
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Traffic and the impact of current and future growth in Marble Falls dominated conversations during a March 12 open house for the city’s draft comprehensive plan. Around 100 people attended the one-hour presentation by Halff, the city’s planning consulting firm.
“We feel like it was very well-attended, especially given it was held during Spring Break,” Development Services Director Kim Foutz told DailyTrib.com after the Tuesday event at Lakeside Pavilion. “We feel like it was a good overview to get people familiar with the components of the comprehensive plan.”
The plan was last updated in 2016. It is a decision-making guide for city officials.
Residents at the forum seemed most concerned about traffic on Marble Falls’ two main roads: U.S. 281 and RR 1431.
“This cannot be a nice city to live in when residents and visitors have to dodge these trucks,” one resident said. “It’s not just the traffic but the noise that they produce.”
Halff senior planner Matt Bucchin was quick to remind people of the city’s lack of control over the two thoroughfares.
“Inside the right-of-way, (Texas Department of Transportation) owns and manages it,” he said.
Another resident asked city leaders to consider revamping low-water crossings on Nature Heights and Mission Hills drives.
“Those clearly are subject to flooding, and when they do, it eliminates at least two of the corridors that people can use for mobility …” she said.
City Engineer Jeff Prato provided an update on the two crossings.
“We are looking at both of those and all the other low-water crossings in the city,” he said. “We’re trying to increase the mobility by increasing the amount of stormwater they can manage.”
Prato also spoke broadly on city traffic in general.
“What we have to do as a city, which is challenging sometimes, is (determine) how we can make this work with what we have,” he said. “I know that’s an excuse to some extent, but we are trying as best as we can to make it as safe as possible.”
Planners used survey results from six questionnaires sent to residents in 2023 to craft the draft plan. Of the over 750 respondents, residents were divided 50/50 on whether the city is “on the right track with recent growth and development.”
Halff senior planner Nathlie Booth argued that was a positive indicator of the city’s future.
“Honestly, that might be a good place for the city to be,” she said. “You can’t please everybody.”
Other items discussed during the presentation included areas of potential future growth and strategies to achieve city goals, such as becoming a destination town, attracting economic partners, and forging regional partnerships.
The Marble Falls Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council will consider the draft plan for adoption later this spring.
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