MARBLE FALLS — A 4-year-old boy whose battle with a rare form of cancer endeared him to a community and unified a neighborhood has lost his struggle with the disease, family members said.

Cody Brasich, who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, died Aug. 5 in his home with his parents Laura and David Brasich by his side. The announcement came from relatives and was posted on a family-maintained website.

“Cody had a good last day yesterday (Aug. 4),” said his aunt Stephanie Weaver in an email. “(He) was able to interact a bit with his cousin and was able to interact with his parents.”

A notice on the website said, “Cody has joined the angels.”

The family lives in the Highland Hills subdivision, where neighbors earlier this summer rallied in support of fundraisers to help the family with expenses.

“The amazing thing is (that) the entire community has responded,” said neighbor Golden Downing of Highland Hills Neighbors for Cody just last month. “Everybody has been great about helping out or donating items.”

Supporters raised more than $4,000 for Cody during the Cody Kickin’ Cancer benefit July 21 at the Marble Falls 56th annual Open-Pro Rodeo. More than $11,440 overall has been raised in the last few months thanks to the community’s efforts, according to the website www.codybrasich.com.

In July, Cody and his family learned his rare form of childhood cancer had returned. He had been in remission since January.

A year earlier, physicians at Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas in Austin found a large tumor in the boy’s abdomen. The cancer typically forms on the adrenal gland near the kidneys, then spreads.

Due to the few number of cases diagnosed annually — about 500 to 700 — the symptoms are often overlooked or attributed to other reasons, Cody’s mother Laura Brasich said earlier this year.

When doctors finally diagnosed Cody with neuroblastoma, his condition had already advanced to Stage IV, she said.

Following the diagnosis, Cody, his mother and father spent many days — even months — away from home for treatments in Austin, Houston and eventually the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Following a battery of tests in January, doctors told the family that Cody was in remission. But he continued undergoing checkups and treatments.

During a medical visit July 20, physicians informed the family the cancer was back.

“He had a beautiful last day with his favorite cousin and family — watching television, talking and recounting great times,” said a statement posted on the website. “His family has been deeply touched by your generosity in thoughts, prayers and donations. May his spirit live long in your hearts, as well.”

daniel@thepicayune.com

AUSTIN — A former Horseshoe Bay priest arrested in 2005 and accused of groping a teenager at a Marble Falls movie theater has died.

Paul Maurice Clogan, 81, faced indecency with a child by contact charges after Marble Falls police said he touched a teenage boy Dec. 16, 2005, during a showing of "King Kong" at the former Driftwood Movie Theater, now called Showbiz Cinemas 8.

HORSESHOE BAY — Officials say they’re better prepared to avoid unforeseen cost overruns as they forge ahead on the second phase of a multimillion-dollar road improvement project.

City Council Aug. 2 discussed a new approach to calculating the cost of road improvements as they approved a $2.7 million bid for eight miles of residential work north of FM 2147.

AUSTIN — A former Horseshoe Bay priest arrested in 2005 and accused of groping a teenager at a Marble Falls movie theater has died.

Paul Maurice Clogan, 81, faced indecency with a child by contact charges after Marble Falls police said he touched a teenage boy Dec. 16, 2005, during a showing of “King Kong” at the former Driftwood Movie Theater, now called Showbiz Cinemas 8.

MARBLE FALLS — Economic development leaders Aug. 1 approved hiring a firm designed to coax industry to the area while also stressing the need to preserve the city’s hometown feel.

As part of a second phase of a plan designed to gather data to draw retailers and manufacturers to the city, the Economic Development Corp. board approved spending $22,500 to hire Austin-based Theory into Practice Strategies.

But at least one EDC board member said decisions about recruiting new industry should take the size of the community into perspective.

“I don’t want Toyota (car-making company),” said Director Steve Reitz. “I just want to make their door handles, and I’d be happy.”

TIPS, established in 1995, joins The Retail Coach, a firm focusing on retail recruitment, in a second round of information-gathering efforts that involve compiling lists of business prospects. The EDC calls this approach a Target Sector Analysis.

The Retail Coach was hired earlier this year for $35,000.

However, one director questioned why the EDC needs more data before recruiting industry to the area, especially with the new multimillion-dollar Scott & White Healthcare medical complex already coming to U.S. 281 and Texas 71.

“I know (EDC Executive Director) Christian (Fletcher) can go out there and start  contacting radiology companies now,” Director Judy Miller said. “We don’t have to wait for this list.”

But Director Mark Mayfield said gathering information is necessary before any discussions take place with new businesses.

“This is critical information,” Mayfield said. “You can talk about asking (a company to locate in Marble Falls), but you can’t do anything without data.”

Meanwhile during the meeting, TIPS Senior Consultant Alan Cox discussed how the hospital project will usher in a thriving new industry with more jobs, but also suggested that  business growth in Austin could have a ripple effect for Marble Falls.

“(The Marble Falls area) is doing well in industry where population growth is not a factor,” said Cox, referring to agriculture- and construction-related jobs. “Employment growth is largely tied to population growth.”

Marble Falls population is about 6,000, according to 2010 figures by the U.S. Census Bureau, growing less than 1,000 people since 2000.

Reitz said the hospital will bring more health-related jobs to the area.

“We’re becoming a medical area. That’s going to explode. That’s already in the pipeline,” he said.

Cox said the EDC should consider capitalizing on industry growth in Austin, referring to the potential international appeal of the Formula 1 race track Circuit of the Americas, now under construction; a proposed University of Texas medical training facility; and expansion of a Samsung factory complex.

But Reitz cautioned that the existing culture of Marble Falls should also be preserved.

“I don’t want to see anyone driving around with a bumper sticker that says ‘Keep Marble Falls Weird,'” Reitz said, referring to Austin’s unofficial motto ‘Keep Austin Weird. “But the ripple effect point should be noted. We could latch onto that.”

During phase 2, Cox expects to compile more information on how to attract manufacturing and industrial-based companies.

In June board members approved $7,500 for the initial research phase by TIPS .

According to the TIPS website, the company in the past has collaborated with The Retail Coach and Door Number 3, a marketing firm already used by Marble Falls officials.

connie@thepicayune.com

LLANO —  International financier Peter Jones defeated Horseshoe Bay POA general manager Tom Engler by 87 votes July 31 in a close runoff race for the Llano County Precinct 1 commissioner’s seat, officials said.

The results are based on preliminary runoff results reported by the Llano County elections administrator.

Engler, 65, and Jones, 64, both of Horseshoe Bay, are Republicans. No Democrats are running, so the winner has sealed the win in the November general election.

According to the results, Jones won 52 percent, or 817 votes, to Engler’s 47 percent, or 730 votes.

Jones was unavailable for comment.

His past experience includes international financing and dealing with regulation and compliance in the insurance and pension industry in the United States, Canada and China.

Engler was down by 62 votes when early voting results were unveiled and apparently could not make up the difference. During the campaign, he cited his leadership role in the property owners’ association as one reason he wanted to continue helping the public.

“They did a better job of getting out the voters than we did. I wish him (Jones) the best, and I hope he takes care of Precinct 1,” said Engler, a former Marine who worked for Amoco Oil Co. for 25 years. “The people have voted. I still have a lot to do with the POA. We’ll wake up tomorrow and still live in the best place in the world.”

During the May 29 GOP primary, Jones received 35.44 percent, or 584 votes; Engler garnered 26.15 percent, or 431 votes; Clayton Leverett received 26.03 percent, or 429 votes; and Jerry Campbell tallied 12.3 percent, or 204 votes.

A candidate must receive more than 50 percent of the vote to secure the nomination or election officials call for a runoff.

The two candidates named fiscal responsibility, maintaining a balanced budget and a low property-tax rate as the top election issues in Llano County.

connie@thepicayune.com

MARBLE FALLS — It’s 33 miles from Burnet to Faith Academy in Marble Falls, but it took the private Christian school’s new athletic director 40 years and several thousand miles to get there — finally.

“This truly is something God led me to,” Jessie Crow said July 30. “If (Faith Academy) had filled this earlier in the year, it wouldn’t have been me.”

Crow brings with him 37 years of coaching experience coupled with 28 years in public school administration — many as an athletic director. His most recent stop in his more than three decades of coaching and teaching was the Brazosport Independent School District.

BERTRAM — A former city treasurer has filed a whistle-blower lawsuit claiming she was fired for refusing to create a false financial report.

Vicki Reinhardt is suing the city for unspecified monetary damages, pay, court costs and attorney’s fees. She is not seeking reinstatement to her job.

MEADOWLAKES — A proposed cent-and-a-half property tax increase and a 21  percent hike in water rates could help pay for a new water tank, balance the public works fund and replenish budget reserves, city officials said.

On July 30 during a workshop at City Hall on the proposed $2.2 million fiscal year budget, City Council members discussed proposed hikes to monthly water bills and ad valorem taxes, with at least one city leader predicting there will be complaints.

However, the council still has to vote on approving the increases.

“For the average water customer and (proposed) taxes, you’re looking at a little over $100 per year (combined)” if the figures are approved, said City Manager Johnnie Thompson.

The current tax rate is 30.45 cents per $100 valuation. The proposed tax rate would increase to 31.59 cents, or about a cent and a half. That translates into about $25 more per year on an average house valued at $225,000, Thompson said.

One council member said the increase is a sound idea.

“Our taxes are low,” said Councilwoman Mary Ann Raesner said. “This is something we should do. We don’t want to do something that will put us off budget.”

Also, officials proposed raising the base water rate by $4.40 per bill, and increasing the so-called “tier rates” (use per 1,000 gallons) by 20 cents each.

Council members agreed on the proposed increases to the preliminary budget, citing reasons that included balancing the Public Works fund, keeping reserves intact and generating an estimated $50,000 towards construction of a new ground-level water tank.

The tank is expected to cost $350,000, but $300,000 of that is being paid by a loan from the Meadowlakes Property Owners Association.

According to Thompson, total average billing per customer would increase from $30.95 to $37.55 per month.

Some residents are likely to express dissatisfaction over raising rates, Councilman Paul Sarcione said.

“I’m on a fixed income too,” he said. “But we need to do more than just enough (as a city) to get by.”

The last water rate increase was $1 per month in 2006, Thompson said. Prior to the last increase, the council raised the water rate by $1 per month in 2001.

The city is conducting another workshop on the proposed budget at 1 p.m. on July 31 at City Hall, 177 Broadmoor.

connie@thepicayune.com