BERTRAM — All fees are being waived for a barbecue on municipal property that benefits research into a crippling disease, the City Council decided Tuesday.

During their regular meeting, the council also announced support for several social events.

By unanimous consent, the council decided to waive all fees for the second Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Benefit Barbecue 5 p.m. May 1 at the Bertram City Pavilion, 649 FM 243 East.

Cystic fibrosis is a progressive genetic disease that affects the entire body, causing disability and even death. There is no cure, only treatments, medical officials say.

The Busby, Glimp and Saylor families will sponsor the event, according to Hudson Glimp of Marble Falls.

“This is our mission in life,” Glimp told the council. “We appreciate your help.”

The benefit provided meals for more than 160 people and raised $7,000 for the foundation last year, Glimp recalled.

All donations and sales from the event will go to the foundation, Glimp said.

Also during the meeting, the council approved the “Crop Walk” on April 25.

The walk will benefit local food banks, according to Chamber of Commerce President Marcie Masterson. The event will begin at the Bertram Cumberland Presbyterian Church at 430 Texas 29 and extend three miles to the First Christian Church at 410 N. West St., Masterson said.

Police will be on duty to ensure the safety of participants in the walk, Chief David Caudle said.

“It is not a problem,” Caudle added. “The walk benefits the community.”

Before the meeting ended, the council approved using the city tennis court for the “Bar-B-Que Cook-Off” dance scheduled April 16-17 near the American Legion Hall at 160 Legion Place.

Also, Mayor JoAnn Stephens declared April as Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month.

More than 68,000 children were confirmed abuse victims last year in Texas, according to the Texas Department of Family Protective Services.

Burnet County has “an extraordinary number” of children who suffer some form of abuse or neglect each year, officials said.

Family Protective Services, the Burnet County Child Welfare Board, Court Appointed Special Advocates of the Highland Lakes Area and the Hill Country Children’s Advocacy Center provide assistance and services for abused and neglected children in the county, according to the proclamation signed by Stephens.

In addition, Stephens proclaimed April as Donate Life Texas Month and urged Bertram residents to register as organ donors when they they renew their driver’s license at the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.

Also, Utilities Superintendent Charles Shell announced the Utilities Department has recently installed four new base radios and six portable radios for communication with the fire and police departments, as well as the Sheriff’s Office.

raymond@thepicayune.com

GRANITE SHOALS — The death of a 52-year-old man who was tasered in a struggle with police has been ruled a homicide resulting from methamphetamine intoxication and restraint procedures, according to an autopsy.

Willie Ray Banks was tasered, handcuffed and shackled by law officers during a disturbance Dec. 29 in the 1100 block of Churchill Drive, according to reports.

MEADOWLAKES — City officials are considering spending $350,000 to buy an additional water tank because the current system is getting older and has limited storage capacity, officials said.

A representative from Southwest Engineers Inc. told the City Council April 10 the city needs to consider the purchase based on a water-system assessment conducted by the firm.

MARBLE FALLS — A man calling himself the devil kicked in the window of a squad car and injured an officer, while also claiming he was striking a blow for a prisoner who died in police custody last year, officials said.

“The officers believe he was under the influence of something,” police Capt. Glenn Hanson said April 10.

When officers asked the man to identify himself, “He said his name was the devil,” the captain added.

LLANO — Emergency crews rescued a 13-year-old Austin boy after a 25-foot fall at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area during Easter weekend, officials said.

According to reports, the teen, who suffered at least one broken bone, fell into a crevice just after 4 p.m. April 6 in an area known as "Little Rock," located behind the park’s campground. He was visiting with family, officials said.

The boy was flown by a STAR Flight medical helicopter to Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas in Austin with non-life threatening injuries, officials said.

Responding agencies included the Llano County Sheriff’s Office, the Fredericksburg Volunteer Fire and EMS and the Willow City Volunteer Fire Department.

The state park straddles the Llano and Gillespie county lines, approximately 20 miles south of Llano on FM 965.

The park, which features a central 500-foot dome of pink granite, draws thousands of visitors each year.

editor@thepicayune.com

COTTONWOOD SHORES — A familiar face is back with an official role in the city’s government.

The City Council April 5 voted to name Janet Taylor acting city administrator. She had been serving in that role the previous two weeks.

MARBLE FALLS — When family members arrived at the City of Marble Falls cemetery Easter Sunday to place flowers at grave sites, they were overwhelmed by high weeds and overgrown conditions.

"It shouldn’t get like this," said Dennis Heffington.e and his wife Rhonda Heffington went to the cemetery the morning of April 8 to place flowers at her parents’ burial site. He couldn’t even get out of the car because she was so upset by how bad it was," said Heffington, a local businessman.

But city officials the next day said crews were headed out to take care of the weeds and overgrown grass.

"I have two guys going out this morning," said Parks Superintendent Lewis Fincher. "I’ll have two more heading out this afternoon. It will probably take them about three days to get it all mowed and cleaned up."

Fincher said the city had been waiting to let the wildflowers go to seed, while the tightened budget presents another challenge.

"Right now we only have four guys," he said. "We have eight positions, but only four are filled due to budget constraints."

Heffington said the condition of the cemetery left him dismayed.

It wasn’t just the fact that his wife’s parents’ final resting place was overgrown, but many veterans are buried as well at the graveyard, 300 Ave. S.

"If the city needs help, I’ll be glad to get some guys together and come out here to clean it up," he said.

MARBLE FALLS — Motorists don’t have much longer on the old U.S. 281 bridge over Lake Marble Falls, according to the highway department.

Construction on the first span of the nearly $37 million bridge replacement project is scheduled to finish in November, although all traffic will not move to the new span until February.

PHOTO:Workers for Archer Western Contractors are on schedule to finish all 26 of the 32-foot segments of the south column on the first span of the new U.S. 281 bridge next month. The entire first span should be finished in November. Photo courtesy of TxDOT

BURNET — It’s an insurance salesperson’s nightmare — drivers intentionally smashing their cars into each other.

But come 7 p.m. Saturday at the Burnet County Fair and Rodeo Grounds, that’s exactly what more than a dozen drivers will be doing during the 19th Annual Burnet Demolition Derby.

“I’ll be honest, I didn’t think I’d really like demolition derby coming up in rodeo and all,” said Brent Nichols from the Burnet County Fair and Rodeo Association, the event sponsor. “But it’s pretty exciting. Who knows? Someday maybe I’ll have a car in it.”

The rodeo arena is located off U.S. 281 South behind the Burnet Municipal Airport on Houston Clinton Drive.

Nichols said the number of entries this year are more than in previous years.

“In the past several years we’ve had 14-16 cars in it, but this year we’ve already had more than that confirm that they were coming,” he said. “It should be one of the biggest ones we’ve had in a while.”

In a demolition derby, competitors crash their vehicles into other cars in the arena. The object is to knock all the other cars out of commission.

“It’s kind of like the last man standing,” Nichols said. “And the last one still running wins. It’s pretty exciting.”

Nichols said the rodeo association is adding a few features this year to encourage audience participation.

“Before the (demolition derby) starts, we’re going to have some kid events,” he said. “And this year we’re going to have a Demolition Derby Queen.”

While demolition derbies don’t enjoy the popularity they did in their heyday during the 1950s and 1960s, several still take place in the area including the annual fundraiser derby hosted in the fall by the Spicewood Volunteer Fire and EMS Department.

Meanwhile, Nichols said the fair and rodeo board is always looking for ways to develop the April event in Burnet, which coincides with the annual Burnet Bluebonnet Festival.

This year several organizers from the Brenham destruction derby will be on hand and the two organizations will share ideas, Nichols said.

“They have close to a hundred cars in their (demolition derby),” he said. “So we’re going to look at ways to attract drivers from theirs and then also get people from here to participate in Brenham.”

While several local drivers show up, Nichols said the Burnet demolition derby pulls in competitors from around the state.

“We have some coming in from the Midland area,” he said. “Some of the salvage yards use (demolition derbies) as a way to promote their business. They’ll show up with a trailer with several cars on it.”

The event features a full concession stand, but people can bring coolers as long as they don’t contain any glass containers.

Tickets are $10 for adults; children 10 and under are free, Nichols said.

“People should get there early in order to get good seats,” he added.

The derby benefits the rodeo association.

daniel@thepicayune.com