Tuesday April 7, 2015
Volume 57, Number 30 1 Section, 14 Pages
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MARBLE FALLS’ PAPER OF RECORD SINCE 1959
Daughter in cuffs over strangling death of mother By Alexandria Randolph The Highlander
A Burnet woman was charged with murder after her mother was found strangled in a travel trailer on Friday, April 3. At approximately 7 a.m. Friday, the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office received a request to check the welfare of Pamela Ross, 63, in the Deer Springs area west of Burnet. According to a Burnet County Sheriff’s Office release, Ross was found strangled on the floor of her fifth wheel trailer when deputies arrived. Her daughter, Rhonda Carrell, 39, has been charged in Ross’ murder. Deputies responded to the Inks Lake RV Park and at-
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www.HighlanderNews.com
Murder... see Page 7
Up! Up! And, away!
‘Paint the Town’
On April 9-11, about 30 plein air painters from across the state will converge on Marble Falls to capture on canvas the sights and scenes of the community and surrounding areas while competing in the 9th Annual Paint the Town art competition. From its beginnings, Paint The Town was intended to showcase Marble Falls as a culturally rich and art-friendly community. Participating artists have the opportunity to display prepared works in the Paint The
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tempted to make contact with Ross, who was a permanent resident at the park. “When no contact was made, deputies were able to look through a window and observed a white female (lying) on the floor,” the release stated. Burnet Fire Department and EMS were called to the scene. Firefighters assisted with entry into the trailer and assessed Ross, before advising that she was deceased. Justice of the Peace Calvin Boyd pronounced Ross dead at the scene. Her remains were transported to the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. Autopsy results confirmed
It’s time to... Plein air artists to converge here this week
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Town Tent Gallery, located in Old Oak Square. For art lovers, there will be art available all weekend, Thursday through Saturday, whether at the gallery or at the 4 p.m. live auction capping the competition on Saturday. Artist registration will be Thursday and Friday beginning at 9 a.m. in the Marble Falls/Lake LBJ Chamber of Commerce administration building, 916 Second Street. Old Oak Square, on Main between Third and Fourth Street will be the focal point for all the activities. The Paint The Town Tent Gallery, located inside Old Oak Square, will
EMILY HILLEY-SIERZCHULA/THE HIGHLANDER
The crew and pilot of the “Terminator” get ready to lift off Saturday afternoon, April 4, at the third annual Balloons over Horseshoe Bay Resort event. The balloon was piloted by Pat Harwell of Shreveport, Louisiana. The event drew record crowds Saturday, in spite of Mother Nature’s windy conditions wreaking havoc and causing a cancellation of the morning schedule. There were plenty on hand for the evening’s “glow,” while organizers offered a variety of other activities to keep attendees happy. See more photos from Balloons over Horseshoe Bay on page 5.
Painters.. see Page 5
PEC head says ‘No’ near deadline for re-election By James Walker Highland Lakes Newspapers
Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) Board President Patrick Cox will not seek reelection in the coop’s upcoming elections, he announced Monday. Cox, who lives in Wimberley and is one of PEC’s two longest-serving directors, made no mention of his future plans in a statement he issued through the cooperative. “Since my election in 2008 as a reform director, I take great pride in the many achievements we have accomplished to make PEC a recognized national leader among electric cooperatives for governance, financial stability, innovation and a diversified energy portfolio that includes renewable energy and efficiency,” Cox said in the statement. “With that, we are providing excellent services for our members as we strive to always improve our reliability and resiliency.” Cox’s decision comes amid looming turmoil surrounding PEC and its board with conservatives pushing to gain further control. Conservatives want PEC to allow members to choose their electric provider and to curtail its growing investment in renewable energy and concentrate on providing members elec-
tricity at the cheapest possible prices. The more progressive members and directors, of which Cox was one, counter that they are cutting energy costs and that they have led the way in reforming the cooperative in recent years to the point they say it is considered a model for how such entities should be run. PEC members who might be interested in running for Cox’s District 7 spot on the board were left with little time to react after his retirement statement was released to media outlets Monday morning, April 6. The deadline for candidates to file for election to the PEC board was at 5 p. m. yesterday. Prospective candidates are required to submit a list of 50 verifiable signatures of PEC members who live in their district. Former Hays County commissioner and newspaper executive Jeff Barton filed for Cox’s District 7 position late last week. Doug Katjin, a retired real estate executive who lives in Kyle, said Wednesday, April 1, he has filed for the District 7 position held by Cox, but said he did not know that the PEC board president had decided not to run. Cox did not respond to phone and email messages seeking comment.
PEC... see Page 2
ALEXANDRIA RANDOLPH/THE HIGHLANDER
The Lampasas High School soccer team avoided injury in a three-vehicle wreck on Thursday evening, April 2. Two occupants of
Soccer squad’s bus in crash No life-threatening injuries in three-vehicle incident
By Alexandria Randolph The Highlander
Two teens were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, while members of the Lampasas High School soccer team were uninjured following
Easter Bunny makes stop
INSIDE
Wildflowerthemed ‘ladies only golf tourney signup deadline nearing
See page 3
a Dodge truck were reportedly transported with non life-threatening injuries.
Massive egg hunt draws large crowd to Granite Shoals See page 14
a three-vehicle accident which involved their school bus on Thursday afternoon, April 2. At 5:17 p.m., emergency responders were dispatched to the scene of the three-vehicle crash, including one vehicle
in a rollover, at the railroad crossing on US 281 just north of Marble Falls’ city limits. Burnet Volunteer Fire Department spokesman Daniel Dilworth said the incident Bus wreck... see Page 7
Lady Mustangs cross the finish with firsts at relays See page 12