January 11, 2017 Issue

Claudine Weber celebrated her 99th birthday with family and friends, including her bridge club and 42 players, at CelesteCare on Wednesday, Jan. 4. Her party was hosted by her Sunday School class from First Baptist Church with cake, refreshments, coffee and tea. Mary Fay Wallace entertained the crowd by playing the piano.

What wacky, winter weather we have been having so far, cold, warm, bitter cold, warm, and cold again. At the time of writing, the temperature is 18 degrees in Llano, early on Sunday morning, by the time the paper comes out it is supposed to be a balmy 75. Welcome to winter in Central Texas.

The Llano County Commissioners had lengthy discussions on the use of a radio tower and the county’s longevity scale at Monday’s more than hour-and-a-half regularly scheduled meeting. Bramer Owens, of Baylor Scott & White, said the health system would like to upgrade its equipment on two of the county’s towers. That would include a move from the emergency band to the licensed band for its radio system. In order to do so, Owens said the company would like a wind study done on the towers ...

Eli Smith wanted to do something on a grand scale, and he sure found something that fits the bill. Smith, an Army veteran, is hiking the more than 13,000 miles to the four corners of the continental United States to raise awareness for soldiers and veterans who have PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).

The Llano City Council on Monday voted to issue up to $1.7 million in certificates of obligation as the first step to fix the city’s aging and sometimes crumbling infrastructure. At the special called meeting, the council also directed city staff to continue to work to prepare more specific information that will likely be used in February to call for a bond election in May to repair the city’s streets and swimming pool. On Monday, the council moved in a 3-0-1 vote, with Glenn Conner abstain ...

Llano High’s Meats Judging team has been one of the best in the nation — literally — for a number of years, and its talent showed again in the Western National 4-H Roundup, Jan. 6-7 in Greeley, Colorado, near Denver. The Jackets placed second in a field representing 10 states. “Had a really good day,” said Joe Dan Tarter, an agriculture teacher for more than two decades at Llano High.

It was actually a good game but not overly exciting, I didn’t think. Of course I’m referring to most of Clemson’s 35-31 national championship win over Alabama, Monday night. Then a few things happened which made it go from, “This game is taking ages,” to, “One for the Ages.” Jalen Hurts, the freshman quarterback for the Crimson Tide (from Channelview, Texas) had labored through an average-to-bad night. Bama’s Steve Sarkisian, maybe th ...

LEANDER — The Jacket basketball girls made their first visit to Glenn High School here a most successful one, January 3, but was then thumped by a talented Burnet squad, January 6. We’ll take this in chronological order — sort of like enjoying the numbing feeling in your mouth (in the dentist chair) prior to the drilling. None of that sounds real pleasant, does it?

LEANDER — The Llano boys came close to beating the Glenn High Grizzlies but wound up participating on the wrong side of history. Glenn, the new high school in a community growing faster than Twitter, overcame a fourth quarter deficit to beat the Jackets, 43-33, on the first Friday in January. Glenn, with ninth and tenth graders, is the newest member of 19-4A, a seven- school district. “We’re just not yet able to finish, ...

Courtney Reyna stares down the Leander Glenn Grizzly during the basketball games last week.

Thelma (better known as “Perky” to many, and “Mimi”) peacefully moved to her forever home on the morning of Jan. 5, 2017 at her home in Kingsland. She was born to Alice Lavon McKill (d. 1963) and William Alonzo Hunt (d.1961) in Minot, North Dakota on May 25, 1922. Thelma was the youngest of her siblings, Mary Eunice (1917-1951) and William “Billy” Linn (1918-1997). Thelma grew up on a farm, eager to help her dad and enjoyed wearing coveralls and making ice cream from frozen well wat ...