LH INDEPENDENT 8-19-21 by The Liberty Hill Independent

Welcome

o t k c Ba

l o o h Sc nthers! Pa

(512) 515-1336 | www.989Rock.com | 14775 W. SH 29, Liberty Hill | Mon-Sat 7am-5pm

2021

Volume 34, Issue 39

www.LHIndependent.com

News@LHIndependent.com

August 19, 2021 | 50 Cents

So long, summer

LH INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTO

Treasurer and Chief Financial Ofﬁcer for the City of Liberty Hill Becky Wilkins was ﬁred Aug. 11. Causes given by the Council included “discourteous conduct and substandard productivity in workmanship”.

Council ﬁres CFO amid questions about missing documents

By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer “Discourteous conduct and substandard productivity in workmanship” were the causes given by the Council for the termination of the City’s Chief Financial Officer on Aug. 11. Following a 40-minute closed session, the Council voted unanimously to fire Becky Wilkins, who in recent weeks has been at the center of discussion regarding missing financial documents. Earlier this month, an independent auditor told council members that the City’s 2020 audit could not be complete because dozens of documents were missing. Wilkins served as city treasurer and chief financial officer

since December 2018. The motion was made by Council Member Crystal Mancilla and seconded by Council Member Kathy Canady. Mayor Liz Branigan told The Independent that the discourteous conduct Wilkins exhibited included rolling her eyes during city meetings, complaining during council meetings about the incompetence of employees who held the job before her, and not answering questions asked of her. Branigan added that Wilkins had also been working on a complaint against her, but she didn’t know what the purpose of the complaint was or what it was related to.

See WILKINS, Page 8

LHISD Trustees approve $58 million budget for FY ‘21

By CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT Staff Writer The LHISD Board of Trustees on Monday approved a $58 million operating budget for the 2021-2022 ﬁscal year -- a $10.7 million increase from the current year,. “I’m very excited to present to you the public hearing on the 2021-2022 budget and tax rate,” said LHISD Chief Financial Ofﬁcer Rosanna Guerrero. Guerrero said the budget took about six months of the staff working together to develop a plan that would allow the district to operate, but it was ever-changing. “A budget is an estimate at a point in time,” she said. “This is a moving target. We take the best data that we have at a point ©2021 The Liberty Hill Independent

in time. We utilize, analyze and project. We’re doing the best that we can with the information we have, but our enrollment is constantly changing.” A new tax rate for the district along with the budget was accepted by a unanimous vote of the Board. “We will reevaluate every year,” said Guerrero. “Based on the calculated property value growth, we can conﬁrm that the proposed tax rate would be $0.8620 (per $100 property valuation), which is a slight reduction from last year. We have reduced the combined tax rate by $0.07 in 2019-2020 and then again, a reduction of $0.11 in 2021. Overall is a commitment that we made to our taxpayers of a no tax rate increase in the upcoming year.” Guerrero said she worked tirelessly with the board and other staff to ensure the schools had everything they needed to operate successfully.

See TRUSTEES, Page 5

School starts today, Aug. 19, for students in the Liberty Hill ISD. School district officials said Wednesday that more than 7,027 were expected on campus today. Of those, Bill Burden Elementary is expecting 811, Liberty Hill Elementary 532, Louine Noble Elementary 579, Rancho Sienna Elementary 779, Santa Rita Elementary 809, Liberty Hill Middle School 917, Santa Rita Middle School 716, and Liberty Hill High School 1,878. Share your first day of school photos with us on Facebook.com/LibertyHillIndependent. (RIGHT) Brothers Landon and Logan Smith, ages 5 and 2, catch themselves after sliding down an inflatable during the City of Liberty Hill’s Back to School

CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT PHOTO

Santa Rita Middle School designed for new teaching techniques

By CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT Staff Writer Students at Santa Rita Middle School will beneﬁt from a school designed with new ways of teaching in mind. The school will showcase a new teaching method where teachers will share students and classrooms. “Teachers can go from class to class without having that wall or barrier between them,” said SRMS Principal Josh Curtis. “It goes back to the philosophy of ‘all means all.’ (Teachers) don’t just have a classroom of kids on their roster. Every student

CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT PHOTO

The new Santa Rita Middle School will feature collaborative spaces for teachers and students. Principal Josh Curtis says educators will work in teacher pods and go to classrooms for instrucSee SANTA RITA, Page 3 tion.

LHISD staff prepares for Day One

By CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT Staff Writer With classes starting today, all departments in the Liberty Hill Independent School District were preparing this week to welcome the Panthers for a new school year. One of the most demanding departments at LHISD -- facilities and maintenance -- works in the shadows making sure everything is ready before children come into the schools. “We’ve transferred everything that we need to the campus to get everything that we need,” said LHISD Director of Facilities Bruce Krueger. “We’re using Noble (Elementary) as a staging area for the new Santa Rita Middle

School. We’re talking about books, trash cans, everything. This is our busy time.” The Maintenance Department led by Krueger prepared for COVID-19 by anticipating and adding extra protection to deal with a different threat last year. “We noticed that we were having problems with ﬂu in the district,” he said. “We are looking for what we could do to help eliminate cross-contamination. We started looking at electrostatic sprayers. What it does is it puts a ﬁne mist, and it sticks to everything it touches, so we bought two of those. We ordered one for each campus, then we ordered two for each campus.” Another thing maintenance did to help with COVID-19

CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT PHOTO

Lead Custodian Zan Bonnet and LHISD Director of Maintenance and Facilities Bruce Krueger deliver chairs to a new classroom in Liberty Hills Middle School to accommodate the growing number of students in the district. infections this year is a change in how hand sanitizing is done in the classrooms. “We purchased alcohol to put in spray bottles, and the teach-

ers spray down the desks and put it in the kids’ hands instead of doing the gel,” said Krueger.

See DAY ONE, Page 4

Page 2

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, August 19, 2021

Free car window VIN etching in LH Aug. 21

The Williamson County Precinct 2 Constable’s Ofﬁce, in partnership with the Sheriff’s Combined Auto Theft Task Force, Liberty Hill Police Department and Liberty Hill ISD Police will be hosting a free car window vehicle identiﬁcation number (VIN) etching event at Liberty Hill Middle School from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21. VIN etching is the permanent engraving of a vehicle’s

federally registered VIN onto its windshield and windows. VIN etching is often seen as a deterrent to thieves because it not only makes it nearly impossible for thieves to profit from selling windows and windshields, but it also makes it more difficult for thieves to find a way to dispose of the vehicle once it has been stolen. As a result, VIN etching is recommended by police and insurance agencies to protect

against auto theft. The process to have a vehicle VIN etched is simple and takes about 15 minutes. Typically, the process includes developing a stencil of the vehicle’s VIN number, which is then used with glass etching gel to engrave the number onto the windows of the vehicle. “Cars and trucks are usually stolen for one of two reasons, resale value or individual parts,” said Jeff Anderson,

Precinct 2 Constable. “Before selling a stolen vehicle, a thief would have to replace the VIN-etched glass, a time consuming and expensive task. We are always looking for ways to deter criminal activity and protect Williamson County citizens and their property, and this free event helps do just that.” For more information, contact the Constable’s ofﬁce at 512260-4270.

Liberty Hill Police Blotter Week of Aug. 9-15, 2021 The Liberty Hill Police Department responded to or self-initiated a total of 630 incidents resulting in 11 cases, 110 citations, 130 warnings and one arrest. Weekly Highlights: - On Aug. 9 at approximately 8:58 AM, officers responded to Sanderling Ave for a 911 hang up call. - On Aug. 9 at approximately 3:53 PM, officers responded to the 20000 block of W. SH 29 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office with an accident. - On Aug. 9 at approximately 4:22 PM, officers responded to Independence Dr. for a fraud complaint. - On Aug. 9 at approximately 5:39 PM, officers responded to US 183 for a traffic hazard. - On Aug. 9 at approximately 10:47 PM, officers responded to Larkspur Park Blvd for a citizen assist. - On Aug. 10 at approximately

It’s time to kick off FALL! Stop and see the new arrivals

Correction

A story that appeared in the Aug. 12, 2021, edition, The Independent did not clearly state that staffing for the Williamson County Emergency Services District No. 4’s third fire station will be included in a future year’s operating budget. Funding for up to 15 new positions does not appear in the fiscal 2021 budget. The Independent regrets the error.

www.SimplyHomeTX.com 15280 W Hwy 29 | Liberty Hill, TX

Prepared by Liberty Hill Police Department

7:00 AM, officers responded to the 16000 block of W. SH 29 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Aug. 10 at approximately 9:37 AM, officers responded to Deserti Dr. for a suspicious activity complaint. - On Aug. 10 at approximately 6:47 PM, officers responded to the 14000 block of W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard. - On Aug. 10 at approximately 10:38 PM, officers responded to Agave Azul Way for a disturbance. - On Aug. 11 at approximately 8:56 AM, officers responded to the 15000 block of W. SH 29 for a criminal trespass warning. - On Aug. 11 at approximately 1:17 PM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard. - On Aug. 11 at approximately 3:23 PM, officers responded to the 10000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Aug. 11 at approximately 6:05 PM, officers responded to the 100 block of US 183 for an accident. - On Aug. 11 at approximately 9:10 PM, officers responded to the 14000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Aug. 11 at approximately 9:52PM, officers responded to

CR 200 for a suspicious vehicle. - On Aug. 12 at approximately 1:36 AM, officers responded to the 100 block of US 183 for a suspicious vehicle. - On Aug. 12 at approximately 1:31 PM, officers responded to the 10000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Aug. 12 at approximately 4:56 PM, officers responded to the 10000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Aug. 12 at approximately 6:33 PM, officers responded to Grove St. for an accident. - On Aug. 12 at approximately 7:45PM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Aug. 12 at approximately 10:06 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Aug. 13 at approximately 12:09 PM, officers responded to Green Bur Oak Loop for a harassment complaint. - On Aug. 13 at approximately 2:05 PM, officers responded to Proclamation Ave. for a disturbance. - On Aug. 13 at approximately 5:02 PM, officers responded to the 11000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Aug. 13 at approximately 5:05 PM, officers responded to

Trellis Blvd. for a family issue. - On Aug. 14 at approximately 1:39 AM, officers responded to the 20000 block of Ronald Reagan, to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, resulting in the arrest of a male adult for driving while intoxicated. - On Aug. 14 at approximately 11:34 AM, officers responded to the intersection of US 183 and W. SH 29 for a 911 hang up call. - On Aug. 14 at approximately 4:35 PM, officers responded to CR 260 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Aug. 14 at approximately 8:42 PM, officers responded to the intersection of US 183 and W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Aug. 15 at approximately 1:51AM, officers responded to the 8000 block of W. SH 29 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Aug. 15 at approximately 6:42 PM, officers responded to the 16000 block of W. SH 29 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Aug. 15 at approximately 8:59 PM, officers issued a citation for possession of drug paraphernalia, as the result of a traffic stop on CR 200.

Friendly Service

Statements required in notice if the proposed tax rate exceeds the no-new-revenue tax rate but does not exceed the voter-approval tax rate, as prescribed by Tax Code §§26.06(b-2).

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON TAX INCREASE A tax rate of $0.083155 per $100 valuation has been proposed by the governing body of Williamson County ESD No. 4.

PROPOSED TAX RATE NO-NEW-REVENUE TAX RATE VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE

$0.083155 per $100 $0.080155 per $100 $0.083155 per $100

The no-new-revenue tax rate is the tax rate for the 2021 tax year that will raise the same amount of property tax revenue for Williamson County ESD No. 4 from the same properties in both the 2020 tax year and the 2021 tax year.

Stephanie Sayre, Mario Colorado, Carl Illig, and Rachel Chamberlain with their First Texas Bank Partner, Kelley Crutchfield

“First Texas Bank is known for their friendly service and commitment to their customers.” - Stephanie Sayre, Executive Director Georgetown • Round Rock • Cedar Park • Pflugerville • Liberty Hill

The voter-approval rate is the highest tax rate that Williamson County ESD No. 4 may adopt without holding an election to seek voter approval of the rate.

FirstTexasBank.bank

The proposed tax rate is greater than the no-new-revenue tax rate. This means that Williamson County ESD No. 4 is proposing to increase property taxes for the 2021 tax year. A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED TAX RATE WILL BE HELD ON August 30, 2021 at 6:30 PM at 301 Loop 332, Liberty Hill at Liberty Hill Fire Station. The proposed tax rate is not greater than the voter-approval tax rate. As a result, Williamson County ESD No. 4 is not required to hold an election at which voters may accept or reject the proposed tax rate. However, you may express your support for or opposition to the proposed tax rate by contacting the members of the governing body of Williamson County ESD No. 4 at their offices or by attending the public hearing mentioned above. YOUR TAXES OWED UNDER ANY OF THE TAX RATES MENTIONED ABOVE CAN BE CALCULATED AS FOLLOWS:

Property tax amount = ( tax rate ) x ( taxable value of your property ) / 100 (List names of all members of the governing body below, showing how each voted on the proposal to consider the tax increase or, if one of more were absent, indicating absences.) FOR the proposal: AGAINST the proposal: PRESENT and not voting: ABSENT:

Dan Clark, James Baker, James Crabtree, Keith Bright None None Chuck Walker

The 86th Legislature modified the manner in which the voter-approval tax rate is calculated to limit the rate of growth of property taxes in the state. The following table compares the taxes imposed on the average residence homestead by Williamson County ESD No. 4 last year to the taxes proposed to be imposed on the average residence homestead by Williamson County ESD No. 4 this year.

2020

2021

Change

Total tax rate (per $100 of value)

$0.093295

Average homestead taxable value

$319,130

$352,802

10.55% increase

Tax on average homestead

$298

$293

1.67% decrease

$4,990,690

17.88% increase

Total tax levy on all $4,233,374 properties

$0.083155

10.86% decrease

For assistance with tax calculations, please contact the tax assessor for Williamson County ESD No. 4 at 512-943-1601 or proptax@wilco.org, or visit www.wilco.org/propertytax.

The Liberty Hill Independent YOUR AWARD-WINNING HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1987

~~ A Publication of Texas Independent News Corp. ~~

(512) 778-5577

Send Email: news@lhindependent.com www.LHIndependent.com www.LibertyHillLiving.com PO Box 1235 | 921 Loop 332 Liberty Hill, TX 78642

The Liberty Hill Independent is published every Thursday at 921 Loop 332, Liberty Hill, TX 78642. Periodical Postage Paid at Liberty Hill, Texas. Publication #018932 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Liberty Hill Independent, PO Box 1235, Liberty Hill, TX 78642 Shelly Wilkison - Publisher/Managing Editor Stacy Coale - Media Specialist Scott Akanewich - Sports Editor Rachel Madison - Staff Writer Christian Betancourt - Staff Writer

DEADLINE Noon Monday prior to Thursday publication

2021

SUBSCRIPTIONS

$25 per year in Williamson County, $29 per year in Texas outside of Williamson County, and $32 per year outside Texas.

ADVERTISING

DISPLAY RATES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Liberty Hill Independent welcomes letters to the editor, but requests that letters be limited to 300 words or less and address issues rather than personalities. Unsigned letters or those deemed unacceptable by the publisher will not be published. Children under the age of 17 must have signed parental permission. Phone numbers and addresses must be included for verification purposes. Opinions expressed in the articles, letters and columns do not reflect the views of The Liberty Hill Independent or its owners.

The entire contents of each issue of The Liberty Hill Independent, including editorial and advertising copy, is protected under the Federal Copyright Act. Reproduction of any portion of any issue will not be permitted without the express written permission of The Liberty Hill Independent.

Follow The Independent on Social Media!

Facebook.com/LibertyHillIndependent

@LHIndependent

Thursday, August 19, 2021

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Page 3

Throwback Thursday

Grandmother shares memories of Silent Grove School

By JAMES WEAR Columnist Among the many gems to be found in J. Gordon B r y s o n ’s book Culture of the Shin Oak Ridge Folk is Bryson’s decision to include in his book a letter he received from a Mrs. Lucy (Lane) Allen dated Oct. 13, 1962. Mrs. Allen wrote of her memories of the Silent Grove school house. Silent Grove, according to Bryson, was located about three miles west of present-day downtown Liberty Hill, and was founded by one of Liberty Hill’s earliest settlers, Rev. W.O. Spencer. Of course, it was Rev. Spencer who historians credit with giving Liberty Hill its name. “I am one grandparent who remembers attending school and church at Silent Grove Schoolhouse,” wrote Mrs. Allen, adding that in “1908

or 1910” she and her siblings walked to school with a neighbor’s children. “That year the school was taught by a lovely gentlewoman, Miss Emily Thomas,” Mrs. Allen continued. “Those were happy days.” Mrs. Allen wrote of the children’s ﬁrst day of school under Miss Thomas’ guidance. “Miss Emily greeted us with her quiet smile. For her equipment to begin school, she carried one ‘scratch’ tablet and one lead pencil. “There was a rather full school, and several of the boys were taller than the teacher,” wrote Mrs. Allen. “One Friday afternoon we had exercises and company. That day it was not so ‘silent’ at Silent Grove.” Four of her classmates acted up, recalled Mrs. Allen, and Miss Emily called those students up and “administered a fairly large switching, or tried to, but strength and courage failed, so she dismissed them. As they left the building single ﬁle, they jumped as high as they could out of the door, never squawking once. Miss Em-

SANTA RITA

Continued from Page 1

that’s in the building becomes one of their kids.” No classroom is assigned to an individual educator. Instead, they work in teacher pods and go to classrooms separated by content area allowing for the facilities to be utilized in their entirety 100 percent of the time. “Normally, you use 8085 percent of your building throughout the day,” said Curtis. “We don’t need to have as many classrooms because now all the classrooms are being utilized at all times during the day.” Curtis will lead the new school of Liberty Hill sixth, seventh and eighth graders. He began his career in Liberty Hill as an assistant principal at the Intermediate School seven years ago before taking the helm and becoming principal. “It’s exciting,” he said. “We will probably open with 800 students. I think it is going to be an awesome facility, and it’s going to be great for student learning. I’m excited to get in here and help the Santa Rita community learn and grow and become more successful than they already are.”

The school will grow along with the district, and Curtis suspects his enrollment will surpass Liberty Hill Middle School. “Starting out, we will be relatively comparative in size, and then in two years, we’ll probably have 300 more students than them,” he said. An expansion for an extra wing to the school was approved at last week’s Board of Trustees meeting. “In December, they’re starting the expansion,” said Curtis. Santa Rita Middle School will offer various sports for students. “We have football, volleyball, basketball, soccer, tennis, cross country, and track,” said Curtis. A workforce of 70 will handle the teaching and administration of the building. “I had about 50 percent of the staff members came over with me from the Intermediate, and then the rest we hired from outside the district,” said Curtis. LHISD hired Sledge Engineering as an owner’s representative to work as an

Silent Grove was among the earliest schools in the Liberty Hill area. This picture of students posing outside the building is believed to have been taken in the mid-1890s. (Courtesy Photo) ily bowed her head upon her at the time Robert Hornsburg moved away, Mrs. Allen re- gone into the structure of two desk and quietly cried. So it was pastor at Liberty Hill, and called coming back and dis- business houses in Liberty was silent again at the grove.” the members came to Liberty covering “the beautiful old Hill.” Mrs. Allen wrote that the Si- Hill.” limestone structure had been lent Grove church “disbanded After having married and sold to Mr. Frank Parks and

intermediary between the construction crews and the district to ensure smooth work and completion times were executed as scheduled. Program Manager Casey Sledge serves as the boots-on-the-ground person for the project. “It was going very well, and we were ahead of schedule,” said Sledge. “COVID wasn’t too bad a year ago. Not until we approached this summer, supplies started to become an issue. Routine construction items became difﬁcult to ﬁnd. It started to slow down day by day, and it started to build. Then in the summer, it became an issue.” Contractors were having staffing problems leading to a delay in construction, he said. “Each individual company was starting to lose labor crews,” said Sledge. “It became a struggle. That’s been the issue through today. If we’d been full labor, we’d probably be further along. Nevertheless, we’re going to get ready for the kids to be here Thursday. They have been working seven-day weeks for almost three months now.” Labor was done by more

than 150 people working each day simultaneously to complete construction of the 150,000-square-foot building. Sledge said during the shortage, the labor force was cut in half. “We had 60 or 70 through the summer,” he said. “It’s been hurting. Each individual crew was working longer days, seven-day weeks, and working odd hours. It’s been really stressful.” Construction will continue on the school while the students are not present; however, Sledge said no inconveniences would be present for the students who will have a fully functional school to attend come the ﬁrst day of school. “We have some compromises to make as we move, but we feel good for when the kids get here,” he said. “The classroom wing is on the west end of the building. We started there and built this way. The only construction still happening is ﬁnishing touches in the athletic area.”

Clawson Disposal, inC. Residential * Commercial * Roll off

Request Refills Online

(512) 746-2000

NOW OFFERING CURBSIDE PICKUP! Mon-Fri 9am-7pm Saturday 9am-1pm 512-548-6838 | 13740 W. Hwy 29, #4 | Liberty Hill, TX 78642 Libertyhillpharmacy@gmail.com | LibertyHillPharmacy.com

301 County Road 307 PO Box 416 Jarrell, Texas 76537

Jarrell (512) 746-2000 Leander (512) 259-1709 FAX (512) 746-5807

CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT PHOTO

Construction crews put ﬁnishing touches on the entry way to the administrative ofﬁces at Santa Rita Middle School. Workers have been working seven days a week this summer to get the new school ready for students today.

DOMESTIC • COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL R.V. Fuel | Bottle Filling | Gas Piping in Home Propane Tanks | Grills & Replacement Parts | Gas Logs

ACTION PROPANE, INC. We Provide Keepfull Routing Service

512-259-1196

Murray Hoggarth • Wanda Hoggarth 2601 S. Hwy 183 | Leander, TX 78641

An Overall Inspection is your Best Protection! KEN COFER Professional Real Estate Inspector Certified Infrared Thermographer Insured & Bonded - TREC #20262

Overall Inspection Services, LLC

www.overallinspectionservices.com

Your Official Texas Sticker Shop Locally Owned & Operated GO PANTHERS GO!

512-548-6773

123 Holmes Rd, #3, Liberty Hill (behind Wag-A-Bag)

Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00 / Sat 7:30-3:30 License# 6P054793

You provide a service. We provide a voice. Make sure your customers can ﬁnd you when they need you.

Call 512-778-5577

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

keep it local

YOUR LOCAL RESOURCE FOR LIBERTY HILL AREA BUSINESSES

WANT TO SEE YOUR AD HERE?

CUSTOM PERSONALIZED PRODUCTS

www.SquirrelSquared.BIZ

512-695-4260

P.O. Box 953, Bertram TX • TECL#32830

Page 4

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, August 19, 2021

Sheriff says lower pay prevents him from having the best staff

By CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT Staff Writer GEORGETOWN -- Williamson County Sheriff Mike Gleason says underpayment of employees in the county prevents him from attracting the best talent. “The potential of underfunding the Sheriff’s Office can have long-term negative impacts on our community, and these decisions should be made cautiously,” he said during a news conference Aug. 11. “One of the most obvious challenges identified early on is the ability to hire, train and retain competent staff due to a significant compensation disparity between local agencies and us.” Gleason said the Williamson County Commissioners Court helped the corrections side of his department with pay disparity earlier. Still, the proposed budget for the 2021-2022 fiscal year does not do enough on the law enforcement side to help him keep and maintain a competent force. “This solved one-half of the current challenges; however, the other half provides law enforcement services throughout

concerns of losing qualified applicants to cities in the county that offer higher pay rates. He believed his worries would be addressed in the new budget and recently learned that was not the case. Gleason requested the County meet the median pay rate of those cities plus a 1 percent increase in a deputy’s starting salary of $57,877. “I think I’m on the right track, and the day before court, I find out that’s not going to happen,” he said. “We’d like the commissioners to publicly agree that they will work with us in the next year to get to the goals that we want.” During the Commissioners Court meeting on Aug. 10, WCSO Detective and President of the Williamson County Association of Deputies Michael Mack spoke to elected officials about adjusting the budget accordingly. “The sheriff’s office serves about 50 percent of the calls of service in the county,” he CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT PHOTO said. “I believe the last time Williamson County Sheriff Mike Gleason addressed a pay disparity during a press conference the law enforcement pay scale Aug. 11. was adjusted was in 2013. At this county, and we have not feel that looking forward we Gleason said he spoke with that time, we were made comyet resolved their significant are going to be in the same commissioners for the past petitive but have now fallen pay disparities,” he said. “We boat that we are now.” seven months, explaining his all the way back down to the

Custodian Supervisor Armina Cornelious loads a van with cleaning products needed to prepare for the ﬁrst day of school in LHISD.

DAY ONE

Continued from Page 1

“We’re eliminating the possibility of someone pushing down on the bottle and having COVID on their hands.” Krueger said his department is also prepared to take care of any rooms where COVID-19 may be present. “We have our COVID protocol,” he said. “As soon as we ﬁnd out that a child or somebody went home sick even before we know if they have COVID or not, we go ahead and disinfect the room.” The police department at LHISD typically has lighter duty during the summer since students are not present, allowing ofﬁcers to attend training. “During the summer, we go to a lot of training of laws

that have changed or a different way of doing things,” said LHISD Police Chief Sharif Mezayek. “Our job doesn’t change too much, minus the kids. We still have to make sure the buildings are secure. We’ll do welfare checks on kids when needed. We work year-round. Two of the ofﬁcers have a different schedule during the summer.” Once students are ready to ﬁll the campuses, Mezayek’s department will patrol the facilities to guarantee the Panthers will be safe. “We make sure cameras and door locks are functional,” he said. “We make sure there are no security issues that we need to address before the kids come back. We prepare pre-

Welcome Back to School

PANTHERS!

sentations for our staff members. Anywhere from crime prevention to locking down the schools. We prepare for cyber-bullying, dating violence, we prepare all the presentations that we do for children.” Mezayek said he’s happy to see students fill up the campus during the first day of school and hopes they know they can approach anyone in their department with any problems they might have. “Our office is always a place where kids come in and out of. We have a lot of kids that come and chit-chat,” he said. “If they see something around campus that looks suspicious, they need to let us know. I’m super excited to see them come back to school. I missed

See SALARIES, Page 8

CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT PHOTOS

Groundkeeper Jose Perez blows out the grass at Liberty Hill Elementary after running a mower through it to ensure the campus looks good and ready for the ﬁrst day of school.

them over the summer, and it’s going to be nice to see them all.” Traffic will be an issue on the first day of school due to the growth in the community. Mezayek asked parents and students driving to school to use caution and be courteous on the road. “Be patient on traffic issues,” he said. “We’ve noticed some issues due to the lack of infrastructure in the city and the county. We’re installing some temporary traffic lights at Santa Rita Middle School.” Director of Nursing and Health Services Michaella Ellis makes sure the district is ready to start the year by complying with mandates. “We go through all of our

Live in Historic Downtown Liberty Hill Walk to restaurants, salons, corner grocery and more! Just minutes to highly acclaimed Liberty Hill Schools.

New 2BR 1BA apartments | Porches + balconies | Privacy + gorgeous scenery Washer/dryer hookups | Green space for kids + pets to play

304 Stubblefield Lane | StubblefieldPark.com

YOUR LIBERTY HILL HQ FOR PANTHER GEAR 142622 W State Hwy 29 | Liberty Hill TwoBrandIt.com Mon-Fri 10-6 | Sat 10-3 (512) 548-5056

bottom. What we’re asking for is reasonable. The community thinks it’s reasonable. We’re asking the court to support it.” Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey made a motion to pass an additional 2 percent cost of living adjustment costing the County an additional $398,097.10. According to Covey, the budget already included a 4 percent cost of living adjustment (COLA), which would make it a 6 percent change in total rather than the amount asked by Gleason. “This is a different path,” she said. “When looking at the numbers, most of the increase goes to those in upper management, not the beginning salary for the new deputies. It’s a fundamental change to our compensation structure, but just for one department, and it will require an annual salary study. This would be a generous increase from the taxpayers. It’s more than the other departments are getting, and it’s within policy.” Precinct 1 Commissioner Terry Cook said that WilCo compared itself salary-wise to

CALL TODAY 512-453-6566

Military & First Responders Discount • Locally Owned + Managed

district and state compliance, making sure everything’s up to date,” she said. Ellis added the district is prepared to deal with a new surge of COVID-19. “We go over all of the protocols for COVID,” she said. “Of course, we have to follow the Governor’s guidance. We work with the Williamson County Health Department, the CDC, and we come together as a team and put in protocols that would be best for everyone to keep everyone healthy and safe.” Ellis said her department continues to monitor the situation and is ready to adapt to any changes in protocols. “I can say we know what to expect,” she said. “But with

any type of infectious disease, it’s ever-changing. So, at any moment, things could change.” Ellis recommends students take precautions and self-examine to make sure they are healthy when attending school. “The best recommendation would be if you are feeling sick to please stay home,” she said. “We do recommend wearing masks. It’s not mandatory, but the priority, the main focus would be if you’re not feeling good to please stay home, so you don’t infect others.”

Thursday, August 19, 2021

Trustees

Continued from Page 1

“We aligned our budget to make sure we are hitting all of our priorities,” she said. “Number one is the instructional needs. Two is our competitive salary and pay increases. Three was additional staff due to our increasing enrollment, and four, fund balance in working into those goals.” During the meeting, the Board also: • Heard from LHISD Superintendent Steve Snell who gave a COVID-19 update saying there were three new students cases reported in the district for a cumulative of 11 active cases reported and six staff cases. • Authorized Guerrero to apply

Wilkins

for $1.18 million available for the district in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds from the federal government and held by the state. • Heard a construction update from Sledge Engineering Program Manager Casey Sledge for several projects in the district. Sledge said construction was substantially complete and ready for the school year to begin. • Voted and approved Trustee Kathy Major to serve as a delegate for the 2021 Texas Association of School Boards Convention to represent the district and vote on policies and legislative agendas. Trust-

Continued from Page 1

On Wilkins’ Facebook page, on July 7, she posted a quote that read “I’ve decided to add ‘extensive experience in dealing with stupid people’ to my resume. That has got to be a marketable skill.” In the comments following, a friend wrote, “Hon do you work with alot of idiots too! [sic],” to which Wilkins replied, “more than my fair share for sure. [sic]” Her Facebook page has since been deleted. While the discourteous conduct played a role in her termination, Branigan added that the main reason Wilkins was fired was due to her “substandard productivity in workmanship.” “The number one reason she was terminated was for inadequate job performance,” Branigan said. “Records for months and maybe even years have not been properly kept, and she’s just had poor job performance. I don’t know if she’s capable of doing better or not.” Mancilla said there’s a flow that must happen when it comes to terminating a city employee, and unfortunately, Wilkins did not demonstrate that she wanted to work alongside the city to defend her employment. “The proper steps were taken to give Becky a chance, but it didn’t work out that way,” Mancilla said. “As a council we had to make a decision because we’re answering to our constituents. We have to do what’s best for the city as a whole. Becky just wasn’t the right fit for what we need in this town right now.” Wilkins has been at the center of controversy in recent weeks as an independent auditor discovered missing documents unaccounted for from fiscal 2020, which has prevented completion of the City’s 2020 audit. The missing documentation, which included invoices, receipts, credit card statements and more, made it impossible for Whitley Penn Accounting, the firm working with the City on completing its 2020 audit, to complete the project. This was brought to light during the City Council’s July 28 meeting. Under best practices, the audit should have been completed in March 2021. At the meeting, City Administrator Lacie Hale said the delay of the audit’s completion could have serious repercussions. “This could potentially impact our ability to get bonds,” she said. “We have a wastewater bond we need to go out

for, and [not having a finished audit] could increase interest rates if we get that bond. Because our finances would be unaudited, we may also have to find an additional route to secure funds.” On July 7, Wilkins told the Council that the 2020 audit wasn’t complete due to the pandemic and the fact that she was working shorthanded for 14 months, partly due to an employee being out on FMLA for an extended period of time. She added that she had just found out the head auditor over the City’s audit lost her husband recently, so a new assignment would have to be made. She estimated at that time the audit would be completed in two to three weeks. But on July 28, Lupe Garcia, an engagement officer for Whitley Penn, said the audit was at best 60 percent completed. Wilkins had been his main point of contact for the audit. If completing the audit was just dependent on all the records being supplied, it would have been completed in March, Garcia said. His firm reached out to Wilkins at the beginning of June to follow up on the audit process and did not receive any response or information for about a month, he said. Wilkins was out on FMLA for two weeks in July. On Aug. 4, the Council hired an interim finance director, Misty Hancock, to take over Wilkins’ position in the interim. That change was effective Aug. 6. “With our current finance director on FMLA leave, and with where we’re at in the meat of our budget with the timing of it having to be approved by Oct 1, staff has requested we bring in an interim treasurer to help with the budget,” Hale said at the meeting—just one week before Wilkins was terminated. Another priority of Hancock’s is to assist in completing the 2020 audit. Hancock said she is retired and not looking for permanent employment but is happy to serve in a temporary capacity as needed. Branigan said the audit remains incomplete, but city staff is working diligently to find the missing items, especially now that the new interim finance director is on board. “We have not completed the audit yet,” she said. “It’s quite a large problem, and we will know soon how much more we need to get it completed.” “We are trying to build trust with our community, and there

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

ee Kristy Hargrove will serve as an alternate. • Approved mental health leave for peace officers who experience a traumatic event while serving at the district. Snell said the proposal allows peace officers to take five days off without affecting their salary or sick days. • Approved a program where Liberty Hill graduates who go into education are guaranteed a job interview at the district. • Approved the Student Code of Conduct for the new school year. Travis Motal, Director of Secondary Education and Director of Safety and Security, presented the code and explained the dress code to

trustees. Motal said the document’s focus was to help students learn and not to chastise students but to work with them to achieve the standards of the individual schools. • Approved a one-time 10day employee leave for employees who test positive for COVID-19. Snell said all employees are eligible, and all they need to qualify is a positive diagnosis to take the leave without using any of their allotted sick days for the year. Guerrero said the program has an estimated cost of $300,000 for the district. • Approved civil engineering firm Langan Engineering and environmental services to

oversee construction for upcoming bond projects. Sledge said the district having their own civil engineering firm

have already been reports on our finances and the audit,” Mancilla added. “During the two weeks Becky was on leave, our staff got so much accomplished. That was due to Lacie bringing in all the help she could get, telling them what the auditors needed and giving a good stack [of documents] to the auditor.” Mancilla said Hancock will continue moving forward with the completion of the audit, and that she has been hard at work since her first day on the job. “The council we have right now and our city manager and staff are working hard to build trust with the community,” she added. “If there’s anything incorrect previous administrations did in the past, our first goal is to get things where they need to be for the massive growth we’re having and be forward thinking in the decisions we’re making. Each department, including the finance department, needs a head who will have that accountability and excellence in their job. We need the right people working for the city who have the heart, character and knowledge for the job. We all screw up, but if you do, just say that and be transparent. You can always work with honesty. We are working hard to build that trust back with the community.” Branigan said the termination of Wilkins is “just the beginning” of a much larger situation. “Things are just beginning to come out,” she said. “Things are coming out that would implicate Wilkins and her supervisor, who was [former Mayor] Rick Hall. I can’t give any more detail than that at this time, but probably in the next week or two there will be more that can be talked about.” Also last week, the Council: • Unanimously approved a zone map amendment with a conditional use permit for a duplex development to be constructed along the southeast right-of-way of Carl Shipp Drive and Russell Street, at 104 Carl Shipp Drive. The applicant, Louis Rentals LLC, intends to build two 2,200 to 2,600 square feet duplexes on the lot. • Approved, except for Council member Chris Pezold who opposed, the final plat application for the Stonewall Ranch Section 12 addition, which is located at the intersection of Caisson Trail and Gabro Trail in the subdivision. This addi-

tion will include 33 residential lots and approximately 1,000 linear feet of public street. • Heard a presentation from City Attorney Alan Bojorquez on the roles and responsibilities of the various boards and commissions, as well as the City’s Code of Ethics. • Received a draft of the

Boards and Commissions Handbook, drafted by Hale last fall. This handbook includes general information, training requirements, layout and format of board and commissions meetings, ethics requirements and a list of the various boards and commissions in Liberty Hill. Council was tasked with

Page 5

would make construction more efficient for the upcoming bond projects

THE INDEPENDENT IS THE TRUSTED NEWS SOURCE! Support Local Journalism. SUBSCRIBE NOW 512.778.5577 lhindependent.com/subscriptions

looking through and updating the handbook so that it can be utilized by all future boards. The revised handbook will be brought back to Council for approval at a September meeting. The next regular meeting of the City Council will be held Aug. 25 at 6:30 p.m.

Liberty Hill & Surrounding Communities

SPORTS

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, August 19, 2021 Page 6

Big-time tourney provides tricky test

Lady Panthers mettle forged in fire of competition

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor AUSTIN -- In between matches at the Westwood Showcase, the Lady Panthers of Liberty Hill had plenty of time to spare in waiting for their next contest. Some chose to lounge in the bleachers and watch the competition go at it, while others took time to unwind listening to some music or watching a movie on any variety of digital devices. Maddi Rowley decided to relax with a few teammates in the hallway right outside the entrance to the main gym at McNeil High School and momentarily escape from the constant maelstrom of squeaking sneakers and shrieking celebrations after each winning point. Last season, Rowley and the other members of the team were denied the opportunity to play in preseason tournaments due to the pandemic, which meant they were thrust almost directly into the gauntlet of district play – and in their first season as a Class 5A program, no less. Needless to say, this time around, the Lady Panthers will definitely be more ready to face the fierce competition they will be up against once the league

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Maddi Rowley (11) and the Lady Panthers are taking advantage of being able to play in big preseason tournaments once again this year to ready themselves for the district schedule. schedule rolls around, which to this year’s group who have players the chance to get their part of the program’s process is a good thing with the influx accomplished resumes having feet wet at the higher level of of not only being ready this of new faces on the squad this played on the junior varsity or competition. season, but in the coming season, she said. freshman teams before mak“At a tournament like this, we years as the underclassmen “I think it’s good because we ing the move up the ladder to can give everyone a chance to play their ways into prominent have a lot more people on our varsity. get in,” said Rowley. “It’s roles, she said. team this year,” said Rowley, However, success at the good for them to face this kind “Next year, we graduate peoof a roster that features 17 lower levels doesn’t neces- of competition, come in, play ple who have played a ton,” players. “We’re deep in every sarily translate into the same and be a part of the varsity.” said Peterson. “So, we need position.” once up against the big girls, Liberty Hill head coach to be getting the younger ones With that being the case, which means events such as Gretchen Peterson views tour- varsity experience, so they’ll there are plenty of newcomers the Showcase presents young naments such as this a critical be able to contribute. We just

want to make sure everybody’s ready for district.” In the meantime, though, those same players can contribute without being starters, she said. “They’ll be able to get touches and gain experience,” said Peterson. “So, then we’ll be able to count on our bench.” As for the eight seniors on the team, they will also gain valuable additional seasoning in order to build on last season’s third-place district finish and opening-round ouster in the playoffs, said Rowley. “I think we did well in district last season,” she said. “But, this year we need to work on our discipline a bit more.” According to Peterson, team spirit and morale is good at the outset of the new season. “We’re really high-energy and our effort and attitude are great,” said Peterson. “Everybody seems to get along and our players definitely have a vision of where they want to go.” Peterson added in order for her team to surpass last season’s results, there must be seamless synergy down through the ranks of her roster, with no room for individuals. “It’s better to be better together than good on your own,” she said. One way to do that is to bond off the court, which there is plenty of time for at tournaments. “There’s a lot to be said for getting to know each other,” said Peterson. “It really shows on the court.”

See VOLLEYBALL, Page 8

Live action against opponents critical in run-up to season

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor More than practice, but less than a game, scrimmages are indeed a strange animal as a football team prepares itself for an upcoming season. Liberty Hill’s gridiron squad has already scrimmaged against Hays on the road last week and will face Boerne at home before opening the season at Panther Stadium against Ellison on Aug. 27, giving head coach Kent Walker and his staff plenty of chances to evaluate his entire roster. According to Walker, the first scrimmage against Class 6A Hays went fairly well, as the Liberty Hill offense was able to move the ball effectively against the Hawks’ defense – but there were still mistakes which showed during film review after the fact. “We competed fairly well and got to see what we need to focus on,” said Walker. “Offensively, we came out a had a bit of success running the ball, but the eye in the sky doesn’t lie. We were making little mistakes and all of that matters.” Senior Will Szewczyk ran the first-team offense, while junior Reese Vickers was the backup signal-caller with sophomore Joe Pitchford currently on

the shelf with an ankle injury – a situation that allowed the third-stringer to gain some valuable live experience under center, said Walker. “Pitchford should be back by next week,” he said. “But, Vickers got a lot of reps.” Walker added the evaluation process is one that will carry over into the regular season in order to find the best player for each position on the field. “A lot of it is going to depend on what we see during the non-district games,” said Walker, of the scheduled contests against Ellison, Del Valle, Georgetown and LBJ in the opening four weeks of the campaign. “We’re constantly evaluating in order to get the best 22 players on the field and we owe it to the kids to get all of them out there.” As far as who will line up in the Panthers’ backfield against the Eagles in the opener, Walker has seemingly settled on the trio of sophomore Noah Long at halfback, junior Gavin Salinas at tailback and junior Logan Dyer at fullback. Reloading the backfield is a tall order after the departures of last season’s starters in Blake Simpson, Trey Seward and Eric De La Cruz, but Walker is confident this season’s stable

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Reese Vickers hands off to David Morris during a practice session as the Panthers continue to get ready for the season. of ballcarriers can fill the void of the graduated seniors. “At tailback, we want someone who’s a little quicker like Seward was,” he said. “While we want a halfback who is a little more physical like Simpson.”

On the other side of the line of scrimmage, the Purple-andGold defense is also coming along nicely. “On defense, we want to make sure our fits are correct,” said Walker, of the various assignments each defender will have

on a given play. “It’s like a jigsaw puzzle in getting everything to fit together.” However, speed is of the essence regardless of which unit finds itself on the field. “We want both our offense and defense to be a purple

blur,” he said. This year’s squad features 23 seniors and the anticipation for the season is continuing to build, said Walker. “The players are getting more

See WALKER, Page 7

Gentle giant trades diamond for hardcourt Senior thrives in tennis atmosphere

SCOTT AKANEWICH PHOTO

Liberty Hill senior Will Gray hasn’t looked back since trading his bat and glove for a tennis racket.

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor When Will Gray was growing up, he had one sports passion and one only. “I played baseball for 12 years, starting when I was five,” said Gray. “It was all I did.” However, upon reaching his freshman year of high school, when he should have been launching a prep career on the diamond, something happened. After all the years of playing in youth leagues and select travel baseball, the fire that once burned bright within him suddenly went out. “All of it was just getting to be too much pressure,” he said. “I never had any free time.” So, after trying out for the Panthers’ baseball team, he finally decided to walk away from the game that had been such a big part of nearly his

entire life. But, that left an enormous void that needed to be filled in a sporting sense. “My dad was a really good high school tennis player and I had always played a little on the side,” said Gray. “So, I tried it out and really liked it.” By the time the spring tennis season rolled around that school year, Gray was indeed a full-fledged Panther – only playing on a different surface and hitting a different kind of ball as he had always envisioned. However, Gray said these days four years later and now in his senior year, people often ask not about his abandoned baseball career, but rather inquire about why he doesn’t play another sport. “I get asked all the time about why I don’t play basketball,” said Gray, who stands 6-foot-

6. “I did play one year when I was 10 or 11, but just didn’t really like it.” Despite his long, lanky frame, Gray didn’t take long to apply the athleticism and coordination, which had served him well in baseball, to his newfound athletic pursuit and ever since has been working his way up the Purple-and-Gold tennis ladder, playing both singles and doubles. Liberty Hill head coach Sherry Rhoden said Gray took to the game rather quickly despite getting a much later start then most of his peers and definitely uses his height to his advantage. “When Will reaches and gets fully-extended on his serve, he can really hit the ball,” said Rhoden. “The ball is coming down from much higher than

See GRAY, Page 8

Thursday, August 19, 2021

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Page 7

PANTHER OF THE WEEK

Lady Panthers stringer finishes off antiques, opponents Liberty Hill senior has an artistic side

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor When Ava Ortega isn’t busy finishing off an opponent on the tennis court, there’s a good chance she could be putting the finishing touches on something altogether different. “I do a lot of things for my dad,” said Ortega. “He collects antiques and I paint them for him.” On the court, the Liberty Hill senior is carrying on another family tradition in following in her older brother Gunnar’s footsteps, as the elder sibling also competed for the Panthers tennis team. “I would always come out and watch his matches,” she said. Despite taking up tennis in first grade, Ortega also played volleyball early on in her athletic life, but quickly found out she would rather hit small, fuzzy yellow balls over a net than larger, paneled orbs of the leather variety.

“I didn’t like the fact there were always six people on the court at one time,” said Ortega. “I couldn’t really just focus on myself.” In addition to on-court angst, there was another factor that played into her decision to abandon kills, assists and digs for backhands, volleys and overheads. “Honestly, I didn’t like all the drama,” she said. “I only tried it in the first place because my friends were all playing.” As a result of her experiences on the shiny indoor hardwood, Ortega decided to exclusively grace the concrete acrylic purple playing surfaces the Panthers call home and hasn’t looked back. Ortega also happens to be left-handed, which gives her an advantage against opponents who are accustomed to seeing the ball returned to them from the other side, akin to facing a left-handed pitcher

in baseball. “I think it throws them off,” said Ortega. “You’re always taught to aim to someone’s backhand, but that’s my forehand.” Ortega plays both singles and doubles for the Panthers and said there’s definitely a different dynamic between being on the court alone or with a partner. “When you play doubles, communication is really important,” she said. “You always have to be talkative between points and feel comfortable with your partner.” Once she graduates, Ortega will pursue a career in the medical field – although she’s not certain of exactly which direction that will take her at this point. “For a long time, I wanted to be a pediatrician,” she said. “I’ve always loved kids and wanted to help them and whenever I’ve gone to the doc-

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Who says you can’t go home again? Last week we visited McNeil High School where the Lady Panthers’ volleyball squad was playing in the Westwood Showcase -- an extravaganza featuring 32 teams from across central Texas in one of the biggest preseason events around. However, for us it was much more than another Purple-andGold shindig, for McNeil was where it all began for us as that was the venue for the very first Liberty Hill sporting event we covered as the newly-minted sports editor of The Independent all the way back in the fall of 2019. Since then, over two years

have passed under our watch and we’ve been many places and seen many things in our chronicling of Panthers sports. But, we’ve now been around long enough to be nostalgic and we couldn’t help but feel a tinge of that emotion as we circled around the building looking for a place to park among the cacophony of construction as the school expands like seemingly everything else is around these parts. Back then, Liberty Hill was still only a Class 4A school, but always played up to better toughen themselves up for district play, but the fact of the matter was once they reached the league schedule, it was more of a formality than anything, as the Lady Panthers would steamroll opponents into submission. How dominant were they? Head coach Gretchen Peterson’s club failed to drop even

a single set in breezing to yet another district championship that season, as senior Ashley Nelson and junior Kindsee Escamilla formed a dynamic duo at the net while a young stable of sophomores supported the veterans – players like Emma Becker, Haley Kuhlmann and Emma Parsons. Now, the latter trio forms the heart and soul of the squad as Liberty Hill competes as a Class 5A side and it’s been an absolute pleasure to watch them grow and mature as players over the past two seasons into college-caliber stars. Funny how the more things change the more they stay the same, though. As yesterday’s underclassmen are now today’s leaders, a fresh crop of youngsters has been infused into the squad with players such as Gigi Mason and Morgan Poulain, who have twin-tower potential

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Of the 32 teams who played in the Westwood Showcase, Liberty Hill posted a solid 10th-place finish after a runner-up result in the silver bracket following three days of intense competition at the annual event held in Round Rock and one of the premier tournaments in all of central Texas. Perhaps the highlight of the Lady Panthers’ weekend was a 2-1 (25-14, 23-25, 26-24) victory over district rivals Cedar Park on the final day of the tourney. Ailie Hair and Maddi Rowley each had eight kills to lead Liberty Hill, while Emma Parsons supplied 28 assists and Haley Kuhlmann had 12 digs in the victory. Unfortunately, the Lady Panthers lost senior outside hitter Emma Becker to an ankle injury, which will keep her out of the lineup for an undetermined amount of time, but others proved more than capable of stepping up and filling the void, as Liberty Hill finished the weekend with a 6-3 record. The opening day of the event turned out to be the most fruitful for the Purple-and-Gold in prevailing in all three of its matches.

First up was a 2-1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-21) win over Lorena, a strong Class 3A program, in which Becker collected 13 kills, while Rowley added 10, with Parsons picking up 25 assists and Kuhlmann 20 digs to go with seven blocks from Hair. Next was Brewer, a fellow Class 5A school from Fort Worth, whom the Lady Panthers sent packing by a score of 2-0 (25-18, 25-9), as Becker had 11 kills, Carson Glenn 13 assists and Kuhlmann eight digs in the victory. Finally, Liberty Hill closed out the opening day of competition with a rousing 2-1 (25-21, 27-29, 25-18) victory over host McNeil, as Becker pounded 18 kills to go with 30 assists for Parsons, 18 digs for Kuhlmann and three blocks for Hair in the match. The second day was also pool play, in which the teams were seeded based on the first day’s results, which left Liberty Hill in a group with Ellison, Brenham and Cedar Ridge. Unfortunately, the Lady Panthers suffered their first defeat of the weekend to Class 5A Ellison by a score of 2-1 (25-18, 23-25, 17-25), as Becker had 13 kills, Parsons 23 assists, Rowley 16 digs and Hair four

SCOTT AKANEWICH PHOTO

Eva Ortega is a southpaw tennis player who also paints antiques for her father and experiments with Hollywood-style makeup effects. tor, I’ve talked to her about it.” Ortega wears a gold necklace featuring a pendant with the number “23” – a gift from boyfriend Hoyt Mayeux, who is a member of the Liberty Hill baseball program who wears the number – a definite upgrade from the friendship bracelets the couple exchanged

earlier on in their eight-month relationship. Speaking of shiny things, Ortega also dabbles in makeup, applying all manner of Hollywood-style facial effects to herself – counting a scary clown motif as her favorite – but most of her creativity is applied to the items her father

Greg restores. In fact, there has been one particular piece of antiquity that has definitely been the most unusual of all the works she has performed. “I finished painting a 1970s Ronald McDonald head,” she said. “But, it wasn’t the entire body – just the head.”

when it’s their turn to run the show. Peterson is currently in her 18th season as captain of the good ship Lady Panther and has managed to build one of the strongest programs around over her nearly two decades at the wheel. Last season provided a challenge like no other for Peterson, as she and her team were plunged headlong into tougher competition in a district that featured rugged opposition the likes of which they had never faced. So, these days a tourney like the Showcase helps sharpen their skills for what will be another tough go in district, as opposed to the toughest teams they’ll face all season until the playoffs. Of course, there were no preseason tournaments to speak of last year or maybe we would’ve made it back to Mc-

Neil sooner. By the way, the school is located in a part of Round Rock known as Jollyville – a fact we weren’t aware of the first time around – and so what better place to go for a boost of happiness, right? The Lady Panthers were in a jolly mood after sweeping all three matches on the tournament’s opening day on the way to a second-place finish in the silver bracket with a record of 6-3 for the weekend. One other thing about McNeil, though. Their mascot is the Mavericks, but they’ve “borrowed” the logo of the NFL’s Denver Broncos, as well as a secondary logo that looks suspiciously like the University of Michigan’s famous “M.” Nothing like being original. Anyway, we spent about five hours in the gym and got to see the Lady Panthers post a

rousing victory over the home team, which made the twohour wait between matches worth it, so everyone went home happy. A lot has changed in Liberty Hill in just the two years since we arrived fresh from California, as we traded the Golden State for the Lone Star variety, so much so a second high school is now on the not-sodistant horizon. However, before one moves forward, it’s sometimes helpful to take a look back. Which was what our visit to McNeil High School was all about, as we took a trip back through time and had the chance to reminisce about everything that has happened in Pantherville in the two years since. All we know is we’re happy and proud to be here and can’t wait for more memories.

Back where we began

Lady Panthers finish second in silver bracket at tourney

Walker

Continued from Page 6

and more excited,” he said. “Especially for our seniors.” Walker added the second scrimmage against Boerne will be a chance to build on the foundation that was established in the Panthers’ first outing – while at the same time hoping to remain injury-free. “With every scrimmage, you want to stay healthy,” he said. “But, you also want to make sure you keep getting better.” In addition, Walker said he’s constantly on the lookout searching for a few diamonds in the rough to present them-

selves. “You’re always looking for a few kids to surprise you and show you they belong on the field,” he said. “But, we tell all of them to just make sure you’re getting better individually.” Walker said the scrimmage with Boerne will be relatively short, but still beneficial. “We want to get about 30 plays on offense and 30 on defense,” he said. “We’ve arranged it that way ahead of time.”

Kealy Dirner (#2) has stepped up for the Lady Panthers in the absence of senior outside hitter Emma Becker, who is out with an ankle injury. blocks. However, Liberty Hill would rebound from that disappointment with a 2-1 (17-25, 25-17, 25-20) win against Class 5A Brenham, with Becker once again leading with 14 kills, with Rowley adding 11 to go with 31 assists by Parsons, 17 digs by Kuhlmann and four blocks by Hair. But, the positive momentum gained by the victory failed to carry over in the day’s final contest against Class 6A Cedar Ridge, as the Lady Panthers were defeated by a score of 2-0 (18-25, 23-25), as Becker had eight kills, Parsons eight assists, Kuhlmann six digs and Hair four blocks. The 4-2 record over the pair of pool-play days placed Liberty Hill in the silver bracket on the final day of competition, which began with a 2-1 (25-27, 25-16, 25-11) win over

Class 6A Clear Lake. Notable was Becker’s absence after suffering her injury in the contest, which left Rowley to pick up the slack with 10 kills, along with nine by sophomore Gigi Mason, who added a pair of aces. Parsons had 23 assists, Kuhlmann 15 digs and Hair four blocks. Following the win over Cedar Park, the Lady Panthers’ final match of the weekend was with Class 6A San Marcos, resulting in a 2-1 (19-25, 25-18, 15-25) loss. Rowley led with 20 kills to go with 12 from Kealy Dirner, while Parsons and Glenn each provided 12 assists, Brooklyn Escobar had eight digs and Mason and Bailey Becker each blocked a shot. According to Liberty Hill head coach Gretchen Peterson, the overall experience was

definitely a good one. “We played a lot of volleyball and got a lot of matches, which allowed our players to gain experience,” said Peterson. “We had a rough day on Friday – if we had won one more match, we would’ve been in the gold bracket – but rebounded well on Saturday.” Westwood 3, Liberty Hill 1 After returning home from the tournament bearing its name, the Lady Panthers hosted Westwood in their home opener and came away with a 3-1 (21-25, 25-22, 24-26, 1925) defeat to the Warriors. Hair burst out of the blocks with four kills in the opening set to go with a pair on backto-back points by Bailey Becker. But, after a stanza that saw neither side get more than one or two points ahead, the visitors finally pulled away near

the end of the set. However, the Lady Panthers bounced back with a second-set victory, as Dirner established a net presence with consecutive kills early on before a 9-0 run by the home team brought them back from being down by four at 15-11 to up by five at 20-15, on the strength of a pair of Bailey Becker blocks sandwiched around another by junior Morgan Poulain in three straight points. Westwood responded with a 5-0 run of its own and eventually tied the score at 21-21 before Poulain pounded a kill to give the Lady Panthers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The momentum gained by Liberty Hill certainly carried over into a third set which saw them lead by as many as 10

See VOLLEYBALL, Page 9

Page 8

Wilkins

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Continued from Page 1

On Wilkins’ Facebook page, on July 7, she posted a quote that read “I’ve decided to add ‘extensive experience in dealing with stupid people’ to my resume. That has got to be a marketable skill.” In the comments following, a friend wrote, “Hon do you work with alot of idiots too! [sic],” to which Wilkins replied, “more than my fair share for sure. [sic]” Her Facebook page has since been deleted. While the discourteous conduct played a role in her termination, Branigan added that the main reason Wilkins was fired was due to “substandard productivity in workmanship.” “The number one reason she was terminated was for inadequate job performance,” Branigan said. “Records for months and maybe even years have not been properly kept, and she’s just had poor job performance. I don’t know if she’s capable of doing better or not.” Mancilla said there’s a flow that must happen when it comes to terminating a city employee, and unfortunately, Wilkins did not demonstrate that she wanted to work alongside the city to defend her employment. “The proper steps were taken to give Becky a chance, but it didn’t work out that way,” Mancilla said. “As a council we had to make a decision because we’re answering to our constituents. We have to do what’s best for the city as a whole. Becky just wasn’t the right fit for what we need in this town right now.” Wilkins has been at the center of controversy in recent weeks as an independent auditor discovered missing documents unaccounted for from fiscal 2020, which has prevented completion of the City’s 2020 audit. The missing documentation, which included invoices, receipts, credit card statements and more, made it impossible for Whitley Penn Accounting, the firm working with the City on completing its 2020 audit, to complete the project. This was brought to light during the City Council’s July 28 meeting. Under best practices, the audit should have been completed in March 2021. At the meeting, City Administrator Lacie Hale said the delay of the audit’s completion could have serious repercussions. “This could potentially im-

Gray

pact our ability to get bonds,” she said. “We have a wastewater bond we need to go out for, and [not having a finished audit] could increase interest rates if we get that bond. Because our finances would be unaudited, we may also have to find an additional route to secure funds.” On July 7, Wilkins told the Council that the 2020 audit wasn’t complete due to the pandemic and the fact that she was working shorthanded for 14 months, partly due to an employee being out on FMLA for an extended period of time. She added that she had just found out the head auditor over the City’s audit lost her husband recently, so a new assignment would have to be made. She estimated at that time the audit would be completed in two to three weeks. But on July 28, Lupe Garcia, an engagement officer for Whitley Penn, said the audit was at best 60 percent completed. Wilkins had been his main point of contact for the audit. If completing the audit was just dependent on all the records being supplied, it would have been completed in March, Garcia said. His firm reached out to Wilkins at the beginning of June to follow up on the audit process and did not receive any response or information for about a month, he said. Wilkins was out on FMLA for two weeks in July. On Aug. 4, the Council hired an interim finance director, Misty Hancock, to take over Wilkins’ position in the interim. That change was effective Aug. 6 — just one week before Wilkins was terminated. Another priority of Hancock’s is to assist in completing the 2020 audit. Hancock said she is retired and not looking for permanent employment but is happy to serve in a temporary capacity as needed. Branigan said the audit remains incomplete, but city staff is working diligently to find the missing items, especially now that the new interim finance director is on board. “We have not completed the audit yet,” she said. “It’s quite a large problem, and we will know soon how much more we need to get it completed.” “We are trying to build trust with our community, and there have already been reports on our finances and the audit,”

Continued from Page 6

most opponents are used to.” Of course, tennis balls only bounce so high, which means Gray must constantly focus on bringing himself down to the proper level. “The biggest challenge for Will is to stay low on the ball,” she said. “He has to stay low to be good.” One thing Gray has in abundance is a will and desire to always get better – something he said had run its course in his previous sports life. “When I was still playing baseball, I had stopped wanting to be the best,” he said. “But, in tennis, it’s still pretty new to me, so I want to keep getting better.” Rhoden said as Gray’s confidence on the court has grown, so too has his overall game. “Will’s gotten especially bet-

Volleyball

ter at singles,” she said. “He’s gotten a lot better at trusting himself and I think that comes from getting positive feedback, being very coachable and always willing to learn.” As for his continued status as a relative newcomer to tennis, Rhoden said Gray more than makes up for it with his variety of intangibles. “Will really has a grit and desire,” she said. “Which is what makes him so fun to work with.” Regarding his days on the diamond, Gray said although he still has a love for the game he left behind, he’s confident in his current sports residence. “Sometimes when I pass by a baseball field, I still have a little regret like ‘that could’ve been me,’” he said. “But, I think I made the right choice.”

Mancilla added. “During the two weeks Becky was on leave, our staff got so much accomplished. That was due to Lacie bringing in all the help she could get, telling them what the auditors needed and giving a good stack [of documents] to the auditor.” Mancilla said Hancock will continue moving forward with the completion of the audit, and that she has been hard at work since her first day on the job. “The council we have right now and our city manager and staff are working hard to build trust with the community,” she added. “If there’s anything incorrect previous administrations did in the past, our first goal is to get things where they need to be for the massive growth we’re having and be forward thinking in

Salaries

the decisions we’re making. Each department, including the finance department, needs a head who will have that accountability and excellence in their job. We need the right people working for the city who have the heart, character and knowledge for the job. We all screw up, but if you do, just say that and be transparent. You can always work with honesty. We are working hard to build that trust back with the community.” Branigan said the termination is “just the beginning” of a much larger situation. “Things are just beginning to come out,” she said. “Things are coming out that would implicate Wilkins and her supervisor, who was [former Mayor] Rick Hall. I can’t give any more detail than that at this time, but probably in the next

Continued from Page 4

other counties in the area and not cities. “That (change) may or may not be the right approach, but that’s a philosophical change that a case needs to be made for,” she said. “This has an impact on the entire county workforce. To change our competitive entities at this point gives me concern. We can’t compete with the cities because we don’t have the tax base that they have. I want a way to address the areas where the challenges are in the first five to seven years of coming on the team. There were some 30 percent increases for people that have been here for 15 years. I don’t know that is where the challenges are.” Gleason also addressed the court last week, saying he understood philosophies of not competing with cities as they had more revenue than the county, but he faced a different reality. “Today, those are the people I compete with, I lose to, and those are the people that we serve as well,” he said. “Those are the cities that fall under my umbrella. The City of Austin dominates Travis County. Williamson County dominates Williamson County. A deputy will be 18 percent behind; sergeant is 33 percent behind; lieutenant is 44 percent, and commanders are 41 percent behind.” Cook added she would support further increases but wanted to address the County’s main challenges while assisting law enforcement. “I want to look at how we get further down that path but have to take a look at the big picture and how it relates,” she said. “I think this allows us to say that we support law enforcement, and we want to give additional funds to help train and recruit.” Gleason conveyed his department deals with half of the calls in the county while the other half is dealt with by about 19 different law en-

forcement agencies. “We, by comparison through the DA, file 24 percent of all the felony indictments that go through this office,” he said. “The only closer to us is Round Rock, and they’re tied to us. We are doing everything that these cities do, plus run a jail and support them in their time of need and floods. I think my philosophy and your philosophy may differ, but mine is a reality. I’ve been here since 1973, and I just see we keep kicking this can down the road, and that’s all we’re doing today.” Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell Jr. disagreed with Gleason saying the budget as amended by Covey’s proposal would cost the County more than $5.7 million. “I disagree with your analogy that we’re kicking the can down the road,” he said. “I think we’ve kicked it hard, and I think we have done a very good job for where we can live this year. I would point out that while we’re talking about funding police with an increase of $5.7 million —the city to the south that you’re so proud of quoting — has defunded their police by $150 million. Here in Williamson County, we don’t defund our police -- we defend our police. I agree that this isn’t enough, but don’t you agree that $5.7 million is a good enough place for this court to start? I do. I think that we can work together to see how we can get further.” Gleason refuted Gravell by saying he should be considered an expert in the matter, and he appreciated the court’s efforts. Still, when he spoke with community members, they all agreed there was a priority for qualified and welltrained deputies in his department. “We went everywhere, and they said yes, it is number one (priority),” he said. “To quote the commissioner, if that’s a priority, that’s where you put your time and money.”

Thursday, August 19, 2021

week or two there will be more that can be talked about.” Also last week, the Council: • Unanimously approved a zone map amendment with a conditional use permit for a duplex development to be constructed at 104 Carl Shipp. The applicant, Louis Rentals LLC, intends to build two 2,200 to 2,600-square-feet duplexes. • Approved, except for Council member Chris Pezold who opposed, the final plat application for the Stonewall Ranch Section 12 addition, which is located at the intersection of Caisson Trail and Gabro Trail. This addition will include 33 residential lots and approximately 1,000 linear feet of public street. • Heard a presentation from City Attorney Alan Bojorquez on the roles and responsibilities of the various boards and

commissions, as well as the City’s Code of Ethics. • Received a draft of the Boards and Commissions Handbook, drafted by Hale last fall. This handbook includes general information, training requirements, layout and format of board and commissions meetings, ethics requirements and a list of the various boards and commissions. Council was tasked with looking through and updating the handbook so that it can be utilized by all future boards. The revised handbook will be brought back to Council for approval at a September meeting. The next regular meeting of the City Council will be held Aug. 25 at 6:30 p.m.

Cook interrupted Gleason during the meeting and was cut off by Gravell, who said he was not finished speaking to the Sheriff. “All of us up here respect you, and we’re going — as far as I’ve heard — to go as far as you’re going to get,” said Gravell. “Unless you’re hearing something different than what I’m hearing.” “No, I’m just asking for something different,” responded Gleason with a chuckle. Gravell added that commissioners had gone above and beyond to help the Sheriff’s Office in the past when there was a crisis staffing the jails. “When you came to me and said he had a house on fire in the jail, I listened,” he said. “This court stepped up in a bold way between budgets. I think we met that need. We’re going very far and what I’m not hearing is gratitude. We are a family of 1,900 employees. We do a lot of things in Williamson County. I think $5.7 million is a response to what the community is for. We have a lot more things other than just (law enforcement), and I think we’ve gone pretty far.” Gleason said he thanked commissioners when the jails were addressed, but it was his job as Sheriff to continue asking for competitive pay for those under his command. “I think we’ve made a reasonable request,” he said. “I think that we have the money, and we can afford this onetime hit. As long as we move forward each year at 1 percent, we won’t have to be having this conversation again.” Gravell said he also spoke to the community that said law enforcement was a priority, and other concerns were raised. “After you go speak, the next week I go and speak,” he said. “They ask questions about law enforcement, and they ask questions about their tax rates, potholes, and a whole variety

of things, and it’s vast.” Chief Deputy Ken Evans told commissioners that a significant chunk of the $5.7 million proposed in the budget would mostly go to fund the need in the jails and not the deputies who patrol the streets. He added when funding for the jail was critical some months ago, half of that solution was included in this budget. “The impact of what is being recommended here today does not address the law enforcement needs, and it does not get us to where we want to be,” he said. “It causes further complications because you bumped the corrections pay scale to a point where now correction officers are making more than sworn deputies. The sworn staff was absolutely accommodating for that because they understood that it was sorely needed.” Having greater pay at the higher levels was something Evans said helped the department recruit and maintain employees. “The philosophy of this court for many years has always been ‘let’s just address hiring challenges,’” he said. “That’s why the pay is always down at the bottom and why the percentages are so extensive at the top. That’s just years of correcting stuff. If you look at the career ladder here, why would you ever decide to come here if you’re making $25,000 or $35,000 less as a lieutenant, commander, or assistant chief? I understand the challenges of finances, and I get it. I just think 8 percent is not going to get us to where we need to be in the law enforcement side.” Cook proposed an amendment to allow an extra 2 percent increase to help with the request. It was not seconded and died on the floor. The commissioners approved what was requested without any additional monies for raises.

Continued from Page 6 The Westwood Showcase is one of central Texas’ premier tournaments – hosted by Round Rock ISD – featuring 32 teams from various classifications divided into eight fourteam pools for the first two days of the event, followed by a final day of bracket play to determine champions in four different divisions. On the opening day, the Lady Panthers burst from the gate with a ferocity their namesakes in the wilderness would’ve been proud of in winning all three of their matches, as Rowley contributed mightily to the cause from her outside hitter position, a spot she’s been elevated to full-time this season after the graduation of Kindsee Escamilla from last year’s squad. As a result, Rowley now finds herself opposite fellow senior Emma Becker – an alliance that is furthered by the fact the duo are club teammates – something that is already yielding dividends, she said.

“This is the first year Emma and I have played opposites,” said Rowley. “But, I think we’ve worked well together so far. “ Most matches will see Becker lead the Lady Panthers in kills, but Rowley is usually right behind in providing additional firepower at the other end of the net and when both are on their respective games during a match, opposing defenses find themselves on the end of two different gun barrels not knowing where the next bullet is coming from, which makes the pair of bombers that much more formidable. But, that wouldn’t be the case if Rowley hadn’t dedicated herself to being the one to fill the role. “With club volleyball, there’s never really a break for me,” she said. “Also, during the shutdown, I worked out every day to improve my vertical, so Emma doesn’t always have to carry the team.”

Patrick Fay and the Panthers’ tennis team won its season opener against Gatesville by a 13-6 score.

SCOTT AKANEWICH PHOTO

TENNIS BRIEFS

Panthers open season with road victory

Liberty Hill’s tennis team got off to a fine start to the fall season with a 13-6 away win over Gatesville. In girls’ singles, No. 1 Ellis Young lost 5-8, No. 2 India Young won, 8-0, No. 3 Jennifer Merrill won, 8-1, No. 4 Ava Ortega won, 8-0, No. 5 Ella Bodnar won, 8-1 and No. 6 Eliza Homorodi won, 8-6.

In boys’ singles, No. 1 Joseph Sherman won, 8-5, No. 2 Patrick Fay won, 8-3, No. 3 Ethan Wukash lost, 7-9, No. 4 Colin Garner won, 8-5, No. 5 Will Snell won, 8-6 and No. 6 Will Gray won, 8-2. In extra matches, Jon Kiger lost, 6-8 and Michael Evans won, 8-4. Girls’ doubles saw No. 1

Ellis Young and Merrill lose 5-8, No. 2 Ortega and Ella Bodnar lose 3-8 and No. 3 Emma Neeley and Homorodi win, 8-3. Boys’ doubles had No. 1 Fay and Wukasch lose 1-8, No. 2 Gray and Holt Avery lose, 4-8 and No. 3 Josh Allaire and Cash Terry win, 8-5. Extra matches saw Tyler Wil-

liams and Josh Allaire lose 2-8 and Avery and Terry win, 6-3. In mixed doubles, Sherman and India Young won, 8-0 and played a second match, winning 8-2, while Evans and Neeley lost, 2-6.

Thursday, August 19, 2021

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Page 9

CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT PHOTO

Back to School at Louine Noble Elementary

Liberty Hill ISD Board President Megan Parsons (center) assisted by Superintendent Steve Snell cut the ribbon Wednesday to celebrate the opening of Louine Noble Elementary School. The event was attended by school trustees, administrators, teachers, Mayor Liz Branigan, members of the Chamber of Commerce, and other school district supporters.

VOLLEYBALL

Continued from Page 7

points at 18-8, which included a trio of Rowley kills and a pair by Mason, but the Warriors stormed back in ending the set on an 18-6 run to claim the frame. As the fourth set began, the same nip-and-tuck, point-for point style of play unfolded, but eventually, Westwood was able to gain enough energy to secure victory. Dirner led Liberty Hill with 12 kills, while Rowley added 11, as Parsons had 32 assists, Kuhlmann 33 digs and Glenn had a pair of aces to go with two blocks for Hair on the evening. Peterson said her squad had a chink in its armor in the form

of returning serves effectively, while also acknowledging the surrendered advantage the Lady Panthers let slip away in the third set. “Every set, we had one rotation where our serve-receive dug ourselves a hole,” she said. “You can’t give away a 10-point lead.” Peterson also admitted the absence of Emma Becker from the lineup created a large void to ﬁll. “Obviously, you miss someone like Emma a lot – we’re a different team without her,” she said. “But, we had players like Kealy (Dirner) who stepped up – she uses more ﬁnesse than Emma, but was

ﬁnding open spots on the court and Maddi (Rowley) also did well.” Becker’s absence will put pressure on the entire roster to help stem the tide until her return, but that could actually be a good thing, said Peterson. “Emma doesn’t have to be the star,” she said. “Our team as a whole is very talented.” Cedar Ridge 3, LHHS 1 LHHS faced a road test against Class 6A Cedar Ridge and came away with a 3-1 (2426, 26-28, 25-23, 24-26) defeat to the Raiders. Mason and Rowley led with 10 kills each, while Parsons had 18 assists, Kuhlmann 24 digs and Hair blocks.

SERVICES

Highway 290 West, Suite 150 Austin, Texas 78735. Bid proposals must be clearly marked INTERSECTION/TRAFFIC SIGNAL IMPROVEMENTS AT KAUFFMAN LOOP AND SH 29. At the time Bid Documents are obtained, Bidder must provide a working e-mail address, so that they will receive any addenda or clarification issued by the Owner. Any questions regarding the Bid Documents are due at least 48 hours prior to the bid opening. Sealed Bids will be received at LandDev Consulting, LLC (LDC), 5508 Highway 290 West, Suite 150, Austin, Texas 78735 and then read via telephone conference call. Anyone who want to attend the bid opening must do so by telephone. To join the telephone conference and hear the bids read publicly, call 469-9986043. ALL BIDS ARE DUE PRIOR TO (Austin Time) 2:00 P.M. CST on September 9th, 2021 BIDS WILL BE OPENED AT (Austin time) 2:00 P.M. CST on September 9th, 2021 ALL BIDS NOT RECEIVED PRIOR TO THE DATE AND TIME SET FORTH ABOVE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR CONSIDERATION. This project includes traffic signal installation, pedestrian ramps, and median improvements for the Kauffman Loop and SH 29 Intersection Improvement Project. A portion of the work is located within the Texas Department of Transportation right-of-way way and, therefore, Texas Department of Transportation pre-qualification is a requirement for bid eligibility for this project. The overall project will require acceptance from the Texas Department of Transportation as part of a Donation Agreement between Owner and State. The Issuing Office for the Bidding Documents is: LandDev Consulting, LLC (LDC),

5508 Highway 290 West, Suite 150 Austin, Texas 78735, Keith Parkan, P.E., Senior Project Manager, 512-872-6696, keith. parkan@landdevconsulting. com. Prospective Bidders may examine the Bidding Documents at the Issuing Office on Mondays through Fridays between the hours of 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and may obtain copies of the Bidding Documents from the Procurement Website as described below. Bidding Documents may be viewed and ordered online by registering with the Procurement Website as described at https://www.civcastusa.com/. Prospective Bidders must register with the Procurement Website as a plan holder, even if the Contract Documents are obtained from a plan room or other website. The documents are made available for the sole purpose of obtaining bids for completion of the project and permission to download does not confer a license or grant permission or authorization for any other use. Authorization to download documents includes the right for Bidders to print documents for their sole use, provided they pay all costs associated with printing or reproduction. Printed documents may not be re-sold under any circumstances. All official notifications, addenda, and other documents will be offered only through the Procurement Website. The Procurement Website will be updated periodically with Addenda, lists of interested parties, reports, or other information relevant to submitting a Bid for the Project. The cost of printed Bidding Documents from the Procure-

COMPUTER TUTOR At your place, at your pace, I can help you with your computer, iPhone, iPad, or tablet. Helpful tips and tricks. Reasonable rates. Call Karen, 432553-2468. (9/30p)

PUBLIC NOTICES NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Sale of property to satisfy a landlord’s lien. Sale to be held at American Self Storage-Liberty Hill at 13740 Hwy 29, Liberty Hill, TX 78642 on Saturday, September 11, 2021 at 11:00 am. Cleanup deposit required. Contents of storage units sold for cash to highest bidder. Property includes the unit contents of the following tenants: Josh Jones: 1 unit containing furniture, boxes, tools. Kamron Warren: 1 unit containing pallets, cans of sealant. (8/26) DOCUMENT # 01-0B MREC MAG Morningstar, LLC on behalf of Williamson County Municipal Utility District No. 23 INTERSECTION/ TRAFFIC SIGNAL IMPROVEMENTS AT KAUFFMAN LOOP AND SH 29, LIBERTY HILL, TX ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS MREC MAG Morningstar, LLC on behalf of Williamson County Municipal Utility District No. 23, hereafter called Owner, is soliciting bid proposals for the construction of the following project: INTERSECTION/TRAFFIC SIGNAL IMPROVEMENTS AT KAUFFMAN LOOP AND SH29, LIBERTY HILL, TX. Bid proposals must be received at the speciﬁed issuing ofﬁce, located at: LandDev Consulting, LLC (LDC), 5508

PANTHER SPORTS DELIVERED WEEKLY!

2 Years for $20! 2 Years Online for $15

Hitting the trails

Liberty Hill senior Emma Hiebner and her Panthers cross country teammates will open the new season at the Temple Invitational on Friday. ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

ment Website will depend on the number and size of the Drawings and Project Manual, applicable taxes, and shipping method selected by the prospective Bidder. Cost of Bidding Documents and shipping is non-refundable. Upon Issuing Ofﬁce’s receipt of payment, printed Bidding Documents will be sent via the prospective Bidder’s delivery method of choice; the shipping charge will depend on the shipping method chosen. The date that the Bidding Documents are transmitted by the Issuing Ofﬁce will be considered the Bidder’s date of receipt of the Bidding Documents. Partial sets of the Bidding Documents will not be available from the Procurement Website. Attention is called to meet requirements for Federal, State, and Related Acts, including wage rates, contained in the contract documents, which must be paid on this project. In addition, the successful bidder must ensure that employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual identity, gender identity, or national origin. Bid security shall be furnished in accordance with the Instructions to Bidders. Owner reserves the right to reject any or all Bids and to waive any minor informality in any Bid or solicitation procedure (a minor informality is one that does not affect the competitiveness of the Bid). Owner: MREC MAG Morningstar, LLC on behalf of Williamson County Municipal Utility District No. 23 By: Mr. Wyatt Henderson Title: Managing Partner

$15/week for Minimum 30 Words Additional Words $0.20 Deadline: Noon Mondays

NEWS@LHINDEPENDENT.COM Release Date: September 9, 2021 (8/26) REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS CITY OF LIBERTY HILL The City of Liberty Hill is soliciting proposals to provide administration and/or planning services for programs and/or projects financed by the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Please submit your proposal of services and a statement of qualifications for the proposed services to the following email address: lhale@libertyhilltx.gov. Proposals must be received by the City no later than 2:00 pm on Monday, August 23, 2021 to be considered. The City reserves the right to negotiate with any and all individuals or firms that submit proposals and may award one or more contracts to one or more service provider(s). Section 3 Residents and Business Concerns, Minority Business Enterprises, Small Business Enterprises and Women Business Enterprises, and Labor Surplus Area firms are encouraged to submit proposals. The City of Liberty Hill is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer. Servicios de traducción están

(512) 778-5577

disponibles por peticion. (8/19) MISSING PROPERTY If you believe the police department may have a found item that belongs to you, you can call the Property Division directly at 512-548-5530 or email at ekrause@libertyhilltx.gov. When contacting the Property Division, describe the item(s) you are looking for, in detail, and we will let you know if we have it. If we do, we will make arrangements to get it back to you. (8/26)

LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICE City of Liberty Hill is accepting bids for the installation of a Type 1 and Type 2 ADA ramp in downtown Liberty Hill. Contact City of Liberty Hill City Hall 512-778-5449 for a site visit and more information. (8/19) WALDEN WRECKER SERVICE, 939 N. 183, Liberty Hill, Texas 78642, 512-5743367, 0651983vsf, www.tdlr. texas.gov White Ford Econoline Motorhome $867.64 fees accrue daily. (8/19p)

SCHOOL O T K C A B It’s

in Liberty Hill!

DO YOUR PART FOR SCHOOL BUS SAFETY School bus drivers do everything they can to keep our children safe, but motorists are also responsible for driving safely around school buses.

Offer available for New Subscribers only.

STAY COOL! Call ACA Appliance for AC Repair Service you can Trust.

McCoy Agency

Subscribe online at www.LHIndependent.com/Subscriptions or call us 512.778.5577

CLASSIFIED ADS

Honest, Local & Trusted David & Christa McCoy, Wendy Neill

12780 W Hwy 29, Liberty Hill •29, 512 900-4422 512 900-4422 • 12780 W Hwy Liberty Hill www.farmersagent.com/cmccoy FarmersAgent.com/CMcCoy

Free service call with repair

325 E State Hwy 29 | Bertram Located between PEC and the Train Depot

512-219-0900

Page 10

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

HOMES AROUND THE HILL University Park - Georgetown 2 Homes/Guest House - 4.95 acres Liberty Hill - 76 acres Hidden Creek Estates Hornsby, J - 4.6 acres Coming Soon! Kempner Ranch - 40 acres Florence Highland Lake Estates - Lago Vista Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Florence Cloudwood Ranch Lot - Briggs Durham Park Little Gabriel River Ranch Palmera Ridge Liberty Hill - 17 acres Mesa Vista Ranch Forest Creek Hillcrest Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Luciano Cabasos Spring Meadows - 2 Homes Cantarra Meadows/Pﬂugerville Stonewall Ranch Purser Estates Anderson Mill West Buttercup Townhomes Near Downtown Liberty Hill Stonewall Ranch Somerset Ranch Llano Jenks Branch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Saratoga Springs Summerlynn - Leander Larkspur Palmera Ridge - Leander San Gabriel River - 3/4 acres Flores Iron Oak - 2 acres

Homes for Sale 3BR/2BA 4BR/4BA 3BR/2B - Bardo & Shop 3BR/2BA - Game Room - 1+ acre 4BR/2BA 6BR/5BA Acreage/Property for Sale Tract 3A N Hwy 195 No restrictions, Ag exempt 20701 Harrison Cv Electricity & water available TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 72, Block 1 Phase III TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 73, Block 1 Phase III TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 76, Block 1 Phase III TBD Red Yucca Ct Lot 88, Block 1 Phase III Tract 4B N Hwy 195 No restrictions, Ag exempt Lot 12 Cloudwood Ranch Rd Lots of trees Under Contract / Pending

2006 E 18th St 1601 CR 256 4060 CR 201 141 Taylor Creek Way 1840 CR 226 820 Panther Creek

550 Shin Oak Lane 420 Iva Bell Lane 2200 Bonavista Way 17600 W State Hwy 29 TBD Yellow Senna Pl 2237 Shark Loop 120 Crestview Dr TBD Yellow Senna Pl TBD Yellow Senna Pl TBD Yellow Senna Pl TBD Yellow Senna Pl TBD Yellow Senna Pl TBD Red Yucca Ct TBD Red Yucca Ct 1540 W Hwy 29 440 CR 277 13500 Kearns Dr 145 Granite Path 312 Barrington 1705 Spiderlily 401 Buttercup Creek Blvd 3103 CR 1869 500 Fieldstone 1105 Somerset Meadow 504 E Green St 120 Bryson Bend TBD Lobeila Bloom Bend TBD Lobeila Bloom Bend TBD Lobeila Bloom Bend TBD Lobeila Bloom Bend TBD Yellow Senna Pl 402 Spring Grove 104 Falcon Lane 105 Blue Sage 2201 Bonavista Way 121 River Rd 550 Stadium Dr 232 Oak Hill

Indian Oak Estates Cloudwood Ranch Lot - Briggs Ranch at Cypress Creek Boulderwood Park Bertram Cole Drive Estates Liberty Hill Burnet Liberty Hill - 2.2 acres Liberty Hill Purser Estate

875 Indian Oaks Lot 22 Cloudwood Ranch Rd 2003 Autumn Fire 108 Boulderwood Dr 367 Mesquite 601 Cole Dr 2210 CR 282 709 Rhomberg 140 Shin Oak Lane 2190 CR 282 214 Barrington

Wet weather creek Barn 3BR/2BA 3 Homes & Barn Lot 92, Block 1 Phase III 4BR/2.5BA 3BR/2BA Lot 70, Block 1 Phase III Lot 77, Block 1 Phase III Lot 78, Block 1 Phase III Lot 81, Block 1 Phase III Lot 82, Block 1 Phase III Lot 84, Block 1 Phase III Lot 90, Block 1 Phase III 2BR/1BA 5BR/3.5BA 4BR/2BA, Game Room 3BR/2BA 3BR/2BA 3BR/2BA 2BR/2.5BA Commercial, Mixed Use 5BR/3BA 4BR/3.5BA 3BR/2BA 4BR/3BA Lot 23, Block 4 Phase III Lot 24, Block 4 Phase III Lot 25, Block 4 Phase III Lot 26, Block 4 Phase III Lot 69, Block 4 Phase III 3BR/2BA 4BR/2.5BA - 2 car garage 3BR/2.5BA 3BR/2BA - 2 car garage 3BR/2BA Cleared & level 4BR/4BA Sold!

3BR/2BA Lots of oaks, backs to creek 3BR/2.5BA 3BR/2BA 3BR/2BA 4BR/4.5BA Build to suit home site 3BR/1BA 3BR/2BA + pool Build to suit home site 3BR/2B

$ 315,000 $ 995,000 $2,250,000 $ 999,999 $ 379,000 $ 990,000

1404 sq ft 3112 sq ft 1624 sq ft 2943 sq ft 2432 sq ft 4483 sq ft

Dax Oglesby Cheryl Stephens Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Shane T. White Cheryl Stephens

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

11.3 acres .394 acres 2.19 acres 2.10 acres 4.18 acres 2.48 acres 20.9 acres 7.74 acres

Dax Oglesby Dax Oglesby Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Dax Oglesby Cheryl Stephens

338,168 60,000 219,000 210,000 418,000 248,000 564,300 255,000

$ 175,000 2 acres

Amy Gandy

$ 510,000 2100 sq ft

Amy Gandy

$1,500,000 20 acres

$1,600,000 1800 sq ft

$ 207,000 2.07 acres $ 538,000 2627 sq ft

$ 235,000 1568 sq ft

$ 203,000 2.03 acres

Thursday, August 19, 2021

SUBSCRIBE 512.778.5577

SABRINA JORDAN REALTOR®

512.680.0375 cell sabrinajordan.kwrealty.com RESIDENTIAL, LAND, FARM & RANCH HOMETOWN ROOTS - HOMETOWN VALUES

Amy Gandy Tammy Wise Tammy Wise

Shane T. White Shane T. White

Tammy Wise Tammy Wise 2.17 acres Tammy Wise 2.01 acres Tammy Wise 2.01 acres Tammy Wise 2.01 acres Tammy Wise 2.04 acres Tammy Wise 1180 sq ft Shane T. White 2950 sq ft Shane T. White 2507 sq ft Cheryl Stephens 1577 sq ft Shane T. White 1364 sq ft Shane T. White 1521 sq ft Shane T. White 1280 sq ft Shane T. White 968 sq ft Dax Oglesby 2806 sq ft Kristen Childers/Tammy Wise 2739 sq ft Shane T. White 1671 sq ft Sabrina Jordan 2554 sq ft Shane T. White 2 acres Tammy Wise 2 acres Tammy Wise 2 acres Tammy Wise 2 acres Tammy Wise 2 acres Tammy Wise 1704 sq ft Shane T. White 2044 sq ft Dax Oglesby 2455 sq ft Kristen Childers 1855 sq ft Amy Gandy 1440 sq ft Cheryl Stephens 1.337 acre Side-Pad Shane T. White 2800 sq ft Dax Oglesby

$ 237,000 2.37 acres $ 217,000 $ 201,000 $ 201,000 $ 201,000 $ 204,000 $ 250,000 $ 429,250 $ 420,000 $ 325,000 $ 355,000 $ 420,000 $ 275,000 $ 350,000 $ 465,000 $ 800,000 $ 200,000 $ 350,000 $ 200,000 $ 200,000 $ 200,000 $ 200,000 $ 200,000 $ 225,000 $ 350,000 $ 410,000 $ 430,000 $ 230,000 $ 750,000 $ 765,000

$ 380,000 1856 sq ft

Shane T. White

$ 494,900 2308 sq t

Kristen Childers

$ 197,500 4.25 acres $ 299,000 1330 sq ft $ 200,000 1624 sq ft

$1,100,000 3611 sq ft $ 245,000 2.883 acres $ 252,000 900 sq ft

$ 430,000 1611 sq ft $ 245,000 2.883 acres $ 325,000 1683 sq ft

Cheryl Stephens

SELLING L LIBERTY HIL FOR 40 YEARS!

BUYING OR SELLING A HOME?

Kristen Childers Shane T. White

Shane T. White Sabrina Jordan Sabrina Jordan Dax Oglesby Sabrina Jordan Shane T. White

LIBERTY HILL’S REAL ESTATE GUIDE Feature your property listings weekly! (512) 778-5577

RE/MAX Town & Country 13561 W. Hwy 29, Liberty Hill shanetwhite@remax.net www.ShaneTWhiteTeam.com

512.515.5263

From Waco to New Braunfels, Llano to LaGrange and everywhere in between.

Real Life. Real People. Real Estate.

Is NOW the time to sell your home? Call us ... We know the answer! Kristen Childers REALTOR®

Tammy Wise REALTOR®

(512) 501 501-0777 AustinAndHillCountryRealEstate.com

900 Quest Parkway Cedar Park, TX 78613

Amy Gandy, Broker/Owner | MCNE, CLHMS 512-589-9005 | amy@agandyandco.com www.agandyandco.com

“Our family of seasoned professional agents is what makes us unique. We’re here to help you, whether it’s selling your property or assisting in finding and purchasing the home of your dreams.”

Residential • Farm and Ranch Minerals • Land and Leasing

Dax Oglesby

REALTOR®, RPL daxoglesbysgrhomes@gmail.com

(512) 635-7529

Adrienne Hughes

Cheryl Stephens

512-810-0185

512-417-0026

Broker/Owner

Realtor ®, GRI, MRP

3106 Ranch Road 1869 | Liberty Hill, TX 78642 | www.Hughes-and-Company.com

3103 Ranch Road 1869 Liberty Hill