LH Independent 9-2-21

HAPPY WE ARE CLOSED O N L A B O R D AY

2021

Volume 34, Issue 41

www.LHIndependent.com

LHISD cancels large indoor gatherings as COVID cases rise

By CHRISTIAN mentary with 30 students and BETANCOURT four staff.

Staff Writer “Our numbers are high (at As COVID-19 cases increase LHMS),” said Snell. “We’re in Liberty Hill schools, the dis- concerned. We’re watching trict announced Sunday it is it and strongly encouraging canceling large indoor gather- mask-wearing and even more ings and strongly limiting encourvisitors “The COVID numbers are a g i n g to esfamilies very, very high in our sential to stay guests. community and our schools. h o m e “We if their We’re concerned.” follow child ~ Superintendent Steve Snell has any the data, and as sympcases increased, we get a little toms whatsoever.” more restrictive,” said LHISD Campus closures are not curSuperintendent Steve Snell. rently planned for the district, “Hopefully, this way, we’ll but Snell said it could be an go down soon, and we can get option if cases continue to rise. less restrictive. But right now, “Closing classrooms or a it looks like the cases in the grade level is always a possicounty and in our schools will bility,” he said. “We need the warrant us to be a little more community’s help because restrictive on visitors and gath- schools can’t do it alone. We erings.” look at the data all day long.

According to the district’s Every case that rolls in, we online COVID-19 dashboard, look at how it’s connected to which tracks cases in the other cases at least three times schools, there have been 226 a day, we sit down and look at student cases reported and our cases and analyze the best 52 from staff as of press time steps to take going forward.”

Wednesday. The majority of The Williamson County cases were reported at Lib- and Cities Health District erty Hill Middle School with reported 52,427 confirmed 76 students and eight staff, followed by Bill Burden EleSee COVID, Page 4

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September 2, 2021 | 50 Cents

WCESD#4 Commissioners approve budget, set tax rate in contentious 4-1 vote

By CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT Staff Writer It was near standing-room only at Monday’s meeting of the Williamson County Emergency Services District Commissioners as the panel met to adopt a budget and set a tax rate.

Both on-duty and off-duty first responders awaited the approval of commissioners on a budget that included a change to the pay scale, which would mean a significant pay increase for some in the new fiscal year.

The only objection to the plan came from board Vice President James Baker, who said the change in the step program was too costly.

Previously, the steps were capped at 10 years, but Monday’s vote increased the cap to 20 years.

“I can’t vote to approve this,” said Baker. “I hope I get outvoted. I think that is just insane. I’m sorry, I love you all.”

Fire Chief Anthony Lincoln said about $150,000 in the budget would be used to bring the salaries up of six first responders. The most significant increase would be for one employee, who has been there 18 years. That person will receive a pay increase of $28,000.

CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT PHOTO

Williamson County Emergency Services District #4 Commissioners met Monday to approve a budget that includes a pay raise for first responders and set new tax rate.

“As our tenure has moved up in the organization, we realized we were getting people capped,” Lincoln said. “We started looking at how we compared to similar cities and organizations. We are currently 34 percent of what Hutto is doing. Even under the new step plan, we’re still going to be struggling. We’re still going to be 15 percent behind them.”

Baker addressed Lt. Jeff Foster, who was in the audience.

Baker explained he had to do what he believed was right in his heart.

“I’m fully aware of that,” responded Foster. “But you also

have to look at these other departments to be able to maintain and keep good people here, and we have to be able to move up the pay and pay them what they deserve. The step plan seems like a lot of big numbers. The majority of the department with that step plan is not getting a huge raise. It’s the people that have been here 10-plus years.”

Baker interrupted Foster stating he worked at FedEx for 20 years and didn’t receive a raise every year.

“We can’t compare to FedEx,” Foster replied.

Baker said he believed the

change to the step program would be too costly for the department “I realize the fire services is different,” rebutted Baker. “I think this is just an awful lot of money all at once. I know we have the money.”

Lincoln explained to the commissioners that the onetime cost of catching up was necessary to compete with pay scales in the area.

“It’s a lot to absorb at one time, but that happens when you move into a new step plan,” he said.

See WCESD#4, Page 5

New Panther Band Director says he feels at home in Liberty Hill

By CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT Staff Writer New band and fine arts director Shawn Murphy said he’s finally found home after landing a job in Liberty Hill ISD. “Nowhere I’ve ever been, or anything I’ve ever done has felt as much as home as Liberty Hill does,” he said. “I have 20 years of experience at directing at this level.”

Murphy said he’s been leading bands comprised of 140-200 students throughout his career, a level of participation the school will reach as the district grows.

“We just added 40 kids,” he said. “We’re looking to add the same amount next year. Here in the next few years, we will be in the 200-220 range. That’s probably where it will level off. We’ll be the little band at the contests. We’ll be the little guy that packs a punch. When we start adding more kids, then it’s going to be even better.”

Murphy said he heard about the job from a friend who told him about what he called a “gold mine” in Liberty Hill.

His decision to leave his position at Burleson Centennial High School came shortly after.

“He told me about the school and the kids,” he said. “He told me how they wanted to be really good, and they were struggling from going from a small school into a 5A school.”

Making the transition to Liberty Hill was smooth. He said the response at Liberty Hill was one of the warmest he has received.

“I’ve seen a bunch of different situations in the first few months,” he said. “Pretty much everybody here has trust and goes along with what I’m asking them to do. They give

CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT PHOTO

Liberty Hill ISD Fine Arts Director and Liberty Hill High School Head Band Director Shawn See MURPHY, Page 5 Murphy was hired in April to help the Panther band compete at the 5A level.

Police seeking two suspects for evading arrest after chase

By CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT Staff Writer The Liberty Hill Police Department is looking for two suspects who ran from police

by WCESD#4 Fire Station #2 around 1 p.m. Tuesday after allegedly stealing a car in Austin.

LHPD Chief Royce Graeter described the men as two white males, both 6 feet tall. One was last seen wearing a white shirt, black shorts, and a black backpack, while the other was wearing a red shirt.

“We saturated the area after the initial encounter, and we never found them,” said Graeter. “(Officers) followed it around through the MorningStar subdivision, not chasing it, just following it through while ©2021 The Liberty Hill Independent

another officer got closer.

(The vehicle) went behind the fire station, and then the two white male occupants bailed out and took off running toward a wooded area.

An officer gave chase but couldn’t catch up with them.

There was a little too much distance.”

Graeter said other agencies assisted with the search but were unsuccessful.

“We cordoned off the area and set up a good perimeter but were unable to find them in the helicopter,” he said.

“We never saw them. So they must have been bedded down in that wooded area. We heavily saturated the area the rest of the evening, and we could never locate them.”

Graeter said he believes the incident was connected to a string of burglaries, carjacking, and robberies in Austin that by chance ended up in Liberty Hill. “(The Austin Police Depart-

ment) sent their crime scene to process the car,” he said.

“There was a weapon in the vehicle. They went ahead and took custody of the car and contents.”

Graeter said he was unsure if the suspects were still in the area but believes the community at large is not in any danger, albeit he recommends citizens stay cautious.

“We never found them during the night. So, they could be anywhere,” he said.

“They may not be anywhere around here, but they could be. If anybody sees anything suspicious, call 9-1-1 and stay away and not approach these people. Keep your doors locked while you’re driving, and watch out for suspicious activity. Also, they need to keep their vehicles locked at night. That’s how criminals get weapons most of the time.

They’re left in the vehicle, and it’s left unsecured.”

The search Tuesday caused

Santa Rita Middle School to go into ‘Secure’ protocol. No children were affected, and dismissal at the school and routine operations were not disrupted.

“When in ‘Secure’ protocol, students are to remain inside the school building, and all exterior doors are locked,” stated a now-deleted post on SRMS Facebook page.

“Currently, we have secured students and staff inside their building for their safety. Liberty Hill ISD police officers are securing the perimeter, and at this time we expect a normal dismissal.”

In an email sent by SRMS Principal Josh Curtis to parents and obtained by The Independent, he said the school was notified of the chase, but business continued as usual at the school “There is a police presence in the area, but there is no

See CHASE, Page 5

Crash claims life of local girl while mother remains in critical condition

From Staff Reports The community is grieving the loss this week of Payton Schrock, 10, who passed away Saturday following a collision in Blanco County as she and her mother were en route to a youth football game.

Her mother, Kim Schrock, a teacher at Liberty Hill Middle School, remains in critican condition.

Liberty Hill Independent Superintendent Steve Snell said the school community is grieving.

“The community is just heartbroken for the entire family,” he said. “Thankfully, this is a great community, and they have lots of friends. I know there is a meal train to help support the family and a fundraiser Saturday, and, of course, the district is there to help in any way the family might need.”

Snell said Kim Schrock

works with sixth graders, and the school offered grief counseling for students and staff this week.

“The district social workers, counselors, and administration got together to provide any grief counseling that might be needed by students or even the staff,” he said. “Our staff is heartbroken and are grieving as well. We will continue with that plan for as long as it’s needed.”

Payton was a cheerleader with Liberty Hill Youth Football & Cheer, and the organization stated the family was en route to a youth football game that morning.

Texas Department of Public Safety Media Communications & Safety Education Sgt. Deon Cockrell said Troopers responded to a single rollover crash on U.S. Hwy 290, near

See CRASH, Page 3

Page 2

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, September 2, 2021

Commissioners approve budget, set tax rate

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From Staff Reports GEORGETOWN – The Williamson County Commissioners Court unanimously approved the county budget of $453,177,654.23. The total county budget is comprised of the General Fund, Road and Bridge Fund and Debt Service Fund.

The Commissioners Court also adopted a total tax rate for tax year 2021 of $0.440846 per $100 property value. That rate is less than the County’s current rate of $0.458719.

“With this tax rate and property tax exemptions, the average county homestead tax bill will decrease by $14,” said Larry Gaddes, Williamson County Tax Assessor/Collector.

In May, the Commissioners Court voted to increase prop-

erty tax exemptions, providing tax relief to all residential homesteads in the county.

Property tax exemptions for persons 65 and older increased from $30,000 to $90,000.

Property tax exemption for disabled persons increased from $20,000 to $75,000.

The Commissioners Court also added a homestead property tax exemption for all homeowners of 1.5% of their homestead’s assessed value or $5,000, whichever is greater.

In order to qualify, the property owner must have owned and occupied the property as of Jan. 1 of the tax year.

The adopted FY22 General Fund budget is $253,838,754.69 and includes 29 new positions. First responder positions represent a third of the new positions, including the Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Medical Services.

“We are excited to be opening a new EMS station this spring or summer in Leander, one of the fastest growing areas of the county,” said Precinct 2 Commissioner Cynthia Long. “We have increased the starting pay for our paramedics in order to attract the best and brightest in this extremely competitive

market.”

Commissioners approved increases to the corrections salary chart and a 6% cost of living adjustment (COLA) for law enforcement, in addition to a step increase based on tenure equivalent to 2.25%. Civilian employees will receive a 4% COLA and 2% merit increase.

“This budget shows a significant investment in our law enforcement. We have increased both the corrections and law enforcement pay charts and added six new employees,” said County Judge Bill Gravell. “This investment totals more than $5.6 million. In Williamson County we do not defund our police, we defend them.”

“I am most proud to support our District Attorney’s desire to increase professionalism in his office by supporting funding for two new senior prosecutors to help our children as well as ensure the integrity of our convictions. This is a winwin for the taxpayers and for Williamson County’s judicial system,” said Precinct 1 Commissioner Terry Cook.

The General Fund budget also includes $12.7 million for capital improvements as well as $13,877,365.14 for the coun-

ty’s long-range transportation plan.

The adopted FY21 Road and Bridge Fund budget is $46,887,639.54. It includes a 4% COLA and 2% merit increase for employees, five new employees and $5 million for the county’s long-range transportation plan.

The recommended FY21 Debt Service Fund budget is $152,451,260 and includes $25 million for debt defeasance to pay down debt early.

“Paying down debt early is a priority of this Commissioners Court. For nearly 20 years, Williamson County has saved more than $174.5 million in interest through its efforts to pay off debt early and refinancing,” said Commissioner Valerie Covey, Precinct 3.

“The Commissioners Court has taken the first steps in updating the county’s strategic plan. Our budget includes funding to develop this plan which will set priorities for the county for the next several years,” said Precinct 4 Commissioner Russ Boles.

The budget is available online at www.wilco.org/Departments/Budget-Office/Budget-Overview.

Liberty Hill Police Blotter Prepared by Liberty Hill Police Department

Week of Aug. 23-29, 2021 The Liberty Hill Police Department responded to or self-initiated a total of 458 incidents resulting in 19 cases, 38 citations, 45 warnings and one arrest.

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Weekly Highlights: - On Aug. 23 at approximately 9:12 AM, officers responded to Green Egret Way for a burglary of a vehicle complaint.

- On Aug. 23 at approximately 10:01AM, officers responded to Spotted Rail Ridge for a burglary of a vehicle complaint.

- On Aug. 23 at approximately 1:28 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W SH 29 for a theft complaint.

- On Aug. 23 at approximately 2:10 PM, officers responded to the intersection of US 183 and W SH 29 for an accident.

- On Aug. 23 at approximately 6:03 PM, officers responded to the 1000 block of Loop 332 for a disturbance.

- On Aug. 23 at approximately 9:07 PM, officers responded to Blessings Ranch to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On Aug. 24 at approximately 2:11 AM, officers responded to the 19000 block of Ronald Reagan Blvd. to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On Aug. 24 at approximately 6:57 AM, officers patrolled the 1000 block of Loop 332 for school zone enforcement.

- On Aug. 24 at approximately 3:38 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W SH 29 for an accident.

- On Aug. 24 at approximately

8:23 PM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W SH 29 for a prior assault complaint.

- On Aug. 24 at approximately 10:54 PM, officers responded to the 900 block of US 183 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On Aug. 25 at approximately 7:20 AM, officers responded to 13000 block of W SH 29 for an accident.

- On Aug. 25 at approximately 11:01 AM, officers responded to the 11000 block of W SH 29 for a 911 hang up call.

- On Aug. 25 at approximately 2:19 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W SH 29 for a traffic hazard.

- On Aug. 25 at approximately 3:23 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W SH 29 for a fraud complaint.

- On Aug. 25 at approximately 8:13 PM, officers responded to Desert Road for suspicious activity.

- On Aug. 26 at approximately 3:04 AM, officers responded to Earl Keene St. for suspicious activity.

- On Aug. 26 at approximately 9:40 AM, officers responded to the 1000 block of Loop 332 for a fraud complaint.

- On Aug. 26, at approximately 4:18 PM, officers cited a driver for possession of drug paraphernalia, as the result of a traffic stop on Loop 332.

- On Aug. 26 at approximately 5:48 PM, officers responded to Spotted Rail Ridge to assist the Liberty Hill Fire/ EMS. - On Aug. 26 at approximately 10:06 PM, officers responded to Continental Ave for an unwanted person complaint.

- On Aug. 27, at approximate-

ly 7:02 AM, officers patrolled Loop 332 for school zone enforcement.

- On Aug. 27 at approximately 11:45 AM, officers responded to Continental Ave for follow up information.

- On Aug. 27 approximately 12:33 PM, officers responded to Green Egret Way for a disturbance.

- On Aug. 27 at approximately 8:44 PM, officers responded to Seward Junction Loop for suspicious activity.

- On Aug. 27, at approximately 11:45 PM, officers responded to Green Bur Oak Loop for a harassment complaint.

- On Aug. 28 at approximately 12:41 AM, officers responded to the 300 block of Loop 332 for suspicious activity.

- On Aug. 28 at approximately 8:56AM, officers responded to Continental Ave for a suspicious person.

- On Aug. 28, at approximately 2:32 PM, officers responded to the intersection of US 183 and W SH 29 for a traffic hazard.

- On Aug. 28 at approximately 7:29 PM, officers responded to the 2000 block of RM 1869 for a disturbance.

- On Aug. 29 at approximately 7:31 AM, officers arrested a male adult for driving while intoxicated, as the result of a traffic stop on US 183.

- On Aug. 29 at approximately 2:19 PM, officers responded to Brown Bridge for an accident.

- On Aug. 29 at approximately 7:29 PM, officers responded to the 2000 block of RM 1869 for a disturbance.

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Thursday, September 2, 2021

City budget will be approved before audit completion

By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer The City has set Sept. 22 as its date to adopt the fiscal year 2021-22 budget and tax rate, but the previous year’s audit won’t be finished by then, which means the new budget must be ultra conservative.

Interim Finance Director Misti Hancock said that according to Texas law, for a city to levy a property tax, it must have a budget approved.

“The statutes don’t set a deadline, but if you’re going to get your tax levy in, then you need to approve a budget,” she said. “I’m going to recommend a conservative budget. I will adjust for salary changes and staffing changes that have occurred since last year’s budget, but the bottom line will remain flat. The new budget will be no larger than the budget approved last year.”

Hancock said as she finishes her review of the City’s finance department and works through the remaining 10 percent of the audit that is still unfinished, she hopes to see a fluctuation or surplus in the budget that is approved. That way, the City can amend the budget to reflect more feasible amounts as needed.

“We have responded to a significant amount of data requests by the auditors,” she added. “We’ve gone through and we’ve answered 90 percent of their questions since my tenure here. There are a few receipts and supporting documents we have been unable to locate, so we will be reaching out to those vendors to avoid not having them. We have exhausted all internal options. However, our biggest sticking point is fixed assets and long-term liabilities.”

When it comes to the roll-forward schedules for capital assets, fund balance and long-term debt, the fund balance doesn’t equal. During their audit, the auditors found a difference of $1.558 million when comparing the grand total of contractor fees collected to the ending balance of several expense accounts, including building permits and sign permits.

“We are going to be working through that with the auditor,” Hancock said. “We need to figure out which items

were actually completed, and which were still in progress.”

Hancock added that “it depends on whose side you listen to” when trying to determine how this happened in the first place.

“Staff feels the assets weren’t in use,” she said.

“The opinion is the previous auditor may have been a little rash and harsh at throwing some things in fixed [assets] that shouldn’t have been there. It looks like there was a disagreement or lack of understanding on whether the projects were complete at the time they were booked as assets in the 2019 audit. These projects were finished, it’s just a matter of when they were placed on the books.

Ultimately, it has to be fixed.”

Hancock said a realistic goal is for the audit to be finished by the first week of October, at which time the Council will receive a formal report.

During the audit discussion, Council member Chris Pezold said he knew a current employee in the City’s finance department was texting with former finance director Becky Wilkins about the audit.

“Someone was texting our ex-treasurer as of yesterday [Aug. 24] about our audit items,” he said.

Council member Kathy Canady asked a couple of times who was texting her, but her question remained unanswered. The Council did not discuss Pezold’s concerns further.

Council also voted unanimously to set next year’s maximum tax rate at $0.455934 per $100 property valuation—the same as the current tax rate. Once the budget is analyzed, council will decide whether that tax rate will stay the same or change. A public hearing to discuss both the proposed budget and the tax rate for fiscal 2021-22 will take place Sept. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Liberty Hill Municipal Court. Adoption of the budget and tax rate is set for Sept. 22.

The Council also held a lengthy discussion on a request, approved in August by the Planning & Zoning Commission, for a zone map amendment from general commercial/retail to multi-family residential on

See COUNCIL, Page 5

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Throwback Thursday

Back in the mid 1980s my father, standing at left in the foreground, was able to help an Amish family that was traveling through Texas in a covered wagon. He had the right spare part to fix a broken axle. (John Love Photo)

Labor Day brings memories of days gone by

By JAMES WEAR Columnist With L a b o r Day just around the corner, I find myself thinking about my dad, who never seemed to put much stock into this particular holiday and kept right on working as if it were just another day.

Dad, like the fellow who is generally credited with coming up with the concept of Labor Day back in the late 1800s, Peter J. McGuire, earned his living as a carpenter, although McGuire belonged to a union.

And perhaps because dad grew up on a farm where, holiday or not, livestock had to be fed and cows milked and fields cultivated, Labor Day was pretty much a day that the post office and bank would be closed.

CRASH

Dad grew up in the Depression years, and that’s probably why he hesitated to dispose of anything that might be of some value. One wall of his barn was covered with second-hand fan belts, radiator hoses and various other vehicle parts. My oldest brother once remarked, “He’s got a piece of everything that was ever built. He might not have all of it, but he’s got at least a piece.”

I often chuckled at my brother’s observation, but then one day I found myself witnessing an incident where, if Richard’s assessment wasn’t 100 percent correct, it certainly deserved a second look.

On this day the phone rang and a neighbor explained to me that an Amish family, traveling down the road in their covered wagon, had a broken axle and were looking for help.

“I’m leading them to your folks’ house,” our neighbor said. “If anybody has what they need, it’s probably your

Continued from Page 1

Buffalo Way in Blanco County Saturday at around 7:55 a.m., which resulted in the death of a 10-year-old female.

Cockrell said he could not verify the identity of those involved at press time as a full

report of the crash was not completed.

To help support the family during this difficult time, friends have organized a drive-thru barbecue plate fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 3

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dad.”

And sure enough, he did. A couple of hours later, they were fixed up and back on the road. That was back in 1986, maybe 1987, and I don’t recall what their names were or where they were headed. All I have is a print from an overdeveloped roll of black and white film.

Like my dad, I generally have kept right on working on Labor Day, even during those years when I was employed by one newspaper or another and while there were never any school board or city council meetings to attend, there were often events such as Bertram’s Oatmeal Festival, that required coverage.

It was at a Bertram city council meeting that I first met Ken Odiorne, who is generally credited with coming up with the concept that led to the annual Oatmeal Festival. I found him to be a likeable fellow and one with a sense of humor

that could be the brains behind many of the events that make up the festival. Ken’s keen sense of how to promote an event was perhaps behind the story that the Oatmeal Festival came into being after the folks who draw up the official state map left Oatmeal off back in the 1970s, and Oatmeal residents, upset that they had been ignored, decided to stage a festival that “would put them on the map.”

That bit of controversy has served the festival well over the years, although I’ve read of at least one report where Ken slyly admitted that it might not have been totally true, and his inspiration for creating the festival boiled down to “there was nothing to do.”

More than 40 years later and thousands upon thousands of visitors later, Labor Day weekend in Oatmeal and Bertram has certainly proved otherwise.

p.m. Saturday at Liberty Hill Middle School. All proceeds from the event will benefit the family.

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Gleason’s goal is to improve image of WilCo Sheriff’s Office

By CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT Staff Writer After retiring in 2017, Williamson County Sheriff Mike Gleason returned to law enforcement this year to continue his teenage dreams of policing and run the department that helped him grow throughout his career.

“I was in class in junior high school, and it was career day,” he recalls. “These two officers from the Austin Police Department were talking, and I just thought it was fascinating. I just knew then that’s what I wanted to do.”

Since joining the Sheriff’s Office, he has held more than a dozen different positions there.

He started as a corrections officer and climbed the ranks to Chief Deputy for the jail, eventually holding 13 different positions in patrol and corrections.

When the opportunity presented itself to run for Sheriff in 2020, he said he was partly driven by a sense of commitment to the colleagues he left behind when he retired three years earlier.

“I felt responsible for these people because I’ve known them all for 30 years,” he said.

“I wanted to make sure they didn’t have to worry more about the guy in this office than the criminal in the streets.

I wanted to make sure they had a voice.”

During the previous administration, Gleason said the department gained a bad reputation both with the public and the deputies now working under his charge.

“We actually have a pretty big black eye in the law enforcement community right now because of the last four years,” he said. “We are correcting that. People are coming back to work for us. The Commissioners Court has been gracious enough to work with us during the last eight months by increasing our benefits and raises.”

Gleason said in order to improve the public image of the department, he has met with several community groups to assure them his office would have their best interest as a priority.

“We try to make it out to all the community events and be available,” he said. “We ask them to tell us what they want, to tell us where we’re missing our mark, and we’ll try to im-

COVID

BUSINESS

RACHEL MADISON PHOTO

Jeffrey and Brooke Kimberlin, along with their unofficial mascot, Kanga, opened Liberty Mail Center in the Shops at San Gabriel last month. The new business offers everything from notary services to private mail boxes.

Sheriff Mike Gleason talks frankly about his first eight months in office. (Courtesy Photo) prove. We want to repair this relationship and let them know they’re dealing with a whole new entire group of people now.”

The WCSO serves about 609,000 citizens within an 1,124-mile radius, according to the latest census.

“There is no one, big, dominant city that encompasses Williamson County,” he said.

“A lot of the citizens that we serve live in unincorporated jurisdictions. They don’t have city services. They rely on the county … for their public safety services.”

Another challenge Gleason said he has been fighting during his first year in office is hiring and retaining quality officers due to salary limitation within the county created by years of falling behind compared to other departments in the area.

“It just fell by the wayside,” he said. “It’s not any one person’s fault. You have to remain competitive as you move forward. The problem is that now we are so far behind that the fix is just so expensive, and we can only do a little bit, so we can never catch up.”

WCSO runs the county jail.

Gleason said he implemented services for those incarcerated to help them get better instead of creating a revolving door effect.

“We completely brought back our crisis intervention team,” he said. “We put an emphasis on mental health and getting

Continued from Page 1

COVID cases in the county on Tuesday, 539 deaths with 205 daily new instances. Tuesday, 539 deaths with 205 daily new instances. WCCHD also reports about 65.5 percent of the population is fully vaccinated, and 76 percent are partially vaccinated. About 10.2 percent of total cases are linked to Liberty Hill’s zip code 78642.

“The COVID numbers are very, very high in our community and our schools,” said Snell. “(We encourage parents) to have a conversation with their child about the pros and cons of wearing a mask, and encourage them to wear a mask as much as possible.”

According to Snell, parents of children who were around

Thursday, September 2, 2021

someone who tested positive will receive a notification from the school.

“We notify parents if there was a case in the classroom, in the extra-curricular event, or athletics,” he said. “Then the parents to monitor their child and make the best decision on whether to keep that child home or send them to school.”

Mask-wearing in LHISD remains voluntary, and Snell said that a small percentage of students in the schools are wearing masks.

“Honestly, I would say around 10 percent are wearing a mask,” he said. “We strongly encourage our staff and students to wear masks. We’re seeing more wear masks as the

WE CAN’T HIDE OUR

people out of my jail and into services to get them the help that they need. We recognize that people can’t get out of this criminal justice cycle until we start addressing what’s bringing them to us. We’re getting people out of jail that don’t need to be in jail.”

Gleason said keeping offenders accused of petty crimes out of jail allows his staff to deal with overcrowding, saving taxpayers money.

“We get them out of jail to help their lawyers defend them,” he said. “We’ve been able to prove that people that have a good support system and are out of jail working on their own defense do not come back.”

While it’s been a challenging eight months for Gleason, he said he has been able to accomplish some of the things promised during the campaign.

“We have successfully gotten pay raises for everybody with the help of the Commissioners Court,” he said. “We are in the process of rewriting all of our policies and procedures. We introduced a due process system (for deputies). We’ve revamped the way we do things in the jail. We have started a fair and equitable hiring and promotion process. We’re starting a very robust training program for our command people.”

cases have increased, but right now, we’re still encouraging as much mask-wearing as possible.”

Snell said the district needs the community’s help to have a productive school year.

“It’s not just the mitigation procedures at school that keep our community safe. It’s everywhere,” he said. “I would also highly encourage anyone who is eligible to talk with their health care professional and evaluate if the vaccine is right for you and your child.

We’re very concerned with the amount of COVID cases in our community right now. We’re trying to keep students as safe as possible with the mitigation strategies we have in place.”

Liberty Mail Center offers shipping service, box rental

By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer When you walk into the newly opened Liberty Mail Center in The Shops at San Gabriel in North Leander, don’t be surprised when you’re greeted first by a furry goldendoodle named Kanga.

Only after she gives you a good sniff and a tail wag— and you’ve given her the appropriate number of pets— will you get to meet owners Brooke and Jeffrey Kimberlin, who moved to Liberty Hill in March, after following Jeffrey Kimberlin’s family from Orange County, Calif., to Texas.

The couple owns a mail center, fittingly named The Mail Center, in Huntington Beach, Calif., and when they decided to make the move to Texas, agreed the Liberty Hill and Leander area could use a similar store. They moved into Santa Rita Ranch and wanted to build something nearby when they found the Shops at San Gabriel.

“We knew if we were moving here, we would need jobs, so we decided we’d open up another mail center,” Brooke Kimberlin said. “We really like this industry and getting to know the community and serve them. We’re super thankful we can bring our dog to work, and we think the community loves that, too. Back in California, people would come in just to see Kanga and give her treats.

We want that to happen here, too.”

The Kimberlins have a lot of experience in the industry, as Brooke helped her mother run a mail center in Califor-

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nia for 17 years throughout high school, college and beyond, and Jeffrey worked in the magazine printing trade.

Now, Brooke’s mother helps the couple run their shop in Leander.

The Kimberlins purchased The Mail Center in Huntington Beach six years ago and will continue to own and operate that store from a distance, with Jeffrey visiting as often as he can. They opened Liberty Mail Center on July 19, and provide a variety of services, including shipping with multiple carriers like USPS, FedEx, UPS and DHL; notary services; document shredding; fingerprinting; passport photos; copying and printing; and renting of private mailboxes.

“Because we rent out private mailboxes, our customers can get packages from any of the carriers because it’s not a PO box,” Jeffrey Kimberlin said.

“If you have a home-based business and don’t want to use your home address, having a mailbox with us is perfect so you can have your packages delivered here.”

Brooke Kimberlin said the shop also offers a variety of unique gift items and greeting cards, and during the holidays, they plan on offering gift wrap as well.

“So far our customer base has been a lot of people from the Summerlyn and Larkspur communities, and they’ve told us they’re so happy they don’t have to drive so far and they appreciate the convenience,” Brooke Kimberlin said. “We are fast and efficient, so you aren’t going to wait in line here. We want to get you in

and out and find you the best price for shipping.”

Brooke Kimberlin added that a unique aspect of their business is helping customers resize packages to get better shipping rates or giving them advice on what they can do to lower their shipping costs.

She also said Liberty Mail Center is truly a family run business, as she, her husband and mother are the only employees for now—unless you count Kanga. The Kimberlins’ two children, Kenley, 6; and Easton, 4; like to help out at the store, too, she added.

“They love it,” she said.

“They want to be here all the time. If someone wants stamps, our daughter will get out all the choices and show the customer, or they will help weigh things, or help put mail in the mailboxes. They love helping us out.”

In the future, the Kimberlins hope to continue to grow their business and become a place that can serve the Liberty Hill and Leander communities.

Brooke Kimberlin said they plan to eventually add employees to their roster, and that they are planning a grand opening event on Oct. 20 at 4 p.m. so the community can come see what their business offers. Food and drinks will be served at the event.

Liberty Mail Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The store is located at 2082 US Hwy 183, Ste. 170, in The Shops at San Gabriel. For more information, visit www. libertymailtx.com or search for Liberty Mail Center on Facebook and Instagram.

Thursday, September 2, 2021

COUNCIL Continued from Page 3 2.7 acres on the north side of State Highway 29 east of Holmes Road. The seven acres directly north of this land is zoned for multi-family, which will include seven apartment buildings. Landowner representative Justin Day said adding the additional acreage would allow for the apartment complex to add two additional buildings. He also mentioned that the 2.7 acres have been for sale for over two years with no commercial or retail interest.

The Council as well as Economic Development Corp.

Executive Director Matt Powell agreed that it was in the City’s best interest to keep that property zoned for commercial because of the long-term economic impact to the area. Because of this, Day withdrew his request, and said it “saddened” him that the Council didn’t see the value he saw in rezoning the property.

Also at the meeting, the Council voted to suspend a project to build a community center in Liberty Hill, on property currently used as a multi-purpose building for the police and public works departments.

Pezold said it’s not wise for the City to spend money on the project right now, and that it should be postponed indefinitely.

“Right now we have so many other irons in the fire,” he said.

Council voted 3-1 to suspend the project, with Council Member Tony DeYoung opposed. City Administrator Lacie Hale said she would look into what the impacts of canceling the project will be, but because no one has been mobilized to begin it, the costs shouldn’t be much. The project was originally approved in August 2020 with an estimate of $750,000.

Also last week, the Council: • Unanimously passed a motion to nullify known or unknown ordinances that pertain to the Economic Development Corp.’s incentive programs, excluding the sign and façade programs currently in place. New incentive programs are set to be approved by council on Sept.

22.

• Heard a presentation on

municipal utility districts (MUDs) from City Attorney Dottie Palumbo, including what they are and how they work.

• Discussed updating the City’s development agreement ordinance. Final approval on the update of that ordinance will take place Sept. 22.

• Approved annual service plans for the Liberty Parke Public Improvement District and the Summerlyn West Public Improvement District.

• Voted unanimously to sponsor the 2021 Rip Roar’n Ride in the amount of $2,500. The annual bike race, set for Sept.

25, is a fundraiser for the Lions Club. Proceeds raised are donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

• Approved the City’s fiscal 2021-22 holiday calendar, which includes Juneteenth, the newest federal holiday.

• Gave staff direction to develop a service plan and annexation procedures for two properties. The first is 10 acres located west of Ronald Reagan Boulevard on the south side of SH 29. The applicant plans to use it for multifamily housing. The second is 5 acres located directly across the street. The applicant intends to utilize it for commercial use. Before the properties can be annexed, a public hearing must be held.

• Heard an update on the City’s shared use path. The bulk of the work should be completed within the next three weeks, said Hale, and final touches like benches, trash cans and the crosswalk beacon will be installed in late September.

• Discussed development of a policy regarding large expenditures made by city staff to be approved by Council.

• Decided not to move forward with council leadership development training through The Management Connection. The consensus among members was that the money required for the training could be better spent elsewhere.

• Discussed implementing a policy that makes hiring all city staff a city council matter.

The Council held two executive sessions and adjourned at 11:32 p.m. Council member Crystal Mancilla was absent.

Discussion reveals conflicts in Butler Farms agreement

By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer A special called meeting prior to the Council’s regular meeting to discuss the Butler Farms development warranted a lengthy exchange between the Council, staff and developers of the subdivision.

The Butler Farms development agreement was signed in 2018, but Wyatt Henderson of MA Partners, the developer on the project, said it was just noticed in the last 60 days that the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) created for the subdivision is in direct conflict with what the development agreement says.

“When the TIRZ was formed, at that time the city tax was 50 cents and we got 25 cents, or 50 percent,” he said. “But instead of it being 50 percent it was somehow changed to 30 percent, which we believe is an error that needs to be fixed because the development agreement says 50 percent. The TIRZ has to be amended for us to move forward.”

Henderson asked Council to direct staff and the city attorney to amend the TIRZ ordinance to reflect 50 percent instead of 30 percent. He added that in addition to this amendment, Butler Farms would also waive its ability to ever de-annex from the City and would reinstitute a $1,000 public improvement district (PID) fee to be paid to the City that expired 18 months after the development agreement was signed.

City Attorney Dottie Palumbo said ultimately, it’s better for the City to stick with the 30 percent monetarily, but that the Council should use discretion to stick with whatever ordinance is in the best interest of the City.

“We need to look out for the City’s money,” said Council member Chris Pezold. “If there is an item such as this that is in contest and it’s not clear, then we’ve got to look out for the City. If it was something that was cut and dry I’d say we need to honor it, but it’s not clearly defined in the development agreement, and my attorneys and my team are saying there is an argument against this.”

Henderson said his attorney would say the exact opposite, because he’s not asking for anything that the development agreement doesn’t already state.

“I sold lots to builders based on receiving that value,” he said.

“I’m not taking any money out of the City’s pocket.”

Henderson’s attorney, Kevin Pierce of Metcalfe Wolff Stuart & Williams, said the question is not necessarily what the most powerful document says, but it is “what was the original intent of the parties at that time?”

“If you balance all the evidence, most of it says 50 percent and one document says 30 percent, so the strong argument is that it’s not representative of the intent,” he said.

Pezold stated again that if it was truly a clerical error, he would have no issue with it, but he is not convinced.

“If you can bring something and show me this was truly a mistake, I’m on board with honoring [the 50 percent],” he said.

Henderson said he will work on getting a sworn statement from former City Administrator Greg Boatright, who worked on the agreement, and would also see what other information he could gather.

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Page 5

Band performs halftime tribute to late Coach Jeff Walker

By CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT Staff Writer The Liberty Hill High School Panther Band showed Friday gamegoers a preview of a tribute performance honoring the late Coach Jeff Walker.

“Our show is a tribute to him and his legacy and impact on the community of Liberty Hill,” said Liberty Hill ISD Fine Arts Director and LHHS Head Band Director Shawn Murphy. “The last team mantra that he had was ‘All of us’. But for us, we’re going to go ahead and call it ‘All of us 4 Hymn,’ because his favorite hymn is there in the show as well.”

The three-minute performance Panther fans experienced Friday is just a taste of what’s to come, according to Murphy, who said the show would evolve each week until the complete performance was ready.

“Every week, there is going to be another production or another layer, or another group of support personnel,” he said.

“More props are going to be added to the visual of the production. The quality of what we do, we’re going to clean it.

All of that is going to be tightened down as we get towards the end of our competition season. I’m real excited to continue working with these kids and see the show’s progress and the audience’s reaction to it. For our first halftime performance, I thought it went well. I got a lot of positive feedback from parents and administrators throughout the evening.”

The show, Murphy said, will showcase and evoke different emotions tied to Walker’s life and journey.

“The second production is Bernstein’s ‘On the Water Front,’” he said. “It’s very angry and angular and jagged.

It’s very aggressive. Football is an aggressive sport, but also cancer is an aggressive disease.

MURPHY

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Members of the Liberty Hill High School Band performed a three-minute show in honor of the late Jeff Walker. The show will progress each week until the whole seven-minute show is completed.

We wanted to depict the battle was so selfless in that way, and Walker.” of sorts that those things entail. I think people need to know Murphy said he regrets not We are trying to capture con- that.” meeting Walker in person but flict with our second producWalker’s widow, Miranda hopes the show will serve as a tion.”

Walker, said she was pres- fitting tribute.

According to Murphy, ‘Amaz- ent during Friday’s game and “I got here too late,” he adding Grace’ combined with the heard the clip play over the ed. “We’re doing this for Liberty Hill School Song sym- loudspeakers at Panther Sta- Coach and for all the people bolizes Walker’s crossover to dium. who knew him and loved him. the other side and how much “I do love that clip of him,” We’re wanting to give this as a the school meant to him. she said. “That was such a gift to them. We want to make “His favorite hymn from Sun- wonderful victory. That was it the very best that we possiday was ‘How Great Thou such a great game. When I hear bly can.”

Art,’ and that’s going to be our that clip, I really hear the pride Miranda Walker said she closer for the entire show,” he he had in the kids and the joy plans on attending every sinsaid. “I feel this a very import- about what they accomplished. gle Panther game of the season ant show for our community It’s obviously emotional in and looks forward to hearing and for a very special man. We some respects, but it is real- the complete program. wanted to pay tribute and hon- ly great. I can still hear in his “It’s extremely important for or his legacy.” voice the pride he took in what me to be there to cheer and Music will not be the only his kids accomplished.” support all the coaches and thing used to complete the Band members will be joined the kids,” she said. “I’m looktribute. Murphy said clips of in their performance by foot- ing forward to seeing more interviews would also be a part ball players, the Liberty of it and understanding the of the performance.

Belles, and cheerleaders. whole program. It makes me “There’s going to be mo“When the whole show is put feel very proud that they drew ments on the show where you together, there will be all of some inspiration from how he hear his voice,” he said. “You us,” said Murphy. “All of the coached and how he lived.” get to hear from him. He never Friday night support groups took credit for himself. He al- will be there together in perways gave credit to others. He formance and tribute to Coach

Continued from Page 1

their full effort. The process has been faster.”

Murphy is not the only new face directing the band. He said he found a great assistant director in his former student Ashlynne Turner who followed him to Liberty Hill.

“She just got her music degree in Arkansas, and now she’s here,” said Murphy. “She has a positive energy, organizational skills, and she’s very helpful in everything that has to do with band. We are in the early stages of building something special, and we need that energy. I trust her blindly. She did great

things as a student leader and as a player. I know that she’s going to have the exact same level as a band director.”

“It was a little odd at first,” added Turner. “Because my old teacher is now my boss.

It’s super fun. I came in knowing how he ran things. I know we’re going to make this band great because he is great.”

Murphy said he fully trusts his team to create a great band that properly represents the Panthers.

“Everybody is good at what they do,” he said. “I trust and delegate.”

WCESD Treasurer Keith Bright asked if there was a way to spread the cost over a couple of years instead of taking the hit all at once.

“Don’t stop the schedule, but I wonder if there’s a reason or a mechanism to change it,” he said. “I agree with going to 20 years. I can see how we got here. Six of the guys have been passed up.”

Board President Dan Clark said he agreed with the increases and the new step plan.

“I personally don’t have a problem with it,” he said.

“It encourages guys to hang around. The retention factor is good.”

Foster said the step increase would not only affect their regular paychecks but their retirement as well.

“For a 20-year firefighter to retire out of Hutto, they would have $1 million more than what a 20-year firefighter out of Liberty Hill would have,” he said. “They have the same retirement system we have.

But with our step plan the way that it is, it’s capping us at 10 years. I can almost tell you. I would leave and go to Hutto if we can’t get something done here. It is not about the money. Every one of us here can go and make an extra million dollars at any department.”

Board Secretary James Crabtree asked what the tenure plan was and whether moving up in rank in the department had anything to do with how raises are awarded each year.

Lincoln responded the step tracks had different pay scales

depending on rank and services where officers would get more than someone who remained in the department at a lower position.

“It’s just tenure,” said Lincoln. “If we have performance issues, we deal with those right up front. If they’re not able to do their job, then they don’t need to be here.”

WCESD Fire Marshal Michael Dickens said it cost the department about $60,00070,000 to hire and train a new firefighter.

“My first tenure in my career was in Taylor,” he said. “We had a 20-year step plan, but the steps were every one to four years, and it was low. In my first 10 years there, we went through 28 firefighters that I can think of just off the top of my head. It was a revolving door because there was no retention plan.”

After a 20-minute discussion, the Board approved the new budget by a 4-1 vote, with Baker opposed.

Also Monday, the Board: • Approved a tax rate of $0.083155 per $100 property value for the upcoming fiscal year. As a result, the tax rate will increase by $2.41 per $100,000 of property value.

• Heard a monthly report from Lincoln about monthly calls.

Lincoln said the department received 213 calls for the month, 141 for emergency medical services, and 72 with an average response time of seven minutes and 45 seconds.

The next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 27 at 6:30 p.m.

As a fine arts coordinator, Murphy said he works with lower grades to create a culture as students progress through their education.

“Our middle schools are great, and those directors are great,” he said. “We go to the middle schools every single day. I get to see the middle school kids, and they get to know who we are and what we are expecting.

They are already part of our band family, and we are just waiting for them to get here to the high school campus. I’ll tell them, ‘I have a spot saved for you at the high school

WCESD#4 Continued from Page 1 CHASE

band,’ and they stand a little bit taller.”

Murphy, a self-proclaimed enthusiast of all things sports, said accompanying the LHHS football program holds a special place in his heart.

“We get to be one of the biggest supporters of our football team,” he said. “We got the dancers, you got the cheerleaders, and you got us. It’s a big honor in a town that values the sport as much as Liberty Hill does. I’m very excited to be here. It finally feels like I’m home.”

Continued from Page 1

threat to SRMS at this time,” wrote Curtis in the email.

LHISD Police Department Chief Sharif Mezayek said the students were never in any danger and his department promptly responded to the school to make sure students were safe and could continue their education uninterrupted.

“For the students, it was business as usual,” he said.

“We don’t let anybody in the

school or out of the school.

(Tuesday) we put two of our units out in front of the school to keep people off the property until we were able to go back with the normal school schedule. We always monitor the radios to make sure an outside source doesn’t come down and hurt our kids.

If something is close to the schools, we get to the area to keep the kids safe.”

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, September 2, 2021 Page 6

Definitely a good Hair day Lady Panthers middle blocker achieves dream

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Liberty Hill senior middle blocker Ailie Hair (#19) has achieved her longtime dream of playing Division I college volleyball through hard work and determination over the past four years.

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor When Ailie Hair was a freshman, she had the dream of one day playing Division I college volleyball, but knew in order for that vision to become a reality, one very distinct thing needed to happen.

“I needed to be better,” said Hair, a Liberty Hill senior middle blocker. “I wasn’t the best as a freshman.”

Three years later, Hair has committed to play at Lamar University – a Division I program, indeed – and rightfully so, has a keen sense of accomplishment.

“As a player, that’s something I always had my sights set on – to play at the highest level possible,” she said. “Now, I’m here.”

According to Liberty Hill head coach Gretchen Peterson, Hair’s mental acumen on the court has equaled her physical progression over the course of

her high school career, which has allowed her to reach such a lofty goal.

“Ailie’s always had a lot of natural ability,” said Peterson.

“But, now she has the mental maturity which has allowed her to become more and more confident and really believe in herself more.”

Hair attributed a large part of her progress in the position to former teammate Lilli Wilkins, who graduated last year and is also – ironically enough – playing at Lamar.

“I definitely learned a lot from Lilli,” said Hair, of Wilkins, who was also a middle blocker during her Lady Panthers career. “She helped coach me in making me a better all-around player and pushed me as a player.”

Makes sense – after all, Wilkins was already well along the same path Hair wanted to travel – so what better role model to show the way to

her promised land?

“Lilli was so good and I wanted to get where she was,” said Hair. “But, I always knew she was going to be in my spot until she left. Although I never looked at her as competition, but rather someone to look up to.”

Peterson agreed with the critical role Wilkins played in Hair’s overall development.

“Lilli was like a mother figure to Ailie,” she said. “They had each other to go through the same things together and Lilli was never shy about helping and building up – she’s just naturally that kind of person and was always aware of what she could do to help the younger players.”

Hair added she learned along the way to push through mental barriers in order to pay the price to get where she wanted to be.

Panthers picking up the pieces

Penalties, turnovers must be cleaned up

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Liberty Hill’s football squad faced a tall task this week in cleaning up the myriad errors they made in the season-opening 12-7 home defeat to Ellison.

One player who sensed the urgency was senior Chance Pogue.

“We’re going to get better,” he said. “We’ve already fixed a lot of things.”

The Panthers’ offensive line committed eight false-start penalties over the course of the contest, which came as an utter shock to head coach Kent Walker.

“We were fine in the scrimmages and we’ve been practicing since May,” said Walker. “I don’t like to make excuses, but I think our kids were thinking too much and were afraid to make mistakes.”

Pogue agreed with Walker’s assessment.

“As the game progressed, we let our mistakes get to us,” he said. “We were worried about making even more.”

Along those psychological lines, Pogue stressed the importance of going out and executing the offense as if it’s second nature.

“The way we run our offense, it needs to be as easy as breathing for us,” he said. “Football needs to be instinctual.”

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Liberty Hill’s offensive line has much to atone for after committing eight false-start penalties in the Panthers’ 12-7 season-opening home loss to Ellison.

Pogue said he and his fellow linemen had impromptu meetings on the sidelines during the game to address the issues that continued to plague them throughout.

“When we come off the field, we’ll go sit on the bench and our coaches will come up to us,” he said. “They’ll make comments, tell us what we can do better the next time we see a particular play or if the other team is doing something we didn’t anticipate, to make adjustments.”

The Panthers’ defense was

strong against Ellison in allowing only six points – as the Eagles’ other touchdown was a return after a botched field-goal attempt – which cast even more of the spotlight on the offense’s shortcomings in producing only a single score.

“There’s a lot of pressure on us,” said Pogue. “We see our brothers go out there and fight and then we nickel-and-dime by jumping offside, which really kills momentum.”

However, on the Panthers’ final possession of the contest, the line finally seemed to get

its act together in producing a 20-play, 85-yard drive, which resulted in sophomore Noah Long’s 14-yard touchdown run for Liberty Hill’s only points of the game.

But, following further review in the film room on Saturday morning, Pogue still wasn’t happy with what he saw.

“It wasn’t the kind of drive we want,” he said. “The camera sees everything.”

With that being the case, Walker said he needed no further illustration of the offensive struggles than what he

witnessed firsthand on Friday night with his own eyes.

“Not at all,” he said.

In addition to the penalties – which included a pair of chop blocks – the Panthers also fumbled six times, recovering three, which caused concern on the part of Walker in the ball-security department, he said.

“Also something we need to do a better job of,” said Walker. “But, we have drills to implement that.”

The news was much better on the other side of the line

See HAIR, Page 8

of scrimmage, as the Liberty Hill defense was solid all night in keeping the Panthers in the game – a fact Walker attributed to the experience that exists in the unit – something sorely lacking on the other side of the ball.

“Our defense was playing fast,” said Walker. “It also helps a lot when you have someone like (senior linebacker) Andon Thomas out there leading the defense – it’s like having a coach on the field.”

Back to offense, though.

Ellison – a Class 6A school – featured a defensive line that outweighed the Liberty Hill offensive line by as much as 100 pounds in certain positions, but that’s certainly nothing new for them and usually a factor they overcome – if they execute properly, said Pogue.

“I’m looking at the film and I see myself standing straight up against a guy who’s 6-5, 285,” he said. “It’s very frustrating to make mistakes we’re coached not to. But, we’re confident we came come back and do better.”

Walker added he believes his players simply need to just go out and let it go.

“Our kids need to have fun playing the game they love,” he said. “Not be uptight or sorry about mistakes because as coaches, we make mistakes, too. Nobody calls or plays a perfect game.”

Despite 11 new starters on offense this season, Walker certainly isn’t using that as an alibi for the early struggles, either.

“We just need to do a better job,” he said. “We didn’t play Liberty Hill football.”

Containing star wideout critical against Cardinals Liberty Hill hosting Del Valle in matchup of winless teams

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor When the Panthers host Del Valle this week, one player they’ll need to keep a definite eye on is Cardinals junior wide receiver Braylon James, who is one of the most sought-after recruits by colleges across the country.

In fact, James has already received 33 Division I offers from a veritable variety of NCAA powers – a list that includes luminaries such as Stanford, Texas, USC, Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame and LSU – to only name a few.

In addition, Del Valle is led by head coach Bobby Acosta, who just last season coached the famed IMG Academy in Florida to a national No. 1 ranking and the mythical championship that comes along with it.

So, in other words, the home team will certainly have its work cut out for it – especially coming off a disappointing 12-7 home defeat against Ellison to open the season last week.

Liberty Hill head coach Kent

See DEL VALLE, Page 8

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Liberty Hill’s defense – including Andon Thomas (#10), Carter Hudson (#24) and Carlton Schrank (#23) – allowed only six points in the Panthers’ season-opening 12-7 home loss to Ellison.

Thursday, September 2, 2021

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Page 7

PANTHER OF THE WEEK

Talking a good game

Lady Panthers senior vocal leader

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Peyton Lilienthal likes to talk – a lot.

In fact, the Liberty Hill senior volleyballer uses her vocal cords so much, it helped carve out career goals for her.

“At first, I wanted to be psychiatrist,” said Lilienthal.

“But, my dad told me ever since I was little, I’ve liked to talk, so he jokingly told me I’d make a good lawyer.”

Turns out Dad’s attempt at humor struck a note with his young daughter, she said.

“I started thinking about it and researching it,” said Lilienthal. “I really liked it, so I changed my mind.”

Lilienthal had previously navigated a similar detour in the athletic arena, trading soccer for volleyball at the behest of some sage advice from somebody who knew.

“When I was in sixth grade, (former Liberty Hill teammate) Kaileigh Truslow’s mom saw me and said I’d be good at volleyball because I was athletic and not a lot of people were playing back then, so I decided to try it,” she said. “But, even before that, in fourth grade, one of my P.E. Teachers had suggested it.”

Lilienthal instantly fell in love with the game – so much so, in fact – she decided to give up soccer altogether in favor of her newfound pursuit a year later.

“I just liked the intensity of the game and how all the girls

on the court were constantly communicating with one another – it was really fun for me,” said Lilienthal. “I had been playing soccer for such a long time, I wasn’t in love with it anymore.”

These days, Lilienthal mans the back row for the Lady Panthers when she’s on the court, but even when she finds herself on the bench, she’s still a valuable asset to the team, said head coach Gretchen Peterson.

“When someone can bring the kind of energy to a team like Peyton does, it’s a valued commodity,” said Peterson.

“She has a really great sense of humor, but also knows when to use it and when not to. She always has something to say and we love her for it.”

Lilienthal said she would, of course, like to get more playing time, but views the situation as an opportunity to work that much more to be ready for when her number is called during matches.

“I think it’s difficult for anybody who doesn’t get to play as much,” she said. “But, I see it as a challenge to practice harder, so when it’s my chance, I can be ready to go all out.”

Witnessing the action unfold before her from the sidelines is still hard, but with time, it’s a role Lilienthal has learned to embrace a bit more as she’s concurrently realized the impact she can still have on proceedings.

“Even on the bench, it’s im-

portant to have that same kind of energy,” said Lilienthal.

“I still see it as an opportunity to contribute, so being on the bench isn’t as difficult as it used to be for me once I learned I was mentally capable of doing that.”

Lilienthal cites math as her favorite subject in school due to the finality of figuring out the answers to problems, she said.

“First of all, I love numbers and with math, there can only be one answer, so I know I’m right,” said Lilienthal. “Math has always come really easy for me.”

Swimming with her sisters is a favorite pastime of Lilienthal’s, but only under one condition, she said.

“I don’t like all the chlorine in swimming pools,” said Lilienthal. “So, we go to rivers and lakes – besides that way, there’s waves and currents, so there are more options of things to do.”

Lilienthal has applied to Texas A&M and Texas Tech in order to pursue her law degree and speaking of academics, she said her classroom prowess is sometimes overlooked by others.

“Not a lot of people know how much I actually like school,” she said. “For whatever reason.”

After changing both her academic and athletic paths, Lilienthal is always on the lookout for others things she can change.

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Senior Peyton Lilienthal (#3) was encouraged to pursue a career as a lawyer as the result of her talkative nature.

Like her hair color.

“My hair is naturally dark brown,” she said. “But, back when we were in quarantine, I wanted to change something, so I decided to dye my hair.”

As a result, her flowing mane

now features a reddish tinge to it, but was never going to be outlandish, she said.

“Not neon green or purple or anything,” said Lilienthal.

All of that being said, her most lovable attribute contin-

ues to be whenever she opens her mouth and what results, she said.

“I’ve always just been very crazy and outgoing,” said Lilienthal. “I don’t think anyone’s ever seen me in a bad mood.”

Senior tennis player honors late father

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Every time Jennifer Merrill steps onto a tennis court, she’s not alone.

The Liberty Hill senior tragically lost her father, Richard, in the summer of 2019 and ever since has kept the memory of him alive whenever she plays the game he introduced to his daughter.

“My dad was my best friend,” said Merrill, who is originally from Houston. “He would come home from work and we would go to the neighborhood courts and play.”

Merrill’s father was an engineer at NASA for 27 years, but once he passed, her life became a whirlwind of uncertainty.

Initially, she was taken in by her next-door neighbors – who acted as a foster family – but after some time passed, the decision was made Merrill would be better off with blood relaJennifer Merrill suffered the loss of her father two years ago be- tives.

So, right before her junior fore moving to her aunt and uncle’s home in Liberty Hill, where year of high school, Merrill she befriended a longhorn named Rusty. (Courtesy Photo) moved to Liberty Hill to live

Back to normal under the lights -except for one thing

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Plenty of things were back to normal last Friday night as Liberty Hill opened the brand-new football season at Panther Stadium on a steamy late-summer evening.

However, one very important aspect of the occasion was far from normal – the play of the Purple-and-Gold.

More on that later.

We arrived in the parking lot to find a line of Panthers supporters long enough for one to be waiting for Super Bowl tickets in, but initially assumed it was simply an even bigger crowd than usual, what with all of the health restrictions we all endured last season.

Turns out there was a lightning delay in effect following a few bolts from the blue that brought proceedings to a screeching halt as folks were pouring through the gates.

Everyone who had already been admitted and were up in the stands – which happened to be constructed of metal, by the way – were good and so they

could stay put, we were told.

However, those of us still on the outside looking in had to wait until the all-clear had been sounded before being allowed to go merrily on our way.

Nothing like getting to Disneyland and having to stay on the wrong side of a wrought-iron fence while everyone else enjoys the rides.

Didn’t seem like those of us on the outside were any safer than those on the inside (Did we mention the bleachers are metal?), but whatever.

Finally, we were admitted and made our way up to the cat bird’s seat in the press box – which, for the record, continues to be the fanciest of any we’ve been in over the course of the past two years – and one that many colleges wish they had.

Full-crowd capacity meant there was once again a student section – which was, of course, missing last season – meaning the mosh pit of fun-seeking teenagers was back in full force, as those assembled continued the tradition of dousing each other with water bottles as is the custom at the outset of the season when the weather is still hot.

with her father’s brother Brian and wife Melanie – her aunt and uncle – and has been there ever since.

Merrill played many other sports and participated in other activities as a youngster, including soccer, softball, dance and horseback riding, but it’s on the tennis court where she has found a sanctuary of solace.

“I play tennis as a tribute to him,” said Merrill. “I pray when I’m out there – it’s my way of talking to him.”

Aside from the spirituality she experiences, Merrill has used tennis as an outlet.

“When I’m on the court, I get to show my personality and learn from others,” she said.

“It’s a coping skill for all I’ve been through.”

Indeed, Merrill has been through a lot, including eight different schools in 12 years – certainly no easy task for any child, no less one which has been adversely affected in the manner she has been.

In addition, Merrill has no siblings to help support her,

she said.

“I’m an only child, so I’ve had to deal with all of this myself,” said Merrill. “But, here I get to be part of a team.”

Head coach Sherry Rhoden praised Merrill for her approach to the game and the contributions she makes to the entire Panthers team.

“Jennifer is a hard worker, but she’s very quiet and reserved,” she said. “She always wants to please her teammates and coaches.”

Rhoden added her return game is among the best on the squad.

“She’s like a wall out there – she hits everything back,” said Rhoden. “She’s able to frustrate high-level players and just keeps going and going.”

Merrill plans on pursuing a teaching career – with the hopes of attending the University of Houston – and said she chose that vocation for a distinct reason.

“I want to be able to express the importance of education to kids,” she said. “Personally, I didn’t really care about aca-

Good for them.

Just a good, old-fashioned, hootin’ Annie of a time at a football game on a Friday night.

Liberty Hill’s marching band was once again allowed to take up residence on the home side of the field in its rightful place after being banished to the other side last year, which only added to the festive atmosphere in the air.

Speaking of which, here’s our fashion critique of the week.

All band members were wearing brand-new, soccer-style shirts adorned with purpleand-black vertical stripes emblazoned with “Panthers” and the number 21 on the back.

As the world’s game is our favorite, indeed a classy touch by whoever came up with the concept, so full marks for that one.

One thing still hasn’t returned Liberty Hill’s student section was back in full force, along with and that’s our good friend, the missed last season. big ol’ black inflatable panAlong those lines, the play- state, which is one more reather the Panthers used to run ers simply burst through the son we’re so glad to be here!) through as they made their customary banner held by the However, on the way there way onto the field. cheerleaders as they ran onto as the gridiron gladiators were Last year, he was exiled due the field for the start of the sprinting in between two ranks to the health restrictions and game before assembling in a of Liberty Belles and cheernow our sources tell us he’s single rank on the 20-yard line leaders, a couple of wayward been put on permanent hiatus for the usual pre-game prayer. well-wishers wandered into by the powers-that-be.

(Tell you what, that certainly the path of the oncoming purDarned shame, that. wouldn’t fly back in our home ple wave.

demics up until middle school – I just goofed off – but it was always super-important to my dad – he was at the top of his class.”

Merrill is now in the top 50 of her class and plans to one day return to her hometown.

“Houston is my home,” said Merrill. “It’s why I want to go back because I believe that’s where I’m meant to be. Besides, I’m move of a beach girl than a country girl.”

However, that hasn’t stopped Merrill from enjoying the company of the many animals on her aunt and uncle’s property – including one very special longhorn, she said.

“Rusty is my favorite,” said Merrill. “But, there are five other longhorns, two peacocks and two donkeys.”

Photography is another activity Merrill enjoys to help her deal with the grief she still suffers from and has also received much support from her father’s younger brother, Gordon Merrill – but at the end of

See MERRILL, Page 9

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

many other normal aspects we One escaped without incident with some last-second evasive action.

The other, though, wasn’t so fortunate and was inadvertently hip-checked to the ground by a player who shall remain unidentified, before popping

See NORMAL, Page 9

Page 8

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, September 2, 2021

VOLLEYBALL BRIEFS

Lady Panthers prevail in five-set thriller

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Ever since senior outside hitter Emma Becker was lost for the season due to an ankle injury that will require surgery, Ailie Hair has taken it upon herself to shoulder even more of the Lady Panthers’ load in her teammate’s absence.

Latest in a line of exploits for the senior middle blocker was a 12-kill, four-block performance in Liberty Hill’s 3-2 (25-16, 17-25, 25-20, 22-25, 15-11) home victory against Class 6A Copperas Cove.

“Toward the end of this match, I think Ailie really found her rhythm,” said head coach Gretchen Peterson. “Early on, I think she had some trouble getting going and getting into that routine, but she had some great swings at times we needed it. She’s just really evolved into a player and made some big plays for us at critical moments.”

Copperas Cove entered the match with a relatively pedestrian 15-12 record on the season, but played much bigger than its mark would’ve indicated.

The opening set saw the Lady Panthers get off to quick start, including Hair’s first block of the night on the first point of the match, before adding her initial kill of the evening moments later.

However, the Bulldawgs

proved as ornery as their nickname would suggest from the outset in keeping the score within a few points before the home side would eventually pull away for the set win, thanks in large part to four kills off the right fist of Kealy Dirner.

The second stanza saw the visitors rebound, though, including an 8-0 run that saw Copperas Cove build its advantage to 12-4 before going up by as many as 10 points before evening the match despite six kills from Hair and back-to-back aces by Keegan Walton.

The third set proved pivotal, as the sides battled back and forth, with junior Morgan Poulain contributing a pair of kills to the cause early on, as the middle blocker is filling in on the outside for Becker – a role she’s enjoying, she said.

“It’s been very different being on the outside because my swing is much longer than it is in the middle,” said the 6-foot2 Poulain, who collected nine kills in the match. “But, it’s been fun learning a new position.”

Hair continued to pound away at a resistant Bulldawgs defense until the Lady Panthers took their first lead of the set at 16-15 on the way to a 25-20 win, with Hair closing it out with a block.

There was no reason to be-

CROSS COUNTRY BRIEFS

Runners continue early-season success

Liberty Hill’s cross country squad continued its strong start to the season at the Vista Ridge Invitational in Cedar Park, as the Panthers’ boys finished second, with the girls claiming third in the team standings.

Freshman Avery Frank was the highest-finishing Liberty Hill runner, with a fourth in the girls’ race in a time of 19:29.30 over the 5-kilometer course.

Fellow freshmen Laney McCarn (13th, 20:35.20) and Nina Burnett (18th, 21:02.00) were next in the running order, with junior Natalie Roth (37th, 21:53.60) and sophomore Avery Holland (38th, 22:03.00) rounding out the points-paying positions for the Panthers.

Liberty Hill’s 106 points trailed only Round Rock (37) and Vista Ridge (80) in the 11team field.

Other Panthers finishers included Nanci Sanchez (52nd, 22:37.70), Eimilie Taylor (62nd, 23:06.10), Emma Hiebner (63rd, 23:06.70), Ashley

Hair

Price (82nd, 24:12.50) and Daisy Anaya (85th, 24:38.60).

Vista Ridge’s Emma Wade won the race in 18:58.50.

Liberty Hill’s boys scored 108 points in finishing second to Round Rock’s 35.

Ryan McCarn paced the Panthers with a 13th-place finish in a time of 16:48.30, with teammates Cayden Branch (21st, 17:06.80), Brandon Escobar (23rd, 17:10.00), Jacob Russell (24th, 17:10.50) and Caden Glenn (33rd, 17:26.80) finished off the top five Liberty Hill finishers.

Other Panthers finishers included Christopher Higginbotham (43rd, 17:46.50), Greg Miller (53rd, 18:01.30), Chay Luna (79th, 18:50.50), Caden Garner (87th, 19:11.30) and Nicholas Hogge (93rd, 19:19.50).

Burnet’s Hudson Bennett won in a time of 15:46.60.

Liberty Hill will next compete at the Pro-Fit Invitational in Temple on Sept. 3.

Continued from Page 6

“I needed to be more mentally tough,” she said. “Back then, I didn’t always want to work out, but then I realized this was what I needed to do to get better.”

Another aspect of Hair’s game that has allowed her to reach her goals is much-improved situational awareness on the court as plays unfold – something that is a combination of experience and effort, she said.

“I think it’s about 50/50,” said Hair. “It’s something I learned along the way as my volleyball IQ went up.”

Part of that is to also be a student of game as far as film study is concerned.

“We can always see what we could’ve done better,” she said.

Hair stands six feet tall, so playing in the middle of the net has been her cup of tea from the beginning.

“I’ve always been the tallest girl,” said Hair. “So, that’s always where I’ve played.”

However, to reach her full potential, she knew just hammering home kills and blocking shots wasn’t enough – so she decided to augment an aspect of her game that had always been wanting, but is now a newfound strength.

“I used to never serve because I wasn’t very good at it,” said Hair. “So, I went to work on it and now it’s gotten to the point where I have one of the best serves on the team.”

Like in a recent Lady Panthers home victory over Pflugerville in which Hair had her entire arsenal of on-court weapons displayed in dominant fashion, including nine kills, three blocks – and oh, by the way – five aces.

Peterson acknowledged the fact Hair has indeed come a long way in finally arriving at the destination she set sail for all those years ago.

“Ailie is finally the player she always wanted to be,” she said. “Her confidence in her own abilities is huge and she’s in a different mindset now, is moving in the right direction and every aspect of her game is better.”

Still, it’s not enough.

Hair also works with a personal trainer three days per week before school, in addition to her regular team practices after – just another part of the process, she said.

“I know by doing that, I’ll make myself even more mentally tough and physically ready for playing in college,”

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Morgan Poulain (#18) had nine kills in Liberty Hill’s 3-2 (25-16, 17-25, 25-20, 22-25, 15-11) home victory over Copperas Cove. lieve the fourth set would be any different from the first three and that was the case as Gigi Mason opened with a Liberty Hill kill, although after an even beginning, the Lady Panthers seized control midway through, as Poulain collected four kills in helping even the match at two sets apiece, which brought about the fifth-set tiebreaker.

After a rough start to the match, senior Maddi Rowley came alive late, including three kills in the decisive fifth set in giving Liberty Hill a 6-4

lead.

Poulain pounded another kill, followed by a block on the following point before senior Haley Kuhlmann put a bow on the proceedings with back-to-back aces late in the set before Dirner put away the match-winner.

Poulain said prevailing in such an emotionally-charged match was a matter of remaining composed under pressure.

“I just tried to stay focused and trust my teammates,” she said. “We all know what we need to do.”

As for the stubborn opponents across the net, Poulain credited the Copperas Cove defense in making life hard for the Liberty Hill hitters.

“They have a really good back-row defense,” she said.

“So, it was a matter of finding open shots on the court and playing smart – that kind of match creates more pressure, but we came through it well.”

Peterson said she liked her squad’s chances at victory despite dropping the fourth set with an opportunity to close the match out.

“Our girls played hard and never gave up and we built a lot of momentum in that fourth set,” she said. “Going into the fifth, we still had our confidence.”

Rowley had 10 kills, while Emma Parsons supplied 34 assists and Kuhlmann added 32 digs, with Walton and Brooklyn Escobar each adding 12 in the win.

Liberty Hill (25-7) will next play at Stephenville on Sept. 7 before returning home to open

See BRIEFS, Page 9

TENNIS BRIEFS Panthers hammer Leander in district match

Liberty Hill’s tennis team made the short road trip to Leander and returned home with an 18-1 victory over the Lions in improving its district record to 2-0 on the season.

In girls’ singles, No. 1 India Young won 6-0, 6-0, No. 2 Ellis Young won 6-0, 6-2, No. 3 Sophie Sherman won 6-1, 6-4, No. 4 Jennifer Merrill won 6-1, 6-0, No. 5 Ella Bodnar won 6-3, 4-6 (11-9) and No. 6 Peyton Buckley won 6-0, 6-0.

In boys’ singles, No. 1 Joseph Sherman won 6-0, 6-0, No. 2 Patrick Fay won 6-1, 6-3, No. 3 Ethan Wukasch won 6-1, 2-6, (10-7), No. 4 Colin Garner won 6-1, 6-1, No. 5 Will Gray won 6-1, 2-6, (10-7) and No. 6 Michael Evans won 6-0, 7-5.

Girls’ doubles saw No. 1 India Young/Ellis Young win 6-0, 6-0, No. 2 Buckley/Merrill win 6-2, 6-1 and No. 3 Ava Ortega/Eliza Homorodi win 6-2, 6-2.

Boys’ doubles saw No. 1 Fay/Wukasch win (7-4), 6-3, No. 2 Garner/Gray lose 5-7, 3-6 and No. 3 Tyler Williams and Will Snell win 7-5, 6-2.

In mixed doubles, Sophie Sherman/Joseph Sherman won 6-3, 6-1.

In an extra match, Emma Neeley won 8-3.

Del Valle

Walker is well aware of the threat the Cardinals pose.

“They’re a very talented and athletic team,” he said.

“Also, they’re well-coached and have a lot of good skill players.”

Walker wasn’t tipping his hand about how his defense was going to go about containing James, but after a solid Week 1 effort that saw the unit allow only six points, the pieces are in place for the Panthers to at least limit the 6-foot-2, 175-pound James’ effectiveness.

Speedy senior cornerback Carter Hudson could very well draw the assignment, or the entire Panthers’ secondary could cover-by committee, a group that includes junior cor-

SCOTT AKANEWICH PHOTO

Tyler Williams and the Liberty Hill tennis team moved to 2-0 in district play with an 18-1 away win over Leander.

Liberty Hill 16, McNeil 3 The Panthers defeated visiting McNeil, 16-3, after the Mavericks defaulted all of their singles matches.

In girls’ doubles, No. 1 Ellis Young and India Young won 6-1, 6-1, No. 2 Merrill/Buckley won 6-2,6-2 and No. 3 Ortega/Homorodi won 6-1,6-2.

In boys’ doubles, No. 1 Fay/ Wukasch won 6-3, 6-2, No. 2 Gray/Garner lost 2-6, 5-7 and No. 3 Williams/Snell lost 3-6, 3-6.

Mixed doubles saw No. 1 Sophie Sherman/Joseph Sherman lose 1-6, 6-3, (10-12).

Liberty Hill 19, Lampasas 1

The Panthers hosted Lampasas and defeated the visiting Badgers by a score of 19-1.

In girls’ singles, No. India Young won 8-0, No. 1 Ellis Young won 8-1, No. 3 Sherman won 8-0, No. 4 Merrill won 8-1, No. 5 Bodnar won 8-3, No. 6 Buckley won 8-2 and No. 7 Neeley won 8-6.

In boys’ singles, No. 1 Fay won 8-3, No. 2 Wukasch won 8-2, No. 3 Garner won 8-2, No. 4 Evans won 8-8 (12-10), No. 5 Snell won 7-5 and No. 6 Holt Avery won 8-0.

Girls’ doubles saw No. 1 India Young/Ellis Young win

Continued from Page 6

ner Aden Burrell, senior safety Aaron Brewer and junior safety Carlton Schrank.

Whatever the approach, the entire defensive backfield must remain vigilant in defending passes from junior quarterback Skylar Hausenfluck, who has shown an ability to get the ball downfield.

Senior linebackers Andon Thomas and Reid Bynum led Liberty Hill with 10 tackles apiece in the opener, while Schrank and senior Drake Torno each added seven stops.

On the offensive side for the Panthers, sophomore running back Noah Long posted a solid effort in his first outing of the new season, with 29 carries for 129 yards and a touchdown, while junior Logan

Dyer chipped in with 14 attempts for 92 yards and junior Gavin Salinas added 40 yards on nine rushes, as the Liberty Hill run game rolled up 270 yards on the ground in all.

However, ball security was a big problem for the Panthers, as they fumbled seven times – losing three – with senior signal-caller Will Szewczyk the chief offender with three, while Long and Salinas each put the ball on the ground twice in the contest.

Walker admitted his side has some serious fixing to do if its going to improve on its opening effort.

“We have some extensive work to do, but we’re looking at this game as an opportunity to get better,” he said. “We

6-2, 6-0, No. 2 Buckley/Merrill win 6-2,6-3 and No. 3 Neeley/Bodnar win 6-3, 6-4.

Boys’ doubles saw No. 1 Fay/ Wukasch win 6-1, 6-0, No. 2 Williams/Snell lose (4-7), 6-4, (6-10) and No. 3 Avery/Josh Allaire win 6-1, 6-0.

In mixed doubles, No. 1 Sherman/Garner won 6-0, 6-2.

In extra matches, Williams lost 2-6, Allaire won 6-0, Jon Kiger won 8-1 and Cash Terry won 6-1.

Liberty Hill will next host Killeen on Sept. 3 and East View on Sept. 7.

have some very resilient kids and this will be their chance to show just how resilient they are.”

All of the mistakes – physical and mental – the Panthers made in the opener still haunted Walker as he and his team readied themselves for the Cardinals.

“The bottom line is we beat ourselves and as a coach, that’s the most frustrating part,” he said. “We didn’t take care of business – it wasn’t Liberty Hill football and I was embarrassed.”

Like Ellison, Del Valle is also a Class 6A team, which provides exactly the kind of opposition Walker wants for his squad.

Thursday, September 2, 2021

MERRILL

Continued from Page 7

the day, she said the only way for someone to overcome such tragedy is to stay the course.

“You just have to keep going and know you’re going to get through it,” she said.

“But, even if you’re not here for yourself, be here for someone else.”

Of course, that someone is her father.

“He was my idol,” said Merrill. “We spent countless

BRIEFS

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

hours together on the tennis court, but both of my uncles have stepped in and I greatly appreciate it – they have a big spot to fill – so I’m forever grateful.”

Over two years have gone by since her father’s passing, but no amount of time will completely heal the pain, nor make the sorrow disappear, she said.

“I continue to play tennis for my dad,” said Merrill.

“It’s something we both loved to do in our free time and used it as a distraction from the real world.”

Stepping onto a tennis court, though, is the closest she can come to being at peace – because she knows she’s never alone.

“I don’t have to think about it anymore,” she said. “Because I feel it.”

Continued from Page 8

NORMAL

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Continued from Page 7

right back up and running off the field seemingly no worse for the wear.

Now, that’s the kind of Texas toughness we want to see.

Bad news is it might’ve been the home team’s biggest hit of the night.

Unfortunately, once the ball kicked off in the Panthers’ game against Ellison, all the normalcy we had been enjoying went right out the window with a 12-7 defeat at the hands of the Eagles.

(Do eagles even have hands?)

You know what we mean.

Liberty Hill’s defense was no problem whatsoever, allowing only six points on a single touchdown.

However, the Panthers’ offense was a different story, altogether, we’re afraid.

Normally, 270 rushing yards is a fine haul for a football team, but when you run the Slot-T and are accustomed to putting up twice that amount on a regular basis, something’s wrong.

What that was included an av-

district play against Rouse on Sept. 10.

Victory in silver bracket at Smithson Valley The Lady Panthers improved on their second-place silver-bracket showing at the Glen Rose tournament the previous week with a first-place result this time around at the Texas Showdown, hosted by Smithson Valley.

In all, Liberty Hill went 8-1 for the weekend, with its only defeat coming at the hands of Class 6A Clear Oaks, a Houston-area school, who posted a 3-0 mark on Friday in pool play to the Lady Panthers’ 2-1, which prevented them from advancing to the gold bracket.

On Thursday, Liberty Hill opened play with a 2-0 (25-22, 27-25) over Class 4A Davenport, as senior outside hitter Maddi Rowley collected 10 kills to go with a pair of aces, while Carson Glenn supplied 10 assists and Haley Kuhlmann seven digs in the match.

Next up was a 2-0 (27-25, 25-12) victory against Class 6A Clemens – the second time this season the Lady Panthers have defeated the Buffaloes after a win on the season’s opening day.

Rowley and Gigi Mason each had five kills, with Emma Parsons picking up 11 assists, Kuhlmann eight digs and Ailie Hair serving eight aces.

Bailey Becker also had a pair of blocks in the contest.

Opening-day action ended with another Purple-and-Gold triumph – this one against Class 5A McAllen Memorial by a score of 2-0 (25-22, 2518), as Rowley pounded six kills, while Parsons and Kuhlmann had 13 assists and eight digs, respectively, to go with three Hair blocks.

Friday began with a dominant win over Connally, 2-0 (25-9, 25-11), as Kealy Dirner led with four kills to go with 10 assists for Parsons, four digs

by Morgan Poulain and a pair of aces by Keegan Walton in the victory.

Class 6A MacArthur was the

next victim, as Liberty Hill downed the Brahmas, 2-0 (2516, 25-18) and it was Rowley who once again led the Lady Panthers with eight kills and four aces, while Parsons had nine assists, Kuhlmann six digs, with senior Peyton Lilienthal serving three aces.

Closing out the second day of pool play was a meeting with Clear Oaks, resulting in a 2-1 (26-24, 17-25, 19-25) defeat to the Grizzlies, despite 11 kills by Hair and 10 from Rowley to go with 30 assists for Parsons and 18 digs by Kuhlmann.

The defeat – which marked the only sets the Lady Panthers dropped in the entire

EMPLOYMENT

LEGAL NOTICES

either visit the Development Services Department at 100 Forrest Street, call (512) 7785449, or send an email to planning@libertyhilltx.gov.

By order of the Director of Planning on August 26, 2021.

(9/2)

OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TEXAS. In accordance with Section 43.063, Annexation Hearing Requirements, Texas Local Government Code, a public hearing on the application will be conducted by City Council at the Liberty Hill Municipal Courthouse, 2801 Ranch Rd 1869, Liberty Hill, TX 78642 on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at 6:30 PM. After the public hearing, City Council will take final action on this matter. For more information, you may either visit the Development Services Department at 100 Forrest Street, call (512) 778-5449, or send an email to planning@libertyhilltx.gov.

By order of the Director of Planning on August 27, 2021.

(9/2)

RANCH HAND NEEDED at deer breeding ranch near Burnet. Previous deer experience preferred. Must know how to operate agricultural equipment and be able to build fence/ mow/fill feeders, etc. Contact Bryant Kern at 979-213-2282 for more information.

(9/9p)

SERVICES 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 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.

(9/30)

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Liberty Hill has been asked to review and approve the following application(s), to wit: A request for an administrative variance from the design specifications set forth in Section 4.2 of the Round Rock Design and Construction Standards: Transportation Specifications pertaining to the sidewalks typically being constructed on both sides of the road and parallel to the roadway. Due to topographical considerations, the builder is requesting to omit the sidewalk along the frontage road at the below address: 13575 W. Hwy 29, Liberty Hill, TX 78642 The Board of Adjustment’s jurisdiction extends to and includes the following final actions: 1. Appeal of an Administrative Decision 2. Administrative Exception In accordance with Section 211.008, Texas Local Government Code, a public hearing on the application will be conducted by the Board of Adjustment at the Liberty Hill Municipal Courthouse, 2801 Ranch Rd 1869, Liberty Hill, TX 78642 on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at 5:30 PM. After the public hearing, the Board of Adjustment will take final action on this matter. For more information, you may

LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given to all interested persons that the City Council of the City of Liberty Hill, Texas proposes to institute VOLUNTARY annexation proceedings to enlarge and extend the boundary limits of said City to include the following described territory, to-wit: Annexation of property as follows: 10.0 ACRES - BEING PART OF THE W. H. MONROE, SURVEY, ABSTRACT no.453 IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TEXAS, A PART OF LAND CONVEYED TO THE DIPPREY FAMILY IRREVOCABLE TRUST ET AL, VIA DOCUMENT no. 2009004349 OF THE DEED RECORDS

LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given to all interested persons that the City Council of the City of Liberty Hill, Texas proposes to institute VOLUNTARY annexation pro-

tournament – relegated them to the silver bracket for Saturday, as only Friday’s group winners advanced to the gold bracket.

Undaunted, Liberty Hill swept through its trio of matches on the final day of the event, with the first being a rare rematch at a tournament against McAllen Memorial and once again the Lady Panthers prevailed by a score of 2-0 (25-20, 25-17).

Rowley had eight kills to go with six from Hair, while Parsons contributed 15 assists and Kuhlmann 11 digs in the win.

Class 5A Magnolia was next on Liberty Hill’s dance card and the next to go down, by a score of 2-0 (25-15, 27-25), as

alanche of penalties and turnovers that completed derailed the offense and with it, any hopes of victory, despite the defense keeping them in the game.

All of that has been further detailed on other pages of this publication, so let’s just say “it wasn’t Liberty Hill football,” in the words of Panthers head coach Kent Walker after his side was nearly suffered a shutout, but for a last-minute touchdown.

Rowley duplicated her eightkill effort from the previous match, while Parsons had a pair of aces to go with 16 assists and Kuhlmann had 13 digs in the win.

Finally, all that was standing in the way of collecting a trophy for the weekend was Class 6A Tomball, whom the Lady Panthers dismissed by a score of 2-0 (25-21, 25-15).

Hair contributed nine kills, two aces and four blocks, as Parsons piled up 20 assists, while Kuhlmann added 12 digs in closing out the weekend with a well-deserved win.

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NEWS@LHINDEPENDENT.COM ceedings to enlarge and extend the boundary limits of said City to include the following described territory, to-wit: Annexation of property as follows: 5.0 ACRES - BEING PART OF THE W. H. MONROE, SURVEY, ABSTRACT no.453 IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TEXAS, A PART OF LAND CONVEYED TO THE DIPPREY FAMILY IRREVOCABLE TRUST ET AL, VIA DOCUMENT no. 2011015030 OF THE DEED RECORDS OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TEXAS. In accordance with Section 43.063, Annexation Hearing

(512) 778-5577

Requirements, Texas Local Government Code, a public hearing on the application will be conducted by City Council at the Liberty Hill Municipal Courthouse, 2801 Ranch Rd 1869, Liberty Hill, TX 78642 on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at 6:30 PM. After the public hearing, City Council will take final action on this matter. For more information, you may either visit the Development Services Department at 100 Forrest Street, call (512) 778-5449, or send an email to planning@libertyhilltx.gov.

By order of the Director of Planning on August 27, 2021.

(9/2)

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Liberty Hill & Surrounding Communities

Page 10

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

HOMES AROUND THE HILL Kempner Ranch - 40 acres University Park - Georgetown 2 Homes/Guest House - 4.95 acres Liberty Hill - 76 acres Hidden Creek Estates Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Bertram Bertram Durham Park Florence Highland Lake Estates - Lago Vista Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Florence Cloudwood Ranch Lot - Briggs Amiifast Ind Park Amiifast Ind Park Amiifast Ind Park Amiifast Ind Park Amiifast Ind Park Amiifast Ind Park Hornsby, J - 4.6 acres 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 Buttercup Townhomes Near Downtown Liberty Hill Llano Summerlynn - Leander Palmera Ridge - Leander Flores Iron Oak - 2 acres

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

6BR/5BA 3BR/2BA 4BR/4BA 3BR/2B - Bardo & Shop 3BR/2BA - Game Room - 1+ acre Acreage / Lots / Property for Sale TBD Lobella Bloom Bend Lot 91, Block 1 Phase III TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 71, Block 1 Phase III TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 74, Block 1 Phase III TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 75, Block 1 Phase III TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 79, Block 1 Phase III TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 80, Block 1 Phase III TBD Red Yucca Ct Lot 83, Block 1 Phase III TBD Red Yucca Ct Lot 85, Block 1 Phase III TBD Red Yucca Ct Lot 87, Block 1 Phase III TBD Red Yucca Ct Lot 89, Block 1 Phase III 00 CR 321 San Gabriel River Frontage Lot 2A CR321 San Gabriel River Frontage 500 CR 288 Trees, electric, water 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 Commercial Property for Sale 100 Bevers No restrictions, water available 110 Bevers No restrictions, water available 118 Bevers No restrictions, water available 126 Bevers No restrictions, water available 129 Bevers No restrictions, water available 145 Bevers No restrictions, water available Under Contract / Pending 1840 CR 226 550 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 401 Buttercup Creek Blvd 3103 CR 1869 504 E Green St 104 Falcon Lane 2201 Bonavista Way 550 Stadium Dr 232 Oak Hill

Saratoga Springs Somerset Ranch San Gabriel River - 3/4 acres Larkspur Stonewall Ranch Cloudwood Ranch Lot - Briggs Liberty Hill Burnet Liberty Hill - 2.2 acres

Homes for Sale

402 Spring Grove 1105 Somerset Meadow 121 River Rd 105 Blue Sage 500 Fieldstone Lot 22 Cloudwood Ranch Rd 2210 CR 282 709 Rhomberg 140 Shin Oak Lane

4BR/2BA 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 2BR/2.5BA Commercial, Mixed Use 3BR/2BA 4BR/2.5BA - 2 car garage 3BR/2BA - 2 car garage Cleared & level 4BR/4BA Sold!

3BR/2BA 4BR/3.5BA 3BR/2BA 3BR/2.5BA 5BR/3BA Lots of oaks, backs to creek Build to suit home site 3BR/1BA 3BR/2BA + pool

$1,200,000 $ 315,000 $ 995,000 $2,250,000 $ 895,000

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

Cheryl Stephens Dax Oglesby Cheryl Stephens Tammy Wise Tammy Wise

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

201,000 203,000 212,000 275,000 229,000 201,000 201,000 285,000 404,000 202,000 950,000 250,000 250,000 338,168 60,000 219,000 210,000 418,000 248,000 564,300 255,000

2.01 acres 2.03 acres 2.12 acres 2.75 acres 2.29 acres 2.01 acres 2.01 acres 2.85 acres 4.04 acres 2.02 acres 30 acres 15 acres 2.19 acres 11.3 acres .394 acres 2.19 acres 2.10 acres 4.18 acres 2.48 acres 20.9 acres 7.74 acres

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

$ $ $ $ $ $

550,000 460,000 365,000 275,000 980,000 680,000

1.05 acres 1.04 acres 1.04 acres 1.05 acres 4.49 acres 3.110 acres

Shane T. White Shane T. White Shane T. White Shane T. White Shane T. White Shane T. White

$ 379,000 2432 sq ft

Shane T. White

$1,500,000 20 acres

Amy Gandy

$ 175,000 2 acres

$ 510,000 2100 sq ft

$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

$ 201,000 $ 201,000 $ 201,000 $ 204,000 $ 250,000 $ 429,250 $ 420,000 $ 275,000 $ 350,000 $ 200,000 $ 350,000 $ 430,000 $ 750,000 $ 765,000

Tammy Wise Tammy Wise

Shane T. White Shane T. White

$ 225,000 1704 sq ft

Shane T. White

$ 230,000 1440 sq ft

Cheryl Stephens

$ 410,000 2455 sq ft $ 465,000 2806 sq ft

$ 197,500 4.25 acres $ 245,000 2.883 acres $ 252,000 900 sq ft

$ 430,000 1611 sq ft

Sabrina Jordan REALTOR®

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

SELLING L LIBERTY HIL FOR 40 YEARS!

BUYING OR SELLING A HOME?

Amy Gandy

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 1280 sq ft Shane T. White 968 sq ft Dax Oglesby 1671 sq ft Sabrina Jordan 2044 sq ft Dax Oglesby 1855 sq ft Amy Gandy 1.337 acre Side-Pad Shane T. White 2800 sq ft Dax Oglesby

$ 800,000 2739 sq ft

SUBSCRIBE 512.778.5577

Amy Gandy

$ 237,000 2.37 acres $ 217,000

Thursday, September 2, 2021

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

512.515.5263

Shane T. White

Kristen Childers

Kristen Childers/Tammy Wise Cheryl Stephens Sabrina Jordan Sabrina Jordan Dax Oglesby

LIBERTY HILL’S REAL ESTATE GUIDE Feature your property listings weekly!

(512) 778-5577

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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

“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.”

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

Residential • Farm and Ranch Minerals • Land and Leasing

Dax Oglesby

REALTOR®, RPL daxoglesbysgrhomes@gmail.com

(512) 635-7529

3103 Ranch Road 1869 Liberty Hill

www.DaxSellsTexas.com

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

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