News

Special to The Highlander
Juliette Madrigal, MD
Burnet County Health Authority

Citizens of Burnet County:

With so much misinformation and speculation surrounding COVID-19, we want to deliver as much factual information as we have today (Friday, March 13).

Currently, there have been no cases reported in Burnet County, and we wish to keep this a reality as long as possible!

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

When Burnet County Sheriff's Office Deputy Jason Jewett arrives on the site of a public nuisance and illegal dumping case, he continues to be shocked at the level of potential violations involved.

“Somebody was living there,” he said of an abandoned RV surrounded by strewn garbage on Corner Street. “If you drive down the street, it's scary.” …

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

For philanthropist Paul King watching the progress of the TQ Brown Community Resource Center (CRC) reminds him just how much the expanding facility will assist in more streamlined operations of a local food pantry.

“Every other Tuesday, the (Austin) food bank brings us a tractor trailer to the Walmart parking lot. They unload the food one pallet at a time,” said King, a member of the Helping Center board. “We break it down and bring it to our respective food pantries. …

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

Burnet County Precinct 3 Commissioner Billy Wall rode a large early voting margin to victory Tuesday night, March 3, in complete but unofficial election returns.

Meanwhile, Llano County Sheriff Bill Blackburn also used early voting to cruise to a re-election win over challenger Jim Caruso, while Dwain Rogers will be elected the next Llano County Attorney, succeeding Rebecca Lange, who did not seek re-election.

Burnet County

By Nathan Hendrix
Staff Writer

Despite the protest of several residents, the city of Granite Shoals could alter their prohibition of short-term rentals of private property after an Austin appellate court ruling.

City Attorney Josh Katz presented an amended version of Chapter 40 – Zoning Ordinance to the city council at the Tuesday, Feb. 25 regular meeting. …

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

Burnet County Precinct 3 Commissioner candidates William D. “Dee” Haddock and incumbent Billy Wall answered questions exclusively for The Highlander editorial board this week as a preamble to the Tuesday, March 3, Republican primary election. …

One question was posed as follows:

Special to The Highlander

Pedernales Electric Cooperative’s (PEC) Board of Directors approved a rate reduction that will save PEC members over $6 million a year.

The rate decrease, which goes into effect June 1, reflects a reduction in the cost of power from PEC’s primary suppliers, including the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA). …

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

It took a total of some 14 months, but Burnet County has cleared two more hurdles on the way to a proposed Wirtz Dam Road bridge crossing that would link Ranch to Market Road 1431 with RM 2147.

On Tuesday, Feb. 25, Burnet County commissioners approved the final version of an advanced funding agreement, or AFA, between the county and the Texas Department of Transportation that will allow the county to pay — and be reimbursed for — preliminary engineering and environmental studies for the bridge crossing. …

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

Sales tax allocations for February for Marble Falls shattered a previous all-time record, topping $900,000 for the first-time ever as the county's largest city continues to experience outstanding economic growth.

By Becky Breazeale
Special to The Highlander

Clean Sweep is an annual volunteer activity which has taken place for 16 years at Inks Lakes State Park.

This event is held in early spring and is a project coordinated by Highland Lakes Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist Program (HLMN). This opportunity helps to prepare the park for the arrival of Spring Breakers and summertime campers. …