Burnet County news

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

Burnet County will soon implement a Property Fraud Alert system which will notify citizens by text or email when titles and deeds containing their names are filed with the county.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

Along with unveiling a newly-remodeled venue, restaurant owner Rachel Lorance has crafted a detailed plan for a May 5 re-opening of her business in response to customer support for the state's plan to ease COVID-19 restrictions.

“We didn't know we were going to open this soon. We can only do 25 percent of our occupancy,” she said. “We've been doing the floors, painting, retouching furniture, organizing, deep cleaning. 

“We've set a Tuesday deadline to get it all knocked out,” she added.

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

Three new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Burnet County during the past weekend, bringing the number of confirmed positives to 17, the county's health authority said.

Special to The Highlander

Texas State Parks began re-opening for day-use only April 20 as part of a broader effort to begin re-opening the state of Texas.

Per Governor Abbott’s direction, new restrictions in effect include requiring visitors to wear face coverings and maintain a six-foot distance from individuals outside of their party and prohibiting the gathering of groups larger than five. …

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

A former jail inmate alleged in a federal lawsuit April 16 that his incarceration was a case of “mistaken identity” and lodged complaints against Burnet County and Hamilton County law enforcement based on how they handled his pleas to clear his name.

James Matthew Robinson, 38, of Longview was incarcerated in the Burnet County Jail from June to October 2018 based on a Hamilton County Sheriff's Office warrant, according to jail documents. …

Special to The Highlander

Beginning this week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will begin loosening some of the restrictions from his previous executive orders in an effort to begin “reopening the state of Texas.”

By Karen Litterer
Hospital Administrator and Chief Nursing Officer
Ascension Seton Highland Lakes

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact individuals in our local communities and across the globe, our healthcare systems are working collaboratively each day with local public health authorities and community leaders to prepare for the future. The situation continues to evolve daily, and our plans and preparations are also evolving to meet community needs. …

Special to The Highlander
Safety improvements to U.S. 281, between Texas 71 and the Burnet County and Blanco County line, are being accelerated by a year, thanks to grant funding secured by the Texas Department of Transportation.

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

Sales tax allocations for Marble Falls for April dropped by more than 6 percent, while HSB sales tax revenues were down more than 14 percent — and that does not include the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Lew K. Coh
Managing Editor

Burnet County commissioners received an update on COVID-19 statistics for the county during their regular meeting Tuesday, April 14, and took action to apply for a grant to help offset virus-related costs and losses.