Judge Mary Cunningham

By Phil Reynolds

The Highlander

After nearly a week of more or less steady rain, Llano County has lifted its burn ban. The ban was imposed at the Sept. 25 meeting of the Commissioners Court, with the thought that County Judge Mary Cunningham could lift the ban before the next court meeting if conditions warrant.

That happened today, Friday, Sept. 20.

The Texas Forest Service shows Llano County averaged 430 on the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) on Thursday, Sept. 28. that number is on the low end of the danger area for wildfires. The KBDI is widely used as an index of wildfire vulnerability.

By Phil Reynolds

The Highlander

Llano County commissioners voted not to impose a county-wide burn ban Monday with three commissioners voting to table the matter, one voting in favor of a ban, and County Judge Mary Cunningham abstaining.

The question of a burn ban is a regular agenda item during commissioners court meetings. Commissioners have been voting to table the question recently, saying conditions don’t warrant a ban.

Monday, however, Precinct 2 Commissioner Linda Raschke noted that the county had seen several “really big” fires recently, some burning “close to houses.”

County Emergency Management Assistant Ron Anderson said three fire chiefs in the county had told him the previous Wednesday that if the county got “significant” rainfall over the weekend of June 24-25, they might reconsider their recommendation for a ban.

By Phil Reynolds

The Highlander

A revolution may be brewing in Llano County over what some residents perceive as an unneeded and unwanted change to Ranch to Market Road 1431 and an attitude bordering on contempt for local officials by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).

At issue is a plan to change the ranch road from four lanes to what is known as a “super two” highway – one lane in each direction with intermittent turn lanes and passing lanes where engineers think they’re needed. The approximately 30 miles of Texas 71 between US 281 south of Marble Falls to Texas 16 in Llano is an example of that type of highway.