Burnet County Texas news

Early voting in the May 22 joint primary runoff election will begin Monday, May 14, and end Friday, May 18, in both Burnet and Llano counties.

Polls also will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 22, on Election Day at various polling locations in both counties

Burnet County

There are three contested races on the Republican side of the ballot in Burnet County, while there are two contested races on the Democrat side.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

Early voting in the Saturday, May 5, local elections has begun in Burnet and Llano counties and eligible voters will have extended hours to cast their early ballot both this week and next.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

Burnet County commissioners could be excused for believing County Auditor Karen Hardin has a crystal ball which helps her accurately predict the county's fiscal needs.

Hardin told the Commissioners Court at their March 27 meeting that county general fund revenues should come in at about $31,000 more than what was projected for fiscal year 2018 — a difference of a miniscule 0.15 percent.

“It is very difficult to get that close, though we try to do it every year, and we usually end up within 2 to 3 percent of what we have budgeted,” Hardin said.

Some of the additional revenue is coming from increases in septic tank and flood plain permits being issued as well as increased motor vehicle registration collections.

Hardin said due to Senate Bill 1913, she also budgeted an expected reduction of $330,000 in fines and fees and it appears the numbers will be close to that amount.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The weather is warm and flowers are blooming, but heading into the great out of doors warrants caution about snakes and wildlife.

Already this year in Burnet County, two people have been bitten by rattlesnakes and now rabies alerts are being raised.

Meadowlakes was the first city in the area to report positive tests for rabies on skunks in the city limits and reports have followed on animals contained in Marble Falls and Burnet.

In 2018 Burnet County has risen already into the 7-10 rabies case category of the Texas Department of State Health Services (TSHS), including skunks, foxes, a raccoon and even a cat in various parts of the county.

The animal in Marble Falls was captured March 22 in the 800 block of Avenue F and in Burnet one was found on John Hoover Parkway March 27. In Meadowlakes they were found in several locations, including Hidden Falls Golf Course.

April is Child Abuse Prevention & Awareness Month all across America and the first Friday in April, April 6, is Go BLUE Day when people wear blue ribbons as a sign of awareness and pray for victims of abuse and neglect.

Right here in Burnet County three organizations are on the frontline of work toward one goal.

They are the Burnet County Child Welfare Board (BCCWB), the Hill Country Children's Advocacy Center (HCCAC) and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for the Highland Lakes all are involved with protecting our most vulnerable children, those in the foster care system.

“While each has a specific role in that task, they are often misunderstood,” said Caroline Ragsdill, president of the BCCWB. “But each has a special role.”

BCCWB

Charles Nickolous Linzey, 56, of Copperas Cove has received sentences totaling 60 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for the Intoxication Manslaughter of Nancy Parrish of Burnet and a related Intoxication Assault verdict.

A Burnet County jury took little more than an hour to find Linzey guilty and less than that to recommend punishment on March 22. Judge Allan Garrett of the 33rd District Court swiftly pronounced a 50-year sentence on Parrish's death and a separate 10-year sentence for Intoxication Assault of Michael Peyton of Copperas Cove. Peyton was a passenger in Linzey's vehicle when an accident on Oct. 18, 2016 south of Burnet claimed Parrish's life.

The traffic light at US 281 and Farm to Market Road 1855 north of Marble Falls is now fully operational, controlling stop and go traffic at the intersection.

The intersection is located right next to the Pottery Ranch at 6000 US 281. where employees say they had become accustomed to being just a little on edge, anticipating the next screech of tires.

“We are all just very happy to see this,” said Scott Kilpatrick, owner of the popular stop for locals and tourists. “Traffic moves by really fast on US 281. It has been a dangerous intersection.”

Passersby may have noticed the light, installed in February, as it began flashing this month. That is because the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) wants motorists to become aware of a new light, according to Diann Hodges of TxDOT's Austin District.

A full signal at FM 1855 and a flashing beacon scheduled for the intersection at Park Road 4 are being funded through the TxDOT safety program, Hodges said.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

Burnet County commissioners are interested in possibly obtaining a used mobile command trailer from Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) to be kept as an asset for a three-county area.

Commissioners spoke to PEC engineering department employee Matthew Austin about the 48-foot trailer at Tuesday, Feb. 13 regular court meeting.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

Burnet Bulletin

Funeral services will be held today, Thursday, Feb. 15 for a young Burnet man killed in a freak accident at his home.

Justin Battles, 26, a graduate of Burnet High School, died at his home Saturday night, Feb. 10, in an accident that left him pinned between his truck and a wall of home in Bertram.

“He had a little fire pit and he liked to cook out there,” said Bertram police chief J.J. Wilson. “He had music playing in his truck and the theory is that he must have reached in to turn the music off and knocked the standard shift into gear.

“He only had a second to respond to try to get it back out of gear when it began to move forward in first gear and pinned him against the house.”