More post-flood repairs are headed to Burnet over the next two weeks as crews work to refresh the Hamilton Creek dam near U.S. 281 and W. Pecan Street.
Portions of the nearby walking trails were closed off at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, July 8, ahead of work beginning and will remain so until the repairs are completed.
“Portions of the Hamilton Creek Park walking trail will be closed for approximately two weeks,” reads a city Facebook post. “For your safety, please do not approach work crews or equipment, and be sure to follow all posted closure signs while work is underway.”
City Manager David Vaughn told DailyTrib on Wednesday that the repairs were part of the city’s ongoing efforts to recover from the July 4, 2025, floods.
Hamilton Creek, Burnet’s most notable waterway which winds through the west side of the city, was one of several bodies of water throughout the Highland Lakes to experience major flooding during the torrential downpour over a year ago.
The creek’s flooding damaged several nearby houses, parks, and roads, leaving a lasting impact on the city.
Despite having to go through a lengthy recovery process due to federal and state red tape, Burnet has slowly, but surely, made progress towards patching its community back together.
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Several Burnet Consolidated Independent School District elementary schools recently wrapped up their first year under a new curriculum mandated by the state, ending a year marred by challenges and low performance.
The district’s three elementary campuses – RJ Richey, Shady Grove, and Bertram – were flagged by the Texas Education Agency as academically “unacceptable” in August 2025 after receiving unsatisfactory academic gradings three years in a row, sparking state intervention.
“On August 18, (2025), we were notified that our campuses had three consecutive years of D’s,” Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Rachel Jones told trustees during a Feb. 23 school board meeting. “If you have either an F or three consecutive D’s, that’s considered unacceptable.”
Under the TEA’s guidelines, any campus that is given a grade of a “D” three times, or an “F” once, must implement a Targeted Improvement Plan (TIP). According to Dr. Jones, a TIP involves rigorous changes to how a school operates, with options including curriculum changes, staff reassignments, or even campus closures.
“In the TIP, you need to outline an improvement strategy,” she said. “We chose to do intensive curriculum and instruction improvements.”
Those curriculum and instructional changes meant teaching staff members throughout the district a wholly new set of curricula that was approved by the state, implementing new teaching strategies like having students talk amongst groups about what they were learning, and holding regular walkthroughs by TEA staff, administrators, and principals to ensure curriculum was being properly taught.
Implementation, however, has been a struggle at many campuses, with several teachers reportedly unwilling to shift their teaching styles to meet the new requirements.
“Teachers were simply just not teaching the curriculum,” RJ Richey Principal Dr. Donna Brady told trustees. “We have many teachers that have been teaching for a long time. Over the years, they have come up with their lessons that they feel are the best way to teach. They have been given the expectation that we must use our (new) curriculum.”
“The work of implementing those curricula hasn’t been easy,” Bertram Principal Christine Hoffman added. “Our teachers have expressed some frustration.”
Later in the year during a June 22 meeting, Dr. Jones reiterated that those struggles had continued, resulting in several resignations and reassignments.
“In March, multiple math classrooms at the elementary level began being taught by a different teacher or the instructional coach because the instruction was so concerning in those rooms that campuses had someone else teach that class,” she said. “Some people really took off and grew. We also had some people who said ‘I don’t want to continue on this growth plan.’”
Dr. Jones also reported that several end-of-year State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness scores presented challenges. The district’s reading and math scores have lagged behind the state average for years.
“(Our scores) have closely mirrored the state, but we have not caught up to the state average,” she said. “There is absolutely no reason that Burnet kids can’t be at or better than the state average.”
Still, Dr. Jones and the Board of Trustees are holding on to hope that things will begin to gel together entering the second year with the new curriculum, even if it means more confrontation.
“This is urgent,” Board Secretary Mark Kincaid said. “This is unacceptable from our level. We want to do whatever we have to do to make this thing work because our kids are the ones that are suffering.”
Newly-appointed trustee Amber Cardenas added that she believed that the teachers would be able to adjust going forward, so long as the board, administrators, and principals could work together and hold strong.
“We know our kids can do this, we know our teachers can too,” she said. “Let’s all do this together. We know (teachers) can do this just like we know the kids can.”
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Marble Falls High School athletes are in the thick of their summer strength and conditioning program, the Forge, building themselves into stronger, faster, smarter players for their upcoming 2026-27 seasons. Mustangs football, in particular, is pumping iron with purpose.
“Be there.”
That was the sole message and request to the Marble Falls community on the upcoming 2026 football season from Branson Bunting, an incoming MFHS senior that plays linebacker and running back for the Mustangs. He and fellow teammates, senior Madden Hernandez and junior Olen Dalton, were described as the “heartbeat” of the team by Head Coach Keri Timmerman.
Marble Falls High School football players Olen Dalton (left), Madden Hernandez, and Branson Bunting are the “heartbeat” of the team according to Head Coach Keri Timmerman, and leading a new generation of Mustangs. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
The players are currently in their final weeks of the Forge, which means hard work 7-10 a.m., Monday through Thursday, leading up to the regular season in August. They’re lifting heavy in the weight room, working skill drills on the field, and preparing for the incoming onslaught of two-a-days, scrimmages, and district games.
But, they aren’t just honing themselves physically.
“I think our morals have changed,” Olen, a tight end and linebacker, told DailyTrib. “We have this thing called the Four Pillars: discipline, effort, toughness, and honor. I feel like we just live by those now.”
The Mustangs are heading into their third season under Timmerman, who took over as athletic director and football coach in 2024. He implemented the concept of the Four Pillars, along with the three questions: Do you care about me? Can I trust you? Are you committed to excellence?
His influence on the team’s culture is tangible.
“I feel like when Coach T came here, it wasn’t just about being a good football player, but being a good man, and a good human being,” Bunting said. “He is getting us ready for the real world.”
The 2026 football season begins in August, and Timmerman is preparing his athletes for a tough season.
“We’ve been put in the gauntlet the last two years,” he told DailyTrib. “We thought we might get a little respite, but they rolled us right back in there with Stephenville and some really good teams.”
“We didn’t pull cake teams out to see if we can get our win-loss record up,” he told DailyTrib. “We want to see if we can compete for a district championship, and that is going through Stephenville, a reigning state champion. That’s the goal of the coaches, that is the goal of the kids, and we’re hoping the work that we’ve put in this summer pays off.”
Timmerman acknowledged that there seemed to be a change in the air among his players and the community, and shared his belief that this season could be a big one for the Mustangs.
“I don’t know if I believe in magic, but I believe in a lot of hard work,” he said. “I think that our kids believe in our system, believe in our district, and believe in our coaches and our school.”
Marble Falls High School football players work skill drills at Mustang Stadium after a tough session in the weight room. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
The Mustangs ended the 2025 season with an overall record of 3-7 and a district record of 0-4, but those results didn’t exactly represent the growth and performance of the team that year.
“You can see that the culture is starting to change, you can see the buy-in from some of these younger kids,” KBEY 103.9 FM host Ben Shields, a longtime commentator on the Mustangs, told DailyTrib. “Culture is important. It’s tough to build culture when you’re losing, but, it may not seem like a big deal, but that Lampasas game is something you can build on and say ‘hey, we are making progress.’”
Shields was referring to the Mustangs’ Oct. 31, 2025, district game against Lampasas. It was a loss for Marble Falls, but the game was neck-and-neck until the end with a final score of 23-16. This performance was far more competitive than 2024’s 61-7 loss.
“I think you can see the offense starting to gel,” he said. “(The Lampasas game) was probably the first time that it was a one score district game since ‘21.”
It wasn’t just the Lampasas game that offered a sign of possible change. Another district game, against local rival Burnet, also revealed some improvements. The game ended with a 35-14 loss for the Mustangs, but it was a 21-14 game in the third quarter.
Timmerman wouldn’t give a prediction on the 2026 season, but he did share his belief.
“I can’t tell you what will happen, but I believe we are going to have a successful season,” he said. “Our kids aren’t these athletes that rely on their talent, they’re homegrown Marble Falls boys that have decided that this matters to them.”
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The Hill Country Humane Society is participating in the national Empty the Shelters adoption event this July to combat overcrowding as the shelter reaches capacity.
From July 1-26, and in partnership with the BISSELL Pet Foundation, HCHS will offer $40 adoptions on all puppies, kittens, and cats, with all other adoptions free of charge.
All furry friends will receive age-appropriate vaccinations, rabies shots, microchipping, deworming, and will be spayed or neutered free of charge.
HCHS, located at 9150 RR 1431 West in Buchanan Dam, is open for adoptions daily from noon to 5 p.m. A list of adoptable cats and dogs can be found online.
“We have had more than 100 pets enter the shelter in the past month, and we need our community to respond now,” Executive Director of Hill Country Humane Society Paighton Corley said. “BISSELL stepping in early gives us a critical opportunity to get pets into homes before we run out of space.”
HCHS is also searching for foster homes during the coming months to allow susceptible pets more space and a quiet environment as the shelter’s capacity increases.
“Fostering does not have to be forever to matter, even a short-term foster can make a life-saving difference,” Corley said. “A few days, a weekend, or a couple of weeks can give a pet a break and help us keep moving animals safely through our care.”
About the BISSELL Foundation
For more than a decade, BISSELL has helped shelters across the country reduce fees by sponsoring adoptions and get pets out of kennels and into loving homes. Since launching in 2016, the event has helped nearly 400,000 pets find families.
News stories, staff photos, and other online content are copyrighted property of Victory Media. Reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited without the express written consent of the publisher.
The United States may have seen the final whistle, but the 2026 FIFA World Cup action is far from over. As the knockout rounds continue, Highland Lakes soccer fans can still score a great seat at local restaurants and bars to catch every goal, save, and dramatic finish leading up to the championship match on Sunday, July 19.
Marble Falls
Double Horn Brewing Company
208 Ave H
Hours: Tues from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Wed-Mon from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Chili’s Grill & Bar
702 1st St
Hours: Sun-Thurs from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fri-Sat from 11 a.m. to midnight
Rae’s Rbar & Grill
904 3rd St
Hours: Tues-Thurs from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fri-Sat from 11 a.m. to 10:45 p.m.
Balcones Supply Co.
309 Main St #4
Hours: Tues-Thurs from noon to 8 p.m., Fri from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sat from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sun from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Jardin Corona
301 Main St
Hours: Mon-Thurs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fri from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sat from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sun from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Burnet
The Draft Sports Bar & Grill
105 W Washington St
Hours: Mon-Thurs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fri-Sat from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Kingsland
Wakepoint LBJ
14757 W RM 1431
Hours: Mon-Sun from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Boat Town Burger Bar
151 Melodie Lane
Hours: Mon-Thurs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fri-Sun from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Llano
The Barrel House
101 E Grayson St
Hours: Wed-Thurs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fri from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sat from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sun from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Mon from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Joe’s Bar
107 W Main St
Hours: Mon-Sat from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sun from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
LTX Mercantile & Redneck Speakeasy
809 Berry St
Hours: Mon-Tues from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., Wed-Thurs from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., Fri from 2 p.m. to midnight, Sun from noon to 1 a.m.
Buchanan Dam
Big Easy Saloon
15408 TX-29
Hours: Sun-Thurs from 9 a.m. to midnight, Fri-Sat from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Cottonwood Shores
Hiccups Sports Bar and Grill
4119 Ranch to Market Rd 2147 #1
Hours: Mon-Sun from 11 a.m. to midnight
Spicewood
Angels Icehouse
21815 State Hwy 71
Hours: Sun-Thurs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fri-Sat from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Horseshoe Bay
Whitewater 360 Sports Club
200 Hi Cir N
Hours: Mon-Sat from 11 a.m. to midnight, Sun from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
News stories, staff photos, and other online content are copyrighted property of Victory Media. Reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited without the express written consent of the publisher.
Thousands of residents and visitors celebrated the 250th birthday of the United States at festivals, parades, and parties across the Highland Lakes on Saturday, July 4. From Marble Falls to Bertram, the community turned out in force for the festivities.
News stories, staff photos, and other online content are copyrighted property of Victory Media. Reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited without the express written consent of the publisher.
Winner, winner… fried chicken dinner. National Fried Chicken Day is Monday, July 6, and the Highland Lakes has plenty of places to satisfy your crispy cravings. Here’s a guide to local restaurants serving fried chicken and their hours, so you can celebrate without having to wing it.
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The Backcountry, which is planned to house fishing, birdwatching, hiking, and camping sites, currently features loose trails with limited shade to be used by hikers while development of the area continues. Operating hours for the area are 8 a.m.- 6 p.m. A map of the new trails can be found online.
No parking will be available near the expansion until a later date. Those interested in hiking the Backcountry area in the meantime may park at the headquarters building, located at 16710 RM 965 in Fredericksburg, and hike approximately two miles to reach the entry gate of the expansion.
“This first wave of development will be a good fit for true adventurers who want a more rugged experience than what they’ve been currently experiencing at Enchanted Rock,” Park Superintendent Doug Cochran said in a press release. “Future phases will see closer parking so people of other experience levels can enjoy the beauty of the Backcountry.”
The Backcountry addition is part of a larger, roughly 3,700-acre expansion at Enchanted Rock that has been ongoing for several years, made possible by purchases like the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission’s 630-acre land acquisition in 2024.
According to the Enchanted Rock expansion page, new parklands must open for limited public use within 18 months, and full public use within 48 months. So long as development progresses smoothly, that would earmark an opening date in January 2029.
News stories, staff photos, and other online content are copyrighted property of Victory Media. Reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited without the express written consent of the publisher.
Burnet residents are invited to sign up for new email notifications to keep them updated on city happenings.
The city’s new online home page now includes a “Notify Me” button where residents can select from different categories of notifications to receive email updates about.
These categories range from basic city communications and meeting agendas, to calendar updates and job postings.
“You can subscribe to receive email notifications about the topics that matter most to you,” reads a city Facebook post. “Categories include City communications, facilities and operations, streets and traffic, trash and recycling, job opportunities, bid postings, meeting calendars, community events, agendas, alerts, and City news.”
The city’s Facebook post noted that notifications are currently only available by email, and that its website provider would be looking to add text-based notifications in the future.
News stories, staff photos, and other online content are copyrighted property of Victory Media. Reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited without the express written consent of the publisher.
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