The Texas Department of Transportation has laid out planned infrastructure projects for Llano County, identifying several upgrades to the roads and bridges of the county that will be carried out over the next four years.
According to the 2027-20230 TxDOT Rural Transportation Improvement Program, Llano County has the following projects slated in the near future:
2027- bridge maintenance at Slickrock Creek on Texas 71, cost $238,550
2027- bridge maintenance at Pecan Creek on Texas 71, cost $545,821
2027- bridge maintenance at Byrnes Creek on Texas 71, cost $203,295
2027- bridge maintenance at Oatman Creek on Texas 71, cost $552,573
2028- widening of paved shoulder and addition of turn lane on RR 1431 between Industrial Boulevard and Texas Avenue, cost $723,583.50
2028- installation of advanced warning signs for a curve on RR 1431 near CR 321, $37,213
2028- installation of two left turn lanes on RM 2147 near Plaza Econdidio, cost $239,323
2029- full replacement of bridge and approaches at Lost Hollow Creek on Texas 16, $1.08 million
2030- major maintenance on Roy B. Inks Bridge on Texas 16 in Llano, $6.76 million
The full TxDOT Rural TIP for Llano County is expected to go live online on April 29. The public will have the ability to file comments on the proposed projects on May 9.
“This may not be the comprehensive list of projects,” TxDOT Planning Analyst Michelle Conkle told the Llano County Commissioners Court during a presentation on Monday, April 13. “Annually, we look at bridge maintenance and safety needs. We would certainly like to hear from you if there is anything not on the list of projects that you would like us to consider.”
Precinct 4 Commissioner Jerry Don Moss asked that TxDOT look at adding shoulders and turn lanes on Texas 16, Texas 29, and Texas 71 on the west side of the county.
“It’s very dangerous because there are no shoulders and no passing lanes,” Moss said, alluding to the risk of law enforcement making traffic stops along the aforementioned highways. “We’ve got those projects on the east end of the county, but they need to be done on the west end of the county as well.”
Precinct 2 Commissioner Linda Raschke told Konkle that her constituents have requested paved shoulders, a turn lane, and a stoplight at the intersection of Texas Avenue and RR 1431.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Brent Richards asked for a traffic light at the intersection of RM 2900 and River Oaks Drive.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Peter Jones also asked about the addition of a flashing signal at the intersection of RM 2831 and Texas 71.
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Collier Materials Inc. wants to expand its aggregate mining operations north of Marble Falls and is pursuing a permit from the Lower Colorado River Authority to move forward with the project.
According to the LCRA, Collier applied for a permit under the Highland Lakes Watershed Ordinance on Feb. 16, seeking approval to expand its operations by 289.5 acres on CR 120, also known as Fairland Road, near the Sims Lane intersection. The HLWO regulates stormwater management to protect water quality in the Highland Lakes area.
Collier’s application was declared “administratively complete” on March 12 and it is now under technical review by the LCRA to determine whether or not it meets the requirements of the HLWO. Notices of the application were mailed to surrounding property owners and physical copies of the notice were posted at the site by at least March 25.
The LCRA is accepting comments on the permit application until May 1. Submit comments by email to hlwo@lcra.org.
The HLWO includes, among other things, parameters for managing possible pollutants, erosion control, buffer zones around mining activity, and groundwater quality protection. The LCRA cannot consider factors outside of the scope of the HLWO.
Collier already has a large mining operation that stretches along roughly 1.4 miles of Fairland Road near the proposed expansion site.
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Granite Shoals residents will have an opportunity to clear out unwanted household items during an upcoming citywide cleanup on Saturday, April 18.
The City of Granite Shoals will host the cleanup starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday at 2221 N. Phillips Ranch Road. The event will continue until disposal containers reach capacity.
The event is open to city residents only, and participants must provide proof of residency, such as a valid ID or utility bill, upon arrival.
The cleanup will accept most household bulk items, including furniture, mattresses, brush and small appliances. In addition to general disposal, on-site services will include document shredding and tire disposal. Industrial and commercial waste will not be permitted.
Residents are encouraged to arrive early, as space is limited and services will end once containers are full.
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A cookbook-focused Little Free Library has been installed at the Horseshoe Bay City Center, 9101 RM 2147.
The library, installed by resident Kaye Owens, invites visitors to take a book and leave a book, with a special emphasis on cookbooks. A recipe box placed alongside the library allows residents to exchange favorite recipes.
The initiative is intended to encourage community connection through shared meals, reading, and storytelling.
“Cookbooks are more than a collection of recipes. They invite us to connect. I like to say, ‘Cookbooks are paths to adventures, creating memories to be shared,” Owens told DailyTrib.
Owens said her interest in cookbooks was inspired by her mother, who collected them, as well as her own love of libraries, which she described as places that “offer stability and solace and nurture curiosity.”
“Sharing books, sharing a table can be quietly transformative. That is why this Horseshoe Bay Little Free Library has an emphasis on sharing cookbooks, to encourage community, but all books are welcome,” Owens said.
The library is located near the entrance to the Elsie Thurman Walking Trail and includes a rotating selection of cookbooks and other books for residents and visitors.
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Highland Lakes area authorities are asking for the public’s help in locating Freddie Paul Ledet, 59, who has been missing since March 31.
The Llano County Sheriff’s Office and Burnet County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the disappearance of Ledet, who was last seen in Tow, Texas. Investigators said they are concerned for his safety due to the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
Ledet is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighing 140 pounds, with brown and gray hair and hazel eyes.
Anyone with information about his whereabouts or possible sightings is asked to contact the Llano County Sheriff’s Office at 325-247-5767 or the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office at 512-756-8080. Anonymous tips are welcome. The case is listed as: Burnet County Missing Person Report #BC26-0363.
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Horseshoe Bay’s Dottie Anderson Citizens Academy graduated its 18th class during a ceremony on April 9.
The nine-week program meets Thursdays from 2-4 p.m. and introduces residents to city operations, including City Council, finances and the fire department. Since the academy’s inception, 235 residents have participated.
Graduates received certificates signed by the mayor and a jacket or vest with the city logo.
“Participating in the Horseshoe Bay Citizen Academy gave us a deeper appreciation for how our city operates and the dedicated people behind it,” Kenneth and Kathryn Baird, members of the 18th academy class, said in a media release. “It’s a valuable experience that really connects you to your community and helps you understand the services that keep everything running smoothly.”
Residents interested in participating can apply online and be placed on a waitlist for the fall 2026 session, or registration is open for spring 2027. Preference is given to full-time Horseshoe Bay residents.
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Horseshoe Bay officials dedicated multiple additions at the City Center during a ceremony on Monday, April 13.
The additions, part of the $12.2 million, 16,000-square-foot City Center that opened in February at 9101 W. FM 2147, includes the Elsie Thurman Walking Trail, Berkeley’s Bridge, the Cynthia Clinesmith benches and a new Bob Lambert monument.
The new monument at the City Center recognizes Bob Lambert, the city’s first mayor, who served eight years. A separate monument remains at the former City Hall.
“To volunteer in the city of Horseshoe Bay is the most significant time that I ever did,” Lambert said in the ceremony, noting he had spent years volunteering in other areas but Horseshoe Bay held a special place in his heart.
The half-mile Elsie Thurman Walking Trail, named for and designed by the city’s fourth mayor, opened with plans for expansion around the City Center.
“It’s more than a trail. It’s a network of paths that converge and intersect with each other, just like a community should do,” Mayor Jeff Jones said.
Berkeley’s Bridge, a memorial pedestrian bridge within the trail system, honors pets and allows collars and tags to be placed along its railings. The bridge was donated by residents Gail and Scott Matthews.
“Berkeley, like all of our pets, is a symbol of love and devotion,” Jones said.
The Cynthia Clinesmith benches, located outside the entrance, honor the city’s third mayor and feature mosaic designs of dark skies and bluebonnets created by an artist she selected in North Carolina.
“The Cynthia Klein Smith benches are designed so that people can communicate with each other. There may be a space in between the two areas of ideas but Cynthia has a way of bridging that space,” Jones said.
Those interested in sponsoring the expansion of the trail can visit the city’s website or contact Communications Director Cindee Sharp at csharp@horseshoe-bay-tx.gov.
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A long-lost World War II staff sergeant has returned home after nearly 81 years and will be laid to rest on Saturday, April 18, at the Round Mountain Cemetery, following a tribute and honors of his service.
Staff sergeant Dayton Polvado, of Round Mountain, went missing on Dec. 12, 1944, in Dillingen, Germany, in the midst of a German counterattack at the height of WWII. Until recently, his unidentified remains had been kept at the Lorraine American Cemetery in Saint-Avold, France.
Polvado’s tribute will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday with a funeral procession at the Crofts-Crow Funeral Home in Johnson City. The schedule is as follows.
10:00 a.m. – Procession will leave the Crofts-Crow Funeral Home (305 East Elm Street, Johnson City) with the Patriot Riders of San Antonio
10:15 a.m. – Procession will pause at the Blanco County Veterans Memorial for a moment of silence and reflection (300 North Nugent, Johnson City)
11:00 a.m. – Full military honors graveside service at Round Mountain Cemetery (100-154 Round Mountain Cemetery Road, Round Mountain)
Reception to follow the service at Liberty Lighthouse Fellowship (321 Old River Crossing, Johnson City)
Who was Staff Sergeant Dayton Polvado?
SSG Dayton Polvado was born in Round Mountain on June 29, 1915, to Monroe and Edna Durbin Polvado, and lived with his nine siblings.
Polvado was drafted into the Army on March 25, 1942, where he would go on to battle in England and France, and take part in D-Day amongst other valiant achievements.
Polvado was 29 years old when he and fellow staff sergeant Zebulon Gilman, both of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 359th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division, were ordered to hold a pillbox guard-post in Dillingen that would eventually be overrun by German troops.
Through several years of effort post-WWII by the American Graves Registration Command, Polvado and Gilman’s bodies were recovered along with three additional soldier’s remains. At the time, only Gilman’s body was able to be identified.
The four unidentifiable soldiers, including Polvado, were buried in the Lorraine American Cemetery in Saint-Avold, France, and their names were placed on the Wall of the Missing.
Polvado’s service was awarded post-mortem with the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart, with two Oak Leaf Clusters to signify three wounds received in action.
Decades later, DNA samples given by maternal cousins Lloyd Smith and Kimberly Carr Cecotti led the way for Polvado’s remains to be identified, prompting his return home.
For more on Polvado’s service, or to leave a comment in memoriam, visit Polvado’s obituary online here.
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A popular afterschool program in the Marble Falls Independent School District, ACE, could be reduced or eliminated according to district leadership due to cuts in the proposed 2027 national budget.
The proposed budget includes plans to eliminate all 21st Century Community Learning Centers funding, leaving programs like ACE without financial assistance.
“This cut in funding would significantly reduce support for afterschool programs,” MFISD Superintendent Jeff Gasaway said in a statement to parents. “Without this vital federal funding, our ACE program is at risk of being eliminated here in Marble Falls as the district cannot absorb the cost of the program.”
MFISD’s afterschool ACE programs reportedly serve over 900 students across six campuses, and provide students with vital time to further their education while awaiting parent pickup after school.
Summertime opportunities like MFISD’s month-long Mustang ACE Summer Camp, offering academic enrichment, field trips, recreational activities, and more, would also be cut under the proposed budget.
Texas ACE, or Afterschool Centers on Education, provides free afterschool and summer programs to K-12 students across the state, funded by the 21st CCLC grant through the Texas Education Agency. Without federal funding, zero grant funding would be available for these programs, and financial responsibility would fall solely on districts wanting to maintain them.
Dr. Gasaway called for parents to reach out to legislators in support of the ACE program and to call for its continuation. Further information and contacts can be found towards the bottom of Dr. Gasaway’s statement here.
“Now is the time to reach out to legislators and let them know what a positive impact our afterschool program has provided for your child(ren) and family,” Dr. Gasaway said.
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