Art Dlugach died at 82 years old on March 26, 2026. He was an Emmy Award-winning sports producer with decades of experience across the country in journalism, but locally he was known as a diehard fan of Llano High School sports, having spent over 25 years reporting on Yellowjackets athletics.
Dlugach had lived in the Highland Lakes area since 1998, when he moved to Marble Falls to pursue his dream of calling games. He gained a reputation for “bleeding orange and black” in his support of Llano sports. He wrote for The Llano News, called Llano football games, gave commentary on Stinger-FM Radio and KBEY 103.9 FM, and tried to make as many Yellowjacket games as possible.
According to his obituary, he was a devout Baylor Bears fan, but his heart belonged to the Yellowjackets. This was confirmed by KBEY 103.9 FM Operations Manager Ben Shields, who worked alongside Dlugach for over four years and saw him as a mentor.
“Art’s love affair with Llano was truly amazing,” Shields told DailyTrib. “He was one of a kind. There will never be another person like him.”
His love for the Yellowjackets was reciprocated and he earned the honorary title of “Jacket for Life.”
Dlugach was born on July 2, 1943 in Mississippi and raised between that state and Tennessee. He attended Baylor University and began his career in journalism in Waco and Dallas in the mid-1960s. He then took a job in San Francisco in 1969, where he worked for a CBS affiliate KPIX-TV. He spent 25 years with the station as a film editor, news producer, and sports producer, earning Emmys for his sports work and the title of Sports Producer of the Year.
He had been battling lymphatic leukemia for 20 years leading up to his death, but reportedly worried more about missing Llano football games than his own health when he had to make conflicting medical appointments.
He is survived by daughters Kim, and husband John Crabb, and April, and husband Matt Paine; his grandchildren Jack, Rob, Reagan, and Jess; his sister Jane Lettes; niece Jan and her husband Bob Zauzmer; nephew Louis and his wife Amy Lettes; and families.
Dlugach’s family asked that any support be given to the Llano Athletic Booster Club in his memory. A funeral service will be held at the Llano High School Auditorium, 2509 TX-16 in Llano on Saturday, April 11, 2026 at 2 p.m.
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Mustang Stadium could get a facelift if the school board approves a near $400,000 replacement of aging seating at the stadium.
The project, addressed at a March 23 Marble Falls Independent School District Board of Trustee meeting, would remove the 1,377 reserved seating chairs at Mustang Stadium and replace them with brand-new multicolor seats.
According to MFISD Director of Maintenance Eric Humiston, the existing reserved seating is over 19 years old and has been in dire need of replacement, made worse by being heavily damaged in a severe hail storm in 2024.
Humiston told the board that the project would cost approximately $399,450, which includes all materials and labor. If approved, the replacement would likely occur after the 2026-27 football season, however no exact timeline was given.
The Board of Trustees decided to hold off on any action and push the item to a further meeting, where they could view and present physical examples of the seats to decide on colors. Humiston clarified that the color selection would not change the total cost of the project.
One of the current designs includes purple seats spelling “MFH,” with gold seats as a trim around those letters, similar to the current reserved seating design. A mockup of the design can be found on the second page of the item brief here.
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A fire burned across 35 acres in northeast Burnet County on the afternoon of Sunday, March 29. The blaze was believed to have been started by the use of the recreational explosive, Tannerite.
According to a media release issued by the Burnet County Office of Emergency Management, several area fire departments responded to the fire at around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday at a property along RM 2340.
The blaze took approximately four and a half hours to contain and was fueled by an abundance of dry foliage left behind from the winter season. The release states that the fire was caused by “the assumed usage of Tannerite as part of a celebration.”
“(Sunday’s) events serve to highlight the danger that still exists from the freeze-cured, dead grasses that are leftover from last summer’s rains and ongoing drought conditions,” reads a statement from the Burnet County OEM.
Burnet County is currently at a moderate risk for fire danger according to the Keetch-Byram Drought Index. This is a common metric used by Texas counties to determine the threat of fire danger based on soil moisture and daily water balance. The scale ranges from 0-800, with lower ratings indicating lower fire danger and higher ratings indicating higher fire danger.
Soil moisture
As of Tuesday, March 31, the KBDI ratings in Burnet County are 172 on the low end and 459 on the high end, with an average rating of 373.
According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, a rating of 200-400 indicates: Fuels are beginning to dry and contribute to wildfire intensity. Heavier fuels will still not readily ignite and burn. This is often seen in late spring or early summer.
Groundwater drought stage
Burnet County was recently moved up to Stage 3 drought restrictions by the Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District on March 18.
Under this rating, groundwater users are asked to voluntarily reduce usage by 20 percent.
Welding permits now required in northeast Burnet County
Starting on April 1, 2026, contractors will be required to obtain permits before welding within the confines of Burnet County Emergency Services District No. 8, which includes most of northeast Burnet County. Fence building and building construction are included in this requirement.
This was announced in a Facebook post by ESD No. 8 on Saturday, March 28.
“This is in response to the growing number of wildfires caused by welding operations, it outlines fire safety requirements for such operations,” reads the post. “This permit does not apply to private individuals on their own property.”
According to the Burnet County OEM, many wildfires in the county are caused by welding or cutting activity.
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.
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.
Granite Shoals will host its annual Easter Egg Extravaganza at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 4, at Quarry Park, 2221 N. Phillips Ranch Road, offering a free, family-friendly event featuring more than 30,000 eggs.
The event will include age-specific hunting areas designed to accommodate children of all ages, along with opportunities for families to take photos with the Easter Bunny.
“We’re excited to host the Easter Egg Extravaganza as an opportunity for families to come together and enjoy a fun, welcoming experience in our community,” City Manager Sarah Novo told DailyTrib. “Events like this reflect the heart of Granite Shoals; bringing people together, celebrating community, and enjoying the beautiful spaces that make our city so special.”
The event is hosted by the city of Granite Shoals and made possible through support from the Granite Shoals Police Officers Association and the Granite Shoals Fire Auxiliary, in partnership with the Marble Falls High School marching band.
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Hundreds of people attended the No Kings protest held on Saturday, March 28, in Marble Falls. The event was part of a larger national movement in which millions of Americans reportedly participated on Saturday.
The No Kings protest in Marble Falls began at around 1 p.m. on Saturday with protesters lining either side of the U.S. 281 bridge. DailyTrib staff counted over 400 individuals at 1:30 p.m. on the day.
The No Kings movement began in June 2025 as an organized national protest against the perceived “authoritarian” behavior of U.S. President Donald Trump and the federal government. A second nationwide No Kings protest was held in October 2025, and hundreds reportedly attended the locally held Marble Falls event. This third No Kings rally, held on Saturday, was said to be one of the largest protests in U.S. history, with event organizers Indivisible estimating 8 million participants spread across roughly 3,300 rallies in the country.
The local No Kings event was hosted by Kingsland resident and Burnet County Democratic Party precinct chair Christine Garcia Bowman. She also hosted the October 2025 event.
“This is a nonpartisan event,” she told DailyTrib. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican, Democrat, or Independent. If you’re unhappy with what is going on in the country, come and join us.”
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.
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 Consolidated Independent School District voters have several opportunities to learn more about the district’s $135 million bond package slated for the May 2 ballot at three upcoming info sessions and campus tours.
Held at Burnet Middle School, RJ Richey Elementary, and Bertram Elementary, the meetings will provide voters with key information on the bond package, its impacts on neighborhoods and taxes, and show community members areas of concern at the schools which prompted the bond.
These three campuses are the most likely to see significant changes if the bond is passed in May.
The date, time, and location of the info sessions are as follows:
RJ Richey Elementary – March 31 at 6 p.m., 500 E. Graves Street in Burnet
Burnet Middle School – April 7 at 6 p.m., 1401 N. Main Street in Burnet
Bertram Elementary – April 13 at 6 p.m., 315 Main Street in Bertram
Since the board of trustees approved the bond vote in February, BCISD officials have worked to educate voters on the package through community meetings and the launch of a bond information website.
If passed by voters, the bulk of the bond package will be spent on campus renovations and construction, including construction of a new Burnet Middle School, classroom additions at RJ Richey Elementary, and security upgrades at Bertram Elementary. A breakdown of the bond can be found below.
The bond breakdown
BCISD’s proposed $135 million bond will be split into two propositions on the May 2 ballot: Proposition A and B.
Proposition A, roughly $133 million, allows for funds to be used on general facilities, modernization, deferred maintenance, and land acquisition.
Proposition B, roughly $2 million, allows for funds to be used on district-wide technology upgrades.
BCISD previously included an at-a-glance look at the planned projects in a press release for the bond. The projects listed are:
Burnet Middle School – Campus overhaul, new academic facility, and renovations
New academic building and performance space designed for 900 students, with capacity to expand to 1,200 students in the future
Classrooms and collaborative learning spaces
Science labs and elective spaces
Library/media center
Cafeteria and kitchen
Special education spaces
Renovation of existing fine arts and athletics spaces
RJ Richey Elementary – Campus improvements
Redesigned interior spaces to improve capacity and flow
New academic classrooms built within existing cafeteria and courtyard space
Conversion of interior gym into a cafetorium and kitchen
Dedicated art and music rooms
Right-sized special education spaces
Increases student capacity to better match the district’s other elementary schools and delay the need for an additional new elementary campus
Deferred maintenance at campuses
Roof replacement
Electrical system upgrades
HVAC replacements
Replacement of selected interior finishes
Building protection system upgrades
Conversion to energy-efficient LED lighting
Bertram Elementary School
New secure front entry to improve safety and controlled access
Districtwide needs and future planning
Replacement of aging buses to support safe and reliable transportation
Refresh of student technology devices used for instruction and assessments (Proposition B)
Purchase of land for a future elementary school and a future middle school near Bertram
Note that these projects and the bond itself are still early in the planning process, and may be subject to change.
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A Granite Shoals pastor, 65-year-old Raymond Keasler Jr., was killed in a motorcycle crash on Friday, March 27, in Marble Falls.
According to a statement from the Marble Falls Police Department, officers responded to a motorcycle crash at around noon on Friday near the intersection of RR 1431 and Industrial Boulevard in Marble Falls.
MFPD wrote that a motorcycle and a box truck had collided at the intersection.
The motorcycle operator, identified as Keasler, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Keasler was a co-founder and senior pastor of AbundantHeart Church in Granite Shoals along with his wife, Cricket. Abundant Heart opened its doors for its first service on October 9, 2011, and has welcomed the community each Sunday since.
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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