Regular routes between Llano, Kingsland, Horseshoe Bay, and Marble Falls will come online March 3 when the Capital Area Rural Transit System, better known as CARTS, moves into Llano County.
CARTS is replacing the Hill Country Transit District, or The HOP, as the county’s public transportation provider. Initially, transportation will be restricted to regional trips around the Highland Lakes, including into Burnet County, but the routes could eventually lead to the Austin-metro area.
“Forty-two years ago … I was handed a study that (the Texas Department of Transportation) had done saying that Llano County should be part of CARTS,” said David Marsh, the transit system’s general manager, during a presentation to the Llano County Commissioners Court on Monday, Jan. 27. “I didn’t think it’d take this long, but here we are today.”
Marsh and CARTS Community Engagement Director Dana Platt gave a thorough breakdown of what CARTS would do for Llano County on Monday.
The transit system will start out by offering its “Country Bus service,” which will provide regular trips between Llano, Kingsland, Horseshoe Bay and Marble Falls.
With this service, riders can call ahead, giving 24-hour notice, and be picked up from their own homes, taken to a destination, and then returned home, all within certain route hours and windows.
The proposed routes are as follows:
within the city of Llano, Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., $2 one way;
from Llano to Kingsland, Monday-Friday, departure between 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and return between noon and 3:30 p.m., $4 one way;
from Llano to Marble Falls, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 8 a.m. departure and 3:30 p.m. return, $6 one way;
within Kingsland, Monday-Friday, anytime between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., $2 one way;
from Kingsland to Llano, Monday-Friday, departure between 9 a.m. and noon and return between 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., $4 one way;
from Kingsland to Marble Falls, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, departure between 9 a.m. and noon and return between 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., $4 one way;
from Horseshoe Bay to Marble Falls, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, departure at 9 a.m. and return at 3:30 p.m., $6 one way.
Riders will be able to schedule drop-off and pickup locations and plan their routes using the CARTS phone application or by phone at 512-478-7433.
Seniors ages 60 and older and people with disabilities may ride the Country Bus for free. Caretakers and service animals can accompany qualified passengers at no extra charge.
The Country Bus service is just one aspect of the CARTS system. If the need is determined, or community surveys indicate the service is desired, larger buses and routes could be introduced that might eventually carry passengers from the Highland Lakes area into Austin.
“Our first seven-month period, we will get a feel for the needs of the region and plan accordingly,” Marsh said. “We can’t connect you today, but we’re going to connect you before it’s over. Just give us time to work through the processes we need to.”
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Fast-food burger restaurant Wendy’s could be back in Marble Falls by 2026, following a 10-year hiatus.
A Jan. 7 project details page filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation shows plans for a Wendy’s location at 1409 U.S. 281 North in Marble Falls, an empty lot on the highway sandwiched between Tractor Supply Co. and Sonic. Longtime residents of the Highland Lakes might remember this as the site of the now-closed Rockhopper’s Family Fun Center.
Wendy’s previously had a Marble Falls location at 1309 Mormon Mill Road, next to Office Depot, but it closed in early 2015.
“We would certainly welcome (Wendy’s) to the community,” Marble Falls Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Christian Fletcher told DailyTrib.com. “It is indicative of the growth that we’re seeing in the area.”
The TDLR permit application indicates ground-up construction could begin by May 2025 and be completed by May 2026. This is a private project and plans could change at the owner’s discretion.
Fletcher said the project has been in the making for about two years and the city has been aware for some time of the developer’s desires to bring the burger joint back to the area through talks with site engineers.
“We were aware that they were looking for a site and they landed on one,” he said.
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Three Highland Lakes firefighters are returning home from a 16-day volunteer mission to Southern California, where they battled the enormous wildfires that have been devastating the Los Angeles area since early January.
Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department Chief Engineer Thomas Jacobs and Horseshoe Bay Fire Department Lt. Jason Blackmon and Engineer Jonathan Morrison left for Los Angeles on Jan. 11 as part of a massive aid effort from Texas to California. They are expected to be home by Monday night (Jan. 27) or Tuesday morning.
“Most of what (the local firefighters) had to say is that (fighting the California fires) was really an eye-opening experience,” Marble Falls Area VFD Chief Michael Phillips told DailyTrib.com. “You see this stuff on TV, but when you see 8,000 homes just flat gone, it’s different. Could you imagine seeing that in Marble Falls?”
According to stats shared by the Los Angeles Times, the area’s three major fires—Palisades, Eaton, and Hughes—were all over 90 percent contained as of Monday. In total, the fires have killed at least 28 people, burned over 47,800 acres (74 square-miles), and destroyed more than 16,000 structures since Jan. 7.
The response from Highland Lakes firefighters was part of a greater aid effort from the state of Texas, which promised 135 first responders and 45 emergency vehicles to help California battle the blazes.
Chief Phillips said area fire chiefs have collectively decided to lend support outside of the Highland Lakes area whenever possible while still prioritizing local fires.
“I’m excited that they’re coming home, but some of those guys are already asking when they can go again,” he said. “We have been trying to work together so we can protect the homefront, but we also want to be available to help others.”
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Llano County has dedicated $450,000 for the management of Llano Hospital with the impending separation of Mid Coast Health System as service provider due to concerns over the facility’s financial viability. The Llano County Hospital Authority Board will use the money as needed to ensure the hospital continues to function during and after the transition.
According to Llano County Judge Ron Cunningham, Mid Coast and the county could be separated by March 1, at which point, the Hospital Authority Board will oversee facility operation and get a better picture of expenses, needs, and what it will take to keep the doors open.
“It’s not as simple as (Mid Coast) walking out and us walking in; there are still a lot of back operations,” said Cunningham following the Llano County Commissioners Court’s regular meeting Monday, Jan. 27, when the $450,000 allocation was approved. “There’s a lot more questions than answers right now, and we’re working through it.”
While the exact path forward for the hospital has not been determined, Cunningham reaffirmed the county’s commitment to keeping the facility open and maintaining its current level of service.
“The hospital is still open. It has dedicated staff that are putting in lots of hours to keep it going,” he said. “Our plan is to not have any change in that.”
The judge went on to say that the Hospital Authority Board might remain in charge, even after the transition, but nothing is set in stone.
Llano Hospital, also known as Mid Coast Medical Center-Central, is owned by Llano County but has been operated by Mid Coast since 2021. The Llano County Hospital Authority Board consists of seven members appointed by the Commissioners Court and represent county residents in regard to hospital management.
Questions about the hospital’s financial viability were raised as early as June 2024, when Mid Coast indicated it could no longer run the facility without funding from the county, state, or federal government. The matter escalated in November 2024 when Llano County took emergency action to establish a fund and legal counsel for ensuring the hospital’s continued operation in the event of Mid Coast’s departure.
A dozen hospital employees were furloughed by Mid Coast in December 2024, and a public announcement of “mutual separation” between the county and the health system was made on Jan.15.
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Agendas for Highland Lakes governments are posted 72 hours before a meeting so they are not always ready by the time this story is published. Check the links for more information.
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The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is accepting public comments until 11:59 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, on a proposed list of “best management practices” for Texas-based aggregate production operations to follow.
The practices will not be mandatory. They are recommended state standards that would set the bar for responsible operations for mining companies across Texas, if approved.
Best management practices focus on how aggregate production operations, including rock quarries, sand plants, and gravel pits, can reduce dust, waterborne sediment, and pollutants as well as preserve air and water quality around their facilities.
The proposed practices can be found on TCEQ’s website, along with reference material for the laws, policies, and regulations that govern aggregate production operations in the state, like Title 30, Chapter 342 of the Texas Administrative Code.
Among TCEQ’s proposed best management practices are recommendations to:
wet down or cover aggregate material to reduce dust
stay organized and tidy
use fuel-efficient equipment
conduct regular street cleaning
create buffer zones and setback distances to reduce dust impacts on neighbors
protect groundwater conditions
Burnet and Llano counties are home to several aggregate production operations, but both have seen staunch, grassroots opposition to adding more in recent years. Permits for a sand plant on Lake LBJ near Kingsland were withdrawn in 2023 after local pushback, and many Burnet County residents are currently battling against a proposed rock crushing facility near Burnet.
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Potential candidates must submit an original petition and all application materials in person to the election team at PEC’s headquarters, 201 S. Avenue F in Johnson City, by no later than 5 p.m March 24.
Directors oversee PEC’s budget and set the rates and terms for electric service for cooperative members. Each director serves three-year terms, with a limit of four consecutive terms.
According to PEC’s 2021 compensation policy, each director receives $3,000 per month as long as they regularly attend monthly meetings.
Applicants must:
Maintain a primary residence in the PEC board district in which you are seeking election and receive continuous electric service for at least one year. See Article III, Section 2 of the PEC bylaws for complete qualifications.
Obtain original, verifiable signatures on the form provided by PEC from 50 co-op members who live within your voting district or have a designated voting membership within that district.
Turn in a petition and application materials by the deadline.
A review committee will determine whether candidates meet requirements to serve on the board. After applications are reviewed, PEC will announce the official candidates.
To learn more about the PEC Board of Directors election or request nomination materials, contact 830-868-4967 or election@peci.com.
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A 4-year-old child was killed in an RV trailer fire in Spicewood on Jan. 22. Two adults, including the child’s mother, reportedly suffered burns and smoke inhalation injuries.
The child has been identified by a family member as Isabella “Izzy” Rayne. A fundraiser established by close family and friends of the girl’s family has been set up at GoFundMe.com.
Multiple agencies responded to the fire on Deer Pathway after the call went out at around 4 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office. The child, her mother, and another adult were inside the trailer at the time of the fire.
Information about the fire’s exact cause has not been released, but the BCSO said it might have been a space heater. A full investigation is underway.
CORRECTION: The original version of this story, published Jan. 23, referred to the two adults inside the RV during the fire as the “parents” of Isabella. According to Shanna Warren, or Shanna Faye Warren Woodward, the child’s grandmother, one of the adults is the child’s mother but the other is not related.
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Construction of the new Burnet City Hall is moving forward, with the $8 million, 18,000-square-foot facility expected to open on schedule by the summer.
The city-owned building at 301 E. Jackson St. will meet the needs of a growing staff and eliminate rental expenses for the current City Hall at 1001 Buchanan Drive. Ben Farmer of Greystone Construction is overseeing the build-out.
At 10,000 square-feet larger than the old City Hall, the new building will house most of the city’s departments, with the exception of public works, which will remain at its current location. It will also include a meeting space for the Burnet City Council and city boards, which now meet at the Burnet Municipal Airport.
“Currently, it’s still estimated to be finished in the June or July timeframe,” City Manager David Vaughn told DailyTrib.com. “It’s exciting, 23 or 24 years later, after being in a temporary facility, to actually be getting a new home that I think the community will be proud of.”
Recent construction updates were presented during the City Council meeting Jan. 14.
“The HVAC system is about 90 percent complete, plumbing is progressing well, and electrical work, while slightly behind, remains on schedule,” said Farmer, the construction manager.
Once utilities are complete, contractors will begin final grading, finishing the streets and sidewalks, and work on a fountain area at the building’s entrance.
Some challenges have come up during construction, but the completion timeline has remained on track
“We had a little bit of an issue with the rock, and they’re having to get a new rock mason to go out there, but otherwise, things have been progressing nicely,” City Manager Vaughn said.
As the building’s opening date draws near, the city is preparing for the move.
“We’re actually having to meet (soon) to determine when we’re gonna terminate our current lease in the existing facility,” Vaughn said.
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