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.
Windermere Oaks supplies hundreds of Spicewood residents with water and wastewater services. According to a media release from the Public Utility Commission, the company failed to effectively provide those services and comply with the commission’s policies, resulting in a temporary manager being appointed to oversee operations to get things back on track.
“PUCT staff recommended that the Commission appoint a temporary manager for the water supply corporation because the utility failed to adequately maintain their facilities or provide sufficient facilities, resulting in potential health hazards, extended outages, or repeated service interruptions,” reads a Nov. 21 media release for the state commission. “PUCT staff also outlined in their recommendation a pattern of hostility toward the Commission and repeated failure to respond to Commission requests by Windermere Oaks.”
The PUCT appointed Anser Advisory Consulting as temporary manager of Windermere Oaks. Its consultants are scheduled to oversee the utility provider for one year or until the commission determines otherwise.
According to the Nov. 21 signed order from the PUCT to appoint a temporary manager, Windermere Oaks repeatedly failed to hold annual and special meetings for its members and provide essential documents, like annual finance reports and functioning bylaws.
To cover the cost of Anser as temporary manager, customers of Windermere Oaks will see a $12 charge added to their monthly bill for each of their service connections. So a customer with one wastewater connection and one water connection will see an increase of $24 a month. These charges will continue until order is restored and a temporary manager is no longer required.
Anser will oversee all aspects of Windermere Oaks services and functions while it is in charge. Customer complaints should be made to 850-544-5547 or Tammy.Peters@anseradvisory.com.
If Anser cannot or will not resolve an issue, contact the PUCT with billing and customer service questions or complaints at 888-782-8477 or consumer@puc.texas.gov.
Contact the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality with complaints or questions about water or sewer quality at 512-339-2929.
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 County saw a record-breaking turnout in the Nov. 5 general election with 28,403 votes cast. The results were canvassed and made official during a special session of the Burnet County Commissioners Court on Nov. 14, as required by the Texas Election Code.
“This election saw incredible participation, and I’m very proud of our voters turning out in big numbers the way they did,” said county Elections Administrator Doug Ferguson.
Burnet County’s voter roll has grown substantially in recent years, increasing from 32,700 registered voters in 2020 to 39,300 in 2024. That surge was matched by a significant boost in early voting numbers, with 21,870 voters going to the polls early this year compared to 17,878 in 2020.
Election Day also saw a higher turnout, with 4,844 voters casting ballots, up from 3,862 in the last presidential election.
The first day of early voting, Oct. 21, set the tone for the strong showing, with 3,231 ballots cast—the highest single-day turnout on record for early voting in Burnet County. Steady participation continued throughout the first week, with daily early voting numbers ranging from 2,103 to 2,894. Even the weekend saw engagement, with a combined total of 1,275 voters casting ballots on Saturday, Oct. 26, and Sunday, Oct. 27.
“The area we live in is growing like mad, and then you’ve got a presidential election, which always drives voter registration,” Ferguson said. “We had people in their 70s and even 80s register for the first time during this election period.”
The special session to canvass election results officially certified returns from each precinct, which gave a comprehensive breakdown of votes across the county. The canvassing process is a critical step in confirming election results and ensuring accuracy, as detailed in Chapter 67 of the Texas Election Code.
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.
Skyline Pickleball Club held a soft opening Nov. 13, bringing the growing sport to Kingsland along with a restaurant and full bar at the intersection of its namesake Skyline Drive and RR 1431.
Owner Mike Marone developed the club to be a community hub.
“I love the concept of having a place in town where people can meet up, play, have drinks, and just get together and build community,” he told DailyTrib.com.
Skyline has three full pickleball courts, an all-American menu of burgers, sandwiches, street tacos, and salads, and a bar with cocktails and beer on tap.
The club is still in its soft opening phase, but current hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
The pickleball courts are currently open for play, but as the business solidifies, courts can be reserved through the PlayTime Scheduler app, which is commonly used to put together pickleball games.
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.
People can ask questions and voice opinions over a rock-crushing facility proposed for a site just southwest of Burnet during a public meeting at 7 p.m. Dec. 10 at Hill Country Fellowship, 200 Houston Clinton Drive in Burnet.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is holding the event to collect formal comments before the state agency makes a final decision on an air-quality permit application from Asphalt Inc., which hopes to build a 715-acre plant at 3221 FM 3509 to extract materials for road base and concrete.
The Burnet-area site is near Camp Longhorn, Delaware Springs Golf Course, and Longhorn Cavern and Inks Lake state parks.
Save Burnet, a group formed to fight the project, is holding a public meeting from 4-7 p.m. Dec. 3 in the Reed Building, 402 E. Jackson St. in Burnet, to help people draft their statements to the TCEQ and practice public speaking.
The Dec. 10 meeting will be attended by representatives from TCEQ, Asphalt Inc., and Westward Environmental Inc. The latter is an environmental consultant group that works with Construction Partners Inc., the company that purchased Asphalt Inc. on Nov. 1. Westward was also the company that wrote the applications for permits for Collier Materials to install two sand plants and two dredging operations in Lake LBJ. Those applications were withdrawn from consideration in October 2023.
The public meeting will be divided into two parts:
Informal discussion period—People may ask questions to TCEQ staff and Asphalt Inc. representatives. Comments will not be formally recorded.
Formal comment period—Attendees may submit official statements for public record. Each speaker will have two to three minutes to voice their opinions, which will be reviewed by the TCEQ before a final decision on the air-quality permit.
The public comment period on the pending permit closes the day of the meeting, Dec. 10. Comments may also be made online or delivered by mail, in person, or by fax via information found at the link. When submitting a comment, use permit number 176835.
The rock crusher has had local pushback since plans were announced, including from Save Burnet. The group argues the plant would threaten the area’s economic and cultural integrity as well as cause air, water, and noise pollution.
Save Burnet spokesperson Fermin Ortiz urged residents to attend the Dec. 10 meeting in an emailed reply to DailyTrib.com questions.
“Do you want to be part of a historic pushback against the continued industrialization of our precious Texas Hill Country?” he asked. “Please let your voice be heard. This might be our last chance to save our way of life.”
RECENT ASPHALT INC. PURCHASE
On Nov. 1, Alabama-based firm Construction Partners Inc. acquired Asphalt Inc. for approximately $654 million. In an email that was shared with DailyTrib.com by Save Burnet’s legal representation, Larry Black, CPI wrote a letter stating its presence at the public meeting is unnecessary because Asphalt Inc. is the permit applicant.
“The purpose of the public meeting is to allow for public inquiry and clarification of the details of the application by those directly responsible for it. CPI was not involved in the submission of the application,” said Emlyn Lucas, deputy counsel for CPI.
Lucas added that Asphalt Inc. will operate as a locally managed entity.
“The result of the acquisition transaction is that Asphalt Inc. is now a wholly owned subsidiary and operating company of CPI and is, in fact, our sole platform for serving the state of Texas,” Lucas wrote. “If the Application is approved, Asphalt Inc. will operate the contemplated quarry and plant… .”
However, Black believes a CPI represenative should attend the meeting.
“I have invited them to come tour the site and surrounding area where the plant is proposed and they have declined,” he told DailyTrib.com. “I think if they saw the site on the ground, they would have the same doubts all those around them have.”
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.
Two people are dead following a shooting Nov. 19 in Kingsland that investigators believe was a “murder-suicide.”
Several Highland Lakes law enforcement agencies, led by the Llano County Sheriff’s Office, responded to a 911 call of shots fired at a home on Skyline Drive just after 6 p.m. Tuesday. Officers arrived at the scene in minutes.
The woman caller told dispatch she thought her ex-boyfriend, 35-year-old Jon Kendrick of Kingsland, shot one of her friends on the property.
Officers found two bodies, one being Kendrick’s, at the scene with “obvious gunshot wounds.” The identity of the second person, identified as a man, will be withheld until next-of-kin is properly notified.
“At this time, investigators believe this to be a murder/suicide,” reads a media release issued Wednesday by the Llano County Sheriff’s Office. “The investigation is still ongoing to ensure no other parties were involved.”
According to the release, the 911 caller locked herself in the Skyline Drive home with her 4-year old daughter during the incident.
The release states that officers were initially cautious on their arrival due to concerns about Kendrick being armed. Attempts to make verbal or visual contact with him were unsuccessful. Officers eventually approached the home’s front door and discovered the bodies of Kendrick and the other man. The caller and the child were inside the home and uninjured.
Granite Shoals Police Department, Sunrise Beach Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety all responded to the call and assisted the Llano County Sheriff’s Office. GSPD Chief John Ortis and his officers were instrumental in the initial investigation, according to LCSO Chief Deputy Brad Evans.
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 County Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace Debbie Bindseil is retiring from her elected position on Feb. 7, 2025. Her resignation comes midway through her current term and ends an almost 30-year career in local government. A replacement should be appointed early next year.
Bindseil has been the Precinct 4 justice of the peace for the past eight years and had worked in various roles in Burnet County government for 20 years. She also worked for the city of Marble Falls for one year.
Precinct 4 includes all of Cottonwood Shores and Meadowlakes, parts of Granite Shoals, Horseshoe Bay, and Marble Falls, the Burnet County portion of Spicewood, and Double Horn.
“I was going to try to stay until my term ended in a couple more years, but I’ve reached the point where I just want to enjoy my retirement years,” Bindseil told DailyTrib.com.
Burnet County Attorney Eddie Arredondo stated in an email to DailyTrib.com that the county Commissioners Court will fill the vacancy via an appointment.
“There is no legally mandated process,” Arredondo said. “The court typically advertises the position, collects applications, conducts interviews, and appoints a candidate.”
The appointee will hold office until the next general election in November 2026, when the position will appear on the ballot.
“I’m hoping that the court will make a decision, hopefully, by the first part of January so I will be able to help them learn the position,” Bindseil said.
Justice of the peace is an elected position with four-year terms. JPs issue search and arrest warrants, conduct preliminary hearings, and handle civil matters, including small claims cases. They are also on call for death investigations and any other law enforcement needs.
“The job is very rewarding, but it’s also very demanding,” Bindseil said. “You’re on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week … but I loved it.”
She reflected on the collaboration among the other Burnet County JPs over the years.
“The teamwork has made the job much easier, and I really want to thank them for that. We’ve built a close team, and I’ll miss that aspect of the job,” she said.
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.
Wife and husband Carolee Corey and Michael Hasler, owners of Decadent Saint Winery near Bertram, were hit by a truck Nov. 10 while attending to their broken-down vehicle on Texas 29. Corey was killed, while Hasler was seriously injured.
A Texas Department of Public Safety statement puts the fatal accident at around 8 p.m. that Sunday, just outside of the couple’s winery at 3547 Texas 29 West. Their truck had reportedly stopped working while driving on the highway, and the two were outside of the vehicle inspecting it when another truck collided with them.
The DPS report states the tail lights of the couple’s truck were not on, making it difficult to see the vehicle in the dark. A westbound truck came upon the disabled vehicle in the same lane. The driver swerved to the left to avoid a collision, but the couple also moved left to avoid being hit, resulting in the deadly accident.
The information in the DPS report is preliminary, and an ongoing investigation is still underway.
Corey was pronounced dead at the scene, while Hasler was hospitalized for his injuries.
The couple opened Decadent Saint Winery in 2021 near Bertram after moving the business from Colorado to Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic. The winery is known for its high-quality mixers, novel flavor combinations, and wine-based versions of classic cocktails.
According to a post on the Decadent Saint Facebook page, the winery’s tasting room will be closed until further notice.
“Carolee was an incredible mother, wife, daughter, auntie, sister, and best friend—full of energy, joy, laughter, compassion, and warmth,” reads an excerpt from a GoFundMe.com fundraiser for Corey’s family. “She had a heart of gold and a passion for making the world around her a better place. She was an amazing woman; a mentor, caregiver, and a beacon of light for anyone who needed it.”
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 Horseshoe Bay City Council on Nov. 12 denied a preliminary plat approval for Richter’s Ranch, a proposed 123-home subdivision on the city’s east side. The pitched plans failed to meet municipal standards regarding environmental and utility concerns.
The development would cover 54 acres just east of the Horseshoe Bay Resort Jet Center, on the west side of Mountain Dew Road.
The developer may reapply after six months with the required information.
“We want everything there (in the initial plat application),” Horseshoe Bay Mayor Elsie Thurman told DailyTrib.com. “We don’t want things coming up again later.”
A preliminary plat is the first step in the developer application process before work can legally begin on a subdivision.
Thurman explained the plat did not include essential information, including a phasing plan for how existing residents would be able to use public roads and utilities during development as well as the maximum amount of “impervious surface area” for the development, a figure required by the Lower Colorado River Authority to manage stormwater run-off.
Horseshoe Bay Director of Development Services Roy Jambor also noted the proposed plat would require an amount of “cut and fill”—removal of top soil to fill in low spots on the worksite—that exceeds what is allowed by the city’s subdivision regulations.
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.
This Content Submission and License Agreement (“Agreement”) is entered into by and between Victory Media Marketing LLC (“Company,” “we,” or “us”) and you (“User,” “you,” or “Submitter”) upon your submission of content through our websites’ See it, Share It form.
Submitted Content “Submitted Content” means any news tips, text, descriptions, images, photographs, videos, audio files, recordings, or other materials you upload, submit, or provide to us via the news tips forms on DailyTrib.com, KBEYfm.com, 101highlandlakes.com, or any other websites owned or operated by Victory Media Marketing LLC.
License Grant By submitting any Submitted Content, you hereby grant to Company a worldwide, non- exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, fully sublicensable, and transferable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform, display, and otherwise exploit the Submitted Content in any form or medium (now known or hereafter developed), including but not limited to:
Publishing on DailyTrib.com, KBEYfm.com, 101highlandlakes.com, other Company websites, apps, newsletters, and social media platforms (such as Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, etc.).
Editing, formatting, or combining with other content for news, promotional, archival, or commercial purposes.
Allowing third parties (e.g., affiliates, syndication partners) to use it under the same terms. You retain ownership of the copyright in your Submitted Content, subject to the license granted above.
User Representations and Warranties You represent and warrant that:
You are at least 18 years old and have the full right and authority to grant the rights in this Agreement.
The Submitted Content is your original work or you have obtained all necessary permissions, consents, and releases (including from any individuals appearing in photos/videos or owners of any third-party materials).
The Submitted Content does not infringe any third-party intellectual property rights, privacy rights, publicity rights, or defame any person.
It complies with all applicable laws and does not contain viruses, malware, or prohibited content.
You will not submit false, misleading, or confidential information.
No Compensation You understand and agree that you will receive no compensation for the submission or use of your Submitted Content.
Indemnification You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Company, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, liabilities, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from your breach of this Agreement or any third-party claims related to your Submitted Content.
Moral Rights and Publicity You waive any moral rights or rights of attribution in the Submitted Content to the extent permitted by law. Company may use your name, username, or likeness in connection with the Submitted Content if applicable.
Termination and Removal Company may, in its sole discretion, edit, refuse to post, or remove any Submitted Content at any time without notice. This Agreement survives any termination.
Governing Law This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to conflict of laws principles. Any disputes shall be resolved exclusively in the courts located in Burnet County, Texas.
Entire Agreement This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding between the parties and supersedes all prior agreements. Modifications must be in writing. By submitting content, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Agreement.
