Drive through Thirsty Penguin for a large selection of beer, hard seltzers, daiquiris, slushies, tea, and more. The beverage outlet opened April 7 at 700 U.S. 281 South in Burnet.
“We weren’t supposed to open until May, but we wanted to be open for the (Bluebonnet Festival on April 12-14),” owner Brent Cloyd told DailyTrib.com.
Thirsty Penguin offers over 140 brands of beer as well as hard seltzers, homemade Jell-O shots, and 12 flavors of daiquiris.
“We’ll be adding more and more (offerings) as it goes,” Cloyd said.
Thirsty Penguin also serves tea, ice cream, and six flavors of slushies. Ask for a pup cup for furry friends or fill a cooler with 5-gallon buckets of ice for free.
“You don’t have to buy anything (for the ice),” Cloyd said. “Just bring (a cooler) in, and we’ll fill it up. If you want to buy a 12-pack, we can fill it up with ice on top of it.”
Cloyd pointed to the store’s convenience as the driving force behind prior success at its first location in Liberty Hill, which opened in 2022.
“It’s big with the older community because they don’t have to walk across a store to get what they want,” he said. “It works really good for soccer moms with two crying kids in the backseat. She can get a margarita and get two Slush Puppies for her kids and never has to get out of her car.”
The drive-thru beer barn is adding an outdoor patio in the next month.
“We’ll have some tables set up for people to have fun with friends,” Cloyd said.
Thirsty Penguin is open from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Sunday. Visit its Facebook page for more information.
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The Highland Lakes Democratic Women are hosting a candidates event from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham, 501 FM 2147 in Marble Falls. Democratic nominees for federal and state office in the Nov. 5 election will share their views on issues facing Texas and the United States and meet with voters.
The event will include light refreshments and an auction for a quilt with patches that pay homage to various Democratic causes.
This quilt will be auctioned off during the Highland Lakes Democratic Women candidates event on April 20. Courtesy photo
Below is a full list of the candidates scheduled to attend:
U.S. Senate — Colin Allred (or a campaign representative)
U.S. House District 31 — Stuart Whitlow
Texas House District 19 — Dwain Handley
Texas House District 53 — Joe P. Herrera
Texas House District 68 — Stacey Swann
Texas State Senate District 25 — Merrie Fox
Justice, 3rd Court of Appeals District, Place 2 — Maggie Ellis
Justice, 3rd Court of Appeals District, Place 5 — Karen Crump
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Chief Justice — Holly Taylor
Texas Board of Education District 10 — Raquel Saenz Ortiz
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Nevada resident Tim Randolph, 67, was pronounced dead on Sunday, April 7, at Ascension Seton Williamson Hospital in Round Rock from a suspected cardiac arrest suffered while at Reveille Peak Ranch in Burnet for the Texas Eclipse Festival. Despite prolific online rumors of multiple deaths at the event, Randolph is the only one confirmed by festival officials and the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office.
Randolph was attending the festival with his daughters, Caitlin and Lauren, and their partners. According to Caitlin, he suffered what seemed to be a cardiac arrest after a long hike from the festival grounds back to their campsite in the early morning hours of April 7.
“At the very top of the biggest hill, five minutes from camp, he sat down on his stool, he chatted about the view, and that is where he collapsed,” she told DailyTrib.com.
Caitlin laid out a timeline of events that showed their group leaving the festival grounds at around 2:30 a.m. that Sunday and returning to their campsite. She noted that her father struggled with the difficult terrain and had to frequently stop to sit on a portable stool. At 4:10 a.m., Randolph collapsed.
“From all signs, to be frank, it was a 67-year-old man on a long hike who succumbed to fatigue,” she said.
Authorities are waiting for autopsy and toxicology reports before releasing the cause of death. Caitlin said her father was active for his age, an outdoorsman, and a regular festival attendee, but the terrain at Reveille Peak Ranch, located off of Burnet County Road 114, was especially rugged. The ranch is routinely used for mountain bike races, the extreme Spartan Race, and U.S. Army Ranger selection training.
In Caitlin’s account, her partner, Patrick, and two other festival-goers certified in CPR performed the procedure for approximately 40 minutes before two Burnet County Sheriff’s Office sergeants arrived on the scene in response to a 911 call. According to BCSO Capt. Mike Sorenson and Caitlin’s report, Sgt. Erin Chainey took over the CPR effort once she and partner Sgt. Arik Steffas arrived.
Festival emergency service personnel reportedly arrived shortly after the BCSO sergeants and transported Randolph to a medical tent, where an on-site doctor continued to provide lifesaving care.
Caitlin and Capt. Sorenson told DailyTrib.com it was concerning that the BCSO sergeants arrived on the scene before festival emergency services.
“Things seemed to be chaotic there as far as their medical staff, and their process did not seem to be well prepared,” Sorenson said.
“To be honest, the festival was very messy, and I think that contributed to my father not receiving proper medical attention,” Caitlin said.
By 5:07 a.m., Randolph was loaded in a Burnet Fire Rescue ambulance and transported to a helicopter that took him to the Williamson County hospital. He was pronounced dead by 6:15 a.m. April 7.
Texas Eclipse Festival organizers released a statement on Wednesday, April 10, addressing Randolph’s death.
“One person passed away at the hospital after being transported from the festival,” reads the statement. “We will not provide further details out of respect for their family’s privacy as well as following HIPAA guidelines. We are deeply saddened by this loss, and our thoughts are with the loved ones of the deceased during this tragic time.”
According to Caitlin and her sister Lauren, they had not been contacted by festival staff concerning their father’s death as of Thursday, April 11.
Social media rumors that multiple deaths occurred at the festival have spread, but according to festival officials and the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office, Randolph is the only one.
“We’ve had no other deaths (than Randolph’s) reported,” Capt. Sorenson told DailyTrib.com on Wednesday. “There were some overdoses out there, and they handled most of that on site. A few did go to (Ascension Seton).”
UPDATE
Sorenson said one reported missing person from the festival, Tai Odom, was found with his family on April 10. The Burnet County Sheriff’s Office reported on April 13 that another missing person, 28-year-old Ty Swails, was found safe in Austin.
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Southern Living magazine recognized Marble Falls as the sixth-best small town in Texas in its April issue. Gracing the cover is another state star: actor Matthew McConaughey.
The iconic lifestyle magazine’s 2024 South’s Best list received over 20,000 responses.
Another Hill Country town, Fredericksburg, took the top Texas spot. Marble Falls placed ahead of Marfa, Brenham, Granbury, and Nacogdoches.
The Southern Living honor reflects Marble Falls’ all-encompassing spirit, said Mayor Dave Rhodes.
“We are still small enough to be quaint—even though I don’t like that word a lot—yet we’re big enough to have amenities with things to come see and do,” he said. “It creates a culture that people want to be part of.”
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Lower Colorado River Authority firm water customers that do not comply with drought restrictions could soon face fines of up to $10,000 per violation. The LCRA Board of Directors will consider adopting the larger fines as part of proposed modifications to the authority’s Drought Contingency Plan when it meets on April 25.
Firm water customers are cities, subdivisions, and other entities.
Highland Lakes residents have until April 17 to weigh in on the proposed change via the LCRA’s comment page. The penalties do not apply to residential end users of firm water customers.
Each day is considered a violation of the proposed rules with fines increasing from $2,000 on the second documented violation to $10,000 on the third and subsequent violations.
“We’re looking for compliance—not enforcement,’’ said John Hofmann, LCRA executive vice president of Water. “This is a very serious drought, and we want to be on the same page with our customers in terms of implementing important drought-response measures to protect our water supplies.”
The LCRA has the authority to fine firm water customers that are not following drought restrictions.
“We hope we never have to impose these penalties,” Hofmann said. “Again, our goal is compliance to help protect and extend our water supplies.”
The LCRA board will discuss the changes at its next regular meeting, which is Thursday, April 25, in Brenham.
To see a copy of the Drought Contingency Plan with all changes redlined, visit the LCRA website. Changes to LCRA’s Rules for Water Sales Contracts can be viewed here.
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Burnet is expected to get a Tractor Supply Co. store by the end of 2024 and a Marriott Towneplace Suites hotel by the summer of 2025. The city’s Economic Development Corp. recently sold the land for both projects to developers after years of negotiations.
Each business would be a huge economic boost for the city.
“(The Tractor Supply Co. store’s) impact to city sales tax will be significant, and, more importantly, the BEDC has really only focused on things that the community supports,” Burnet City Manager David Vaughn told DailyTrib.com. “(The need for more lodging in Burnet) is also tremendous. Anytime you drive by the Comfort Inn and the Best Western on the weekends, it’s packed.”
Towneplace Suites by Marriott will be built on U.S. 281 near Burnet Municipal Airport on a 2.76-acre tract that the EDC sold for about $400,000. The hotel will offer 87 rooms and a 3,000-square-foot meeting space and generate hotel occupancy tax funds for the city, Vaughn said.
Tractor Supply will be built at the corner of Texas 29 and Richard Sanders Parkway on the east side of Burnet on a 5-acre tract the EDC sold for a little over $800,000.
Vaughn said both projects have been years in the making and are the result of targeted improvements to the city’s economic ecology. They also align with the needs and wants of residents.
“The EDC has worked diligently for years to create the types of opportunities and developments the community supports,” Vaughn said. “Both of these projects will be great additions to our community.”
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A 67-year-old man died during the Texas Eclipse Festival at Reveille Peak Ranch near Burnet on Saturday, April 6. The cause of death is yet to be determined.
The man was attending the festival with his family when he reportedly suffered from a seizure and collapsed. He was declared dead at the scene and airlifted to Ascension Seton Hospital in Williamson County.
DailyTrib.com will have more details when they become available.
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.
Communities across the Highland Lakes are already seeing an influx of visitors for the total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8. Gas prices have risen, lodging is completely booked, and grocery stores are crowded with shoppers. Odd vehicles and unusual outfits have also been spotted at local restaurants and shops.
Burnet and Llano counties are ground zero for Monday’s eclipse. Over the past year, local officials have been warning residents about the hundreds of thousands of visitors expected to travel to this part of Central Texas, and it is finally happening.
“I heard about the (eclipse) through my friends, and a lot of them were down for it, so here we are,” visitor James Carter told DailyTrib.com in the parking lot of Walmart in Marble Falls. “I have no idea what to expect other than it should be a fun, cool experience.”
James Carter, an eclipse tourist from San Francisco, stands with his rented truck and trailer in the parking lot of Walmart in Marble Falls. He and eight of his friends were headed to the Texas Eclipse festival in Burnet County, which is expected to have at least 30,000 in attendance. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
Carter flew into Austin from San Francisco with eight of his friends on Thursday night. They rented a truck at Enterprise, picked up a rental trailer in Lago Vista, and stopped at Walmart to load up on supplies before heading to the Texas Eclipse festival at Reveille Peak Ranch in rural Burnet County.
Carter said about 20 of his friends are going to the festival, but they are far from the only visitors making the pilgrimage. Organizers of the multi-day event are expecting at least 30,000 in attendance and emergency management officials are predicting that thousands more will make the day trip from the Austin metro area for a longer totality period. The capital city is on the edge of the path of totality, where the moon will totally block out the sun, but for a shorter period of time. Totality in the Highland Lakes, depending on exact location, is expected to be over four minutes.
“I’ve said all along what’s going to get us is Williamson and Travis (counties), the several millions of people that decide to get in their vehicles and drive over here for the day,” said Granite Shoals Fire Chief Tim Campbell during a City Council meeting on March 26.
The Marble Falls H-E-B has seen a steady increase in business throughout the week leading up to the eclipse and its gas prices jumped from $2.85 on Wednesday to $3.17 on Friday.
Lines at H-E-B in Marble Falls swelled at odd hours with shoppers stocking up on essentials before Monday’s eclipse. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
Most area gas stations had similar bumps by Friday. Walmart was also at $3.17 that afternoon, while Valero at 1710 U.S. 281 North was at $3.19.
Many area hotels, motels, and other lodging establishments are completely booked for Sunday and Monday and some through Tuesday. Room prices have soared. Quality Inn at 1206 U.S. 281 North in Marble Falls normally rents one-night stays for about $120. The price for a two-night stay from April 7-9 was $387. The hotel currently has no available rooms for April 7-8. Some hotels offered eclipse packages, like Hidden Falls Inn in Marble Falls, which advertised a $729 deal for an April 7-9 stay.
Many of the eclipse visitors have already drawn the attention of locals. The public Facebook group, People of the Eclipse Burnet County 2024, has over 1,200 followers, who are posting photos of the eccentric tourists as they arrive.
Llano Mayor Marion Bishop expressed relief in a public statement that the eclipse would soon be here and gone.
“By the time you read this, we will literally be only a few hours away from the eclipse,” reads his weekly mayoral update. “All I can think is, ‘Thank the Lord, we are almost through this.’”
Burnet County Judge James Oakley asked for patience and respect.
“We welcome all the visitors and just ask that everyone be patient with the traffic congestion,” he said. “If stores are running low, be respectful. Don’t take everything that’s left. Treat our home like it’s your home.”
Director of Burnet County Tourism Blair Manning asked that everyone take the time to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Manning, along with many others, has been working toward this moment for almost two years.
“I am thoroughly enjoying all this people-watching, and I’m excited it’s finally here after all of the anticipation,” she said. “Let’s welcome everyone with open arms. Let’s showcase what you and I know about the area and the tourists and visitors wanting to come back and experience Burnet County in the future.”
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Most government offices in Burnet and Llano counties will be closed for the total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8. The event is expected to result in heavy traffic and other issues in what emergency management officials have referred to as a holiday “on steroids.”
Most city and county offices will lock up on Monday with the exception of those in Llano, Sunrise Beach Village, and Meadowlakes. Office hours are contingent on the ability of staff to make it to work.
Many small businesses could have altered hours or be closed on Monday. Big-box stores like H-E-B and Walmart will remain open but could see major foot traffic and long lines.
Banks may or may not be open, but state offices and the U.S. Postal Service will operate as normal.
The Marble Falls and Llano school districts won’t have classes on Monday. The Burnet school district will be closed on both Monday and Tuesday.
BATTLE OF THE ECLIPSE
The April 8 total solar eclipse won’t be the first to cause a stir. According to legendary Greek historian Herodotus, a perfectly timed eclipse brought an end to the Six-Year War between the Medes and the Lydians in 585 BC.
In Herodotus’ classic “History,” he details the “day turning into night” during a battle near the Halys River in what is now modern-day Turkey. Historians believe he was referring to a total solar eclipse that would have passed over that region at the time.
Herodotus also mentions that a famous philosopher, Thales of Miletus, predicted the “day turning into night,” which further bolsters the theory it was a total solar eclipse, as they can be accurately calculated based upon the positioning of the moon, Earth, and sun.
The eclipse interrupted the battle, bringing it to a draw, and the Medes and the Lydians were said to have taken this as a sign to make peace, which they did.
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