The Hangar at Log Country Cove is now open at 111 CR 135 with a Burnet address, offering new indoor recreation opportunities in the Highland Lakes.

The facility is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with reservations available through its mobile app. Visitors can reserve pickleball courts for private play or participate in open play sessions. Membership is not required, although members receive additional benefits.

The Hangar features five pickleball courts, including three sport court-style courts and two acrylic courts. The facility also offers five indoor batting cages, an indoor golf simulator, and an outdoor putt-putt course.

Team reservations will be available for the batting cages. Private parties can be booked for all rentable attractions by contacting the venue directly.

For more information, contact Sean Kistler at sean@logcountrycove.com or 936-520-7322.

maci@thepicayune.com

The following people were arrested and booked into the Burnet County Jail from June 26-July 1, 2026, according to the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office. City of residence and release information are listed when available. This list does not constitute an official court document, and all persons are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Tristen James Cook, 27, of Marble Falls was arrested June 26 by the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO): striking a fixture or highway landscaping. Released on June 26 on $2,500 in bonds.

Lance Martin Kelley, 43, of Burnet was arrested June 26 by the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO): theft of a firearm. Released on June 28, credit time served.

Jesse Robert Leppert, 45, of Leander was arrested June 26 by the Marble Falls Police Department (MFPD): public intoxication with three prior convictions.

Cody Winfield Maxwell, 34, of Burnet was arrested June 26 by the Burnet Police Department (BPD): driving while license invalid, failure to maintain financial responsibility, possession of a controlled substance, penalty group 2 of less than 1 gram. Released on June 27 on $3,000 in bonds.

Jeffrey Paul Shelton, 46, of Burnet was arrested June 26 by the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO): unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, criminal trespassing with a deadly weapon.

Ayden Jeremiah Slack, 20, of Fort Hood was arrested June 26 by the Department of Public Safety (DPS): driving while intoxicated. Released on June 27 on $1,500 in bonds.

Johnny Devan Wall, 49, of Lampasas was arrested June 26 by the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO): possession of a controlled substance, penalty group 1 or 1-B of more than 4 grams but less than 200 grams.

Orion Angel Bishop-Clark, 25, of Burnet was arrested June 27 by the Marble Falls Police Department (MFPD): parole violation.

Deven Wayne Elliott, 24, of Marble Falls was arrested June 27 by the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO): driving while intoxicated with a BAC of 0.15 or greater. Released on June 27 on $5,000 in bonds.

Kale John Parker, 46, of Horseshoe Bay was arrested June 27 by the Horseshoe Bay Police Department (HSBPD): assault of a family or household member impeding breathing or circulation.

Alan Stephen Jackson, 25, of Bertram was arrested June 28 by the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO): driving while intoxicated, striking a fixture or highway landscaping valued more than $200, striking an unattended vehicle. Released on June 28 on $5,500 in bonds.

Corey Brooks Kirkland, 36, of Marble Falls was arrested June 28 by the Marble Falls Police Department (MFPD): theft of property valued less than $2,500 with two or more prior convictions, assault class C.

Clarence John Painter, 50, of Boerne was arrested June 28 by the Burnet Police Department (BPD): driving while license invalid with a previous conviction or suspension without financial responsibility. Released on June 289 on $2,500 in bonds.

Joshua Andrew Rodriguez, 38, of San Antonio was arrested June 28 by the Granite Shoals Police Department (GSPD): driving while intoxicated.

Matthew Montez, 24, of Cottonwood Shores was arrested June 29 by the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO): assault of a public servant, harassment of a public servant.

Michael Paul Salmeron, 42, of Bertram was arrested June 29 by the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO): violation of certain court orders, violation of a bond or protective order, assault causing bodily injury to a family member. Released on June 29 on $25,000 in bonds.

Andres Flores-Ramirez, 42, of Granite Shoals, was arrested on June 29 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on an ICE detainer.

Matthew Montez, 25, of Cottonwood Shores, was arrested on June 29 by the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office on charges of assault of a public servant and harassment of a public servant.

Luis Miguel Romero-Sanchez, 25, of Bertram, was arrested on June 29 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on an ICE Detainer.

Michael Paul Salmeron, 43, of Bertram, was arrested on June 29 by the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office on charges of violation of certain court orders, violation of bond/protective order, and assault causing bodily injury. 

Nicholas Anthony Farris, 26, of Burnet, was arrested on June 30 by the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of online solicitation of a minor.

Eddie Lavaughn Hulsey, 58, of Lampasas, was arrested on June 30 by the Burnet Police Department on a charge of online solicitation of a minor under the age of 14.

John Jamyz Melton, 36, of Burnet, was arrested on June 30 by the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of assault causing bodily injury.

Tyler Paul Miller, 35, of Houston, was arrested on June 30 by the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office on charges of possession of a controlled substance and driving without a license with a previous conviction.

Volcano Henry Ramirez-Ford, 26, of Leander, was arrested on June 30 by the Department of Public Safety on a charge of driving while intoxicated.

Timothy Aaron Riley, 58, of Marble Falls, was arrested on June 30 by the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office on charges of bail jumping and failure to appear.

Aaron Bernard Watkins, 36, of San Antonio, was arrested on June 30 by the Marble Falls Police Department on a charge of driving without a license.

Teresa Carol Whitney, 56, of Fort Worth, was arrested on June 30 by the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of sexual assault of a child. 

Betneo Ambrocio-Guarchaj, 29, of Burnet, was arrested on July 1 by the Bertram Police Department on a charge of assault causing bodily injury to a family member and held on an ICE detainer.

Adyson Koehler Bryce, 19, of Horseshoe Bay, was arrested on July 1 by the Horseshoe Bay Police Department on a charge of assault causing bodily injury of a family member.

Jacob Garcia, 22, of Leander, was arrested on July 1 by the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of possession of a controlled substance. 

Daniel Garcia-Garcia, 40, of Cottonwood Shores, was arrested on July 1 by the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office, on a charge of driving while intoxicated and put on an ICE detainer.

Juan Guadalup Padron, 53, of Lyman, Nebraska, was arrested on July 1 by the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of solicitation of a minor.

Ricardo Pittaluga-Toledo, 38, of Austin, was arrested on July 1 by the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office on charges of fraudulent use/possession of a credit or debit card and VIO of motor fuel tax requirement. 

Elizabeth Suzanne Williams, 36, of Spicewood, was arrested on July 1 by the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office on charges of violation of bond/protective order, theft of mail, and driving with an invalid license.

editor@thepicayune.com

The Highland Lakes Service League is accepting applications for its annual Community Grants Program, offering funding to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serving Burnet and Llano counties. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. Aug. 31, 2026.

Grant funding is determined based on the evaluation of submitted applications, the amount of funding available and the current needs of the community. The grant committee reviews applications and makes recommendations to the organization’s general membership, which votes on final funding decisions. 

Organizations may apply annually with new project requests, and emergency needs receive priority consideration when applicable. There is no minimum or maximum request amount.

Funding is available for projects supporting animals, arts and culture, education, health and wellness, human services and basic needs, and recreation and public spaces. The grants are funded through proceeds from the Highland Lakes Service League’s annual Chuck Wagon Chow Down fundraiser.

Since the program’s inception, the Highland Lakes Service League has awarded 440 grants totaling $710,817 to local charities. In 2025, the organization distributed $95,347 to 29 nonprofit organizations across the Highland Lakes.

Grant recipients will be notified in mid-October, with awards presented in November. Application packets are available here.

KBEY connection

KBEY 103.9 FM and DailyTrib are part of the same Victory Media family, and morning host Mac McClennahan sat down with HLSL members Linda Baker, Sandra McFarland, and Sandy Facemire for an in-depth interview on the grant opportunities. Listen to the interview here.

maci@thepicayune.com

A land survey filed in Burnet County shows plans for a large solar project right outside of Burnet. Local officials are assessing the current status of the development and what, if any, regulatory authority they have over it.

According to the survey filed with Burnet County Development Services, the solar project is about 376 acres and lies along the north side of Shady Grove Road, about half a mile outside of Burnet city limits. The document indicates that the survey work was completed and signed by Stantec Consulting Services on May 11, 2026 for developers Gransolar Twenty Two LLC and Red Sun Solar.

Records filed with the Burnet County Clerk’s Office show a “Memorandum of Solar Energy and Energy Storage Lease and Easement Agreement” made in October 2023 between a Burnet County landowner and developer Gransolar Texas Twenty Two. That lease agreement was updated on May 7, 2026, clarifying the dimensions of the leased land to 376 acres. 

Being outside of Burnet city limits, the potential development would be under the primary jurisdiction of the Burnet County government.  

Burnet County Director of Development Services Herb Darling told DailyTrib that the survey was filed with the county in mid May, but little else is known about the scope and details of the project at the county level.

“(Filing the survey was) more of a courtesy than anything,” Darling said. “We have no regulatory authority over this.”

He explained that Texas has few regulations over “solar farms” and that the county may have no tools to oversee a project like the one proposed on Shady Grove Road.

While the project is outside of Burnet city limits, it is within the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) of the city, leaving some possible routes for regulation from the city’s perspective. A city’s ETJ is an area of land surrounding a municipality that the city has a small amount of sway over when it comes to planning, annexation, and emergency services in some cases. 

Burnet City Manager David Vaughn told DailyTrib that he was aware of the solar project, but still had more research to do regarding any sort of regulation.

“(The developers) have reached out to us and asked questions about platting,” he said. “I told them very clearly that we will make life as difficult for them as we can. We don’t want to see it around here.”

Burnet County Precinct 2 Commissioner Damon Beierle, who represents the area the 376-acre solar project would lie within, said he too was researching what could be done regarding the development.

“We’re aware of the project and we are researching who to coordinate with on the state and local level,” he told DailyTrib. 

Both Vaughn and Beierle stated that they planned on bringing the matter up with the freshly-formed Highland Lakes Sub-Regional Planning Commission, which was created in early 2026 to help unite local governments against a proposed state transmission project looming over the region.

dakota@thepicayune.com 

Residents living inside the city limits of all Highland Lakes area cities cannot legally set off fireworks this Fourth of July holiday, but those in the unincorporated areas of Burnet and Llano counties can celebrate at home as long as no burn ban is in effect.

Neither Burnet County nor Llano County has an active burn ban, allowing residents in unincorporated areas to use fireworks on private property for the holiday weekend.

Previously, Granite Shoals was the only Highland Lakes area city that allowed fireworks within its limits during the Fourth of July and New Year holidays, but the city changed its ordinance in August 2025 to prohibit all unofficial fireworks displays. 

Caution is advised, as fireworks can cause serious injuries and ignite grass and brush fires. Residents should keep a water source nearby, follow safety guidelines, and be mindful of neighbors, pets, and livestock that can be startled by loud explosions.

maci@thepicayune.com

For the first time, the Burnet Consolidated Independent School District was recognized as a runner-up for a prestigious state athletics award, commending high-level sportsmanship and service throughout this past academic year.

BCISD Athletic Director Grant Freeman announced that the district was recognized as an honorable mention for the District of Distinction award by the Texas High School Athletic Directors Association.

“Burnet CISD was recognized, for the first time, as a District of Distinction Honorable Mention for the ‘25-’26 school year,” he said during a June 22 Board of Trustees meeting. “It’s a prestigious recognition… that measures programs or districts that demonstrate exceptional sportsmanship, character development, and community service.”

Freeman added that BCISD was selected as an honorable mention amongst more than 1,200 districts in the state that compete in the University Interscholastic League. Only 30 districts were selected as a District of Distinction and 20 were selected as honorable mentions.

“That’s a testament to our kids and our coaches, but we want to be in that first 30 next year,” Freeman told trustees. “It’s a goal for us to shoot for. The standard is now set, and now we reach for the goals.”

The district was already riding high on a monumental year of on- and-off-field success that resulted in nearly 90 students being recognized for achieving Academic All-State honors and qualifying for state competitions, which Freeman said will be fuel for the start of next season.

caden@thepicayune.com

Banks, offices, government buildings and more will be closed leading up to America’s 250th birthday. With Independence Day falling on a Saturday in 2026, Highland Lakes residents can expect a mix of closures and adjusted hours across the area.

All local and county government offices, including the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, will be closed on Friday, July 3, in observance of the holiday.

Post offices and most banks will be open on Friday but will be closed on Saturday, July 4.

Major retailers such as H-E-B and Walmart are keeping normal hours, though some local businesses may adjust schedules or close for the holiday.

Fourth of July Fun Facts 

• The current American flag design was created in 1958 by 17-year-old Robert G. Heft as a school project that initially received a B-.
• Denmark hosts Fourth of July celebrations honoring ties with the United States.
• The Liberty Bell is older than the American Revolution, having been made in 1751 to mark the 50-year anniversary of William Penn’s influential work, the Charter of Privileges.
• Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks in New York City is one of the largest annual shows in the country featuring tens of thousands of shells in a roughly 25–30 minute display watched by millions. 

maci@thepicayune.com

A $2.8 million upgrade to the regional radio system used by first responders in the Highland Lakes is moving forward to improve reliability during emergencies.

The Marble Falls City Council approved the city’s share of the project in their June 29 special meeting, which will repair and upgrade the microwave network connecting radio towers in Burnet, Blanco, Llano, and Lampasas counties. The Western Regional Radio System allows law enforcement, firefighters, EMS, and other public safety agencies to communicate across jurisdictional lines during emergencies and daily operations.

Burnet County will finance the project over five years under the WRRS’s operating agreement. The annual cost will be divided among the four counties and the City of Marble Falls based on the number of radios each agency uses. Marble Falls’ share of 18.07 percent is about $101,000 a year for five years.

The city will pay its portion using existing subscriber fees collected from agencies that use the system. The fees generate about $134,000 a year according to the city. The fund can only be used to maintain, repair, and upgrade the radio network.

The Western Regional Radio System Executive Committee includes representatives from Burnet, Blanco, Llano, and Lampasas counties, the mayor of Marble Falls, and the Texas Department of Transportation, and is responsible for major spending decisions involving the regional radio system.

maci@thepicayune.com

High school students from around the country are gearing up for the 30th annual Solar Car Challenge, which will see them race across Texas and through the hills of the Highland Lakes.

The young drivers will be racing solar-powered vehicles of their own creation, speeding across the state in the name of science, and passing through Burnet County along the way.

Racers and their rubber-burning machines will travel along Texas 29 through Bertram and Burnet on the morning of Tuesday, July 21, taking a brief respite from the 631.7-mile race at the Highland Lakes Squadron Commemorative Air Force Museum, at 2402 S. Water Street, in Burnet.

According to the challenge map and itinerary, students will begin racing at 9 a.m. on July 21 in Georgetown on Texas 29 near I-35, then make their way through Liberty Hill, Bertram, and Burnet, and travel roughly 37 miles before stopping at the CAF museum.

The Burnet County stretch is just one leg of the five-day race, which begins on July 15 in Fort Worth and is planned to end in Fort Stockton on July 23.

Pilot cars will accompany the Solar Car Challenge participants to ensure a safe trip and safe driving. 

What is the Solar Car Challenge?

The Solar Car Challenge was created in 1993 by Dr. Lehman Marks to give students a way to pursue unique opportunities in science, engineering, and energy.

Through years of ideating, fabricating, and trial and error, students build solar cars from scratch to be “scrutineered” by judges. The scrutineering process, which takes place at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth in July, serves as a checkpoint for teams to see if their cars are ready to race or not.

Once they get the green light, teams prep to begin a long-distance race to see whose car can go the furthest.

This year’s race stretches 631.7 miles from Fort Worth to Fort Stockton over five days, and features 24 teams from seven states, including Texas, California, Oregon, Michigan, Florida, New York, and Washington.

Teams will face mechanical breakdowns, uncertain weather conditions, and rough terrain along the way to accumulating the most points possible. At the end of the checkered flag, the team that drove the most miles will be declared the winner.

Along with potential races through Bertram and Burnet, the solar cars will be trailered and transported along U.S. 281 in Marble Falls and Round Mountain, landing in Johnson City to begin the next stretch of the race.

caden@thepicayune.com