After more than a year away, Agustino’s Mexican Food has reopened in a new building at its old food truck spot at the corner of U.S. 281 and Mission Hills Drive in Marble Falls.
The Agustino’s food truck moved from its longtime home in March 2025 and had been operating at the Highway 281 Food Court while waiting for the construction of a new building at its old location.
The popular pit stop is now back, having held its grand re-opening on Saturday, May 2.
While it has a new shell, better parking and an actual address at 1006 Mission Hills Drive, Agustino’s has maintained its old menu, hours, and the order-at-the-window style of operation.
“I think people were more anxious for us to come back than we were,” joked Brenda Villegas, daughter of the one and only Agustino himself. “Every day, people were like ‘When are y’all going to be back?’ or they would drive by to see the construction progress and update us.”
Villegas said that construction of their new building was only supposed to take six months, but that more than doubled. Despite the delays, familiar faces have already returned.
“It’s been great, everyone has been very welcoming,” she said. “It’s been good, a lot of old faces.”
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A controversial transmission line project is under scrutiny from state lawmakers who are questioning the line’s ability to effectively satisfy the growing electricity demands of West Texas and its potential negative impacts on property owners and power users across the state. The representatives hope to put a pause on the power plan until it can be examined further.
A letter from five Texas elected officials was sent to the Public Utility Commission of Texas on Tuesday, May 5, requesting a meeting with the agency to discuss the Bell County East to Big Hill 765kV project, a $33 billion initiative that would include sending over 200 miles worth of easements, eminent domain purchases, transmission lines, and 18-story steel towers across the Texas Hill Country, with all possible routes cutting through Burnet County.
“Texans deserve a more thoughtful and deliberate approach to improving existing infrastructure, one that enhances reliability and resilience, reduces costs, and better protects private property rights,” reads the May 5 letter.
The project is in the midst of standard PUCT procedure, with the state agency assessing formal protests and interventions from interested parties before it makes a final decision on how to proceed sometime in September.
Read the full letter at this link.This map shows the proposed transmission line routes (in pink) that would pass through the Highland Lakes area if approved. Image sourced from Oncor/LCRA interactive mapping tool, enhanced by DailyTrib staff
The Bell County to Big Hill project is backed by an order from the 88th Texas Legislature in 2023, which passed House Bill 5066.
That bill, among other things, mandated that the state develop a power reliability plan for the Permian Basin region of West Texas that would “extend transmission services to areas where mineral resources have been found,” “address increasing available capacity to meet forecasted load,” and “provide available infrastructure to reduce interconnection times in areas without access to transmission service.”
The letter from the state representatives supports bringing power to West Texas, but questions whether the Bell County to Big Hill project actually satisfies the requirements of HB 5066.
“It is our understanding that the Permian Basin Reliability Plan can be successfully executed without the immediate construction of all proposed import paths (transmission lines),” reads the letter. “In fact, if the strategy were to prioritize dispatchable energy generation within the Permian Basin, closer to the fuel source, it could provide greater long-term grid reliability for Texas rather than relying primarily on large-scale import path transmission projects.”
The legislators are referring to the purpose of the Permian Basin Reliability Plan, which is to figure out a way to make the Texas electric grid more resilient and reliable. They argue that generating more power in West Texas could be a better strategy than carrying power through transmission lines from across the state. The Permian Basin region is one of the largest petroleum producing areas in the United States.
Troxclair
HD 19 Rep. Troxclair spoke with DailyTrib about her concerns regarding the Bell County to Big Hill project, following up on her Jan. 16 statement in which she announced her public opposition to the transmission line plans.
“I think we can all generally agree that we need to electrify the Permian,” she said. “However, the current transmission plan does not treat capacity. We would be moving electricity from one place to another, just shuffling it across the state at an extreme cost to task payers.
Troxclair emphasized that she supported bringing more reliable electricity to West Texas to support the petroleum industry, but made it clear that she disagreed with the presented method.
“Hands down, Texas is better off building generation than transferring electricity across the state,” she said. “A reading of the bill makes it clear that all options were to be considered and I don’t think that this has happened. Our ask to the (PUCT) is that all options are considered before moving forward.”
Background on the Bell County East to Big Hill 765 kV Transmission Line
The Bell County East to Big Hill 765-kV Transmission Project has been on Burnet County’s radar since June 2025. Since then, public opposition and protest has risen and the county has officially taken up opposition to the state project.
The transmission line project’s intention is to bring power to West Texas, but many Burnet County residents believe that it would be at the expense of Hill Country landowners.
The project was mandated by the Texas Legislature in 2023 through House Bill 5066. The bill aimed to increase the reliability of the Texas electric grid, and also specifically targeted bringing power to the Permian Basin region of West Texas.
The Public Utility Commission of Texas took on the task, requesting the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to conduct a study on the power needs of the Permian Basin, resulting in the Permian Basin Reliability Study.
The results of that study showed a massive increase in the projected demand for electricity from that region, mostly to satisfy an estimated addition of 11,695 megawatts to the grid from the non-oil and gas industry. Per ERCOT’s study, this load would be made up of 59 percent cryptocurrency operations, 22 percent “green hydrogen” projects, 13 percent “other” commercial and industrial projects, and 6 percent datacenters. Power would also be used to electrify the petroleum industry in West Texas.
Once ERCOT’s study was completed, the PUCT tasked Oncor Electric Delivery and the Lower Colorado River Authority with devising a plan to deliver more power to the Permian Basin. After months of planning the organizations created a preliminary plan and route for 765 kilovolt powerlines to be run from Central Texas to West Texas. Burnet County was notified of the plans, and the fact that it would likely be included in all possible routes, in May 2025.
The project, to be paid for by the state, has an estimated total cost of $33 billion, and would include three major lines, including the Bell County East to Big Hill project.
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Agendas for Highland Lakes governments are posted 72 hours before a meeting so are not always ready by the time this story is published. Check the links for more information.
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Downtown Marble Falls will soon be lined with banners honoring members of the Class of 2026, reviving a program first launched in 2020.
The senior banners are expected to begin appearing around the downtown area starting the week of May 11. The city originally installed the banners in June 2020 to recognize graduating seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic and recently decided to bring the program back.
Downtown Marble Falls will soon feature the Class of 2026 seniors. Photo by Maci Cottingham.
“We felt it was a great thing to bring back,” City Manager Caleb Kraenzel said during the Tuesday, May 5, City Council meeting.
Kraenzel said the program not only celebrates local seniors, but also encourages families to visit downtown while searching for the banners.
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Fifth generation Llano County rancher Joe Freeman was reelected on Tuesday, May 5, to serve as one of seven directors leading the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board.
Freeman will serve a two-year term, representing TSSWCB Area 2, which includes 50 counties across central and west Texas. He was first elected at the state level in 2024, voted in by directors from the 43 soil and water conservation districts within Area 2. Directors must be involved in ranching or agriculture, and at the local level, they are voted in by farmers and ranchers within their district.
As a state director, he is responsible for setting policy and distributing state support to soil and water conservation districts across the state to help protect soil and water resources as they pertain to ranching and agriculture.
Locally, Freeman has been a Llano SWCD director since 2015. He is the founder and president of the Cowboy Christmas for Kids charity, a member of the Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and the American Quarter Horse Association. He was once the president of The Hill Country Livestock Raisers Association, the Llano County Farm Bureau, and the Llano County A&M Club.
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Nearly $1 million in total was awarded to dozens of teachers across the Marble Falls Independent School District this week as part of the Texas Education Agency’s Teacher Incentive Allotment program.
The incentives, ranging from $5,729 to $25,312, were gifted to 72 teachers throughout Colt, Highland Lakes, Marble Falls, and Spicewood elementary schools, Marble Falls Middle School, and Marble Falls High School.
“We are proud to celebrate these designations and the additional funding that accompanies them—not just as a reward, but as an investment in the continued excellence of teaching and learning across our schools,” Superintendent Dr. Jeff Gasaway said in a press release. “This recognition reflects the talent, dedication, and passion our educators bring to their classrooms, and we are grateful for the difference they make in the lives of our students and our community.”
MFISD’s teachers were awarded using one of three designations: “recognized,” “exemplary,” or “master.” Dr. Gasaway shared that 13 teachers were designated as recognized, 45 were exemplary, and 14 were master. This year was MFISD’s first to award TIA designations.
Currently, the TIA program only applies to teachers of a select few subjects within MFISD, leaving out staff in areas like fine arts and athletics. Dr. Gasaway announced during a state of the district luncheon with the Marble Falls Area Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, May 5, that the district had submitted an application to allow more teachers to be eligible for awards in the future.
“We’ve submitted an application to try to catch teachers that are not already eligible,” Dr. Gasaway said. “We’re going to try to get our fine arts, our CTE, our athletics, our PE coaches, and our sciences other than biology (to be eligible for awards).”
About the Teacher Incentive Allotment program
The TEA’s Teacher Incentive Allotment program was created to provide districts with funding to keep teachers in the classroom who go above and beyond and improve student achievement.
Teachers are awarded specific amounts based upon their designations, formed using teacher observations and student classroom growth throughout the year. These designations are multiplied by a calculation of a campus’ rural and socioeconomic status to total the final awarded value.
For more information on the exact parameters of the TIA program, and a breakdown of the incentive calculations, visit the TIA’s FAQ webpage.
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The Granite Shoals and Bertram police departments recently entered into partnerships with the Department of Homeland Security that will allow select officers to carry out limited immigration enforcement duties alongside their regular policing responsibilities.
The agreements place both departments in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s 287(g) task force model. According to ICE, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security, the program acts as “a force multiplier for law enforcement agencies to enforce limited immigration authority with ICE oversight during their routine police duties.”
Participating officers must complete 40 hours of ICE-funded training and in turn their departments gain access to federal resources through the agreement.
Granite Shoals City Council voted unanimously to enter into a 287(g) task force model agreement with DHS during its regular meeting on April 28.
Granite Shoals Police Chief John Ortis said his department will not conduct immigration-related operations during routine traffic stops or carry out door-to-door enforcement. Instead, officers would assist in cases involving warrants or ICE operations targeting specific individuals.
“The primary reason for this is not to interfere with the federal government enforcement,” Ortis told DailyTrib. “We’re not here to break up families. We are not going to do that.”
Granite Shoals Mayor Ron Munos said the agreement formalizes coordination that already exists between local police and federal immigration officials.
“Nothing different from what we’re already doing,” Munos told DailyTrib. “We coordinate with ICE when needed, and stay within our bounds.”
Bertram Police Chief Jason Brantley described the agreement as a way to streamline cooperation with ICE while giving smaller departments access to additional resources.
“For me it’s kind of simple, my department is pretty sparsely funded,” Brantley told DailyTrib. “I’m looking for actual criminals, and cartels. It’s my way of trying to protect the city.”
Brantley was referring to the potential financial assistance that comes with participation in the 287(g) program. According to ICE, partner agencies can receive $7,500 in equipment per trained officer, $100,000 for new vehicles, salary and benefits reimbursements for trained officers, and overtime funds for up to 25 percent of a trained officer’s salary.
Leadership from the Marble Falls Police Department and the Burnet Police Department told DailyTrib that they do not plan to enter into similar agreements at this time and will continue coordinating with the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office on immigration detainers.
“The Marble Falls Police Department is not currently participating in a 287(g) Task Force agreement based on operational priorities, staffing capacity, and resource allocation,” Marble Falls Assistant Chief Trisha Ratliff. “This agency continues to follow established probable cause-based arrest procedures for observed and reported offenses, with responsibility for any immigration detainers resting with the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office following booking, as it always has.”
“I have not yet completed a full evaluation of the program’s operational, legal, or financial implications,” Burnet Police Chief Tony Hefferin said. “While this program may be considered in the future, no decisions have been made at this time. As we have always done, we will continue to coordinate with local, state, and federal partners whenever we are made aware of a potential violation of law, consistent with applicable state and federal requirements.”
The Burnet County Sheriff’s Office participates in a 287(g) agreement through the Warrant Service Officer Program, not the task force model, which allows deputies to “serve and execute administrative warrants on aliens in their agency’s jail,” according to ICE.
The Llano County Sheriff’s Office does not currently participate in any 287(g) agreements.
The 287(g) task force model was discontinued in 2012, but then revived through an executive order in January 2025.
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A new Sonic location at 1404 S. Water Street in Burnet should be opening soon, taking the place of the old Captain D’s building that has been sitting vacant since 2024. Burnet’s old Sonic, at 904 Buchanan Drive, run by the same owners, has permanently shut down ahead of the new location’s opening.
City Manager David Vaughn told DailyTrib that the location could open the week of Thursday, May 7, and that city staff was happy to see the lot being lit up by a new tenant after it sat empty for an extended period of time.
“This is a great reuse of an existing building that was sitting dark for too long,” Vaughn said. “(It) will help ensure (U.S. 281 South) remains a vibrant and productive commercial corridor for our community.”
Of note, the location currently does not seem to include any drive-in spots typical to the chain, but does have a drive-thru window, curbside parking spots, and indoor seating.
The old Sonic location at 904 Buchanan Drive in Burnet has seemingly ceased operations ahead of the new location’s opening. The sign, as pictured on May 7, reads “closed, at new store.” Staff photo by Caden Senn
As for the old Sonic, Vaughn told DailyTrib that it was his understanding that the owners, who are the same owners of the new location, intended to permanently shut the location down. As of Thursday, the sign at that location read, “closed, at new store.”
The old Captain D’s lot was one of two spaces on the northwestern corner of U.S. 281 (S. Water Street in Burnet) and Houston Clinton Drive to sit empty, along with the old Burger King storefront. Barring any issues along the way, both lots should be occupied by mid-2027, as an HTeaO store was greenlit to take over the Burger King building in March.
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Residents in the Paintbrush area of Summit Rock will experience a temporary water service interruption Thursday morning as crews repair a damaged main water line, according to the City of Horseshoe Bay Utilities Department.
Water service will be shut off beginning at 9 a.m. Thursday, May 7, and is expected to be restored by 1 p.m. The outage will affect homes on Paintbrush and all streets connected to Paintbrush while emergency repairs are completed.
According to a post from City of Horseshoe Bay, the work is necessary to restore reliability to the system and urged residents to plan ahead for the four-hour interruption. Utilities crews are expected to work throughout the morning to complete repairs and resume service as quickly as possible.
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