On Thursday, April 23, James Lawrence, 37, of Del Valle, Texas, was sentenced to 40 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice after pleading guilty to possession of heroin with intent to deliver and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Lawrence was arrested in the early morning hours of November 27, 2024, after Llano County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a vehicle obstructing traffic at the intersection of Corona and Dallas Streets in Kingsland.
Deputies found Lawrence asleep in the driver’s seat, bleeding from facial injuries and unable to explain how he had been hurt. A sawed-off shotgun and a pit bull breed dog were also present in the vehicle. While Lawrence was being evaluated by emergency medical service workers, deputies observed a bag containing methamphetamine on the driver’s seat.
After animal control secured the pit bull, a search of the vehicle yielded multiple firearms, additional methamphetamine, drug trafficking paraphernalia, and nearly 50 grams of heroin — a first-degree felony under Texas law.
Lawrence had previously been convicted of possession of a controlled substance in 2016 and bail jumping in 2023. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited by law from possessing firearms. The State was represented by Assistant District Attorney Joel Johnson.
District Attorney Perry Thomas said of the conviction and sentence, “Drug trafficking of this magnitude puts every member of our community at risk. This sentence sends a clear message that Llano County will pursue the maximum consequences available under the law for those who bring dangerous narcotics and illegal weapons into our neighborhoods.”
DA Thomas also expressed gratitude to the Llano County Sheriff’s Office for their diligent work in bringing Lawrence to justice.
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 2025-26 school year is drawing to a close and community members have the chance to celebrate the accomplishments of soon-to-be graduates by “adopting” a senior.
The Adopt a 2026 Marble Falls Senior project is led by a community-run Facebook group that lets parents post a picture and short paragraph about their students’ interests ahead of graduation on May 22.
Other members of the group can adopt the seniors, and gift them anything from snacks and candy, to money and gift cards with their parents’ blessing.
“Let’s show the Senior Class of 2026 some love,” reads the page’s about section. “Parents, post a picture of your Senior that you would like to be adopted with school name and a little bit about your child… Visitors, help adopt a Senior by providing them with small gifts.”
The Adopt a Senior group has helped congratulate Marble Falls seniors since April 2020. The page is updated by parents daily, so there is rarely a shortage of seniors to be gifted.
The page has also sponsored events for seniors, like the upcoming Senior Breakfast providing students with tasty tacos, donuts, and fruits.
Interested community members can visit the Adopt a Senior Facebook page here.
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.
Local school districts have been discussing potentially costly seatbelt upgrades to school bus fleets in order to meet updated safety standards by Sept. 1, 2029, as outlined in a new Texas Senate bill.
Texas SB 546, signed into law by Governor Greg Abbot in June 2025 and made effective that September, requires public school districts to equip all school buses with three-point (shoulder, both sides of lap) seatbelts by Sept. 1, 2029.
Burnet Consolidated, Marble Falls, and Llano independent school districts have all discussed the senate bill’s financial impacts to decide whether or not each district can take on the cost of retrofitting their fleet.
Both BCISD and LISD came to the conclusion that they would likely not be able to take on the financial burden of replacing the seats, which would cost $918,000 and $660,000 respectively.
MFISD, which is sitting on approximately $3.2 million in 2025 bond funds, concluded that they would likely meet compliance requirements, and fully replace their 14 out-of-compliance buses using bond funds.
MFISD Transportation Director Gina Solorzano told the board at their April meeting that the bond funds were already budgeted to cover full replacements of several aging buses, and would not strain their budget. The quoted cost for the 14 new buses was $2.24 million.
As an extension of the bill, districts were allowed to determine whether their budget would not allow for the upgrades within the set deadline, potentially extending the timeline and opening up grant opportunities to meet compliance with SB 546.
The bill required that districts submit to the Texas Education Agency a statement and accompanying information if they believed they would not meet compliance by the end of the current school year.
The TEA will calculate the total assistance needed for all districts to meet compliance, and submit a report to the legislature for further action no later than Jan. 1, 2027.
“After all the reporting is turned in by the districts around the state, (the TEA) will see how much it would cost the state of Texas, and then you’ll probably see some grant opportunities,” BCISD Chief Financial Officer Clay Goering said at a March board meeting.
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.
A planned Horseshoe Bay subdivision along Texas 71 has been scaled down from 28 residential lots to eight large-acre lots.
Horseshoe Bay City Council approved a final plat at its April 21 meeting for a portion of the 52-acre Silver Rock development, allowing a significantly reduced residential layout for this phase of the project.
The approved plan creates eight single-family lots of around five acres each, along with three commercial parcels and a new private roadway at Texas 71 and Silver Rock Loop. The roadway will connect to Silver Rock Loop rather than directly to Texas 71 and will include drainage infrastructure as well as water and wastewater utilities for the lots.
The revised layout replaces an earlier concept that envisioned 28 smaller residential lots on the site. According to Horseshoe Bay, the developer is now working with city staff to finalize construction plans consistent with the approved plat.
The Silver Rock project is a large mixed-use planned development along the Texas 71 corridor. Future potential uses identified in the overall plan include commercial development such as a self-storage facility, gas station with convenience store, restaurant space, and medical or professional offices, along with a planned assisted living facility and additional residential areas.
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.
A proposed 715-acre rock quarry situated on Hoover Valley Road in Burnet is still pushing to clear one of the final roadblocks for its approval, despite steady pushback from the local community.
A local activist group, Save Burnet, formed in 2024 in opposition to the Asphalt Inc. quarry project. That group began holding public meetings in 2026 to spread the word on the potential impacts of the quarry to surrounding landowners and communities.
According to CTGCD General Manager Mitchell Sodek, the district has not received an official permit application from Asphalt Inc. yet.
“We received a resubmittal of the hydrogeologic investigation with the requested additional information,” Sodek told DailyTrib. “We are now reviewing that and will prepare a response. We have not received an operating permit application yet.”
Sodek told the CTGCD Board of Directors at their January meeting that Asphalt Inc.’s original hydrogeologic investigation was sent back to request further information and ask for certain portions of the investigation to be redone.
The revised investigation has since been sent back to the CTGCD for review. This still does not constitute an application.
The CTGCD has had to clarify on several occasions that the quarry has not submitted a permit application to date, as community concerns have loomed and messages from residents directed at CTGCD staff and board members continue to pour in.
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.
Early voting is nearly complete for Highland Lakes area local elections. The last days to cast your ballot early are Monday, April 27, and Tuesday, April 28, before Election Day on Saturday, May 2.
Major elections are underway in Marble Falls, Burnet, Granite Shoals, Bertram, Llano, and the Burnet Consolidated Independent School District.
There are four seats total up for election, with three seats at their full two-year terms, and one with a partial term that expires on May 1, 2027. The unexpired term is to fill the spot left vacant by former councilor Tres Clinton, who stepped down in December 2025.
Five candidates filed to run for the three, full, two-year terms. They include Lee Carney, Anthony Francisco, Sky Hullum, Danny Lester, and incumbent Cindia Talamantez.
Bertram City Council has four seats up for grabs with 10 total candidates filing.
The mayoral race is unopposed, six candidates are running for two full-term council seats, and three candidates are running for one partial-term council seat.
Burnet Consolidated Independent School District has a $135 million bond package on the ballot for major campus changes and maintenance.
If passed by voters, the bond package is planned to include the full demolition and rebuilding of Burnet Middle School, classroom additions at RJ Richey Elementary, and various maintenance projects throughout the district.
Llano area voters have big decisions to make at the polls in the coming days. There are three seats on Llano City Council up for grabs and two contested races for seats on the Llano Independent School District Board of Trustees.
Learn more about Llano County elections on the county’s website. Contact the Llano County Elections Office with questions or concerns at 325-247-5425.
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.
After suffering a number of stalls and setbacks, the Shops at Flatrock Crossing is expected to open in fall 2027 according to developers. The 55-acre retail center will be near the intersection of U.S. 281 and East FM 2147 in south Marble Falls, bringing dozens of new businesses to the Highland Lakes area.
The project was originally announced in April 2024 with a planned March 2026 completion date, but that timeline was delayed due to a number of factors, including the need to satisfy federal flood mitigation regulations, the loss of integral business partners, and necessary environmental studies for endangered songbird habitat. Now, those problems seem to have been solved.
The Marble Falls Planning and Zoning Commission, on April 23, re-approved Flatrock Crossing’s preliminary plat and final plat during its regular meeting.
According to Marble Falls Development Services planner Hanna Kadow, city staff are now reviewing the Flatrock Crossing site development plan. Once that is approved, construction can begin.
“There should be no more stop gaps for (the developers),” Kadow told DailyTrib.
In the April 3 DailyTrib story “Shops at Flatrock Crossing inching closer to reality,” Flatrock Crossing co-developer Russ Roper told DailyTrib that the project was still moving forward and “just taking us a lot longer than anticipated.”
This map shows the general location of The Shops at Flatrock Crossing along U.S. 281 in south Marble Falls. Google Maps
Roper, and the Flatrock Creek Development Group Partners, recently released an official statement on the retail center, announcing the advancement of development and a projected fall 2027 completion date.
“This project reflects decades of planning, investment, and commitment to the Marble Falls community,” Roper said in the April 24 media release. “We have seen the region grow and evolve, and The Shops at Flatrock Crossing is a direct response to that momentum—bringing quality retailers, new jobs, and long-term economic benefit to the area.”
The Shops at Flatrock Crossing is a massive undertaking, with an estimated $130 million price tag and 330,000 square feet of retail space. It is part of the larger Roper Ranch East Planned Development District, which will eventually include a large residential area and other commercial expansion along U.S. 281.
Additional tenant announcements will be made in the coming months according to developers, but some of the previously announced retailers are Academy, Hobby Lobby, Ulta Beauty, T.J. Maxx, Boot Barn, Famous Footwear, Chipotle, and James Avery.
“As one of the first developments of its scale and quality in the Texas Hill Country, The Shops at Flatrock Crossing is expected to serve a broad trade area, capturing both local demand and seasonal tourism traffic drawn to Marble Falls and the surrounding lakes,” reads the developers’ media release.
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.
Below is the weekly schedule of sporting events for Burnet High School for the week of April 27-May 3. Tournaments are all-day events unless otherwise noted.
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.
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.
