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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Marble Falls High School students will have the opportunity to meet with local employers and explore their career paths at a job fair from 11:40 a.m.-1:45 p.m. on April 20.
The event, to be held at the MFHS Library at 2101 Mustang Drive, will feature booths of local businesses promoting job openings, internships, and information on careers.
MFHS staff has asked any local businesses interested in participating to contact the school for more information, or to sign up for the event ahead of time online. Businesses may set up for the fair between 11-11:30 a.m. the day of.
“Marble Falls High School is hosting an upcoming Job Fair, and we would love for your business to be a part of this exciting opportunity,” reads a MFHS Facebook post. “This event connects local employers with motivated high school students who are eager to explore career paths, internships, and job opportunities.”
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Sports journalist Art Dlugach died on March 26 at 82 years old. He was known as the voice of the Llano Yellowjackets for decades, and a memorial for his life is planned for Saturday, April 11.
Doors open at 12:45 p.m. on Saturday and the memorial is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at the Llano High School Auditorium, at 2509 Texas 16. The family asks that any potential donations be made to the Llano Athletic Booster Club in lieu of flowers.
A “Jacket for life”
Dlugach was an Emmy Award-winning sports producer with decades of experience across the country in journalism, but locally he was known as a diehard fan of Llano High School sports, having spent over 25 years reporting on Yellowjackets athletics.
Dlugach had lived in the Highland Lakes area since 1998, when he moved to Marble Falls to pursue his dream of calling games. He gained a reputation for “bleeding orange and black” in his support of Llano sports. He wrote for The Llano News, called Llano football games, gave commentary on Stinger-FM Radio and KBEY 103.9 FM, and tried to make as many Yellowjacket games as possible.
According to his obituary, he was a devout Baylor Bears fan, but his heart belonged to the Yellowjackets. This was confirmed by KBEY 103.9 FM Operations Manager Ben Shields, who worked alongside Dlugach for over four years and saw him as a mentor.
“Art’s love affair with Llano was truly amazing,” Shields told DailyTrib. “He was one of a kind. There will never be another person like him.”
His love for the Yellowjackets was reciprocated and he earned the honorary title of “Jacket for Life.”
Dlugach was born on July 2, 1943 in Mississippi and raised between that state and Tennessee. He attended Baylor University and began his career in journalism in Waco and Dallas in the mid-1960s. He then took a job in San Francisco in 1969, where he worked for a CBS affiliate KPIX-TV. He spent 25 years with the station as a film editor, news producer, and sports producer, earning Emmys for his sports work and the title of Sports Producer of the Year.
He had been battling lymphatic leukemia for 20 years leading up to his death, but reportedly worried more about missing Llano football games than his own health when he had to make conflicting medical appointments.
He is survived by daughters Kim, and husband John Crabb, and April, and husband Matt Paine; his grandchildren Jack, Rob, Reagan, and Jess; his sister Jane Lettes; niece Jan and her husband Bob Zauzmer; nephew Louis and his wife Amy Lettes; and families.
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Huber Carbonates has filed an application with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to roughly quadruple its total dust particle output at its limestone quarry on the south side of Marble Falls. A public meeting on the permit request is scheduled for May.
Huber, in January 2025, filed an application to amend its air quality permit with the TCEQ for its quarry at 849 U.S. 281 in Marble Falls in the hopes of operating its facility for longer hours and producing more material, which in turn would increase its dust output.
The application had been delayed until recently, following an official protest from the city of Marble Falls in May 2025. At the time, city leaders noted concerns about the permit regarding air quality and traffic– those concerns are still present.
“We are always concerned about the air quality and traffic in our city,” Mayor John Packer told DailyTrib. “We will be in attendance at the May meeting.”
The public meeting, to be hosted by the TCEQ, is scheduled for 7 p.m. on May 7 at Max Copeland Gym on the Marble Falls High School campus, 2101 Mustang Drive.
File a public comment at the meeting or file one online with the TCEQ. To submit a comment, visit this link and enter the permit number 8252.
According to Huber’s air quality permit application, the company is asking for overall increases to its allowable “particulate matter emissions” at its quarry, referring to the potentially airborne dust and debris that would be produced from its limestone mining operation. Depending on their size, the particles can be classified as “inhalable,” which poses health risks like decreased lung function, asthma, and other respiratory issues.
The smaller the particle, the greater the potential health impacts.
Total particulate matter increase request- from 2.45 tons per year to 10.54 tons per year (314 percent increase)
Request for increase to particulate matter of 10 micrometers or less- from 1.9 tons per year to 6.26 tons per year (229 percent increase)
Request for decrease to particulate matter of 2.5 micrometers or less- from .95 tons per year to .94 tons per year (1 percent decrease)
At this stage, the permit amendment application has been declared “administratively complete,” and a technical review by the TCEQ is underway.
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The High School BBQ State Championship is back in Granite Shoals April 24-25, with local teams from Marble Falls High School and Llano High School joining the statewide competition.
The event, held for the second year at Quarry Park, 2221 N. Phillips Road, is expected to feature about 120 teams and draw thousands of visitors to Granite Shoals. Last year, the championship attracted 2,500 to 3,000 people, filling hotels and Airbnbs as far as Lakeway and Lampasas.
The championship awarded a total of $80,000 in scholarships in 2025.
Friday, April 24, is set for student prep and setup, while the main competition begins Saturday, April 25, with students arriving as early as 5 a.m. Coaches can offer verbal guidance but must remain outside designated cooking areas throughout the day.
Granite Shoals Fire Chief Tim Campbell is coaching the Marble Falls High School team alongside Police Chief John Ortis. Campbell is no stranger to the world of barbecue, having won a 2016 state championship with his brothers in the Lone Star Barbecue Society. The family is also known for their brand, 5C Smokehouse Sauces & Seasonings.
“It’s a great event and great for the kids. We enjoy seeing the kids carry on the legacy,” Campbell told DailyTrib. “Having this many kids and people from across the state from the Panhandle to the Valley who haven’t seen Granite Shoals or Quarry Park, it’s a big deal for us.”
High School BBQ, Inc., founded in 2018, is a nonprofit and the first high school barbecue organization in the U.S. It was featured on the Magnolia Network during its 2023-24 season and runs its competition season alongside the academic year, with regionals beginning in September and the state championship concluding the season each April.
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The Phoenix Center raised a significant share of its annual funding during its Cause for Celebration Gala on March 7 at Horseshoe Bay Resort.
The annual event, which featured a Roaring ’20s theme with dinner, live music, and dancing, generated more than 40 percent of the nonprofit’s operating budget each year. Those funds help provide mental health services to children across Central Texas, the majority of whom receive financial assistance from the center.
“Thanks to the generosity of our donors at Phoenix Center’s Cause for Celebration Gala, we are able to offer life-changing mental health care services to children and families and build a stronger community,” Chief Operating Officer Mary Flanagan told DailyTrib. “We are so grateful for all who supported our gala.”
The Phoenix Center, founded in 2007, provides trauma-informed counseling and mental health care for children ages 2 to 18 and their families. The organization serves multiple rural counties in the region, all designated as Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas.
The nonprofit has expanded its footprint in recent years, including opening an 8,000-square-foot counseling center in 2022 and adding equine therapy facilities in 2025 at its 77-acre campus in Horseshoe Bay, as demand for services continues to grow.
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A drafted plan outlining new strategies to support aging adults, their caregivers, and communities within the Capital Area Council of Governments coverage area is taking public comments until 10 a.m. on May 1 for refinement and creation of a final 2027-2029 Aging Services Area Plan.
CAPCOG’s upcoming area plan – encompassing Burnet, Llano, Bastrop, Blanco, Caldwell, Fayette, Hays, Lee, Travis, and Williamson counties – is aimed at improving the health, safety, and participation in the community of older adults based on survey results taken in the spring.
The survey, the Community Needs Assessment, highlighted concerns over chronic health, mobility, fall, and medication issues, as well as limited access to health information, referral, and assistance.
Lack of transportation options, exposure to scams and fraud, and isolation from the community were also noted.
Public comment
Those interested in reviewing the Aging Services Area Plan can do so here. CAPCOG has requested for comments to be emailed to Aging Services Special Projects Manager Shirley Trapani by the May 1 deadline at strapani@capcog.org.
Any comments directed at a specific portion should include the line number included on the left margin of the plan, or a screenshot of the text.
Visit the CAPCOG website to learn more about the agency and how it impacts local communities.
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Marble Falls has joined the Burnet County Highland Lakes Sub-Regional Planning Commission to help the city tackle large-scale projects and regional issues in the future.
The commission, created under Chapter 391 of the Texas Local Government Code, allows cities and counties to coordinate on infrastructure, growth, and major projects affecting multiple jurisdictions.
While the group is currently pushing back against a proposed high-voltage transmission line in Burnet County, Marble Falls officials emphasized that the city’s participation is focused on long-term, broader benefits. The proposed transmission line routes are all north of Texas 29, relatively far from Marble Falls city limits.
“We don’t really have a dog in that fight. We’re joining more for a general purpose. We’re not joining specifically to fight the transmission line,” Marble Falls Mayor John Packer told DailyTrib.
The collaboration could help address future concerns that extend beyond city limits, such as environmental and infrastructure challenges, according to Packer.
“There may be things in the future that affect us like air quality, and other broader issues,” he said.
By pooling resources and coordinating efforts, the commission aims to increase recognition and influence with state and regional agencies.
“We mainly want to come together on issues that affect all of us so we can speak collectively and be heard by the right agencies, rather than as individual entities,” Packer said. “We’re doing it for the big picture.”
Each participating entity appoints two representatives. Marble Falls named Mayor John Packer and Place 2 Councilor Dee Haddock, joining the city of Burnet’s Mayor Gary Wideman and Councilor Joyce Laudenschlager, and Burnet County’s Precinct 2 Commissioner Damon Beierle and Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace Frank Reilly.
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The Marble Falls High School theatre program just took first place in area competition for the 2026 one act play season, and is preparing for its coming appearance at regionals with its performance of “The Collective.”
The Mustangs competed at the 2026 UIL 4A Area 21-24 One Act Play tournament on Wednesday, April 7, earning first place. They next take the stage April 24-25 at regional competition. This will be the troupe’s ninth consecutive performance at regionals and tenth straight year making it into the playoffs.
“I think our contest results are consistent because we are consistent as a department,” MFHS Theatre Director Jon Clark told DailyTrib. “We’re also incredibly fortunate to have strong support from our school district and our community.”
Leading up to its area championship win on Tuesday, the Mustangs also took first in bi-district and district competition with their performance of “The Collective,” by Jean Betts.
At the area play, several members of the theatre company took home awards and honorable mentions:
-Addison Dehorty, honorable mention for All-Star Cast
-Elsa Vandiford, All-Star Cast
-Anthony Ruiz, All-Star Technician
-Nina Garcia, Honorable Mention All-Star Cast
-Cameron Newell, Best Performer
The program also went to the state finals in 2025, taking home silver for its performance of “Moby Dick–Rehearsed.”
“I think the biggest factor in our continued success is that we never stop improving the show,” Clark said. “After every contest, we work with clinicians, take their notes to heart, and implement what will make the production stronger. That’s an important lesson for our students, that even when you think you’re finished, there’s always room to grow.”
Correction: The original version of the article referred to a different one act play titled “The Collective” by Brent Holland. The MFHS theatre program is not performing that play, but rather “The Collective” by Jean Betts.
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