A suspect was arrested after a tense altercation with Llano County Sheriff’s Office deputies on Wednesday, March 25. 

The individual, who is currently unidentified, allegedly charged an officer and attempted to take his gun during a contact at around 6:50 p.m. on Wednesday in the Buchanan Dam area, near the 8800 block of RR 1431. 

According to a media release issued by the LCSO, a deputy was dispatched to the scene where a caller reported that a man was walking around in traffic on the rural highway. 

The deputy reportedly made contact with the man in question. The media release states that bystanders watching the incident unfold shouted that the individual had a firearm. The deputy was then said to have drawn his weapon after observing the suspect reach into his waistband.

The individual then charged the deputy, and appeared to have reached for the officer’s firearm before fleeing from the scene into the nearby brush. 

The above tense moment was captured on video and shared by a Facebook user, Danny Brown, who was watching from across the road as the suspect charged the deputy. Watch the video at this link. 

Law enforcement later located the suspect, who then reportedly again charged a deputy. He was subdued with a taser and taken into custody and charged with evading arrest and resisting arrest.

DailyTrib reached out to the LCSO to get more details on the incident, including whether or not the suspect was in possession of a firearm, but did not receive a response by the time of this article’s publication. 

The deputies involved in the incident sustained no injuries and there is no reported risk to public safety.

editor@thepicayune.com

The Marble Falls High School boys soccer team secured the 2026 4A Division 1 Area Championship title on Tuesday, March 24, beating the Uvalde Coyotes 6-1. 

Next, the Mustangs (16-3-5 overall, 10-1-1 district) head to the regional semifinals to face the Valley View Tigers (11-5-2 overall, 7-1 district). 

The game takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 27 at Harlandale Memorial Stadium, 4002 Roosevelt Avenue in San Antonio. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. and admission is $4 for kids or $5 for adults.

“I think Coach (Ryan) Craven and our kids are doing a phenomenal job,” MFHS Athletic Director Kerri Timmerman told DailyTrib. “It’s an exciting time.”

Jostin Buezo was named player of the game in the 6-1 win over Uvalde on Tuesday night. The Mustangs are on a hot streak, with 11 consecutive wins heading into the regional semifinals.

The last time the Marble Falls team went to the regional semifinals was in its 2024 season, when they took a 3-2 loss against the Boerne Greyhounds. 

dakota@thepicayune.com 

A guaranteed maximum price of $7.15 million was approved for the new Marble Falls High School baseball facility, on Monday, March 23. Ground is expected to be broken by April 1 and the facility could be finished by December of this year.

The baseball facility’s construction will be paid for using a portion of MFISD’s $172.2 million bond package approved by voters in May 2025. The project will include a new baseball field, dugouts, clubhouse, detention pond, and excavation.

In addition to the guaranteed maximum price, MFISD Superintendent Jeff Gasaway told the board that “soft costs” would likely raise the final total of the project to around $8 million. 

The new total will place MFISD nearly $1.5 million over the budgeted expense for the project, meaning they will have to rearrange funding of other bond projects to bridge the gap.

The baseball field was initially slated for completion in February of this year, but it was put on hold at an Oct. 20 board meeting after major inaccuracies in the cost estimate for the facility and other major bond projects were discovered.

MFISD’s architecture firm at the time, Pfluger Architects, originally placed a $6.5 million price tag on the facility. Once the buildout phase came, however, bidding estimates were closer to $10 million. Upon finding further inaccuracies on other project estimates, MFISD suspended their partnership with Pfluger and began searching for a new firm.

According to MFISD’s item brief on the baseball facility, American Constructors will be the new firm spearheading construction.

The facility’s construction and completion also serves as a checkpoint for the high school’s $26.05 million multipurpose indoor sports facility, and has subsequently delayed any progress on that project.

caden@thepicayune.com

The city of Burnet took on a drainage easement from the Burnet Consolidated Independent School District on Monday, March 23, assuming responsibility for clearing out and maintaining a creek that was causing the district persistent flooding issues.

The 100-foot wide easement, encompassing approximately 2.44 acres of land by N. Wood and E. Graves streets, will give the city full responsibility for maintaining the waterway and its surrounding area, including clearing the creek of debris and ensuring regular water flow.

Several instances of partial flooding around the encompassing streets and areas of the creek, including behind the district’s transportation and maintenance building, were noted by BCISD Chief Financial Officer Clay Goehring as regularly occurring problems leading to the call for an easement.

“When you drive by transportation and maintenance and that’s flooded, it floods on that street, that all comes from the water from this little creek,” Goehring said at the meeting.

Goehring added that BCISD was hopeful that the easement would assist in correcting some of the draining problems of an additional waterway running east between Burnet Middle School and RJ Richey Elementary School.

“(The easement) will help. It’s not going to solve, but it’ll help water flow for basically our entire property up to the north of (RJ Richey),” Goehring said.

At a previous meeting, several community members spoke during the public comments section to ask BCISD to address the flow of that same waterway, which had overflowed during the July floods and partly affected the properties south of it.

While the easement is not meant to directly correct that waterway’s flow, Goehring said that BCISD still plans on establishing a more permanent solution for that project.

caden@thepicayune.com

A new septic waste intake facility in Kingsland should be online by October, quadrupling the daily processing power of the Kingsland Municipal Utility District. The project comes with a $14.8 million price tag that should mostly be paid for through the facility’s users rather than KMUD taxpayers.

The new facility will replace the existing septic plant, which has been in operation for the last 15 years. It will process 40,000 gallons of waste per day compared to the current plant’s 10,000 gallons. KMUD General Manager J. Horry explained that the new plant site could someday be expanded to include a second wastewater treatment facility.

“The secondary treatment plant is just for septic haulers at this time,” he told DailyTrib. “The plan for the future, way out in the future, will be to build a domestic plant as well.”

The new septic-processing facility will be built next to the old plant at 241 Williamette Drive on the outskirts of Kingsland.

According to Horry, the new plant was needed due to the limited options for septic haulers in the immediate area and because the current plant was reaching the end of its life and in constant need of repairs.

“The old saying, ‘you can’t put a band aid on a cut throat,’” he said. “We’re constantly having to repair the old facility. Everything is old and worn out. You just can’t keep bandaiding.”

This new plant will mostly serve as a drop-off for private septic hauling businesses in the area, which collect waste from customers throughout the Highland Lakes. Those haulers pay per gallon to use the facility. The per-gallon rate was increased in 2025 from 8.25 cents to 25 cents, about a 203 percent increase. This change was made, in part, to help fund the new facility and pay back the $14.8 million in bonds that were taken out to help build it. 

While the new plant does mean increased costs for septic haulers, potentially impacting septic users in the area, it should not affect KMUD taxpayers. 

“No taxpayer money was used for this,” Horry said. “We took out bonds to pay for it through (The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality).”

KMUD provides wastewater services to its approximately 3,400 customers in the Kingsland area. Septic users may not necessarily be customers of KMUD, but the district’s leadership still sees the need, and opportunity, to serve the greater Highland Lakes area with the new septic plant.

“There are not many septic receivers around anymore,” Horry said. “There are a lot of septic systems still out there, people that are way out in the country, people that are not in a city or a district such as ours.”

Right now, septic users have few reasonable options to dispose of their waste. There is a septic receiver in Austin, but surrounding receivers in Lampasas, Gillespie, and Kerr counties either have steep cost increases for out-of-county users or are exclusively for in-county use. Marble Falls also takes in a limited amount of waste. 

dakota@thepicayune.com 

Adele’s Restaurant and Lounge, an upscale eatery in Marble Falls, announced that it was “closed until further notice,” on Monday, March 23.

The restaurant, located at 112 U.S. 281, opened in July 2024.

DailyTrib reached out to Adele’s ownership for more details on the closure, but did not receive a response by the time of this article’s publication.

A Marble Falls Area Chamber of Commerce mixer was scheduled to be hosted at Adele’s on Thursday, March 26, but the event was canceled on Tuesday, March 24, following the announced closure on Monday. 

Adele’s had been posting consistently on social media in the week prior to the closure, announcing new menu items, live music, and a St. Patrick’s Day holiday celebration. 

dakota@thepicayune.com 

Fees for boat launches and the Community Center are rising in Granite Shoals following City Council’s approval of new rates aimed at increasing revenue from non-residents and facility rentals.

At the March 24 meeting, the daily non-resident boat launch fee was approved to rise from $10 to $20, while the annual non-resident permit will remain $200 and renew each Jan. 1. Residents and property owners will continue to have free access to city boat ramps with a valid permit sticker.

Community Center rental fees for residents will double from $100 to $200, while the non-resident rate remains $300. A refundable $300 deposit still applies to all rentals.

“In accordance with Ordinance 26-65, all revenue collected from daily and annual launch passes is retained locally and dedicated to the parks budget. These funds directly support boat ramp repairs, park maintenance, equipment upkeep, and supplies related to launch access,” City Manager Sarah Novo told DailyTrib.

The city has also introduced digital payment options for boat launches, including a QR code system to streamline access for residents and visitors. Organized events, such as bass fishing tournaments and large gatherings at Quarry Park, will continue to require special event permits to ensure proper coordination and planning.

maci@thepicayune.com

A community fundraiser is set for this Saturday, March 28, to support Bertram Police Officer Maceo Johnson, who is recovering from a stroke, with proceeds going toward medical and living expenses.

Johnson suffered a stroke in November 2025, shortly before Thanksgiving, and returned to active duty in March. His time off was not covered by short-term disability and was unrelated to the line of duty, leaving him responsible for medical and living expenses.

“When we hear about another first responder or anyone who needs help, we have to do something,” Police Chief John Ortis told DailyTrib. “We’re all about giving back and helping people.”

The fundraiser features 30 whole briskets for sale at $165 each, with pickup starting at 10 a.m. at the Granite Shoals Fire Station, 8410 W FM 1431. All proceeds will go directly to Johnson. 

Donors can reserve a brisket via Venmo at John-Ortis-1 or by emailing gspoacook@gmail.com. Contributions of any amount are also welcome.

The fundraiser is organized in partnership with the Granite Shoals Police Department, Granite Shoals Fire Rescue, 5C Smokehouse Sauces and Seasonings, HEB, the Granite Shoals Police Officers Association, and the Hill Country 100 Club.

“It’s incredible to see how great the support is from the community for me and that they’re all willing to come together to benefit me,” Johnson said. “We’re not just a number, we’re people. It’s great to see that in the Hill Country, people and relationships matter.”

maci@thepicayune.com

The Llano Earth Art Festival, better known as LEAF, is back, promising a weekend of unique natural art, the 2026 World Rock Stacking Championship, music, camping, vendors, workshops, and more. 

The annual spring festival will take place Friday through Sunday, March 27-29, at Grenwelge Park, 199 E. Haynie Street in Llano. 

LEAF, which began in 2015, is a one-of-a-kind event that brings artists from all over the world to create pieces made from natural materials – like stone, sand, and wood – within the banks of the Llano River. The World Rock Stacking Championship is also a huge draw, bringing locals and travelers together to see who can stack the highest stone tower over the weekend.

Tickets are $15 for single-day entry and $30 for full-weekend entry. Children 12-years-old and younger enter for free if accompanied by an adult. 

dakota@thepicayune.com