Granite Shoals is celebrating its 60th birthday with the return of the popular family-friendly event GraniteFest this May.
The three-day celebration, May 8-10, commemorates the city’s official incorporation on May 9, 1966, and will bring residents together for a weekend packed with entertainment and community pride.
Festivities will take place on the grounds of Quarry Park, at 2221 N. Phillips Ranch Road.
“On May 9, 1966, Granite Shoals officially became a city, and for 60 years this community has been built by neighbors who care deeply about where they live,” City Manager Sarah Novo told DailyTrib. “GraniteFest, gives us the opportunity to honor the history that has shaped the city while celebrating the future that continues to bring us together.”
The event promises a carnival, vendors, food booths, a car show, kid’s games, live music, fireworks, and more.
“This event is more than just a festival; it’s a time for the community to come together,” Novo said.
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The Hill Country Soil and Water Conservation District has extended its feral hog trap leases to 60 days from 30 days, making the expensive devices usable by residents of Burnet and Lampasas counties on an as-needed basis for longer durations.
Landowners can rent a pig trap from the district for 60 days at a rate of $250, the same price as the previous 30-day rental. This style of trap normally costs around $3,000 according to the district.
“The District purchased these traps with the goal of assisting residents in the removal of feral pigs at an affordable cost,” reads a Hill Country SWCD media release issued on Tuesday, Feb. 24.
To learn more about the trap rental, contact program director Paul Holland at 512-556-5572 ext. 3101 or by email at Paul.Holland@tx.nacdnet.net. The traps are available at the Hill Country SWCD office located at 502 S. Key Avenue, Suite E in Lampasas.
The traps are about 20 feet in diameter and held in place by T-posts. They function autonomously and do not need remote activation. They are designed to capture several animals at once.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the rutting and wallowing behaviors of feral swine, which include pigs, boars, and hogs, can lead to significant soil erosion and water contamination if left unchecked in certain areas.
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A Buchanan Dam man was killed in a motorcycle crash on Thursday, Feb. 19, in Llano County.
According to a statement from the Texas Department of Public Safety sent to DailyTrib, DPS troopers responded to a motorcycle crash at around 6:15 p.m. on Thursday near the intersection of Texas 261 and Texas 29.
An initial investigation concluded that the operator of a BMW motorcycle traveling westbound on Texas 29 exited onto Texas 261, drifted to the left for an unknown reason, struck a curb, and collided with a road sign.
The motorcycle operator, who was identified as 52-year-old Thomas Allen Jr., of Buchanan Dam, was pronounced dead at the scene.
As of this article’s publication, DPS reported that the crash was still under investigation, and that no further information was available at the time.
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The city of Llano announced a boil water notice on Tuesday morning, Feb. 24, after a water main break was discovered on Monday night, affecting residents south of the Llano River. The city clarified that public water customers north of the Llano River were not affected.
The main break has been repaired according to the city. The city will issue a statement once the boil water notice has been lifted.
The city warned residents to boil their water before consuming it, which includes washing hands and brushing teeth, as dangerous bacteria could affect them. Children, seniors, and those with weakened immune systems were noted as especially at risk.
“To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and ice making should be boiled and cooled prior to use,” a city press release reads.
Llano ISD posted their own statements about the water leak late Monday evening, Feb. 23, and assured parents, students, and staff that school operations would continue on Tuesday with bottled water on site and enough boiled water for meal preparation.
Contact Llano City Hall at 325-247-4158 with any questions or for more information.
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A 233-acre blaze, the Cedar Gulch Fire, was declared 100 percent contained on Monday, Feb. 23, after firefighters battled it in northeast Burnet County over the weekend.
According to Burnet County Emergency Management Coordinator Derek Marchio, firefighters were toned out to a fire reported east of FM 2657 at around 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21. Marchio said the fire’s progress was halted within a few hours, but it took until Monday to completely get it 100 percent contained.
Marchio told DailyTrib that current dry, windy conditions and an abundance of dead grass and foliage across Burnet County are creating dangerous fire conditions.
The Cedar Gulch Fire was fought by multiple agencies, including Northeast Burnet County Fire Rescue, Bertram Fire Department, Cassie Volunteer Fire Department, East Lake Volunteer Fire Department, Florence Volunteer Fire Department, Killeen Fire Rescue, and Southwest Bell County Volunteer Fire Department.
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The Horseshoe Bay City Council opted to leave two public hearings open as it weighs variance requests tied to the Cap Rock Thundercloud project, citing unresolved concerns about infrastructure, traffic and construction impacts.
At its Feb. 17 meeting, the council said that it needed further engineering analysis and a clearly- defined on-site construction parking plan before making a decision on the development’s variance requests. The hearings have been ongoing since January, and officials indicated they hope to take action in March.
The requests involve exceptions to the city’s excavation and grading standards, which currently cap cut-and-fill at four feet. The project calls for 10 garden home lots along Bay West Boulevard in Horseshoe Bay West, along with a separate 1-acre parcel planned for two additional garden homes.
Residents who addressed the council raised questions about safety at tight intersections, congestion during construction, possible street deterioration and strain on municipal utilities.
The tract is presently used as overflow event parking for the Horseshoe Bay Resort. Replay Destinations, the development team, said it is coordinating with resort representatives as discussions continue.
Council member Ruben Fechner commended the developer’s community outreach efforts.
“You’ve done a wonderful job engaging with the community and I appreciate that and the transparency,” Fechner said. “I don’t think there’s anything that can’t be resolved.”
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A contracted postal carrier, 49-year-old Melanie Rodriguez, was recently arrested in Horseshoe Bay on four different charges related to stealing mail.
According to the Horseshoe Bay Police Department, an investigation began when it received a report on Jan. 9 that a gift card had been used fraudulently. Rodriguez was then arrested on Jan. 23 and charged with theft of mail, a state jail felony.
She was arrested again on Friday, Feb. 20, on three more charges: credit card or debit abuse of the elderly, a third-degree felony; fraudulent possession identifying information, a state jail felony; and credit card or debit card abuse, another state jail felony.
As of Tuesday, Feb. 24, Rodriguez was still in the Burnet County Jail, being held on a total of $90,000 in bonds.
Horseshoe Bay Police Chief Jason Graham confirmed that Rodriguez was an independently contracted postal carrier, not an official employee of the U.S. Postal Service.
While Horseshoe Bay has its own post office, it does not have its own post master, and is under the authority of the U.S. Post Office in Marble Falls, at 1212 N. U.S. 281. When asked directly by DailyTrib whether or not Rodriguez was working on behalf of the post office, the location’s supervisor did not provide comment.
Chief Graham said that he could not provide more information on the case, as the investigation was ongoing.
“We anticipate further investigations and charges involving this,” he told DailyTrib.
Graham did address social media rumors surrounding the case. A Facebook post made following the arrest alleged that “over 600 pieces of opened mail” were found in Rodriguez’s vehicle. The chief said that it was not quite that many.
“We have heard that a lot of people in this community are upset with the mail service,” he said. “So I think that could be adding fuel to the fire.”
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The fundraiser will support HLCR’s mission of rescuing dogs in the Texas Hill Country, with a focus on animals that have medical or behavioral challenges. Dogs with the most heartbreaking stories receive rehabilitation through the shelter’s Diamonds in the Ruff program before being placed in permanent homes.
The shelter currently has two donation matches in place: $35,000 and $7,500. Starting Friday, Feb. 20, the first $7,500 in donations will be tripled, and all additional contributions up to $35,000 will be doubled. Donations can be made on HLCR’s Amplify Austin page.
Executive Director Brittany Osbourn said the fundraiser helps sustain the organization’s work.
“If you feel a special connection to our cause, I humbly ask for your help. Every dollar supports the metamorphosis of these tough pups, and I can vouch for this personally. My heart carries the stories of so many dogs who prove it,” Osbourn wrote on her Amplify Austin page.
Amplify Austin, which began in 2011, is an annual online campaign that helps local nonprofits raise funds through peer-to-peer donations and dedicated giving days, providing organizations like HLCR a platform to increase their impact.
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Below is the weekly schedule of sporting events for the Burnet High School for the week of Feb. 23-March 1. Tournaments are all-day events unless otherwise noted.
Monday, Feb. 23
Highlandette & Lady Belles Showoffs, 7-8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 24
JV/Varsity Bulldog Soccer vs. Travis, 5-8:30 p.m.
JV/Varsity Lady Dawg Soccer @ Travis, 6-8:30 p.m.
Varsity Bulldog Basketball Bi-Distric Playoff vs. La Vega, 6-7:30 p.m.
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