The Highland Lakes Birding and Wildflower Society is bringing live raptors– like owls, kites, hawks, and more– to Marble Falls on March 5 for a special presentation on the predatory birds of Central Texas. While the event is an official meeting for the society, it is also open to the public.
The actual presentation is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 5, at Lake Shores Church, 700 U.S. 281 in Marble Falls. Prior to the presentation, the society will meet at 9:30 a.m. and hold its regular business meeting.
There is also a pre-meeting bird walk planned for 8 a.m. on the same day at Johnson Park, 230 Avenue J in Marble Falls. The group will meet near the playground, weather permitting.
The raptor presentation will feature live birds that have been rescued and deemed “unreleasable” due to debilitating injuries. They are kept with certified wildlife rehabbers, who use them for educational programs throughout the state.
Leading the presentation will be Ed Sones, a veteran wildlife rehabber that has cared for over 10,000 animals in his own home, including 4,000 birds from more than 120 different species. He is currently on the Austin Area Wildlife Rehabilitation Board and a member of Austin Wildlife Rescue.
Other handlers assisting in the presentation are Desiree Lavine and Gerrie McCall. Lavine is a raptor trainer and handler at Austin Area Wildlife Rehab and McCall is a local wildlife rehabber based in Burnet County.
Visit the HLBWS website and follow on the society’s Facebook page to keep up with the group’s calendar and to learn more about joining.
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The Marble Falls City Council approved a $5.7 million construction contract for a second city fire station that will begin construction in April, a move officials say will improve emergency response times and lower homeowners’ insurance costs.
The 8,500-square-foot Fire Station No. 2 will be built near the Thunder Rock development on the south side of the U.S. 281 bridge, placing all residential properties within five miles of a fire station. The addition will allow the city to move from a split Insurance Services Office (ISO) 3X rating to a uniform ISO Class 3 rating, a change expected to reduce insurance premiums for homeowners and improve response times for fire crews.
Currently, the city operates from a single station at 700 Avenue N., which officials say can slow response times when crews are handling multiple calls.
The new station, expected to be completed in May 2027, will house an ambulance and assigned Emergency Services personnel. It will also include a dedicated workspace for the Marble Falls Police Department. Marble Falls Fire Rescue hopes to hire nine new firefighters to man the station through grant funding, but this has not yet been secured.
At its Feb. 17 meeting, the City Council selected Trimbuilt Construction as the contractor from nine bids in a similar price range. The project was approved for an amount not to exceed $5,732,798.24 and will be funded through the city’s General Fund in the Capital Funds budget. It was initially estimated at $7 million. Trimbuilt previously completed $3 million in renovations to Fire Station No. 1.
“With years of work between fire rescue, city management and support of Marble Falls City Council, this project has become a reality,” Assistant Fire Chief Coy Guenter told DailyTrib. “This additional fire station will help provide the best customer service for our citizens and visitors of Marble Falls.”
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The Lower Colorado River Authority is considering the construction of a new reservoir in Colorado County to help increase overall storage capacity, which could ease the burden on the Highland Lakes for providing water to communities farther downstream.
During a recent meeting, the LCRA Board of Directors approved a feasibility study on a 2,000-acre property in Colorado County, about 160 miles southeast of Burnet County, near the city of Eagle Lake. If the project moves forward, it would hold between 48,000 and 80,000 acre-feet of water. This would make it potentially double the size of the Arbuckle Reservoir, at 40,000 acre-feet, which was just completed in October 2025.
“Now that Arbuckle Reservoir in Wharton County is up and running, we’re looking at bringing another major water supply project online,” LCRA board chair Stephen F. Cooper said in a Feb. 18 media release. “That next project may well be another off-channel reservoir about an hour up the road in Colorado County.”
As it stands, lakes Buchanan and Travis, serve as the primary water storage for millions of Texas residents, stretching from Llano and Burnet counties to the Austin metro-area and many cities along the Colorado River basin leading to the Texas coast.
The potential new reservoir would add to existing supplies and help meet increasing water supply needs throughout the lower Colorado River basin. The lower basin typically receives significantly more rainfall annually than the area around the Highland Lakes northwest of Austin.
“It’s too early to know specifics, because we first need to do our due diligence,” LCRA General Manager Phil Wilson said. “We need to know how the site could best be used for off-channel storage and the technical, environmental and permitting constraints. Once we have that information, we’ll estimate the cost, look at funding options and develop a timetable.”
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Five people were injured and one incapacitated in a four-vehicle crash on Monday, Feb. 16, in Spicewood.
According to a statement from the Texas Department of Public Safety sent to DailyTrib, DPS troopers responded to a multi-vehicle collision at around 3:40 p.m. on Texas 71 near Bob Wire Road.
An initial investigation concluded that a vehicle had failed to yield to the right-of-way while exiting a parking lot, causing the ensuing incident.
Five individuals were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment of their injuries, and an additional individual was transported to a hospital by StarFlight with incapacitating injuries.
At the time of this article’s publication, DPS had not confirmed any fatalities tied to the collision.
The crash is still under investigation, and no further information was available at the time of publication.
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The estimated price tag of construction for the One Water wastewater treatment plant in Marble Falls has risen drastically since it was first announced, up to around $121.84 million from the original estimate of $87.84 million. Luckily for local residents and taxpayers, most of the funds are expected to be covered by grants and no-interest loans through the state.
During its regular meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 17, Marble Falls City Council approved a restructuring of the construction manager at risk agreement it had with MGC Contractors for the One Water project, agreeing to spend $57.87 million on the building of the wastewater treatment plant alone, minus the accompanying lift station and piping that would connect the plant to city plumbing. The remaining $30 million from the original $87.84 million estimate was, and still is, needed for material and equipment purchases.
Marble Falls representatives told DailyTrib that they are seeking another $34 million from the Texas Water Development Board in grants and no-interest loans to help cover the remaining costs of building out the lift station and piping. The TWDB is already responsible for funding the vast majority of the project, at about $75 million of the total $87.84 million.
As the current financing stands, the city is contributing about $12.8 million to the project in total and able to cover the no-interest loan payments with its current rate structure, per city documentation.
According to city officials, the drastic cost increases are due to stiff competition for construction contractors with other large projects in Central Texas and national tariffs that were not in place when the One Water project was first planned in 2022.
City Manager Caleb Kraenzel said that the contract changes will likely not impact the current construction timeline, with the One Water facility coming partially online in 2028 and fully online by 2029, which is similar to estimates made when ground was broken in May 2025.
While the city did approve the construction of the One Water plant, the need for it was mandated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in 2019 when the current wastewater treatment plant reached 75 percent capacity for three consecutive months. The current plant is over 70 years old, and will be demolished after the new one is constructed.
“We’re building a wastewater treatment plant that has run 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for arguably the next 50-100 years,” City Manager Caleb Kraenzel explained. “So construction-wise, it is the most expensive asset any community usually has. We have an existing plant that we’re shutting down, so we’re having to rebuild that capacity, we’re not just expanding.”
The current wastewater plant can process about 1.4 million gallons of wastewater per day. The new plant will process up to 3 million gallons per day and could be easily upgraded to process up to 4.5 million per day according to Kraenzel, allowing it to accommodate the city’s projected growth for decades.
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Horseshoe Bay marked a major milestone on Tuesday, Feb. 17, with the grand opening of its new $12.2 million City Center, completing a four-year project aimed at giving the growing city a modern home for government and community life.
The 16,000-square-foot facility, located at 9101 W. FM 2147, replaces the city’s 1970s-era City Hall, where staff had long outgrown the space and worked out of repurposed closets, temporary buildings and shared offices. The new center will serve as both administrative offices and a recreational and gathering space for residents.
“I am incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished together with the completion of our new City Center. This four-year journey has been a testament to what can be achieved when talented, dedicated people work toward a shared vision for their community,” City Manager Jeff Koska told DailyTrib, thanking all that contributed to the project.
The 10-acre campus includes a memorial pet bridge, two trail entrances and a shared-use path connecting the east and west sides of the city.
“I am both proud and humbled to have been part of this grand and worthy community creation. This City Center stands as a symbol of what makes Horseshoe Bay exceptional: our ability to come together, plan thoughtfully, and build a future that honors our heritage as a world-class leisure lifestyle community while meeting the needs of tomorrow,” Koska continued.
During the ceremony, Mayor Jeff Jones recognized former mayors Bob Lambert, Steve Jordan, Cynthia Clinesmith and Elsie Thurman for their service. Each made a lasting mark on the city, and were memorialized in some way with the new center, including Steve Jordan Parkway, the Bob Lambert monument, the Elsie Thurman Trail at City Center and the Cynthia Clinesmith benches outside the facility.
“I want you to remember the enormous debt of gratitude that we hold for each one of these people,” Jones said during the ribbon cutting ceremony.
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A popular Mexican restaurant and family-owned gym in Marble Falls have been close neighbors for over nine years, sharing the same cramped parking lot off of U.S. 281, but that will soon change.
Fermin Ortiz, owner of the large building at 2312 U.S. 281 that houses El Jimador and the Athletic Club, announced on Tuesday, Feb. 17, that the Mexican restaurant would soon be moving to a new location in Marble Falls and that the gym would be expanding into the restaurant space.
“It’s really a godsend,” Ortiz told DailyTrib. “It’s one of the few opportunities in business where it is a win-win for both entities. We’re both family-owned, we’re both locally owned, and to see us both prospering to the point where we need to both expand and improve is just a blessing.”
According to Ortiz, who operates the Athletic Club, he helped El Jimador owners Marcos Lopez and Lucy Barajas find a new location in town as both businesses had become cramped, sharing the same space and parking lot. Ortiz has owned the building since 1996 and El Jimador has operated out of the structure for nearly a decade.
El Jimador is moving into the old Margarita’s Bar & Grill building at 1205 RR 1431. According to Lopez, they hope to make the full transition by mid-April and hold an official grand opening. There will likely be little impact to the normal operating hours of the restaurant as the transition takes place.
Ortiz said that the Athletic Club will absorb the 4,000 square-foot space of the restaurant and use it to add more treadmills, free weights, and other exercise equipment.
“This new move will be smooth and cooperatively done with lots of love and supportive anticipation from both parties,” Ortiz said.
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NOTE: This election is unrelated to the March 3, 2026 primary election, which includes party voting for offices in Burnet and Llano counties.
The candidates running for Granite Shoals City Council in May are locked in, with the filing window having closed on Friday, Feb. 13.
Granite Shoals residents will vote to fill three city council seats in the coming election, with Place 4 contested and places 2 and 6 uncontested.
The council is made up of seven elected officials– six councilors and one mayor– who collectively represent the people of Granite Shoals and make decisions on city policies, budgets, tax rates, and the hiring and firing of the city manager.
CANDIDATES
Current Place 4 Councilor Steve Hougen is not able to run for re-election, and therefore, two candidates have filed to run for his seat: Mark Henshaw and Todd Sifleet.
Incumbent Place 2 Councilor Mike Pfister and Place 6 Catherine Bell are running unopposed for re-election.
City council members serve two-year terms, with staggered elections so that three seats are filled each cycle. Councilors, along with the mayor, may serve up to three terms total.
This volunteer role comes with no pay, and the council meets twice per month. City council members make decisions on local policies, budgets, tax rates, and community issues, voting on ordinances and guiding city development.
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Horseshoe Bay officials are warning residents to avoid contact with dead wildlife after an unusual spike in buzzard deaths in the city that they say is linked to avian influenza.
City leaders say the recent die-off has heightened public safety concerns, particularly because the virus can infect a wide range of mammals.
“The City of Horseshoe Bay urges all residents to avoid the carcasses of not only buzzards, but other wildlife as well,” Police Chief Jason Graham told DailyTrib. “Mammal species are highly susceptible to the virus including domestic cats and dogs, skunks, foxes, raccoons, bobcats, and mountain lions.”
Officials emphasized that anyone who encounters dead wildlife should not attempt to handle it. Residents are asked to contact the Horseshoe Bay Police Department Animal Control office at 830-598-2633 to request removal.
In response to increased buzzard activity, the city’s utilities department will use a propane cannon in the evenings to deter birds from gathering at the utility yard. The blasts may be loud or sound similar to gunfire, officials said, but the measure is intended to protect city employees.
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, avian influenza is a highly contagious influenza type A virus that threatens poultry, wildlife and pets and can cause illnesses.
Infected animals may show neurological symptoms such as stumbling, seizures or trembling, along with lethargy, and more. Birds infected with avian influenza may not always show outward signs. The virus can spread through contact with infected wild or domestic birds, as well as contaminated equipment, clothing or shoes.
City officials said they will continue monitoring the situation and urged residents to remain vigilant while avoiding direct contact with wildlife.
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