Horseshoe Bay residents can recycle their real, used Christmas trees at the city’s recycling center by presenting a water bill as proof of residency.

The recycling center, located at 314 RM 2831, is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The center will be closed Jan. 1. The service will continue for the foreseeable future. 

Recycling Christmas trees helps reduce waste and environmental impact. Trees dropped off at the center can be repurposed into mulch or compost.

Texas Christmas tree production has increased in recent years. The latest agricultural census shows 220 growers farming 3,565 acres statewide, up from 125 growers on 945 acres in 2017. Sales also increased 26 percent over that period. Virginia pine is the most commonly grown Christmas tree species in Texas.

maci@thepicayune.com

The Kingsland Municipal Utility District has assumed management of Kingsland Community Park, located at 155 Lions Park Road, and is asking pass holders to update their gate access card information.

Gate access cards were previously issued by the Kingsland Chamber of Commerce, but incomplete records prompted KMUD to reset the pass program to ensure accurate information.

Anyone who purchased a pass between Jan. 1, 2025, and Nov. 1, 2025, or who currently holds a gate access card is asked to contact KMUD at 325-388-4559 by Jan. 1, 2026, to update their information.

“This transition is aimed at enhancing the park’s facilities and services for all,” KMUD said in a media release.

KMUD also thanked the Kingsland Chamber of Commerce for its past management of the park.

“We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Kingsland Chamber of Commerce for the dedication and hard work they have put into running the park over the previous years,” the media release continued. “They have dedicated many unnoticed hours toward a park that the community can be very proud of.”

Since 2018, the community park, located on the shores of Lake LBJ, has seen improvements to restrooms and the boat ramp, as well as the addition of a fishing pier and other amenities.

maci@thepicayune.com

Two young rodeo stars from Burnet County, 10-year-old Austyn Shell and 11-year-old Haven Huffstuttler, recently placed among the highest in the nation at the 2025 Junior National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. County officials also commended the girls for their performances and for bringing national recognition to Marble Falls and Burnet.

Austyn and Haven are regular competitors in barrel racing and pole bending. Their hard work was even featured in The Picayune magazine, in 2023, when they made the cover for their dedicated training in the arena. While still so young, they both made it into the finals of their events, which included other riders all the way up to the age of 17. 

Austyn, riding her horse Mooch, placed third overall in the country in pole bending and twelfth overall in barrel racing. Haven, riding her aptly-named horse Vegas, made it into the top 15 for barrel racing.

The Burnet County Commissioners Court officially recognized the girls at the Tuesday, Dec. 23 meeting of the court, honoring them with certificates of recognition for “outstanding achievement in qualifying for the Junior NFR World Finals and competing among the nation’s top youth barrel racers with dedication, perseverance, and exceptional horsemanship.”

“It’s hard to get in (to the finals) at their age, but they fought their way in,” said Austin Shell, Austyn’s father, during the court’s Tuesday meeting. “The way you get to Vegas, it’s a national qualifier across the continental 48 (states), so you have to be in top 80 in barrels or poles to qualify to Vegas to get invited. These two outlaws qualified.”

dakota@thepicayune.com

The Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District recently approved a permit for nearly 65 acre-feet of groundwater per year for the in-development Thunder Rock Sports Complex in Marble Falls.

The groundwater permit, granted to the city of Marble Falls at a Dec. 19 board meeting of the CTGCD, will assist in irrigating approximately 18 acres of turfgrass throughout the complex’s four baseball fields, four soccer fields, and one multipurpose field.

Marble Falls officials had originally requested the CTGCD allow up to 84.2 acre-feet per year of groundwater for the complex, however due to aquifer restrictions and land ownership documentation, the board only approved 65.326 acre-feet for the project. It was noted that the city could apply for more groundwater for the project in the future if necessary.

The CTGCD outsourced a hydrogeologic investigation on the land surrounding the complex which found that the city’s original request of 84.2 acre-feet of groundwater pumping would not have a large impact on land owners in the area.

“There was a hydrogeologic investigation conducted by Mr. Mike Keester with KT Groundwater,” CTGCD General Manager Mitchell Sodek said at the board meeting. “Analysis was that the water would not unreasonably impact any of the surrounding land owners or well owners.”

At the same meeting, board members also approved an “absence of objection” from Baylor Scott & White Medical Center, allowing the Thunder Rock complex to draw groundwater while being less than 300 feet from Scott & White’s property lines.

Originally, the sports complex was slated to open by fall 2025, but delays have pushed the project back. While the complex is mostly complete, the city of Marble Falls has not yet provided an update on when it will come online.

For more information on the Thunder Rock Sports Complex, check out the project page on the Marble Falls project portal.

caden@thepicayune.com

Nearly 10 kilograms, or 22 pounds, of methamphetamine, along with other illegal substances and paraphernalia, were seized on Sunday, Dec. 21 after law enforcement made contact with a stopped vehicle on Texas 29 in Llano County.

According to a statement issued by the Llano County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Highway Patrol Trooper Marc Chambers made contact with a stopped vehicle on Texas 29 at around 1:13 a.m. on Sunday. During the contact he noticed “what appeared to be large quantities of methamphetamine in the rear seat of the vehicle.”

The driver was arrested, but their identity and the exact charges brought against them have not yet been made public as of Tuesday, Dec. 23.

LCSO deputies Leroy Rodgriguez and Nico Martinez, and K-9 Ronin, aided in the search of the vehicle. About 9.69 kilograms of methamphetamine were found, along with 1.22 kilograms of an “unknown substance,” a loaded firearm, approximately $6,000 in cash, and other drug paraphernalia.

The street price of methamphetamine can range between $2,500 and $3,500 per pound according to the Drug Enforcement Administration, making the methamphetamine alone worth about  $53,29 to $74,613.

“Thanks to the teamwork between agencies, a large amount of illegal drugs were removed from our community,” reads a Dec. 22 statement from LCSO. “We appreciate the continued support and dedication of the Texas Highway Patrol and our Llano County Sheriff’s deputies as we work together to keep Llano County safe.”

dakota@thepicayune.com

Marble Falls High School Principal Patrick Hinson was recently named a 2025 Texas Music Educators Association distinguished administrator. He was recognized for the distinction at the Dec. 15 meeting of the Marble Falls Independent School District Board of Trustees meeting.

The TMEA distinguished administrator title is bestowed upon upper-level administrators across the state who go above and beyond in the preservation and furtherance of music education programs on their campuses and in their districts.

“I am very honored to receive this recognition,” Hinson said in an MFISD media release. “I truly enjoy supporting our students in all of their endeavors.”

The principal was nominated by MFHS Choral Director Bryce Gage.

“(Hinson) was regularly in the choir room listening to the students and encouraging them to be their best self,” Gage said. “He was not only present during class time, he also attended every performance and contest of the choral department, being the first person to congratulate the students on their presentations.”

TMEA Executive Director Joe Munoz also had high praise for Hinson.

“The students in the choir program know that Mr. Hinson is a part of our program, not just the principal of Marble Falls High School,” Munoz said. “He has been an encouragement and support of the choral program at MFHS, pushing us to be better today than we were yesterday. He is the perfect example of a TMEA Distinguished Administrator.”

editor@thepicayune.com

Offices, schools, banks, post offices and many businesses across the Highland Lakes will be closed in observance of Christmas.

City governments in Burnet and Llano will be closed Wednesday, Dec. 24 for Christmas Eve and Thursday, Dec. 25 for Christmas Day. All post offices and banks will be closed on Thursday.

Residents are encouraged to check business hours before heading out for last-minute holiday shopping.

Walmart will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day. H-E-B will be closed on Christmas Day but open until 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Normal hours for both stores will resume Friday.

Students in the Marble Falls, Burnet and Llano school districts will return to classes on Jan. 6, 2026.

10 Christmas fun facts

1. There are two islands named Christmas.
2. Fruits were the first ornaments.
3. Alabama was the first state to recognize Christmas as a holiday. 
4. Fruitcake can last a lifetime. The oldest lasted 114 years.
5. “Jinge Bells” was originally a Thanksgiving song. 
6. Christmas decorating sends nearly 15,000 people to the emergency room every year.
7. Last year, more than 11.7 billion pieces of mail and packages were shipped during the Holidays.
8. More than 3 billion Christmas cards are sent each year.
9. Santa is called Kanakaloka in Hawaii. 
10. Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states.

maci@thepicayune.com

Era Lea Marion, of Kingsland, Texas, passed away in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, on October 28, 2025, at the age of 66. She was born in Lubbock, Texas, to Margie and Robert Moore. Era resided in Kingsland for most of her life before retiring to Surfside Beach, where she lived with her husband, Eric Honsberger.

She proudly served for many years in Llano County as a police officer. Later, she continued her commitment to public service as a Justice of the Peace, where she was recognized as Public Servant of the Year in 2014. Her dedication and compassion touched countless lives, and her legacy of service will be long remembered.

Era met life with resilience and strength. She built a life defined by purpose, hard work, and love. She enjoyed simple joys such as puzzles, collecting seashells on the beach, and being near the people she loved most. She lived boldly, worked tirelessly, and raised two daughters who reflect her humor, strength, and grit.

Era was a loving wife to Eric, a devoted mother to her daughters Mariah Bowen, and Sarah (and husband Austin) Wheelock, and a proud “Nana” to her grandchildren, Emma and Bennett Bowen. She is also survived by her siblings, Lonnie (and wife Debbie) Womack, and Travis (and wife Barbara) Moore,as well as extended family members, all of whom she loved dearly. She was preceded in death by her mother, Margie Era Moore, and her father, Robert Lloyd Moore.

Era was known for her vibrant spirit, joyful heart, and the light she brought into every room. She devoted her life to serving others, uplifting her community, and caring deeply for the people she loved. Her warmth, humor, and generosity were felt by everyone who knew her.

Era’s life was marked by resilience, grace, and a joyful spirit that lifted others. She leaves behind a family who adored her and a community forever changed by her presence.

The service will be held on January 10, 2025 at 2pm at First Baptist Church Kingsland.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites donations to the Humane Society or Kingsland Lions Club where Era formerly served as President.

Former East Lake Buchanan Volunteer Fire Department Chief James Ray Tilley died on Friday, Dec. 19, at 62 years old. Tilley had served the small, rural department for 38 years total before retiring in October 2024. 

A celebration of life service for Tilley is planned for 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 23 at East Lake Fellowship Church, 13218 RR 2341in Burnet County. 

“East Lake will never be the same. We have lost not only an incredible leader but a devoted husband, father, and a loyal friend to many,” reads a statement from East Lake Buchanan VFD issued on Dec. 19. “While his absence leaves a void that can never be filled, his legacy of service and honesty will live on in the department and the community he loved so dearly.”

Originally from Texas City, Tilley moved to Burnet County when he was 14 years old. He began volunteering with the East Lake Buchanan VFD in 1986, at 23 years old, and stayed with the department until he was 61. 

He was instrumental in the formation of Burnet County Emergency Services District No. 5, which brought public funding to the volunteer department in 2009. Prior to the ESD’s formation, East Lake was totally reliant upon donations and fundraisers to function.

“I helped build (the department), but it’s not a one-man thing, it’s the whole group,” Tilley told DailyTrib in a 2024 interview following his retirement. “You might say I was the leader, but I couldn’t have done anything without the team.”

dakota@thepicayune.com