Burnet leadership recently approved up to $150,000 in public funds to serve as a life preserver for an over-budget apartment building project that was in jeopardy of failure without outside support. Officials hope that the development, once complete, will help remedy affordable housing shortfalls in the city.
At a Dec. 17 joint special meeting, the Burnet City Council and Burnet Economic Development Corporation agreed to help ease financial pressure that developer Hamilton Valley Management (HVM) was facing on a new affordable housing project– a 36-unit complex, Sunset Ridge Apartments, to be located at 310 E. Third Street in Burnet.
According to HVM, the development faced multiple delays in the planning phase, pushing it $700,000 over its initial $6 million budget.
“Our request gets us back down to the danger point,” HVM President Dennis Hoover said during the Dec. 17 meeting. “It would give us a little insurance against our limited partner’s decision to abandon the project at the next unforeseen event.”
The lot across the street in this photo, taken near Burnet Middle School, could be the future site of a 36-unit apartment building thanks to public funding from the city of Burnet and its economic development corporation. Staff photo by Caden Senn
The $150,000 approved during the special meeting will come from the Burnet EDC. The EDC is a nonprofit, quasi-governmental organization that collects a small sales tax within city limits and uses the gathered funds to support economic development and prosperity.
Certain conditions were attached to the funding, requiring HVM to provide regular progress updates on the complex’s construction, and to meet a minimum investment of $8 million. So long as HVM complies, funding will be paid out near the proposed completion date on Dec. 31, 2027.
City and EDC leadership were vocal about the project’s potential contributions to Burnet’s sparse entry-level workforce.
“One of the things that we know we struggle with here is our workforce, especially within our entry-level positions, and part of the problem is we don’t have housing for them,” said Philip Thurman, Mayor Pro Tem and President of the Burnet EDC. “This really checks a lot of boxes for us.”
Burnet has historically supported HVM and their development within the city, which began back in the 1980s. The founder and former president of HVM, John W. Hoover, was instrumental in the development of CR 340A and beyond in Burnet. The city even honored Hoover’s contributions in 2017 by renaming the aforementioned roadway after him, “John W. Hoover Parkway.”
For more information on the project, visit Hamilton Valley Management’s website at hvitexas.com, or reach out by email at info@hamiltonvalley.com.
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Major upgrades to the Marble Falls High School softball field are nearly complete, and the Lady Mustangs should be able to play their 2026 season on new turf come January.
The work in question includes turfing of the whole field, a new perimeter fence, new lighting, and the addition of a detention pond nearby to improve drainage. According to a project presentation made to the MFISD Board of Trustees on Dec. 15.
Practice for the 2026 softball season begins on Jan. 9, and interschool play begins on Feb. 9. While some final touches may not be completed until Jan. 15, the Lady Mustangs should be able to use the field as soon as the season kicks off.
“State-of-the-art facilities demonstrate our commitment to girls’ athletics, attracting talented student-athletes and strengthening our softball program’s reputation district-wide,” reads an excerpt from the presentation made by MFISD Bond Director Mackie Price.
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Divine Café, a new locally-owned eatery, opened in Marble Falls in August and hopes to become a heavenly neighborhood hub. The café offers a light lunch and breakfast options, including paninis, smoothies, coffee, breakfast items, and more.
“Our hope is for Divine Café to become a community gathering place where people can relax, connect, or get some work done,” owner Kaustubh Deshpande told DailyTrib. “With board games, free Wi-Fi, and a warm atmosphere, we’re focused on creating a space the neighborhood can truly call its own.”
Divine Café is located at 101 US-281 Suite 104. The café is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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The Highland Lakes area will not be getting a winter wonderland for Christmas, with temperatures expected to remain well above seasonal norms.
Forecasts from the National Weather Service show daytime highs hovering around 80 degrees throughout the week, with overnight lows staying near 60. Residents should be prepared for unseasonably warm conditions during the holiday weekend.
Christmas Day is expected to be mostly sunny, with a high near 79 degrees.
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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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Highland Lakes Habitat for Humanity will celebrate the completion of its 31st home with a dedication ceremony at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, at 132 W. Greencastle Drive in Granite Shoals. The public is invited to attend the event, honoring a family of seven who will soon move into the newly-built home. Donations of household supplies are welcomed, and light refreshments will be served.
The home received its permit in July, construction began in August, and the project was completed in December through volunteer labor and community support. It is the 31st home built since the organization began locally in 1995 and the ninth completed in the Highland Lakes area over the past three years.
Habitat for Humanity Board President David Waldo said the quality of work on the home reflects the commitment of everyone involved.
“There isn’t a thing in this house that isn’t done,” he told DailyTrib. “Everyone put in so much time and effort.”
As part of Habitat for Humanity’s program, partner families are required to contribute 150 hours of volunteer labor on another home and an additional 150 hours on their own residence. Waldo noted the family selected for this home went above and beyond those requirements.
“It means a lot for the workers to see how much the family cares,” Waldo said. “It’s great to see them put in the physical work.”
He said community support is critical to Habitat’s mission, with several sponsors donating supplies and time.
Looking ahead, Habitat for Humanity plans to build the next home on the same street in Granite Shoals, with another project planned in Kingsland to follow.
Habitat’s Qualifications for Housing
To qualify for Habitat for Humanity homeownership, applicants must demonstrate housing needs, such as unsafe or overcrowded living conditions or paying more than 30 percent of gross income toward housing. Total household income may not exceed 60 percent of the area’s median income. Applicants must also show stable monthly income, meet debt-ratio requirements, have lived in the chapter’s service area for at least one year, contribute required “sweat equity” hours, and commit to paying an affordable mortgage.
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A new, 3,000-plus acre state park is in the works for the rugged country just north of Lake Buchanan, and it could be fully accessible by 2027.
Post Oak Ridge State Park will lie along the eastern bank of the Colorado River, in between Burnet and Lampasas counties, directly across the water from Colorado Bend State Park. Purchased by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in January 2025, it could be partially open by 2026 and fully opened by 2027.
“In accordance with TPWD policy, newly acquired parklands must open for limited public use within 18 months and full public use within 48 months,” reads a TPWD media release. “That means planning is underway.”
Post Oak Ridge is characterized by the steep bluffs of the Colorado River, spring-fed creeks, and rolling hills covered in Post Oaks.
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A husband and wife, running in different parties, are challenging a longtime Llano County incumbent for the Precinct 4 commissioner seat in the 2026 primary and general elections. The couple has made it clear that their challenge is based on the recent handling of the county government, namely the Llano library system lawsuit.
Robert Little, running as a Republican, will face five-term incumbent Republican Jerry Don Moss in the 2026 primary election on March 3. Leila Green Little, running unopposed in the Democratic primary, will then likely face the Republican nominee in the general election on Nov. 3.
The Littles are tied to Moss and the county through Leila’s involvement in the Llano library system lawsuit. She was a leading plaintiff in the case, which alleged that Llano County officials violated First Amendment rights by removing books from the public library based on their content. Moss, in his capacity as the Llano County Pct. 4 commissioner, and several other county officials were named defendants in that lawsuit.
After nearly four years of legal battles that drew heavy local and national attention, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the county on Dec. 8, bringing an end to the case.
Leila said that she would wait until the general election drew closer to explain her full platform, but she did share that she was challenging Moss to ensure that he did not run unopposed.
“I am not pleased with how the county has addressed the library system for the last four years,” Leila said. “This is a principled stance. I have learned a great deal about what the county government does and does not do. Most importantly, I am interested and eager to learn.”
While Robert did not say that the library lawsuit was the only reason he was running, he did clearly state that he was specifically challenging Moss.
“(I’m running) to beat Jerry Don Moss, ” Robert told DailyTrib. “(Leila’s) trying to beat Jerry Don too. We’re trying to get change in this county, and the way we can do it is this way. If I win, then people can pick either one of us. This is a county commissioner race, I don’t think (party) politics really play too much into it.”
Moss, who has served as the Pct. 4 commissioner since 2007, told DailyTrib that he is fully aware of the Littles’ intentions.
“My thoughts are, that it is very clear that (the Littles) aren’t worried about Llano County, they just don’t like me,” Moss said. “They want me out. I was a defendant in a lawsuit that shouldn’t have ever happened. I care about our citizens and that has been proven.”
According to Llano County Republican Party Chair Jessica McRee-Grabert, there is nothing against the rules concerning a husband and wife running for the same office from different parties. She also confirmed that Robert is a registered Republican with the local party.
“The Republican Party’s role is to provide a neutral process, and the selection of candidates is determined solely by the voters,” she said in a written response to questions from DailyTrib. “This race isn’t about personalities or family relationships. Primaries are how we let Republican voters decide which candidate best represents our principles and values.”
The Llano County Democratic Party did not respond to DailyTrib on the matter by the time of this article’s publication, but Leila confirmed that she filed as a registered Democrat, which is backed up by a Dec. 5 Facebook post from the group Llano County Democrats.
What is a Llano County commissioner?
The Llano County Precinct 4 commissioner is one of five voting members of the Llano County Commissioners Court. The court is the governing body of the county and responsible for determining county policy; setting the county budget; and representing the county at the local, state, and federal levels. The Precinct 4 commissioner represents one of the four precincts in the county and is also responsible for maintaining the roads, bridges, and county-owned infrastructure within that precinct that is outside of city limits. Precinct 4 includes the city of Llano and much of western Llano County.
Llano County commissioners serve four-year terms and, as of 2025, earn an annual salary of $73,786. There are no term limits for serving as a county commissioner.
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Marble Falls’ Accents Boutique & Merle Norman Studio, a community favorite since 1992, celebrated the return of its original owner, Lynnette Turner, with a re-ribbon cutting earlier this month. The event marked Turner’s decision to buy back the boutique after it operated under new ownership for several years.
“I just knew it was something that I loved and wanted to do,” Turner told DailyTrib, recalling how she jumped at the chance to start her business in the 1990s.
The boutique’s home at 212 Ave H has a colorful past. Before it became Accents, the building housed a gun and ammo store, the locally legendary Burnham Brothers Sporting Goods.
“This building has a lot of history,” Turner said, noting that ammo and live rattlesnakes used to be kept at the front of the store.
Turner sold the business several years ago to retire, but under new ownership, the boutique struggled to maintain its loyal customer base. She then decided to step back in earlier this year to restore the boutique to its original charm and service.
“I love all of it and I’m glad to be back,” she said.
The boutique has survived recessions, the COVID-19 pandemic, tariffs, and other economic challenges. Turner attributes its longevity to determination and adaptability.
“Every day is uncertainty,” Turner said. “There’s longevity, but there’s also a will and determination to not let those challenges get in your way, to come out stronger, and to accept that you might have to make sacrifices along the way.”
To stay current, Turner travels to fashion markets in Atlanta, Dallas, and Las Vegas, selecting items that are durable and high quality rather than disposable fast fashion.
“I want pieces that are going to last and I pride myself on being more of a specialty store, and featuring items that are more of what you can add to the wardrobe you already have,” she said.
Accents also carries Merle Norman Cosmetics, allowing customers to try products before purchasing and receive personalized assistance.
“That’s one thing that we do offer that you can’t really get anywhere else (in the area),” Turner said.
During the holidays, the boutique offers wishlists to help shoppers ensure their loved ones find the perfect gifts, a service Turner especially enjoys, knowing it creates a “win-win” for everyone.
Being one of the older businesses in the area, Turner continually looks forward, seeing the unpredictability of retail as an opportunity to innovate and guide the boutique’s future to continue being a staple spot.
“The way things change with the times, it keeps me on my toes, and makes me anxious to see what’s next,” Turner said.
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