The Burnet Police Department is preparing to add a new K-9 unit to their ranks after the retirement of Ferro, the German shorthaired pointer, earlier this year.
Officer Ferro served the police department for two years, helping keep the streets of Burnet safe. He was trained as a narcotics-detection dog to help with investigations and assisted in numerous arrests during his tenure.
According to Burnet Police Chief Brian Lee, Ferro’s presence served as a steady warning to potential criminals.
“His presence was a deterrent,” he told DailyTrib. “If residents saw Ferro, the hope would be to stop any crimes before they happen.”
The BPD announced on Dec. 5 that Officer Justin Ornelas was selected to be the handler of the next K-9 unit. Ornelas currently serves the police department as a patrol officer.
The city council also recently approved funding for Officer Ornelas’ handler training and equipment. The process of training and certification of the next K-9 officer will begin soon and will cost an estimated $15,000.
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Dozens of Marble Falls Middle School teachers stocked up on supplies during a gifted shopping spree at Office Depot on Dec. 12.
The local branch of the office supply chain, at 1311 Mormon Mill Road, partnered with paper supply company Domtar to donate about $6,200 total to the teachers’ shopping spree, amounting to $155 per teacher.
“We truly appreciate Office Depot for providing our teachers the opportunity to come in and gather supplies for their classrooms,” MFMS Principal Rudy Gonzalez told DailyTrib. “Our teachers were genuinely excited about this event, and it was a wonderful way to recognize the incredible work they do each day to support, love, inspire, and care for our students.”
Office Depot General Manager Paul Chavez poses for a photo with a $5,000 merchandise card gifted to Marble Falls Middle School teachers. A total of $6,200 was gifted, which included other contributions from past donations and from paper supply company Domtar. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
According to Gonzalez, it is not uncommon for teachers to dive into their own pocketbooks to purchase extra supplies in the classroom, and this spree helped ease that burden.
This is the second year that Office Depot has donated to MFMS teachers.
“It feels great to give back to the schools,” Office Depot General Manager Paul Chavez said. “They work so hard, and they give so much to our community and our kids here in Marble Falls.”
Chavez said that much of the funds come from donations made by customers when they checkout, with 100 percent of the money going toward local programs like the shopping spree.
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Granite Shoals city leaders declined to hire an outside firm to investigate complaints involving a “city manager pay increase,” fire department equipment purchases, and travel expense reimbursements, instead referring the matter to the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office for review during a special meeting of the Granite Shoals City Council on Wednesday, Dec. 17.
“The city is not pursuing the engagement of an outside independent contractor for investigation at this time,” Mayor Ron Munos said in a public statement.
The complaints were brought to the city’s attention on Dec. 11, according to Munos, by an unidentified city employee. The city manager, Sarah Novo, and assistant city manager, Tim Campbell, forwarded the concerns, along with supporting documentation, to Burnet County Sheriff’s Office for an independent review.
The Burnet County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to DailyTrib that it could investigate the matter, but specific details of the investigation were not disclosed.
City officials declined to provide additional details, citing that the situation involves personnel matters and an ongoing review process.
“The city will not comment further at this time,” Munos said during the meeting, adding that the report from Burnet County will be shared with the public once it becomes available.
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A home in Granite Shoals burned down on the afternoon of Tuesday, Dec. 16. Nobody was harmed in the incident, but the structure was a total loss and the exact cause of the blaze is unknown.
According to Granite Shoals Fire Chief Tim Campbell, first responders were toned out to a structure fire at 1:42 p.m. on Tuesday at 1308 Kingscove Drive on the east side of the city. He said they arrived within five minutes of the call, made by a neighbor, but the fire was already raging.
“When we left the station we could see the heavy black smoke in the distance,” Campbell told DailyTrib. “The house was fully involved when we arrived.”
Fire crews from Granite Shoals, Horseshoe Bay, and Marble Falls were able to quickly extinguish the fire, but the home was completely destroyed.
“We did have a hydrant nearby,”: Campbell said. “It was totally out within about 10 minutes.”
A home on Kingscove Drive in Granite Shoals was destroyed in a fire on Tuesday, Dec. 16. Courtesy photo Granite Shoals Fire Rescue
The residence, a single wide manufactured home, did have one occupant on the scene, but they were reportedly unharmed. Campbell said that the resident believed that the fire could have been caused by a cigarette left unattended, but the exact cause has not yet been determined.
No other property was damaged in the fire according to the fire chief. The resident is reportedly staying with family in the area with the loss of their home.
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The city of Burnet has a new bookstore in town that’s looking to serve the Christian community and help children in need, with the grand opening of Divine 29 Christian Bookstore on Dec. 16.
The bookstore, at 309 E. Polk Street, was founded by the staff of Weakday Ministries, which first began operation in Burnet in 2016. The team’s near-decade of ministry work has reached over 20 schools in the area, and the bookstore will serve as their newest venture in the community.
“It’s truly a place of fellowship, comfort, just bringing glory to God, and our hope is that we can help people draw closer to God,” said Donna Shaw, Executive Pastor at Weakday Ministries. “We just want to be that source of encouragement and joy for the community.”
Divine 29 will have extended holiday hours leading up to Christmas. After that, the store plans to be open every Tuesday and Thursday from 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., and Wednesday from 4-8 p.m.
Follow along with Divine 29 online or contact the storefront at 512-588-6008.
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Horseshoe Bay leaders are asking residents to share their thoughts as work continues on a comprehensive plan that will guide the city’s growth through the year 2040.
The community’s feedback on a wide range of topics, including commercial and residential development; neighborhood safety; city character; transportation and connectivity; and other key initiatives will help shape Horseshoe Bay’s future.
Residents can submit their thoughts and feedback through the Comprehensive Plan Survey, available for download at this link. Once filled out, the survey can be submitted in person at Horseshoe Bay City Hall, 1 Community Drive. Submit the survey by email to csharp@horseshoe-bay-tx.gov.
“The comprehensive plan will define the city’s future planning for the next 15 years,” City Manager Jeff Koska told DailyTrib. “It requires input from the community on what is the desired outcome of that planning. This plan will provide a guide for future decision-making for the community. We are blessed to have many talented citizens to weigh in on what is best for our future.”
Mayor Jeff Jones added that the success of the plan depends on collaboration between residents and city staff.
“A comprehensive plan should be a collaboration between the citizens’ vision of the overall amenities, services and direction of the community and the city staff’s recommendation of the feasibility and legalities of each of these visions,” Jones told DailyTrib. “Without residents weighing in on their vision of what the future should look like for the community, the city council and the staff are left to guess as to the appropriateness of the plan.”
Serving as a long-term roadmap, the plan will help city leaders align policies, infrastructure, and investments with residents’ priorities as Horseshoe Bay continues to evolve. To ensure the plan reflects the community’s vision, city officials gathered extensive input through a 2024 survey, which was shared last December at a council meeting.
Residents highlighted top priorities such as more entertainment, expanded public spaces, a defined downtown district, and better shopping options, all while preserving Horseshoe Bay’s lakeside resort character. The report combined insights from over 50 stakeholder interviews, more than 1,000 survey responses, and 300 public comments, providing a strong foundation of community feedback to guide the comprehensive plan.
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Law enforcement will soon renew the search for missing Marble Falls Area Fire Chief Michael Phillips, who was swept away on July 5 when responding to a distress call amid devastating flooding in Central Texas. The chief was also recently honored in Kerrville alongside other victims of the flood.
According to Burnet County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Alan Trevino, a multi-agency effort to continue the search for Phillips is underway, and it should begin within the first quarter of 2026.
“(Phillips’) family has been notified (of the impending search),” Trevino told DailyTrib. “We have a team coming in that will be assisted by the Sheriff’s Office and other local entities. It’s going to be a full blown search again. We will use everything at our disposal.”
Trevino explained that recent developments in technology may help with the renewed effort. He also said that analysis of past data, drones, watercraft, cadaver dogs, and more personnel would be brought to bear in the search.
Phillips is one of the few victims of the flood that is still technically missing. Including the chief, five people were killed during the disaster in Burnet County. At least 137 people were killed in total during the flooding according to a July 31 Texas House and Senate Committees on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding report. The vast majority of the victims were in Kerr County, with 119 dead.
Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Thomas Jacobs (left) and Chief Derrick Curtis stand behind a cross made in honor of Michael Phillips and other victims of the July flood. The firefighters made the trip to Kerrville to accept Phillips’ cross during a special ceremony at The Coming King Sculpture Prayer Gardens. Courtesy photo
Phillips, and other flood victims, were honored with crosses during a special ceremony held on Dec. 13 at The Coming King Sculpture Prayer Gardens in Kerrville. The missing chief’s cross was accepted by two representatives from the Marble Falls Area VFD– new Fire Chief Derrick Curtis and Assistant Chief Thomas Jacobs.
“Seeing (the Kerrville) community reach out and say they want to honor the folks in Burnet County, it was a very sobering moment,” Curtis told DailyTrib.
The chief went missing in the dark early morning hours of July 5 when he and his vehicle were swept away by the raging waters of Cow Creek during an attempt to cross the typically shallow stream on his way to a distress call. His vehicle was recovered, but, despite weeks of extensive searching, his body was never found.
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1914 Cowboy Bar opened in July and has quickly become a popular saloon in downtown Marble Falls.
The western-themed watering hole is housed in a historic 1914 building on Main Street and is a long-time project of owner Russell “RB” Buster. It is a bourbon-focused bar that features live music on Wednesdays and Thursdays, as well as a rooftop deck that overlooks the town.
“Things are going great, and we love the response from the community,” Buster told DailyTrib.
1914 Cowboy Bar, located at 210 Main Street, is open Tuesday through Thursday from 3- 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from noon to midnight; and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. The bar is closed on Mondays.
For more information, call 830-262-8081 or email 1914cowboybar@gmail.com.
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Earth-shaking booms could highlight mornings in Burnet County as Fort Hood conducts controlled bombing exercises throughout the coming days. Testing began on Monday, Dec. 15 and will take place daily from 8 a.m. to noon until Friday, Dec. 19.
The exercises include the testing of 500-pound munitions, dropped from B-52 Stratofortress aircraft in the Fort Hood area.
U.S. Army officials stated that residents in the areas surrounding the fort may continue to hear aircraft noise during the training period, which will take place in a secure area away from local communities that should not affect safety.
“Fort Hood officials emphasize that all operations are carefully planned and coordinated to ensure the safety of service members and the surrounding community,” reads an excerpt from a U.S. Army media release issued on Monday.
According to a Facebook post made by Northeast Burnet County Fire Rescue on Monday, the testing could be felt near Bertram, which is about 32 miles away from Fort Hood.
Residents of the affected area are encouraged to report any unexploded ordnance to 911 or the Fort Hood Directorate of Emergency Services at 254-287-4001.
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