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.
Tuesday, Oct. 14
Burnet County Commissioners Court
9 a.m. regular meeting
Second-floor courtroom, Burnet County Courthouse, 220 S. Pierce St. in Burnet
public hearing and action on continuation and updates to the Burnet County Local Health Care Provider Participation Program (LPPF) under Chapter 292E of the Texas Health & Safety Code
approval of grants for courthouse security upgrades and over $1.5 million in funding for the North Hill Country Public Defenders Office
decision on repairing or replacing HOTATTF’s 2021 Chevrolet Silverado
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The city of Marble Falls is going out for construction bids on the long-awaited extension of Nature Heights Drive to Mormon Mill Road. Once complete, the connector will give residents another way to reach U.S. 281 and potentially alleviate traffic at other busy intersections.
The project consists of a 3,700-linear-foot extension from Nature Heights Drive to the intersection of Mormon Mill Road and Park Ridge Drive, cutting through a rugged hillside between the thoroughfares. Nature Heights Drive is currently just a short feeder road on the north side of Marble Falls, directly across from Walmart, but once the extension is complete, it will be a reliable way for residents to travel between the Mormon Mill area and U.S. 281.
Nature Heights Drive is just a small feeder road off of U.S. 281, but it could soon be a primary way for Mormon Mill-area residents to reach U.S. 281. A connector project is in the works and construction could begin by 2026. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
An exact cost and timeline for the work have yet to be determined. The bidding process lasts until Oct. 28, and a contractor could be chosen by the Nov. 18 meeting of the Marble Falls City Council.
Once a contractor is picked, the project should be completed within 275 calendar days, according to Marble Falls City Engineer Jeff Prato.
“That might be enough time, or it might not,” he told DailyTrib.com. “We need to see what the contractors say.”
Prato explained why the extension is being built.
“The city doesn’t have a lot of connections between Mormon Mill and (U.S.) 281,” he said. “We’re hoping that, by constructing this road, we can alleviate traffic elsewhere.”
This map shows the general layout of the Nature Heights Extension project, which will connect Nature Heights Drive to the Mormon Mill Road-Park Ridge Drive intersection. Google Maps
Prato is right. Currently, the only substantial ways to reach U.S. 281 from Mormon Mill are to take a winding path through West Oak Ridge Drive on the north side or the busy intersections farther south at Mission Hills Drive and Marble Heights Drive.
A Nature Heights Drive extension to Mormon Mill Road has been in the works for years.
“That plan for (Nature Heights) has been on our thoroughfare plan for well over 10 years,” Mayor John Packer told DailyTrib.com. “It’s just taken time to make it happen.”
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A suspected poacher was arrested Oct. 9 in Granite Shoals after a string of suspicious deer deaths in the city.
The investigation began after Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game wardens received a report Oct. 3 that a buck had been shot within city limits. In the days that followed, several residents reported more dead bucks and does, many of which were found with crossbow bolts.
In response, officers from the Granite Shoals Police Department and TPWD launched a coordinated investigation, including surveillance operations.
On Thursday morning, GSPD officers spotted a truck suspected of road hunting. When they attempted a traffic stop, the suspect fled the scene but was later found and arrested. The vehicle and hunting equipment were seized as evidence.
Due to the ongoing investigation, authorities have not yet released the person’s identity or the specific criminal charges, but they did make one thing clear:
“Poaching and illegal taking of deer, or any part thereof, will not be tolerated in our community,” said GSPD Chief John Ortis in an Oct. 9 media release. “We will continue to work closely with Texas Parks and Wildlife to protect local wildlife and uphold state and local regulations.”
The city of Granite Shoals does participate in the state-permitted Wildlife Harvesting Program, which began Sept. 27. However, the program operates under strict regulations and is designed to ethically manage the local deer population. Developed in partnership with the TPWD, it allows specially trained and background-checked individuals to harvest white-tailed deer using crossbows during approved dates and times.
Granite Shoals spent three years studying the local deer population and working with TPWD to obtain the necessary permits.
In contrast, poaching is the illegal killing of wildlife without authorization, outside of approved timeframes, or with prohibited methods. Unlike lawful hunting or regulated harvesting, poaching disregards conservation efforts, safety, and state law.
The GSPD is urging residents to report any suspicious hunting or wildlife activity to authorities.
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The Learning Mosaic Children’s Museum holds a grand opening and ribbon-cutting at noon Oct. 15 on the second floor of the Marble Falls Visitor Center, 100 Avenue G. The free event is open to the public.
The new attraction is one of only 30 Learning Mosaic museums in Texas and the first in this area, according to a media release from the organization behind it. It offers hands-on, interactive exhibits designed to stimulate young minds to think critically and solve problems. Admission is free for all visitors.
Through its exhibits and programs, the Learning Mosaic Children’s Museum will emphasize STEAM—science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics—while supporting literacy and whole-child development.
Learning Mosaic has already established a presence in Marble Falls through its Learning Studios, traveling exhibits, and local STEAM labs. The new museum will be a permanent hub for those programs.
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The Llano County Sheriff’s Office is looking into a motorbike accident involving a Kingsland teen that might have been caused by a dog attack, according to the victim’s family.
Jeremiah Everett, 17, crashed his mini-bike Saturday, Oct. 4, while riding home on Anson Street in Kingsland. He sustained severe injuries to his face and a concussion after falling to the road, according to his mother, Ashley Sconci.
Sconci told DailyTrib.com the accident was likely caused by two dogs chasing her son. She said the canines also might have attacked him while he was unconscious following the crash.
“I don’t wish harm on animals, but when they’re attacking children, it’s too much,” she said. “I thank God that it wasn’t worse.”
LCSO is investigating.
“(The teen) sustained injuries while riding, but we don’t know exactly what happened,” LCSO Chief Deputy Tracy Taylor told DailyTrib.com. “We’re still looking into it. We can’t confirm or deny whether or not a dog bite was involved.”
No specific dogs or their owners have been publicly identified in the investigation.
Kingsland is an unincorporated community and does not have its own police department. The Llano County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for law enforcement in the town, and its animal control officers investigate instances such as the possible dog attack on Jeremiah.
The Marble Falls High School junior and JV football player likely won’t return to school for at least a week as his injuries heal, his mother said. He might not be back on the football field this season. Sconci also said her son is being monitored for head trauma and treated for rabies. He has been in and out of doctor’s appointments since the accident occurred and has more scheduled.
THE FAMILY’S ACCOUNT
According to Sconci, her son told her two dogs were charging him on Anson Street on Saturday and he attempted to turn his small motorized bike around to escape.
As he tried to get away, he hit a drainage pipe and was thrown onto the street. Sconci believes Jeremiah was knocked unconscious. When he regained consciousness, his bike was missing and there was no sign of the dogs.
The family is asking anyone with information on the missing mini-bike to contact them on Facebook.
After the accident, Jeremiah called his mother, who picked him up and immediately took him to the Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Marble Falls, where he spent eight hours being treated for the extensive wounds he suffered in the wreck.
Sconci said Jeremiah’s doctor believed some of his injuries could have been caused by dog bites and that he would be treated for rabies.
She said Jeremiah did recall two dogs chasing him before the wreck, but he did not remember anything that happened after the crash until he was in the hospital.
“He just kept saying, ‘I don’t know,’” she said. “I could tell something wasn’t right.”
Jeremiah’s doctors also diagnosed him with a concussion, Sconci said.
Sconci said stray and aggressive dogs are an issue in Kingsland.
“This is not the first time we’ve had problems with (dogs),” she said. “It’s a big problem (in Kingsland). I used to have to ask my fiancé to walk me out to the car in the morning because I was worried about them.”
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The Pedernales Electric Cooperative hosted more than 100 students and teachers from Marble Falls, Burnet, and Johnson City during its first-ever Job Shadow Day on Oct. 2. The event gave students a hands-on look at careers in electric linework, a trade that’s growing in demand across Texas and the nation.
“Students got a bird’s-eye view of everything this facility and our programs have to offer—from what the benefits and pay look like, to what skills they’ll learn each year,” said PEC Community Outreach Specialist Mikayla Herron in an Oct. 6 media release. “In a safe and controlled environment, they got to put on gear, climb poles, and ride up in a bucket truck to see what linework is really like.”
Experiences like Job Shadow Day are increasingly important as more students nationwide reconsider traditional four-year college paths due to rising tuition costs and extended timelines to full-time employment.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for electrical powerline installers and repairers is projected to grow 7 percent through 2034, faster than the average for all occupations. The growth is fueled by an urgent need for new talent, as nearly 40 percent of the current lineworker workforce is expected to retire within the next decade. The looming labor shortage is a nationwide concern, including within PEC’s Highland Lakes service area.
To help close that gap, the co-op is taking a proactive approach by engaging students early and exposing them to alternate career paths post-graduation.
“We need lineworkers, and we believe the best way to generate interest is by connecting with students early on and providing interactive experiences like this,” Herron said.
As one of the largest electric cooperatives in the nation, PEC hires around 20 new lineworkers a year through its Pre-Apprentice and Apprentice programs. These programs blend classroom instruction with thousands of hours of hands-on training to prepare participants for a career in linework. Typically, a high school diploma or GED is the only educational requirement to get started.
PEC also offers a wide range of youth programs and resources, including resume-building workshops, college and trade school scholarships, and experiences such as the Youth Tour, an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., where 1,500 students from electric cooperatives across the nation come together to learn about U.S. history and government.
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Marble Falls’ newest public park is nearing completion and changing names.
The 12-acre, $1.9 million Mormon Mill Nature Park, originally Park View Park, is being built at the northwest corner of Parkview and Park Ridge drives. Once finished, possibly before the end of the year, the greenspace will feature a unique playscape, wildlife viewing blinds, and hiking trails through a verdant landscape surrounding a small wetland area. Parkgoers also will have ample parking, a restroom, seating, and a pavilion.
The area mostly will be kept in its natural state but with planted wildflowers.
Marble Falls Parks and Recreation Director Lacey Dingman said contractors have until January to finish the job, but a recent site visit seems to indicate an accelerated timeline.
“They’re making good progress out there,” she told the Marble Falls City Council during a project update on Tuesday, Oct. 7. “We hope to be scheduling a ribbon-cutting before the end of the year.”
The unique playscape at Mormon Mill Nature Park has a few classics, like swings and slides, as well as an elaborate rope climb and suspended pods. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
Dingman also asked the council to officially change the name from Park View Park to Mormon Mill Nature Park, which was passed without complaint. The recreational area is just a block away from Mormon Mill Road.
The city park has been on the books since April 2022. After a divisive public input phase, with some residents and Parks and Recreation commissioners wanting a full nature park and others a fully developed public activity space, a middle ground was found. Final designs were approved in November 2024, and construction began in early 2025.
The city will pay $1.2 million of the total $1.9 million cost with $726,207 coming from a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department grant.
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A 57-acre development is in the works for the empty ranchland across Texas 71 from Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Marble Falls. It will consist of dozens of multi-family living units, retail space, a hotel, medical offices, and more.
H&H Ranch got phasing approval from the Marble Falls City Council on Tuesday, Oct. 8, and could break ground in early 2026.
The project also means improvements to that stretch of Texas 71—including a stoplight, restriping, wider lanes, and turn lanes—and a connecting road to the Gregg Ranch subdivision farther south.
Developer Darrell Sargent believes the area surrounding the Texas 71-U.S. 281 intersection is the future of progress in Marble Falls. H&H Ranch will sit on the west side of the major convergence, directly across from the hospital at 810 Texas 71.
The general layout of where the 57-acre H&H Ranch development will lie in relation to the Texas 71-U.S. 281 intersection in Marble Falls. Google Maps image
“That intersection is the biggest in the Hill Country,” Sargent told DailyTrib.com. “It will be the primary driver of all retail.”
According to the approved plan, work will be done in two phases. Phase 1 could begin in January 2026 and Phase 2 in 2027 or 2028, depending on the progress and success of the first phase.
Phase 1 consists of building multi-family residences, a hotel, and possibly a self-storage facility. A new road, Buck Run, will be built to service the development. It will extend from Texas 71, across the highway from Baylor Scott & White Boulevard, and eventually connect to Gregg Ranch. The first phase also includes restriping a stretch of Texas 71 and installing conduit to service a future traffic signal in Phase 2.
Phase 2 consists of building medical offices and other commercial retail space along the highway. A traffic signal will be installed at the Buck Run-Baylor Scott & White Boulevard-Texas 71 intersection and turn lanes will be added to the highway. An existing small bridge over Texas 71 will be widened along with the stretch of road approaching the development from the west.
The project is two years in the making, with final platting approved. The phasing plan approval was the last step before the Texas Department of Transportation signed off on the development and the necessary changes to Texas 71 to accommodate them.
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After only two years of operation, Station Mountain Bike Park in Marble Falls is set to close permanently at the end of October, unless a sympathetic buyer steps in.
Owner Rhett Jones said the park, 1101 Crider Road, is shutting down due to financial challenges that left its investors without returns. Selling the land is currently the only viable way to repay them. He took to social media on Oct. 1 to appeal to potential buyers, particularly someone who would keep the park open.
Jones opened the big-jump mountain-biking mecca in 2023 when he was just 18 years old. He raised $350,000 from 19 investors, secured the land, and built the trails alongside a dedicated staff. His ambitious project was featured in the November 2023 issue of The Picayune Magazine.
To commemorate what could be its final days, Station Mountain is hosting a “Closing Jam” on Oct. 25-26. The weekend celebration includes shuttle access, camping, and plenty of jumps. Tickets are $39 for a single day or $59 for the full weekend with camping.
“I cannot describe the feeling I have posting this; it’s bittersweet, I think,” said Jones via a social media post. “I just need to do what’s right for the investors. Those who put money into Station Mountain need their money back. Getting this money can only be done through a property sale.”
After trying to sell the land for 18 months and keep the park open, Jones conceded that marketing it as a clean slate property, potentially a scenic ranch, boosts the chance of a deal.
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