News

By James Walker

 

Burnet police officers soon will be wearing body cameras designed to capture video of events that take place during the course of their work shifts. Burnet City council members approved a request by Police Chief Paul Nelson at its Tuesday, Jan. 13, meeting to lease 15 VIEVU body cameras at a cost of $4,500 for the next three years.

By James Walker

 

Mason Hocker, a 70-pound Burnet fourth grader, pulled, tugged and at times seemed to hang on for dear life, but in the end was rewarded when his 1,300-pound European crossbreed steer won “Grand Champion Steer” honors at the Burnet County FFA and 4H Livestock show Friday evening, Jan. 9. Hocker’s hulking, recalcitrant black steer “Johnny Football” showed a propensity for emulating his famous namesake and freelancing his movements during the judging, but judge Jason Marek was able to get a good enough evaluation on him to award him the blue ribbon.

By James Walker

 

Long-time Burnet public works director Danny Lester has resigned effective Jan. 31 because of what he termed “a philosophical disagreement” with unspecified city leaders. Lester, who has worked for the city in a variety of positions since 1993 and has been the public works director since 2002, told the Burnet Bulletin last week he had resigned and Monday, Jan. 12, he brought a written statement to the newspaper office that revealed his motivation for leaving his job.

By James Walker

 

The plan for managing the water in the Highland Lakes should be updated more frequently in order to incorporate more timely hydrological data and climate conditions, Central Texas stakeholders told the state’s environmental regulatory agency last week. “We urge you to build in events or maybe sunset data on the Water Management Plan so that it never again becomes so stale and outdated,” attorney Trish Carl told the staff of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) at a Colorado River basin stakeholders meeting held Wednesday, Jan. 7, in Austin.

By James Walker

 

Denise Watson, who capped a long career at Seton Highland Lakes Hospital by being named director of operations 13 months ago, has resigned to take a position with Nix Health System in San Antonio. After 22 years with Seton in Burnet, her last day on the job at the local hospital will be Jan. 21, Watson confirmed. Watson and her husband, Ben, will live in San Antonio, but plan to keep their house on Lake Buchanan in the Cassie community, she said.

By James Walker

 

The Burnet County FFA and 4H Livestock Show annually serves as the no-turningback start of winter in the Hill Country. The event, always on the second weekend of January, is actually much more than that and a large number of the county’s kids, from third grade up to high school, are much the better for it

By James Walker

 

Burnet County officials who were elected by voters on Nov. 4 took the oath of office and were sworn in on the first day of 2015. In a well-attended ceremony at the Burnet County courthouse, 11 of the officeholders, several bringing worn and heavily-used family bibles and with spouses, children, brothers and sisters at their side, vowed to tackle their jobs of at least the next four years with energy, dedication and inspiration.

By James Walker

 

One of new Burnet County Judge James Oakley’s first actions since taking office has been to assume direct responsibility of tourism and marketing efforts, resulting in longtime tourism director Teri Freitag losing her job. Oakley, who became county judge Thursday, Jan. 1, afterwinning in the election to succeed a retiring Donna Klaeger, apparently made the tourism and marketing decision before taking office and told Freitag of his decision in a meeting with county attorney Eddie Arredondo on Dec. 19.

By James Walker

 

One of the top priorities for stakeholders in the Colorado River’s upper basin is to ensure the establishment of an updated plan that better protects the Highland Lakes water supply which is vital to much of Central Texas. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) currently is considering the Lower Colorado River Authority’s (LCRA) proposed update to its plan that was last changed in 2010.

By James Walker

 

As he prepared to take office, James Oakley was asked recently to describe his approach to governing as Burnet County’s new county judge. “I look forward to serving. I’ve always said public service is not rocket science. It’s customer service,” said Oakley, who along with other newly-elected officials will take the oath of office at a ceremony Thursday, Jan. 1, at the Burnet County Courthouse. The ceremony is scheduled to start at 9 a.m.