Burnet County Historical Commission

Members of the Burnet County Historical Commission announced their Annual Service Awards March 12 at the Burnet County Commissioners meeting. They posthumously awarded Ina Cooper as the 2017 recipient. For 2018, the Iron Bridge Committee was named a collective recipient due to their efforts in preserving historic iron bridges in Joppa. Committee members are as follows: Rachel Bryson, Lynda French, Al Downing, Carolyn Smith, JoAnn Myers, Polly Krenek, Lela Goar, Carolyn Liles, Millie Williams, Delbert Cain, Pam Leonard, Connie and Cooper Stuteville, Bonnie and Donald Fawcett, Christy and Tom Stephens, Keith McBurnett, Betty Cheney and Maude Cain.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

Members of the Burnet County Historical Commission proudly received another Distinguished Service Award on Tuesday, June 26, from the Texas Historical Commission during the regular Burnet County Commissioners Court meeting.

It is the seventh consecutive time the BCHC has received the award, which honors the county commission's efforts to preserve and promote local history. Burnet County was one of 80 recipients of the award in 2017.

BCHC chairman JoAnn Myers said 29 members from the local commission provided some 3,180 volunteer hours in 2017.

“That is the same as an in-kind donation to the county of $76,000,” Myers said. “Statewide, the Texas Historical Commission reported more than 400,000 volunteer hours for the state for that period and that is valued at more than $10 million. That is quite an accomplishment for volunteers statewide.”

By Glynis Crawford Smith

Highland Lakes Newspapers

A ban on outdoor burning was instituted by the Burnet County Commissioners Court Tuesday morning, June 27.

Members seriously debated whether to take the action before making their decision to institute the ban.

Most of the county has just seen a quarter to a half inch of rain,” said said Herb Darling, director of Burnet County Environmental Services. “I am aware of two projects that may need to burn. Once we put a ban in effect, I'd expect it to be in until the fall.”

“I think it is time,” said Commissioner Joe Don Dockery, whose Precinct 4, has has had some of the lightest rainfall. “The next two weeks are predicted to be hotter than normal and drier than normal. It is not the time of year to be burning anyway.”