The withdrawn proposal would have allowed the dam’s owner to take nearly 4 million gallons from the South Llano River, the main water source for Kimble, Mason and Llano counties.

Texas has thousands of private dams, but a former oil executive’s application to build one on the South Llano River would be the first in the watershed for recreational use. Opponents fear it would harm the river’s health and encourage more private dams.

Authorities have more than doubled the number of people battling a wildfire that has burned structures and forced the evacuation of homes in southwestern Washington near the Columbia River Gorge.

Republicans who supported former President Donald Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election lost bids for statewide offices that play key roles in overseeing voting in the six states that decided the last presidential election.

Races for the positions that oversee elections at the local level are being targeted by those peddling election conspiracies and falsely claiming that former President Donald Trump won the 2020 election.

Federal officials announced plans Thursday to spend $401 million in grants and loans to expand the reach and improve the speed of internet for rural residents, tribes and businesses in 11 West and Central U.S. states.

A 6,243-acre ranch in the Texas Hill Country that was put up for sale last fall might be off the market after less than a year.

There’s a 6,243-acre ranch for sale in the Texas Hill Country and it just recently hit the market.

It was a special sighting for one Hill Country homeowner who spotted an albino western diamondback rattlesnake on his property recently.

Mason County Judge Jerry Bearden has said that the person suspected in the fire at the Mason County Courthouse was also suspected of setting another blaze around the same time at a home about a mile away. (Texas State Fire Marshal's Office via AP) (Texas State Fire Marshal's Office)This drone photo provided by the Texas State Fire Marshal's Office, shows the aftermath of a fire at the Mason County Courthouse, Friday, Feb. 5, 2021, in Mason, Texas. (Texas State Fire Marshal's Office via AP) (Texas State Fire Marshal's Office)This photo provided by Mason County Judge Jerry Bearden shows a fire at the Mason County Courthouse, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021, in Mason, Texas. (Mason County Judge Jerry Bearden via AP) (Mason County Judge Jerry Bearden)This photo provided by Mason County Judge Jerry Bearden shows a fire at the Mason County Courthouse, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021, in Mason, Texas. (Mason County Judge Jerry Bearden via AP) (Mason County Judge Jerry Bearden)

This photo provided by Mason County Judge Jerry Bearden shows a fire at the Mason County Courthouse, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021, in Mason, Texas. (Mason County Judge Jerry Bearden via AP)MASON, Texas – A suspect has been arrested been taken into custody following a massive fire that destroyed all but the rock outer walls of an 111-year-old Hill Country courthouse, an official says. The fire at the Mason County Courthouse in Mason, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Austin, started Thursday night. Mason County Judge Jerry Bearden said the flames could be seen from miles away. “It's just a terrible tragedy for the people here in the county,” Bearden said.

The Mason County Courthouse was destroyed in a fire that started lat Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. The historic courthouse in Mason County was destroyed in a fire overnight, leaving Hill Country residents devastated at the sight of the 111-year-old icon going up in flames. The Mason County Courthouse, which was being prepared for renovations, caught on fire around 10 p.m. Thursday, Mason County Judge Jerry Bearden told KXAN in Austin. Videos and images of the “beloved” structure on fire filled the Mason County, TX Online Community Facebook page on Friday morning. Other residents shared memories and images in remembrance of the “grand old lady.”We will rise from the ashes and stand strong “Mason Strong” Pray for our town!!