The withdrawn proposal would have allowed the dam’s owner to take nearly 4 million gallons from the South Llano River, the main water source for Kimble, Mason and Llano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

MASON COUNTY, Texas – A reward in a 19-year-old Texas cold case killing has been increased to $6,000. The Texas Rangers hope the public can help them solve the murder of James Charles “Jimmy” Schuessler, a Mason County man who was found dead in his rural ranch house on Oct. 14, 2001. A reward of as much as $6,000 — an increase from the typical $3,000 —is being offered for information that leads to the arrests of those responsible, if the tip is received before next month’s featured Texas Rangers case is announced. Anyone with information on Schuessler’s death is urged to come forward by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-252-8477. Individuals can also submit information online through the Texas Rangers cold case website or by calling the DPS Missing Persons Hotline at 1-800-346-3243.

This photo provided by Mason County Judge Jerry Bearden shows a fire at the Mason County Courthouse, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021, in Mason, Texas. An official says a suspect has been taken into custody following the massive fire that destroyed all but the rock outer walls of the 111-year-old courthouse. (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 Texas 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.