The Murph is an annual Memorial Day fitness challenge that honors the memory of U.S. Navy SEAL Lt. Micheal Murphy, a Medal of Honor recipient who was killed in action while serving in Afghanistan in 2005. Participants from across the country go through the grueling workout that ‘Murph’ preferred while he served. Photo courtesy of Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation

Granite Shoals hosts The Murph Challenge on Memorial Day 2024. The fitness event tests participants physically and mentally with a series of grueling workouts preferred by U.S. Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. “Murph” Murphy, a Medal of Honor recipient who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2005. 

Funds from The Murph go toward student scholarships supported by the fallen SEAL’s foundation.

The Granite Shoals Murph Challenge begins at 10 a.m. Monday, May 27, at Quarry Park, 2221 N. Phillips Ranch Road. Everyone is welcome to participate. The Granite Shoals Police Officers Association and Fire Auxiliary encourages first responders from across Burnet and Llano counties to join in. Register online and enter “Granite Shoals POA/Fire Auxiliary” in the gym affiliation section.

Participation is $35 for standard entry, which includes a Murph 2024 T-shirt or tank top, or $60 for a shirt, hat, and sticker.

The Murph Challenge is simple and brutal. Competitors must complete the following workouts in order, with no time limit, wearing a 20-pound vest or body armor:

• one-mile run
• 100 pull-ups
• 200 push-ups
• 300 squats
• one-mile run

“We’re not trying to set records here. We’re trying to have some fun, build some camaraderie, and raise some money for a good cause,” Granite Shoals Police Department Detective Nick Chavis told DailyTrib.com.

Chavis is a U.S. Navy veteran who joined the GSPD in March. He helped organize Granite Shoals challenge and hopes for a big turnout. He has trained law enforcement and military units in medical trauma response using the skills he picked up as a Navy corpsman. 

Chavis said he’s always been inspired by the SEALs and has personally participated in at least 15 of The Murph challenges. 

MEDAL OF HONOR ACTIONS

Lt. Michael Murphy was killed in a savage firefight in Afghanistan in 2005 while he and three other SEALs were conducting a reconnaissance mission in a remote, mountainous region of the country. Murphy was reportedly mortally wounded when he entered the field of fire to communicate with allied forces and request an extraction.

In a tragic turn, the 16-man rescue force was killed by rocket fire while approaching by helicopter. Three of the SEALs on the ground, including Murphy, were killed amid the fight. The sole survivor of the battle, U.S. Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, managed to escape on foot. He was taken in by friendly locals and eventually rescued by allied forces. Murphy posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the battle.

dakota@thepicayune.com

A screenshot of the Granite Shoals website shows a new category that was added on April 23, which includes the first-ever publicly available recording of a City Council meeting.

Granite Shoals is putting recordings of City Council meetings online, sharing monthly city updates, and kicking off an online video series that introduces public servants to the community, all steps toward government transparency.

The first council meeting to be posted online—from April 23—is on the city’s website and YouTube channel. 

Previously, residents could only watch meetings in real time, either in person or virtually via the Zoom app.

“(City Secretary Dawn Wright) has been working on (making meeting video recordings available online) for quite some time, preceding me arriving in the interim city manager role,” interim City Manager Sarah Novo told DailyTrib.com. “Now, we can ensure that every member of the public is able to engage and see the decision-making process (of the council).”

Granite Shoals is one of the few local governments in the Highland Lakes to livestream its meetings. The Meadowlakes City Council and Marble Falls Independent School District Board of Trustees also do so.

“With the implementation of these efforts, the goal is to meet people where they are and build a connection between the city’s leadership and the people we serve,” Novo continued.

Making meeting recordings available to the public also serves a practical purpose, according to Mayor Pro-tem Steve Hougen. He said the city secretary has had to create individual recordings in the past to fulfill public information requests.

“(These meetings) are now available with the click of a button,” Hougen said. “The City Council and the (city) administration want to work together as a team, but the team isn’t just the councilors and administration, it’s also the citizens of the community.”

Granite Shoals has gone back and forth in discussions on meeting transparency since COVID-19 requirements for streaming government meetings in Texas were lifted in September 2021. Residents, the council, and city administration often argued about whether to continue streaming live meetings. The issue was resolved in November 2023 when the council decided to continue to do so via Zoom.

Novo said she understood she was stepping into turbulent times when she took the job in February after former City Manager Peggy Smith resigned amid controversy.

“Really, the best way to overcome that is to build trust, develop an open relationship, and be honest about what is going on in the city,” Novo said.

She made her first city manager report, the one for April, available online. It includes updates on the work of city committees, the announcement of a future heritage tree proclamation and photo contest, a small community events calendar, and the city’s future goals. She will post reports monthly, she told DailyTrib.com.

Granite Shoals also rolled out a new video series, “Council Connections,” that features public servants. The first video introduces Brian Edwards, a relatively new council member. A new video will go up every Wednesday, according to a social media post from the city. Novo said it could eventually evolve to include interviews with officials about hot topics and points of interest.

Hougen expressed optimism about the current state of Granite Shoals, its leadership, and its future.

“I think we have a really good team, and we’re right at a threshold for (positive change),” he said.

dakota@thepicayune.com

Visitors browse vendor stands in downtown Bertram during the 2023 Art, Herb and Wine Festival. The festival returns for its sixth year on April 27 and April 28. Photo courtesy of Bertram Chamber of Commerce

The annual Bertram Art, Herb, and Wine Festival is Saturday-Sunday, April 27-28. Both days are packed to the brim with live music, local vendors, and seminars on the festival’s namesake subjects.

This will be the festival’s sixth year, and it might be the biggest one yet, said Burnet County Precinct 2 Commissioner Damon Beierle.

“It’s really starting to attract people from all over and introduce them to what Bertram is all about,” he told DailyTrib.com.

Dozens of local vendors will line the streets of downtown Bertram selling handcrafted and homegrown products. Most festivities will take place at the intersection of East Vaughn Street and North Grange Street. 

The Art, Herb and Wine Festival is from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. 

Live music on Saturday includes Mythx from 10-11:30 a.m., Rodney Howell from noon to 1:30 p.m., Eley Buck Davis Band from 2-3:30 p.m., and The Steel Belts from 4-5:30 p.m. On Sunday, listen to Pauline Reese from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and Spicy Loops from 1:30-3:30 p.m.

The Hair of the Dog cornhole tournament begins at 11 a.m. Saturday and the Wine Thyme 5K Run starts at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. Arrive early for both to register in person.

The weekend also includes 12 seminars on topics such as using herbs in cocktails and plein air painting. A full schedule is on the Bertram Chamber of Commerce website.

dakota@thepicayune.com

PEC Board of Directors seats in districts 1, 6, and 7 are up for election. Voting starts May 21. Courtesy image

Seven candidates are vying for three seats on the Pedernales Electric Cooperative Board of Directors. Members in districts 1, 6, and 7 are eligible to vote beginning May 21. The PEC board approved the slate of candidates and the ballot at its April meeting.

The election runs through June 14. Winners will announced on June 18 and seated on June 21 during a 9 a.m. board meeting at PEC headquarters, 201 S. Avenue F in Johnson City. 

Incumbents for all three seats are running for re-election. Only District 1 Director Milton Rister is unopposed. Rister was elected in 2018 to his first three-year term. This is his third election bid. Directors are limited to four, three-year terms. 

Challenging District 6 incumbent Paul Graf for his seat are Garry D. Crain and Grover D. Clifton Jr. 

Graf is seeking his fourth and final term on the PEC board. He was first elected in 2015 and is a retired energy and power company executive who lives in Spring Branch.  

Crain lives in San Marcos and has more than 30 years of experience in executive leadership positions in energy and healthcare. He was appointed to the Texas State University System Board of Regents by Gov. Greg Abbott. 

Clifton is a resident of Spring Branch. He has 15 years of experience in the oil and gas industry and is currently the vice president of operations for a large midstream company. 

District 7 Director Amy Lea SJ Akers also drew two opponents: Daniel Ayala Jr. and Mark Jones. 

Like Graf, Akers is seeking her final board term. She was first elected in 2015 and is a corporate transactions lawyer and business consultant. She also has experience in the construction industry. 

Ayala is an educator and environmentalist who lives in San Marcos. He is vice chair of the executive board for Hays Consolidated Independent School District’s Diversity Advisory Council and vice president of the Texas Environmental Caucus. 

Mark Jones lives in the Kyle/Buda area. His background includes three terms as a Hays County commissioner, 20 years with H-E-B, and 25 years as a home appraiser. He is currently a rancher. 

Voting can be done online via PEC SmartHub on a computer or mobile device, by mail or email link, or in a PEC office. Learn more about the board election online.

suzanne@thepicayune.com

Recent online comments have accused Marble Falls Middle School students of bad behavior at H-E-B in Marble Falls. The grocery store is across the street from the school. File photo

Marble Falls school district officials are again looking to crack down on purported poor behavior by some of its middle school students at the Marble Falls H-E-B, which is across Pony Drive from the campus. The issue was previously addressed by the store in March 2023. 

The decision follows recent online comments from residents on sites such as Nextdoor alleging that students entering the store after school are stealing merchandise, vandalizing property, and accosting shoppers.

“These teens need a wake-up call,” one Nextdoor commenter wrote. “Where are the parents?”

Marble Falls Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Jeff Gasaway told DailyTrib.com he is personally contacting H-E-B representatives to address the problem.

“I’m going to be reaching out to H-E-B to find out what we can do as a collective to help them and also to ensure that the reputation of our students remains good and strong,” he said, adding that he was not aware of any cases of shoplifting.

The superintendent encouraged families to follow school protocol by collecting their students in the designated pickup lines at Marble Falls Middle School. Some parents have been picking up their children in the H-E-B parking lot.

“Hopefully, if parents will pick up their kids in the drop-off and pickup lines, that will curtail the problems with kids going over there,” Gasaway said. 

An email sent to parents on April 18 by Marble Falls Middle School Principal Rudy Gonzalez echoed Gasaway’s concerns.

“For the safety of our kids, they really should be waiting here at the school to get picked up,” the email reads. “For our kiddos that walk home, we really need them to walk directly home and not linger at our local businesses.”

Gasaway invited families who can’t pick up students in a timely manner to inquire about the campus’ ACE program, an after-school tutoring program.

“We’ve got an ability for kids to get academic help and improve their grades by participating in the ACE program after school,” he said. “We’re going to be encouraging our kids to do that.”

Gasaway also reminded residents about the district’s lack of authority over students misbehaving off campus after school.

“We want our kids to always be a great reflection of us, their parents, and the community,” he said. “With that being said, when a student leaves Marble Falls ISD property, our ability to address concerns of their behavior off our property is very limited.”

nathan@thepicayune.com