Voters within the East Ouachita Parish School District approved a $50-million bond proposition and the City of Bastrop elected a new mayor and alderman following Saturday's elections Below are the results of three key ballot items from Saturday's election Follow Ian Robinson on Twitter @_irobinsonand on Facebook at https://bit.ly/3vln0w1 DeLaRosa headed to runoff to be next mayor of BastropAustin American-StatesmanBastrop mayoral candidates Ishmael Harris and Willie DeLaRosa are heading to a runoff on June 7 after Harris narrowly missed securing 50% of the vote in the three-way race Ward Northcutt finished third with 219 votes The runoff winner will serve the remainder of former Mayor Lyle Nelson’s term Mayor Pro Tem John Kirkland defeated Cheryl Lee with 716 votes (56%) to Lee’s 561 votes (44%) Lee vacated her Place 1 seat to challenge Kirkland winning 870 votes (70%) to Serna’s 372 votes (30%) has worked in the wastewater department at Austin Water for 21 years and resigned as chair of Bastrop's Planning and Zoning Commission to run for mayor he said the biggest issue facing Bastrop is trust in the City Council to make decisions in residents’ best interests Among his top priorities are bringing a hospital and expanded recreation center to Bastrop as well as investing in city parks and collaborating more with the county and school district retired from a 27-year career on the Bastrop City Council He said the city’s biggest challenge is finding quality developers to meet Bastrop’s rapid growth DeLaRosa aims to streamline development and permitting processes to minimize project delays while involving developers and local stakeholders to protect neighborhoods near new developments has served on the council since 2022 and works as an engineer at a computer chip design and manufacturing firm Kirkland emphasized the need to invest in infrastructure including roads and water and wastewater facilities and highlighted the city’s plans for a new wastewater facility to generate revenue Kirkland had clashed with Lee on the City Council over several contentious issues including a failed motion by Lee to discipline or terminate the contract of City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino Lee also cast the lone dissenting vote last year on a measure to strip then-Mayor Nelson of some of his responsibilities after an ethics panel found he had interfered with an investigation into misuse of public funds Kirkland helped start an initiative last summer to recall Nelson He said Bastrop’s biggest issues include rapid population growth the environmental impact of new industries and a lack of affordable and trust in the City Council Lowe supports affordable housing projects like North End Prairie but underlines the importance of considering generational homes near such developments He advocates for improving infrastructure to attract investment in housing and small businesses Incumbent Chris Dillon received 51.02% of ballots in the race for Bastrop ISD Trustee Place 5 (This story was updated to correct an error.) Bastrop baseball player Cooper Voigt won the online voting for the Thomas J Henry Law Austin-area boys athlete of the week poll for the week of April 21-26 who struck out 11 McCallum batters in a 3-2 district win MORE: Our top 15 baseball power rankings for Central Texas MORE: Our 30 Austin-area baseball players having breakout seasons Dripping Springs baseball player Conner Helms Cedar Park baseball player Kyle McClure and Glenn baseball player Dominic Tanyag were the other candidates By Madison RemreyPublished: May 2025 at 1:36 PM CDT|Updated: 8 hours agoEmail This LinkShare on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInBASTROP (KNOE) - Newly-elected Bastrop Mayor Mark Moore is addressing the community two days after his win against incumbent Betty Alford-Olive Bastrop ISD students sign on for an apprenticeship program in partnership with Acutronic Candidates ran for two city council seats in the May 3 election The Bastrop Mayoral race will go to a runoff Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInBASTROP (KNOE) - Law enforcement responded to a bomb threat at Bastrop High School on May 1 Morehouse Parish Sheriff Mike Tubbs received a call at around 6:30 a.m Deputies are assisting the Bastrop Police Department with a school sweep Tubbs said Bastrop Police have the lead on this investigation Superintendent of Morehouse Parish Schools “Bastrop High School received a telephone call regarding a bomb threat School officials have notified the Morehouse Parish Sheriff’s Office Students are being sent home out of an abundance of caution and the school is being searched to make sure there is no threat.” He adds that threats to “ blow up the principal’s office “ were made over the phone We will continue to update this story as more information becomes available Subscribe to the KNOE 8 YouTube Channel. City Council and Bastrop ISD trustee seats in the May 3 election Bastrop County participates in the Countywide Polling Place Program which allows voters to use any polling location within their county rather than being required to stay within their precinct Texas Roadhouse offers an assortment of hand-cut steaks Texas — The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office says deputies seized more than 360 grams of fentanyl worth over $75,000 Deputies say it happened during a traffic stop on SH-71 ALSO| Austin police seek help finding suspect in armed robbery at local barber shop The sheriff's office says the driver and passenger traveled from Austin to Houston to purchase the fentanyl. Both have been arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance. Bastrop resident Heather Green spoke during the March 11 council meeting, noting concerns over the North End Prairie project details. (Courtesy city of Bastrop) LongHorn Steakhouse serves a variety of fresh-cut steaks, seafood, chicken, lamb and more. (Courtesy LongHorn Steakhouse) Willie DeLaRosa, Ward Northcutt and Ishmael Harris will be on the ballot for mayor in the upcoming May 3 special election. (Community Impact staff) The Bastrop City Council on Tuesday denied a city charter amendment to decriminalize possession of low amounts of marijuana, which was passed by 70% of voters in November. The marijuana amendment was the only one of the 11 voter-approved propositions the City Council denied. The council collectively approved the amendments, excluding Proposition M, in a 3–2 vote, with Council Members Cheryl Lee and Kerry Fossler voting against. Cannabis possession remains illegal at the state and federal level. If the City Council approved Proposition M, the charter amendment would have directed the Bastrop Police Department not to prosecute suspects possessing 4 ounces or less of marijuana. With a few exceptions for medicinal use, marijuana possession falls under the Texas Health and Safety Code. Having 2 ounces or less is a Class B misdemeanor and is punishable by up to 180 days in jail, up to $2,000 in fines, or both. Having 2,000 pounds or more is a first-degree felony with a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a $50,000 fine. Stanley O. Springerly, a senior associate attorney with the city attorney’s firm, said state law supersedes language in a city charter. He recommended that the council not accept Proposition M to avoid legal action from the state. Last year, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued six cities — including Austin, San Marcos and Elgin — for their policies to decriminalize cannabis. Bastrop Mayor Pro Tem John Kirkland said the city estimates it would cost $400,000 in legal fees to fight lawsuits if the city adopted the charter amendment. Lee said she voted against the motion to stay true to the voters who approved Proposition M. “I would like (Proposition) M to be included in the approval of all the charter amendments because that’s what the voters wanted,” Lee said. “If the law provides an opportunity for residents to petition for something, and they follow that process, the end result is what it is.” Council Member Cynthia Meyer said denying the charter amendment was ultimately in the taxpayers' best interest: "However we vote on this, nobody is against the voters. Looking forward, as our attorney said, there will be a lawsuit, and that means a lot of taxpayer money will be used. I think everybody up here is for the voters." Among the charter amendments that were approved by voters in November and by the City Council on Tuesday were paying the mayor $400 per month and council members $250 a month beginning with the next election cycle, clarifying that the mayor appoints candidates to serve on boards with the council members reviewing and confirming those appointments, and requiring the council create a Charter Review Commission every six years. The City Council also approved three bird sculptures that will be placed along Chestnut Street. The sculptures are part of the second wave of the Bastrop Bird Junction Project, which will eventually include nine sculptures across the city. The council approved the installation of the first three sculptures in April. Michaela Joyce, manager of the city’s Main Street Program, said the city will unveil two statues at the intersection of Chestnut and Texas 95 in the next two months as part of the first phase of the project. She added that the city finished installing a pileated woodpecker sculpture at the Convention Center in August. The Bastrop Kohl's will be located in Burleson Crossing East. (Courtesy Kohl's) Bastrop ISD received a D accountability rating for the 2022-23 school year from the Texas Education Agency, based on many factors centered around student achievement. (Courtesy Bastrop ISD) Cheryl Lee and John Kirkland will be on the May 3 general election ballot for the Bastrop City Council, Place 5 seat. (Community Impact staff) Spencer Harkness (left), and Mason Mote, both co-founders and managing principals at Pearl River Companies, at the Sendero groundbreaking April 10. (Sierra Martin/Community Impact) Incumbent Chris Dillon and John Eason will be on the May 3 uniform election ballot. (Community Impact staff) Armstrong Williams takes on the news of the week and asks the questions you want answered. Don’t miss our weekly town hall. Evacuations lifted for residents after officials fully extinguish Bastrop County fire by Isabella Bass Texas — Evacuations have been lifted regarding the Bastrop County Mouse Fire that began Saturday afternoon Fire crews engaged in heavy mop up operations throughout Saturday night and Sunday The Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management and local fire departments reported just before 4 p.m Saturday that they were responding to a fire in the area of LBA Dr temporary evacuations were ordered for residents located in the 200 Block of LBA Drive south to Moon Mist According to the Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management burning material produced embers which blew on the winds and started smaller fires outside of the perimeter Firefighters worked to extinguish these smaller fires as they popped up ALSO:Suspect charged with murder in relation to June 2024 shooting in S Austin Three Single Engine Air Tankers were on the way to put retardant around the perimeter of the fire Those in the area were asked to avoid the area to provide space for responders to safely operate that the fire was actively burning inside approximately 1 acre and had not grown since the 4:30 p.m The fire destroyed two structures on a single property the fire was burning at 2 acres and was 90% contained A bulldozer line was created around the entirety of the fire around 6:20 p.m The fire was stated to be 100% contained at 3 p.m Bastrop City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino defended herself during a special council meeting Nov Sprouts Bastrop will be located within the soon-to-come Burleson Crossing East Only Place 1 and Place 5 are up for election the mixed-use development aims to create a space for Bastrop residents and visitors to live (Rendering courtesy Pearl River Companies) The Bastrop Opera House will host a Musical Theater Summer Camp Dacia is a features reporter for northern markets in the Austin metro She joined Community Impact in June 2024 shortly after graduating from The University of Texas with a degree in journalism Dacia previously interned for Austin PBS and Voces Oral History Center practicing yoga and trying new restaurants in the city The mayoral seat was left vacant after Lyle Nelson's Jan Texas — The Austin Humane Society rescued 19 dogs from what officials described as a "breeding operation" in Bastrop County on Tuesday Working with Bastrop County Animal Services the organization transferred the dogs to its shelter as part of a coordinated effort that removed more than 30 animals from a single property primarily "doodle" mixes ranging from 3 months to 5 years old "The dogs were suffering from flea infestations fur matting and three of the dogs have tested positive for heartworms," the Austin Humane Society said The animals are undergoing medical and behavioral evaluations and some could be available for adoption as early as Wednesday afternoon ALSO | Five cats abandoned at Leander shelter, police searching for owner treated for parasites and receive vaccinations before being placed in new homes Lee esta historia en español BASTROP — It’s almost impossible to escape news about Elon Musk these days at the heart of his business empire in the Lone Star State Musk has been amassing his economic power in Texas He’s moved most of his businesses here and broken ground on huge projects in Austin, near Brownsville and outside Waco. Nowhere is Musk’s business power more concentrated than at his corporate compound in rural Bastrop County, about 45 minutes from downtown Austin Musk’s presence in the area is set to explode raising hopes and sowing concerns about what the Elon effect will mean for Central Texas The new headquarters for social media platform X is being built here, and it looks to open soon. SpaceX, his aerospace company, will more than double its size next door. And then there’s Snailbrook the company town Musk is building at the compound The Texas Newsroom has learned that the Musk “utopia” is likely to restart development by year’s end — and may be even more massive than previously reported with an assist from lenient county development rules his investments are helping transform this corner of rural Texas tourism and media attention — along with worries about environmental degradation and cultural change for Bastrop “If Elon thinks Bastrop is cool,” City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino said [Land associated with Elon Musk and his companies in Bastrop County the strip malls and housing developments of the city quickly drop away It’s mostly farms and ranches out here. When Austin came knocking to annex part of the county in the mid-1980s Locals talk about it like it happened yesterday as though the city’s gaping maw is still eager to gobble up their rural idyll Housing developments and shopping centers are popping up Elgin and Smithville — together boast fewer than 30,000 people Against this backdrop looms Musk’s corporate compound shining slate of buildings jut out of the leafy countryside where the state has given county officials few ways to stop growth called rural development rules here “the wild “If somebody wanted to put in a business that nobody liked [county officials] have no authority to adopt a zoning ordinance like a city does,” Brooks said Musk also found an eager partner among Bastrop County officials and if not yesterday then today,” said Paul Pape but county officials also didn’t put up roadblocks Pape sees Musk and other business leaders interested in the area as a way for Bastrop to grow without being consumed by their bigger urban neighbor: “We didn’t want Austin to be in control of Bastrop’s future.” According to a Texas Newsroom analysis of property records Musk’s companies have now amassed more than 600 acres just along this stretch of road Some of the land was purchased in the last few months SpaceX’s 700,000-square-foot facility will more than double in size, according to a progress report the company released last year Earth movers and other construction equipment already dot the site and trucks hauling materials race down the two-lane road nearby Here, SpaceX produces Starlink kits, individual devices that let people access the internet remotely. This year, Starlink wants to make their kits available to new customers in countries in West Africa Central and Southeast Asia and South America SpaceX has applied to be a part of the federal Foreign-Trade Zone program This may let the company avoid paying some taxes and tariffs on goods it handles at the site The newest addition to Musk’s corporate compound is X Last summer, amid a break with California over transgender rights, Elon Musk announced he was moving X Corp The social media company’s longtime home in the famed Market Square building an art deco behemoth occupying an entire San Francisco city block was swapped for a temporary HQ in an East Austin office park The Austin space is now up for rent. the social media company’s permanent home is in a nondescript industrial building next to the Boring Bodega The X building now appears to be nearing completion cars and trucks were parked in a staff lot around the side of the warehouse “No trespassing” signs were tacked up on a low rock wall outside Ad Astra, a private school funded by Musk’s nonprofit recently opened around the corner from the compound But perhaps Musk’s most mysterious development in the area is Snailbrook The fact that he wanted to build an entire town for his local employees went viral when the Wall Street Journal wrote about it in early 2023 Word was Musk’s lieutenants wanted to elect a mayor and formally incorporate the town But, since then, there appears to have been little growth onsite. There are still just a handful of mobile homes, a warehouse — and lots of open farmland.Then, last month, news broke that Musk wanted to create his own town near Brownsville at the site of SpaceX’s rocket launch site Not so fast, says Carrillo-Trevino, the city manager. According to her, Snailbrook is still happening but the development cannot grow much until it taps into the area’s local wastewater line under a deal between the city, SpaceX and local utility Corix Carrillo-Trevino estimates that is still about a year away “It’s just waiting,” Carrillo-Trevino told The Texas Newsroom during an interview in Bastrop late last month Plans obtained by the Wall Street Journal showed Snailbrook would have 110 homes for company employees Carrillo-Trevino believes it could end up being 10 times that big “Think about how many acres he has,” she said “It’s thousands [of homes] that could fit there.” Stroll down Main Street in the city of Bastrop and you may not know Musk’s corporate complex is a 10-minute drive away Few locals who don’t work for the company have ever met The one obvious mention of his name on the street was found on the cover of his biography at the local bookstore Nearly three in four Bastrop County voters chose Donald Trump to be president But local reviews about Trump’s new right-hand man were mixed Rachael Tolbert lives 15 minutes down the road in Smithville “I love that he’s bringing business our way,” Tolbert said “But I wish it didn’t come with the political climate that he seems to bring with him everywhere he goes.” She added: “I’m pretty unaffected by the changes personally Carrillo-Trevino says Bastrop is on track to experience 42% growth in the next five years People move to the area because of lower housing costs less traffic and the natural beauty afforded by the Lost Pines Forest because the city reminds them of old Austin Carrillo-Trevino attributes about half of the promised growth to the draw of him and his companies But she said there’s a “fine line” between welcoming Musk and giving him unfettered access to their land With his businesses tapping into their wastewater system Carrillo-Trevino said the city will soon have more oversight over how he is developing in the area “He’s dumping into the Colorado and that's upstream from us,” Carrillo-Trevino said “That's a major tourism and environmental factor for us Local leaders are equipped to handle concerns about growth “I don’t think Musk and his industries are going to really change what makes Bastrop County special,” he said Census Bureau shows population growth in Bastrop County grooming and more to Bastrop in Burleson Crossing East Texas — UPDATE: The people of interest have been identified so the Bastrop County Sheriff's Office is no longer seeking to identify them The original story and more information on the case is below The body of 77-year-old Simon Castillo was found Tuesday at approximately 7:30 a.m by a relative after Castillo failed to show up for his morning routine Castillo was found in his residence located in the Stoney Point area Investigators were able to confirm that the victim was alive on Monday and that he had been stabbed over 30 times The victim’s vehicle was taken by the suspect or suspects however the location of the vehicle is now known by law enforcement at this time Due to the social media and local media coverage law enforcement now knows the identity of the two men shown in the Facebook post below The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office is seeking the public's help in identifying two people of interest in an active murder investigation according to surveillance images released Thursday One individual was captured on security cameras and was last seen driving a 1999 beige GMC Sierra pickup truck with Texas license plate PZN9901 ALSO | Austin police searching for missing 81-year-old man with dementia The sheriff's office also released photos of another person of interest who was seen driving the same vehicle Officials did not say how the two people are connected Authorities ask anyone with information about the case to contact the Bastrop County Sheriff's Office at 512-549-5100 Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers at 866-930-8477 or online at bluebonnet.crimestoppersweb.com Tips leading to an arrest may be eligible for a cash reward Jeremiah's Italian Ice specializes in "jelati"—a combination of Italian ice and soft ice cream Incumbent Chris Dillon (left) will face John Eason for the Bastrop ISD Place 5 trustee seat Bastrop City Attorney Alan Bojorquez's resignation letter was accepted by council members at a meeting Dec