Williamson County commissioners voted to reinstate a 30-day county burn ban during their Sept. 11 meeting.
The county judge was given the authority to lift the burn ban during this time if conditions improve, according to a news release issued by a Williamson County spokeswoman.
The burn ban prohibits burning any combustible material outside of an enclosure containing all flames and/or sparks or ordering others to burn items. It also prohibits burning to clear land of vegetation and the burning of household yard waste, including leaves, grass and brush.
Violating the ban is a Class C misdemeanor and is punishable by a fine of up to $500.
Joe Lanane’s career is rooted in community journalism, having worked for a variety of Midwest-area publications before landing south of the Mason-Dixon line in 2011 as the Stillwater News-Press news editor. He arrived at Community Impact Newspaper in 2012, gaining experience as editor of the company’s second-oldest publication in Leander/Cedar Park. He eventually became Central Austin editor, covering City Hall and the urban core of the city.
Lanane leveraged that experience to become Austin managing editor in 2016. He managed eight Central Texas editions from Georgetown to San Marcos. Working from company headquarters, Lanane also became heavily involved in enacting corporate-wide editorial improvements. In 2017, Lanane was promoted to executive editor, overseeing editorial operations throughout the company. The Illinois native received his bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University and his journalism master’s degree from Ball State University.
