The linotype, a standard in newspaper offices for almost 100 years, returned to the Burleson Visitors Center Aug. 8 thanks to the City's facilities maintenance department and the Burleson Heritage Foundation. The Burleson Visitors Center was once home to the Burleson News, then the Burleson Dispatcher newspapers. The Burleson News/Burleson Dispatcher printed from 1900 to September 1985. Back in the day, it only took one person to set and cast type on the linotype using the "hot type" method of printing. The City of Burleson bought the Burleson Visitors Center in the 1990s and moved the linotype to the City's old service center for future restoration. Robert Griffith, then a member of the Burleson Heritage Foundation, discovered the linotype in 2005 and began the restoration. The linotype will be on display in the Burleson Visitors Center, 124 W. Ellison St., 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Wednesday-Saturday. For more pictures, go to the Linotype Returns to Burleson Visitors Center photo album on the City of Burleson Facebook page.

At the Monday, Aug. 20, Burleson City Council work session, there will be a public hearing on the proposed Fiscal Year 2012-2013 budget and the first of two public hearings on the proposed tax rate. That work session is at 6 p.m. at Burleson City Hall, 141 W. Renfro St. On Sept. 4 (this meeting is on Tuesday since Labor Day is Sept. 3), the City will host the second public hearing on the proposed tax rate and the first reading of the budget, tax rate and water/wastewater rate ordinances. The Sept. 4 hearing and readings are on the 7 p.m. agenda. And, on Monday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m., City staff  will present the final reading of the budget, tax rate, water/wastewater rate ordinances and the minute order to ratify the tax revenue and minute order to adopt the fee schedule to council. Have you had a chance to listen to the streaming video of the Aug. 8 Burleson City Council budget workshop? In the three-hour workshop, City Manager Dale Cheatham reviews the major changes as well as new items in the proposed City budget. View the video of the August 8, 2012, Council work session. If you are interested in the details of the City's budget process, go to the Budget Planning, Fiscal Year 2012-2013 page on the City website. This page includes links to the city council work session book (draft of the proposed budget for the work session), the budget prep worksheet (line item level) and the budget detail (detail supporting each line item). 

On Aug. 7, the Tarrant County Commissioners Court approved a ban on outdoor burning for the unincorporated areas of Tarrant County for the next 90 days. This ban is in response to the drought. A violation of this court order is a Class C misdemeanor. Read the Tarrant County news release. Johnson County authorized a 90-day ban on outdoor burning in the unincorporated areas of Johnson County on Aug. 6. Read the Johnson County burn ban order.

Are you doing home repair or renovations and in need of a landfill? Other disposal facilities are Southeast Landfill, 898 N. Dick Price Road, Kennedale, Texas 817-478-6462 ; City of Cleburne Transfer Station, 2625 Pipeline Road, Cleburne, Texas 817-641-2236 ; and Turkey Creek Landfill in Alvarado, 9100 S I 35 W Alvarado, TX. 817-790-0311. Hours in Kennedale are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday and 8 a.m.-4:15 p.m. on Saturday. Hours in Cleburne are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Saturday. And hours in Alvarado are 7 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday and 7 a.m.-11:30 a.m. on Saturdays. Call ahead to find out the fees at each landfill.