The Austin Police Department is investigating after a body was found in Lady Bird Lake on Sunday morning.
According to police, a woman in her 60s was found dead in the 300 Zone of the lake, near Brazos and West Cesar Chavez streets.
A kayaker spotted the body in the water around 8:15 a.m. and called 911.
It is believed the victim was homeless.
There have been at least five dead bodies found in or around Lady Bird Lake near downtown Austin this past year.
A timeline. (MySanAntonio)
The Texas Department of Public Safety released details Sunday about a fatal auto-pedestrian accident in Hays County on Friday that followed a “confrontation” between two drivers. (KXAN-TV)
Austin police responded to an accident involving a pedestrian Sunday evening.
Austin City Council District 7 runoff candidate Gary Bledsoe got a financial boost in his bid to defeat runoff opponent Mike Siegel. (Austin Bulldog)
The nonprofit Texas Housing Conservancy has closed two new deals for multifamily workforce housing properties, including a Dallas-area acquisition that marks its first step in expanding outside the Austin area. (Austin Monitor)
A UT Austin associate professor is helping lead part of a NASA-funded research project in Puerto Rico aimed at studying water quality and its impacts on local communities and marine life. (Daily Texan)
A reopened local prison is focusing on rehabilitation.
The Bartlett Unit (formerly the Bartlett State Jail) in Williamson County will house 1,049 male inmates who will participate in educational programs aimed to help them secure a job after they’ve served their time. (Texas Tribune)
Texas farmers say sewage-based fertilizer tainted with “forever chemicals” poisoned their land and killed their livestock. (Texas Tribune)
Austin’s annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremony at Zilker Park was held last evening.
As we reported yesterday, Mozart’s Coffee is offering refunds after its holiday light display was delayed by power outages and larger-than-expected crowds.
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
Some seismic activity in parts of Texas the past 24 hours…
The final December outlook from the Climate Prediction Center is a little more promising for wet weather with near-normal rainfall expected for most of Central Texas and a wetter pattern more likely in our eastern counties. (KXAN-TV)
The 2024 meteorological fall season, which ran from September 1 to November 30, was the hottest fall season on record for Austin with an average temperature of 75.8° at Camp Mabry.
Numerous heat-related records were set during the 2024 meteorological fall season, including the latest ever triple-digit day in recorded history (101° on Oct. 11). (KXAN-TV via Yahoo! News)
Eleven states, led by Texas, have sued the three largest institutional investors in the world for allegedly conspiring to buy coal company stocks to control the market, reduce competition and violate federal and state antitrust laws. (The Center Square)
Along the border, Texas DPS troopers rescued a five-year-old girl who was carried across the Rio Grande by human traffickers.
Chewters Chocolate, a Canadian chocolate company, is expected to begin construction on a $20.5 million facility in Rockwall on January 6, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing.
Rockwall is about 23 miles east of Dallas. (MySanAntonio)
Uvalde County, which has long leaned Republican, saw the third-deadliest school shooting in U.S. history in 2022. After Democrats pushed for tighter gun controls, it swung further to the right. (Texas Monthly)
A Texas World War II veteran celebrated his 103rd birthday.
WFAA-TV’s “Inside Texas Politics” offers up its annual Turkey Awards.
SPORTS
Madison Booker knocked down a jumper with 18 seconds to go in the fourth quarter and Justice Carlton stole the ball with four second remaining to lift Texas to a 78-73 victory over No. 12/10 West Virginia in the championship game of the Gulf Coast Showcase on Sunday at Hertz Arena. (Texas Longhorns)
Over the weekend, No. 14 Texas Volleyball put together an epic rally to take down Ole Miss in five sets, 26-28, 27-25, 25-23, 21-25, 17-15, at Gregory Gymnasium. (Texas Longhorns)
The Texas volleyball team will host the opening two rounds of the NCAA volleyball tournament Thursday and Friday. (KXAN-TV)
The Texas Longhorns move up to No. 2 in the AP Top 25 College Football Poll after their win in College Station and Ohio State’s loss to Michigan. (Associated Press)
The Aggies of Texas A&M fell out of the Top 25.
In Week 13 of the NFL, the Houston Texans will head in to their bye week on a high note after a 23-20 win at Jacksonville. (Yahoo! News)
In the NBA Sunday, Fred VanVleet had a season-high 38 points to lead the Houston Rockets to a 119-116 win over Oklahoma City at home. (Yahoo! Sports)
Luka Doncic returned from a wrist injury and had 36 points in the Dallas Mavericks’ 137-131 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
Victor Wembanyama had 34 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for his first triple-double of the season, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Sacramento Kings 127-125 on Sunday for their fifth win in six games.
In the NHL Sunday, the Dallas Stars won at home over Winnipeg, 3-1. (Yahoo! Sports)
The Stars (15-8) hit the road tonight and will be in Utah. Game time is 8:00 p.m. (Yahoo! Sports)
Anyone traveling along Barton Springs Road near Zilker Park will encounter the intersection with Azie Morton Road.
Formerly Robert E. Lee Road, it was renamed in 2018 after Morton.
Who was Azie Morton?
