House Speaker Dade Phelan on Friday announced he is dropping his bid for another term leading the lower chamber.
Phelan abandoned the race one day before a scheduled meeting where Republicans are set to pick their nominee for the gavel.
“By stepping aside, I believe we create the best opportunity for our members to rally around a new candidate who will uphold the principles that make our House one of the most exceptional, deliberative legislative bodies in the country—a place where honor, integrity, and the right of every member to vote their district takes utmost precedent.” — Dade Phelan
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued the following statement after Phelan’s announcement:
ATCEMS responded to a major crash on North U.S. 183 last night that injured one person.
A child is seriously injured after being struck by a vehicle in southeast Austin Friday afternoon. It’s unclear if the driver remained on scene or fled immediately after the collision.
The crash remains under investigation.
Police and first responders are investigating a deceased person in Downtown Austin.
According to the Austin Police Department, an attempted suicide call came in near East 5th and San Jacinto streets Friday afternoon.
The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can be connected with trained counselors by using 988 to call, text and chat. The existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number –1-800-273-8255 — also works.
The Travis County Sheriff’s Office also works in partnership with APD and the Integral Care Mobile Crisis Outreach Team to help with mental health incidents.
They will respond anywhere within Travis County, or Austin, 24/7 by calling 512-472-4357. You can also call Travis County Dispatch at 512-974-0845 and select Option 3 or the APD Crisis Intervention Team at 512-854-3450.
Four years after a woman was found dead in Austin, volunteers from a nonprofit dedicated to identifying John and Jane Does have helped to finally find out who she was.
The Austin Police Department identified Sherry Donnel Brock as the Slaughter Creek Jane Doe, thanks to the DNA Doe Project.
A 61-year-old Burnet man was sentenced to life in prison without parole after being found guilty of continuous sexual assault of a child in Williamson County.
An Austin man and beverage company founder faces up to 20 years in prison for allegedly scamming investors out of millions.
Williamson County ESD 3 celebrated the opening of a fourth fire station in the city on Friday in Hutto. (CBS Austin)
A planned $500 million data center at a 118-acre industrial park rising about 30 miles northeast of Austin has been given a green light by the Hutto City Council.
The project could include a 180,000-square-foot data center and 13,000-square-foot flex office space. A representative of the company estimated the facility would employ between 15 and 30 people. (Austin Business Journal)
City leaders in Blanco joined the president of the Texas Water Company, the city’s water supplier, to announce a new 25-year agreement.
The city of Kyle is pulling back on certain restrictions as they expect to receive over one million gallons of water per day.
A Houston real estate investment and development firm has made its first purchase in Austin. The acquisition is the retail space in a foreclosed mixed-use condominium project on South First Street.
Willa is a 25,000-square-foot street-level commercial and retail space in a 59-unit mixed-use condominium development. (Austin American-Statesman)
The University of Texas at Austin marked its third consecutive year of receiving a record-breaking number of freshman applications.
Applications increased nearly 25% for the Fall 2025 term receiving 90,562 applications from August 1 to December 1.
For Fall 2024 admission, 72,885 applications were received. (KXAN-TV)
Travis County’s Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar Bruce Elfant will retire from public service on Dec. 31. (KXAN-TV)
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
A burn ban in Williamson County was lifted Friday morning.
December’s cosmic calendar is packed with two meteor showers—the Geminids and Ursids.
Tonight, Jupiter will reach opposition, the point in its orbit when it appears in the exact opposite part of the sky than the sun. This is also around the time when the planet is closest to the Earth, making it appear particularly bright.
Jupiter will be visible all night along — no telescope required. However, stargazers who have a telescope or pair of binoculars can also catch a glimpse of its four largest moons. (AccuWeather)
The Texas Department of Transportation is asking the federal government to let the state continue to approve its own environmental reviews — a delegated authority intended to fast-track highway projects. (KUT 90.5)
Gov. Greg Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in March 2021, deploying the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety to the southern border.
At least 17 Texas National Guardsmen have died from various causes since the operation began.
The deaths include at least seven suicides. two accidental shootings, and two motor vehicle accidents. One guardsman drowned while attempting to save migrants who were crossing the Rio Grande. (Texas Public Radio)
A 21-year-old woman is suing a Texarkana hospital after she was sterilized allegedly without her knowledge during a C-section last year, according to court documents. (Lonestar Live)
A Texas pastor and substitute teacher is being accused of secretly recording visitors and downloading child pornography.
Sid Miller, the agriculture commissioner of Texas, appears to disagree with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on the future of THC in the Lone Star State. (KVUE-TV)
Dade Phelan has withdrawn from seeking a third term as Texas House Speaker. What happens now?
What does the Texas House speaker do and why are Republicans fighting? (Texas Tribune)
On Friday, two state lawmakers laid out how they plan to stop the execution of Robert Roberson.
State Representatives Jeff Leach and Joe Moody said a hearing is set for December 20th to let Roberson explain how the junk science law has failed him. (CBS Austin)
SPORTS
The 2024 SEC Championship Game is today at 3:00 p.m. in Atlanta.
Digital game program: (.pdf file) (Texas Longhorns)
Longhorns fans launched a petition to reverse a decision to not allow Bevo, the team’s mascot, to be in Atlanta for today’s game. (USA Today via MSN)
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Westlake held on to beat their arch-rivals, Lake Travis, 24-17 and advance to the state semifinals.
All the scores from Friday’s regional finals. (KXAN-TV)
The Texas volleyball team is again headed to the NCAA regional semifinals after defeating USC on Friday.
The Longhorns (20-6) advance to the NCAA Regional for the 19th-consecutive season, the longest active streak in the country. Texas will wait to learn it’s NCAA Regional semifinal opponent.
Game times and broadcast information for the NCAA Regional will be announced at a later date.
In the NBA last night, the Sacramento Kings handed the Spurs their second straight loss without Victor Wembanyama, 140-113. (Yahoo! Sports)
San Antonio has tonight off as does Houston.
The Dallas Mavericks will be in Toronto tonight. (Yahoo! Sports)
In the NHL, the Dallas Stars lost in Las Vegas to the Golden Knights, 3-2. (Yahoo! Sports)
The Stars have tonight off.
The Zilker Eagle is continuing the tradition of a mini-train taking passengers for a ride through Zilker Park.
Photos: Frank Strovel III
