Less than 14,000 voters, or 2.43% of eligible Travis County residents, participated in the early voting period for the Dec. 14 runoff election with just three local contests on the ballot.
The runoff features races for Manor mayor, an Austin ISD board of trustees position and Austin City Council’s District 7 seat.
The less than 2.5% countywide early turnout from Dec. 2 to December 10 was well below the same period for December 2022’s runoff.
This December’s runoff also saw lower early voting turnout than in December 2018 or December 2020. (Community Impact)
The Austin City Council will vote Thursday on Austin Energy’s plan to meet the city’s growing energy needs through 2035.
Austin City Council is also preparing to vote Thursday on an ordinance to make hospitals safer following a deadly ER crash earlier this year.
A search is underway for a man involved in a hit-and-run in North Austin back on November 9.
A Kyle man was arrested on multiple drug charges, including possession of about 14 pounds of psychedelic drugs. (Fox7 Austin)
Del Valle ISD is facing a lawsuit from nearly three dozen employees who say a former head custodian hid cameras in staff restrooms at an alternative high school between 2020 and 2022.
The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of Corrections Officer Patricia “Patty” Jakubowski who died Monday after suffering a medical episode at work the previous day. (KVUE-TV)
Residents in Leander seem to be the recent target of thieves looking in automobiles for holiday gifts left in view. (KXAN-TV)
Passengers at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport may be dealing with delays during this busy holiday travel season due to a continuing shortage of air traffic controllers.
Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D) of Austin has had enough.
Austin will release a new report next year outlining the next steps for a proposed revamp of Congress Avenue, including the potential of a pedestrian-centric plaza in the future. (KXAN-TV)
Williamson County Commissioners are re-adjusting the alignment of a controversial road near Walburg. (Fox7 Austin)
The University of Texas could expand its campus on top of I-35.
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
Austin Water’s Wildland Conservation Division plans to conduct a prescribed burn today on approximately 184 acres of the Water Quality Protection Lands.
“Conducting prescribed burns is one of the strategies used to manage these lands and protect groundwater in Central Texas,” said Matt Lore, Austin Water Wildland Conservation Division. “Prescribed burns improve the resiliency of our land when they are used as a planned seasonal management tool.”
Police in Cedar Park are warning residents about recent sightings of coyotes in the area.
A plane crashed into three vehicles at an intersection in Victoria, Texas.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit Wednesday against chemical giants 3M and DuPont, accusing them of decades-long misrepresentations and omissions regarding the safety of PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” sold for use in countless consumer products.
The Texas Sunset Commission is recommending Texas close criminal justice facilities that are facing staff shortages in order to reallocate resources to other facilities. (CBS Austin)
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is breaking his silence on the race for Texas House speaker. (Austin American-Statesman)
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said it was searching for a missing child, and the Texas Department of Public Safety also issued an Amber Alert for her abduction.
Nancy Argueta-Vasquez was described as a 16-year-old Hispanic girl last seen wearing a black shirt and green jeans. (KXAN-TV)
More Texas homebuilders are including blackout protection to brace for potential outages. (KUT 90.5)
An iconic tower in San Antonio is getting a pricey facelift.
San Antonio schools are removing doors from restrooms to deter students from vaping. (Texas Public Radio)
A federal appeals court has upheld a $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas. (Texas Tribune)
SPORTS
Taylor Jones posted a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds to help Texas to a 97-39 win over Southern on Wednesday at Moody Center. (Texas Longohrns)
The Longhorn men (7-2) begin a four-game homestand tonight at Moody Center as they host New Mexico State. (Texas Longhorns)
In football news, the Longhorns have lost four defensive linemen to the transfer protocol.
The SEC released the 2025 college football schedule.
The Texas Longhorns open the season with a blockbuster non-conference matchup against Ohio State in Columbus.
Texas hosts San Jose State, UTEP and Sam Houston in non-conference play before beginning SEC play October 4 against Florida in Gainesville. Then the Longhorns will travel to Dallas for the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl against Oklahoma on October 11.
Vanderbilt, Arkansas and Texas A&M will play in Austin next season. (24/7 Sports)
NBA: Jalen Green made two free throws with 3.5 seconds left and the Houston Rockets beat the Golden State Warriors 91-90 on Wednesday night to advance to the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas. (Yahoo! Sports)
In the NHL tonight, the Dallas Stars host the Nashville Predators. (Yahoo! Sports)
In this episode of The Texas Reporter, meet the horse trainer Hollywood calls to help with the big blockbusters.
