Austin City Council met for its final time this year Thursday and worked through a packed agenda.
Also yesterday, council approved a resolution directing Austin City Manager TC Broadnax to revisit a MoPac expansion proposal with the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) to make sure it meets the city’s environmental standards. (CBS Austin)
And the city’s controversial Marshalling Yard facility has more funding to keep it open indefinitely. (KUT 90.5)
Council also approved an amendment to the city’s agreement with the Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center in South Austin…a facility that Attorney General Ken Paxton has sought to shut down.
The city will give the facility around $250,000 more through next September to provide permanent supportive housing services to people experiencing homelessness. (KVUE-TV)
City Council agreed unanimously on Thursday to require installation of safety barriers, called bollards, at the pedestrian entrances of medical facilities when a new facility is being constructed. (Austin Monitor)
The city is looking for ways to prevent AI bots from calling into City Council meetings where the public is allowed to address the chamber. An incident last month is prompting officials to look for ways to ensure real people are getting a chance to have their voices heard. (KUT 90.5)
The city’s Ethics Review Commission voted Wednesday evening that Austin Mayor Kirk Watson did not violate city campaign finance rules in his 2022 and 2024 bids for mayor. (Austin American-Statesman)
A petition to remove Travis County District Attorney José Garza was dismissed.
Austin police responded to a shooting in East Austin early this morning that resulted in one person being taken to a hospital for treatment.
A four-vehicle crash on I-35 Thursday afternoon left two people injured.
The Austin Police Department said a man died nearly two weeks after being hit by a car.
Austin police is proving updates on other recent incidents.
An Austin man is facing charges after allegedly setting fire to his northwest Austin apartment Sunday when police didn’t respond quickly enough to his calls about supposed intruders. (CBS Austin)
Several people are facing charges after $7,500 worth of merchandise was recovered after a “shoplifting blitz” operation near the Lakeline Mall. (Fox7 Austin)
A former Austin-area school principal is in the Montgomery County Jail after being charged with possession of child pornography. (KVUE-TV)
The Hays County Sheriff’s Office is facing a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of a man shot and killed by former Hays County Corrections Officer Isaiah Garcia at Seton Hays Hospital in Kyle two years ago. (CBS Austin)
According to records from the city’s Transportation and Public Works Department, complaints against self-driving taxis in Austin haven’t slowed since the cars first arrived in the area.
Five companies are testing autonomous vehicles in Austin now.
Officials in Cedar Park cut the ribbon on the newly completed Bell Park on Thursday. (KVUE-TV)
A former student housing facility downtown will become a new 185-room hotel that’ll open in 2026. (Austin Business Journal)
Cedar fever season has arrived in Austin. (KUT 90.5)
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
Upcoming storms across the country could cause weather-related shipping delays. (AccuWeather)
The U.S. Drought Monitor shows about 60% of Burnet County is under moderate drought and about 40% is under severe drought. As a result, officials are banning certain fireworks this holiday season. (Fox7 Austin)
The Federal Aviation Administration released what led to the plane crash in Victoria that injured 5 people on Wednesday.
The San Antonio Police Department said that an officer died of suicide and revealed he was under criminal investigation by a South Texas police department. (MySanAntonio)
Former state Sen. Carlos Uresti was released from federal custody after serving nearly six years of his 12-year sentence for money laundering and frcolleaud.
Elon Musk wants to make the Starbase launch site for SpaceX a new Texas city. (KVUE-TV)
SPORTS
Senior forward Arthur Kalama registered a team-high 18 points to lead Texas (8-2) to a 91-67 victory over New Mexico State (4-6) on Thursday night. (Texas Longhorns)
In volleyball, No. 13 Texas is making its 19th-consecutive NCAA Regional Semifinal (“Sweet 16”) appearance, the longest active streak in the country.
They face Creighton this afternoon. (Texas Loonghorns)
The Rotary Club of Houston named Texas junior left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. the 2024 Lombardi Award winner given to college football’s most outstanding lineman who also embodies the qualities of the award’s namesake, legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi.
Forbes has released its annual list of the NFL’s most valuable teams, and the Dallas Cowboys have come out on top for the ninth straight year. (Yahoo! Sports)
In the NHL last night, the Dallas Stars were upset at home by Nashville, 4-1. (Yahoo! Sports)
No action last night for the Spurs, Rockets or Mavericks in the NBA. San Antonio travels to Portland tonight. (Yahoo! Sports)
On this Friday the 13th let’s visit the Good Luck Grill in Manor.
