As of Saturday night, the wildfire in Gillespie County has expanded to over 8,600 acres, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service, with containment efforts ongoing.
Smoke and haze from the Crabapple Fire drifted into the Austin area Saturday afternoon.
The blaze in Gillespie County is the largest of several wildfires in Texas right now.
As wildfire anxiety grows, Austin plans to designate half the city as at risk of fire damage. (Austin Monitor)
More on the area wildfires and the extended forecast can be found further down this post in WEATHER.
A two-car accident on I-35 early this morning revealed one of the drivers dead from a gunshot wound.
A fire at an apartment complex in East Austin Saturday that began in a BBQ pit has killed several pets, displaced 32 residents and slightly injured one firefighter.
Three buildings of the complex were involved.
A section of downtown was closed late last night after reports of glass panes falling from a building under construction on Guadalupe and 6th Streets.
The National Transportation Safety Board held a media briefing Saturday with the latest information on Thursday night’s deadly pileup on I-35 that killed five people and injured many others.
Officials believe the crash was caused by an 18-wheeler failing to slow down for merging traffic where vehicles were consolidating into a single lane due to a Texas Department of Transportation resurfacing project. The truck, operated by a Dallas-area company, struck the slow-moving traffic, triggering the multiple-vehicle collision.
The NTSB will begin its investigation of the crash scene this morning which may cause some delays.
Solomun Weldekeal Araya, 37, was arrested and charged with five counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault. He is being held in the Travis County Jail.
Records show he was due in court next week in Wilmer, in the Dallas area, for going 63 mph where the speed limit was 30 mph.
In Texas, 17 percent of all traffic deaths between 2013 and 2022 involved a large truck.
A crash between a motorcycle and a vehicle in Cedar Park resulted in serious injuries Saturday. (CBS Austin)
A Tesla dealership in northwest Austin became the site of dueling protests on Saturday, with critics of CEO Elon Musk facing off against counter-protesters, including Infowars’ Alex Jones.
WEATHER
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
At least 34 people are dead after days of severe storms, including many violent tornadoes, sweep through the central and southern United States.
The six-week freeze on Texas refugee service funds appears to be resolving. During a Friday afternoon federal court hearing, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that reimbursements to the Texas Office for Refugees are set to resume. (Austin American-Statesman)
Texas-based Buc-ee’s is putting plans for a second location in Colorado on hold after local opposition.
The legislative push to use public dollars to help parents pay for private schools drew people from all over Texas earlier this week to a marathon hearing with House lawmakers. Hundreds of Texans waited into the early morning hours to have their say.
That and more on this week’s edition of KXAN-TV’s State of Texas…
Emergency officials warn of extreme wildfire dangers across much of the Lone Star State as residents of the Panhandle mark one year since the largest wildfire in state history. The latest episode of NPR’s Texas Standard looks at the long road back to normal.
Also…from basketball to soccer and more, women’s sports is having a major moment. Now the state’s first women’s sports bar is about to open in Austin.
And: Bernard Harris Jr. made history as the first Black astronaut to walk in space. He shares his journey and discusses his new book, “Embracing Infinite Possibilities.”
Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner’s funeral drew more than 1,000 mourners on Saturday, including 20 of his congressional colleagues from both political parties. (Texas Tribune)
A Harris County commissioner claims more than 2,000 county employees working from home are living far away, in places like Austin and Dallas. (Texas Scorecard)
Firefighters in Harris County are battling a wildfire there.
The beef between Texas & New York over what to name a popular cut of steak. (CBS News)
SPORTS
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Will Texas make the NCAA Tournament field? It’s anyone’s guess. (KXAN-TV)
What time is March Madness bracket revealed? Where can you watch the Selection Show?
The women of Texas know they’re headed to the Women’s NCAA Tournament. They’re just waiting for their opponent and game time.
In the Big 12, the Houston Cougars held off Arizona 72-64 to seal the conference title.
MLS: A header by Guilherme Biro was the only goal of a close contest on Saturday afternoon as Austin FC beat LAFC 1-0 at BMO Stadium. (Austin FC)
COLLEGE BASEBALL: Texas at Mississippi State was postponed Saturday due to strong storms in the Starkville area. The two teams play a doubleheader today.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Changes are coming to Texas Longhorns football spring practices.
NBA: Jalen Green scored 28 points and the Houston Rockets extended their winning streak to six straight games with a 117-114 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
Devin Vassell scored 22 points and the San Antonio Spurs held on to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 119-115 on Saturday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
The Rockets and Spurs have the day off today while the Dallas Mavericks return to action.
NHL: The Dallas Stars return to action this afternoon.
With Gillespie County making headlines this morning…let’s take a look at the area.
