Texas legislators are considering House Bill 274, proposed by Rep. Briscoe Cain, which would establish a “District of Austin.” This proposal would grant the state authority to modify or overturn existing Austin city laws within the designated district, which could encompass all or part of the city.
“This is about more than governance–it’s about safety, accountability, and protecting the integrity of Texas’ state government. Austin’s failures are not just an embarrassment; they threaten the people who live and work here and the citizens who visit. The District of Austin will provide the focused, accountable leadership necessary to address these challenges head-on.” — Texas Rep. Briscoe Cain
The proposed “District of Austin” would encompass the same geographic boundaries as the current City of Austin. Initially, the district would adopt Austin’s existing charter and ordinances to ensure a seamless transition. However, the Texas Legislature would hold ultimate authority over the district, with powers to amend or repeal laws and oversee policy decisions made by its governing body. (Texas Policy Research)
The five victims of last week’s fatal 18-vehicle crash on Interstate 35 in North Austin were identified on Tuesday. Among them: A family of four, including a child and infant, and an elderly woman.
The Austin Police Department said a 4-year-old girl has died following a March 10 three-vehicle crash in north Austin that involved an APD patrol vehicle. (KXAN-TV)
Two more suspects were arrested earlier this month in connection with an ongoing investigation into vehicle burglaries at Austin parks.
Two people were arrested after they were accused of a kidnapping that happened at a southeast Austin apartment complex last week.
Round Rock police are warning of a texting scam involving unpaid traffic tolls.
Austin Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for information leading to the arrest of a fugitive wanted on an aggravated burglary charge.
The Crabapple Fire in Gillespie County is 95% contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Residents in the area are assessing the damage.
Crews in Hays County dealt with a separate wildfire Wednesday.
In other parts of the state, a wildfire was burning this morning in San Jacinto and Montgomery counties.
Governor Greg Abbott said more federal assistance is on the way.
The RED FLAG WARNING for Central Texas expired last night.
Burn bans, however, remain in place.
Austin has had five high-risk wildfire days this month alone. Why are there so many red flag warnings? (Austin Monitor)
More on the risk of wildfires and the extended forecast can be found further down this page in WEATHER.
Just two weeks after getting kicked out of the U.S. House chambers during President Donald Trump’s address to Congress, U.S. Rep Al Green, D-Houston, spoke to supporters at a Texas NAACP advocacy day event in Austin yesterday.
Over 300 protesters rallied in downtown Austin Wednesday evening demanding an immediate halt to U.S. military aid to Israel and the release of two detained student activists.
Colorado call center giant TTEC is moving its headquarters to Austin. The business, which employs over 50,000 people worldwide, leased a suite in downtown Austin. (Austin Business Journal)
An Austin resident has claimed a $1 million Powerball prize from the March 8 drawing, Texas Lottery officials announced Wednesday.
The second-tier prize-winning ticket was purchased at Dry Creek Shell LLC, located at 3800 Dry Creek Road. The winner chose to remain anonymous. (CBS Austin)
Austin City Council is about to vote on art contracts for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport’s expansion project, but the artists involved aren’t local and that has some calling for change.
WEATHER
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
Today marks the vernal equinox…the first day of spring.
It is one of the most common folklore surrounding the equinox, but can you actually stand an egg upright like the myth claims? (AccuWeather)
The Texas Senate approved a statewide ban on all forms of THC on Wednesday, aiming to regulate the state’s rapidly growing consumable hemp market, which emerged after a legislative oversight six years prior. This action aligns with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s agenda.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a vocal critic of THC, visited an Austin hemp store to investigate concerns about underage sales, but was required to show his own identification. (Houston Chronicle)
With intense scrutiny over the state’s lottery games, could charitable bingo games be in danger? (My San Antonio)
Texas Minute is produced by The Texas Scorecard.
WFAA-TV in Dallas/Fort Worth produces Y’all-itics.
Their latest episode visits Uvalde. While it may appear the community has gotten better since the 2022 school shooting that killed 21 people, you can still find plenty of anxiety and grief just below the surface.
Women make up just 20% of Texas’ delegation in the U.S. House, and leaders on both sides of the aisle are working to change that.
Houston Methodist Hospital is warning patients of a potential measles exposure there. The alert follows the recent confirmation of Houston’s third measles case of the year, which health officials say involves an unvaccinated infant.
The outbreak is now centered in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico with a total of 22 states reporting cases.
Cindy Clemishire, who alleges she was sexually abused by Gateway Church‘s founding pastor beginning at age 12, testified before Texas lawmakers yesterday, passionately advocating against the use of nondisclosure agreements in child sexual assault cases. Her testimony came shortly after Robert Morris, the former lead pastor, was indicted in Oklahoma on five counts of child sexual abuse and subsequently resigned from the Southlake-based church. (Fort Worth Star-Telegram via MSN)
Here’s a list of every Texas pastor accused of child sex abuse this year. (Lonestar Live)
One of Texas’ Top Ten Most Wanted fugitives, 47-year-old Jose Guadalupe Huerta, of Montgomery County, was arrested Monday for felony warrants related to indecency with a child/sexual contact. (My Texas Daily)
SPORTS
No dancing in the NCAA Tournament for the Texas Longhorns.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Freshman guard Tre Johnson posted a game-high 23 points, but Texas dropped a hard-fought 86-80 decision to Xavier (22-11) in a NCAA Tournament First Four contest in the University of Dayton Arena on Wednesday night. With the loss, the Longhorns finish the 2024-25 season with a 19-16 overall record. (Texas Longhorns)
Houston, Texas A&M and Texas Tech begin play in the tournament.
NBA: Jalen Green scored 26 points, Alperen Sengun had 22 points and 12 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets extended their winning streak to a season-best eight games, beating the Orlando Magic 116-108 on Wednesday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
Sandro Mamukelashvili scored a career-high 34 points on 13-for-14 shooting in 19 minutes to become the first player in NBA history to score 34 points while playing less than 20 minutes as the San Antonio Spurs upended the New York Knicks 120-105 on Wednesday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
Pascal Siakam scored 29 points, Bennedict Mathurin scored 16 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter and the Indiana Pacers rallied from an 11-point deficit in the final six minutes to beat the short-handed Dallas Mavericks 135-131 on Wednesday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
Dallas, Houston and San Antonio are all idle tonight.
NHL: The Dallas Stars return to the ice tonight hosting Tampa Bay. (Yahoo! Sports)
Today we’re going hiking in Garner State Park in Concan.
