In what appears to be an increasing trend in the Austin area, pedestrians are dying from being hit by cars.
It happened again Friday morning in the southbound lanes of MoPac Expressway near Parmer.
A pedestrian was struck and killed on MoPac in South Austin three weeks ago marking at least the seventh pedestrian to die in Austin in 2025.
“Pedestrians and cyclists are among our most at-risk road users, and too many of them are killed or injured in our communities each year. If everyone looks out for each other and follows the rules of the road, we can help prevent these terrible crashes.” — TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams
Two more pedestrian fatalities have been reported since this graph was compiled on March 15:
Austin police have released more information regarding a hit-and-run incident last month.
A shooting in North Austin Friday morning left one person injured. (CBS Austin)
An investigation is underway after a man was found dead in Taylor.
Police officers responded to a report of a deceased male located outside an apartment at the Stepping Stone Apartments, 2501 Davis Street. Upon arrival, officers discovered the body and initiated an investigation. The investigation revealed external trauma to the deceased. The cause of death is pending autopsy results. (Fox7 Austin)
The Austin Police Department has identified the woman who was pulled from Lady Bird Lake following a water rescue Thursday as 49-year-old Jennifer Lynn Atkinson.
Her body was seen face down in the water near the 90 block of Congress Avenue around 8:00 a.m. Thursday morning. No foul play is suspected. (KXAN-TV)
A murder-suicide in Williamson County is being investigated after a child called 911 to report their mother had been stabbed by her live-in boyfriend.
Williamson County authorities have released more information about a fentanyl-related murder conviction.
Texas lawmakers have introduced bills mandating prosecutors report instances where missed deadlines result in the release of jailed defendants. This follows media scrutiny of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office for repeated indictment delays in felony cases.
Austin firefighters were busy Friday with a blaze in South Austin that left one person injured.
Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS) graduated its largest cadet class in history on Friday. (KVUE-TV)
After Austin Mayor Kirk Watson announced the city would change the way it works on its budget, the Audit and Finance committee met Wednesday to better understand Austin’s financial landscape.
How far does $100K get you in Austin?
It goes farther than in Dallas, but shorter than in Houston. (Austin Business Journal)
Why are Austinites so obsessed with the Chili’s at 45th and Lamar? (Lonestar Live)
Several area burn bans have been lifted thanks to recent rains.
WEATHER
It looks like the heat will crank up again midweek next week.
5-DAY FORECAST /AUSTIN, TEXAS
At least four people have died from storms in Texas this week.
FARMER’S ALMANAC: When can you start gardening in Texas? Is it still too early? (Austin American-Statesman)
A super new moon, a rare astronomical event where the moon is closest to Earth, will occur Saturday. However, it will be invisible to the naked eye in Texas due to the new moon’s dark phase. (Austin American-Statesman)
Llano County has settled a wrongful termination lawsuit with former librarian Suzette Baker for $225,000, stemming from her 2022 firing after she refused to remove certain books from the library. (Austin American-Statesman)
The State Democratic Executive Committee will convene today to elect a new chair, succeeding Gilberto Hinojosa. Hinojosa served nearly 13 years, leading the party’s efforts to end over two decades of Republican dominance in Texas. (KXAN-TV)
The Texas House of Representatives was scheduled to meet Friday morning, but business quickly came to a halt after it was revealed that the chamber lacked the quorum necessary to conduct legislative proceedings. (Texas Scorecard)
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has yet to set a date for the special election to replace the late Rep. Sylvester Turner.
A severe measles outbreak in West Texas has surged to 400 cases, a dramatic increase of 73 in just three days, state officials reported Friday. 41 patients have required hospitalization. The outbreak, centered in Gaines County (270 cases), has now spread to Lamb, Andrews, and Midland counties.
Archaeologists have unearthed what may be North America’s oldest complete weapon system in a remote West Texas cave. The remarkably preserved hunting kit, composed of disassembled weapon parts, was found deep within the San Esteban Rockshelter in the Big Bend region. (Houstin Chronicle)
Conservative political consultant Matt Mackowiak discusses Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett’s “hot wheels” comment and Senator John Cornyn’s bid for re-election.
Democratic political consultant Matt Angle discusses the same topics.
After decades of justices of the peace, with minimal training, handling death investigations across the state, Texas lawmakers are advancing a bill that would create a new system.
Multiple state agencies are set to return to work in-person on Monday. Which ones? (KXAN-TV)
SPORTS
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: The Texas Longhorns face the Lady Vols of Tennessee in Birmingham, Alabama this afternoon in the NCAA’s Sweet 16. (Texas Longhorns)
Texas beat William & Mary and Illinois in the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament to secure their spot in the Sweet 16.
The Houston Cougars found their stroke to start the second half and held on for a thrilling 62-60 win over Purdue thanks to a perfectly executed inbounds play that resulted in Milos Uzan’s game-winning layup with 0.9 seconds remaining. (Yahoo Sports)
Next up…
The Red Raiders of Texas Tech take the court today.
COLLEGE BASEBALL: Sophomore Will Gasparino mounted his first career multi-homer performance and drove in eight runs, as No. 7 Texas (21-3, 6-1 SEC) posted a 15-4 run-rule victory over Missouri (9-15, 0-7 SEC) on Friday night at Taylor Stadium. (Texas Longhorns)
MLB: Jack Leiter delivered the best start of his short MLB career in Texas’ 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field last night. (Yahoo! Sports)
Juan Soto hit his first homer with the New York Mets, helping his new team beat the Houston Astros 3-1 on Friday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
Both the Astros and Rangers are in action tonight.
NBA: The Houston Rockets are off again tonight while the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs resume play after a night off.
NHL: The Dallas Stars return home from their two-game Canadian road trip to host Seattle.
Kickapoo Cavern is a beautiful cave in the extreme western portion of the Texas Hill Country. Today we explore above ground to see the landscape in the park and also visit Stuart Bat Cave.
