The Travis County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a Friday morning shooting in the 5100 block of FM 620 that involved one of their deputies.
Two individuals pleaded guilty in the 167th District Courtroom at the Travis County Courthouse on Friday for cases involving fatal fentanyl overdoses.
67-year-old Curtis Habbit, prosecutors and defense attorneys reached a plea deal for 10 years of probation with conditions. Habbit’s arrest last year stemmed from a 2023 incident in southeast Austin. Police suspect he sold fentanyl-laced pills to a woman who was later found deceased in her apartment.
Luis Guajardo also pled guilty in his case related to the May 2022 death of 38-year-old John Salem. (KXAN-TV)
Fayette County sheriff’s deputies seized approximately 1.5 ounces of methamphetamine during an early morning raid Friday at a residence near Praha.
The Hays County Sheriff’s Office has installed vending machines that dispense Narcan.
Hays County Sheriff’s Office
A Round Rock man has pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms and one count of dealing in firearms without a license. (KVUE-TV)
A risky TikTok trend is now circulating locally, prompting warnings from officials about potential injuries and property damage.
A Cedar Park woman was caught on camera smashing car windows in a driveway in a neighborhood near Leander High School.
While Austin-Bergstrom International Airport didn’t quite hit record passenger numbers in 2024, it still experienced its second-busiest year with 21.7 million travelers. This was a slight dip of about 333,000 passengers compared to the record-breaking 2023, but still significantly higher than the 21.1 million passengers in 2022.
Looking ahead, while early 2025 data show a slight decrease in passenger traffic compared to the beginning of 2024, the airport anticipates another very busy year overall. (KXAN-TV)
The University of Texas class of 2025 is celebrating its graduation today, marking the university’s 142nd graduation ceremony.
Everything you need to know: start time, parking, traffic, etc.
Hours before the Texas House was scheduled to consider two bills that LGBTQ+ advocates say would harm transgender individuals in Texas, supporters of the state’s LGBTQ+ community gathered in protest at the Capitol on Friday.
Austin ISD is looking to hire dozens of experienced teachers with proven track records in the classroom to help turn around three under-performing schools.
Crews broke ground on two new Georgetown ISD schools on Friday.
Austin’s most famous street is getting a makeover.
Stream Realty Partners, which owns 30% to 35% of East 6th Street, has about 20 buildings under various forms of construction.
The plan is to turn “Dirty Sixth” into Old Sixth. (Austin Business Journal)
The Austin Newsguild posted on social media about the Hearst Corporation, which recently bought the Austin American-Statesman, letting go of two of its copy editors.
WEATHER
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
With 100-degree temperatures on the horizon for next week, here’s a look at statistics for triple-digit weather in Austin.
Complete temperature records for Camp Mabry — Austin’s official reporting site — date back to 1898. Since then, Austin has reached 100° a total of 2,001 times.
The average for any given year from 1898 to 2023 is about 16 triple-digit days per year, but the data shows that number is increasing. Between 1991 and 2020, the current dates used by the National Weather Service to calculate averages, the average number of 100° days was 29.
The earliest date Austin has ever reached 100 degrees is May 4, 1984. (KXAN-TV)
The state of Texas and tech giant Google have agreed in principle to a $1.375 billion settlement to end a lawsuit rooted in data privacy and security rights, the Texas Attorney General’s Office announced late Friday.
The Texas House of Representatives debated legislation late into the night on Friday, as state lawmakers were working to move legislation through the lower chamber as the 89th regular Legislative Session draws near a close.
A Texas Democratic Party leadership member announced Friday that the party will not hold a vote on a resolution to condemn Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo). The resolution aimed to address Cuellar’s voting record, which has been seen as conflicting with party interests, as well as his pending federal charges. (Texas Tribune)
The Texas House approved Senate Bill 17 that would ban the purchase of property by residents and companies from certain countries. (Fox7 Austin)
Texas lawmakers are currently considering a proposal that could potentially end child marriages in the state this year. This legislative effort aims to close a loophole in a 2017 law that still permits some 16 and 17-year-olds to marry. (Texas Tribune)
Friday saw a heated and philosophical debate unfold in the Texas House as lawmakers discussed the contentious issue of limiting children’s access to library books containing sexually explicit material. (Texas Tribune)
Space companies in Texas, including Elon Musk’s SpaceX, could save millions of dollars in taxes under a financial incentive bill the state House narrowly passed. (Austin American-Statesman)
Labs across Texas are re-examining DNA tests from criminal cases due to a recent notification from a major global manufacturer about potential issues with certain test kits distributed between February and October 2024. This quality concern has prompted a closer look at DNA results to ensure their reliability. (Texas Standard)
The measles outbreak in West Texas appears to be slowing, according to newly released data from the Texas Department of State Health Services.
The Trump administration’s budget proposal dramatically reduces funding for the National Park Service (NPS), cutting over $1 billion. This includes a $900 million reduction in park operations, representing nearly a 40% decrease in the agency’s budget. The potential impact on Texas’s 18 national park sites, such as Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks, is significant, though specific site impacts are not yet available. (Houston Chronicle)
North Texas’ Gateway Church founder Robert Morris appeared in court for the first time Friday in a case related to accusations of sexual assault from the 1980s.
Kaufman County law enforcement is continuing to search for murder suspect Trevor McEwan, who missed a court appearance. Bounty hunters, motivated by the reward, are closely monitoring the search.
Three Grassroots Republicans from North Texas reflect on President Trump’s first 100 days in office. The group discusses what they believe to be the Trump Administration’s biggest successes as well as their opinions on tariffs and the reconciliation bill.
SPORTS
COLLEGE BASEBALL: The top-ranked University of Texas baseball team dropped its first-ever regular-season meeting against Florida, 8-2, on Friday night at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. (Texas Longhorns)
Game 2 of the series is this afternoon.
MLB: Hunter Brown pitched two-hit ball into the sixth inning, and the Houston Astros beat the slumping Cincinnati Reds 3-0 on Friday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
The bats went silent again for the Texas Rangers.
Tarik Skubal struck out a season-high 12 and carried a perfect game into the sixth inning as the Detroit Tigers extended their winning streak to five games with a 2-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
Both the Rangers and Astros are back in action tonight.
NHL PLAYOFFS: Connor Hellebuyck made 21 saves and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Dallas Stars 4-0 on Friday night in Game 2 to tie the Western Conference second-round series. (Yahoo! Sports)
The series shifts to Dallas for Game 3 Sunday afternoon.
MLS: Austin FC hits the road tonight for the team’s sixth away match of the season. The VERDE & Black will take on FC Cincinnati for only the second-ever meeting between the clubs at 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT at TQL Stadium. (Austin FC)
Texas-born country music star Johnny Rodriguez has died. He was 73.
Rodriguez’s daughter Aubry announced his death in an Instagram post yesterday. The late singer had reportedly entered hospice care earlier in the week.
In the world of country music, filled with golden voices and rich life stories, Johnny Rodriguez emerged as a shining star with a journey marked by extraordinary highs and profound lows. As a pioneer who infused Latin influences into country music, he not only broke cultural barriers but also established himself as a living legend in the 1970s.
