“I’m not going anywhere.” — Carmen Llanes Pulido
The race for Austin’s next mayor may not be settled just yet.
Carmen Llanes Pulido, who came in second place, wants a recount.
The latest ballot count shows incumbent Mayor Kirk Watson with just over 50% of the vote, narrowly above the threshold for a runoff election for Laines Pulido by just 14 votes.
Travis County District Attorney José Garza released partial details Thursday about a $115,000 security allotment county commissioners gave him earlier this year to help beef up security at his home.
Full interview with Travis County DA José Garza…
Austin’s once-secret police files (“g-files”) are now public but it’s been tough to obtain them. (Austin American-Statesman)
Austin’s new police chief Lisa Davis has outlined a 100-day plan aimed at addressing critical issues such as staffing shortages, crime prevention, and bolstering community trust. (Austin Police Department)
A Travis County state district judge on Thursday granted the release of a man who was convicted over 20 years ago of killing his middle school teacher while a state appeals court reviews what the district attorney’s office called an “unfair trial.”
A Williamson County lawmaker is making a push to get the state to abolish the death penalty. (Fox7 Austin)
The Austin Police Department are investigating a two-vehicle crash that happened on Barton Springs Road near Zilker Park last night. (KXAN-TV)
A proposal by the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) suggests MoPac would grow by four to six lanes from north of Lady Bird Lake to Slaughter Lane with plans to build two tolled lanes in each direction.
The plan is now open to feedback from the public. (KUT 90.5)
A busy Thursday for Austin firefighters.
A Kyle man accused of breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s home and attacking her and her son is facing more charges. (Fox7 Austin)
U.S. Marshals arrested a 21-year-old man Wednesday in connection with a fatal shooting in east Austin earlier this month. (CBS Austin)
Two men are dead following what authorities believe was a murder-suicide Tuesday evening at a residence in Kingsland in Llano County. (CBS Austin)
A welfare check in Fayette County escalated into an armed standoff Wednesday evening before ending peacefully with one arrest. (CBS Austin)
An Austin man was sentenced to 30 years in prison in connection with a deadly crash that happened in Leander in August 2023. (KXAN-TV)
The Downtown Austin Community Court’s “mobile court” program is getting $1.45 million from the city to expand access to mental health and substance abuse programs.
Austin will consider a $350 million plan by the Austin Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, or ECHO, to “end homelessness”. (Daily Texan)
The Austin American-Statesman has reached an agreement with the Austin NewsGuild on a two-year contract. Ninety-four percent of the front-line journalists ratified the contract Thursday after 3 ½ years of negotiations. (Austin American-Statesman)
A new 52,000-square-foot recycling facility in southeast Austin has opened. It was designed to handle concrete, aggregates, untreated wood, cardboard, plastics and metals, and helps to keep these materials out of local landfills. (Community Impact)
A South Austin property previously owned by StoryBuilt has been sold out of foreclosure.
The mixed-use condo property has been partially sold, with a Houston-based developer snapping up the ground floor retail space and underground parking garage. (Austin Business Journal)
Austin is looking for ways to fund its city parks. Could user fees be on the horizon? (Austin American-Statesman)
On Thursday, the Austin City Council approved an updated Water Forward 2024, the city’s water plan for the next 100 years. (KVUE-TV)
Birds and the trees that serve as their habitats gained renewed attention from City Council on Thursday with the approval of two measures calling for enhanced protections for both. (Austin Monitor)
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
Wednesday night/Thursday morning saw some of the coolest temperatures since March.
The Texas Board of Education is set to vote on a controversial new curriculum that teaches Bible lessons in public schools.
The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office issued a scam alert on Thursday urging the public to “stay vigilant and informed” in order to avoid becoming a victim of fraud after reports of calls or text messages from someone claiming to be law enforcement regarding an arrest warrant or paying a fine. (Lonestar Live)
The Texas Department of Public Safety has been awarded a $3 million federal grant to help reduce the state’s DNA testing and analysis backlog. (CBS Austin)
San Antonio International Airport is now first airport in U.S. to debut AI parking technology.
A Dallas doctor was sentenced Wednesday to 190 years in federal prison after contaminating IV bags that were to be used in surgeries by his colleagues, resulting in the death of a fellow doctor and numerous cardiac emergencies. (Lonestar Live)
The Texas State Board of Education has voted to urge the legislature to pass a law giving the board authority to decide which books are appropriate for public school libraries.
Rural law enforcement and prosecutor offices received about $225 million in financial assistance from the Texas Comptroller’s Office. The grant is expected to help ensure professional law enforcement and legal representation throughout the state. (KXAN-TV)
The City of Dallas today will pause to remember the assassination of John F. Kennedy 61 years ago.
SPORTS
In college basketball, Senior forward Arthur Kaluma registered a double-double with 16 points and a game-high 10 rebounds to lead Texas (4-1) to a 70-66 victory over Syracuse (3-1) in the semifinals of the UKG Legends Classic. (Texas Longhorns)
The Texas Longhorns had a ‘feisty’ week of practice leading up to tomorrow’s game against Kentucky.
Is the Quinn Ewers era at Texas coming to an end?
Texas high school football playoffs: second round scores from Thursday. (KXAN-TV)
In the NBA last night, Harrison Barnes led with 25 points as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Utah Jazz at home, 126-118. (Yahoo! Sports)
The Spurs are off tonight while the Houston Rockets host Portland while the Dallas Mavericks will be in Denver. (Yahoo! Sports)
City leaders in San Antonio are exploring the concept of a new sports and entertainment district downtown.
Three shots rang out in Dallas on November 22, 1963, killing U.S. President John F. Kennedy and changing the world forever.
61 years have passed since America’s 35th president was assassinated during a motorcade, and few moments in history are as visceral or powerful.
The shocking event sparked a national fascination and conspiracy theories about whether Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the murder of JFK.
