Austin City Council met Thursday with 53 items on the agenda.
Council approved a resolution brought forth by Mayor Kirk Watson and Council Member Zo Qadri (District 9) establishing the Downtown Austin Strategic Initiative to create a management structure for identifying and implementing funding needed for all projects and plans that impact downtown Austin.
Council also approved a rule making it illegal to park in a bike lane.
The Council received an update on federal funding grants signaling that work in many departments can continue unless they’re otherwise notified.
The oldest university in the city of Austin was recognized on its 150th anniversary.
Austin police are seeking a burglary suspect.
Officials in Williamson County announced they located a man who was missing and considered in danger.
Three capital murder suspects were arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service related to a May 2024 homicide investigation.
The APD is releasing more information about two people found dead by firefighters while attempting to put out an apartment fire earlier this week.
Douglas Birden, 66, was sentenced to 30 years in prison after being found guilty on two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child. The charges stemmed from a 1993 cold case, according to the Travis County District Attorney’s Office. (KXAN-TV)
Austin firefighters responded to an apartment fire Thursday.
A car fire along I-35 was extinguished Wednesday afternoon.
The Austin Fire Department says it had trouble accessing water when attempting to put out a fire early Thursday at a local pawn shop.
A Denver-based developer intends to utilize natural gas to power a proposed flagship hyper-scale data center campus in San Marcos which will cater to artificial intelligence companies. The plans for the center are expected to be finalized by the end of the year with the facility anticipated to be operational by the second half of 2026. (Austin Business Journal)
An Austin-based corporation, Save This Life, has abruptly shut down. Thousands of cat and dog owners who have used its technology and registry database to track their pets are being warned their devices may no longer work. (MySanAntonio)
The City of Bee Cave is suing its former city manager.
In May, Lockhart Independent School District voters will decide on a proposed $93.5 million bond package. The majority of the funds, $92 million, would be used to build a second middle school.
More than 23,000 runners will take to the streets of Austin Sunday for the Ascension Seton Austin Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K.
Several streets will be closed.
WEATHER
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
Another and more significant round of severe thunderstorms with heavy rain will target the Southern region this weekend. Multiple tornadoes and flooding are top concerns. (AccuWeather)
Current drought monitor for Texas:
Texas carried out its second execution of 2025 last night.
House Speaker Dustin Burrows announced committee assignments for the 89th Texas Legislature Thursday. (KUT 90.5)
The debate over school vouchers, already the most contentious issue of the 2025 legislative session, got personal on social media Thursday between the Republican governor of Texas and a Democratic state lawmaker from Austin.
The dustup started Wednesday when Rep. Gina Hinojosa, a former president of the Austin school board, posted an interactive on X where users can find out whether local school districts would lose money if the legislation Gov. Greg Abbott calls “school choice” is enacted this year.
The post also called vouchers “a scam” that’s “backed by billionaires, not Texans.”
More than 100 miles of Texas’ borderlands could be leased or sold to the federal government as part of the state’s partnership with President Donald Trump to harden the border, Gov. Greg Abbott said in an interview with The Texas Tribune on Thursday. (Texas Tribune)
A North Texas judge has ordered a New York doctor to stop mailing abortion pills to Texas and fined her $100,000. The ruling, issued Thursday, could lead to a legal challenge with significant implications for abortion access nationwide.
The Texas Senate approved a $22.7 billion tax relief package on Thursday. While the bill’s author touted it as a major step toward reducing school property taxes, senators from both parties agreed that further action is needed to address the issue. (Austin American-Statesman)
SpaceX’s plan to establish Starbase, Texas, as an official town has advanced. A judge has called for a special election, allowing residents to vote on the proposed incorporation.
A special needs instructional assistant in San Antonio’s largest school district was arrested earlier this month after reportedly punching a student in the jaw. (MySanAntonio)
The Texas-based Igloo company is recalling over one million coolers due to its handle posing risks for fingertip crushing. (Chron)
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and several federal agencies arrested three alleged human smugglers and recovered $20,000 in cash in south Bexar County.
SPORTS
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Texas post players Kyla Oldacre and Taylor Jones combined for 34 points as the Texas women’s basketball team took down No. 8/13 Kentucky 67-49 on the road Thursday night. (Texas Longhorns)
Coach Vic Schaefer after the game:
COLLEGE BASEBALL: Texas will open their 2025 baseball season tonight at the annual Shriners Children’s College Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington as they take on Louisville at 7:00 p.m. (Texas Longhorns)
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: The Texas Longhorns were initially set to play Sam Houston State on September 27th but the universities announced Thursday that the game has been moved up to September 20th. (Burnt Orange Nation)
NBA: Stephen Curry scored 27 points and the Golden State Warriors withstood a late surge by the Houston Rockets for a 105-98 victory Thursday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
Dante Exum scored a season-high 27 points, one short of his career high, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami Heat 118-113 on Thursday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
The Mavericks, Rockets and Spurs all have tonight off.
On the latest episode of The Daytripper, we travel to Bulverde in Comal County, just north of San Antonio.
