A Leander ISD school bus carrying 43 people (42 children and 1 adult) rolled over on Wednesday afternoon near Sandy Creek in Travis County. The crash occurred on the first day of school for the district.
Key Details:
Twelve people were transported to local hospitals, with the rest suffering non-life-threatening injuries
The bus was traveling south on Nameless Road when it left the right side of the road “for an unknown reason” and rolled over.
One person has life-threatening injuries and two others have “potentially” life-threatening injuries.
The bus mainly served Bagdad Elementary School.
The seasoned veteran bus driver was among those hospitalized.
The bus was a 2024 model with seat belts, though it’s unclear how many students were wearing them.
Counseling is being offered to Leander ISD students involved in the accident.
First responders began receiving reports about the crash around 3:15 p.m.
The crash was not related to recent flood damage in the area. Students who didn’t need medical attention were taken to Round Mountain Baptist Church for reunification with families. The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating the cause of the accident. This tragedy adds to the district’s challenges, as Leander ISD had already experienced flooding earlier this summer that killed two students.
Austin City Council is finalizing a $6.3 billion budget with a proposed 3.5% tax rate increase, the maximum allowed without an election, while some members push for a 5% increase to fund core services. Council members have until tomorrow to vote on the tax rate election and budget, with ongoing public testimony and discussions.
After a marathon public comment session yesterday that lasted from 10am till 10pm, Council passed a 5-cent tax rate election (TRE) on top of the base budget, with more discussion to come today.
Wednesday, the public testimony lineup held around 400 people wanting to speak.
Meanwhile, Austin city leaders are tracking overtime costs for first responders with monthly reports to address absence rates exceeding 30% since 2020 and debunk claims of increased absenteeism among firefighters.
There are proposals on the table about how much to raise taxes and which services should be funded, with homelessness being a key issue.
Council will resume its session today at 10:00 a.m.
32-year-old Ethan Nieneker has been charged with two counts of capital murder and one count of first degree murder in the wake of Monday’s mass shooting outside a Target store in North Austin.
Nieneker’s troubling history spans over a decade, with multiple criminal charges and mental health issues dating back to 2012, including assault, violent behavior, and drug possession.
Nieneker’s most serious prior offense involved choking his girlfriend until unconsciousness in 2016, resulting in a 45-day jail sentence.
Monday, 51 minutes after the first 911 call, police found Nieneker walking naked on Montclaire Street near La Casa Drive in South Austin and deployed a taser after he refused to follow orders.
“We are devastated by the violence that occurred Monday at our store in Austin, Texas. Our hearts are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, our team in Austin and all those impacted by this tragedy,” — statement from Target
The store is offering grief counseling and trauma support to its employees, a statement shared by company spokesperson Anthony Thomas said, and is working with law enforcement to help the investigation.
More is now known about the three people who died in the attack.
Mental health experts say Monday’s shooting could leave lasting impacts on Austinites. (CBS Austin)
Several more area school districts begin their new school year today:
- Georgetown ISD
- Lago Vista ISD
- Luling ISD
- Wimberley ISD
A Hutto police patrol car struck and injured a pedestrian Wednesday evening. The injured pedestrian was jaywalking.
New Braunfels authorities announced a large cocaine seizure.
Bexar County officials announced arrests associated with gang activity.
Police in Cedar Park nabbed a suspected meth dealer.
Austin police have provided more information about a fatal accident in South Austin last week.
Austin police are warning residents of a scam known to be spreading in the city involving calls claiming to be APD or ICE authorities.
Central Health, the hospital district for Austin and Travis County, like many local government entities, will be asking property owners to pay more this next fiscal year that begins in October. (Austin American-Statesman)
The city of Austin is kicking off a new effort to modernize downtown streets – with the public’s help.
Austin Energy stands to lose $32 million for solar power projects for low-income people. The loss comes after the Trump administration announced plans to cancel a Biden era clean energy program called “Solar for All.” (Austin Monitor)
More than 120 Austin companies have landed on this year’s Inc. 5000 list…a prestigious annual list that highlights private companies with the largest percentage revenue growth over a three-year period. (Austin Business Journal)
WEATHER
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
The National Hurricane Center is keeping its eyes on two areas in the tropics. While they’ve been focused on Tropical Storm Erin, which may become a hurricane later this week in the western Atlantic, they are also watching storm activity in the western Caribbean Sea that is expected to move into the Gulf of Mexico in the coming days. (Austin American-Statesman)
Despite the obvious distraction of Texas Democrats breaking quorum and holding up work in the called special session, the Texas Senate did manage to sign two bills into law yesterday.
- Senate Bill 10: This bill would shield victims of sex trafficking from prosecution for certain crimes they are coerced into committing by their trafficker.
- Senate Bill 6: This bill targets manufacturers and distributors of abortion-inducing drugs, allowing Texans to sue those involved in the manufacture or distribution of these drugs in the state, according to The Hill.
Meanwhile, Illinois courts will not force Texas Democrats back to the state, a judge ruled Wednesday, dealing a blow to Attorney General Ken Paxton and House Speaker Dustin Burrows’ efforts to restore the headcount necessary to pass the GOP’s new congressional map.
Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement that if House Democrats don’t return — and they aren’t expected to anytime soon — he plans to “call the Texas Legislature back immediately for Special Session Number 2.”
Texas’ second special session is coming sooner than expected. Here’s why that matters. (KUT 90.5)
Democrats from Indiana made the trip to Chicago yesterday to meet with Democrats from Texas.
The Texas Transportation Commission recently approved more than $13.4 million in combined federal, state and local funding to support critical infrastructure upgrades at nine Texas airports. (TxDOT)
Texas health experts have reported that data from urgent care clinics across the country shows that the Lone Star State has experienced one of the highest summer COVID-19 surges in the country.
Based on a Monday report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, the Texas economy appears to be slowing down. This is due to several key factors, including a decrease in job growth, a decline in construction activity, and an increase in inflation. (Texas Tribune)
The city of Ingram is working to secure approximately $170,000 to implement a 3-siren warning system, aiming to enhance public safety and improve disaster response following the deadly Fourth of July floods.
History repeated itself when the Guadalupe River swept away Camp Mystic. Why few lessons were learned after the 1987 flood. (Texas Tribune)
PODCASTS:
(Episode from August 12, 2025)
With a 30-day emergency session winding down, Democratic state legislators in Texas consider returning to Texas.
(Episode from August 9, 2025)
A train derailed in Palo Pinto County Tuesday. The cleanup continues and could take days.
SPORTS
MLB: You win some, you lose some.
Hunter Brown allowed only a run in 6 2/3 innings for his 10th victory, Jeremy Peña and Yainer Diaz homered and the Houston Astros beat the Boston Red Sox 4-1 on Wednesday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
NEWS: Astros star closer Josh Hader Seeks will seek a second opinion on his injured shoulder that has landed him on the disabled list. (Sports Illustrated)
In Arlington last night, James McCann and Ketel Marte homered with two outs in a four-run ninth inning for Arizona to beat the Texas Rangers 6-4 on Wednesday in a game that began with the Diamondbacks facing former teammate Merrill Kelly. (Yahoo! Sports)
NEWS: The Texas Rangers put struggling slugger Adolis García on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left ankle and activated outfielder Evan Carter. (ESPN)
ON THE SCHEDULE
Both the Astros and Rangers have today off.
AL WEST STANDINGS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Texas Sports Unfiltered via YouTube
Texas Longhorns football fall camp updates…
Today, we threw a digital dart at a map of Texas and we landed on Edwards County, named for Haden Edwards, an early settler of Nacogdoches. It is the home of Stephen F. Austin State University.
Let’s visit.
