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- ATX PULSE 1/5-6/25 (free) (sponsored by Save Austin Now): 3 Homicides in 5 Days // Cedar Pollen Eases as Record Heat Builds // New Details in Death of Texas A&M Student // Bee Cave Settles Lawsuit with Developer // Vespaio to Close
ATX PULSE 1/5-6/25 (free) (sponsored by Save Austin Now): 3 Homicides in 5 Days // Cedar Pollen Eases as Record Heat Builds // New Details in Death of Texas A&M Student // Bee Cave Settles Lawsuit with Developer // Vespaio to Close
Everything you NEED TO KNOW about Austin.
Matt Mackowiak
January 06, 2026
MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026 & TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2026
Compiled by Matt Mackowiak
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WEATHER
Tuesday: H: 83° / L: 53°.
Wednesday: H: 80° / L: 67°.
Thursday: H: 73° / L: 45°.
Friday: H: 58° / L: 39°.
Saturday: H: 62° / L: 40°.
Sunday: H: 63° / L: 42°.
TOP NEWS
"Austin sees third homicide in five days, police urge calm amid concerns" via KEYE – Austin has experienced its third homicide in just five days, with the latest incident occurring at a hotel near Rainey Street. The city's start to 2026 has been marred by violence, leaving residents on edge.
Austin police responded to a "shoot-stab hotshot" call at 7 a.m. Monday, finding a wounded person who died at the scene. The identity of the victim and their relationship to the offender remain unknown, and no arrests have been made.
Despite the recent surge in homicides, Austin police are not labeling it a streak of violence.
"I'm not at liberty to say right now. Again, we don't want to jeopardize the integrity of the investigation," said Corporal Matthew Nonweiler. He added, "I think that would be pure speculation as to—I don't—I wouldn't even go so far as to say that it's a streak of violence."
The first homicide of the year occurred in North Austin during the early hours of New Year's Day, followed by the shooting death of off-duty Caldwell County Precinct Three Constable Deputy Aaron Armstrong at a North Austin nightclub early Sunday morning.
(KEYE)
"Cedar pollen eases, but record heat builds across Central Texas" Austin American-Statesman's Mary Wasson – The Texas Hill Country is filled with ashe juniper trees, also known as mountain cedar. They will be in bloom soon, causing the misnamed Central Texas allergy, cedar fever.
Although record-breaking heat and spring-like warmth dominated the first few days of the new year, cooler — but still warmer than normal — temperatures settled in to start the first work week of 2026.
The heat will ramp up yet again Tuesday and Wednesday, with temperatures about 20 degrees above the normal early-January high of 62 degrees.
Austin's temperatures Tuesday will approach daily heat records and run about 20 degrees above normal.
Expect a blanket of low stratus clouds and some patchy dense fog Tuesday morning, but skies should begin clearing around lunchtime.
“In the meantime, a surface trough (of low atmospheric pressure)/dry line will push from the southern Edwards Plateau into the I-35 corridor, bringing temperatures into the lower to mid-80s,” meteorologists with the National Weather Service wrote in a forecast discussion Monday.
"Suffering from cedar fever? See what to expect in allergies this week" Austin American-Statesman's Nicole Villalpando – Cedar fever is happening now in Central Texas as the male ashe juniper trees become full with pollen and try to spread it to female ashe juniper trees.
It was not your imagination. Cedar fever has kicked in and during the weekend it was very bad.
AccuWeather put tree pollen, which includes the mountain ashe juniper that causes the misnamed cedar fever, in the very high category Saturday and Sunday.
AustinPollen.com, which aggregates pollen counts, had cedar at 4,050 grams per cubic meter on Sunday and 3,200 grams per cubic meter on Saturday.
The good news: Monday it had cedar at only 1,060 grams per cubic meter. AccuWeather predicts tree pollen will only be in the high category for the rest of the week.
"The winds are much lighter so the pollen has settled a bit," said American-Statesman meteorologist Mary Wasson-Triplett. "Fortunately, winds are expected to turn southerly and remain light through much of the week. A small chance of rain on Thursday and Friday should also help dampen cedar pollen before it becomes airborne.
"Texas State opens Keysight Smart Lab for real-world engineering training" Community Impact | News's Amanda Cutshall – Texas State officials and students celebrated in December the opening of the Keysight Smart Lab, which provides engineering students with hands-on training to prepare them for their careers.
The engineering lab is equipped with industry-standard tools and software, officials said in a news release, allowing them to build real-world experience while working toward professional certifications in areas such as semiconductors, wireless technologies and more.
In a news release, officials said the lab was made possible by a donation from Keysight Technologies, which provides equipment and software engineers use to design and check how electronic devices function.
THE BLOTTER
"One dead in homicide at downtown Austin hotel near Rainey Street; police seeking suspect" Austin American-Statesman's Dante Motley – Austin police are investigating a reported homicide at a hotel near the Rainey Street district, authorities said Monday.
Authorities were called to the Cambria Hotel at 68 East Ave. on Monday morning, where officers found one person dead inside a room on the hotel's eighth floor. The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.
While no suspect has been detained, officials said they believe the incident was isolated and poses a minimal threat to the public. Multiple witnesses are being interviewed, and detectives are reviewing surveillance footage from the area and the hotel.
Authorities did not release the victim’s age, gender, possible relationship to a suspect or the manner of death Monday.
"Austin club shooting: 2 arrested in constable’s killing" Austin American-Statesman's Dante Motley – Two men have been arrested in connection with Sunday’s shooting outside a club in North Austin that left an off-duty constable dead and police with questions about the area’s safety, officials said in a Monday press conference.
Police said Aaron Armstrong, a deputy with the Caldwell County Precinct 3 Constable’s Office, was working security early Sunday morning at Club Rodeo at 9515 North Lamar Blvd., when a confrontation escalated into a shooting that killed him. Thomas Vences, 38, was arrested later that day and was charged with capital murder of a peace officer. Ronaldo Colindres-Simon, 22, was also arrested and charged with assault on a police officer.
"New details expected in investigation into Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera’s death" via KHOU – Attorneys for the family of Brianna Aguilera, the Texas A&M student who died in Austin last fall, say they will release new information Tuesday as they continue to challenge how police have handled the case.
The Buzbee Law Firm and the Gamez Law Firm announced they will hold a press conference on Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Buzbee Law Firm’s Houston office.
The release says Aguilera’s parents will be present and may make statements, and that lead counsel Tony Buzbee plans to share “pertinent details regarding the investigation surrounding the death of Brianna Aguilera.”
The family and legal team are also expected to respond to actions taken by the Austin Police Department.
According to Buzbee: “The investigation remains open, despite the Austin Police Department’s previous comments to the contrary. We have expended substantial resources on this matter and will continue to do so until the family has the answers they deserve.”
(KHOU)
"Austin police seek publics help in aggravated assault investigation" MyTexasDaily.com's Matt Richards – Austin police are seeking assistance from the public in gathering information about an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon that occurred on December 28, 2025, at approximately 2:06 a.m. on the 200 block of E 6th Street. The incident involved two groups in a physical altercation, during which one suspect attempted to stab one person and succeeded in stabbing another in the arm, resulting in non-life-threatening injuries.
The first suspect is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5'4" tall, with a bowl-style haircut and tattoos on his arms, face, and neck. He was last seen wearing a black Billionaires Boys Club shirt, black jeans, and white shoes. The second suspect is also a Hispanic male, approximately 5'10" tall, with a shorter bowl-style haircut and a thin beard, last seen wearing a green "Polo" shirt and blue jeans, according to a press release from the Austin Police Department.
Witnesses reportedly recorded the incident on their cell phones. The Austin Police Department encourages anyone with information to contact the Aggravated Assault Unit at 512-974-5...
"Woman sues Austin, fired officer over takedown that caused brain injury" via KEYE – A South Carolina woman who suffered a traumatic brain injury after a fired Austin police officer "slammed [her] to the ground" while she was handcuffed filed a lawsuit Monday against the city and the officer.
Natalie Gialenes sued the City of Austin and former Officer Joseph Spees over the December 2024 incident, according to her attorneys at Edwards Law. Gialenes was visiting Austin when Spees threw her to the ground despite her being handcuffed and not resisting, the lawsuit states.
The incident required hospitalization and forced Gialenes to withdraw from paralegal school, according to the suit.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis indefinitely suspended Spees on Dec. 3, 2025, nearly a year after the incident, calling his actions "reprehensible." Davis said the takedown was not justified.
An Internal Affairs investigation found Spees violated department policy by performing an "unreasonable takedown on an intoxicated subject," failing to de-escalate, failing to care for the injured subject and inaction.
(KEYE)
