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MONDAY, MAY 19, 2025

Compiled by Matt Mackowiak

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TOP NEWS

Bohls: “Making a pitch for an MLB team in Austin. Three entrepreneurs setting the stage to land a franchise,” Houston Chronicle’s Kirk Bohls — "Matt Mackowiak has a plan.

The long-time Austin political strategist and public relations guru seeks to bring a major-league baseball team to the biggest, untapped professional sports market in the country as he has launched a highly skilled, collaborative team looking to galvanize the community and make a bold bid for an expansion franchise.

That’s right.

He’d like to have butts in the seats of a plush, 40,000-seat, brand new stadium with a retractable roof somewhere in eastern Travis County watching Major League Baseball in the 2030s.

Just imagine it.

In the season opener in 2031, Austinites could go buy a hot dog and brewski, settle into their front-row seat behind home plate and watch the New York Yankees play the Austin Bats.

Talk about your real-life field of dreams.

But these are the dreams of chief executive officer Mackowiak and his co-founding partners, chief operating officer Derrik Fox and president Dustin Byington, just less fantasy and more factual.

Fox is a Cincinnati native who moved to Austin when he was 4 and has been to Cooperstown 40 minutes away from his grandparents’ home in upstate New York to checked out the baseball Hall of Fame more times than he can count. He brings a wealth of experience in sales and marketing.

Byington is a 40-year-old who grew up in a family of San Diego Padres season ticket holders and saw about 50 home games a year since he was a sixth-grader. The one-time left tackle for Columbia’s football team moved to Austin with his wife in 2013. He is a serial entrepreneur who offers incredible finance and private equity know-how and charged with raising capital.

They can envision major league baseball in Austin maybe as soon as 2030, but more likely the following year.

There’s just a few little nagging details that need to be ironed out first between now and then:

• Like a major investor worth billions who loves baseball.

• Like a prime location for a brand new stadium easily accessible to many.

• Like an announcement from major-league baseball to formalize the expansion process and timeline.

• Like tremendous community outreach that fully impresses 30 MLB owners that Austin deserves a team.

• Like millions of dollars to set up infrastructure, hire experts, trigger a groundswell of support and finance their pitch to MLB.

Yeah, that’s pretty much it.

Check all those boxes, and Austin is on its way to becoming the 31st or 32nd major-league baseball team. And, yes, that prospect is long overdue.

“It’s going to be a long journey,” Byington said. “I’m not saying we’re running downhill now, but we’ve sure got a heck of a lot of momentum and we’re picking up speed.”

For sure, it figures to be a bumpy, full-contact road full of problems and hurdles. And Mackowiak, a Pittsburgh native who still hasn’t gotten over Atlanta’s Sid Bream’s slide into home plate to deprive his beloved Pirates of a World Series berth in 1992. “Still traumatic to this day,” said Mackowiak, who modeled his own game after smooth Bucs center fielder Andy Van Slyke before turning to basketball and playing for Westwood High School’s 5A state semifinalist.

Mackowiak graduated from the University of Texas, where he was a Texas Cowboy and owns a corporate public relations and business advisory firm. He, Fox and Byington have laid the groundwork for an aggressive bid, received counsel from a former MLB deputy commissioner, raised almost half a million dollars in seed money and researched up to eight to 10 potential sites for a ballpark. They formed the Austin Baseball Commission last June as an LLC and converted to a limited partnership in April.

Yeah, they’ve been busy.

“It’s time,” Mackowiak said. “This is an opportunity to make Austin a baseball mecca. We have the power to add to the University of Texas story with its Omaha history. Clearly the arrow is pointed up. All we’ve wanted is to ensure Austin puts the strongest bid possible to get one of the two expansion slots.”

To be clear, there’s no guarantee ANY expansion slots are open at this time. However, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is on the record as saying he’d like to expand from the current 30 to 32 teams before his term expires in 2029, which is only about 250 Aaron Judge home runs away and will get here faster than we think.

Why Austin?

Mackowiak and Fox first conceived of the idea in February 2024 and conducted a four-month, due-diligence phase that was publicly launched on the Friday of All-Star weekend last July in Arlington.

Byington joined forces last fall, and the three of them have since participated in more than 500 meetings and couldn’t be more pumped about an event June 8 at the Austin Beer Garden Brewery with live music and more news of the progress.

This is a bootstrap operation that has grown exponentially to its current place, but the hardest pieces to the puzzle remain. They’ve created a glitzy, colorful website at atxmlb.com and are looking to raise $1 million by Labor Day and $2 million by the end of the year.

They’ve fallen in love with the name Austin Bats, thanks in part to the largest colony of Mexican free-tailed bats whose numbers summer under the Congress Avenue Bridge and the obvious baseball connection. They haven’t trademarked the name — a riff on that of a defunct Austin minor league hockey team — and would probably have to reach a financial settlement with the Louisville Bats, the Triple-A club of the Reds, or find a different mascot.

“The only areas that we’ve been slow out of the gate has been the investment piece,” Fox said. “We made a lot of progress markers in early fall of last year. We got in a Ferrari to go from Point A to Point B. Others have been like driving a Ford Taurus.”

It’s true that there is no mandate to expand yet, and a looming fight over a new collective bargaining agreement between the players and owners after the current one expires after the 2026 season could greatly complicate the chances of an expansion. Lord knows what affect a potential lockout and strike could have.

But in truth, as much as any metropolitan area in the country, Austin deserves to be high on the waiting list of teams eager to become the first baseball additions since MLB grew to 30 with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays in 1998.

Problem is, it’s already well behind equally aggressive cities like Nashville, Salt Lake City and Portland, who are off to a big head start and already have in place much of the mechanism needed to speed along their cases.

Mackowiak has put together a leadership team and can count on advice from friend Bob DuPuy, a 78-year-old Florida lawyer and former president and chief operating officer for MLB for 12 years.

The smart money would say Austin’s a dark horse at this stage, its broad appeal notwithstanding.

The nation’s 13th-largest city, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, remains a robust, viable metro area with more than 2.4 million people, boasts a thriving, diverse economy heavily invested into sports and music and entertainment and ranks as a top-32 cable television market. What else could MLB want?

It’s still the largest city in the country without a top-four professional sports league — no MLB, NFL, NBA or NHL team — and located far enough from Arlington and Houston not to directly overlap fan bases. That said, the feeling is the Astros and Rangers would more likely be impediments than supporters of Austin’s cause. Mackowiak’s group has reached out to both teams without success.

Representatives for Astros owner Jim Crane and the Rangers’ Ray Davis declined to comment for this story.

“I think Austin is a terrific candidate when there is expansion,” DuPuy told the Chronicle this week. “But given there hasn’t been a timeline or a formal process established yet, it’s tough to talk about favorites and dark horses. It’s like predicting who’s going to win the 2028 Kentucky Derby because the horses haven’t been born yet. But I see no reason Austin couldn’t come in and blow other cities out of the water.”

Make no mistake. It could easily be a legitimate horse race even if Nashville and others might have the pole position.

Mackowiak points to Central Texas as one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the nation and said projections suggest Austin could surge to a population of 4.5 million in two years and maybe even six million in the next decade. The entire state of Utah has only 3.5 million people.

“I’d say we’re possibly a decade or two away from being the largest state in the country,” Fox said. “California has five major-league teams and 39 million people. We’ve got only two teams and 30 million people. We’re by far the largest urban area in the U.S. that isn’t served by major-league baseball.”

Declining television revenue and an aging fan base demographic could also enhance the chances of expansion, which sources say could amount to a $2 billion or greater fee for each new team shared equally by the 30 teams. An extra $260 million for two new clubs could offset any loss of TV money.

ESPN opted out of its current television contract in which teams were averaging $550 million and will end its agreement after this season even though it had three years left on the deal. Manfred has reportedly had talks with NBC as well as streaming services but would like to nationalize local rights and sell them as a package.

Competition for Rangers and Astros

The guess here is the Rangers and Astros likely wouldn’t support a third team in Texas. They own the territorial rights to a five-state region including Texas, but MLB would need only a 75% approval from ownership, and 28 other owners might like the idea of “free money” with two new teams.

Besides, the Rangers and Astros have each won a World Series in the past three seasons, and Austin could argue two more intrastate rivalries including an Austin team might fuel more ticket sales and ratings boosts.

Houston’s won two World Series in the last eight years and almost two others. Texas won its only one in 2023 and would have had two, but for a certain line drive in 2011 Nelson Cruz does not want to remember.

“Regional rivalries are so much fun,” Byington said. “What’s better than a three-team regional rivalry? One plus one plus one equals five. Plus when they change divisions, people don’t even have to fly to these games. That’s the glue that pulls it all together.”

DuPuy echoes that sentiment, saying, “I think you can argue it would enhance the rivalries the teams already have.”

Some have suggested Austin and San Antonio team up for a franchise and maybe even put the stadium in between in New Braunfels or San Marcos, but would it even be either city’s team?

“There’s something to be said for belonging to a community,” DuPuy said. “But you could do outreach. Have the team in Austin 70 miles away but have a San Antonio weekend or a ticket promotion and try to establish a fan base in San Antonio to come over. There are some advantages to (co-existing with the two cities), but it’d also be a little bit loss of identity.”

Short of expansion, maybe Austin could lure an existing franchise to Central Texas. The Oakland A’s have been dangled out there seemingly forever but we presume will find a home in Las Vegas eventually. The Miami Marlins hardly have a rush through their turnstiles, and Tampa could use another roof, if not a new home.

The chances of landing an existing team?

“I’d say 100%,” Fox said without naming names. “There’s a lot of disparity in baseball right now. The Dodgers are in a position of power. It’s the Dodgers and everyone else. There’s a lot of disparity in media rights and royalties. I think MLB is in need of a reshuffle as far as the way teams are covered. It needs a shot in the arm when it comes to the culture. I think baseball needs markets like Austin. Those few markets where the game isn’t succeeding, is it better to hand it off to a market that is wealthy and hungry?”

As for the NBA, all three Texas franchises have done nicely, winning titles — and lotteries — and have combined to win eight titles in the past 31 years.

As for a CBA as a potential hurdle, the owners could dangle the idea of two new teams and 80 additional jobs with the 40-man rosters for two clubs as incentive to come to the table.

But history would suggest the two sides won’t even begin negotiations until after the 2026 All-Star break and probably not have serious daily talks until urgency sets in once the season ends.

Mackowiak and Fox created the Austin Baseball Commission, which has a website, and has raised over $435,000 in seed money in the last month. The group has yet to meet with Manfred but was advised not to until it found a willing lead investor.

They’re thinking in terms of a 40,000-seat stadium with a retractable roof with an estimated price tag of $1.5 billion.

“None of us are baseball insiders,” Mackowiak said. “Nashville’s an amazing city that’s booming, but they already have pro football and hockey. Baseball would divide their core fan base by a third. Salt Lake City is a third of our size and has (the NBA, NHL and MLS), but are we going to let Salt Lake beat us by not getting our act together?”

Finding an owner

The biggest hurdle for Austin? Without question, it’s the absence of a lead investor.

Of course, you can’t throw a rock in the 512 without hitting about 10 mega-celebrities in what has become the hideaway spot for Hollywood’s most glamourous.

Austin’s most famous citizen, Rocket Man Elon Musk, seems to be more concerned with trimming fat these days than taking on new projects. Matthew McConaughey has his Horns up and a minority stake in Austin FC soccer but I’ve never seen him at Disch-Falk Field.

Michael Dell, UT’s most famous dropout, has been highly supportive of the Longhorns and sports in general. He sponsored the wildly successful Dell Technology World Championship Match Play pro golf tournament at Austin Country Club from 2016-23, where aside from the COVID year the event packed in daily crowds upwards of 10,000 when Tiger Woods competed.

Longhorn football coach Steve Sarkisian makes a cool $10.8 mil now and may need a place to invest his dough. Sean Miller, the Horns’ new hoops maestro, came from Xavier, a stone’s throw from the Cincinnati Reds. What about Longhorn celebs like Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth and Kevin Durant and MLB pitcher Greg Swindell? Doesn’t Thomas J. Henry need some publicity? Haven’t seen one of his ads in 20 minutes.

“The lead investor is a big hurdle,” Byington said. “But we’re doing everything in sequencing. It’s a huge elephant we’re trying to eat, and we’re doing it bite by bite.”

Austin does boast at least 10 billionaires on the Forbes 100 Richest People in the world, but Mackowiak has been told the actual number is closer to 60, many of whom hide their wealth and don’t flaunt it. Mackowiak said his group has focused on “20 to 30” possibilities with the deep pockets capable of filling that role. One-third of the necessary capital in liquid form would be required to back the bid.

Heck, President Trump once desperately wanted an NFL franchise. Doesn’t he like baseball? I think he threw out the first insult at the Washington Nationals opener.

“We think 15 people in the Austin area could be that lead (investor), but we’re not limiting it to Austin,” Mackowiak said, noting that person would have to be willing to be visible and be head-over-heels passionate about baseball. “It could even be someone from Houston or West Texas. We’re working hard to secure that person.”

The trio remains confident.

“Strangely,” Byington said, “it doesn’t keep me up at night. Baseball is like buying a house. They tend not to lose their economic value and steadily creep up in value. It’s a pretty decent and secure investment for wealthy folks.”

Mackowiak believes the success of the MLS franchise in Austin could pave the way for an expansion baseball team by demonstrating to MLB that the area will support sports beyond the Longhorns.

The Austin FC soccer team took the city by storm in 2021 and has technically sold out all 77 home games — please ignore those empty seats — at aesthetically beautiful Q2 Stadium in north Austin despite middling success on the pitch, even with an appearance in the Western Conference final after a seventh-place regular-season finish in 2022. That’s been its only playoff run in four years.

“I love MLS, but the interest in baseball is 10 times that,” Mackowiak said.

Maybe Austin would be hard-pressed to find a baseball diamond in the vicinity of Q2, but Mackowiak has circled five sites east of town. Downtown would be optimal, but Austin FC couldn’t make it work and traffic gridlock would make a site off Zilker Park a non-starter.

Neither would the former home of the Austin American-Statesman off South Congress work. The neighborhoods would never have it. Plus, there’s not the available real estate surrounding it to commercialize the venture.

The trio has the Atlanta Braves’ successful Battery sports and entertainment district far north of downtown in mind when they thinks of a new ballpark for Austin.

Byington mentions the popular Gaslamp Quarter that borders Petco Park in San Diego and suggests surrounding real estate and economic development will be the key for Austin so they don’t plan on asking the taxpayers to pony up anything.

“It’s time,” Mackowiak said. “All the reasons they had in the past don’t apply.”

Austin wasn’t big enough. Weren’t enough people with the purse strings. UT would fight it.

None of those are valid excuses any more. Even UT embraced the arrival of Major League Soccer.

Mackowiak thinks there are five boxes that must be checked for Austin to have a shot.

Priority one is to be liquid with the amount needed at the opportune time. The investor has to like baseball more than he or she likes sports. The owner would have to have longtime ties to Austin or firmly believe in the city. With 81 home games each season, the owner can’t hide from the press or the fan base.

“I think 20 of (potential owners) are really quiet here and maybe not willing to take part,” Mackowiak said. “There might be a top four (in reality). That’d be the closest thing to royalty we have in Austin.”

The Austin Baseball Commission needs to order a deep market study to research real estate opportunities and economic factors. They’d spend $300,000 in the first week.

“We’d be off and running close to Labor Day,” he said, “and we’d have our lead investor by the end of the year.”

All three co-founders speak to the possibility that bringing baseball to Austin would “legitimize” it as a world-class city, but that’s missing the obvious.

Austin’s already that.  But baseball would certainly enhance the Live Music Capital of the World. Consider an MLB team in the area an expensive add-on to the most beautiful house on the block. Trust me, no one would say there goes the neighborhood.

“It’s like Casey Stengel said at the end of his career with the Mets,” Fox said. “When he was asked what’d he say to the youth of America, he said ‘Here is an opportunity, but they’d reply how much are you going to pay me? ’ I like to tell people here is an opportunity. We don’t need to sell it. We just need to present it.”

And it’s up to Major League Baseball to grab it.” Houston Chronicle

THE BLOTTER

“Austin police fatally shoot man in wheelchair holding replica gun,” Fox 7 Austin’s Adam Fullerton and Lauren Rangel — “Police are investigating an officer-involved shooting that killed a man in a wheelchair in South Austin.

As police divert traffic off William Cannon Drive near Menchaca Road on Saturday, an empty wheelchair sits in the middle of a crime scene.

"No officer comes to work, gets ready, puts his uniform on and walks out the door wanting to be in an officer-involved shooting," said Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis. "These take their toll."

Austin police said that at around 10 a.m., they got multiple 911 calls about a man in a wheelchair blocking traffic and pointing a gun.

One officer on the scene reported seeing that gun in the man's lap.

When APD arrived, the man began moving up the bridge and away from police until he turned around and pointed his weapon.

Police said they asked him to drop it multiple times, but the interaction ended in six rounds of gunfire from an officer.

"The thing is to have a gun and pointed at you, that’s the ramifications of that," said Davis.

The man in the wheelchair died, and when officers retrieved his gun, they found that it was a Glock replica BB gun.

"I think these are complex issues that absolutely occur in the matter of split seconds, and that’s what these officers have to deal with on a daily basis," said Davis.

"Even my mother called me saying, like, 'hey, are you okay?' cause she like even heard about it, saying like, hey, there’s a shooting going on," said Brandon Espitia, who works at the Shipley's Donuts down the street.

"All we just saw was cops and EMS and the fire department just driving so fast that way," said Espitia.

Just before the shooting, he said a man came into their store matching the description.

"A guy in the wheelchair with one leg, just one leg, he walked in here and just started talking really fast," said Espitia. "Really fast. Asking for a job application."

Police have not yet identified the man, but they say no one else, including the officer, was injured.

"A seriously unfortunate incident that no one wants to be involved in," said Davis. "These cops don't want to be involved in these situations. The citizens here in this community, again, it's just a tragic incident."

Police say they received calls around 9:50 a.m. for a man blocking traffic in a wheelchair on West William Cannon Drive, not far from Menchaca Road.

911 callers told dispatchers that the person pointed a gun at them.

When officers arrived at the scene, they were told the man had a gun in his lap. One of the officers also reported seeing the gun.

An officer gave the man multiple commands to drop the gun. 

Police say the suspect then pointed the gun at the officer and the officer fired six rounds, killing the man.

The gun that was recovered from the scene was found to be a Glock replica BB gun, according to police.

No officers were injured.

Austin police say they will release more information about the shooting on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.

The name of the man who was shot has not been released.

Austin police are the public to share any photos or videos with the department through this link.

Anyone with "detailed information" about the shooting can email [email protected] or call 512-974-5032.” Fox 7 Austin

“Austin murder arrest: Man charged in March shooting, linked to second shooting,” Fox 7 Austin’s Adam Fulleton — “Austin police have arrested a man they believe is responsible for a March murder and another shooting.

Police arrested Kent Outten, 33, on Tuesday, May 13 and charged him with the murder of Rex Johnson.

Johnson, 33, was found shot and killed in the early morning hours of March 31.

Witnesses told police that Johnson was standing next to his blind friend, who uses a cane, when two suspects approached them. One suspect knocked Johnson to the ground and the other shot him.

Video shows the suspects walking to the area before the shooting and then running east from the scene after the shots were fired.

Johnson later died at the hospital.

An arrest warrant affidavit says that the suspects were walking from an area known as "The Island" at the intersection of Cesar Chavez St. and Brushy Street. In the affidavit, police describe the area as "one of several ‘open air’ drug markets in the downtown area."

Johnson had an unopened bag of K2 in his pocket at the time of the shooting, according to police.

Police say another shooting occurred on April 9, on East Cesar Chavez.

The victim of the shooting survived and described two suspects in the shooting as known drug dealers "N.O. and K.O," according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

The victim told police he owed "K.O." money and he was shot in the torso when he told the man he was unable to pay him back.

Due to the description of the suspect and the drug-related nature of the shooting, detectives determined the suspect in that shooting was also responsible for Johnson's killing.

An arrest warrant affidavit for Outten says that the Texas Lone Star Fugitive Task Force identified a man who matched the description of the shooter in the March 31 and April 9 incidents purchasing a gun on March 26.

In video from the store, the suspect was wearing the same unique vest.

Police say Outten was arrested after a foot chase on E. 7th Street on Tuesday, May 13.

APD did not give an update on the second suspect in the March 31 shooting.” Fox 7 Austin

“InfoWars writer shooting: 15-year-old capital murder suspect arrested in Austin,” Fox 7 Austin’s Adam Fullerton and Meredith Aldis— “A teen was arrested in connection to a South Austin murder back in March, the Austin Police Department said.

A 15-year-old suspect in the deadly shooting of an InfoWars writer was recently arrested by Austin Police.

Austin police announced on Friday that a juvenile capital murder suspect was arrested on May 6.

The juvenile's name will not be released due to their age.

The juvenile is the second arrested in connection to the shooting.

On April 30, detectives arrested 17-year-old Eloy Camarillo in connection with the murder of Jamie White. 

Camarillo was charged with capital murder.

What we don't know:

It is not clear if police are searching for more suspects.

Austin police believe an InfoWars writer was shot and killed when he interrupted suspects possibly burglarizing his vehicle in South Austin.

An InfoWars writer was shot and killed outside his apartment complex in South Austin. 

Austin police say investigators believe Jamie White was shot and killed when he interrupted suspects possibly burglarizing his vehicle.

Austin police believe an InfoWars writer was shot and killed when he interrupted suspects possibly burglarizing his vehicle in South Austin.

At around 11:56 p.m. on March 9, APD responded to a call about a shooting at the Chandelier Apartments at 2336 Douglas Street. When they arrived, they found a man, later identified as White, lying on the ground in the parking lot with apparent trauma to his body.

White was taken to a local hospital where he later died at 12:19 a.m. March 10.

Camarillo admitted that he and others were trying to steal White’s Kia and take it for a joyride. When White confronted the group, he was shot.” Fox 7 Austin

“ATCEMS: 1 dead, 2 injured after crash on East Riverside Drive,” KXAN’s Erica Pauda — “One person is dead after crash that happened on East Riverside Drive in southeast Austin Saturday, according to Austin-Travis County EMS.

The Austin Police Department and Austin-Travis County EMS responded to the crash in the 2300 block of East Riverside Drive shortly before 4 p.m.

One person was pronounced dead on the scene, according to ATCEMS medics.

Additionally, one adult patient was transported to Dell Seton with not life-threatening injuries, and another person refused transport, medics said.

Drivers were previously routed from the scene when the area was closed off due to the crash. However, APD said roads were back open around 7:45 p.m.

No other details were available Saturday.” KXAN

“Neighbors on high alert after multiple tires slashed in central Austin neighborhood,” KXAN’s Nabil Remadna — “Some people living in a central Austin Neighborhood said they woke up Thursday morning to find their tires slashed.

“We are looking at the front left tire of my car and the back left tire,” said a woman whose tires were slashed.

It happened in the neighborhood near Guadalupe and 32nd street, near Hemphill Park.

“Turns out more had been punctured,” said the woman.

Another neighbor nearby said she was on the way to a workout and noticed her check tire light come on as she pulled away.

“So I got out of my car, checked my back tire, saw it was flat so I went back home,” said the woman.

She said she had another tire go flat from a puncture later that day, but there were more flat tires in the neighborhood.

“And then I looked across the street and noticed another person had a slashed tire,” said the woman.

Some people who have lived in the neighborhood tell us it’s not the first time this has happened though.

“Back in 2022 to 2023 I had a few friends from school experienced a similar thing, it was more ongoing though,” said a woman who lives in the neighborhood, who wished to remain anonymous.

KXAN checked tire theft and vandalism data for the 78705 neighborhood where these incidents happened. According to 311 reports, there have been 28 reported incidents since 2022, with 12 taking place in 2023.

“If crime like this is persisting then everyone has to speak up,” said a woman who’s tires were slashed.

The people that KXAN spoke to tell us they have filed police reports and are hoping to hear back soon.” KXAN

“Rabies-infected bat found in Cedar Park,” KVUE’s Brittny Eubank and Sam Carolan — “A bat found in Cedar Park has tested positive for rabies, the Cedar Park Police Department said Thursday.

Police said at this time, there has been no known direct human contact with the bat, which was found at The View at Cedar Park, located at 1430 Main St.

This is the second rabies-infected bat to be discovered in Cedar Park this year.

According to the CDC, bats are the most commonly reported animals to have rabies and most people who die of rabies in the U.S. were exposed to it by bats. 

The CDC recommends those who are bitten or scratched by a bat to wash the wound with soap and water and get medical help immediately. If you encounter a bat in your home, contact a local animal control or health professional to arrange for its safe capture and potential rabies testing.

Bats infected with rabies often exhibit behavioral changes, such as flying around during the daytime, exhibiting increased aggression, disorientation and having difficulty flying. 

In other mammals, such as dogs, symptoms can include excessive drooling, uncharacteristic aggression and difficulty swallowing. In humans, early signs of rabies may resemble flu-like symptoms, including fever, headache and anxiety, progressing to more severe symptoms like difficulty swallowing and partial paralysis.

Cedar Park police urge residents to report any contact with the infected bat to Cedar Park Animal Control by calling 512-260-4600, extension 0. 

Police are also reminding residents not to touch stray or unknown animals and to ensure their pets' rabies vaccinations are up to date. This is crucial because rabies is a fatal disease if not treated promptly after exposure.” KVUE

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

“CapMetro’s Red Line Station near the Domain is back on track, but now double the price,” KUT’s Nathan Bernier — “Three years after a groundbreaking ceremony that led to no actual construction, Capital Metro is putting plans back on track to build a new commuter rail station near the Domain. But the project’s price tag has ballooned, and the transit agency will pay more than triple what it had originally planned.

Broadmoor Station was originally expected to cost $24 million, split evenly between CapMetro and Brandywine Realty Trust, the developer of the massive Uptown ATX mixed-use development where the station will be located.

But after pandemic-related delays and rising construction costs, the total cost has climbed to $49.3 million. CapMetro is covering the increase, with its share jumping from $12 million to $37.3 million. Brandywine’s contribution remains capped at the original $12 million commitment.

The station will be embedded in the 66-acre Uptown ATX development, within walking distance of restaurants, bars and shopping. The Domain’s Rock Rose entertainment district is about a half-mile away. CapMetro expects the Broadmoor Station will be the second busiest stop on the Red Line after Downtown Station, according to pre-COVID forecasts.

CapMetro staff say the revised deal reflects post-COVID realities of a deal negotiated before the pandemic hit.

“As with most construction, costs have escalated significantly post-pandemic,” CapMetro’s Chief of Staff Cheyenne Conyer explained to the transit agency’s board of directors in an email this month. “Additionally, Brandywine approached CapMetro to renegotiate the terms of the original agreement as their post-pandemic financial picture solidified.”

The delay was tied in part to the broader slowdown in commercial development during the pandemic, which stalled Uptown ATX and delayed permitting. CapMetro’s operations committee approved the revised agreement last week, with a full board vote expected Monday.

Construction is now set to begin this winter with Broadmoor Station opening by late 2027. It will replace the nearby Kramer Station, which will be decommissioned once Broadmoor is up and running. Broadmoor and the $60 million McKalla Station at Q2 Stadium just south of Kramer are part of the Project Connect transit expansion funded by a property tax increase approved by voters in 2020.

Brandywine will manage construction and be paid a 5% fee, capped at $2.25 million. It will provide more than 200 shared parking spaces for Red Line riders for at least three years. As part of the renegotiated deal, the park-and-ride could be extended by two years if the spaces are still available.

Five nearby landowners donated property for the project valued at about $20 million.

CapMetro board member Eric Stratton acknowledged some concerns about cost but defended the project.

“The two biggest things I hear from folks in Williamson County, my neck of the woods, ‘If that train could just get us two places: the airport and the Domain,'” Stratton said at a meeting last week. “I can’t get you to the airport, folks, but I can sure work to get you to the Domain on this train.”” KUT

“The city of Austin wants your help making this busy street safer,” KVUE’s Adam Bennett — “Transportation leaders are looking for ways to make one busy Austin street safer.

The city of Austin’s Transportation and Public Works Department (TPW) hosted a bilingual listening session on Saturday at Montopolis Recreation Center in southeast Austin.

The building sits along the 1.5-mile stretch of Montopolis Drive between U.S. 183 and Riverside Drive that’s part of Austin’s High Injury Network, a designation the city says “identifies streets in Austin with a relatively high number of serious injury and fatal crashes.”

TPW officials say that segment of Montopolis Drive averages one crash roughly every five days.

“The people who are traveling here every day, they're walking the sidewalks, they know the exact spots where there's concerns,” said Joel Meyer, transportation safety officer with Austin TPW. "That's just incredibly valuable information.”

TPW also sought in-person feedback at an event on Wednesday afternoon at the same community center.

“A lot of concerns, from [a] pedestrian safety standpoint – sidewalk gaps, overgrown vegetation that's blocking sidewalks,” said Meyer when asked by KVUE about the ideas received so far. “We've also heard a lot of comments about street lighting and need for traffic signals.”

Community members at Saturday’s event shared ideas to improve Montopolis Drive.

“I feel that we were heard today,” Pedro Hernandez Jr. told KVUE.

Hernandez Jr., a lifelong resident and member of a neighborhood association, wants to see safer crossings for kids walking to two nearby schools and any bike lanes routed along Vargas Road.

"Just a regular crosswalk – we only have two,” said Hernandez Jr. “So, that's one of the problems. And then with the kids from the two schools, from Allison and IDEA, they have to walk if they live within 2 miles of the school."

The public can give feedback through June 8 via an online survey.

Meyer said TPW staff will use that feedback to craft safety recommendations, which will be released in the fall.” KVUE

“New burn ban text alert system for Travis County residents,” Fox 7 Austin’s Lisette Lopez — “Travis County will soon launch its new burn ban text alert system.

Starting June 1, the Travis County Fire Marshal's Office will move the burn ban notification sytem to a new system. 

The new system will allow Travis County residents to opt-in by texting TCBURNBAN to 888777.

If you are a current burn ban subscriber, you still need to opt in again to continue getting the alerts. 

Messages will be available in both English and Spanish. 

This is a free service that is now powered by Warn Central Texas. The system will provide updates about:

• When a burn ban is issued

• When a burn ban is lifted

• When a Red Flag Warning is issued during high fire danger conditions

Residents will also only receive messages related to burn bans and Red Flag Warnings in Travis County.” Fox 7 Austin

BUSINESS NEWS

“Developers, opponents argue in Travis County court over Statesman PUD,” Austin Business Journal’s Cody Baird — “A Travis County judge on May 15 heard arguments for a landmark case over the planned redevelopment of the former Austin American-Statesman site — a project that could extend Austin's skyline across Lady Bird Lake — but a decision has not yet been made.

The lawsuit, filed by environmental watchdog Save Our Springs Alliance, seeks to void Austin City Council’s 2022 approval of the planned unit development zoning. Opponents allege the city did not provide proper public notice or reasonable opportunity for public comment before it was voted on.

Travis County District Judge Jan Soifer presided over the hearing, according to Austin American-Statesman reporting. The Save Our Springs Alliance was represented by attorneys Bobby Levinski and Bill Bunch. The owner of the former Statesman site, the Cox family of Atlanta, and Austin-based Endeavor Real Estate Group, which has been hired to handle the redevelopment of the site, were represented by attorneys Casey Dobson and Sara Wilder Clark.

The lawsuit asked a judge to file an injunction against the city that will force it to stop approving permits, city fee waivers and other “development subsidies contained in the final December 1, 2022, ordinance for the Statesman PUD,” according to previous ABJ reporting.

Endeavor plans to build six mixed-use towers and establish a new waterfront parkland on the 19-acre site at 305 S. Congress Ave. The project, called 305 South Congress, is expected to include 1,478 residential units, 1.5 million square feet of office space, a 275-room hotel and 150,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space across the six towers. The tallest of the high-rises could reach 524 feet, or about 47 stories.

Dobson and Wilder Clark claimed proper public notice of the zoning change was provided and there were nine different meetings for the public to comment on it, according to the Statesman. Levinski, on the other hand, alleged that while notice was given in the form of the PUD being listed on council agendas as a zoning change, it was misleading because it did not provide "full disclosure of the subjects to be discussed," the Statesman reported.

The proposed PUD encompassed "numerous provisions that extend well beyond traditional zoning regulations," Levinski said, including changes to environment protections and other land-use codes, such as setbacks, the elimination of restrictive covenants and the nondisclosure of height limits.

"The key here is the Statesman PUD went beyond zoning," Levinski said, according to Statesman reporting. "This didn't give sufficient notice to the public to say what is occurring with this zoning."

Dobson and Wilder Clark countered by claiming the public notices were compliant with the Texas Open Meetings Act, as discussions of the PUD were listed on various public agendas and all details were available to the public as backup materials included with the online council agenda.

"(Opponents) think this was done in the dark of night, with adequate notice to nobody," Dobson said, according to Statesman. "In fact, the polar opposite happened."

At the end of the nearly three-hour hearing, Soifer took the case under advisement in order to read case law from both sides, the Statesman reported.” ABJ ($)

TEXAS SPORTS

TEXAS BASEBALL: “Longhorns top seed in SEC baseball tournament,” KXAN’s Noah Gross — “With an incredible first season in the SEC, the Texas Longhorns won the outright regular season conference championship in baseball. Jim Schlossnagle’s group in turn earns the top seed in the conference tournament.

The tournament, which takes place in Hoover, Alabama, starts Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. central with ninth-seeded Alabama battling the 16 seed in Missouri.

Texas is coming off a series win over Oklahoma with a 9-1 win Saturday. They will not have to play until Thursday. The winner of Alabama and Missouri will play Tennessee Wednesday, with the winner moving on to face Texas in the quarterfinals.

The seeds for the SEC Baseball Tournament are as follows:

1. Texas

2. Arkansas

3. LSU

4. Vanderbilt

5. Georgia

6. Auburn

7. Ole Miss

8. Tennessee

9. Alabama

10. Florida

11. Mississippi State

12. Oklahoma

13. Kentucky

14. Texas A&M

15. South Carolina

16. Missouri

For teams seeded between nine and sixteen, they would have to win five games to claim the tournament crown. For the top four seeds, only three victories are necessary.

The championship game is set for 2:00 p.m. Sunday in Hoover. The following day, Monday, May 26, will be the NCAA Tournament selection show.

In D1Baseball’s latest projection, the Texas Longhorns are the top overall seed. Thirteen SEC teams make the tournament in their projection.” KXAN

TEXAS SOFTBALL: “Texas softball: Record-setting day at the plate powers UT past Michigan in NCAA Tournament,” KXAN’s David Eckert — “After posting a total of 26 runs and 29 hits in a pair of mercy-rule wins, Texas softball hasn’t done much wrong at the NCAA Tournament Austin Regional.

But in Saturday’s 16-4 win over Michigan at McCombs Field, left fielder Kaydee Bennett had to apologize to head coach Mike White for a rare mistake.

Apparently, Bennett missed a bunt call from White during the fourth inning. Instead, she swung away — and sent the ball into the right-field bleachers during the Longhorns’ nine-run frame.

“I wanted her to get the bunt down, and the first thing she said to me in the dugout was ‘Sorry for missing the bunt,’” White said with a grin. “I said ‘It’s OK, you made up for it.’”

Bennett’s blast may have come as a surprise considering Texas' No. 9 hitter had just one homer all season entering the game, but the power surged up and down the Longhorns’ lineup on a record-setting day. Texas set program records for most runs in an NCAA Tournament game as well as most home runs in a tournament contest with six, and the nine runs in one inning tied the school record for most runs in one frame set last season in a tournament win over Northwestern.

The six home runs were one short of UT's all-time record in a single game set against Texas Tech in 2011.

“When one of us gets going, we all get going,” said shortstop Katie Stewart, who had two of the homers. “At some point, I think it's like a competition. I think it does get contagious. We’re so pumped up for each other.”

Even the blazing hot weather — temperatures soared above 110 degrees on the field — seemed to work in the Longhorns’ favor.

“It was a hitter's day today, with the wind blowing out, being nice and hot,” White said.

While Texas got to rest, Michigan had to take the field Saturday evening to face the winner of Saturday's second game between Central Florida and Eastern Illinois. Whoever won Saturday’s late game will face Texas Sunday at noon.

A Texas win in that game will send the Longhorns to their sixth consecutive super regional. A loss means Texas and its Sunday opponent would play a second game, with the winner then advancing to the super regionals.

While White likes how his lineup has heated up in the postseason, he also emphasized that his team “has to stay focused” for Sunday.

“You can’t carry over any runs,” he said. “But momentum is huge. It's always much better to be in the winner's bracket right now than having to come through and play another game and then put two wins together to win the championship.”

Joley Mitchell, who hammered a grand slam during the Longhorns’ big fourth inning, said she expects that momentum to carry into Sunday regardless of the opponent.

“Watching each other be successful, it just makes us more confident,” Mitchell said. “Hitting is contagious, and I guess home-run hitting is also contagious.”” AAS ($)

AUSTIN FC: “Austin FC vs Vancouver Whitecaps: 4 takeaways as the Verde & Black settle for a draw,” Austin American Statesman’s Colby Gordon — “This was personal for Nico Estévez. 

While Austin FC’s new coach has presented himself as being a players’ coach during his brief time leading the club, the Verde & Black roster may have seen a different side of him prior to Saturday’s match versus Vancouver. 

Six weeks ago, Austin FC was embarrassed by the Whitecaps in a 5-1 blowout loss, which was something that obviously didn’t sit well with Estévez. 

“I was very hurt when we lost 5-1, so maybe I had a different tone leading up to this match,” said Estévez, who for the second straight postgame press conference was more blunt than he usually has been this year. “I told the players that we didn’t win our individual matchups last time, and that they better win their matchups this time.” 

Though the result at Q2 Stadium was only a 0-0 draw, Estévez’s messaging worked. Austin FC arguably played its best match of the season in the run of play and looked like a completely different team than the one that was completely run off the field in the first meeting.

Here are some key takeaways from the match as Austin FC (5-6-3, 18 points) ends its three-game homestand Wednesday with a U.S. Open Cup match against rival Houston: 

Austin FC passed the eye test 

Despite playing 72 hours earlier in similar hot and humid conditions, Austin FC had more energy than Vancouver and created many more scoring opportunities. 

And while the Verde & Black obviously would have preferred a win and still have issues finishing — they now have just nine goals in 14 games — they produced a point against the MLS’ best team through the first three months of the season and one that in two weeks will play in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final. 

There are no moral victories in professional sports, but this performance had a different feel from Austin FC. It played with confidence and togetherness while outperforming a Whitecaps team on a full week of rest. 

“This is a result we can be proud of,” said goalie Brad Stivers, who was never challenged in the contest. “We talked about being more compact from front to back (compared to the first matchup).” 

Though he didn’t specify any major differences about Estévez’s pregame message to the team, Stuver did note there was an emphasis on winning individual battles. 

“Nico is still building relationships and trying to find what motivates guys,” he said.

Man of the match: Osman Bukari

Playing the full 90 minutes for only the fourth time this season, Bukari constantly hurt Vancouver up the right side and was consistently a threat in the box. He barely missed connecting on two goals and had one of his best showings since joining the club last July. 

“I know when the ball is coming as I’m used to playing on the right side,” said Bukari, who noted the performance won’t have an impact on his confidence. “I’m a professional — I have to have confidence (no matter what). And I know what I can do.” 

Bottom line

Austin FC is in ninth place in the Western Conference, and of its next four league matches, it will only be favored in one — a home match against Real Salt Lake on May 28. 

If the Verde & Black can get through that stretch without too much damage in the standings, the schedule the rest of the season lightens up significantly. 

But if the club can consistently produce a performance like Saturday’s — but with goals — upcoming road matches at Minnesota, San Diego and Colorado could be anyone’s game. 

“The MLS is a crazy league,” Stuver said. “Anyone can beat anyone on any day.”” AAS ($)

AUSTIN CULTURE

~ GRUENE HALL: “Famous Gruene Hall celebrates 50 years with shows by local music icons” Culture Map Austin

~ DINING: “Goodbye to Bagels at Biderman’s Deli and More Painful Closings This Month” Eater Austin

~ DINING: “All of Austin’s Award-Winning Restaurants Seem to Have a Special Dinner in the Works” Eater Austin

WHAT TO DO TONIGHT

~ LIVE MUSIC: Soul Man Sam (and Brad Stivers). Antones. 7pm. Tix $14 and up here.

WHAT TO DO TOOMORROW

~ LIVE MUSIC: Katy Perry. Moody Center. 7pm. Tix $90 and up here.

~ LIVE MUSIC: Professional Bull Riding Rider Draft featuring Shame Smith and the Saints. ACL Live. 8pm. Tix $102 and up here.

COOL JOB ALERT

~ Policy Lead. Texas Health and Human Services (HHSC). Salary: $6,000-$8,000/monthly. Info / apply here.