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WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2025

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TODAY’S WEATHER

H: 97° / L: 73°: Sunny week ahead, per Fox 7 Austin.

TOP NEWS

“Suspect charged in recent ICE detention attack arrested in Austin during 2020 protest,“ KXAN’s Dalton Huey — “After “an intense, weeklong manhunt, a North Texas man is in federal custody in connection with a coordinated 10-person attack on an ICE detention facility on July 4 in Alvarado, Texas, that resulted in an officer being shot in the neck, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a press release.

A statewide Blue Alert issued last week for Benjamin Hanil Song was likely the first time most Texans heard the name “Benjamin Song,” however, this was not the case for many Austin Police Department officers.

Song was among the 40 people arrested during the August 2020 protests in downtown Austin. Most of those arrests were for nonviolent offenses such as interfering with police. However, Song was charged with two counts of first-degree felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against a peace officer.

According to Travis County court records, on Aug. 2, Song was in a large group of protesters on Congress Avenue with an assault-style rifle slung across his chest.

After Song and the other protesters refused to comply with APD’s orders to clear the road, an officer on an APD bicycle attempted to grab Song, causing him to trip over the officer’s bike. When Song stood up, he raised his rifle into a firing position and pointed the gun directly at two uniformed officers, leading both of the officers to draw their duty issue handguns to defend themselves, the affidavit states.

Song reportedly ran into a crowd of protesters before APD officers found him and placed him under arrest.

Once arrested, records show officers confiscated the following items from Song:

1. 7.62 caliber semi-automatic rifle

2. .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol

3. Green gas mask

4. Tactical backpack

5. Two loaded rifle magazines

On Aug. 17, 2020, Song was released from Travis County custody on a $10,000 cash bond. Over the next 14 months, the charges against Song were designated “Unindicted” 12 separate times with no recorded case activity, according to court dockets.

It wasn’t until Oct. 25, 2021, when Song’s defense attorney filed a Writ of Habeas Corpus motion seeking a dismissal under Art. 32.01 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure because 180 days had lapsed without the District Attorney’s office obtaining an indictment.

According to court records, the DA’s office never filed a response to the defense’s motion to dismiss and presented Song’s cases to a grand jury on Nov. 3, 2021, resulting in the return of a No Bill from the grand jury.

KXAN reached out to the DA’s office about the circumstances of Song’s case and the amount of time that lapsed from the time of arrest to when the defense filed the motion to dismiss, and will update this story once a response is provided.

Following the return of a No Bill from the Grand Jury, APD was required to return the firearms, ammunition, and other items originally confiscated from Song.

KXAN spoke with several law enforcement sources familiar with the circumstances surrounding Song’s arrest and felony charges who said APD officers offered to provide the DA’s office assistance in the preparation of presenting Song’s case to a grand jury and further offered to provide testimony to the grand jury.

APD’s requests to assist were allegedly declined by the DA’s office, those sources told KXAN.

KXAN asked the DA’s office if APD offered to assist in this case and whether the requests were denied. Additionally, KXAN requested records from APD to learn whether documentation exists showing the actions taken by both APD and the DA’s office prior to Song being No Billed.

KXAN will update this story once a response and records are received.

Total, 14 people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the organized attack on the Prairieland Detention Center on July 4. Song is currently charged with six federal offenses: three counts of attempted murder of a federal officer and three counts of discharging a firearm during, in relation to, and in furtherance of a crime of violence, according to federal court records.” KXAN

“LCRA closes floodgates at all dams on Highland Lakes as it concludes flood operations,“ KVUE’s Johann Castro and Morgan McGrath — “All floodgates at dams along the Highland Lakes have been closed as the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) concluded flood operations on Wednesday.

The move comes after the LCRA opened several floodgates at Buchanan Dam earlier this week, which was the first time in six years floodgates at the dam had been opened.

The authority said water continues to flow over the spillway at Inks Dam, which doesn't have floodgates.

On Monday, the LCRA opened four floodgates at Buchannan Dam after recent flooding impacted much of Central Texas, including in Llano County.

It marked the first time the Buchanan Dam floodgates were opened since 2019. The lake was just 2 feet away from reaching full capacity on Monday.

In an update Thursday morning, the lake level was at 1,019.96 feet of a 1,020-foot maximum, or about 100% full. This is roughly a 3% increase from Monday, when elevation was at about 1,018 feet. 

The lake has increased by 16 feet since Thursday, July 3. Water levels have also gone up in Lake Travis, creating combined totals of about 86% capacity in both waterways.

Water released from Lake Buchanan eventually passes through Inks Lake, Lake LBJ, Marble Falls and into Lake Travis. 

During this time, the LCRA advises people to stay away from the Highland Lakes, which includes Buchanan as well as Travis, Marble Falls, Inks and LBJ lakes. The waters could see high levels of bacteria and debris as a result of recent flooding.” KVUE

“Moody’s blues: Project Connect based secret credit ratings on false assumptions,“ Austin Free Press’ Andrew Wheat — “In 2024 Moody’s Investors Service tentatively gave high grades to rail bonds that the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) might issue in the future for its $7.1 billion light rail system – Project Connect. But documents recently obtained by Austin Free Press reveal that Moody’s based those stellar credit ratings on erroneous assumptions that weren’t true then or now.

The bad news regarding the bond ratings doesn’t stop there. The Moody report foretells political risks and financial consequences that could erode public support for the light rail system – perhaps even shuttering it – if certain legal issues aren’t resolved in favor of ATP and the city of Austin.

The Moody’s report rated three different tiers of potential ATP bonds as solid “investment-grade” bonds, though none attained the highest “Aaa” prime rate.

Reviewing the indicative ratings, University of Texas McCombs School of Business finance professor John Griffin called them “extremely high.”

The Moody’s ratings, however, “assume that all current lawsuits against ATP have been dismissed,” the report says. They also assume that ATP obtained the “validation of the Attorney General of Texas to issue debt” that would be repaid by a 21 percent property-tax increase that Austin voters approved for the rail project in 2020.

Neither of those assumptions are currently true.

The two legal clouds that Moody’s assumed away existed when Moody’s issued its report in January 2024. Furthermore, they continue to dog Project Connect. This is important because, “Any changes to these assumptions,” the report says, “could result in a difference of opinion” on the bond risks. Since bond buyers charge higher interest rates to cover higher risks, a lower bond rating would increase the price that Austin taxpayers ultimately pay for Project Connect.

Some experts defended the assumptions in the Moody report, saying it’s a typical bond-rating practice. But a government watchdog called it “extremely worrisome.”

“I guess you could assume that one day those (Project Connect legal) clouds will clear,” said Houston attorney Joe Larsen, an expert on government transparency who also represents business clients on issues including creditor’s rights. But “why not then seek the credit ratings then,” after the legal clouds clear?

“Is the governmental body actually providing false information, yeah, to the rating company?” asked Larsen, who sits on the board of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. “To me that’s extremely worrisome.”

Chief Financial Officer Bryan Rivera and UT professor Griffin have a different view, saying it’s not unusual to base preliminary debt ratings on various assumptions.

“This is a common step taken by bond issuers such as ATP,” Rivera wrote in a statement. Such ratings “are based on potential future scenarios and are not relied on by issuers or investors as part of the formal process for taking bonds to market.”

“It’s normal that they’ll rate it based on certain assumptions,” Griffin agreed.

“The question is: What will happen afterwards if those assumptions aren’t true?” Griffin added. That could result in “lower ratings and higher interest rates.”

The Texas Supreme Court might address that question soon.

A group of local taxpayers sued ATP in November 2023. They alleged, among other claims, that the city perpetrated a “bait and switch” by slashing the scale of the voter-approved rail project — without a price reduction.

Specifically, runaway inflation and other factors prompted ATP to dramatically scale back Project Connect in March 2023, slashing the 27-mile rail system that Austin voters approved down to just 10 miles – without a cost reduction or referendum for voter approval.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also weighed in.

He issued a nonbinding advisory opinion in May 2024 that questioned Project Connect’s financing. It argued that using such tax revenues to repay the rail bonds would violate the Texas Tax Code. The advisory opinion added that the Texas Constitution requires the city to appropriate property taxes for the rail project each and every year — rather than as a one-and-done at the project’s outset.

Local attorney Bill Aleshire, who represents the taxpayer plaintiffs, said that if the courts rule that Project Connect funding is subject to annual city appropriations it would be a train wreck for light rail in Austin.

“Bond buyers will ask if Austin City Council members “for the next 40 years, are going to be able to withstand the legislative, judicial, and political challenge to keep up this level of funding,” he said.

The Moody’s credit report itself touches on such political risks. It cites “the construction risks of a start-up mass transit system,” which “include a long implementation timeline, and uncertain federal grant support that could result in higher-than expected borrowing by ATP or the city and erode public support for the project.”

UT’s Griffin agrees that if the city has to approve Project Connect debt payments annually that it will “decrease the (bond) ratings and increase the interest rate, dramatically” for the rail project and Austin taxpayers.

ATP has known all along that the “key assumptions” that Moody’s relied on are erroneous. In its failed attempt to persuade Paxton to withhold the Moody’s report from Austin Free Press in March, for example, ATP asserted its right to keep the report secret under Texas Public Information Act exceptions governing “Information Relating to Litigation.”

That ATP letter recounts its protracted legal battles with the group of Austin taxpayers, as well as with Attorney General Paxton.

Seeking validation

Two weeks after Moody’s completed its risk report, ATP’s board brought things to a head by voting on February 16, 2024 to issue $150 million in bonds to cover its preliminary project-design costs.

Notably, ATP did not release its Moody’s ratings at that time. It kept those glowing ratings secret — along with the assumptions on which they were based — until Paxton recently ordered that the report be released to Austin Free Press.

Moody’s did not respond to requests to comment for this story. Apart from ATP Chief Financial Officer Bryan Rivera’s statement above, ATP declined repeated Austin Free Press requests to interview CEO Greg Canally or to answer questions for this report. Those questions included: Who supplied Moody’s with the credit report’s “key assumptions?”

Aleshire said that a court order in the case bars him from disclosing copies of the Moody’s contract as well as correspondence between the ratings company, ATP, and the city.

In a brief written response to Austin Free Press questions, City of Austin spokesperson Kimberly Moore wrote, “The City of Austin was not involved in the Moody’s Report completed for the Austin Transit Partnership.” Moore referred all questions to ATP.

Legal issues are working their way through the courts with the Texas Supreme Court having the final word.

ATP and the city sought to dispel any legal doubts surrounding the bonds in February 2024. They filed a lawsuit that asked the courts to recognize their bond-issuing authority.

The courts consolidated that bond-validation case with the one Aleshire filed on behalf of Austin taxpayers. Intervening in that consolidated case, Paxton argued that ATP lacked jurisdiction to file its bond-validation suit. An Austin state appeals court ruled for ATP last October. Had that ruling been the last word, it would have validated some – but not all – of Moody’s assumptions.

Paxton appealed that pending case to the Texas Supreme Court. Aleshire said he expects a high court decision by early fall.

“The Supreme Court, you know, could have just said from the get-go, ‘Nope, not interested,’” he said of Paxton’s case. Instead, “They asked for a full briefing.”” Austin Free Press

“Neighbor files lawsuit after surviving northwest Austin home explosion,“ KVUE’s Brianna Perez — “A neighbor who was seriously injured after a home explosion in April is now seeking accountability from the home builder and propane companies involved. The blast occurred on Double Spur Loop in northwest Austin, damaging 24 homes and a nearby school.

The Travis County fire marshal blamed the explosion on a "substantial propane" gas leak.

Carol Schacherl, who lived in the house next door to the one that exploded, has filed a civil lawsuit. According to court documents, the explosion happened on April 13 when the owner of a newly constructed home went to test the gas stove, unaware the home was filled with propane. When the burner ignited, the home exploded, collapsing Schacherl’s home on top of her.

She was hospitalized with multiple broken bones, underwent several surgeries and spent time in a coma. Schacherl told KVUE the explosion took everything from her, including her chance to say goodbye to her husband of 46 years, who died while she was in the hospital.

“My accident happened on April 13. He passed away on April 26. So mentally, the hardest thing is I was not able to be with him,” she said.

The lawsuit alleges that neither Schacherl nor her neighbors were able to detect any odor from ethanethiol, the chemical added to propane to signal gas leaks, at any time prior to the explosion. 

She claims the general contractor, Mark Dawson Homes, along with the propane companies – Propane Plus, LLC; Blossman Gas, Inc.; Tri-Co Propane, Inc.; ETC Plumbing, Inc. and Viega, LLC – failed to install a propane tank and gas lines that were free from leaks. Court documents also claim they are responsible for manufacturing and selling propane with insufficient quantities of ethanethiol.

“We need to hold everyone accountable for doing a good job, doing a safe job, and not doing anything that could impact the entire community,” Schacherl said.

The lawsuit seeks $1 million in damages to cover medical costs, property repairs and other losses.

One defendant, Propane Plus, sent KVUE the following statement: 

“The precise cause of the leak and subsequent explosion is still under investigation. Propane Plus is confident in the quality of the services it provided.” 

Other defendants have not yet responded to requests for comment.” KVUE

“Southwestern University unveils 560-acre development plan in Georgetown,“ Community Impact Austin’s Anna Maness — “Southwestern University plans to develop over 560 acres of land near its campus in Georgetown.

Called Southwestern University 560, the project is in early planning stages for its first phase. Given zoning and permitting approvals, the first buildings could open as early as 2027, according to its website.

SU officials shared plans for the 67-acre Phase 1A of the project with nearly 100 community members in surrounding neighborhoods at a June 25 town hall meeting, according to the university’s website.

SU launched the project under President Laura Trombley’s leadership, per the development’s website. Features for the 560-acre development so far include:

• A concert hall

• An artscape

• 70 acres of green space

• Mixed-use residential housings

• A boutique hotel

• Retail, office and research space

The development will serve as an extension of SU’s educational environment by incorporating a research and innovation hub, promoting internships and experiential learning, adding housing options, and hosting artistic and cultural performances.

The first phase of development includes plans for about 35 acres of public open space and 45,000 square feet of retail space, according to the SU 560's website. People may submit favorite businesses, restaurants or shops for SU officials to consider incorporating into the development here.” Community Impact Austin

“Austin Pets Alive! completes large transport, nearly 500 pets saved from Texas floods,“ CBS Austin’s Stephanie Becerra — “On Wednesday morning, 194 pets were flown to Utah, Illinois, and Arizona, marking one of the largest operations for Austin Pets Alive! since the Central Texas floods.

Since July 4, nearly 500 pets have been transported from Texas shelters to rescue partners across the country.

The first flight, organized by Dog Is My CoPilot, Inc. and Petco Love, departed in the early hours, carrying dogs and cats to Illinois. Later, Best Friends Animal Society and Wings of Rescue facilitated the transport of over 100 cats to Utah and Arizona at around 10 a.m.

"That's almost 200 lives saved before lunch," said organizers.

These animals were already in shelters before the floods, and the initiative aims to free up space in local shelters to focus on animals directly impacted by the disaster. The effort is not about removing owned animals from their homes but rather supporting rescue groups overwhelmed by the increased need.

Organizers expressed gratitude to Best Friends Animal Society, Dog Is My CoPilot, Inc., Petco Love, and Wings of Rescue for their support in providing these flights, which will help Texas shelters make room for more lost pets to be reunited with their families.” CBS Austin

THE BLOTTER

“Police looking for 3 suspects after assault in Downtown Austin,“ KVUE’s Jeff Bell — “Police are asking for the public's help finding three men accused of an assault in Downtown Austin last month.

The Austin Police Department said the incident happened on Trinity Street at around 2:21 a.m. on June 29, not far from the Austin Convention Center.

Police say a group of three men attacked another group of three men after an argument on Sixth Street. Two of the men were stabbed in the attack. One victim was stabbed in the back, and the second was stabbed in the stomach.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact APD at 512-974-5245 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 512-472-8477 or by visiting austincrimestoppers.org. A reward of up to $1,000 may be available for any information that leads to an arrest.” KVUE

“Austin police arrest barricaded subject in SWAT call in Del Valle,“ CBS Austin’s Katie Smith, Stephanie Becerra and Will LeHardy — “The Austin Police Department SWAT team arrested a barricaded subject in Del Valle Wednesday night.

According to the police, SWAT was called at around 6:30 p.m. to the 13600 block of Alysheba Drive, near the Del Valle High School.

Police say that one of the people inside the residence refused to come out and barricaded inside the residence.

APD Watch Command said that the person had multiple felony warrants out for their arrest.

SWAT negotiators were called out and negotiated with the barricaded man for several hours before an entry team got him out around 10:30 p.m.” CBS Austin

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

“APD needs patrol officers, will their new plan help?” KXAN’s Nabil Remadna — “The Austin Police Department is making some changes to help with patrol officer staffing and to help with 911 response, but the staffing crisis in the department is far from being fixed.

“The whole backbone of any organization is patrol,” said APD Chief Lisa Davis.

There are currently 540 APD patrol officers according to APD. The department said those officers are driving around the city, responding to emergency calls and keeping an eye on communities, but Davis said there aren’t enough officers.

“To have that number of officers on patrol in a city this size, it is not safe it is just unacceptable,” said Davis.

To fill that void, APD had about 40 personnel, which includes detectives and non patrol officers filling in.

Davis says this was causing problems with moral and work life balance. It was also causing many officers to use overtime, APD said.

“So you think about backfill and officers that are detectives in aggravated assault or robbery coming to take time out to come do a 10 hour shift, then they have to come back and do overtime to catch up on the case and prepare for court,” said Davis.

To help with the issue, APD will send 72 officers from specialized units back to Patrol.

“There was no one taken from any investigative unit so when you are looking at violent crime you are looking at the sexual assaults those were given extra bodies,” said Davis.

Davis says she’s also hoping cadet classes continue to grow to add to APD numbers and eventually build these units numbers in the future.

“As we start growing and we get the people back in, how does that look moving forward to bring back different services,” said Davis.

“These types of changes are tough,” Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock said. “We need more officers in general and patrol is where the greatest number of vacancies are. Re-arranging our department, again, has an impact on morale and officers lives. Limiting the specialized units an officer can move to also is likely to impact recruiting. It’s another example of APD officers bending over backwards to try and meet the needs of the city, while still facing significant resource shortfalls such as manpower, recruiting resources, and vehicles. This past year was the first year we had more officers join the department than leave since 2018, thanks to being back under contract. But significant staffing changes like this have the potential to undermine that positive progress and have a marked impact on morale. The bottom line is we need more officers because the department can only reorganize itself so much and I believe we’ve hit the limit. We’re over 300 short from our authorized strength, and 700 short from where we should be.”” KXAN

“City looks to cut some costs on police, fire budgets,” Austin Monitor’s Jo Clifton — “City budget planners had to make some tough decisions in proposing a budget for the upcoming fiscal year and the following year.  As part of the proposal laid out by City Manager T.C. Broadnax and Budget Officer Kerri Lang at Tuesday’s Council work session, staff is proposing a $9 million decrease in the Police Department overtime budget and an $8.3 million reduction in the overtime budget for the Fire Department.

The proposed budget for the police department is over $542 million. The fire department budget is about $263 million and the city’s proposed EMS budget is about $148 million.

In order to reduce the Fire Department budget, staff has proposed revising the existing requirement for four-person staffing on all firefighting equipment, so that some units would operate with only three firefighters. Austin Fire Association President Bob Nicks has already said his union is opposed to that idea, but Council members did not express disagreement with the idea at Tuesday’s meeting.

Broadnax said he anticipates the change to start in January. Firefighters and city negotiators are scheduled to begin negotiations on a new labor contract this week. The current contract expires at the end of September.

The Fire Department budget also includes $416,000 for the cost of 16 sworn positions added during the past year for the Canyon Creek Fire/EMS station. The EMS budget includes an additional $338,000 for the annualized cost of 12 sworn positions at the same station.

Council Member José Chito Vela noted that the city adopted the four-person staffing requirement “relatively recently” in 2018. “That is the gold standard we want to be at. Given the budget constraints we are facing right now I am supportive of moving back to a three-person staffing model to get us through this tough budget situation,” he told the Austin Monitor after the meeting.

Vela also pointed to changes in staffing that APD Chief Lisa Davis is utilizing to cut costs in her department. The department currently has 1,420 officers but is budgeted for 1819 officers, making overtime commonplace and adding to departmental costs.  

In order to cut some of that overtime from the police budget, Davis said her department would be moving 54 officers from their current positions into patrol. That includes some officers from the police academy, she said, with sergeants filling the academy positions. Davis said the change is planned to take place on August 24.

In addition, the APD budget projects a $6 million increase in cost for an interlocal agreement with Travis County for magistration and counsel at first appearance services for those who have been arrested. The city will at the same time save $3.5 million by eliminating those services at Municipal Court. So, the total cost increase for that service is $2 million. Staff said the city will also save $500,000 by relocating the Blue Santa warehouse to a city owned facility.” Austin Monitor

“Speeding was leading cause of Texas’ traffic deaths in 2024; Campaign cracks down enforcement,” KVUE’s Morgan McGrath — “The Texas Department of Transportation is partnering with law enforcement agencies across the state to crack down on speed limit enforcement.

TxDOT is implementing “Operation Slowdown” starting on Friday. The operation is a “high visibility speed limit enforcement period” that will run from July 18 through August 3, according to TxDOT.

Law enforcement officers will write tickets and spend extra time driving the roads to remind motorists what a safe speed looks like, the release noted.

Speeding is the number one contributing factor in traffic crashes in Texas, according to a press release from TxDOT. It was also the leading cause of crashes that resulted in deaths last year.

In 2024, there were 158,362 speed-related crashes in Texas, and 1,467 people were killed as a result of speeding. The total death toll from crashes in 2024 was 4,150.

That means a little over a third (35.349%) of all crash fatalities in Texas last year were a result of excessive speeding. TxDOT said speed-related crashes resulted in 5,921 serious injuries.

“Speeding is a major problem in our state,” Cathy Kratz, Deputy Director for the Traffic Safety Division at TxDOT, said at a press conference Wednesday morning.

Kratz said an average of more than 430 crashes every day in 2024 involved motorists driving too fast.

“But these tragedies are preventable,” Kratz said. “That’s because speeding is a choice. It’s not an accident. When you choose to drive at an unsafe speed, you put your life at risk, as well as the lives of others, every other person on the road with you, and unfortunately, in Texas, many don’t recognize the risk associated with speeding, and that’s why speeding is so common.”

Kratz said TxDOT crash data revealed that the majority of drivers in speed-related crashes were men and younger people, and that they “may not believe the worst case scenario will ever happen to them,” or that they “may feel invincible.”

“Our goal with this campaign is to convince drivers they are not invincible, and that getting somewhere just a little faster isn’t worth the risk,” Kratz said. “Speeding doesn’t save time, it costs lives, and if our safety messages don’t convince them, maybe the risk of an expensive ticket will get drivers’ attention.”

According to TxDOT data, Travis County was the fifth-highest county in Texas when it came to fatal crashes that were a result of speeding in 2024.

The five counties with the speed-related fatal crashes were:

• Harris: 176

• Dallas: 118

• Tarrant: 86

• Bexar: 66

• Travis: 42

Lieutenant William White with the Austin Police Department said speeding was a factor in nearly 9,000 traffic crashes that resulted in 92 fatalities and another 444 serious injuries within the TxDOT Austin District.

“These numbers aren’t just statistics. They represent real people with families, friends and coworkers who cared, loved them and will forever miss them,” White said.” KXAN

“Bastrop ISD picks interim superintendent,” KVUE’s Laura Sather and Jeff Bell — “With about four weeks left of summer break, one Central Texas school district is getting a new leader.

On Tuesday night, Bastrop ISD trustees approved naming Dr. Kristi Lee as the interim superintendent.

She will fill in for Barry Edwards, who's retiring after more than 17 years with Bastrop ISD.

Lee has served as Bastrop ISD's deputy superintendent since 2022. She'll lead the district while trustees look for a permanent superintendent.

“We’re fortunate to have someone with Dr. Lee’s experience to lead the district during this time,” said board president Ashley Mutschink. “As we begin a new school year, the board has deep confidence in Dr. Lee’s leadership and dedication to our schools and community and know the district is in excellent hands.”

Bastrop ISD said Lee’s career spans more than 20 years in public education, and includes roles as communications director, high school principal, elementary principal and teacher.

“It is a privilege to serve as interim superintendent, and I appreciate the board’s trust and support,” said Lee. “This is a pivotal moment for Bastrop ISD, a time full of promise and opportunity. Together, we will confidently move Bastrop ISD forward, with students at the center of every decision.”” KVUE

2026

“Austin City Council members, challengers raised $200K so far this year,” Community Impact Austin’s Ben Thompson — “Austin City Council members and candidates raised nearly $200,000 through the first half of 2025 as some local campaigns get underway ahead of the November 2026 election.

The overview

After a citywide mayoral race and five district-level council contests were held in the fall, Austin's other five council seats will be up for election next year, including:

• District 1, Central and Northeast Austin

• District 3, East and South Austin

• District 5, South Austin

• District 8, Southwest Austin

• District 9, Central Austin

Mid-year campaign finance reports covering January through June show incumbent council members in those seats, and their challengers, drew the majority of Austin's political donations ahead of their 2026 contests. Of City Hall incumbents, only two-term District 1 council member Natasha Harper-Madison—who'd leave office at the start of 2027—reported no campaign fundraising or spending through June, and she had just over $400 in remaining political funds.

A Flourish chart

2026 candidates

Incumbent council members whose seats will be contested in 2026 raised tens of thousands of dollars through June, and have a combined total of more than $370,000 on hand well over a year before their next elections.

Aside from Harper-Madison, District 3 council member José Velásquez reported the lowest totals of the group with less than $1,000 raised and spent. Velásquez is currently unopposed and around $6,000 on hand.

Council member Ryan Alter doesn't yet have challengers for his District 5 seat. He raised almost $27,000 from dozens of donors through June and has nearly $110,000 available for a re-election bid.

In District 8, council member Paige Ellis is seeking a third term at City Hall and has drawn one opponent so far: medic and former Austin EMS Association President Selena Xie. Under Austin's term limits, Ellis must petition her constituents to allow her to run again and secure signatures from at least 5% of eligible District 8 voters.

Both candidates began receiving donations later in the spring, and each drew more than 200 individual contributions. Ellis led all political contributions this year, outraising Xie by nearly $20,000, and had a cash on hand advantage as of late June with more than $71,000 available to Xie's nearly $59,000 reported.

Ellis said about one-fourth of her donations came specifically from Southwest Austin-area residents while noting less than 15% came from out of town.

"I am honored by the strong show of early support and that a substantial support of contributions are directly from District 8 voters," she said in a statement. "Together we’ve made a lot of progress, and there’s still more to do."

Xie thanked donors for their backing so far, which included contributions from dozens of city medical workers.

“I’m very grateful to have received the financial support of a broad range of community leaders,” she said in a statement. "Their quick and strong support is not only very meaningful to me personally but indicative of a desire for a fresh face in District 8. And it was even more special to see so many fellow paramedics donate $19.11 each to show their support.”

District 9's incumbent council member Zo Qadri is heavily outpacing his lone challenger so far. Attorney Ard Ardalan, who formally announced his candidacy just after the latest financial period ended, didn't report political fundraising or available money, and spent less than $200. Qadri has been fundraising all year and drew more than $37,000 from hundreds of donors. He now maintains more than $184,000, the city's highest total heading into July.

Sitting council members

Most officials who won their seats last fall—Mayor Kirk Watson and council members Vanessa Fuentes, Chito Vela, Krista Laine and Mike Siegel — didn't report much financial activity so far this year, with only Laine and Siegel drawing any donations. Fuentes leads that group with nearly $53,000 still on hand, while the others each had less than $10,000 available at the end of June.

On the other hand, District 10 council member Marc Duchen has been fundraising through 2025 and collected more than $40,000 from almost 150 donors. He now has almost $43,000 on hand after spending most of his funds from last year's campaign in the West Austin district.

Also of note

Candidates who were defeated in 2024 elections didn't report much activity in 2025 so far, with just $500 collected between six previous mayoral and council contenders. Only former council member Mackenzie Kelly, who lost her District 6 re-election bid to Laine, reported a significant cash on hand total with more than $13,000 still available.

Several political action committees also drew tens of thousands of dollars through the first half of 2025. One, the Austin United PAC—which supported candidate Gary Bledsoe in last fall's District 7 contest—is now backing an ongoing petition drive seeking to halt the $1.6 billion redevelopment of the Austin Convention Center pending a public vote. The petition also calls to reallocate city hotel tax revenue supporting that project to other arts and cultural uses.

Austin United raised more than $33,000 so far this year including more than $19,000 from 21 sources, led by a $7,000 contribution from the Save Our Springs Alliance and two individual $5,000 donations. Nearly $14,000 of the PAC's total raised was reported as in-kind contributions by Save Our Springs and its executive director, Bill Bunch, related to the petition drive.” Community Impact Austin

BUSINESS NEWS

“Meta appears to secure another subtenant at Sixth and Guadalupe,” Austin Business Journal’s Cody Baird — “Meta Platforms Inc. has secured a major new subtenant at downtown's Sixth and Guadalupe tower, cutting into what has been the largest contiguous amount of office space available for sublease in the metro.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, which is Austin's top accounting firm, has signed a lease for approximately 32,000 square feet in the mixed-use tower, according to a company spokesperson. While PWC declined to disclose whether or not the new office is a sublease or a direct lease, it's apparently a sublease because a representative of Lincoln Property Co., the building’s co-developer, confirmed that the entirety of the approximately 589,000 square feet of office space in Sixth and Guadalupe is still leased directly to Meta, the parent of Facebook.

Meta (Nasdaq: META) pre-leased the office space in December 2021 but announced it would seek a subtenant for it in November 2022 — more than a year before the tower was complete. It was one of the first major office dumps that contributed to a glut of space across the city, a trend that continues to worry landlords. Meta didn't respond to a request for comment.

PWC’s sublease in Sixth and Guadalupe would mark Meta’s second success at finding a subtenant. The Austin Business Journal reported last month that a still-unknown entity has leased the 32nd floor in the tower.

For Meta, the sublease means it now has another subtenant to help it defray real estate costs. For PWC, it represents growth.

PWC will be vacating its 23,781-square-foot office at 835 W. Sixth St. to move into the larger office next summer, a company representative confirmed. PWC has 600 partners and employees based out of its Austin office.

Following the reported sublease of Sixth and Guadalupe's 32nd floor last month, Meta was advertising approximately 558,000 square feet of office space in the building. With its latest sublease, that figure would shift to roughly 526,000 square feet — still a large enough amount to make it the biggest sublease available in the city.

Commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield, which is marketing the space for Meta, didn't respond to requests for comment.

Meta has had success in shedding another large block of space in the city, however. At The Domain in North Austin, Meta last year leased the entire 320,000-square-foot Domain 12 office tower to IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM).

Despite downsizing, Meta remains a major employer in the metro with 1,500 local employees as of earlier this year, mostly working for Facebook. The bulk work at either the 300 West Sixth tower or the Third + Shoal tower a few blocks away.” ABJ ($)

“Ground lease inked for Hobby Building redevelopment,” Austin Business Journal’s Sean Hemmersmeier — “It's been two years since government officials kicked off the redevelopment process for the defunct William P. Hobby Jr. State Office Building. Though the building has yet to be demolished and little has been said about the project since, stakeholders contend that efforts to redevelop the site in downtown Austin are still moving forward. 

The Texas General Land Office, which is overseeing the redevelopment of the Hobby Building site, told the Austin Business Journal a ground lease has been signed for it with a “prominent developer.” But the GLO won’t disclose the identity of the ground lessee or developer.

“This is an active project in the beginning stages with the chosen developer,” GLO spokesperson Bary Hunt said. “As such, announcements will be forthcoming at a future date as progress develops.”

The ABJ has filed a public records request for the information. In 2023, the GLO announced that qualified developers and investors had 90 days to submit development proposals for the site.

The Hobby Building site will be redeveloped with a combination of residential and commercial space and be built in phases, Hunt said. Workforce housing will be a part of the residential component of the redevelopment effort and will include units dedicated to housing meant for teachers, nurses, police, firefighters, state workers and others making working-class wages.

The three-building complex had about 419,000 square feet of space but fell into disrepair and needed $50 million in repairs. Many of the employees who formerly worked out of the Hobby Building complex relocated to the Texas Capitol Complex closer to the Capitol. 

The Hobby Building complex covers an entire city block and is about 1.76 acres, with the potential to have 1.9 million square feet of space built there. The site is in a prime downtown location, with The Republic — a soon-to-open new 830,000-square-foot office tower — next door.

The Travis Central Appraisal District estimates the appraised value of the site as $94.1 million.

Annual revenue for a ground lease on the Hobby Building site could be $6.3 million to $7.7 million, depending on interest rate trends, according to a 2022 document submitted by CBRE to be the broker. CBRE only served as a broker for the site and isn’t involved in the ongoing development process, Hunt said. 

The GLO plans to retain ownership of the site and will use the revenue generated from it for the state's Permanent School Fund, Hunt said.” ABJ ($)

“Prebiotic soda maker Poppi has big plans in Austin despite PepsiCo buyout” Austin Business Journal’s Sahar Chmais — “Prebiotic soda maker Poppi is doubling down on Austin, even after its acquisition by New York-based PepsiCo in May. 

It's always a question after a local company is bought by an international conglomerate — will this continue to be an Austin business?

The answer sometimes is no. For example, when Darden purchased Chuy’s recently, the Tex-Mex restaurant's headquarters was set to be transferred to Florida pretty quickly.

But there are signs Poppi will keep its roots here and dig in deeper. The company's co-founder and chief brand officer, Allison Ellsworth, announced that Poppi will expand its 3,500-square-foot headquarters in Austin to 12,000 square feet, building out a content studio and a podcast studio perhaps similar to the dazzling offices of another beverage maker in Austin, Nutrabolt.

Ellsworth said in a recent video posted online by Opportunity Austin that the business wants to build its culture in Austin. She said she cherishes the "vibes" of the consumer packaged goods scene here.

PepsiCo has demonstrated recently that it can respect the location and vibes and longtime management of the companies it buys. For instance, earlier this year, Siete Family Foods was acquired by PepsiCo for $1.2 billion after generating $500 million in revenue in 2024, according to Inc. Siete's longtime founders have indicated that it's been business as usual on the Austin level.

Poppi has been a trailblazer in its category, approaching $1 billion in revenue, according to Josh Gittler, the chief financial officer who led the company through its near $2 billion acquisition. Gittler came to Poppi from Nutrabolt. Few Austin-based CPG businesses reach this status. For example, the brands under Nutrabolt hit a milestone last year by exceeding a billion dollars in sales at retailers, and the company is on track to eclipse a billion dollars in gross revenue this year. 

Poppi's pool of employees has grown significantly over the past few years. In 2023, Poppi had about 90 employees and now has about 240, according to a company spokeswoman. Its beverages are manufactured at various locations in the U.S.

It has become a breakout business in the consumer packaged goods world; the company found its niche and is now a category leader in an increasingly saturated market. Poppi is the No.1 seller on Amazon in the soda soft drinks category and sits on the shelves of natural and conventional stores, as well as Costco, Sam’s Club and convenience stores. 

In a five-year span, the prebiotic soda maker’s popularity skyrocketed. Poppi launched in March 2020 and moved from Dallas to Austin in 2021. Though the timing for its launch might have appeared less than ideal, Ellsworth started posting videos on TikTok, dancing and telling her story, setting the business up on its success trajectory. 

Poppi’s glitzy branding is core to the business. It uses bold colors to match the burst of flavors and leans into the fun of fun on social media, where it’s generated millions of likes and views. The company continues to gain popularity, securing celebrity endorsements, a clothing product line collaboration with Target, and it’s constantly hopping on trends. For example, Poppi products can be seen featured in popular reality television show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” ABJ ($)

TEXAS SPORTS

AUSTIN FC: “Myrto Uzuni and Owen Wolff score goals, Austin beats Galaxy 2-1” Austin Business Journal’s Cody Baird — “Myrto Uzuni scored a goal in the 40th minute and added an assists, Owen Wolff scored his first goal of the season and Austin FC beat LA 2-1 on Wednesday night to snap the Galaxy’s three-game home win streak.

Brad Stuver had three saves and his ninth shutout — second in MLS behind Vancouver’s Yohei Takaoka (10) — this season for Austin (8-8-6).

Diego Rubio, on the counter-attack, played a ball-ahead to Uzuni, who cut back to evade a defender at the edge of the box and then blasted a shot inside the left post to open the scoring.

Uzuni misplayed a cross that was deflected but then beat three Galaxy players, including goalkeeper Novak Micovic, to the loose ball near the right post and tapped it to Wolff for the finish from the center of the area that made it 2-0 in the 63rd.

LA (3-14-6), the defending MLS Cup champion which had won back-to-back games for the first time this season, had its three-game unbeaten streak snapped.

Joseph Paintsil converted from the penalty spot in the third minute of stoppage time for the Galaxy. Micovic stopped two shots.

LA had 57% possession and outshot Austin 15-7.

Austin beat the Galaxy 1-0 on April 19.” AP

QUICK LINKS

Cottage cheese company Good Culture names Austin its HQ - ABJ

Committee urges formulation of rules for marine toilets, marinas - Austin Monitor

Sprouts seeking an incentive to set up shop in another fast-growing Austin suburb - ABJ

Mass timber office building called Workbench takes shape in East Austin - ABJ

Central Texas dams close Wednesday with lakes nearly full - KXAN Austin

Travis County Establishes Flood Relief Fund, Volunteer Center - Austin Monitor

A call for help and (some) budget cuts - Austin Monitor

SWAT responds to incident in Del Valle neighborhood Wednesday night - KVUE

A massive raft of fire ants found on Lake Travis - KXAN Austin

49ers, Alfred Collins agree to 4-year, $10.3M deal: report - KXAN Austin

High pressure to bring Austin familiar summer dryness as Highland Lakes fill again - Austin American-Statesman

With balanced $6.3B budget on the table, Austin City Council members raise concerns about potential gaps - Austin American-Statesman

Austin police arrest barricaded subject in SWAT call in Del Valle - KEYE

An UNO pop-up bar is coming to Austin - KVUE

How dams upriver saved downtown Austin from catastrophic flooding - KUT

First flood warning bill filed ahead of Texas special session - KXAN Austin

Longhorns Daily News: Austin’s fast-paced lifestyle helped inspire former Texas WR Brenen Thompson to transfer to new school - Burnt Orange Nation

Austin police respond to SWAT call for barricaded subject near Del Valle High School - KEYE

Fresh flavors and foodie finds: 9 East Austin business updates to know - Community Impact

Kyle Mayor to step down in November, one year before term ends - Community Impact

Chick-fil-A, Garcia's and more business updates in Kyle and Buda - Community Impact

River authority lifts Stage 1 drought watch for Georgetown, Stillhouse Hollow lakes - Community Impact

APD SWAT team responds to incident in Del Valle - FOX 7 Austin

AUSTIN CULTURE

~ WEEKEND PLANS: “Here are the top 7 things to do in Austin this weekend” Culture Map Austin

~ AUSTIN COMIC CON: “Austin Comic Con 2025: Dates, tickets, guests, what to expect” AAS ($)

~ MLS ALL STAR WEEKEND: “Major League Soccer All-Star Week takes over Austin from July 19-23” AAS ($)

~ AUSTIN ICONS: “Jim Jim’s Water Ice says goodbye after 31 years serving Austin” KXAN

WHAT TO DO TONIGHT

None.

WHAT TO DO TOMORROW

~ COMEDY: George Lopez. ACL Live. 7pm. Tix $83 and up here.

COOL JOB ALERT

~ Event Specialist: Texas Medical Association. Salary: No info provided. Info / apply here.