ATX Pulse 8/24-26/26 (free): Austin City Council Plans to Ban Large Data Centers // Appeals Court Rules Central Health Payments to Dell Medical School Legal // City Clerk Rules Paige Ellis Won't Be on Ballot // Austin Cancels Adult Sports Leagues Despite PARD Receiving $5M in New Funding // ATX Open to Remain in Austin Thru '29

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MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2026 - WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2026

Compiled by Matt Mackowiak

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TOP NEWS

"Austin leaders poised to ban large data centers, tighten regulations for smaller facilities" via CIN – Local leaders are aiming to limit the spread of data centers with new standards for the development of smaller facilities in Austin, and a complete ban on larger and more resource-intensive projects.

City officials are gearing up for a review of data center development policy that could conclude by next spring. The process is the result of a recent council request intended to balance Austin's economic strategy with community values and well-being.

City Council appears ready to unanimously pass a resolution on Aug. 27 that would kick off changes to city development standards to define data centers and control their growth. The changes could limit where data centers are allowed, restrict their size and placement, and mandate some design elements. Data centers could also be required to submit water and power usage plans to the city before they're built.

“The idea was that we would propose a framework for preventing and regulating data centers in Austin, utilizing all of the available tools that we have as a municipality to protect our residents and our natural resources," Mayor Kirk Watson said Aug. 25. "We all want to make sure we end up with a framework that creates legal, durable and enforceable rules that protect quality of life issues.” (CIN)

"Texas appeals court allows Central Health to continue payments to Dell Medical School" via KUT – A Texas appeals court ruled that Travis County’s public hospital district can continue its financial support of the University of Texas at Austin’s Dell Medical School, dismissing a case brought by a group of local taxpayers in 2017.

Birch v. Travis County Hospital District was filed by Travis County residents Rebecca Birch, Richard Franklin III and Esther Govea. The plaintiffs alleged that Central Health — Travis County’s hospital district charged with providing healthcare to low-income residents — was violating state law by paying $35 million each year to Dell Medical School.

Travis County residents voted to authorize that annual payment in 2012, and those funds helped to launch and sustain the medical school. But in a 2024 hearing, the plaintiffs’ attorneys argued that Dell Medical School had spent much of the money on things like education, research and administrative costs. Fred Lewis, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said that these expenses did not match the requirements for how a special-purpose district like Central Health is required to spend taxpayer dollars — that the money should exclusively be spent on medical care for the poor. (KUT)

"Texas court slashes $50M award against Alex Jones in Sandy Hook parents' case" via AAS – A $50 million judgment against Infowars founder Alex Jones for falsely calling the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting a hoax has been slashed to $1.5 million by a Texas court.

The 3rd Court of Appeals unanimously found the trial court erred in exceeding the state’s $750,000 cap based on evidence that failed to meet the legal standard for exceeding the statutory limit on awards.

Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin, whose 6-year-old son Jesse Lewis was among 20 children and six educators slain, saw their awards cut to $750,000 each. Jones still owes Sandy Hook parents more than $5 million in other damages set by the same state District Court.

The lawsuit and 2022 verdict against Jones marked the first time the Austin-based conspiracy theorist was held financially liable for peddling lies about the massacre, claiming it was faked by the government as a way to tighten gun laws.
But the appeals court said Friday the lower court erred in allowing amended pleadings that led to the cap-busting damages. (AAS)

"AC failures at Austin Animal Center lead to 90-degree temperatures in some kennels" via KUT – The Austin Animal Center lost air conditioning earlier this month in two buildings, which house about 80 dogs, the shelter said.

The city of Austin has made a temporary fix to the AC, but the air temperature is still sitting in the low 90s inside the buildings, according to Elizabeth Ferrer, a spokesperson for the shelter. The two kennel spaces have been operating using portable AC and box fans since Aug. 14, when the air conditioning went out.

She said staff members are monitoring the kennel temperatures and the dogs. "None of our animals have suffered from heat distress or heat exhaustion,” Elizabeth Ferrer said. “None of our animals have gotten ill. All of our animals have had all the supplies they need to eat, stay hydrated, and stay in areas that are cooler.”

The kennels are enclosed rooms with a vent and a doggy door to an outside area. Air is not circulating well in these spaces, according to Elizabeth Ferrer. Visitors to the shelter have presented another major challenge in keeping the space cold: The doors are constantly opening and closing, allowing outside air to enter the building. (KUT)

"ACC sees continued enrollment growth, free tuition proving popular" via ABJ – Austin Community College continues to build on its record growth and is seeing its enrollment tick up thanks to its free-tuition pilot program.

ACC announced on Aug. 24 that it expects to have more than 44,000 students enrolled for its fall semester. ACC’s fall 2026 enrollment totals are about 6.1% higher than last year. The figure is up 17% from two years ago.

For ACC's fall 2026 semester, more than 14,000 ACC students will be part of the college’s free-tuition pilot program, which marks a 40% increase. The pilot waives the tuition and general fee costs for certain qualified students for up to three years. (ABJ)

"COTALAND Theme Park to host grand opening event in late September" via CIN – COTALAND Theme Park is officially opening on Sept. 26, bringing racing, rollercoasters and attractions to Circuit of The Americas, or COTA, according to a news release.

“COTALAND was created to be far more than a traditional amusement park,” Bobby Epstein said in a news release. “This is where theme park thrills, world-class racing, live entertainment and family experiences come together in a way that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the country.”

COTALAND is slated to feature over 30 experiences, from rollercoasters, to mini golf, to COTA Karting and a zip line. Attractions include the Hot Lap experience where guests can ride along on the Formula 1 track.

COTALAND will have coasters like the Circuit Breaker, the first tilt roller coaster in Texas, according to the release. The park is also set to have family-friendly rides and attractions, including Kiddie Karting and Lil’ Logger, which are bite-sized versions of larger COTALAND rides. (CIN)

"Eli Young Band kicks off 2026 season of Longhorn City Limits presented by Hollister on September 5" via University of Texas Athletics – Texas Country legends will be joined by special guest Graham St. Clair Band on the LBJ Lawn prior to the Texas Football’s season opener vs. Texas State.

One of Texas Football's favorite gameday traditions returns on Saturday, Sept. 5, as Longhorn City Limits presented by Hollister kicks off its 2026 season on the LBJ Lawn. Texas country favorites Eli Young Band will headline the season-opening edition, setting the stage for another memorable year of live music on the Forty Acres before the Longhorns open their season against Texas State.

Few bands embody the spirit of Texas country music quite like Eli Young Band. Formed by friends Mike Eli, James Young, Jon Jones, and Chris Thompson while attending college, the band has spent more than two decades building one of the most respected careers in country music. Their breakthrough came with the five-time Platinum smash hit "Crazy Girl," which became the No. 1 country song of 2011 and earned Song of the Year honors at the Academy of Country Music Awards. (University of Texas Athletics)

"Austin nonprofit HAAM offers a blueprint for getting musicians reliable health insurance" via KUT – Austin bills itself as "the Live Music Capital of the World," but it can be unaffordable for the artists who provide the city with its cultural cachet — and help drive its tourism revenue.

Zack Morgan jokes that when he lost his corporate job in 2015, it was like being pushed off a cliff. For years, he said, he'd been playing both sides of the Austin coin: tech worker by day, funk keyboardist by night.

Morgan has supported himself by patching together gigs with a number of bands. To help pay for health insurance, he turned to a local nonprofit, the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, or HAAM.

Rachel Blair, HAAM's chief strategy officer, said "When the Affordable Care Act came out and we knew it was here to stay, it really made sense for us to start getting our musicians fully insured," (KUT)

THE BLOTTER

"Austin Police arrests man suspected of 2021 murder; 4-year delay in cellphone warrant" via KXAN – Austin Police arrested a suspect Aug. 20 in the 2021 murder of a man in southeast Austin, according to an arrest warrant filed by an APD detective. Kario Antoine Caldwell, 29, faces a first-degree murder charge in the case. Court records do not currently show an attorney assigned to his case.

Around 12:48 a.m. on Sept. 1, 2021, officers responded to a tent encampment near East Riverside Drive and South Pleasant Valley Road. They received 911 calls reporting that a woman had been shot, according to the affidavit. "A tent was located with bloodstains inside and the female victim's tent was identified," the affiant wrote. "Officers ... began checking the area for further victims or witnesses. Immediately east of this victim's tent was a second tent. Inside of this tent a male ... was located with obvious trauma to his person and was unresponsive."

That man, 67-year-old Charles Wayne Roberts, died at the scene from gunshot wounds, as KXAN previously reported. The woman had left the scene and arrived around 12:57 a.m. at a hospital, according to the affidavit. The detective wrote that APD officers interviewed witnesses and recovered two fired casings at the scene. One witness reportedly told officers that he saw two Black men, one of whom had a handgun, "running southbound past the dog park on the east side" of an apartment complex. (KXAN)

"Massive fire at Austin Country Flea Mart confined, 2 people treated for minor injuries" via FOX7 – Firefighters have confined a large fire near the Austin Country Flea Mart along East U.S. Highway 290 to the building where it started, Austin fire officials said Sunday night.

The first call came in at approximately 6 p.m. Multiple Austin Fire Department units and surrounding agencies responded to the Austin Country Flea Mart.

Responding crews quickly saw black smoke and upgraded the call to a second alarm, requesting additional firefighters and water. The fire was initially contained to a few buildings at the flea market. However, winds pushed embers downwind, sparking a brush fire that has since been contained. Six brush trucks were requested to help contain the flames. (FOX7)

"One dead after pedestrian hit by vehicle in SE Austin Thursday night" via KEYE — One person is dead after a crash involving a pedestrian in southeast Austin on Thursday night.

Austin-Travis County EMS says that the crash happened on the ramp between westbound East SH 71 and northbound US 183, medics responding to the scene at around 9:18 p.m.

A person was struck by a vehicle, according to ATCEMS. Medics pronounced one adult patient dead at the scene.

ATCEMS asked drivers to expect delays and seek alternate routes while responders worked the scene. The scene is clear as of 4:30 a.m. Friday, according to the TxDOT incidents page. (KEYE)

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