ATX PULSE 10/10/25 (free): ACL Weekend 2 Underway // #6 OU at Texas in Dallas at 2:30pm on ABC // ATX Council Votes 8-3 to Approve Purchase at 35/Oltorf for Sunrise Relocation // 360 Lane Closures for ‘Emergency Utility Repairs’ // Must Read Darly Slusher Analysis on Prop Q // Desperate Love Austin Campaign Attacks Citizen for $12 Website

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2025

Compiled by Matt Mackowiak

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WEATHER

Saturday: H: 93° / L: 63°. More sunshine ahead, per Fox 7 Austin here. We miss the rain, but at least it isn’t 100 degrees, per KXAN.

Sunday: H: 93° / L: 64°

Monday: H: 92° / L: 66°

TOP NEWS

“Loop 360 lane closures in place for ’emergency utility repairs’,” KXAN’s Jaclyn Ramkissoon — “Loop 360 was shut down in both directions for some time Friday afternoon in west Austin for “emergency utility repairs.”

That’s according to the Loop360Project, which posted the details on social media. The repairs were happening at Cedar Street, which is just north of Westlake Drive.

Texas Department of Transportation incident reports show a crash happened at Westlake Drive with both northbound and southbound lanes closed. In an update around 6 p.m., TxDOT said the southbound lanes reopened and the right northbound lane remains closed.

Loop360Project said Austin Energy crews are responding to the scene. It is asking drivers to use alternate routes if possible and to expect significant delays.

According to the Austin Energy outage map, there was an outage in the same area affecting almost 1,500 customers as of 3:45 p.m. Friday.” KXAN

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THE BLOTTER

“2 minors arrested after stolen firearms found at Austin residence,“ CBS Austin’s Morgan McGrath — “Two minors have been arrested after multiple stolen firearms were found by Austin and Cedar Park law enforcement last month. 

According to the Austin Police Department (APD), the department's Auto Theft Unit collaborated with the Cedar Park Police Department and Austin ISD Police Department to gather photos of a person with firearms that were allegedly stolen in a vehicle theft attempt. 

After further investigation, they found that the photographs were taken somewhere in Austin, and a search warrant was issued to search the suspect's home. 

They found eight guns, several of which were short-barreled rifles, and also found silencers. 

Three arrest warrants were then issued for Possession of Prohibited Weapons for that suspect. As the investigation continued and interviews were conducted, officers identified a second suspect and obtained four more warrants for the same charge.

Both suspects were already on probation. 

Those with additional details are encouraged to contact the Capital Area Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477 or by visiting here.” CBS Austin

“Taylor man receives 80-year sentence after fifth DWI conviction, found guilty by jury,“ CBS Austin’s Will LeHardy — “A Taylor man was sentenced to 80 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of driving while intoxicated, his fifth DWI conviction.

Thomas Glen Holman, a 60-year-old man from Taylor, was arrested on Feb. 19, 2023 after he was spotted driving recklessly from Granger to Taylor. According to Williamson County, Holman straddled two lanes of traffic with his vehicle and was speeding 30 mph above the speed limit.

The Taylor police officers who responded to the scene observed signs of intoxication from Holman and administered field sobriety tests, subsequently arresting him for DWI. It was later revealed that his blood alcohol content was 0.292, over three times the legal limit, according to Williamson County.

Holman elected to represent himself at trial, despite warning from the Court not to do so. The trial lasted three days, with prosecutors presenting evidence of arrests dating back to the 1980s, including four prior felony DWI convictions. Williamson County says that, while Holman was on bond for this offense, he was arrested again for another felony DWI after a crash.

The Williamson County jury found Holman guilty of driving while intoxicated, 3rd or more enhanced as a habitual offender. The jury sentenced Holman to 80 years in prison.

“This 80-year sentence underscores the county’s firm stance against drivers who repeatedly put innocent lives at risk," said Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick. "Mr. Holman's actions demonstrated a callous disregard for public safety, and this verdict ensures he will no longer pose a threat on our roadways. We thank the jury for their careful deliberation and the law enforcement officers for their quick actions in stopping this reckless behavior."“ CBS Austin

2025

“The Silence of the Shams,” The Austin Independent’s Daryl Slusher -- “I can’t put it off any longer. It’s time to begin our coverage of the Prop Q election. That’s the election item on whether to raise the City of Austin property tax to the tune of $201 more per year on the “typical homeowner.” That $201 comes on top of a $268.23 increase on the “typical homeowner” in City Manager T.C. Broadnax’s proposed budget which Council passed in August, with Marc Duchen voting no.

Broadnax’s budget included a 3.5% property tax increase, which is the most allowed under state law without requiring passage by voters. The Austin City Council, except for Duchen, voted to ask voters to add another five cents per $100 valuation. That would yield about $108 million for the City’s General Fund.

Prop Q will be at the bottom of the November 4 election, right under 17 Texas constitutional amendments.

It’s an important local election and a tough choice for many Austinites. Most voters want to make sure that basic City services are adequately funded and many also want social programs to be generously endowed. At the same time tax increases are already having a serious impact on Austin’s affordability and more taxes would increase that impact. Also, some voters wonder whether it is a sound idea to provide the current Council that level of additional money to spend.

It’s a tough call and an important one for Austin. Consequently elected officials and scores of community leaders are stepping forward to lead thoughtful discussions on the matter. City executives and financial staff are standing by ready to provide strictly factual information on the issues at stake in the election.

Just kidding.

This election is going to be about Donald Trump.

The campaign to pass Prop Q kicked off in earnest last week, naming itself the Love Austin So Much campaign. For example I received a text which promised that Prop Q “will restore Trump cuts to Austin and prevent catastrophic cuts to firefighters, EMS, parks, pools, libraries, meals on wheels emergency shelters, domestic violence prevention, and more.” This text came from “a volunteer with the Love Austin (So Much) Campaign in support of Prop Q.” She also announced: “Breaking News: Travis County Democratic Party ENDORSES Proposition Q.”

I texted back asking if she could tell me, “What cuts did Trump make that Prop Q restores?”

The person actually replied, well sort of: “I understand. To learn more about Prop Q, you can visit www.loveaustinsomuch.com,” the website of the pro-Prop Q campaign.

So I visited the campaign website. There I was greeted by menacing headshots of Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Below them was the message: “Tell Trump and Abbott: Austin takes care of its own.”

Immediately beneath that was the statement (Emphasis theirs): “DONALD TRUMP has slashed Austin’s federal funding. GREG ABBOTT has forced City Hall to ask Austinites to fill the gap.”

Clearly the first sentence states that Trump has cut federal funding to Austin. And, the second sentence apparently refers to Abbott having signed the 2019 bill that forces City governing bodies to go to the voters for property tax increases that exceed 3.5% per year.

Next the campaign site’s wording gets just a little bit trickier: “PROPOSITION Q generates vital funding to cover Austin’s budget shortfall and restore some of the Trump Administration cuts, with resources dedicated to helping people experiencing homelessness, supporting public health and safety, and maintaining our parks and libraries.”

Let’s take a closer look at that sentence. There is a lot packed in there and it will take more than one article to even come near unpacking it completely. For now, let’s concentrate on the assertion that Prop Q will “restore some of the Trump Administration cuts.” A reader might reasonably expect that examples of “some of the Trump Administration cuts” might follow, along with a discussion of how Prop Q would “restore some” of those cuts. But, no.

I could only find one example of a Trump cut on the Love Austin So Much website. It said, “Prop. Q protects public health initiatives threatened by Trump’s grant cuts, including immunizations.” The cuts mentioned are to grants from federal COVID funds; two of which were scheduled to end in May and June of 2025. Those two began in 2021. A third grant began in 2020 and was scheduled to end in July 2026. Trump canceled all three on March 24, 2025.

It wasn’t particularly nice of Trump to cut these funds, but it seems sort of a thin reed on which to build a campaign for a major tax increase. We’ll have more on that further down, but I feel the need to break off and explain why I’m bringing this up.

Why Am I Saying This?

One, I’m not trying to defend Donald Trump. I’m just seeking a rational and factual discussion on Prop Q. Here’s my thinking. The pro-Prop Q campaign is leading with Donald Trump and how approving Prop Q will “restore” at least some of the cuts he’s made to Austin’s budget. Given that, I believe it is important to establish what cuts Trump has inflicted on the City of Austin’s budget and how Prop Q would restore those cuts. Call me old fashioned.

In earlier years I think the rationale for what I say above would be self evident to most people, and not really need explaining. But, so much has become contorted during the Trump years — on both sides of the political divide — that I feel the need to explain why it is important to identify the “Trump Administration cuts” that are being alleged and how they will allegedly be restored by raising City property taxes.

Council Members Ryan Alter, Zo Qadri and Chito Vela are among the Council Members campaigning for voters to approve a property tax increase. The Mayor and the entire Council are supporting, except for Duchen.

The principle is really simple. If a campaign is alleging something, but not providing any proof or evidence of their claims, then there is a high likelihood that that campaign is not telling the truth and is attempting to manipulate and mislead voters. It has traditionally been the duty of the press to examine such claims.

Furthermore, as most people realize, Trump is extremely unpopular with a huge majority of Austinites. So if the electorate can be convinced that passing the property tax increase is a way of getting back at Trump or reversing an action that he took, then it is much more likely to pass. This type of tactic has worked in Austin before, something we have previously reported in these pages.

For instance, in his 2024 reelection bid District Attorney José Garza attacked his Democratic primary opponent as the “MAGA candidate” and accused him of getting “MAGA” money without providing a single example. Later, in the race for Council Place 7, Mike Siegel slimed his opponent and longtime NAACP state leader Gary Bledsoe as MAGA because of contributions given to a PAC supporting Bledsoe by people who had also contributed to Trump. By the way, by law Bledsoe could not coordinate with the PAC and he did not. Siegel won by a narrow margin and was a Council leader in getting the tax hike on the ballot.

Once again, raising questions and pointing out things like this is a customary duty of the media.

Trying to Find the Facts

First I sought to get the facts of the matter from a neutral source. Traditionally during bond elections City management and staff provide neutral factual information about bond elections. So, I sent an email to Ed Van Eenoo and Kerri Lang, two top officials in the City’s financial office and to the City’s Chief Communications Director Jessica King. I asked what cuts to the City’s federal funding the second Trump administration has made so far and which of those cuts Prop Q would restore. I also asked for clean copies of all amendments, and amendments to amendments, that the Council made during budget deliberations that resulted in Prop Q.

I sent that email on Tuesday September 30 and asked for a reply by Friday October 3. I never received a reply of any kind.

I was not totally surprised that my email and questions were ignored. I can’t know for certain why they didn’t reply. I do realize, however, that answering the questions could potentially put staff members in a very tough spot. That’s because they might have to provide information that would contradict what people campaigning for Prop Q — including the Mayor and Council Members — are telling the public. The Love Austin So Much website features endorsements from Mayor Kirk Watson and nine Council Members, everybody but Duchen.

So I understand why City executives might not answer, but hey, being a high level city official is a tough job. As the saying goes, that’s why they get the big bucks; but the City has an obligation to provide factual information to the citizenry about municipal elections.

Next I wrote to the Love Austin So Much campaign and to the head of the Travis County Party, Doug Greco. I also sent the same questions to the Mayor and all the City Council Members. I asked basically the same questions that I asked City staff, to identify Trump cuts that affected the City of Austin’s budget and which Trump cuts that Prop Q would “restore.”

I sent these questions out on Sunday afternoon October 5 and asked for replies by the next afternoon at 3. Some might see this as a quick deadline, but I was counting on the campaign staff having learned what Trump cuts were made before they started basing their campaign on that topic. Also, I expected that the Mayor and Council Members would have this information readily at hand.

The only person who replied by the deadline was Travis County Democratic Party chair Doug Greco. He said in a statement, “The Travis County Democratic Party has voted to endorse the City of Austin Proposition Q. I personally supported it because as a former AISD teacher and grassroots organizer, I believe the social service, education, and workforce programs it could help fund are a crucial investment in working families.” Greco had experience with City social programs in his former role as Director and lead organizer of Central Texas Interfaith.

No other replies came before the deadline.

Searching for the Trump Cuts

As I waited for the email replies that would never come, I sought to find out more information for myself. For example on the cuts to COVID grant programs I was able to obtain — though not from the City — a City generated chart showing the dates and amounts of federal grants from federal COVID legislation to the City.

The chart listed the three COVID grants mentioned earlier. They totaled $14,446,775. When Trump canceled them, two were set to expire within three months and the third would expire in 17 months. Trump canceled all three on March 24, 2025. I later learned, from a source I will acknowledge further down, that the longer running grant still had $887,332.37 unspent and the other one had $1,259 left. That’s a total of $888,591.

So, once again, the cancelation of grants that were to soon expire does not seem like a strong factual foundation from which to build a campaign to “restore” Trump cuts. It just seems like a group who frame their campaign around Trump, and restoring cuts he made to Austin, could come up with some stronger examples; or at least more.

Looking for more information, I contacted an old friend Barbara Cilley. Cilley has been involved in Austin politics for several decades. She is very data oriented and once, during the 1990s, published a deep dive newsletter on local politics and government. She also served on a number of task forces, boards and commissions, including the Electric Utility Commission.

She drifted away from Austin politics for a number of years but the activities of recent Councils brought her back into the fray. Lately she has taken to perusing the City budget on advanced AI.

Cilley said the biggest Trump cut is the $105 million in federal funding the City was anticipating receiving to help pay for its commitment to its cap and stitch effort on IH 35. That means paying for infrastructure intended to make it possible to build atop the highway which will be buried underground through downtown Austin as part of TxDOT’s expansion of the highway. (In other words the Council may have counted their caps before they were stitched.)

There were two cuts with more immediate effect. Cilley says FEMA slashed $50 million that was intended for flood mitigation at the South Austin Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant and at Austin Energy’s Sand Hill facility. Prop Q cannot help restore those cuts because Austin Water and Austin Energy are not funded through property taxes.

Cilley continued that while cuts have not been announced yet there will likely be cuts in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding and in Home Investment Partnerships.

“Probably the biggest funding cut in housing,” she added by email, “will occur with Section 8 housing. This funding comes thru the Housing Authority and the City has no plans to deal with this cut thru Proposition Q. Section 8 is probably the largest support for people who can not afford Austin’s rent and it could have serious implications for many Austinities.”

Based on her extensive research, Cilley concluded, “The City (of Austin) will suffer serious cuts from Trump, but they won’t be replaced by Prop Q.”

Cilley added that perhaps later the Council could use the allocated funds to restore Trump cuts. That, however, would mean taking them away from other uses where they are headed now.

Love Austin So Much Campaign Responds

Just as I was nearing completion of this story I got a late night email from Joe Cascino, the campaign manager for the Love Austin So Much campaign. Cascino apologized for not making the deadline, explaining, “I wanted to provide you with good information from the city.” I immediately appreciated this sentiment, but also couldn’t help but wonder why City officials were providing information to the campaign manager for a campaign to raise City property taxes, but ignoring my questions about that same election.

Cascino provided a link to a memo from Intergovernmental Relations Officer Carrie Rogers about cuts, a link to an article from KUT which had quotes from the Director of Austin Public Health, and – more directly in answer to the questions — a list of “Federal Cuts Restored by the TRE (Tax Rate Election)” i.e. Prop Q.” He also provided information from the City that I used earlier in this story to report how much more was in the three COVID grants cut by Trump.

His list of “Federal Cuts Restored,” however, featured some inaccuracies. Others did not have enough information where I felt comfortable printing them without more research; for example, having answers to the questions I sent to the City Financial and Communications Offices about what Trump cuts has the City suffered, how much, and how is Prop Q replacing them.

As to the inaccuracies, one item reported, “Federal funds would have been used for flood infrastructure at AW’s South Austin Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant and AE’s Sand Hill Energy Center. Funds were eliminated, and approximately $2.5M were obligated before the rescission.” Unless Cascino is privy to some new City policy or state law that I am unaware of, these funds could not be replaced by Prop Q. That’s because, as I have mentioned before, Prop Q is a proposed rise in property taxes and property taxes can not be used to fund the City’s electric or water utilities.

Cascino also noted, “The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) for $4,000,000 was paused on 4/24/25. These federal funds would have been used for the John Trevino Jr. Metro Park. Funds were paused per Executive Order.” When I wrote back to Cascino and pointed out that this would be a one-time use of funds from a permanent tax increase he did some more research and responded, “The parks money will go to parkland maintenance across the city parks department and will therefore impact John Trevino, which was explicitly named as a top PARD priority in the approved budget.”

It’s not clear, however, if this all replaces a Trump cut, but I had to stop asking questions at some point and publish the story.

So, some of Cascino’s answers were lacking and inaccurate, like saying Prop Q will fund things that it can’t. But, at least he worked hard to answer the questions.

That leads to a fundamental question about this situation: why are the Mayor, almost the entire City Council, top City financial executives and the Chief Communications Director leaving a young campaign manager hanging out there as the only person who will answer questions about a proposed $108 million proposed tax increase?

What Does This All Mean?

So let’s summarize. A PAC endorsed by nine Council Members is running a campaign based on restoring cuts made by the Trump Administration. But, none of the Council Members or the Mayor is willing to answer questions about what the cuts are and what cuts Prop Q will “restore.”

Meanwhile City staff refuses to answer questions about what cuts Trump has made to Austin’s federal funding and about which of those cuts Prop Q would restore. Based on information we were able to gather from knowledgeable sources not affiliated with City government, it appears that if staff accurately replied to those questions, the answers would contradict claims that the Council and Mayor-backed PAC is making. Plus, staff won’t even provide copies of the final language of the amendments that Council added to the budget to create Prop Q.

To be fair, City staff should not be judged by this one failure to provide information. Nor should it be considered certain that they refused to answer questions because factual answers would conflict with what a PAC backed by the Mayor and most of the Council is claiming on the campaign trail.

Likewise the Mayor and Council Members should not be judged based on whether they replied to the Austin Independent. But, they should have more respect for voters than to try and manipulate them by running a deceptive campaign. They should be willing, and able, to publicly explain what cuts Trump has made that affect Austin’s budget. And they should be able to clearly explain which of those cuts Prop Q will restore.

It’s not acceptable, or just, for City officials to base an entire campaign to raise City taxes on ‘restoring Trump cuts’ while refusing to list the “Trump cuts” that were made or how the proposed tax increase will replace them.

(Shortly before press time the Austin Independent discovered that the Love Austin So Much campaign today removed the Trump-Abbott graphic — featured earlier this week — from their home page.)

Correction: In our last article we reported that if Prop Q passes that would result in “an overall property tax bill increase of around $300 on the ‘typical homeowner,’” as multiple local media outlets have reported. After further study, including reviewing a statement from Watson, a more precise explanation is that the overall property tax increase on the “typical homeowner” would be $469.53 per year. That is comprised of $268.23 a year from the budget put forward by Broadnax and $201.30 annually that would be added if Prop Q is approved; so a total of $469.53 per year, as reported in the above article. I apologize for the error.” Austin Independent

“‘Love Austin’ campaign files complaint against anti-Prop Q website,” KXAN's Daryl Slusher -- "A Political Action Committee (PAC) in favor of Austin’s November tax rate election proposition said it filed a complaint with the Texas Ethics Commission against the person or people responsible for a website that discourages Austinites from voting ‘yes’ on Proposition Q.

The Love Austin Campaign, managed by Joe Cascino, said the website needs to have legal disclosures required of political advertisements under Texas election law. He also pointed to yard signs seen around Austin that said things like “No on Prop Q” and “AX THE TAX!” with a link to the website, but no political disclosure.

“They are proudly using dark money to fund their mission to make cuts to core city services such as fire, EMS, parks, pools, and libraries. But Austinites are much smarter than the mystery figure behind this illegal, deceptive website thinks,” Cascino wrote.

On X Thursday night, a man named Nate McGuire said the website belonged to him. McGuire also responded to an email from KXAN at an address listed on the website.

“Find it confusing how they could file a complaint about me and not figure out who I was: I haven’t been hiding,” McGuire told KXAN. He said something similar on social media, tagging Cascino.

McGuire started the thread: “dark money enters the chat – not really that’s sarcasm ethics commission.”

In that thread, McGuire attaches what appear to be receipts from his domain registration, costing roughly $12, and the host site he’s using, which is free. He told KXAN he was not behind the yard signs.

“I am a private citizen, and I paid for the website out of my own pocket and will comply with any filings required,” McGuire told KXAN.

Is this against the law? Here’s what the Texas Ethics Commission says

While this specific complaint will have to work its way through the proper process, the Texas Ethics Commission does help work through state election code in a “political advertising, what you need to know” quick sheet.

Let’s start with the website:

“Political advertising includes communications supporting or opposing an officeholder, a political party, or a measure (a ballot proposition)…Political advertising includes communications that appear on an Internet website.”

But the quick sheet also has a list of exceptions to the political disclosure requirement which include: “postings or re-postings on an Internet website if the person posting or re-posting is not an officeholder, candidate, or political committee and did not make an expenditure exceeding $100 in a reporting period for political advertising beyond the basic cost of hardware messaging software and bandwidth.”

McGuire wrote on social media that he paid $12 for the domain. He said he used GitHub Pages to host the site for free.

McGuire’s website also has the following disclosure at the bottom: “This website is a personal project from a concerned resident of Austin. This is not affiliated nor paid for by any PAC or campaign.“

What about the yard signs?

“The deal is that even still, that doesn’t explain who paid for the signs, who is putting out the signs, who is behind that,” Cascino said. “We just have to take this person’s word for it, and we can’t do that in an election like this.”

Photos of yard signs shared with KXAN said things like “No on Prop Q” and “AX THE TAX!” with a link to the website, but no political disclosure. KXAN also found signs linking to the same website that do have a disclosure.

The Texas Ethics Commission didn’t list an explicit exception for yard signage, but it does make an exception for “circulars or fliers that cost in the aggregate less than $500 to publish and distribute.” It’s also unclear whether the use of the website link on yard signs requires the website to have a disclosure.

“I am not behind the yard signs,” McGuire said. He also told us in a statement: “If Prop Q passes Austin will become more expensive for workers, more expensive for the elderly, more expensive for families, more expensive for students – simply put Prop Q will make Austin less affordable for everyone.”

If the commission finds wrongdoing, what would happen then?

For the section of state law that addresses required disclosures on political advertising:

“A person who violates this section is liable to the state for a civil penalty in an amount determined by the commission not to exceed $4,000,” the state election code said.” KXAN

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

“Council OKs purchase of site for new homeless navigation center,“ Austin Monitor’s Chad Swiatecki — “​​City Council voted 8–3 on Thursday to purchase a commercial property on South Interstate 35 to serve as the city’s first housing navigation center for people experiencing homelessness, following hours of debate and neighborhood opposition. The votes against the purchase came from Council members Marc Duchen, Zo Qadri, and José Velásquez.

The 1.39-acre site at 2401 S. I35, currently home to an auto sales business, will cost the city about $4.4 million. City staff said the property was appraised at $4.35 million and will continue generating rent until the current lease expires in March 2026. The purchase will be funded through the Austin Housing Capital Budget.

The navigation center will act as a central intake and referral facility, connecting unhoused residents or those at risk of losing housing to case management, health and behavioral services and housing programs. The facility had been expected to replace and expand on the functions currently provided by the Sunrise Navigation Center in South Austin, though Council member Ryan Alter backed away from that certainty in recent news coverage.

Dozens of residents and advocates spoke for nearly two hours before the vote, offering sharply opposing views about the project and its location near the intersection of Oltorf Street and I-35.

Opponents, largely from the Parker Lane, Greenbriar and Travis Heights neighborhoods, argued the city moved too quickly with too little public notice or data to support the decision. Many cited safety concerns tied to crime, drug use and the proximity of nearby schools and parks, saying the area already faces chronic public safety challenges. Several speakers pointed to the Sunrise Navigation Center’s past management and neighborhood impacts in South Austin as reasons to delay or reconsider the purchase.

Supporters, including nonprofit leaders, faith-based organizations and formerly unhoused residents, said the new facility would provide a safe, controlled, indoor setting that could reduce neighborhood impacts by bringing services under one roof. They emphasized that the site meets city criteria for transit access, distance from sensitive uses and available space, and said navigation centers are proven to help people transition more quickly from homelessness to stable housing.

Prior to the vote, Velásquez said he opposed the purchase because he and others in the community hadn’t had enough time to study the proposed center’s possible impact on the surround area.

“I am voting no, not because I oppose the mission, not because I oppose the resources, and it sure as hell is not because I’m turning my back on our unhoused neighbors or my faith that commands me to serve those most in need,” said Velásquez, whose district includes the property in question. “I’m voting no because I have personally not had enough time with this item… and I’m voting no because I have not had sufficient time to dispel the rampant misinformation surrounding this issue.”

Alter said the facility will help the city increase its efforts in preventing homelessness via rental assistance or placement into housing, which he and others have noted is a more cost-effective way to address homelessness.

“This is one piece of the overall plan, and it is identified as something that we need in other areas of the city.” he said. “Not one place should have all the services for everyone who needs it, and that is what (the Homeless Strategy Office) has identified, and this is the first step in that process.”

Duchen, who offered an unsuccessful motion to delay the purchase decision, cited insufficient community engagement, uncertainty about future operations, and the need for more detailed safety and management planning. Qadri, whose district boundary ends across the street from the purchase location, said he supported the goal of a navigation center but wanted “stronger community engagement, clearer operations planning, and a timeline that ensures the project succeeds.”

City staff can now finalize the acquisition and begin planning for site renovations and service delivery, with additional Council approval required for contracting and build-out. Officials with the Homeless Strategy Office said public engagement will continue as plans are developed over the coming year.” Austin Monitor

“Austin police join forces with agencies to tackle repeat offenders at city parks,“ KVUE’s Kelsey Sanchez — “​​Austin police are tackling a monthslong growing problem in city parks through a new initiative. 

The department has teamed up with the Texas Department of Safety (DPS), the Travis County District Attorney's Office and the Travis County's Attorney Office to look into repeat offenders that are tied to a series of car break-ins at hot spots.

Austin Police Department (APD) Cdr. Craig Smith said Mount Bonnell, Pease Park and Bull Creek Park have been hit the hardest by thieves looking to gain a cash flow. At Pease Park, there is a sign near the parking lot that shows the amount of days it's been since a vehicle break-in. On Tuesday, it showed it had been four days.

"It pains me to to see that people are just out there actively just targeting people for their belongings," Smith said.

The goal of the task force, as Smith called it, is to bring local and state agencies together to crack down on repeat offenders. The issue is a person gets arrested, bonds out then repeats the crime.

"Let's make sure that we're targeting [repeat offenders]. I'm giving them higher bonds, I'm keeping them in jail a little bit longer – that way that there's more consequences for their for their actions," Smith said.

KVUE also reached out to DA's office to explain its role in how this would work. A spokesperson said they were working on providing a statement.

APD is tracking at least two groups, according to Smith. In September, the department displayed flyers of seven people that have been connected to the crimes. No arrests have been made yet. 

APD said it has displayed more warning signs, and with DPS troopers in the mix, police are able to add more patrols around the parks.

However, because there are a lack of cameras, Smith said they have had to focus on "good old fashioned police work" to track the thieves down.

With the Austin City Limits Music Festival entering its second weekend and more tourists crowding the city, Smith hopes the extra help will make a difference.

"We want to keep it where I'm not reading on Reddit how terrible it is because that place got broken into, their car got broken into," Smith said.

As a reminder, APD listed out preventative measures to take when visiting the parks, which include locking your doors and hiding or taking valuables with you when hitting the trail.

Texas DPS declined to comment on the new initiative.” KVUE

TEXAS SPORTS

TEXAS FOOTBALL: “Texas football: Longhorns hope to save their season with a Red River Rivalry win over OU,“ Austin American-Statesman’s Danny Davis — “While cycling through interviews with the local media Monday, Texas football players were each asked an important question that related to this weekend's trip to the State Fair in Dallas:

Fletcher's Corny Dog or turkey leg?

"Turkey leg," linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. said.

"Turkey leg every time," safety Michael Taaffe stated.

"(I'm) probably a turkey leg guy," quarterback Arch Manning surmised.

"I'm a cotton candy guy, but I also love corn dogs," said dissenting offensive lineman Trevor Goosby, who argued the turkey legs are too expensive.

But despite all of that fried food talk, the Longhorns know the biggest gut check on the fairgrounds Saturday will take place inside the Cotton Bowl. Now unranked, 3-2 on the season and still reeling from last week's upset loss at Florida, Texas faces a do-or-die situation in its annual rivalry game against Oklahoma.

Win and the Longhorns still face an uphill battle for inclusion in the SEC championship game and College Football Playoff, but that hill would still exist. Lose and the conversation may soon shift to the future and getting the 23 seniors on the roster to a nice bowl game.

"I think our season's on the line every Saturday," said wide receiver Ryan Wingo, who also prefers turkey legs, by the way. "On any given Saturday with every team we play against, don't matter the team, we've got to go into every game with that mindset to execute and just be able to play good."

Following Florida flop, it isn't 'business as usual' at Texas

The 2025 Red River Rivalry is a reversal of preseason expectations. Texas entered the year as the No. 1 team in the Associated Press and US LBM Coaches polls, and also was tabbed to win the SEC. Oklahoma, meanwhile, was picked to finish sixth in the SEC following a six-win season that featured a disappointing loss to Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl.

But five weeks in, Oklahoma (5-0, 1-0) is undefeated and ranked sixth by the AP. Texas (3-2, 0-1) was the AP poll's No. 9 team last week before it plummeted out of the poll this week following the 29-21 loss at unranked Florida. That loss cost this Texas-OU series its first top-10 matchup since 2008.

Instead, this will be the sixth time in the past 25 years that an unranked Texas team has played a ranked Oklahoma team.

"You come to games like this and especially this one in particular, the Red River Rivalry and all that it encompasses from a rivalry standpoint, it's not business as usual," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. "Then obviously for us, coming off of last week in SEC play, stubbing our toe at Florida, starting conference play at 0-1, this is a very significant game as it pertains to the SEC race. This is not a business-as-usual week."

The loss at Florida exposed several Longhorns flaws. The offensive line remains a problem and the running game has been stuck in neutral. Hailed as a Heisman Trophy frontrunner before the season, Manning has faced rising criticism as he has been unable to live up to that unsolicited hype. Even a defense that had been playing well had plenty to review on film after it yielded both a 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver to Florida.

The Longhorns insist they aren't panicking. On Monday, Taaffe said he was unaware that Texas is now unranked for the first time since 2022. Sarkisian has stated that all of the team's goals are still ahead of them. Defensive lineman Hero Kanu told reporters that "we look at one game at a time. That's the thing we focus on."

"I feel like it's not really a different sense of urgency," Hill said. "We know what this game is, and we know what it's going to take to win the game. We just want to go out there and take it one game at a time and go out there and execute."

Stakes will be high for Texas as Red River rivalry is renewed

With a history that dates back to 1900, the Red River Rivalry is regarded by many as one of college football's best rivalries. One of a handful of games that is annually played at a neutral site, the Red River Rivalry will split Texas and Oklahoma fans across a renovated Cotton Bowl on Saturday.

As with most rivalries, bragging rights will be on the line. Not that the Longhorns care about that. When asked if he's heard from any of UT's NFL alumni — 17 NFL locker rooms feature at least one Longhorn and one Sooner  — about any side bets that have been placed on this game, Taaffe replied, "I'm worried about winning the game. I'm not worried about your silly little bet."

No, Texas is more focused on saving its season. Beating Oklahoma would give Texas a signature win on a résumé that includes expected victories over San José State, UTEP and Sam Houston and an opening loss at now-No. 1 Ohio State. In the coming weeks, Texas will travel to face Kentucky and Mississippi State and play a Nov. 1 home date with No. 20 Vanderbilt.

Taaffe, though, said the team's mindset at the moment is to just go 1-0 against Oklahoma.

"Go 1-0, for sure," Taaffe said. "Don't forget when you're singing 'The Eyes of Texas' what people are saying. If you do choose to read that stuff, don't forget what people are saying about you, but at the end of the day, go 1-0. I can't wait to see what people say about us when we go 1-0."“ KXAN

US MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM / Q2 STADIUM: “USMNT World Cup tune-up in Austin ends in 1-1 draw vs. Ecuador,“ via AP — “Folarin Balogun scored in the 71st minute, offsetting Enner Valencia’s first-half goal, and the United States tied Ecuador 1-1 in a friendly on Friday night.

Balogun scored for the second straight game, his seventh goal in 20 international appearances, after Tim Weah intercepted a clearance and passed to Tanner Tessmann, who sent the ball wide to Malik Tillman.

Tillman crossed to Balogun, who got in front of Joel Ordóñez and from just inside the 6-yard box redirected the ball in off the inside of the near post.

The 16th-ranked Americans remained with one win in their last nine games against top 25 opponents since March 2024, 2-0 last month over a mostly second-string Japan roster.

“It’s good to build momentum,” Balogun said. “Disappointed to not get the win but I think we was the better side and there was a lot of positives to take into the next game.”

The U.S. plays Australia on Tuesday at Commerce City, Colorado, and faces Paraguay and Uruguay next month, then has only a pair of March friendlies before coach Mauricio Pochettino calls in players for his pre-World Cup training camp.

The Americans had 66% possession and outshot Ecuador 11-8.

“We need to be a little bit more clinical in our last pass in the last third,” Pochettino said.

Hernán Galíndez dived to parry Balogun’s shot from just inside the penalty area in the eighth minute and pushed Richards’ shot off a post in the 26th.

“I felt like we dominated,” midfielder Weston McKennie said. “I hope we take confidence. I hope we take the adrenaline from this game, playing forward, rotating the ball, having patience with the ball, and just always trying to be dangerous.”

Pochettino returned to Austin, where he coached his first U.S. match on Oct. 12 last year. The Americans are 11-7-1 since he took over.

No. 24 Ecuador, which finished second behind Argentina in South American World Cup qualifying, extended its team-record unbeaten streak to 12 games, including seven draws.

La Tri is at Mexico on Tuesday.

Valencia scored in the 24th minute when he touched a through pass from Jordy Alcívar wide of Chris Richards, broke in on goal with two more touches and shot just past Matt Freese’s outstretched right hand and inside the far post. Valencia, who turns 36 next month, is Ecuador’s goals leader with 48 in 101 international appearances.

Christian Pulisic, the top U.S. player, didn’t start because of a sore ankle and entered in the 73rd minute.

Max Arfsten on the left and Weah on the right started as wing backs. Five days after his birthday, defender Tim Ream became the fourth non-goalkeeper to play for the U.S. at 38 or older after Ed Murphy in 1969, Gordon Bradley in 1973 and Preki Radosavljević in 2001. Ream was joined by Richards and Miles Robinson on the back line.

Left back Antonee Robinson, still regaining fitness following knee surgery in May, did not dress. Forward Alex Zendejas also did not dress and is returning to Mexico’s América because of a knee injury, Pochettino said.” AP

CENTRAL TEXAS SCHOOL FOOTBALL: “Central Texas week 7 scores, highlights,“ Fox 7 Austin’s Dennis de la Pena, John Hygh, and Clif Thornton — “High school football is back in Central Texas!

Below you will find a complete rundown of Central Texas high school football scores and highlights from Week 7 of the 2025-26 season.

Thursday, Oct. 9

Austin High 14
Westlake 58

Bastrop 62
Connally 18

Manor New Tech 0
LBJ 51

CS A&M Consolidated 62
Lehman 0

Friday, Oct. 10

Crockett 27
Navarro 14

Rouse 33
Georgetown 35

Pflugerville 56
McCallum 21

East View 42
Cedar Park 38

Bowie 21
Dripping Springs 28

Vandegrift 46
Cedar Ridge 6

Lake Travis 56
Del Valle 14

Vista Ridge 42
McNeil 45

Round Rock 31
Hutto 33

Stony Point 49
Manor 14

Killeen Chaparral 6
Leander 49

Glenn 23
Lake Belton 49

Anderson 45
Hendrickson 24

Weiss 50
Hays 8

College Station 73
Cedar Creek 7

Liberty Hill 65
Elgin 0

Marble Falls 14
Burnet 35

Lampasas 39
Brownwood 42

SA Davenport 23
Fredericksburg 0

Northeast 0
Taylor 63

Wimberley 9
Salado 23

Geronimo Navarro 21
Jarrell 35

Lago Vista 28
Gonzales 34

Achieve 6
Eastside Memorial 72

Giddings 14
Caldwell 44

La Grange 35
Madisonville 52

Llano 53
Luling 0

Thrall 17
Lexington 34

Rogers 32
Blanco 37

Rockdale 21
LR-Academy 55

Danbury 12
Flatonia 32

Mason 18
Thorndale 0

Johnson City 21
San Saba 47

Milano
Granger

Snook 0
Bartlett 1

Holland 12
Harper 27

Florence 7
Ingram Moore 44

Hyde Park
Bullard Brook Hill

Tyler Grace Prep
Regents

St. Dominic Savio
Hou. St. Thomas

Hou. St. Pius X
St. Michael's

Greenhill
St. Andrew's

Founders 48
Marble Falls Faith 70

Midland Trinity
RR Christian

Aus. Classical
SM Hill Country” Fox 7 Austin

QUICK LINKS

Check out 5 business updates in Buda - Community Impact

City Council OK's $4.38M property purchase for new Austin homeless services center off I-35 - Community Impact

ERCOT predicts Texas power grid will remain stable in December - Community Impact

Buffalo Wild Wings coming to Liberty Hill - Community Impact

7 farmers markets to check out in the Lake Travis, Westlake area - Community Impact

Scene cleared after suspicious item found at Austin's airport Thursday afternoon - KVUE

Austin airport given the all-clear after suspicious item was found in terminal - FOX 7 Austin

'Another lifetime ago': Texans reminisce on Austin's iconic graffiti park - MySA

APD blames human error for alert mix-up in Zilker Park shooting, plans new safety measures - kens5.com

Suspicious package at Austin airport cleared, operations resume - KEYE

Gov. Abbott threatens to withhold funding over rainbow crosswalks, other ‘political’ road markings - KERA News

Austin airport ‘threat’: Suspicious package triggers police response, passengers stranded | Hindustan Times - Hindustan Times

Groundbreaking Event Launches Northeast Service Center - AustinTexas.gov

Austin family braces for father’s deportation: ‘This will be an empty house’ - Austin American-Statesman

Man receives 80-year prison sentence for DWI in Williamson County - Austin American-Statesman

Police: Officers seize $41,609 from illegal massage spa in Round Rock - Austin American-Statesman

Austin vs Westlake football: How to live-stream Texas high school game Thursday - Austin American-Statesman

These Austin theaters have entertained for more than 150 years - Austin American-Statesman

John Deere opens 285-acre test farm on Austin outskirts - ABJ

ATX Capital's 99-acre mixed-use project in Kyle moves forward - ABJ

Council OKs purchase of site for new homeless navigation center - Austin Monitor

Southwest launching 2 new flights from Austin - ABJ

Austin renames street after late economic development legend - ABJ

Table of Experts: Small town, big vision—how Taylor entrepreneurs are shaping the future - ABJ

San Francisco AI company opens Austin office, plans to hire hundreds - ABJ

Along with great music, ACL festival is a sales generator for local food businesses - ABJ

Austin fintech startup Routefusion raises $26.5M funding round - ABJ

Austin AI startup Vulcan Technologies raises $10.9M for regulatory tech - ABJ

Taylor man receives 80-year sentence for repeat DWI offenses - KVUE

Southwest announces new flights from Austin set to launch in June - KXAN Austin

Investigation at Round Rock massage parlor leads to over $41k seized - KXAN Austin

A new Austin ‘scream club’ invites people to yell out their feelings over Lady Bird Lake - KUT

AUSTIN CULTURE

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

~ DINING: “The 38 Best Restaurants in Austin, Fall 2025” Eater Austin

~ DINING: “East Sixth’s New Seafood Spot Has Super-Fresh Fish and Tons of Personality” Eater Austin

~ DINING: “Popular cafe's reopening and 3 new brunches wake up Austin food news” Culture Map Austin

WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND

Sat

~ LIVE MUSIC: ACL Festival: Sabrina Carpenter, The Strokes, Doechii, Djo Pierce, The Veil Zeds, Dead Odeal. Zilker Park all day/night. Tix here.

~ TEXAS FOOTBALL: #6 Oklahoma at Texas. Cotton Bowl (Dallas, TX). 2:30pm. Airs on ABC.

~ SHOWS: Cirque de Soleil: OVO. Moody Center. 3pm. Tix $67 and up here.

Sun

~ LIVE MUSIC: ACL Festival: The Killers, John Summit, Feid, T-Pain, Mk.gee, Polo & Pan, Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Zilker Park. Tix here.

~ SHOWS: Cirque de Soleil: OVO. Moody Center. 3pm. Tix $67 and up here.

~ AUSTIN FC: LA FC at Austin FC. Q2 Stadium. 6pm. Tix $38 and up here. Airs on Apple TV.

COOL JOB ALERT

~ Assistant U.S. Attorney (Western District of Texas). Position can be based in Alpine, Austin, Del Rio, El Paso, Midland or San Antonio, TX.

Salary Information: Assistant United States Attorney's pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The range of basic pay for AD-21 through AD-29 is as follows:

• Alpine, Del Rio, El Paso, and Midland: $73,939 to $193.394 which includes 17.06% locality pay.

• San Antonio: $75,025 to $195,100 which includes 18.78% locality pay.

• Austin: $76,017 to $195,100 which includes 20.35% locality pay.

Info / apply here.