ATX PULSE 11/7/24 (free) (sponsored by Freespoke): Watson at 50.01% with 'Thousands' of Ballots to be Reviewed // Pflugerville's ESD 2 Prop A Fails // Bastrop, Lockhart Pass Marijuana Decriminalization // Pet Fosters Needed for Bastrop Evacuation

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2024

Compiled by Matt Mackowiak

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TODAY’S WEATHER

H: 81° / L: 70°. Rain is on the way. Latest forecast from Fox 7 Austin’s Scott Fisher here.

TOP NEWS

“APD officers start 497-mile run across Texas to honor fallen comrades” CBS Austin’s Stephanie Becerra — “Two Austin Police Officers are taking a 497-mile journey to honor fallen officers across the state, and to help support departments and families of officers who died in the line of duty.

Sergeant Ben Mewis and Detective Scott Baldridge began their first leg of the Austin route in their 7-day run from the Rio Grande in Laredo to the Red River in Gainesvile on Sunday, November 3.

This run benefits the Peace Officers Memorial Foundation, which both officers made it to at the Capitol Wednesday morning. During their run, 29 APD officers ran each one mile to honor the 29 fallen APD officers.

"It's for Peace Officer Memorial Foundation which is very important because does it not only keep up all the names, and the upkeep of the memorial itself," said Sergeant Mewis with the Austin Police Department. "It gives out scholarships to the children of the officers and takes care of the families in their time of need, so it's very close to us and important to us."

Officers in other cities plan to join the two of them on certain legs of the race to show their support, including Lakeway Police and Round Rock Police.” CBS Austin

2024

“The Austin mayoral race is still too close to call,” KXAN’s Christopher Adams and Grace Reader — “Almost 350,000 votes have been tabulated in Austin’s mayoral election. With unofficial results fully reported, KXAN is still unable to make a projection in this race — and we want you to know why.

According to the Travis County Clerk’s Office, there are three types of ballots still outstanding:

• Mail-in ballots that were postmarked by 7 p.m. on Tuesday and received by 5 p.m. Wednesday

• Overseas and military mail-in ballots that arrive by Tuesday, Nov. 12

• Provisional ballots that have not yet been processed

Incumbent Mayor Kirk Watson currently has 50.01% of the vote. A candidate must receive more than 50% to avoid a runoff. There are still ballots left to be counted, which means Watson could win outright or be forced into a runoff with second-place Carmen Llanes Pulido.

The Travis County Clerk’s Office said there are about 6,000 mail ballots that were sent out but have not yet been returned, and it’s unclear how many of those will be received by the deadline. In addition, there are about 3,200 provisional ballots that still need to be reviewed before it’s determined whether they will be counted.

Late-arriving ballots are also possible in Williamson and Hays County, but those totals are expected to be much lower than in Travis County.

Both Travis and Williamson County told KXAN they expect official results to be released by the end of next week, after the canvas.

Watson released a statement Wednesday, acknowledging the race is “not quite over.” Watson wrote he’d received 50.1% of the vote, as of Wednesday morning. KXAN’s numbers show Watson currently has 50.01% of the vote.

Pulido also released a statement Wednesday acknowledging the tightness of the race.

KXAN

“Prop A fails in Pflugerville: What this means for Travis Co. ESD No. 2,” KXAN’s Erica Pauda — “Voters in Pflugerville rejected Proposition A, which would have allowed the city to reduce 1% sales and use tax to just a half-percent.

In a news release, Travis County ESD No. 2, also known as the Pflugerville Fire Department, said if Prop A would have passed, it would have needed to cut more than 130 positions and close “multiple fire stations.”

The group that called for the reduction, Pflugerville Residents for Responsible Taxation (PfRRT), said it wanted to bring EMS services back to the county as opposed to paying for private ambulances.

David Rogers, Pflugerville City Council, Place 6, said he looks forward to finding a way to have access to EMS services in the city.

“This would reduce our budget by approximately 40%,” Pflugerville Fire Department Chief Nick Perkins told KXAN in August.

He said Prop A would have also affected emergency response times.

Rogers, a spokesperson for (PfRRT), previously told KXAN Prop A would not have defunded the department.

Additionally, if Prop A had passed, it would have raised homeowners insurance by up to 30-50%, the release said.” KXAN

“Bastrop voters support marijuana decriminalization” Fox 7 Austin

“Lockhart residents vote to decriminalize marijuana” Fox 7 Austin

THE BLOTTER

“16-year-old injured in Manor shooting, one person detained,” CBS Austin’s Stephanie Becerra — “One person was detained after a shooting left a 16-year-old victim injured Wednesday night in Manor, police said.

Manor police said the shooting happened in the Presidential Glen subdivision near US 290 Highway.

A 16-year-old was shot in the leg and is expected to be okay.

Police believe this is an isolated incident and there is no threat to the public.

The investigation into what led up to the shooting remains ongoing.

Police have closed Andrew Johnson Drive at James Manor Street closed. Drivers should seek alternative routes around the area.” CBS Austin

“One critically injured in multi-vehicle collision in NE Austin,” CBS Austin’s Stephanie Becerra — “One person was critically injured in a collision involving multiple vehicles in North Austin Wednesday night.

Austin-Travis County EMS and the Austin Fire Department responded to a vehicle rescue at around 8:02 p.m. in the 10700 block of Dessau Road at the intersection of Collinwood West Drive and Dessau Road.

Upon arrival, EMS found one person pinned in their vehicle. That person was removed from the vehicle at around 8:26 p.m. and transported to Dell Seton Medical Center with critical, life-threatening injuries.

Officials expect traffic delays. Drivers should seek alternative routes.” CBS Austin

“Two injured in vehicle vs. dump truck collision in SW Austin,” CBS Austin’s Stephanie Becerra — “Emergency crews responded to a collision involving a vehicle and a dump truck that injured two people in southwest Austin Wednesday night.

Austin-Travis County EMS, Oak Hill Fire Department, and the Austin Fire Department responded to the collision at around 9:11 p.m. at8160-8256 W Us 290 Hwy, across the street from El Rey Boulevard.

Upon arrival, one person was found pinned inside the vehicle and was quickly extricated with the help of a fire crew. A second person was also involved.

It's unclear what injuries they both sustained.” CBS Austin

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

“City of Austin makes progress on Wishbone Bridge at Longhorn Dams,” Fox 7 Austin’s Tan Radford — “The City of Austin is making progress on the new Wishbone Bridge at the Longhorn Dam. It's expected to increase safety and connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists.

The construction of the bridge has caused road closures and detours in East Austin for several months.

Construction is underway for the Wishbone Bridge that will connect the Ann and Roy Butler trail at Longhorn Shores, Canterbury and the Holly Peninsula in Town Lake Metropolitan Park.

"The idea of the Wishbone Bridge was actually presented by the public. We presented the public with several different options and also had an open comment section where we allowed people to provide other options and the wishbone was one of those options," says Capital Delivery Service Assistant Director Genest Landry.

The construction phase for the project, costing close to $25 million, started in July.

This bridge is going to be on average 26-feet in width, and then we are going to have a meeting place in the Center A Plaza that is going to be as wide as 65-feet.

The city of Austin’s Capital Delivery Services said on Wednesday caps were placed on top of columns to support the beams for the bridge.

While the city is progressing on building the east portion of the project, there are closures in place.

"We have lane closures on Pleasant Valley. However, in mid-December, we are going to be switching to the west side of the tunnel and be shifting that. We do also have trail detours currently, so we do still provide complete connectivity along the entire Ann and Roy Butler Trail," says Landry.

According to Capital Delivery Services, there is also a tunnel being built that will span 100 feet connecting Kreig Field on the east and the Ann and Roy Butler Trail on the west.

"This project basically started out of a need to increase connectivity and safety for people walking and biking in this area. We are serving both the trail users along the Ann and Roy Butler Trail as well as people that are commuting going north and south," says Landry.

The city says in fall 2025 the road detours will be removed permanently. The bridge is expected to be completed by summer 2026.” Fox 7 Austin

OTHER NEWS

“Organization thinks fentanyl awareness efforts should start early,” KXAN’s Sam Stark — “Elementary students filled an auditorium for an assembly at Doral Academy on Wednesday afternoon. 

The presentation started with a guessing game. But perhaps not one students of this age might typically play. 

“One of these is real, and one of these is fake,” Shelbi Hentschke, a Hays CISD special education teacher, said pointing to two pictures of Oxycodone pills. “Raise your hand if you think it’s the first one.”

While many students’ hands eagerly shot up, the point of the exercise was not to answer correctly. What Hentschke wanted to illustrate to the kids was how difficult it can be to distinguish a safe pill from one adulterated with fentanyl. 

“If you were given these two pills, you wouldn’t be able to tell,” she told the students. 

The presentation was organized by the Forever15Project – a nonprofit dedicated to spreading fentanyl awareness. 

 “I feel like the younger you get to students, the better,” said Janel Rodriguez, who founded the organization after her 15-year-old son Noah died of a fentanyl overdose in 2022.“ KXAN

“Austin Pets Alive! looking for fosters to take in animals displaced by Hudson Fire,” KVUE’s Daniel Perreaulte — “A local nonprofit is asking for the community's help finding forever homes for dogs displaced due to the wildfire this week in Bastrop County.

Crews continue to battle the Hudson Fire just east of Bastrop. It has burned 400 acres and is 90% contained.

On Wednesday, the Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management said they have contained the fire within a perimeter and crews are working to make sure it does not grow beyond it.

As the Hudson Fire raged earlier this week, Bastrop Animal Care Services put out an urgent call. With the shelter full, they needed to clear space.

"They were in urgent need to empty some space in order to help animals that were going to be displaced by the fire, whether those be strays or animals that were going to be displaced due to the evacuation zone," Austin Pets Alive Admissions Manager Patrick McCrae said. 

McCrae and the team jumped in a van and headed towards Bastrop.

"Without a lot of time to act, we just kind of went right into action," McCrae said. "We started pulling animals out of their shelter to make up space so that they would have additional space to house those animals who would be displaced."

Between Monday and Tuesday, they rescued 38 animals, including 17 dogs and 21 cats.

McCrae said the initial round of animals were all healthy and in good condition. 

BACS is the only animal shelter for communities like Cedar Creek, Elgin, Smithville and Bastrop. Some of the animals from Bastrop have already been adopted.” KVUE

LOCAL SPORTS

TEXAS FOOTBALL: “Where Arch Manning is improving after taste of extended Texas football game action,” Austin American-Statesman’s David Eckert — “Returning to his duties as Quinn Ewers’ backup over the last month, Texas football quarterback Arch Manning has been able to mine one of the most valuable resources for a developing young player:

Meaningful game tape.

Manning took just 27 snaps as a freshman last season. He's up to 195 already in his second year with the Longhorns, including his first two starts while deputizing for the injured Ewers.

Aside from an 11-snap cameo against Georgia, Manning hasn't played since Week 5. With roughly a month's worth of work to analyze, what did all those reps earlier in the season do for Manning's development?

"I think Arch is doing a really nice job," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said on a conference call with reporters on Wednesday afternoon. "Gosh, we were fortunate to have him step in the way he did."

Analyzing Manning's game film, the Longhorns have asked him to hone in on the details of playing quarterback at the collegiate level.

His physical gifts flashed during his extended run under center. Manning's big arm has helped him throw for 920 yards and nine touchdowns this season, and his athleticism has helped him accumulate 71 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

The next step for him is to pair that talent with little things like footwork, for example.

"I think he continues to work at his overall understanding of what we're doing schematically," Sarkisian said. "And then working on some of the fundamentals and details that we're asking for."“ AAS ($)

TEXAS VOLLEYBALL: “Texas volleyball, Madisen Skinner snap 3-match skid, roll past Mississippi State,” Austin American-Statesman’s Thomas Jones — “Texas volleyball snapped a three-match skid with a 3-1 road win at Mississippi State Wednesday behind a big night from outside hitter Madisen Skinner.

Skinner, a two-time All-American, fired a season-high 25 kills to help the No. 15 Longhorns to a 25-8, 25-15, 21-25, 25-17 win. Nine of those kills came in the fourth set as Texas (13-6, 8-3 SEC) remained a game behind SEC co-leaders Kentucky and Missouri in the loss column.

Setter Averi Carlson dished out a season-high 45 assists as the full-time setter in a 5-1 rotation. Prior to his team's three-match losing streak, Texas coach Jerritt Elliott had Carlson and Ella Swindle splitting the setter duties in a 6-2 rotation.

Libero Emma Halter had 15 digs, six assists and three service aces while middle blocker Ayden Ames tallied a career-high eight kills and seven blocks. Jenna Wenaas finished with a team-high 17 digs and added eight kills.

The Longhorns will have nine days off before resuming SEC play with a trip to Auburn Nov. 15 and Alabama Nov. 17.” AAS ($)

CENTRAL TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: “Texas high school football 2024: Staff picks for Austin area’s top Week 11 games,” Austin American-Statesman’s Colby Gordon — “As defending champion of the American-Statesman's season-long staff picks standings for high school football, high school reporter Colby Gordon is sharing some Austin-area matchups that he's really interested in this week.

The area's top games:

Liberty Hill at Bastrop

It's the air attack of Bastrop and blue-chip quarterback Weston Nielsen versus the ground game of Liberty Hill and its stable of running backs in what has become the District 11-5A Division II championship game.

First team to 60 wins? It's certainly a possibility. Though even that may not be enough. If you're not tied to a specific team, this is the game to go to Friday.

I'm picking Liberty Hill 63-57.

Georgetown at Cedar Park

This Thursday night matchup has turned into the District 8-5A Division I championship game. Georgetown may be the hottest team in the Austin area with five straight wins in impressive fashion; they bludgeoned a good Lake Belton team 65-21 last week.

Cedar Park is a quality squad and strong on both sides of the ball, but the Eagles offense has too many weapons with Jett Walker, Kaleb McDougle, Xavier Warren and Davyn Sedwick.

I'm picking Georgetown 42-28.

Round Rock at Vandegrift

Another area game that has district-championship implications, Round Rock can take a share of the District 25-6A title with a win while Vandegrift can win it outright.

Round Rock has improved this year and features a strong rushing attack. But Vandegrift, which was one of the big winners last week when Austin High defeated Bowie to push Westlake up to Division I for the playoffs, simply has no weaknesses.

I'm picking Vandegrift 38-14.

Hutto at McNeil

This is a play-in game for the fourth playoff spot out of District 25-6A, and both teams feature strong passing attacks. McNeil quarterback Jadon Sultz returned from injury two weeks ago, and the Mavericks as a whole should be healthy after not playing last week.

I'm picking McNeil 33-30.

Weiss at Anderson

Third place in District 12-5A Division I is on the line here, with the winner being on the opposite side of the playoff bracket from No. 2 A&M Consolidated. One of the best matchups of the year happens when Anderson wideout Ed Small goes up against Weiss defensive back Jason Stokes in a battle that could happen in the Big 12 next year when they are at TCU and Utah, respectively. Weiss has too much talent on offense, though.

I'm picking Weiss 48-31.

Pflugerville at Connally

Like a year ago, this rivalry matchup is also a play-in game for a playoff spot, this time coming in District 11-5A Division II. Connally has been strong in district play, but expect Pflugerville to take the win with its impressive array of offensive weapons.

I'm picking Pflugerville 38-21.” AAS ($)

QUICK LINKS

~ Texas’ highest courts remain all Republican following Nov. 5 elections - Community Impact

~ Lorenzo Gonzalez and Roland Saucedo headed to a runoff election for Place 5 on San Marcos City Council - Community Impact

~ Austin Energy still says hydrogen power plant may be the answer to grid growing pains - Austin Monitor

~ Small company with big dreams: Lockhart pickling firm Hill Country Foodworks eyes big expansion - ABJ

~ $32M federal grant advances Austin’s Barton Springs Road Bridge replacement - Community Impact

~ Volcano Sushi & Ramen erupts in Bastrop - Community Impact

~ Downtown Commission questions scope, cost of core transportation plan - Austin Monitor

~ Genuine Joe’s Coffeeshop closes, owner hopeful business will have ‘new chapter’ KXAN

AUSTIN CULTURE

~ BAR SCENE: “A guide to 40 of the best bars in Austin that capture the spirit of Texas' capital city” AAS ($)

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

~ FOOD CRITIC: “TikTok food critic Keith Lee has moved to Texas” Culture Map Austin

WHAT TO DO TONIGHT

~ LIVE MUSIC: Josh Abbott Band (with Josh Baumann). ACL Live. Show at 8pm. Tix $29 and up here.

~ LIVE MUSIC: Marshall Tucker Band (with Jordan Matthew Young & Buffalo Ruckus). Haute Spot (1501 E. New Hope Dr., Leander. Doors 5pm. Tix $33 and up here.

~ LIVE MUSIC: Old 97s (with Fastball). Scoot Inn (1308 E. 4th St.). Doors at 6pm. Sold out.

COOL JOB ALERT

~ Assistant Attorney General (Open Records): Office of the Attorney General. Salary: $6,782.24 / monthly. Info / apply here.