ATX PULSE 7/23/24: 4 Fires in ATX in Past 24 Hours // Watson Files for Re-election // Several Game Stores Burglarized // EPA Sends ATX $48M for Climate Grants // Tuttle Launches AI Startup

ATX Pulse

Everything YOU NEED TO KNOW about Austin.

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

By Matt Mackowiak

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Today’s Weather: H: 81° / L: 73°. Rain possible. Latest forecast from Fox 7 Austin’s Zsck Shields here.

TOP NEWS

~ “Travis County to conduct prescribed burns in east Austin,” via CBS Austin – “Travis County officials plan to conduct multiple prescribed burns this week at the East Service Center in east Austin.

 The area is located at 6011 Blue Bluff Road, just south of Decker Lake Road. The area will be closed to the public during the prescribed burns.

The burns will be limited to piles and will occur between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day, weather permitting. They are part of a cooperative fuel reduction project implemented by Emergency Service District 4, Lake Travis Fire Rescue and multiple county departments.

Officials say the project includes the construction of fire lines and fuel breaks to minimize the impacts of potential wildfires. Personnel from local fire departments and natural resource agencies will assist with the burns.

Smoke is expected to be present throughout much of the day but should be relatively light and limited to the area immediately adjacent to the burn piles, according to county officials.” CBS Austin

~ “4 large fires in Austin reported within 26 hours: AFD,” Fox 7 Austin’s Meredith Aldis – “The Austin Fire Department is warning residents about fire dangers after a busy weekend. AFD emphasizes the necessity of a working smoke alarm as it saved people’s lives this weekend.

"This weekend was kind of an anomaly, we hope it’s not a trend," AFD Division Chief Thayer Smith said.

AFD responded to four large fires in about 26 hours.” Fox 7 Austin

~ “Austin Watershed Protection preparing for potential flooding this week,” KXAN’s Sarah Al-Shaikh Aldis – “With a rainy week in the forecast, the city of Austin started preparing for potential flooding.

Watershed Protection told KXAN that its crews cleared out debris in creeks and that it’s in a good position to handle this week’s wet weather.

“Our more sensitive low water crossings, we had staff out over the weekend checking them,” said Watershed Protection Field Operations Division Manager John Beachy.

Beachy said rain on Sunday already caused some road closures. People can check ATXFloods.com for updates.

“We ended up having to close five of our low water crossings.”

Watershed Protection moved from normal hours of operation to a 24/7 approach.

“Staff are ready to respond and close roads and clear debris any hours of the day,” Beachy said.” KXAN

THE BLOTTER

~ “Suspect in Round Rock Juneteenth shooting expected in court this week,” KXAN’s Brianna Hollis – “Seventeen-year-old Ricky Thompson III, the first suspect arrested in last month’s deadly shooting at a Round Rock Juneteenth celebration, is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.

Two women, both innocent bystanders, died in that shooting. Fourteen others were injured.

The courts told KXAN Thompson’s hearing will be brief. He faces a deadly conduct charge.

Police have arrested two others in connection with the shooting as well: 18-year-old Keshawn Dixon, who also faces a charge of deadly conduct, and a juvenile.

The Round Rock Police Department said the investigation is still ongoing.” KXAN

~“Man arrested for allegedly stealing DPS vehicle, firearms in Austin,” via CBS Austin – “A man was arrested last week after allegedly stealing a Texas Department of Public Safety vehicle and two firearms from a DPS special agent in Austin, according to court documents.

Randy Ellias Villafranca, 21, faces charges of burglary of a vehicle, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, possession of marijuana and theft of a firearm, the affidavit states.

The incident began on the morning of Wednesday, July 17, when the DPS special agent discovered his unmarked police vehicle was missing from his apartment complex. A GPS device in the vehicle showed it was turned on at 4:56 a.m. and driven to various locations before being abandoned at 5:48 a.m.

Security footage revealed a white Lexus registered to Villafranca entering the complex at 4:48 a.m. and leaving at 4:58 a.m., coinciding with the theft, court documents said. 

When agents located the abandoned DPS vehicle on East Side Drive in south Austin, they found a broken window and two stolen firearms missing -- a Daniel Defense rifle and a Sig Sauer pistol.

Agents later confronted Villafranca at his apartment on Algarita Avenue, where they discovered the stolen rifle in a water heater closet. The affidavit states they also found marijuana and a backpack containing items used for vehicle break-ins.

During an interview, Villafranca allegedly admitted to dropping off an individual at the apartment complex where the theft occurred. He claimed that person later gave him the stolen rifle to hold.

Online records show Villafranca in custody at the Travis County Jail.” CBS Austin

~ “Several game stores burglarized in Austin; owners losing thousands in merchandise,” KVUE’s Daranesha Herron – “Game store owners said several shops have been burglarized this month in Austin, with thieves stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of unique collectibles. 

Hanging out and playing board games at Game Kastle Austin in North Austin is a weekly activity for some.

"It's just a cool, safe space," said gamer Corbin Cannon.

Creating a safe community is what owner Thomas Funk prides himself on. But he said on Saturday night, a pair of thieves were not playing fair.

"They took about $6,000 worth of retail and products," said Thomas. "It's a big hit for us. You know, we're a small business, and stuff like that really hurts us and sets us back, unfortunately."

It's all caught on surveillance video. In the video, you can see two people shatter the door, run in and immediately start filling their bags with unique trading cards. The hit took less than two minutes.

"One piece in particular is really hard to find right now, and that's what's kind of driving some of these incidents," said Funk. "The value on the secondary market is pretty high on some of these cards because of the rarity of the cards right now."

Funk said usually when they get a shipment of One Piece cards and the Disney Lorcana cards, they sell out in one or two days. He said some of the cards can be worth $500 to $1,000.

Funk said it looked like they knew exactly where to go to find the most valuable items. 

He believes it's a trend. He said two other game shops were broken into this weekend, with about eight in total this month alone. 

"We probably lost between $5,000 and $10,000," said Bat City Games and Comics owner Brendan Greenwood.

Greenwood said his South Austin Bat City Games and Comics was burglarized overnight on July 13. He said the thieves stole expensive vintage comic books and collectible cards. …

Austin police said they are investigating the cases but didn't say if they are linked. If you have any information call APD at 512-472-TIPS.” KVUE

CITY HALL

~ “Austin to receive nearly $48M in federal funds for projects aimed at reducing climate pollution,” KVUE’s Brittny Eubank – “The city of Austin is getting millions in federal funding to reduce climate pollution.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding roughly $4.3 billion in grants to fund projects in 30 states to reduce pollution. As part of that, Austin is receiving a $47.9 million grant to improve transportation.

The city said the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant will "help commuters in the region adjust to upcoming major construction projects that will temporarily disrupt travel in and around Austin and benefit from alternate commute options."

"The Austin region is on the brink of an exciting and positive new era of mobility with the infusion of billions of dollars into transportation projects," Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said. "But transformational change will bring some disruption along the way. Working with our regional coalition of transportation agencies, we plan to use this grant to make our transition a little easier and more pleasant for our residents with timely traveler information while also promoting adoption of transit, carpooling, and active transportation, leading to long-lasting impacts on congestion and achieving our mobility and pollution reduction goals."

The city said it will use the funds from the EPA to expand the Capital Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS) program, allowing for more frequent service to Austin-area suburbs like San Marcos, Bastrop and Taylor. The funds will also be used to increase CapMetro services, including CapMetro BikeShare, and to "allow a large-scale program of incentives and engagement" to encourage residents to carpool or use public transit.

"This grant will help promote and provide cleaner ways for people to get around the Austin region," City Manager TC Broadnax said. "Our residents and visitors will be able to make informed choices about how they want to travel. That aligns with the City’s goal to improve the quality of life for people who live and work here."” KVUE

“Three ‘no’ votes end try for historic zoning in East Austin,” Austin Monitor’s Jo Clifton – “Despite efforts from Preservation Austin and approval from two city commissions, the small historic house at 1100 East Second St. failed to get support from the nine City Council members needed for it to be designated historic and avoid demolition. Both the Historic Landmark Commission and the Planning Commission recommended historic designation for the Sinnigson house, which is in District 3.

The home, identified as using folk Victorian architecture, was built between 1888 and 1897. According to documents related to the case, “Sinnigson had worked as stage manager and carpenter for both the Millett Opera House and the Hyde Park Pavilion before moving to East Austin. … Over the course of his career, he became a prominent Austin builder.”

At Thursday’s Council meeting, representatives from Preservation Austin and the city’s Historic Preservation Officer Kalan Contreras, argued that the front part of the Sinnigson house could be preserved while the back part could be demolished.

“The Planning Commission has crafted a compromise solution, which both preserves the intact front of the original house and allows its incompatible rear additions to be removed and the back of the lot developed in accordance with the HOME amendment,” Contreras said. “This compromise has staff’s enthusiastic support.”

She concluded, “Staff feels this is an excellent compromise that helps preserve one of east Austin’s rapidly disappearing historic streetscapes, while also allowing the space to continue to serve Austin’s housing needs.”

Contreras said the East Austin historic resource survey, approved by Council in 2016, identified the Sinnigson house as eligible for local landmark designation and was individually eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

Josh Brunsmann, the owner’s real estate broker, argued against any preservation requirement. He said, “I understand the sentiment in regards to the historic preservation on this property, but this property is beyond disrepair.” He concluded, “This this would be a travesty to give this home historic preservation against the owner’s will,” adding that there was “a misunderstanding of the costs that are associated with being able to preserve this home.”

“We should be able to move forward with our demolition request,” he said.

Council Member Ryan Alter moved for approval, with a second from Council Member José Velásquez. Council Member Paige Ellis always votes against historic designation when the owner is opposed. Council Member Mackenzie Kelly joined her. With the rest of the Council in favor of the designation, Mayor Kirk Watson then turned to Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison, who voted no, ending the possibility of historic zoning and clearing the way for demolition.” Austin Monitor

2024

~ “Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, local candidates officially file for reelection,” KVUE’s Lauren Peterson – “Austin mayoral and city council candidates have started officially filing for their names to appear on the ballot.

Mayor Kirk Watson filed his paperwork on Monday, and so did Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, who's running for reelection as well.

Other candidates have announced they're running but have yet to submit a form to appear on the ballot. They have until Aug. 19 at 5 p.m. to do that.

Watson officially announced his reelection campaign in April. He has been serving his current term since the start of last year. If he is reelected on Nov. 5, he will continue to serve as Austin's mayor until 2029.

In his campaign announcement, Watson said that since starting his role in 2023, he has helped the city by adding housing reforms, filling empty positions within the Austin Police Department, launching the Austin Infrastructure Academy and working to help the city's homelessness concerns.

If Watson is reelected, he said he wants to make climate change response more of a priority, in part by closing down part of Austin Energy's Fayette Power Plant.

Watson already has some challengers in this year's mayoral race. Three others have announced campaigns: former city council member and Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo, community organizer Carmen Llanes Pulido and interfaith organizer Doug Greco.

In 1997, Watson was elected to his first term as Austin's mayor. He was reelected twice, serving in the role until 2001. Watson was elected to the Texas Senate in 2006 and served as a state senator for 13 years.

In the November 2022 general election, Watson advanced to a runoff election against former State Rep. Celia Israel in the Austin mayoral race. Watson won the runoff in December 2022 and was sworn in as mayor of Austin for a second time on Jan. 6, 2023.” KVUE

BUSINESS NEWS

~ “Former Silicon Labs CEO Tyson Tuttle launches AI startup Circuit, acquires Austin startup Molecula,” Austin Business Journal’s Brent Wistrom – “Former Silicon Labs CEO Tyson Tuttle has a new AI startup.

It's been stealthy for a while, and the young company remains a bit mysterious as it continues developing its products.

But there's plenty to chew on.

Tuttle describes the new company, Circuit Inc., as an AI startup that will allow users to apply the new technology to the mountains of non-public data that is typically locked away in private computer files, emails and internal databases.

"If you think about what Google does, it's really about finding information and data. But it doesn't read, it doesn't actually understand," he said. "It's like, 'Here's some stuff that's relevant to what you're doing,' but it doesn't actually understand what's going on. And for the first time, we're going to be able to take all of that data and information and turn it into insights and into, essentially, knowledge."

Its target audience is basically everyone with access to a smart device such as a phone or computer. Tuttle's vision is for it to be a transformational platform used for personal and professional endeavors.

"Every worker, every community member, every individual would be somebody who would be able to use Circuit," he said. "This is not just an enterprise SaaS play, it's not just a consumer play, it's really building a new platform across the top of all that, that is useful in companies internally and externally, in the community and in our personal lives."

To get there, Tuttle says he's doing what he loves most — building.

That includes creating a team with several former Silicon Labs employees. Among early team members with a background at Silicon Labs are Jackie Padgett, a former senior global marketing manager; Deirdre Walsh, former global head of marketing and communications; Andrew Peters, former global head of growth and revenue operations; and Oivind Loe, former senior manager of strategic marketing.

Matt Weiss, a former U.S. Marine Corps intelligence officer and corporate development officer at Anduril Industries, was brought on as co-founder and chief operating officer.

Funding and an acquisition

Atop that, Circuit has acquired fellow Austin startup Molecula, which has developed database technologies that manage high volumes of information that will help Circuit's data processing speeds. Altogether, Circuit has about 30 employees, and Tuttle said that number will likely double within the next year or so.

Terms of the acquisition haven't been disclosed. Former Molecula founder and CEO H.O. Maycotte is now a strategic advisor to Circuit and most of Molecula's team is now part of Circuit. That includes Patrick O'Keeffe, who was chief technology officer at Molecula and is now vice president of engineering with Circuit.

"We basically have brought on that team and that technology and that pipeline of customers with a new strategy," Tuttle said.

Meanwhile, Circuit has raised an undisclosed amount of initial funding through SAFE agreements, or simple agreements for future equity, with several tech executives and people close to Tuttle. The funding will give the startup at least six months of runway. It plans to raise additional capital in the future but didn't disclose target amounts or timing.

The young company has set up shop in a renovated house built in 1910, located in Old West Austin near Seventh Street and Lamar Boulevard. Behind it, the company has a newly constructed conference room with Tuttle's office and a garage. On a recent visit, the house was buzzing with a couple dozen employees taking video conference calls and using whiteboards to chart out product roadmaps.

While Circuit hasn't fully revealed its products yet, the company is emerging in an incredibly competitive space. Thousands of AI startups have launched in the past couple of years, often riding atop the technology of OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta and other generative AI large language models.

But Tuttle views Circuit as standing apart from the crowd.

"We're our biggest competitor," he said. "Our success hinges more on our ability to execute on our plans, and the quality of our ideas than it does what somebody else does."“ ABJ ($)

OTHER NEWS

~ “Saved temporarily, Highland Lanes will remain on Burnet a little longer that anticipated,” Austin Business Journal’s Sahar Chmais — “Highland Lanes, the 48-year-old North Austin bowling alley that had been slated to close later this year, is getting something of a reprieve.

Co-owner John Donovan said the business has received a lease extension to remain at the 8909 Burnet Road location for another 18 months.

“We’ve got an extension on our lease, and so we’re going to be there for at least another year-and-a-half, so we’re just going to enjoy that for now,” Donovan said.

The bowling alley had been expected to close by the end of this year, though there was no specific closing date. The property is owned by Peter Donovan — John Donovan's brother — under the name PCD Burnet Ltd. A site plan proposing a mixed-use development at the location was filed earlier this year but is now inactive. An application to rezone the roughly 2.5-acre property to Vertical Mixed-Use 2 — and construct 300 multifamily units — was filed and approved in 2022.

Peter Donovan couldn't be reached for comment. Michael Whellan, a land use attorney with Ambrust & Brown PLLC who is listed in the 2022 city documents as a project representative, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Kimley-Horn and Associates' Kendyl Saul, the applicant, also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

John Donovan said it's possible that Highland Lanes was able to extend its lease because the developer needed more time.

He also said it's possible Highland Lanes eventually may move to another home, although "it’s sure hard to find something that’s affordable in Austin." He said the business would need an accessible location near a major thoroughfare and ample parking for an approximately 35,000-square-foot building.” ABJ ($)

SPORTS

~ TEXAS BASEBALL:  “Texas baseball stays busy in portal, signs JUCO slugger Jaquae Stewart,” Austin American-Statesman’s Thomas Jones — “Texas baseball continued a busy day in the portal by getting a commitment from slugger Jaquae Stewart, a Texas native who recently helped Northwest Florida State College reach the junior-college national championship game.

Stewart, a burly 5-foot-10, 230-pounder from the Coastal Bend town of Sinton, was considered one of the top high school prospects in the state in 2023, ranking fourth among Texas’s first baseman, according to Perfect Game USA. He shined at first base in his first and only season in Florida while hitting .346 with 15 home runs and 62 RBIs. In May, he earned the Most Outstanding Player award at the Florida junior college regional championships after going 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and six RBIs in the title game against Chipola College.

Northwest Florida State College fell to Blinn College in the National Junior College Athletic Association championship game.” AAS ($)

~ TEXAS BASEBALL:  “Former Indiana State pitcher Jared Spencer joins Texas baseball program,” Austin American-Statesman’s Thomas Jones — “New Texas baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle continued to reload the Longhorns’ roster with the portal commitment of left-hander Jared Spencer, a former Indiana State star.

Spencer, a 14^th -round pick of the of the Philadelphia Phillies in the recent Major League Baseball Draft, confirmed on his social-media accounts Monday that he will join the Longhorns for the 2025 season. A 6-3, 195-pounder from Michigan, Spencer topped 97 mph on his fastball a year ago and also boasts an effective slider.  He made nine starts and had a 6-0 record in 18 appearances for the Sycamores last season while recording a 4.08 ERA in 53 innings of work with 72 strikeouts and 33 walks and an opponents’ batting average of .216.

The arrival of Spencer will give Schlossnagle another option for a revamped pitching staff that could lose Lebarron Johnson, Jr. and Tanner Witt, that could lose who were both drafted but have until the end of the month to decide whether to turn pro or return to Texas.” AAS ($)

~ TEXAS ROWING / VOLLEYBALL: “Texas rowing, volleyball teams visit White House after national title seasons,” KXAN’s Billy Gates – “It’s a long-standing tradition to visit the White House after winning an NCAA national championship, and two Texas Longhorns squads were in Washington D.C. on Monday to participate.

Texas rowing and volleyball made the trip to the nation’s capital along with around 50 other title teams from all three divisions of NCAA athletics for the 2023-24 athletic year. Sophomore setter Ella Swindle represented the volleyball team and Lanie Mitsch was the rowing team’s rep on stage during the ceremony.

“The coolest part about the experience is being surrounded by so many people chasing their dreams and pursuing excellence,” Swindle said. “I loved meeting other athletes and hearing their stories. It was an inspiring and empowering atmosphere and something we will never forget.”

Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the teams, praising their “grit and determination” to win a national championship.” KXAN

WHAT TO DO TONIGHT

~ LIVE MUSIC: Two Tons of Steel. Gruene Hall (Gruene, TX). 8:30pm. $12 at the door. More info here.

~ DINING: Check out Dipdipdip Tatsu-Yya’s (7301 Burnet Rd.) revamped, upscale menu. Austin Eater

COOL JOB ALERT

~REGULATORY POLICY ANALYST: Austin Water, Austin, TX. Pay range: $41.70 – $54.21 per hour. More info / apply here.