ATX PULSE 8/1/24: Musk to Open X Support Center in Bastrop // Murderer Released by DA Garza Rapes a 14 Year Old // APD Searches for Hit and Run Driver // Judge Neidhardt Livestreams in Transparency Push // CVC Needs Staffing, Urgency

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Today’s Weather: H: 97° / L: 76°. Sunny and hazy. Latest forecast from Fox 7 Austin’s Zack Shields here. Hot, humid, hazy start to August per KXAN.

TOP NEWS

~ “Elon Musk to expand Bastrop footprint with X support center,” Austin Business Journal’s Amanda Cutshall – “Elon Musk will expand his Bastrop footprint by opening a safety support center for his social media company X—formerly known as Twitter—within Hyperloop Plaza, company officials said.

The announcement was posted on the social media platform on July 29, noting that officials are looking to hire representatives with a base salary ranging from $50,000-$55,000.

In the job description, X Site Lead Roy M. Draa stated ideal candidates should help ensure the platform remains inclusive for users— keeping track of issues such as spam, fraud, child safety and more. Prospects should email their resume to [email protected]. Interviews will be set for the week of Aug. 5, according to the career website.

This comes following a post made by Musk on July 16, stating he will move the X headquarters from California to Texas as a result of the recent signing of California's Assembly Bill No. 1955.

The bill mandates school officials to develop resources "for the support of parents, guardians, and families of LGBTQ pupils and strategies to increase support for LGBTQ pupils," and prevents officials "from enacting or enforcing any policy, rule or administrative regulation that requires an employee or a contractor to disclose any information related to a pupil’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression to any other person without the pupil’s consent," per the bill's summary.

“This is the final straw,” Musk said in his post. “Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move."

Musk reposted his statement, adding that he will also move the X headquarters to Austin from California.

X officials could not immediately be reached for further comment.” Community Impact ($)

THE BLOTTER

~ TWEETS WORTH READING: Daniel W. Betts (@bettsforda): Meet, Ervin Coronado-Palacios, first a murderer and member of a stickup crew, released by @JosePGarza, so that now he could rape a 14 year old in Hays County. (1/10) 11:31 AM - Jul 31, 2024

~ “U.S. Marshals arrest Hutto man wanted for indecency with a child by exposure,” CBS Austin’s Stephanie Becerra – “The U.S. Marshals' Lone Star Fugitive Task Force arrested a man wanted in Hutto on two counts of indecency with a child by exposure.

Police say Jackie Cardell Selby Jr., 35, of Hutto, masturbated in front of two juveniles during separate incidents on February 19, 2023.

In June 2024, Hutto Police requested the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force's help to find him.

Nearly one month later, on July 30, Marshals tracked him to Round Rock and found him hiding under a storage shed.

Selby Jr. remains in the Williamson County Jail.” CBS Austin

~ “Austin police searching for driver of vehicle that fled after killing pedestrian,” Austin American-Statesman’s Syke Seipp – “The Austin Police Department is searching for the driver of a vehicle that fled the scene after hitting and killing a pedestrian in South Austin on Tuesday.

According to a press release, officers arrived in the 1000 block of West William Cannon Drive just before 1 a.m. and found a pedestrian who had been hit by a vehicle. That person was then taken to the hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

Police said the driver of the vehicle fled the scene. Officials did not release any information about the pedestrian.

Anyone with information can contact the Austin Police Department's vehicular homicide unit at 512-974-8111. You can also submit an anonymous tip online at austincrimestoppers.org or by calling 512-472-8477.” AAS ($)

“Home under construction catches fire in downtown Austin,” KVUE’s Morgan McGrath – “The Austin Fire Department (AFD) responded to a fire early Thursday morning at an empty home in downtown Austin. 

According to AFD, crews arrived just before 4 a.m. to a home currently under construction at 605 W. 18 St. 

The fire reportedly started in the basement and spread to the exterior walls of the property. 

There was no one inside the home at the time of the incident, and no injuries were reported. 

Responders said the fire started after a plugged-in cord overheated and exploded inside.

No additional information is available at this time.” KVUE

TRAFFIC

~ “’It’s bad’: Proposed changes for Parmer Lane to be presented Thursday,” KXAN’s Barrett Tryon – “Stetching between two counties and used by 38,000 drivers every day, Parmer Lane is a major route. And now transportation leaders are figuring out what to do about that stretch of road from MoPac to 1431.

“It’s always backed up. Always,” Brendan Townsend said.

She would know, too. As manager of the Jack Brown Cleaners off Parmer near Avery Ranch Boulevard, she has a front row seat to what happens there.

“It’s bad,” Townsend said. “There’s very seldom that I can look out to the [shopping center] exit that there’s no cars there.”

For drivers who have driven that stretch of road, it’s no surprise traffic is a problem.

“Parmer is just a busy, busy street. And the speed limit is 65 but people do more than that,” Towsend added.

The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) expects traffic to get even worse. It predicts there will be 50% more cars by 2045. That’s why CAMPO has teamed up with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to tackle it now.

“The open house is collecting input on potential short, mid, and long-term improvement concepts for Parmer,” Caroline Golden, a community engagement specialist for CAMPO, said.

People will have a chance Thursday evening to learn more about what’s being proposed to help lessen the headache.

“Considering bike and pedestrian improvements, like wider shoulders, dedicated bike lanes,” Golden said are part of those plans. They also include changing the timing of lights, and lowering the speed limit as you enter certain intersections.

That’s a welcome sign to Townsend and the thousands of other drivers who use that road every day.

“Anything they did, would make a big difference. Any little thing they did,” Townsend said.

All in an effort to clean up traffic troubles now as cities continue to grow.

The open house is scheduled for Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Round Rock Independent School District Performing Arts Center, 5800 McNeil Drive. There will also be a virtual open house at the same time, which you can see here.” KXAN

CITY HALL

~ “Possible zoning changes could threaten iconic North Austin businesses,” KVUE’s Ford Sanders – “Business owners at a North Austin shopping center say the future looks grim for their stores. A developer plans to knock down several businesses near the corner of U.S. 183 and Burnet Road, next door to Highland Lanes Bowling Alley, which is also preparing to close next year.

"We have some customers that have come to us for 40-plus years, and we treat our customers like friends, you know," said Jillian Keeper, the manager of Zookeeper, an exotic pet store.

A couple months ago, the pet store was told it would need to move out soon. Now, the owners have a new lease that they hope will keep them there for two years.

"People are moving here for the culture, and it's getting so compacted that they're knocking out places like us, and we are a potential candidate to be knocked out in the next couple of years as well," said Keeper.

Neighboring stores like Furniture Row are already selling off their stock and preparing to leave as a developer plans to come in and turn it into residential housing.

The change comes as a result of proposed zoning changes from commercial to residential, which a spokesperson from Council Member Chito Vela's office says is still awaiting approval.

Keeper said it's sad to see their neighbors go.

"Not to sound negative, but it's so discouraging, people coming from out of state and places. They're not even from here. And they're making phone calls hours away, and they have no idea what businesses they're destroying," said Keeper. "Setting up somewhere else, and taking appointments, there's thousands of animals. And we, you know, we expanded the store two times in the last 10 years, and that cost so much money as a local small business."

Keeper said while the business's future may be up in the air at this location, for now, they're here to stay.

KVUE reached out to a spokesperson for the developer who is expected to move in. We have not heard back.” KVUE

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

~ “Judge Neidhardt continues livestreams, cites transparency,” Hays Free Press’ Brittany Kelley – “The Hays County District Attorney’s Office was notified on July 1 that 483rd District Judge Tanner Neidhardt began livestreaming the trial proceedings of a case. Questions and concerns from the prosecution led Neidhardt to discontinue and remove the livestream from YouTube. Nearly a month later, Neidhardt took to YouTube again to stream his docket, citing the need for transparency.

Prior to the livestream, Neidhardt announced on  social media that he will be livestreaming his docket in the upcoming week: “Our Constitution says, ‘All courts shall be open,’ (Art. 1, Sec. 13). Let the people see what our judges, [district attorneys] and attorneys are doing, we demand,” said the judge.

On July 23, the livestream began and displayed two cameras: one of which was focused where Neidhardt would be sitting and another angled to face the court benches. The latter was placed behind him to give a view of the room, according to the judge,

As Neidhardt entered the courtroom, the microphone was unmuted and he immediately launched into a statement revealing the ongoing stream. The judge then motioned to a screen on the side projecting a notice of the livestream, which he included after receiving feedback. He then placed a separate camera in front of him, stating that this is where it sat when the claims the device was “secreted” were made. So, he wanted to advise those in the room where the cameras are positioned to avoid that same argument.

Hays County Criminal District Attorney Kelly Higgins, who previously stated that the cameras “were secreted and installed prior to the trial without the knowledge of all parties” in response to the initial livestreaming occurrence, later advocated for the stream: “I heartily welcome broadcast or livestreaming of court proceedings … I am happy to see the courts livestreaming proceedings, as long as the parties are informed and any measures needed to preserve identities and investigations are taken. I take the court’s recent introduction of notice to the courtroom as an understanding that informing the parties and public is necessary and proper … No one should be gaslit into believing that this office opposes livestreaming. Our objection was never that the court initiated a livestream. That is full within the discretion of any court. Our objection was, and remains, that the court livestreamed proceedings without informing the parties. Apart from that, we do not object or have any reservations about livestreaming judicial proceedings.”

The reasoning behind the need for the stream, said Neidhardt, is transparency. He stressed to the court that he believes the judicial system is under attack, due to “half of the county” assuming that the court is there to attack individuals. The livestream would provide an opportunity to give constituents insight on what goes on inside the courtroom — how attorneys defend community members and protect their rights — and encourage skeptics to believe once more in the system, he continued.

Higgins agreed with the sentiment that transparency is important, revealing that “If I had my own way, there would be even more transparency than that represented by livestreams. I would have the county know everything, but the rules that govern my comments prevent my saying more,” he concluded.

Before the 483rd District Court began its docket, a defense attorney questioned if Neidhardt had considered the implications of the stream if a defendant sought an expungement. In response, Neidhardt noted that there are several counties in Texas that hold livestreams and that he has been in touch with them and will look into the implications.

One of the counties that hosts regular livestreams is Harris County. The county courts have dedicated a portion of their website to include livestream links. Each court has an icon of a camera next to the link and when they are live, the camera will turn green and residents are able to view the stream in real time. Through viewing the more than five livestreams that occurred on July 24, the Hays Free Press noted that the camera for Criminal Court at Law No. 13 with Judge Raul Rodriguez, who was streaming a docket as well, was set up similarly to Neidhardt. There were two cameras, with one facing the judge and another that was more direct and front facing the benches. Rodriguez did mute the stream throughout for certain individuals or attorneys. Although, instead of YouTube, the county uses a separate server to host the streams.

There was also an ongoing trial in the 281st Civil Court that was livestreamed. This time, with three cameras: one was placed in front of the jury seats and faced the courtroom (the jurors were not shown), another on the witness stand and, finally, one facing the benches as the other streams were. The Hays Free Press was able to view the initial livestream that Neidhardt held on July 1, which confirmed that the set up for the trial was the exact same as Harris County’s trial stream, with a camera on the witness stand, on the judge and facing away from the jurors. During the Harris County trial, the camera stayed on the entire time, with the microphone being turned off during breaks. Throughout the duration of the stream, there were no less than 30 viewers.

Closer to Hays County is Bexar County’s 187th District Judge Stephanie Boyd, who streams daily on YouTube. She currently has more than 1,000 videos and 31,300 subscribers.

“People have the right to access our courts, but if they can’t actually come here because they have a job from nine to five or if they are a student and they have to be in class or they’re a mom that has kids, but wants to know what we’re doing in here about the fentanyl crisis. They can’t really come, so what is the right to access if they can’t come in and actually see it,” emphasized Neidhardt. “Ultimately, I believe in your right to access the courts — and now, I’m going to make that right actually mean something.”

Neidhardt’s stream occurred for four hours and 33 minutes on July 23 and can be viewed at bit.ly/4fksrU4.” Hays Free Press

~ “Court records: Detective allegedly deletes police officer husband’s files after he got fired,” KXAN’s Brianna Hollis – “Former Pflugerville Police Department detective Tara Schafer is accused of using her department-issued laptop to delete 554 records in her husband Corporal Tyler Schafer’s file the night he got fired from the department, according to various records obtained by KXAN.

“During the course of an administrative investigation, it was uncovered that an employee had accessed a former employee’s electronic folder and had deleted all items in said folder without authorization,” according to Tara’s criminal complaint.

Tara’s attorney Lytza Rojas said she is “very proud to represent Tara and am looking forward to seeing all the evidence and vigorously defending Tara through the court process.”

Tyler’s termination letter states he was placed on a performance improvement plan at the beginning of the year.

“Since the issuance of the [plan], you’ve demonstrated a continued disregard for Pflugerville Police Department policy and poor decision making,” the letter states.

The police department has not yet answered questions on what these behavior and performance issues were.

Pflugerville police did tell KXAN Tyler’s records were deleted from an internal storage system used to keep track of affidavits, paperwork and cases an employee has investigated.

A spokesperson for the city of Pflugerville said Tara was placed on administrative leave when the investigation launched, and subsequently fired when she got arrested.

The case is still under investigation.” KXAN

STATE GOVERNMENT

~ “‘That’s just stupid'. Crime victim’s payment woes among worsening wait in Texas,” KXAN’s David Barer and Matt Grant – “Alone, walking through the parking lot of a north Austin grocery store, Terry Reager heard her attacker’s running footsteps just before impact.

“The next thing I knew I had been body slammed really hard, and I was flying through the air and then landed down on the pavement,” Reager told KXAN.

The suspect jumped into a waiting white Volvo with Reager’s purse and vanished, according to Reager and police records. Reager’s physical trauma – a jammed wrist and elbow – lingered for weeks. The emotional toll lasted much longer. That night outside Central Market, her attacker took more than her purse. He stripped Reager, then 67 years old, of her sense of safety.

Within months, Reager developed PTSD, anxiety attacks and a malaise that she said pervaded her life and drastically affected her ability to perform her work as a real estate agent.

“I just couldn’t focus,” Reager said. “The first summer after it happened, I kind of … either stayed in bed curled up in a ball, or just kind of sat there and looked out the window.”

Almost two years after the incident, Reager learned she was eligible for assistance from Texas’ Crime Victims’ Compensation Program. She was hopeful the fund could help her, but the application process started a whole new set of struggles.

The Office of Attorney General Ken Paxton operates the CVC program, which is meant to relieve victims from the financial fallout of violent crimes. The fund provides money for medical bills, lost earnings, therapy, relocation, funerals and more. But for victims like Reager, and many others who have spoken with KXAN, the program’s intent has been undermined in recent years by dysfunction and extended wait times.

After applying for CVC help in January, Reager faced a frustrating labyrinth of application miscues, the droning of phone calls placed on hold and bureaucratic runaround that took months to navigate and drained hours of her time, she said.

KXAN has aired nearly a dozen investigations into the CVC program’s chronic understaffing and extended wait times for assistance. In April, the average victim was waiting 230 days for a first payment, nearly an all-time high, according to data obtained by KXAN through a public record request.

KXAN also discovered flawed reports submitted by the program to lawmakers that make it appear claims are being paid much faster than reality for victims. Representatives on the House Appropriations Committee, like Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, could soon address that issue.

The House Appropriations Committee oversees the CVC program’s budget allocation. Leading up to next year’s legislative session, the Committee has been tasked with examining the program’s performance.

Howard also had a hand in helping Reager, who called the representative’s office for assistance when she ran into roadblocks getting her claim processed.

Howard’s office found Reager experienced “significant delays” in her application. The problems Reager experienced trying to get help were “unacceptable and must be addressed,” Howard told KXAN in a statement.

“As a legislator and appropriator, it is deeply concerning and disappointing to know that the Attorney General’s Office has continued to fail to meet the goals of the program,” Howard said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee to find solutions ahead of next session.”

To improve the CVC program’s efficiency, Howard’s office said they will be looking at trimming red tape and bureaucratic obstacles that could slow down the application process.” KXAN

BUSINESS NEWS

~ “‘Called on more’: Private investigators look into Austin burglaries,” KXAN’s Brianna Hollis – “Will Black, the general manager of Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop off of Lamar Boulevard, said he has “the greatest job in the world.”

Pictured in the photo here, Black said he has worked at bike shops for 43 years.

But lately, a recent crime spurt has taken some of his focus away from what he loves doing at the shop.

“They’ll break a window, come in, grab an arm full of stuff. Not only is that a big distraction for the shop, there’s a cost involved,” Black said.

He filed reports with the Austin Police Department, but the problems persisted.

“You know, there are a lot of other things going on in the city,” he said. “While I’m not saying [the burglaries] weren’t a priority for [APD], I’m just saying there are other things that they prioritized more… We felt like we wanted to be a little bit more offensive.”

In comes Dave Amis, a Texas private investigator with Strider PI.

“We’re definitely getting called on more frequently,” he said. “As PI’s, we can be totally focused on their case. That allows us to be a little more aggressive and to move fast.”

Black said he hired Amis and Strider to help investigate the show burglaries. Amis said his team identified four suspects, and police have arrested three individuals related to the case.

“The best thing is for us is to work a case and then hand it over to APD,” Amis said. “Generally, they can pick it up and finish it, reconfirm everything we’ve done, but they’re the ones to ultimately make the arrest.”

Black feels like the PI help is working, and he’s looking forward to getting back to the core of his self-dubbed “best job in the world.”

“I just want to go back to taking care of the community,” he said.” KXAN

SPORTS

~ TEXAS FOOTBALL: “Steve Sarkisian sets high tempo, expectations in first Texas Longhorns football practice,” Austin American-Statesman’s Thomas Jones — “Sure, Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian knows it’s hot. He just spent a couple of hours Wednesday in the mid-day heat in a black Longhorns T-shirt, orchestrating the first summer practice of the season at the Frank Denius Fields on the eastern edge of campus.

Yes, Sarkisian also knows his talented team has genuine hopes of playing football until Jan. 20, the date of the College Football Playoff title game that caps the first 12-team playoff.

But he also knows he can’t worry about pacing his squad just quite yet — especially as he and his coaching staff try to set the tone for a program coming off a 12-2 season, a Big 12 championship and the school’s first appearance in the College Football Playoff.

“We're going to go hard for the first two and a half weeks,” Sarkisian said during his first press conference of the preseason. “I think that's a mindset. You know, we believe in the toughness in our program. And we have to push them (the players) to places where maybe they think they couldn’t go and then excel in those places.”

Sarkisian tempered that tough talk with a shoutout to his medical staff and the “sports science” that he says increases the efficiency of practice as well as the safety of the players. But the message was still sent with the two-hour practice that kicked off just before 3 p.m., and the players seemed to embrace the challenge.

“We had really good energy, and the guys came out with really good intent,” Sarkisian said. “It just felt great to be back on the practice field.”

Now entering his fourth season as the Texas coach, Sarkisian has plenty of reasons to feel good, even if his team has to navigate the treacherous SEC for the first time. He cited a veteran offensive line and a talented set of running backs as well as a three-year starter quarterback in Quinn Ewers.

“And I feel like we're faster (on defense),” he said. “Especially from an edge perspective and then the second level with our backers and our star and then even into the back end. We’ve got real speed back there.”

So, what worries Sarkisian the most, especially as Texas will ramp up scheme-specific practices in the coming weeks in preparation for the Aug. 31 opener against visiting Colorado State?

“There's a ton,” he said. “Every year you go into camp, I try to take nothing for granted. You try to let things play out the way that they do and then you start to figure out as you go the strengths of your team and then start pouring into the strength of the team.”

Who becomes the go-to receivers in a rotation full of transfers and freshmen that looks seven deep? How can the Longhorns replace a pair of All-American defensive tackles in T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy II, last year’s breakout defensive stars? And what can Texas do to shore up a pass defense exposed by quality quarterbacks throughout the 2023 season? Personnel decisions must be made, even if Sarkisian is picking from a deep pool of talent.

“I feel like I'm crying from a yacht right now,” he said with a chuckle. “You know, to some degree, that's a good problem, that we have too many good players. That's the idea: You try to recruit really well, you try to recruit really good players that have great character and that work hard, and I think that's what we can say about these guys right now. They work extremely hard. They work hard with one another. And I hope they make it really difficult on us. That's a good problem to have.”” AAS ($)

AUSTIN CULTURE

~ DINING: “2 Elite Austin Spots Mingle Among Yelp’s 10 Best New Southern Restauarants”. Culture Map Austin

~ DINING: “The Owner of Mexican Restaurants Suerte and Este is Opening a New Austin Restaurant”. Austin Eater

~ DINING: “Downtown Austin Hotel will Open Three New Restaurants as Part of Renovations”. Austin Eater

WHAT TO DO TONIGHT

~ COMEDY: Maria Bamford (Cap City Comedy Club, 11506 Century Oaks Terrace, Bldg. B, Unit 100). Tickets start at $27. Show 8pm. Tickets here. Performs thru Sat.

~ FILM: Pulp Fiction 30th Anniversary (Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave). 7:30pm. Tickets: $12. Info here.

COOL JOB ALERT

~REGULATORY POLICY ANALYST: Austin Water. Salary: $41.7-$54.21 per hour. Info / apply here.