ATX PULSE 9/24/24 (sponsored by TX Flyover): COA, APA Reach Tentative Labor Contract Agreement // Lofton Family to DA Garza: No Plea Deal // HAAM Day 2024 to Benefit Working Musicians // Water Main Break Snarls NW Austin // Ewers Practices

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2024

Compiled by Matt Mackowiak

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TODAY’S WEATHER

H: 93° / L: 72°. Low 90s with a 20% chance of rain. Latest forecast from Fox 7 Austin’s Zack Shields here.

TOP NEWS

“Key findings in Statesman review of security for Travis officials, including DA Jose Garza,” Austin American-Statesman’s Tony Plohetksi — “The American-Statesman, based on a tip in August, began examining the personal security of Travis County District Attorney José Garza after learning that county commissioners took unprecedented steps earlier this year to protect his home.

The reporting included learning what potential threats prompted Garza's protection, how they compared to the danger faced by other elected and appointed officials and what security services or enhancements public money is funding.

The Statesman confirmed that county officials acted to protect Garza’s home after his address was posted on social media in late January with a screenshot of his campaign finance report which is easily findable on the county’s website. (The address has since been removed.)

The posting of his address on social media came after the Travis County sheriff’s office in 2023 investigated two pieces of what it deemed to be “concerning communication” aimed at Garza. One involved a letter mailed to his residence, which officials sent to the U.S. Postal Inspector for investigation. The other involved an email sent to the county that sheriff’s investigators did not deem a credible threat.

The Statesman found that threats made against officials have generally risen, with the county being on pace to have at least 100 threats to judges and other officials in 2024. It had 74 last year.

Government transparency watchdogs have criticized the county’s decisions about how commissioners responded to Garza’s security request, saying that the county lacked a consistent way to evaluate threats and that the security protection that Garza received is unequal to other officials.

Travis County reserves tapped for DA’s home security 

The Statesman reported in August that commissioners voted unanimously in spring to withdraw $115,000 from county reserves and routed the funds to the Travis County District Attorney’s Office for Garza’s security.

The move came after Garza made a direct appeal to commissioners in executive session.

“He wanted something to be done to keep him safe,” Commissioner Margaret Gomez recalled. 

Commissioner Ann Howard acknowledged that the money was used to enhance Garza’s home security, but she declined to provide specifics. Other commissioners also declined to discuss the details, as did County Judge Andy Brown, who employs Garza’s wife as his chief of staff.

The Statesman's examination of dispatch logs revealed that county constables have been providing overnight and weekend protection to Garza’s home since February — a security force mobilized within days of the posting of his address on social media. 

It is unclear if the $115,000 is being used to help pay for that security.

The security force has continued despite multiple law enforcement agencies confirming to the Statesman that they are not aware of any current threats to Garza and have no ongoing investigations concerning his safety.” AAS ($)

“Construction mishap leads to massive water main break in Northwest Austin,” Fox 7 Austin’s Katie Pratt — “A massive water main broke in Northwest Austin on Monday morning. It could be seen from miles away. 

"When that broke, staff went to the site to isolate it on either side of that water main break, to shut that line down, to stop the water loss," said Randi Jenkins, the Assistant Director of Austin Water.

The 48-inch line burst after a contractor struck it. The water likely sprayed for about 45 minutes before crews cut off the water at about 10:45 a.m. 

According to the city, only one customer was without water on Monday.

"It is a commercial business suite," said Jenkins. "So we have been coordinating directly with them all day to keep them in with bottled water to make sure their water needs are met." 

The construction is part of a more than $34 million project approved by Austin City Council to widen a section of Spicewood Springs Road to four lanes, create continuous pedestrian paths, and make other improvements. 

"I'm just very grateful that Austin Water responded quickly and that we've been able to minimize and limit any impacts to customers," said Jenkins. 

Jenkins said the road closures will remain until the water main repairs are complete.” Fox 7 Austin

“Austin’s HAAM Day returns with hundreds of live music performances benefiting local musicians,” KXAN’s Kelsey Thompson — “The Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) is hosting its annual HAAM Day Sept. 24, with hundreds of live music performances free and open to the public.

HAAM launched in 2005 as a resource to provide affordable health care for low-income and underinsured working musicians in Austin. The organization aids more than 3,000 musicians each year in accessing dental, hearing, vision, wellness, specialty care programs and health care navigation services, per a news release.

HAAM Day serves as the organization’s largest fundraiser. This year’s event will feature more than 250 live music performances from over 300 musicians at more than 100 venues in town, the release added.

More details on this year’s daylong event are available online.” KXAN

THE BLOTTER

“Family of Gloria Lofton asking Travis Co. DA to not accept plea deal from Raul Meza,” KXAN’s Erica Pauda — “Just weeks after a judge denied a possible plea deal for suspected “serial killer” Raul Meza, the family of one victim is asking the Travis County District Attorney’s Office to not accept a plea deal from him.

The family of Gloria Lofton said in a news release the Travis County District Attorney’s Office was not responding to their requests. In that release, the family said they wanted to know why they were being kept “in the dark.” They said they want this case to go to a jury trial.

“We will do EVERYTHING in our power to ensure a proper, thorough, and enthusiastic investigation is conducted by the appropriate Law Enforcement agency,” the family said in the release.

In August, KXAN reported how a judge rejected an offer, because it gave Meza the chance at parole. Meza, who already served time for killing a little girl in 1982, now faces charges in the murder of Jesse Fraga in 2023. Meza implicated himself in the death of Lofton, who was killed in 2019.

Lofton’s family said in the release Meza’s next plea deal “should include nothing less than accepting the death penalty.”

KXAN reached out to the Travis County DA’s office and it declined to comment.” KXAN

“Man who killed grandparents in South Austin charged with capital murder: APD,” via Fox 7 Austin’s — “A man was arrested and charged for killing his grandparents in their South Austin home on Saturday, the Austin Police Department said.

Austin police said on Saturday, Sept. 21, around 12:08 p.m., officers responded to a check welfare call in the 2300 block of Brookhill Drive. Multiple 911 calls were received asking to check on the couple living in the house. The callers also said 21-year-old Chevy Monaghan was refusing to open the door to let them see the couple.

When officers arrived, they found Monaghan in the driveway of the home. He told officers his grandparents were inside the home unharmed.

When officers went inside the home, they found 76-year-old Anthony Maxa and 76-year-old Shari Mallory-Maxa dead with gunshot wounds.

The Austin Police Department is investigating two homicides after a check welfare call led officers to two bodies inside a South Austin home Saturday.

The investigation showed Monaghan shot and killed his grandparents inside the home.

He was arrested and charged with capital murder. He is currently being held at the Travis County Jail.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or by calling 512-472-8477. A reward up to $1,000 may be available for any information that leads to an arrest.” Fox 7 Austin

“Trial begins for Austin Police Officer charged with deadly conduct,” CBS Austin’s Fred Cantu — "An Austin Police Officer who survived a murder charge stemming from a 2020 on-duty shooting goes on trial again... but in a different case. Officer Christopher Taylor is charged with deadly conduct in the death of the man who was reportedly in the midst of a psychotic episode.

Many will remember Officer Taylor was charged with murder in the death of Mike Ramos, who attempted to drive away after police responded to a report that Ramos was armed and allegedly dealing drugs in an apartment parking lot. Officer Taylor was the only one of the officers who used his weapon. His trial ended in a mistrial and the grand jury later declined a second attempt to indict him in the case.

But before all of that happened, Officer Taylor shot Mauris DeSilva, who was reportedly experiencing a psychotic episode and was threatening himself and others with a knife. This occurred July 31, 2019 at the condominium complex where DeSilva lived near West Third and Bowie Street downtown.

When officers arrived, the 46-year-old DeSilva was still armed with a knife. Police say DeSilva wasn't following the officers' requests as he walked toward them with the knife and Officers Taylor and Karl Krycia fired their guns. DeSilva was later pronounced dead at a local hospital from his wounds.

The Travis County District Attorney’s Office had originally charged Taylor with murder and deadly conduct in the death of DeSilva, but dropped the murder charge. Officer Taylor's attorney says Taylor would not have been indicted if their expert on police use of force had been allowed to address the grand jury.

Ken Ervin said, “This was a valid shooting, it was legal, it was justified and he was not allowed to testify to a grand jury.”

In a statement after the indictment, the DA's office called Officer Taylor's attorney's contention "false" and declined further comment because of grand jury secrecy laws.

The legal team representing DeSilva’s family wrote in a statement, "These indictments of the officer who shot (their) son to death will begin to help (them) heal."

The trial is scheduled to start Monday morning at 9:15.” CBS Austin

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

“Austin police officers may soon get largest pay raise in decades if council, union OK deal,” Austin American-Statesman's Skye Seipp — "Austin police officers could receive a 28% raise over the next five years after the city and police union shook hands Monday on a tentative contract after months of bargaining.

A final cost estimate was not immediately available, but the five-year deal is expected to cost nearly $215 million through the life of the contract based on a presentation the city showed during bargaining Monday.

The contract, which still needs the approval of the Austin City Council and association members, would keep Austin police officers among the highest-paid compared with the other eight largest cities in Texas, according to a wage study conducted by the city.

Getting a contract has been touted by some city officials as the best way to improve morale, recruitment and retention in the Austin Police Department, which has struggled with all three in the past few years. The department has about 350 vacancies.

The city and the Austin Police Association have been without a full-time contract for nearly a year and a half.

Lowell Denton, lead negotiator for the city, said the six-month bargaining process has been "frustrating and fascinating and rewarding" and expressed hope that this will be a "new era" for the Police Department.

The tentative agreement comes at a time with a lot of turnover among city leadership, starting with the hiring of City Manager T.C. Broadnax, who has brought on Lisa Davis to be the chief of police and Dallas Police Chief Eddie García to be an assistant city manager overseeing the public safety departments.

Broadnax previously said reaching a long-term contract with the union was one of his top priorities when he started in April. Mayor Kirk Watson also said at the start of the year that he was ready to reach a long-term contract.

Watson said in a statement that this tentative deal is a "new chapter" for public safety in Austin and that the city has been stuck in a "contentious stalemate" for too long about policing. For the first time in five years, the Police Department is on track to end the year with more officers than it started with, he said.

"This agreement ensures strong community oversight," Watson said in the statement. "It also assures officers the long-term protections and assurances needed to address our staffing challenges and help them afford to live in the city they serve."

The deal would give most sworn officers an 8% raise in year one, a 6% increase in year two, a 5% raise in years three and four, and then a 4% increase in year five. Additionally, all officers would receive a one-time $2,000 bonus at the start of the contract.

For the first time, seasoned patrol officers would receive a patrol stipend that's set to increase over time as they stay on patrol. The union tried to get this added in 2018, but it was taken out of the deal.

This is the largest pay increase package in the city's meet-and-confer history since the late 1990s, although most previous contracts lasted four years instead of five. Regardless, the year one pay increase of 8% is the largest single-year pay raise in the city's labor negotiation history.

Michael Bullock, president of the Austin Police Association, said he hopes that if approved, this contract will create an environment to help the city compete on a national level in trying to recruit more officers.

“No contract is perfect, but I think overall, this is a better spot than where we've been,” Bullock said. “Hopefully we're really going to be able to turn the tide on retaining and recruiting new people.”" AAS ($)

“San Antonio, Travis County and Mexico officials urge Legislature to fund passenger rail next session,” Austin Monitor’s Lina Fisher — "Monday morning saw a bevy of local – and international – officials come together on one issue that unites all who must traverse Texas: its nightmarish traffic. Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai and San Antonio City Council Member Melissa Cabello Havrda rode an Amtrak train to Austin along with Emmanuel Loo, deputy secretary of economic development for Nuevo Leon, Mexico, meeting Travis County officials to hold a press conference on the need for investment next legislative session in high-speed rail travel in Texas, particularly along the Interstate 35 corridor.

The U.S. company Texas Central – working in partnership with Japan’s Shinkansen bullet train masterminds, Central Japan Railway Company – has been planning for high-speed rail in Texas since 2009. The Federal Railroad Administration had already approved Texas Central’s environmental plans in 2020, but by 2022 land acquisition all but stopped due to a legal battle over eminent domain. Last summer, the project was revived due to a partnership with Amtrak, which is said to be taking the lead on the project, though there has been no public update since.

“The reality is that I-35 is going to be further congested, so the more trucks coming out of Mexico, up to San Antonio, up to Austin, up to the Canadian border, people are going to just get fed up, and they’re going to look for alternative transportation,” Sakai said. “I think we live in a world now where time is money, so I think it’s just going to be the natural market situation that will encourage and really require people to take the rail. If we stay status quo, it’ll be gridlock.”

The current proposed train route includes stops in Fort Worth and College Station, but Travis County Judge Andy Brown and San Antonio officials want to see it extend to Austin as well. The travel time between Houston and Dallas is projected to be as fast as 90 minutes, and Brown hopes the commute from Fort Worth to Austin could be the same. Officials in Monterrey and Nuevo Leon have also expressed interest in connections along the same route, and Sakai noted that trade and economic partnerships between Mexico and the U.S. could be increased through the I-35 corridor: “That’s why the capacity for freight and passenger rail in between our communities is so important.”

Amtrak’s senior vice president for high-speed rail development programs, Andy Byford, told Bloomberg earlier this year that the 240-mile Dallas-to-Houston corridor is ideal for high-speed rail, saying “the potential ridership is huge.” And though the local political will is there, getting the Texas Legislature to pony up funding for it might be difficult.

Federal funding is there, with $66 billion in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act set aside specifically for rail projects across the country – but Texas must pony up 20 percent of the cost to access it and has already missed out on $19 billion in federal funds because the Legislature hasn’t put a system in place to match them, Brown said. In 2017, the Legislature passed a law banning state funds from being used for “high-speed rail operated by a private entity,” and the Texas Department of Transportation seems set on a car-centric future – several state constitutional amendments stipulate that transportation funding has to go toward roads. 

That means funding might have to come from a mix of different private investors, strategies which members of the Texas Passenger Rail Advisory Committee – started by Brown and Sakai, and bringing together rail advocates and local officials – discussed on the train ride to Austin. Still, Brown urged during the press conference that the cost to the state would be worth it, saying that “by reallocating a small portion of our state budget surplus, we can modernize our transportation system to give our commuters another option here in Texas and make it safer, more efficient and more reliable to travel. There’s going to be 8 million people in this region by 2050. If we don’t have great passenger rail service by then, we’re going to be walking.”” Austin Monitor

“Watson, Council members refine direction in push to keep Marshalling Yard shelter open,” Austin Monitor's Chad Swiatecki — "Mayor Kirk Watson and other members of City Council want to give city staff specific directions and benchmarks in their work to keep the Marshalling Yard Emergency Shelter open indefinitely and keep other city shelters from becoming overwhelmed with the number of experiencing homelessness.

In a recent posting on the City Council Message Board, Watson responded to District 2 Council Member Vanessa Fuentes’ concerns about the cost and open-ended future for the facility, which was slated to close in March and which sits in District 3 just outside her district. Staff will need to find $9 million to operate the Marshalling Yard for another year.

An amended version of the relevant item for Thursday’s agenda includes the direction that the $9 million can’t come from elsewhere in the homelessness services system. It also calls for a plan to achieve a better rate of positive exits into stable housing for the 300 occupants at the Marshalling Yard, which staff has reported at between 10 percent and 20 percent in recent months.

Since passage of a six-month extension of the Marshalling Yard earlier this year, staff has looked unsuccessfully for city properties or any available for purchase in the private real estate market that could serve as a suitable replacement. Watson said the reduced intake underway at the Marshalling Yard and four other emergency shelters – which would need to absorb any residents still living there – is already putting a strain on the city’s homelessness services.

“I understand the concerns regarding the indefinite time frame of keeping the Marshalling Yard open. I considered setting a date in the draft resolution that I put out, but I worry about setting an arbitrary date and then not being able to find an alternative in the set frame. We did that. The original resolution to close the Marshalling Yard was passed in April and here we are without an alternative site. We simply can’t start going backward,” he wrote in part.

Council Member Ryan Alter, who helped to add the new directives to the resolution, stressed the importance of not taking money from other homeless services programs. He said the Marshalling Yard was not included in the city’s recent budget negotiations because it was expected an alternative site would have been identified with work underway to prepare it as a high-capacity emergency shelter.

“We all thought there was going to be some alternative location identified and ultimately available for the replacement of the Marshalling Yard. That has just proved to be more challenging than we thought. I think when the budget was being put together and when we were discussing potential changes, I guess there was just not the level of understanding that the replacement was not going to come as fast as we had all thought,” he said. “I know the Homeless Strategy Office is trying to get creative, but finding space suitable for shelter that’s ready for shelter is really difficult.”” Austin Monitor

“Round Rock ISD ratifies tax rate 2.59 cents lower than previous year for FY 2024-2025,” Community Impact Austin's Brooke Sjoberg — "The Round Rock ISD board of trustees ratified its tax rate for the 2024-25 fiscal year Sept. 19, marking one of the last steps in finalizing its budgetary process.

What you need to know

The approved tax rate of $0.8931 per $100 of valuation for the 2024-25 fiscal year, is $0.0259 lower than the previous fiscal year’s rate of $0.9190 per $100 of valuation.

District documents show that the lowered tax rate may result in a $19.79 savings for the tax bill of a home with a value of $383,201, the average taxable value for homes within the district.

How we got here

District administrators, prior to passing the tax rate Sept. 19, discussed how far they might be able to lower the tax rate and still manage to pay as much bond debt as they are asking constituents to approve.

Per district documents, the approved tax rate includes a 1.5-cent decrease to the debt service rate, as well as a decrease of just over one cent to the maintenance and operations rate.

The lower rate approved by the district comes as the Texas Education Agency has provided a finalized maximum compression rate, RRISD’s Chief Financial Officer Dennis Covington said Sept. 19. The MCR is the lowest threshold that a school district can set a maintenance and operations tax rate, and is based on the total property value of the district.” Community Impact Austin

“Buda approves $85M budget for FY 2024-25,” Community Impact Austin’s Amira Van Leeuwen — "Buda City Council approved a budget of $85 million for fiscal year 2024-2025 and increased the property tax rate on Sept. 17.

The adopted FY 2024-2025 city of Buda property tax rate is $0.3395, or a $0.0016 rate increase over FY 2023-24. The new rate represents a decrease from the FY 2022-23 and prior years' adopted rate of $0.3423.The average homeowner will see their city property tax bill increase from $1,181 to $1,301 per $100 valuation, according to a news release.

Buda residents will also see their utility bills increase by approximately 4.5% or $5.83. The council approved a 6% increase in water rates and a 3% increase in wastewater rates, resulting in an average monthly increase of about 4.5%—or $5.83—for the average utility customer, according to a news release.” Community Impact Austin

BUSINESS NEWS

“West Austin shopping center sold to out-of-state buyer,” Austin Business Journal’s Cody Baird — “A prominent West Austin shopping center near the shores of Lake Travis has changed hands, and there's still room for tenants that want to set up shop there.

Los Angeles-based Westwood Financial LLC, a shopping center-focused real estate firm, purchased Trails at 620 for an undisclosed price Sept. 17, said Adam Hawkins, partner at Partners Capital, which sold the property and is the investment platform of Partners Real Estate Co. Partners originally purchased the site in 2020 as part of a previous investment fund, according to an announcement.

“Trails at 620 was the last asset remaining in Fund III, and with its sale the Fund is fully monetized,” Partners Capital President Andrew Pappas said in a statement. “Our outsized results are a testament to our ability to create value across numerous asset classes and geographies and to navigate through bullish and bearish markets. By year-end we will have posted results for Fund I, II, and III and we look forward to continued success in our future investment vehicles.”

Trails at 620 is a 69,037-square-foot retail property on 15 acres at 8300 N. Farm to Market 620. Tenants at the retail strip include Action Behavior Center, AT&T, Freebirds and Green Mango, and the property is 80% leased up, Hawkins said.

Westwood Financial, the buyer, operates a portfolio of more than 125 similar shopping centers across the country in markets that include Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Orlando, Phoenix and Raleigh, according to its website. Trails at 620 is its only Austin-area property, though it owns several in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and in Houston and has bought and sold at least one other shopping center in Austin before.

Partners Capital originally purchased the property in 2020, Hawkins said. For the sale to Westwood, Partners was represented by Shea Petrick and Chris Gerard of Jones Lang LaSalle Inc.

While Trails at 620 was a key asset for Partners Capital’s Fund III, the firm has sponsored seven such investment funds in the past eight years, completing more than $500 million in transaction volume across three investment strategies.

Its latest fund, called Opportunity Fund V, is focused on industrial, retail and office properties in major markets in Texas and the Southeast. Partners Capital’s current portfolio consists of 1.4 million square feet of property.

Like Trails at 620, a few major retail properties in the area have changed hands over the past year. On South Congress Avenue, the beating heart of Austin’s retail scene, Saint Vincent, a 100% leased building, sold earlier this summer. And around this time last year, Tarrytown’s Casis Village sold for the first time since 1952.” ABJ ($)

“Median home sales decrease by 30% in Cedar Creek year over year in August,” Community Impact Austin’s Sierra Martin — “The real estate market for the Bastrop area experienced 65 home sales in August, according to data from the Austin Board of Realtors.

In the 78602 ZIP code, 57 homes sold, while eight sold in the 78612 ZIP code in August.

The median home sales price in the 78602 ZIP code was $369,000 in August. In the 78612 ZIP code, median home prices decreased by over 30% year over year to $365,000.

In the 78602 ZIP code, a home was listed on the market for an average of 60 days. In the 78612 ZIP code, homes were on the market for an average of 72 days, according to the data.” Community Impact Austin

2024

“Mayoral candidates will take part in another forum this week at Austin PBS,” KVUE’s John Diaz — “This week, voters will get another chance to hear from the candidates vying to be Austin's next mayor.

Austin PBS and the LBJ School of Public Affairs' Urban Lab will host a mayoral forum Wednesday at the network's studio on the Austin Community College's Highland campus.

The forum will cover the most pressing issues in Austin, including affordable housing, public safety, land use and mass transit. Four of the five candidates running for mayor will participate along with four moderators.

You can catch the forum in Studio A at Austin PBS from 12:30 to 2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public as long as you RSVP using this link. If you can't make it, you can watch the livestream here.

Earlier this month, another forum featured four of the five candidates after incumbent Mayor Kirk Watson said he was unable to make it due to his work schedule. Jeffrey Bowen, Doug Greco, Carmen Llanes Pulido and Kathie Tovo are all running to unseat Watson, who is running for reelection to a second consecutive term and third overall.” KVUE

SPORTS

~ TEXAS FOOTBALL: “Ewers practices Monday, Sark ‘impressed’ with recovery; 1st SEC report out Wednesday,” KXAN’s Billy Gates — “Whether Quinn Ewers suits up and plays in the Southeastern Conference opener Saturday for the No. 1 Texas Longhorns is still up in the air, but head coach Steve Sarkisian said he was impressed with Ewers’ practice Monday.

During his weekly press conference Monday following practice, Sarkisian stood on Ewers’ status for the game as questionable, but he’s improving. He said he needs to see how Ewers responds in practices during the week to determine Saturday’s availability.

“He’s got to do enough to show me that he can play,” Sarkisian said. “Can he execute the game plan? I want to make sure he’s healthy enough to play at a high level, so I need to see how he responds to Tuesday and Wednesday, which are heavy days for him. He’s been getting incrementally better day by day. Today was a good start.”

The picture will become clearer Wednesday when SEC teams submit their injury reports and they’re released to the public. Sarkisian also meets with media members via Zoom on Thursdays during the week, typically when he makes the call about who is available for the following Saturday.

Ewers has missed time the past two seasons with injuries, and upon his return, he’s played well and led the Longhorns to wins. Sarkisian said his relationship with Ewers is one that both are honest with each other when it comes to evaluating how the injuries affect the team.

“The beauty of it for Quinn and I has been our time together,” Sarkisian said. “Him being honest with me is his best interest and our best interest. I’ll do everything in my power to put him in the best position for him to be successful if he plays. Our history together is the most beneficial thing going for us this week.”” KXAN

~ TEXAS FOOTBALL: Golden: “Why Texas football should start Arch Manning against Mississippi State,” Austin American-Statesman’s Cedric Golden — “Quinn Ewers is back practicing and Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian lists him as questionable entering Saturday's SEC opener against Mississippi State.

Meanwhile, Arch Manning is ready if needed to make start No. 2 if needed.

Sarkisian said during his Monday media availability that Ewers practiced but will have to convince the coaching staff he’s ready to do what’s needed to get back into the lineup.

But seriously, there’s no hurry.

Arch can handle it.

Start the kid. Make sure Quinn is 100% before these money games coming up against Oklahoma and Georgia.

Manning experienced some choppy moments against Louisiana-Monroe, but showed more than enough to ensure that if he starts, the Horns will take care of Starkville's Bulldogs, who will arrive as a 38½-point underdogs.“ AAS ($)

QUICK LINKS

~ 'Trump Train' trial: Texas jury finds San Antonio man violated Klan Act; 5 defendants cleared - Austin American-Statesman

~ Texas State University establishes campus in Mexico - Community Impact

~ Georgetown ISD provides update on safety procedures - Community Impact

~ Check out these 8 fall festivals and pumpkin patches happening around Austin - Community Impact

~ Tot Box Play Cafe temporarily closed after car accident damages building - Community Impact

~ 24 Belly Professional Business Park bringing 67,000 square feet of office space to Buda - Community Impact

~ Capital Area Speech & Occupational Therapy to relocate next year in far Northwest Austin - Community Impact

~ Texas fatmucket mussel conservation provides significant value in regional water filtration efforts - Austin Monitor

~ Tell tales to tails: Read With Kittens set for Sept. 28 at Bastrop library - Community Impact

~ How to build a sense of place? Kyle mayor weighs in on efforts in the Austin suburb to boost its downtown - ABJ

~ Attorney files complaint about consultant’s statements on Central Health - Austin Monitor

AUSTIN CULTURE

~ OLD AUSTIN: Cisco’s bakery celebrates 75 years. KXAN

~ WINE: House Wine returns to a location on Bouldin Creek. Eater Austin

~ ACL FEST: ”2024 Austin City Limits Music Festival: What to know before you go” KVUE

WHAT TO DO TODAY/TONIGHT

~ LIVE MUSIC: Glen Hansard. Paramount Theater (713 Congress Ave.). Doors 7pm, show 8pm. Tix $30 and up here.

~ LIVE MUSIC: Fastball. Waterloo Records (6th & Lamar). 5pm. Free show to benefit HAAM Day 2024. Info here.

~ LIVE MUSIC: Vallejo. Radio East (3504 Montopolis Drive). Free show to benefit HAAM Day 2024. Info here.

~ MUSEUMS: Free Tuesday at the Blanton. Info here.

COOL JOB ALERT

~ Senior Writer, Food & Drink: Texas Monthly (Austin). Salary: “Competitive and negotiable”. Info / apply here.