ATX PULSE 9/18/24: Multiple Arrests in Plot to Kill WilCo Judge // 4 Bastrop Middle School Students Arrested for Threats // SXSW Announces First Round of Speakers // Major Crash Closes S. IH-35 in Gtown (1)

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2024

Compiled by Matt Mackowiak

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TODAY’S WEATHER

H: 98° / L: 77°. Heat wave continues. Latest forecast from Fox 7 Austin’s Zack Shields here.

TOP NEWS

“Multiple people arrested in plot to kill Williamson County judge after shooting in Liberty Hill,” KVUE’s Tony Plohetski — “Multiple people have been arrested for allegedly plotting to kill a Williamson County judge.

The arrests were made following an investigation into a shooting in Liberty Hill on March 8.

According to the Williamson County Sheriff's Office, someone broke into a home and shot a woman and her boyfriend. The woman sustained 11 gunshot wounds to the chest, abdomen, arms, legs, shoulder and neck, while the man was shot twice. Both have recovered since the shooting.

Investigators determined the shooting was not a random act of violence and discovered through a joint investigation with the FBI that three people were plotting to kill a Williamson County judge.

A law enforcement source told KVUE Senior Reporter Tony Plohetski that the case involved a family court matter and a child custody issue. The source said the man is accused of working with two co-conspirators to try and kill the judge and his family because he believed he would not receive custody of his child.

Three people were arrested in the investigation that stretched from Texas to the New Orleans area. Authorities have not said which judge they were targeting or who the injured victims were. The suspects have also not been identified.

The sheriff's office is expected to release more details on the case on Wednesday.” KVUE

“4 Bastrop middle school students arrested after reported threat,” KXAN’s Andrew Schnitker — “Four Bastrop Middle School students were arrested after a threat toward the school was posted on social media, a Bastrop Independent School District spokesperson told KXAN Tuesday.

Bastrop ISD police investigated the threat and determined it was “non-credible,” Bastrop Middle School Principal Tiffany Peirson said in a letter sent to families.

“Due to the seriousness of the incident, four of our (BMS) students have been identified and arrested,” Peirson said in the letter.

The district said it was made aware of a screenshot circulating on social media that connected the middle school and “the possibility of a threat.”

The spokesperson said a letter explaining the situation was sent to all Bastrop ISD families Tuesday.” KXAN

“Travis DA won’t pursue murder charge against Austin cop Christopher Taylor for 2019 shooting,” Austin American-Statesman’s Tony Plohetski — “Travis County prosecutors will not pursue a murder case against Austin police officer Christopher Taylor in the shooting death of a man in 2019, opting instead to seek a conviction on a lesser felony charge.

The attorney for the family of Mauris DeSilva, a scientist and researcher who was shot and killed during what officials and family members said was a mental health episode, and attorneys for Taylor confirmed the development to the American-Statesman on Tuesday. The murder trial was set to start Monday.

A spokesman for District Attorney Jose Garza said the prosecutor's office would not comment on the pending matter, adding that a pretrial hearing is set for Friday.

Prosecutors recently met with DeSilva’s family, including his father, Denzil Desilva, to inform them of the decision to instead try Taylor on a deadly conduct charge, a third degree felony, attorney Brad Vinson said.

Vinson said prosecutors told them: “We think it is better for the case, better for juries in Travis County on these cases, and that is what we are going to be going forward with."

“It makes me think that maybe their office thought a Travis County jury would be more likely to convict (police officers), and what they are finding is that Travis County juries are more technical,” Vinson said. “They are very educated and technical in the way they evaluate evidence.”

The decision is the latest instance in which Garza has shifted strategy — or outright dismissed a charge — in a case dealing with police accountability, a major platform that helped the district attorney get elected in 2020 in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder by a cop in Minneapolis.” AAS ($)

“Judge orders new trial for Erik Maund in murder-for-hire plot after evidence mishandling,” Austin American-Statesman’s Tony Plohetski — “A federal judge has ruled that Erik Charles Maund, who was convicted last year in a murder-for-hire plot that stretched from Austin to Nashville, will receive a new trial because of mishandling of evidence.

The ruling, issued Tuesday, said that an "administrative mistake caused certain exhibits not admitted into evidence to be given to the jury as it began deliberations. The Court understands the gravity and impact of that mistake, as well as its impact on the parties, the victims, and potentially the public’s view of the trial."

Judge William L. Campbell wrote that the error was discovered this year amid media requests for evidence in the case.

Maund is the grandson of Charles Maund, who began a prominent auto dealerships enterprise in Central Texas.

He was convicted of hiring several men to kill his alleged mistress and her boyfriend after the boyfriend was accused of trying to extort money from Maund.” AAS ($)

“SXSW announces first speakers for 2025 festival and conference,” Austin American-Statesman’s Beck Andrew Salgado — “In a release Tuesday afternoon, the South by Southwest Festival and Conference announced its first round of speakers for the event. The list is the first hint of what next year's festival will look like and a possible indication that more announcements could be coming soon. 

Featured Speakers announced today include New York Times bestselling author, host of the podcast The Drive and founder of Early Medical, Dr. Peter Attia; President of Blizzard Entertainment Johanna Faries; documentarian and professor of tactical media at City University of New York, Queens College, Douglas Rushkoff; professor of psychology at Yale University Dr. Laurie Santos, and founder and CEO of the Future Today Institute and professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, Amy Webb.

”Featuring thought leaders from technology, entertainment, welfare, and advocacy, today’s announcement showcases many of the verticals that make SXSW a can’t-miss event for professionals and creatives worldwide,” said Hugh Forrest, Co-President and Chief Programming Officer. “We're looking forward to welcoming back SXSW veterans such as Douglas Rushkoff and Amy Webb, and introducing newcomers like Nadia Murad and Dr. Peter Attia to our incredible community.”

SXSW also opened an early window into programming, as it detailed 13 featured sessions that will be led by the aforementioned speakers. 

Additional sessions will be held by founder and chief operations officer of Unstoppable Domains, Sandy Carter, chief futurist at Deloitte Consulting, LLP, Mike Bechtel and head of computational design for Microsoft AI platform, John Maeda, which seems to be setting up a continued emphasis on AI’s rule in society and industry. 

Lastly, Vice-Chancellor of Australian National University, Genevieve Bell and chief marketing officer of Selena Gomez's buzzy makeup company Rare Beauty, Katie Welch were included in the announcement.” AAS ($) 

THE BLOTTER

“Man pretending to be Lyft driver sexually assaults passenger in Austin: affidavit,” via Fox 7 Austin — “A man who was acting as a Lyft driver in Austin was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a passenger.

According to an arrest affidavit, the attack happened back in May.

The victim said 42-year-old Maurys Madruga-Mesa made a series of detours on the way to her drop-off location before stopping in an area in West Austin to assault her.

The victim said, at one point, Lyft sent her a safety alert after Madruga-Mesa prematurely ended the ride at the wrong location. 

Austin police said during an interview that Madruga-Mesa admitted to using a friend's Lyft account to work, and he was not the person featured on the app.

Madruga-Mesa denied any wrongdoing.

He was booked into the Travis County Jail with a $40,000 bond.” Fox 7 Austin

“Major crash closes all southbound lanes on I-35 in Georgetown,” CBS Austin’s Tara Brolley — “A major crash on I-35 has closed all southbound lanes just south of Lakeway Drive in Georgetown, authorities said Wednesday morning.

The Georgetown Police Department announced the closure on X around 6:48 a.m., urging drivers to find alternate routes and avoid the area. The department promised to update when lanes reopen.

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the collision occurred around 6:14 a.m.

TxDOT reports that all lanes are affected, including both shoulders and three main lanes.

CBS Austin reached out to the Georgetown Police Department for additional information but has not heard back.” CBS Austin

“Person dead after getting hit by vehicle in Del Valle,” KVUE’s Morgan McGrath — “One person is dead after they were hit by a vehicle late Tuesday night in Del Valle, according to the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services (ATCEMS). 

ATCEMS, the Austin Fire Department (AFD) and Travis County Fire Rescue arrived on scene around 11:20 p.m. to the 12000 block of Doyle Rd., where responders said an adult was injured. 

After conducting CPR, ATCEMS said the adult died on scene.

The road was closed Tuesday night, and it's unclear whether it has since reopened. 

No additional information is available at this time. “ KVUE

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

“City of Austin looking to make telework policy more flexible, could save city money,” KXAN’s Grace Reader — “The city of Austin could once again change its work from home policy — this time, making it more flexible and giving individual departments more power.

“The City is reviewing its current work from home policy and is exploring possible updates,” a city of Austin spokesperson told KXAN.

In an Audit and Finance Committee meeting late last month, human resources staff told some Austin City Council members that the city was exploring allowing employees to work from home 60% of the time — or three days a week.

The new policy could also hand more power to departments to determine what works best for its individual teams.

“I think it’s a good, a better starting point than where we were,” said Carol Guthrie, business manager for AFSCME Local 1624, which represents city of Austin employees.

Last year, Interim City Manager Jesús Garza called people back to the office after the pandemic. For employees in management positions, that meant in-person full-time. For people who served as non-executive staff, they’re required to work in the office at least three days a week.

“It is imperative, in my opinion, that we work to ensure the public’s trust. We cannot completely do so if we are not present or responsive to their needs. With this in mind, we must address the various department policies surrounding telework,” Garza said then.

But some city employees like Marna McLain, an IT corporate manager for the city, weren’t on the same page.

“When I started teleworking five days a week, I saved 11 hours a week of not being in traffic,” McLain told KXAN.

Turns out, quite a few employees felt the same. A new audit from the Office of the City Auditor surveyed employees on retention, and found nearly 70% dislike the policy. Nearly half of all city employees took the survey, according to the audit.

It also found making that policy less restrictive would be a low-cost, perhaps even money-saving, retention incentive.” KXAN

BUSINESS NEWS

“Plans for huge River Park project i East Austin evolving to meet the market, developers say,” Austin Business Journal’s Sahar Chmais — “Plans for a huge mixed-use project on Riverside Drive in East Austin now call for inclusion of a 65,000-square-foot venue for live shows and events as developers continue tweaking an initiative that has spent years on the drawing board.

The development — called River Park — will sit on 109 acres between Roy G. Guerrero Colorado River Metro Park, E. Riverside Dr., Pleasant Valley Road and Country Club Creek. Dallas-based Presidium Group LLC, which is working on the project with Partners Group, released updates regarding it earlier this month, including plans for the entertainment venue and changes to some other elements.

River Park will be developed over 10 to 20 years and will feature multifamily units, office, retail, parkland and the entertainment venue, according to Presidium — although no date for a groundbreaking has been announced.

“To accommodate the music and event venue, we are processing slight adjustments to the site plan under the city’s revision process. Until those revisions are approved, there is not a firm timeline” for work to begin, Presidium Vice President Michael Piano said in an email.

Piano said the planned 10 million-square-foot mixed-use project — equivalent to about seven Barton Creek Square Malls or 20 Frost Bank towers — will continue to evolve to serve market demand.

The first phase of River Park was approved in May after years of effort between Presidium and the city of Austin, Piano said.

When construction does begin, utility and streetscape infrastructure will be first, followed by the entertainment venue as the initial building, he said.

Some information about the project hasn't been disclosed, such as who will be the general contractor and who is partnering on the 65,000-square-foot entertainment venue.” ABJ ($)

SPORTS

~ TEXAS FOOTBALL: “Freshman WR Ryan Wingo exploding for Texas football. Will he be even better with Arch Manning?” Austin American-Statesman’s Thomas Jones — “When Ryan Wingo arrived on the Texas campus in January, he understood his situation as a freshman receiver on a loaded Longhorns offense.

Wingo knew that Alabama's Isaiah Bond and Houston's Matthew Golden had already arrived as veteran transfers. He knew returning receivers Johntay Cook II and DeAndre Moore Jr. eagerly awaited their opportunities for expanded roles, and he knew Silas Bolden was yet another weapon for Texas when the transfer landed in Austin from Oregon State this summer.

So that gave the 6-foot-2, 210-pound five-star recruit from St. Louis, the nation’s No. 7 receiver prospect for the 2024 class in 247Sports’ composite rankings, an inkling of his role as a big-play downfield threat in his first season.

“I think I try to just make the best out of every opportunity I get, whenever I get on the field,” Wingo said after hauling in three catches for 127 yards and a touchdown in Saturday’s 56-7 win over UTSA. “I just can't take anything for granted. It's just being able to make the plays when they come to me.”” AAS ($)

QUICK LINKS

~ ‘Total war’: Lawmakers look to shake up Texas politics next legislative session - KXAN

~ Plans for huge River Park project in East Austin evolving to meet the market, developers say - ABJ

~ Concordia University Texas names 1st female president - KXAN Austin

~ Waymo announces autonomous robotaxi services for the public to begin in 2025 - Community Impact

~ Del Valle High School administrators stopped armed student from entering campus Tuesday - Austin American-Statesman

~ Restaurant Depot inks another deal in Austin as dining scene booms - ABJ

~ Georgetown ISD inks partnership with CelLink, ACC for manufacturing program - Community Impact

~ Barton Springs Pool reopens this week after safety hazard - KVUE

~ Barton Springs Pool reopening Thursday - KXAN Austin

~ 5.1-magnitude earthquake hits West Texas, tremors felt as far as Austin, DFW - Austin American-Statesman

~ APD investigating deadly crash involving pedestrian in northeast Austin - KVUE

~ Round Rock Police responding to major 2-vehicle crash - KXAN

~ Barton Springs Pool is reopening on Thursday - KUT

~ City Council puts South Central Waterfront Plan on ice - Austin Monitor

~ Over 30 museums will offer free admission for Austin Museum Day - Community Impact

~ Texas State University sets new enrollment record for fall 2024 semester - Community Impact

~ Travis County sues Paxton over voter registration efforts - Austin Monitor

~ Lakeway debates cell tower near Serene Hills Elementary - Community Impact

~ Central Market celebrates 30 years in Texas with record-breaking charcuterie board - Community Impact

AUSTIN CULTURE

~ DINING: ”A Michelin-Starred Canadian Japanese Restaurant Is Opening an Austin Sushi Spot” Austin Eater

~ KOSHER DINING: ”Where to Celebrate Rosh Hashanah in Austin With Food” Austin Eater

WHAT TO DO TONIGHT

~ TRIVIA: Seinfeld trivia. The Long Goodbye (2808 Manor Rd). Website here.

COOL JOB ALERT

~ Advance Representative: Office of the Governor. Salary $4,666.67 - $4,887.50 (monthly). Info / apply here.