The federal lawsuit alleges members of the group confronted and assaulted James Schellhase at an Austin-area H-E-B in 2024, then threatened to release a video unless he paid them. The group’s co-founder called the accusations baseless. The suit also names H-E-B.
A man died early Friday after a Manor police officer’s patrol vehicle struck him as he walked in a westbound lane of U.S. 290 near Gregg Manor Road, police said.
The officer was patrolling the highway around 1:04 a.m. Officers began CPR at the scene, but the man was pronounced dead. Police have not released his identity as they work to notify his family.
The officer has been placed on paid administrative leave while the crash is investigated. The Travis County Sheriff’s Office is assisting.
A federal judge ruled Thursday that UT was within its legal authority to suspend Ammer Qaddumi, a former student who helped organize the April 2024 pro-Palestinian protest on Speedway.
Qaddumi was suspended for three semesters after the university said he incited disruptive conduct, a claim he denied. He argued the suspension violated his First Amendment rights. The ruling could have implications for at least two other student lawsuits over UT’s response to the protests.
The event has drawn more than 2,400 RSVPs and waitlist sign-ups, while the original venue’s auditorium holds about 460. University Democrats say they’re still looking for a location that can accommodate the crowd and security needs. The event has drawn both support and opposition.
Two Step Inn is returning to San Gabriel Park in Georgetown on April 17–18, 2027, with Ella Langley and Brooks & Dunn headlining.
The country lineup also includes Parker McCollum, Sheryl Crow, Flatland Cavalry, Whiskey Myers, Tracy Lawrence and Josh Abbott Band. Georgetown residents with a valid local ZIP code and shipping address can get access to a presale offering lower-priced two-day general admission tickets through Friday at 10 a.m.
Public presale starts Sept. 25 at noon, with the lowest-price two-day GA tickets available for the first hour. More ticket options, including single-day passes, VIP and Platinum packages, go on sale Friday at noon. Last year, the festival donated more than $630,000 to Friends of Georgetown Parks and Recreation.
The Great Lawn will be closed from Sept. 21 through Oct. 18 as crews install and remove ACL Fest structures. Barton Springs Pool, the Greenbelt, the Disc Golf Course, Zilker Playscape and the Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail will remain open.
The city also released dates and times for nearby road and parking closures during festival load-in, the two festival weekends and load-out.
A $223 million Downtown East development will bring a new City Hall, Monarch Recreation Center, public gathering spaces, retail and trail extensions. City Hall is expected to open in January, while the recreation center is expected to open in February.
Other projects include expanding drinking water capacity from 17.7 million to 30 million gallons per day, rebuilding infrastructure in the Historic Colored Addition and adding a 15-mile raw waterline to Lake Pflugerville.
Arch Manning apologized Tuesday to ESPN reporter Holly Rowe after receiving criticism for his comments about the AI-generated video featuring Steve Sarkisian and Rowe. Rowe later posted that she accepted his apology.
Hi there! I’m Keri Heath, the Austin American-Statesman’s K-12 education reporter, and I’ll be answering your questions about state takeovers of school districts and what one could mean for Austin ISD.
Check out some of my other stories: https://x.com/HeathKeri
Austin ISD is facing a possible state takeover after two North Austin middle schools - Burnet and Webb - each scored a fifth consecutive F rating this August. Under state law, the Texas Education Agency will either close the schools or take over the district, replacing the elected trustees with appointed managers.
I’ve reported that Austin ISD’s scores on state testing have improved, but low-income students continue to trail their peers in the district. Six other school districts in Texas are currently under a state takeover because of academic reasons, the largest of which is Houston ISD. The takeover has created a lot of controversy among families and teachers over some of the changes to classroom learning.
As we learn more about the state’s decision this fall about Austin ISD, I will continue reporting on what a takeover could mean for families, teachers and students.
What are your questions about a state takeover and how likely one is in Austin ISD? Ask me anything!
Note: This is a scheduled AMA that will begin Wednesday, Sept. 16 at noon. Any questions posted in the comments beforehand will be answered when the AMA starts.
The Statesman Editorial Board examines the backlash after Bo French, the Republican nominee for the Texas Railroad Commission, used a photo of diverse UT students celebrating the Longhorns’ comeback win over Ohio State to criticize the university and claim Americans were being “displaced by foreigners.”
Some Republican leaders, including U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows and former House Speaker Dade Phelan, condemned French’s comments. Gov. Greg Abbott said, “That’s not my message,” while other prominent Republicans did not directly denounce the post.
The editorial argues that Texas leaders should be able to debate immigration policy without portraying people as a problem based on their race or appearance. It also questions whether the Texas GOP will hold French accountable — and whether UT is giving students enough opportunities to understand the state’s diverse history.
Just look at the expressions on these two.
Texas had just erased a 20-3 deficit to beat No. 1 Ohio State, 24-23, and Statesman photographer Sara Diggins somehow captured this moment on the field.
Sark wasn’t exactly in the mood for a long interview. Rowe eventually got nine words out of him: “Go! Texas fight! Let’s go, Texas fight! Hook ‘Em!”
Chicken wings have come a long way beyond the standard Buffalo order. Statesman restaurant critic Matthew Odam highlights some of Austin’s best, including duck-fat wings at Side Eye Pie, Korean fried chicken at Donkey Mo’s, smoked wings at Stiles Switch and classic bar wings at The Cavalier, Home Slice and Nickel City’s Delray Cafe.
There are plenty more picks, from Lao’d Bar and Kome to Tommy Want Wingy and Roots Chicken Shak.
Ken Capps had no badge, no paperwork and no time to prepare for a crisis at what was then the world’s third-busiest airport. About 175,000 people were stranded as airport workers stepped up to help.
“This to me was the story of the day: Taking that chaos and turning it into compassion,” Capps said.
Austin officials are attempting to arrange a final visit this week between Major, a dog that has spent more than 525 days in isolation at the city shelter, and his owner as public outrage mounts over a court order requiring the city to euthanize the animal.
The city said in a statement Tuesday it must “move forward with complying with the court order” after a judge denied a last-minute appeal from Major’s owner, Shane Lilly, who has spent more than a year fighting the case in four courts.
Elon Musk’s America PAC has spent more than $1.6 million supporting Attorney General Ken Paxton’s U.S. Senate campaign, including more than $1.36 million on digital media and $246,000 on printing, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
The PAC is now targeting Paxton’s Democratic rival, state Rep. James Talarico, with posts criticizing his views on crime, capitalism, immigration, LGBTQ issues and religion. Talarico’s campaign accused the group of using AI deepfake videos and misleading claims. Neither Paxton nor America PAC immediately responded to requests for comment.
The spending comes as Paxton and Talarico compete in one of the most closely watched races in Texas.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested and detained two workers before their shifts at Cisco's Restaurant Bakery and Bar in Austin early Monday morning at the request of Texas Department of Public Safety officials, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security confirmed.
DPS officials encountered the two individuals during a traffic stop in Austin, the spokesperson said.
Austin’s own Flock license-plate reader pilot ended last year, but the city's police continue to receive license-plate data from other law enforcement agencies.
As more Central Texas cities — including Pflugerville, Bastrop, Elgin, Manor and Leander — move away from Flock, Austin officials remain divided over whether to abandon the technology, regulate indirect access to the data or consider another vendor.
The same budget can look very different depending on where you shop. The Statesman compared homes listed between $450,000 and $550,000 across six Austin ZIP codes, from an 810-square-foot East Austin bungalow to a 2,267-square-foot detached condo in South Austin.
A state District Court judge in Austin denied a request to temporarily pause Texas’ crackdown on hemp-derived products, including delta-8 THC.
The companies challenging the rules argue the state overstepped by banning products with more than “trace” amounts of delta-8 without defining what “trace amounts” means. The rules have already led to product seizures and referrals to law enforcement.
The hemp industry is estimated to be worth $5 billion statewide. The companies’ lawsuit will continue, but the state’s rules remain in effect for now.
Perla’s will be closed while the restaurant assesses damage and makes repairs. The cause of the Sunday evening fire has not been determined.
