48º

WEATHER ALERT

AUSTIN

Texas attorney general refuses to hand over Jan. 6 records

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has rejected a prosecutor’s demand for records of his appearance at a pro-Donald Trump rally that preceded the assault on the U.S. Capitol. Last week, the Travis County district attorney’s office had set a four-day deadline for Paxton to turn over the records involving the Jan. 6, 2021, rally or face a lawsuit accusing him of violating the state open records law. The Texas Tribune was the first to report about Paxton's refusal.

news.yahoo.com

More than 250 families in Bastrop asked to evacuate as fire spreads outside Texas state park

AUSTIN, Texas — More than 250 families in the path of the Rolling Pines fire in Bastrop County were asked to flee their homes Tuesday night, but local officials said no homes had been damaged so far. Bastrop County and local fire management officials told reporters Tuesday night that while it was too early to conclusively determine the cause of the fire, it was likely linked to the planned 150-acre prescribed burn in Bastrop County State Park. The Texas parks department initiated the prescribed burn at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Smith said. It’s the second prescribed burn in Bastrop County State Park since the Bastrop Complex wildfire of 2011 that burned more than 34,000 acres and destroyed nearly 1,700 homes. Bastrop county officials had previously warned local residents about wildfire risks, but Bastrop County Judge Paul Pape said fire management officials followed the criteria for prescribed burns.

myrgv.com

UTRGV falls on road against No. 9 Texas

The UTRGV Vaqueros women’s basketball team lost 93-58 in a nonconference matchup against the No. 9 Texas Longhorns on Sunday at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin. The Longhorns (11-2, 1-1 BIG 12) had four in double-figures as Aliyah Matharu led all scorers with 18 points. During the second quarter, the Longhorns pushed their lead to 33-16 after a jumper from Shay Holle. During the third quarter, a 3-pointer from Rori Harmon pushed the Longhorn’s lead to 60-32.

myrgv.com

UTRGV women’s basketball adds road game against No. 9 Texas

The UTRGV women’s basketball team added a nonconference game against No. 9 Texas at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, after having its Western Athletic Conference game at New Mexico State postponed due to COVID concerns within the Aggies program, UTRGV announced Friday. The game will air live on the Longhorn Network. This will be the first matchup between the programs since Nov. 20, 2019, when the Vaqueros visited the Frank Erwin Center. The Vaqueros (5-8, 1-1) snapped a three-game losing streak with a win against Grand Canyon on Thursday, while the Longhorns (10-2, 1-1) lost to Texas Tech on Wednesday.

myrgv.com

Texas board withdraws pardon recommendation for George Floyd

A Texas board that unanimously supported a posthumous pardon for George Floyd over a 2004 drug arrest in Houston has withdrawn that recommendation over “procedural errors" after sending it to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's desk, his office said Thursday. The unusual reversal announced by Abbott's office two days before Christmas — around the time he typically doles out pardons — drew outrage from a public defender who had submitted the pardon application for Floyd, who spent much of his life in Houston before his death in 2020 in the custody of a white Minneapolis police officer. Floyd's name was withdrawn along with two dozen other clemency recommendations that had been submitted by the Texas Board of Pardon and Paroles.

news.yahoo.com