TRAVIS COUNTY

A Travis County resident died after swimming in Lake Lyndon B. Johnson and falling ill from an amebic meningitis infection.

A search is underway for a missing teen who didn’t resurface after a boat ran aground on Lake Austin, according to Austin-Travis County EMS officials.

More than 8 in 10 people charged by state troopers since they began helping Austin police have been people of color. In Southeast Austin, a neighborhood president calls it “outright racial profiling.”

The number of acres burned this year is dramatically lower compared to 2022. But a rash of new fires have put state and local officials on edge.

Texans are seeing record-breaking temperatures this summer. Tell us how the excessive heat is affecting your daily life or plans for the future and what questions we can answer about dealing with it.

Paxton’s top aide told senators that an agency-hired lawyer worked with the Travis County district attorney’s office to investigate a complaint by Nate Paul. County prosecutors dispute that.

The women, believed to be the first to testify about an abortion ban’s impact on their pregnancy since 1973, are seeking to clarify when a medical emergency justifies an abortion.

Gov. Greg Abbott has said he wants to pardon Perry, who was convicted by a Travis County jury last week.

A train derailed in Travis County on Monday morning, causing a small gravel spill and road closure.

Hamilton Pool in Travis County, which is known for its 50-foot waterfall which cascades into a natural swimming hole, is open for reservations through May. Reservations for dates in June 2023 and beyond are not available yet.

Chris Beard was arrested in December for allegedly strangling his fiancée. The university fired him last month.

A small plane reportedly lost power before it crashed onto a golf course in Lakeway on Sunday morning, according to Austin-Travis County EMS officials.

A days-long power outage and a misleading social media post led to hundreds of people fighting over food at an H-E-B on the Southeast Side of Austin, according to Travis County Constable George Morales III.

Close to 325,000 electricity customers statewide lacked power Thursday evening. Austin’s main power provider said it can no longer promise full restoration by 6 p.m. Friday.

Areli Escobar was sentenced to death in 2011 for an Austin murder, but even prosecutors now agree his conviction relied heavily on faulty DNA testing by the discredited Travis County crime lab.

Watson, a former state senator who was Austin’s mayor from 1997 to 2001, pitched himself as a back-to-basics candidate who could ease the city’s growing affordability crisis.

For some local relief programs, a lack of staffing, political support and effective community outreach got in the way of spending federal funds to prevent evictions, a new report found. More than $30 million went unspent and had to be returned.

The Court of Criminal Appeals scuttled nearly 450 cases, saying migrants arrested for trespassing in Kinney County can’t ask Austin judges to hear their appeals.

A Central Texas man was arrested after a dead woman was found buried underneath a burn pit, according to authorities.

Although there are laws on the books preventing certain people from possessing guns, there are few places in the state where the criminal justice system has programs to hand over firearms to law enforcement — leaving survivors at a heightened risk for gun violence.

A Hays County commissioner who was charged with driving while intoxicated after crashing into a vehicle in Austin last year has been sentenced to nine months of community supervision in the case, Travis County court records show.

A former Texas sheriff's deputy has been sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for killing his ex-wife, teenage stepdaughter and the stepdaughter's boyfriend.

Another Texas lake is now considered “fully infested” with zebra mussels.

The minimum wage in Travis County will soon be $20 an hour.

While there are currently 780 confirmed monkeypox cases statewide, Texas cities are bracing for an increase in infections.

A woman convicted in 2016 of murdering her husband during a road rage incident provided false payroll information over a seven-year period in order to avoid more than $9 million in payments, Texas Department of Insurance officials confirmed Thursday.

Austin Public Health (APH) confirmed six monkeypox cases and seven presumptive cases on Wednesday.

Daniel Alexander was enslaved when he founded a farm before the Civil War. 175 years later, his family is fighting to keep it intact as Texas plans to expand U.S. Highway 183.

A San Antonio man who pleaded guilty to setting fire to a political party office in Austin will spend six years in prison for the crime.

A suspect was charged in the murder of a man whose body was found by deputies last month, according to the Hay’s County Sheriff’s Office.

Casar won the Democratic primary for Texas’ 35th Congressional District in a landslide victory last month and is expected to win the general election in November.

Months after the problems became apparent, migrants are still being kept in prison in violation of state laws under Gov. Greg Abbott’s border security crackdown.

One of Texas’ most creepy crawlies is the redheaded centipede.

Abbott’s move is the latest in a long clash between Texas Republicans and Austin-area officials over policing — and comes as the push for reform in the Texas capital enters a more complex and uncertain chapter.

Indictments released Tuesday accuse 19 officers of using deadly weapons to injure 11 demonstrators during protests against racial injustice and police violence two years ago.

Defense attorneys for eight of 19 indicted APD officers say they were following orders when they used force against 2020 protesters. So far, there are 14 lawsuits against the city for injuries suffered during those confrontations.

Justin Berry is among 19 Austin law enforcement officers indicted and accused of using excessive force on anti-police brutality protesters in 2020.

Casar has impressive progressive endorsements, from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders. But he also is tied to some of Austin’s most progressive policies, which have attracted powerful enemies and turned off some moderate Democrats.

A Pflugerville woman who disappeared late last month was likely killed by her boyfriend, who is currently on the run, according to the Travis County Sheriff’s Office.

Update:

With less than a month left to vote by mail in the March primary election, hundreds of applications for mail-in ballots are being rejected as both Texas voters and local election officials decipher new ID requirements enacted by Republican lawmakers.

Last week, the Travis County district attorney’s office gave Paxton four days to turn over communications requested by the state’s largest newspapers or face a lawsuit.

A legal defense group is asking Travis County courts to throw out the arrests of hundreds of migrants swept up in the governor’s border initiative. The case is expected to draw in the Texas attorney general and address whether Gov. Greg Abbott’s plan is unconstitutional.

The Travis County district attorney, a Democrat, says the Republican attorney general has four days to provide communications, multiple Texas news outlets first reported.

A Travis County judge Thursday tossed out the trespassing charge of an Ecuadorian man who said he came to the United States seeking asylum. His lawyers argued that the governor’s directive to arrest migrants on state charges unconstitutionally usurps federal immigration law.

Texas Republicans last year enacted new identification requirements for voting by mail as part of sweeping legislation that further restricted the state’s voting process and narrowed local control of elections.

It’s unclear whether the local mandate, which requires businesses to post signs outlining their safety guidelines, is in conflict with Gov. Greg Abbott’s previous pandemic orders.

The State Commission on Judicial Conduct had admonished Eckhardt in 2020 for her actions as Travis County judge.

A search is underway after a 76-year-old man disappeared in Bastrop County, according to the Travis County Sheriff’s Office.

The effort to charge Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir came at a time when many Texas Republicans questioned the integrity of last year’s election despite there being no evidence of widespread voter fraud.

The Austin Democrat, who has served in Congress since 1995, currently represents the 35th District, which stretches down to San Antonio. He will run in the newly created 37th District located in Travis County.

The Travis County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a newborn child was found dead in a shallow grave near a creek south of Austin.

With the U.S. Food and Drug administration’s full approval of the Pfizer vaccine, Texas is in uncharted territory when it comes to COVID-19 vaccinations.

Back-and-forth legal rulings have left some school districts with the choice of flouting Abbott and mandating masks — or waiting for the dust to settle.

In the face of skyrocketing hospitalizations, the heads of cities, counties and school districts have grown desperate for ways to contain the virus.

Here’s what to do if you lose your COVID-19 vaccine card.

Officials in Dallas, Harris and Travis counties want residents to take stronger precautions as the delta variant drives an increase in coronavirus infections across Texas.

The city’s return to Stage 3 risk-based guidelines marks the first time a major Texas city has reversed direction in the trend toward normalcy. But others are also reporting surges in cases.

State officials have added 59 deaths to the toll wrought by the February cold wave and the ensuing collapse of the Texas electric power grid.

Army Sgt. Daniel Perry shot and killed Foster, who was legally armed, after an altercation during a protest against police brutality last summer, police said. Perry argues it was in self defense.

A former Texas sheriff’s deputy has been indicted on capital murder charges in the April shooting of his ex-wife, teenage stepdaughter and the stepdaughter's boyfriend.

Due to falling rocks, Travis County Parks officials will not be allowing swimming at Hamilton Pool Preserve for the foreseeable future.

Officials in Travis and Harris counties — both early adopters of pandemic restrictions — rolled some back Tuesday in an effort to allow vaccinated residents to return to pre-pandemic living.

A person drowned after falling off of a raft in the Colorado River in East Austin on Sunday, according to Travis County EMS officials.

The Texas Department of Public Safety and Travis County District Attorney’s Office said Thursday “that there is not enough evidence to support” an allegation that a lobbyist used a date rape drug on a Capitol staffer and that “no crime occurred in this instance.”

Hamilton Pool Preserve has reopened reservations through May after being closed for most of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A former deputy for the Travis County Sheriff’s Office who is accused of fatally shooting three people in Austin has been arrested after an hours-long manhunt, according to police.

Police in Texas say a former sheriff’s deputy accused of killing his wife, teenager daughter and another man in a weekend shooting has been booked on a capital murder charge.

An Austin court on Thursday dismissed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s appeal challenging Travis County and Austin’s New Years holiday curfew, months after it ended — in a perhaps symbolic win for local officials.

Officials say a former Texas sheriff has been charged for the second time with evidence tampering in an investigation into the death in custody of a Black man that was filmed by a police reality TV series.

Paxton sued the local officials for refusing to end the mandate after Gov. District Judge Lora Livingston has yet to issue a final ruling on the merits of the case, meaning Austin and Travis officials may later be told to comply with state officials. Ad“I've been doing everything that I can to protect the health and safety of people in Travis County,” Brown said in an interview. However, this was not the case in Travis County where officials said they would continue to require public mask use. Therefore, masks remained required in Travis County in the meantime.

Austin and Travis County officials can continue enforcing their mask mandates after a district judge delayed action on the Texas attorney general’s request to immediately stop the mandates. That means city and county officials can continue to require masks until at least March 26, when District Judge Lora Livingston will hold a trial. "I told Travis County and the City of Austin to comply with state mask law. Travis County Judge Andy Brown counts the two-week delay as a win. The pandemic has especially impacted Texans of color — including in El Paso where Paxton previously blocked a county judge from ordering non-essential businesses to shut down.

AUSTIN, Texas – Acting on his threat, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Austin and Travis County officials on Thursday over their decision to continue requiring mask-wearing in public. “Judge Brown and I will fight to defend and enforce our local health officials’ rules for as long as possible using all the power and tools available to us," Adler said in a statement. State officials reported that 4,053 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases Thursday raised the Texas pandemic total past the 2.7 million level to 2,704,344. Of those, the Texas Department of State Health Services estimated that 121,882 cases were active Thursday and 4,406 hospitalizations Wednesday, the latest data available. AdThe state reported 231 new COVID-19 fatalities in Texas on Thursday, taking the state's pandemic death toll past 45,000 to 45,106.

A COVID-19 safety sign in Austin on June 24, 2020. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Travis County and Austin officials in an effort to force them to rescind their local mask orders, he announced Thursday. "I told Travis County & The City of Austin to comply with state mask law," Paxton tweeted. There have been more than 2,200 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Travis County in the past two weeks. Travis County Judge Andy Brown, who presides over the county government, said the authority to impose the local mask mandate comes from the county health authority, not from Brown’s emergency powers. Paxton’s office successfully defeated an effort by Travis and Austin officials to restrict in-person dining at restaurants around New Year’s.

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is threatening to sue Travis County and the City of Austin if officials don’t back down on local orders that continue to require masks despite Gov. Austin and Travis County public health leaders recently announced they would continue to require masks, even though Abbott forbade local authorities from superseding his order. It does not rest with jurisdictions like the city of Austin or Travis County or their local health authorities,” Paxton wrote in a statement Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/IP9UpZPplh — Texas Attorney General (@TXAG) March 10, 2021“Otherwise, on behalf of the state of Texas,” Paxton wrote, “I will sue you.”Paxton’s office successfully challenged Austin and Travis officials’ attempts to restrict holiday restaurant operations around New Year’s. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

AUSTIN, Texas – A Texas woman convicted of murder in the 2003 choking death of a boy she was babysitting was released from prison on bond after a judge said new evidence shows she didn’t intentionally hurt the child. Travis County District Judge Karen Sage ordered Rosa Jimenez released on bond Wednesday, citing “clear and convincing evidence.” The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals will make the ultimate decision on whether to overturn Jimenez’s conviction or grant a new trial. Jimenez has served 15 years in prison in the death of 21-month-old Bryan Gutierrez, who choked on a wad of paper towels while in Jimenez’s care. Ad“Justice delayed is justice denied, and I am deeply sorry for that,” Sage said in her decision. The Innocence Project, which is representing Jimenez, said Jimenez has advanced kidney disease that makes her particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, which has ravaged prisons throughout the U.S.Jimenez was sentenced to 99 years in prison.

SAN ANTONIO – Editor’s note: This story was published through a partnership between the San Antonio Business Journal and KSAT. Bexar County saw the greatest percentage increase in home sales of the four largest Texas counties last year, according to the latest multiple listing system report from the San Antonio Board of Realtors. Bexar County saw a 11.2% increase in home sales in 2020 — 27,855 homes last year compared to 24,936 in 2019. Travis County saw a 3.2% increase; Harris County saw a 6.7% increase; and Dallas County saw a 4% increase. Read more on this story at the San Antonio Business Journal.

In a further blow to the state, Texas’ Third Court of Appeals swiftly rejected an appeal later that night. Friday’s Supreme Court order, however, directs the lower court to block enforcement of the orders, pending any further appeal. Abbott, that allows for dine-in restaurant service and bars local officials from enacting more restrictive rules. Abbott and Paxton have sparred with other local officials who pushed aggressive measures meant to tamp down on the virus’ spread. Samaniego ordered a curfew similar to that in Austin and Travis County for Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Elia Montoya serves breakfast dishes to U.S. Rep. Chip Roy and his family at Juan In A Million in East Austin in May. After the ruling, Deputy Attor­ney Gen­er­al Aaron Reitz announced on Twitter that the state would appeal. Under the curfew, patrons are not ordered to leave at 10:30 p.m., but they could not be served on-site. “It is our position that these local officials are in the best position to make the best decision for this jurisdiction,” said Travis County attorney Leslie Dippell. “My executive order stops cities like Austin from arbitrarily shutting down businesses,” he said.

Abbott spokeswoman Renae Eze said the governor ordered state health and emergency management officials to “strategically surge” medical teams to help with vaccinations in long-term care facilities. In Austin, officials moved to tamp down social gatherings and parties with new limits on dine-in and drink service at restaurants and bars. In a letter to city and county officials, Paxton said the order improperly restricts business hours in violation of a previous order by the governor. Austin Mayor Steve Adler said health officials are trying to corral surging hospitalizations and new cases. Adler said city attorneys were consulted on the Austin order.

The Texas Supreme Court has extended its emergency eviction relief program for tenants behind on rent through at least March 15, lengthening the program’s expiration date by a month and a half. The move comes after Congress passed a stimulus bill Monday extending the federal moratorium on evictions through the end of January. The state created the Texas Eviction Diversion Program earlier this fall with the help of $171 million in CARES Act funding, the vast majority designated for rental assistance. But some housing advocates said the extension doesn’t go far enough to address the large number of struggling renters, even as the federal government extended its eviction moratorium. "There could be tens of thousands of evictions on the horizon in Texas later this winter,” said Michael Depland, spokesperson for the advocacy group, Texas Housers.

‘Tiger King' star arrested in Travis County, made officers ’aware of his social status,’ police sayPublished: November 17, 2020, 12:21 pmA star of the Netflix hit series “Tiger King” was arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated over the weekend and allegedly touted his “social status” to officers in Travis County.

A star of the Netflix hit series “Tiger King” was arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated over the weekend and allegedly touted his “social status” to officers in Travis County. Dillon Passage, husband to the jailed “Tiger King” himself Joseph Maldonado-Passage, was stopped while driving a Dodge Challenger around 1:30 a.m. Sunday on U.S. Highway 290 in Manor, according to police. Passage made officers aware of his social status and marriage to famed Joe Maldonado-Passage (Tiger King) on scene of the incident," Manor police said in a statement. He also said that he “may be a bit intoxicated," according to investigators. His story grew to fame in the Netflix documentary series “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness,” which showed his disdain for Baskin and his obsession with big cats.

In what’s expected to be the final ruling on the matter, the Texas Supreme Court has upheld Gov. Greg Abbott’s order limiting Texas counties to only one drop-off location for voters to hand deliver their absentee ballots during the pandemic. In their opinion, the justices wrote that Abbott's order "provides Texas voters more ways to vote in the November 3 election than does the Election Code. The Texas Supreme Court has kept Texas’ limitations on mail-in voting, but allowed drive-thru voting in Harris County to continue. In typical elections, Texas voters who wish to deliver their absentee ballots in person can only do so on Election Day.

The Travis County Tax Office at 5501 Airport Blvd. A state appeals court has upheld a Travis County State district court order allowing Texas counties to have multiple drop-off locations for hand delivery of absentee ballots, undercutting Gov. But it remains unclear if the intermediate court's decision will lead to the reopening of ballot drop-off locations that were shut down in Harris and Travis counties following Abbott's order. Abbott and Texas Secretary of State Ruth Hughs are expected to quickly appeal the ruling to the Texas Supreme Court to again block the order from taking effect. Last week, Travis County State District Judge Tim Sulak agreed, ruling against Abbott’s order.

The Travis County Tax Office at 5501 Airport Blvd is now the only drive-thru location open for hand delivery of mail-in ballots in the county. A Travis County state district judge on Thursday ordered a halt to Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive limiting Texas counties to one drop-off location for hand delivery of absentee ballots. In a short order Thursday, Travis County District Judge Tim Sulak ruled against Abbott and the Texas secretary of state. Travis County had four drop-off locations before the Oct. 1 order, and Harris County had a dozen in place.

With an election official looking on an elderly voter uses the drive-thru option to vote outside Richardson City Hall during early voting Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020, in Richardson, Texas. Texas is one of just five states that did not dramatically expand mail-in voting this year because of COVID-19. Long lines were common at polling sites across Texas, as were masks, although voters are not required to wear them inside polling places. Travis County, which includes the state capital of Austin, will also offer extended hours at select locations during early voting. Upping the ante is the chance to flip the Republican-controlled Texas State House of Representatives.

Texas counties may collect mail-in ballots at only one location, a federal appeals court ruled late Monday, once again upholding an order from Gov. Abbott in July acted to lengthen the early voting period and allow voters to deliver completed absentee ballots in person for longer than the normal period. A number of civil rights groups sued in at least four lawsuits, calling the order an act of voter suppression that would disproportionately impact low-income voters, voters with disabilities, older voters and voters of color in Democratic counties. “Leaving the Governor’s October 1 Proclamation in place still gives Texas absentee voters many ways to cast their ballots in the November 3 election. These methods for remote voting outstrip what Texas law previously permitted in a pre-COVID world,” wrote U.S.

A federal judge Friday ruled that Texas counties can have multiple drop-off locations for absentee ballots during the Nov. 3 general election, blocking the enforcement of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent order that sought to limit counties to just one such location. Saying Abbott's order confused voters and restricted voter access, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman granted an injunction late Friday barring its enforcement. With an unprecedented number of Texas voters requesting mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic, and concerns about the reliability of the U.S. Postal Service, some large, Democratic counties had set up numerous locations to accept the ballots before Abbott's order.

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Gov. Trump has spread falsehoods about mail voting, suggesting without evidence that the process — which is surging in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic — was ripe for fraud. Texas is one of just five states not allowing widespread mail-in voting this year, with polls showing unusually tight races in America’s biggest red state. “Mail ballot voters shouldn’t have to drive 30 miles to drop off their ballot, or rely on a mail system that’s facing cutbacks,” said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, a Democrat. “Our office is more than willing to accommodate poll watchers at mail ballot drop-off locations,” Hollins said.

LAGO VISTA, Texas – Three people were injured when their single-engine plane crashed in a wooded area northwest of Austin on Monday afternoon, Texas authorities said. Darren Noak with the Austin-Travis County EMS said that of the three adults aboard, one who had to be extricated from the plane was taken to a hospital with serious, life-threatening injuries. He said the other two were also taken to hospitals, one with serious injuries and the other with potentially serious injuries. Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said the Beechcraft BE 36 Bonanza crashed 3 miles (5 kilometers) south of Rusty Allen Airport in Lago Vista. She said the plane was on approach to the Lago Vista airport from from Brownsville, located 370 miles (595 kilometers) to the south.

SAN ANTONIO – Austin Public Health officials are confirming that 31 pools of mosquitoes have tested positive for West Nile Virus in Austin-Travis County. Three probable human cases of West Nile Virus have also been reported in the county so far, officials say. The affected ZIP codes of where the positive mosquito pools are located can be viewed in the map below, provided by Austin Public Health. Mosquito update: There have been 31 total mosquito pools positive for West Nile Virus this year across Austin-Travis County. To learn more about protection against the West Nile Virus, click here.

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas Fifteen boats were in distress during a boat parade in support of President Donald Trump on Lake Travis, according to the Travis County Sheriffs Office. The boat parade began around 12:15 p.m., Saturday, which is when the sheriffs office first began receiving incident reports. Of the boats that were in distress, the sheriffs office said five boats sank along the parade route, three boats were towed out and two boats are still submerged in the lake, as of Sunday. The distress calls varied and included: boats taking on water, stalled engines, capsized boats and boats sinking. More from KSAT:Several boats did sink during Lake Travis Trump boat parade, Travis County officials sayIn Texas, President Trumps team hit the road to shore up support

Demonstrators rallied against evictions Friday outside of a Harris County justice of the peace precinct in Houston. The two justices of the peace for Harris Precinct 5, unlike some of their counterparts elsewhere in the county, resumed eviction proceedings as soon as they were allowed, in mid-May. In Houston, the first round of a rental assistance program ran out in 90 minutes, according to the Houston Chronicle. Although both judges are hearing eviction cases, protesters said that Ridgways court has more evictions scheduled and handles cases for immigrant neighborhoods like Gulfton. According to January Advisors, the precinct also had the most evictions compared with other parts of the county before the pandemic.

The city of San Antonio has a plan that aims to get the city to carbon neutral by 2050 -- meaning less dangerous emissions into the air we breathe, and a big part of that is the use of electric vehicles. Families around San Antonio have said they are unsure about an electric vehicle and spoke about the concern about the price of owning one. An iconic image of the electric vehicle world is the Tesla and according to Tesla.com, the cheapest car starts at $33,690. But thats not the only electric vehicle or EV, out there. The city of San Antonio has had a robust charging network for almost a decade.

Former Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt at The Texas Tribune Festival in 2018 Thomas Meredith for The Texas TribuneFormer Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt is set to succeed former state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, in the Texas Senate after state Rep. Eddie Rodriguez said Monday he is dropping out of the race. Eckhardt and Rodriguez, both Democrats, were poised to face off in a special election runoff for the seat. "For that reason," he wrote, "I have decided to forego the runoff for Senate and focus my efforts on winning a Democratic majority and promoting an aggressive, progressive agenda in the Texas House." Eckhardt and Rodriguez finished first and second, respectively, in the six-way race on July 14. Greg Abbott had not yet set a date for the runoff.

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Tesla CEO Elon Musk were smiling big this week and for good reason. Abbott posted a photo on Wednesday of the pair posing with the hook em horns hand gesture and thanked Musk for embracing our great state. For anyone that doesnt know - hook em horns is the hand signal for the University of Texas at Austin, which Abbott previously attended. Welcome to Texas, Abbott seemingly said to Musk in a Facebook post.

Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt speaks at The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 29, 2018. Thomas Meredith for The Texas TribuneFormer Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt was leading the way Tuesday night in the special election to replace former state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, though it remained unclear whether she would be able to avoid a runoff. Eckhardt, who needs 50% of the vote to win the election outright, was hovering around that figure Tuesday night. Rodriguez touted his 18 years in the Texas House, arguing that his relationships there will serve him well in the Senate. His district includes all of Bastrop County, most of Austin and northern Travis County.

LAREDO, Texas – Residents in one Texas city are being required to wear something that covers their nose and mouth when they’re out in public during the coronavirus pandemic — or face a fine of up to $1,000. Residents will also have to cover their mouth and nose when using public transportation, taxis, ride shares or when pumping gas. Laredo reported its first four deaths from COVID-19 within the past five days. The South Texas city of more than 261,000 residents along the U.S.-Mexico border is about 155 miles (250 kilometers) southwest of San Antonio. There are nearly 4,700 cases of coronavirus in Texas and at least 70 related deaths, according to state health officials.