Early morning crash near the Capitol
For the second time in as many days, Police are investigating an early morning crash involving multiple vehicles and a person on foot. Austin Police say a man was killed just before 4:00 am this morning when he was hit by a truck and a DPS trooper just west of the Capitol. And just yesterday, a man was killed when he was hit by multiple vehicles on I 35 near Parmer.
COVID-19 update
COVID numbers in Travis County have remained fairly unchanged all week, with only slight increases or decreases here and there. Today is no different. 1,087 active cases. That’s up by 21. Hospitalizations have climbed from 131 yesterday, to 135 today. Since March of last year, 80,800 cases have been confirmed with 78,900 recoveries.
AISD shuts down athletics
The Austin school district has shut down JV and freshman athletics programs for two weeks at Anderson High School. AISD’s Patricia Fraga says that’s due to a recent jump in COVID cases at Anderson High school.
“The code related cases are attributed to off campus activities. Right now, we’re kind of doing contact tracing and narrowing it down, but it did happen off campus and it’s not on campus related incidents,” Fraga says.
On campus classes will continue. Varsity sports will also be allowed to continue, but players must turn in proof that they have tested negative for COVID-19 to take part in athletic activities.
The Round Rock School District will get some input from the public tonight on a proposal to relax some of the mask requirements. Already, the district is allowing students to choose whether or not to wear a mask in a lot of outdoor activities. And the board is now considering changes to the policy indoors as well. And that proposal is expected to be met with a lot of resistance.
School board candidate charged with assault
A candidate for the Lake Travis school board has been charged with assault. Kara Bell reportedly got upset when told by employees at a Nordstrom Rack store in Sunset Valley she had to wear a mask. Video obtained by FOX 7 shows Bell meeting with police after that incident.
“You are not going to put your disgusting rule on me that are false and not true,” says Bell.
An employee claims Bell shoved her, which is why she’s facing an assault charge. The school district says it’s aware of this incident, but because Bell is a candidate for the board election laws prevent the district from commenting at the moment.
Sentencing for hitman in Shaughnessy case
Another of the people involved in the shooting death of Austin Jeweler Theodore Shaughnessy has pleaded guilty to capital murder. Travis County DA Jose Garza says Johnny Leone will spend 35 years in prison. He was one of the hitmen hired to kill Shaughnessy in 2018. Last week two others, including Shaughnessy’s son Nicholas, were also sentenced to 35 years.
Austin Energy employee steals equipment
A city audit claims a former Austin Energy employee stole more than $100,000 worth of equipment belonging to the city. The investigation began in 2019 when Rodney Stockton resigned at the time. He admitted to stealing two pieces of equipment worth more than $21,000 each. Investigations found at least 20 items that Stockton had stolen and sold online in all. The city says he stole $130,000 worth of items pocketing $87,000 in the process,
Tiny Homes in Austin
Austin’s mayor is celebrating the nonprofit Mobile Loaves & Fishes plan to add 1400 tiny homes on 127 acres of newly acquired land. However, the group says it will cost about $219 million to develop and build the unit and that’s as Mayor Adler is reiterating his idea on how to use incoming federal COVID relief money.
“We have a real opportunity to get people out of tents and into houses to divert people from our jails and from our hospital emergency rooms,” says Adler.
Adler says right now is a very important moment as the community is willing to go big and resources are becoming available
Selling driver’s license information
The Texas Senate has passed legislation to make it illegal for the Department of Public Safety to make money off your driver’s license information. DPS Director Steve McCraw says they’ve sold that info to third parties since the 70s. State Senator Bob Nichols says SB-15 would put a stop to that.
“Modifies the Texas driver’s privacy protection act by restricting resale and re disclosure of personal information that is in your motor vehicle records, such as your driver’s license,” says Nichols.
Information sold by the DPS, is what leads to spam calls about things like car warranties. SB 15 still needs house approval.
This news and more on News Radio KLBJ:
https://omny.fm/shows/klbjam-flash-briefing-1/am-newscast-4-15-21
