911 Call Center
The Austin City Council officially voted to remove the 911 call center from the Austin Police Department. The city also made it clear during the creation of the new Emergency Communications Division how they expect mental health calls to be handled as proposed by city council member Ann Kitchen.
“Including options related to alternative responses to mental health crisis emergency calls,” says Kitchen.
The council’s vote also moves APD’s HR facilities maintenance and other various services from APD into city controlled departments. Some of those other various services include the APD’s Alarm Unit, the Public Information Office and the Financial Services Office. All will be absorbed into other city departments.
Four arrested after North Austin shooting
Austin police arrested four men accused of shooting a man to death in the Midtown Commons Apartments in North Austin. Police said Marcel Pimpton was killed back in February. But their investigation this week has led to the capital murder charges against all four men and police are still looking for witnesses in that incident.
Contactless traffic stop
A simple traffic stop can turn from routine to deadly in a split second, and now a Texas man is trying to make it safer for police and drivers. Michel Odiari tells CBS Austin through an app called Check drivers and cops could interact through video. A third party could monitor a live stream and all driver’s license info could be stored digitally.
“So having a contactless traffic stop, especially at the initial interaction is both safer for a motorist as well, as for the police,” says Odiari.
He says the app could also be used in other emergency situations and it’s been getting attention from college students who typically have to walk alone.
Local May election
Austin Mayor Steve Adler has cast his ballot early in the local May election. Adler says this election could change the face of Austin politics as we know it. And he says it’s critically important for everybody to get out and vote.
“We need a representative turnout, which means that people that are not voting so far. This is an important election, please vote,” says Adler.
He says some of the propositions are “some of the most important decisions Austin residents will make in their lifetime”. He’s come out very strongly against Proposition B, which would ban public camping across most of Austin.
The Texas House spent more than 12 hours debating nearly 150 amendments to the proposed $246 billion 2 year state budget. State Representative Greg Bonnen is that bill sponsor.
“Senate Bill 1 appropriates $117.9 billion of general revenue, Which is an increase in general revenue spending over the current biennium by $2.9 billion dollars or 2.6%,” passage in the House was unanimous.
Johnson & Johnson side effects
The first side effect case resulting from the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine has been reported here in Texas. The blood clotting symptoms appear to be similar to those that led to the national pause in the use of that vaccine. Imelda Garcia of the Department of State Health Services said in the weekly vaccination update that the CDC let them know on Wednesday that complications from the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have reached Texas.
“The patient is an adult female who was hospitalized after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine with symptoms that appear to be consistent with those that have been reported in a few other cases,” says Garcia. “The CDC advisory committee is set to meet again tomorrow to discuss possible recommendations and we’ll follow whatever the federal guidance when it comes.”
Walk up vaccine clinic
Travis County is providing walk up COVID vaccines today at Circuit of the Americas. It’s the first of three days the county is planning to host this vaccine clinic at COTA today. You can get one between 9 am and noon tomorrow and Sunday between 10 am and 3 pm. No appointment will be needed.
183 flyover construction
The I-35 183 North flyover is set to be shut down for about four months as TxDOT demolishes and reconstructs the bridge. Diann Hodges with TxDOT says the flyover has been a major sticking point for big trucks.
“As drivers have experienced, there is a delay if you get behind a large vehicle trying to climb that flyover, it’s pretty steep. So we are actually going to lessen the grade to make it easier for vehicles to use that flyover,” says Hodges
And that closure is expected to begin on Sunday.
This news and more on News Radio KLBJ:
https://omny.fm/shows/klbjam-flash-briefing-1/am-newscast-4-23-21
