Alex Gonzalez rally
The family of Alex Gonzalez rallies over the weekend along with others in the community. Gonzalez was shot earlier this year by on duty Austin police following an alleged road rage incident with an off duty cop on Wickersham. His mother, Elizabeth Gonzalez says she’s taking action.
“The whole department we are going after you. I will sue the city of Austin from my son for getting justice,” says Gonzalez.
Both officers involved in the shooting remain on administrative leave. Police video shows Gonzalez walking to the rear passenger door, opening it, reaching inside and it’s at that point he shot and a gun was said to have been found in the car.
COVID-19 update
If the trend that was seen over the past week holds, Travis County will most likely see its total number of COVID hospitalizations fall into the single digits this week, which has not been seen in many, many months. As of this morning, Austin Public Health shows 101 hospitalizations along with 73 active cases. That’s also a number that’s been consistently falling recently. Overall, 82,901 cases have been found resulting in 81,310 recoveries.
Austin Public Health is still calling on private businesses to help with the vaccination effort. APH’s Dr. Stephanie Howard Hayden says they are starting to have conversations with community groups and local businesses to try to incentivize folks and their staff to get vaccinated.
“So my hope is that others are listening and that they are thinking about ways of how they can contribute to help Austin be a healthier place and incentivize folks coming into their businesses,” says Hayden.
Health officials say these incentives could be financial or something else.
Health officials in Austin and Travis County are pressing parents to get their kids the COVID vaccine, that is if the FDA clears patients 12 and older this week. Health Authority Mark Escott says parents shouldn’t feel this process has been rushed.
“I have complete faith in the FDA’s process for reviewing and approving these vaccines. They will consider this edition and if it is approved, it will be a clear indication that the benefits of the vaccine for 12 to 15 year olds outweigh the risk,” says Escott.
He says there has been significant and thorough investigation into the vaccine.
Austin Public Library branches reopen
A dozen Austin Public Library branches will open their doors to the public today. Services remain limited for now and curbside options are still available. Each branch will close for the last 15 minutes of every hour to clean and sanitize. Overdue fines resume next week and then by June 28, all branches will reopen for indoor service.
Barton Springs reservations
Taking a dip in a much beloved Austin swimming hole won’t be as easy as it once was, at least for the time being. Starting May 21st reservations will be required to Barton Springs. Aquatic Supervisor Adam Thompson tells FOX 7 this is really to limit capacity due to the pandemic.
“A Lot of reservations that will be selling throughout the day and the time blocks will be 450 it will also be allowing season past members and as well without a reservation,” says Thompson.
He says the pandemic really has taken a toll on staffing too so reservations will also help the city deal with the shortage of lifeguards. The first set of reservations will become available as of today.
Firefly Aerospace
Cedar Park based Firefly Aerospace is nearing its first rocket launch and according to the Austin American Statesman, the company has raised $75 million for that project. Firefly’s Alpha Rocket is set to launch next month from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Firefly has contracts with multiple commercial and governmental entities, that includes NASA.
American flag violation
An Austin neighborhood is at odds with its HOA over the American flag. Jim Duffner tells CBS Austin, two of his neighbors were cited by the Avery Ranch HOA for using their trees as a base for their flags.
“That’s not right. You should be able to play the American Flag any place you want to. So I put one on my tree”
And then he got two violation letters from the HOA for that. The HOA says flying a flag out of a tree is not the normal way to do it and thus it violates the Texas Property Code. And so that requires an application first. Homeowners though argue they do have a right to do this under the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005.
TxDOT
TxDOT has completed its implosion of the flyover ramp connecting I-35 and 183 but work in that area, still a long way from being done. Another closure of both directions of I-35 and 183 is planned for this coming weekend, and in all, construction of the new flyover will take about four months.
This news and more on News Radio KLBJ:
https://omny.fm/shows/klbjam-flash-briefing-1/am-newscast-5-10-21
