Charles O'Dell

In a great loss to Central Texas activism and general feistiness, longtime Hays County government watchdog and gadfly Charles O’Dell, 75, was killed Feb. 1 in a traffic accident – he was on his motor scooter en route to a Hays Community Action Network meeting.

O’Dell was famous or notorious for insisting on transparency and accountability in government. HaysCAN announced a memorial service Saturday, March 3, 2pm, at the Wizard Academy, 16221 Crystal Hills Dr., Austin (off CR 1826), with an invitation to those wishing to share stories about O’Dell. More at www.hayscan.org.

This article appears in February 3 • 2012.

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Contributing writer and former news editor Michael King has reported on city and state politics for the Chronicle since 2000. He was educated at Indiana University and Yale, and from 1977 to 1985 taught at UT-Austin. He has been the editor of the Houston Press and The Texas Observer, and has reported and written widely on education, politics, and cultural subjects.