Not Forgotten: Heidi Broussard, the 33-year-old who, along with her infant daughter, went missing from South Austin on Dec. 12, was found strangled to death outside Houston last week. The baby was reunited with family on Monday as Austin held a candlelight vigil. Broussard’s funeral will be held Dec. 28, in Louisiana.
Careless: Longtime Austin Police Department communications aide Anna Sabana and her husband, Eduardo Gonzales, were indicted this week for animal cruelty: insufficient medical care for their dog Flash, last August. Their attorney said a plea bargain reduced the potential felony to a misdemeanor with deferred adjudication.
No Slacking Allowed: Police Chief Brian Manley handed down a 30-day suspension in mid-December to Officer Jason Goodman, after the trained mental health response officer spent a mere 42 seconds evaluating a potentially suicidal subject on a welfare check before walking away.
No Homeless Here: A property owners group filed suit this week to block the city from buying a Metro Center Drive motel as transitional housing for those experiencing homelessness. The “Met Center Property Owners Association” said using the Microtel Inn and Suites for housing would violate its “non-residential” L1 zoning. The city is still considering the property.
Charm City Texas: A big ol’ field just inside SH-130, newly annexed to Pflugerville, is the landing pad for a mega-distribution center known publicly as “Project Charm” – its true identity being a closely guarded secret. Multiple news reports last week came to the rather obvious conclusion that it’s Amazon, but wouldn’t it be funny if it wasn’t?
Bonnen Gets a Pass: A report released by the state House Committee on General Investigations concludes House Speaker Dennis Bonnen “likely violated” state law in his notorious June conversation with Empower Texans lobbyist Michael Quinn Sullivan, but argues the available evidence “militates against criminal prosecution.” The committee accepted the report without further action and “concluded” the investigation.
Taking the Fifth: A ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threatens to undo the Affordable Care Act. A three-judge panel ruled the health insurance “mandate” unconstitutional and sent the decision back to a lower court for further review.
This article appears in December 27 • 2019.