Travis County Extends Burn Ban: Last week, the Travis County Fire Marshal’s Office issued a burn ban in unincorporated areas of Travis County, effective through Tuesday, Jan. 6. Now, the ban has been extended through Tuesday, Feb. 10. A press release from the fire marshal’s office said the extension is due to continuous dry conditions, and urged residents to be cautious when grilling or barbecuing and avoid using leftover NYE fireworks.
Where We Stand After Venezuelan President Captured by U.S.: Over the past weekend, on Jan. 3, the U.S. launched missile strikes against Venezuela, then captured the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores. Taken to New York, Maduro, along with five others, were indicted on four charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, conspiring to traffic cocaine, and two weapons charges. Maduro and Flores have pleaded not guilty to all charges. Since the arrests were made, Trump has said that the U.S. will “run” the South American country until a “safe, proper, and judicious transition” is made. One presumes a major motivation for Trump is the fact that Venezuela holds the largest oil reserves in the world, which he says will soon be taken over by American oil companies to “fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country.” While a plea deal for Maduro may be on the way, the next court date is scheduled for March 17. Since the Venezuelan operation – launched without congressional approval and largely condemned by America’s allies abroad – Trump has revived talks of acquiring Greenland and threatened intervention in Iran, saying the U.S. is “locked and loaded and ready to go” if Iranian protesters are killed by the regime.
D.A. to Appeal Acquittal of Christopher Taylor: Christopher Taylor, the former APD officer who was convicted of deadly conduct after fatally shooting Mauris DeSilva in 2019, was acquitted by the 7th Court of Appeals last Tuesday, Dec. 30. Originally assigned to be heard by the 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin, the case was moved to the Amarillo-based court through “docket equalization” – a process that distributes cases throughout Texas’ intermediate courts to keep workload evenly allocated among judges. Now, Travis County D.A. Jose Garza says that he is going to appeal the ruling: “The conservative Amarillo-based 7th Court of Appeals judges think they know better than the Travis County jurors who heard the case and convicted Taylor. The basis for the reversal – that no reasonable juror could have convicted – is absurd,” according to Statesman reporting. Garza’s plan to appeal the acquittal comes a little over a month since the D.A.’s Office dropped charges against Karl Krycia – the other officer involved in the DeSilva shooting – and nearly a year since Taylor’s charges involved in the killing of Michael Ramos in 2020 were dropped by the D.A. Since Taylor’s acquittal, the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement has reinstated the officer’s license.
100,000 Gallons of Sewage Spills Into San Gabriel: According to Statesman reporting, a 42-inch wastewater line break has caused over 100,000 gallons of untreated sewage to flow into the South San Gabriel River. Now, Georgetown officials are insisting that individuals refrain from coming into contact with San Gabriel and Blue Hole parks. The issue was found at 10am on Monday morning, according to a press release from the city. Officials said that the incident has been reported to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality as emergency repairs remain ongoing. However, Georgetown drinking water has not been affected.
Teachers’ Union Sues TEA: On Tuesday, Jan. 6, the Texas chapter of the American Federation of Teachers sued the Texas Education Agency over its investigation of teachers’ social media posts about Charlie Kirk in the wake of his assassination. The federal lawsuit asserts that the TEA’s Sept. 12 letter announcing the investigations had “unleashed a wave of retaliation and disciplinary actions against teachers,” claiming the social media posts are First Amendment protected speech made on their own time, outside of the classroom. According to Texas AFT, union members have since been placed on administrative leave, faced reprimands, and have been terminated for the posts. “They decided scoring a few cheap points was worth the unfair discipline, the doxxing, and the death threats targeted at Texas teachers,” Zeph Capo, president of Texas AFT, said in a Jan. 6 press release.
Child Care Targeted by Gov. Abbott: After the Trump administration froze federal funding for Minnesota child care services due to a YouTube video that went viral claiming fraud among Minnesota child services operated by Somali Americans, Gov. Greg Abbott is now insisting state agencies instate “strong anti-fraud measures” among child care providers within Texas. According to KUT, Abbott sent a letter to the Texas Workforce Commission and Health and Human Services Commission on Monday, Jan. 5, urging the two agencies to increase site visits among “high-risk providers.” In the letter, Abbott compares Texas’ improper payment rates – 0.43% – to Minnesota’s – 11%. “However, more can be done to protect Texas children and taxpayers,” he wrote in the letter. On Tuesday, the Trump administration expanded its federal funding freeze to include child care and family assistance programs in Minnesota, California, Colorado, Illinois, and New York – all blue states.
Austin Energy Data Center Concerns: Following a Dec. 23 staff report that proposes a structure for Austin to manage the rise in AI and data centers within the city, concerns from Austin Energy have grown. The report comes after City Council voted to consider new policies and guidelines surrounding AI expansion earlier this year. According to the report, modern data centers “routinely request 300 [megawatts] or more” than the traditional 30 MW, which is around the amount of electricity necessary to serve 6,000 homes. “We have an obligation to serve you, but you want a third of all the power in Austin, equivalent to it, and you want it in 18 months,” said David Tomczyszyn, vice president of electrical system engineering and technical services at Austin Energy.
AISD Schools Threatened: On Tuesday, Jan. 6, the local FBI office notified Austin ISD that Andrews, Barrington, and Baranoff elementaries, in addition to 11 others in Texas, were threatened in a social media post with an image of a masked person with firearms, the Statesman reported. In a letter sent to parents, AISD said the post did not include a specific time or date of the threat, but it will take all such threats seriously.
Toll Rates Rise in 2026: Along with the opening of two northbound express toll lanes on U.S. 183 North, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, an independent government agency responsible for Austin-area toll roads, has increased how much travelers will pay this year. Most toll roads overseen by the CTRMA increased by about 3.01%, which was approved in an October board meeting. Austin toll roads that will see an increase are 183A Toll, 290 Toll, 71 Toll Lane, 45 SW Toll, 183 Toll, and the MoPac Express Lane, according to Statesman reporting. The MoPac Express Lane has seen an 8-cent increase to its previous rate, matching the two new express lanes, which increase depending on traffic levels.
East Riverside Open House: On Jan. 24, the city of Austin is hosting community members at 2400 Grove Blvd. to weigh in on the future of the East Riverside Corridor. Between 10am and 1pm, Austinites will have the opportunity to attend the East Riverside Open House and hear from officials regarding multiple initiatives on housing, mobility, and public spaces. The East Riverside Corridor Planning Initiative, the Grove-Riverside Site development, and transit improvements will be the focal points at the event, according to a press release from the city. “We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape what’s next for the East Riverside Corridor in a way that serves the people who live here now,” said Council Member José Velásquez, representative of District 3, which includes the corridor.
Caldwell County Deputy Shot and Killed: On Sunday, Jan. 4, a Caldwell County deputy, Aaron Armstrong, was killed in a North Austin shooting while working in an off-duty security position at Club Rodeo around 2am. According to KVUE, after Armstrong helped remove a man from the club and identified himself as law enforcement, multiple individuals allegedly tried to stop the arrest, which led to Armstrong being shot. Since the shooting, 38-year-old Thomas Vences has been arrested in correlation with the crime, now facing six charges. 22-year-old Ronaldo E. Colindres-Simon has also been arrested in connection to the incident, accused of driving over Armstrong as he attempted to leave the scene, now charged with assault on a peace officer.
APD Searches for Answers Following NYE Shooting: After five minors were hospitalized with gunshot wounds following a Round Rock shooting on New Year’s Eve, local law enforcement says that it has arrested a suspect. At the Platinum Event Center off of Chisholm Trail Road, a physical altercation between partygoers led to the shooting, according to the Austin American-Statesman. All five of the victims – two from Austin and three from Pflugerville – are under the age of 17 and suffered non-life-threatening injuries. On Tuesday, Jan. 6, APD announced that the department arrested Javione Wright, a 20-year-old Pflugerville resident, in connection with the incident. Investigations continue as detectives search to determine if other individuals were involved.
APD Faces Lawsuit From 2024 Arrest: On Monday, Jan. 5, Natalie Gialenes filed a lawsuit against the city of Austin and former APD Officer Joseph Spees for a December 2024 incident where the officer violently slammed her to the ground, which led to hospitalization for a traumatic brain injury and ultimately forced Gialenes to withdraw from paralegal school, according to a press release from Edwards Law. The lawsuit alleges that the circumstances resulted in “indefensible police brutality,” and comes weeks following Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis’ decision to indefinitely suspend Spees for his actions. In a disciplinary memo that was released last month that outlined why Spees had been suspended, Davis wrote “any objectively reasonable officer – and especially an experienced and well-trained officer like Officer Spees – should have been able to handle minimal resistance without immediately resorting to a violent takedown that caused considerable injury.”
Family of A&M Student Files Wrongful-Death Lawsuit: After Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera was found unresponsive outside of the 21 Rio Apartments on Saturday, Nov. 29, her family took to social media to express their opposition to APD ruling that the student’s death was caused by suicide. Now, her parents, Stephanie Rodriguez and Manuel Aguilera, have filed a lawsuit in Travis County against the Austin Blacks Rugby Club and the University of Texas Latin Economics and Business Association, alleging that the two organizations served the 19-year-old alcohol leading up to the tragic event. According to the Statesman, the family’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, has accused authorities of drawing “hasty conclusions” in a Tuesday news conference where he brought a witness, Dana Rodriguez, to give her personal testimony. Rodriguez lives in an apartment just across the hall from the unit where Aguilera fell, and she says that she was never contacted by law enforcement to provide a statement or undergo an interview.
$4.3 Billion in State Sales Tax Revenue in December: According to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Texas’ sales tax revenue reached $4.3 billion in December. At 5.7% greater than the December 2024 revenue, the figure is a conglomerate of revenue from motor vehicle sales, along with rental, motor fuel, oil production, natural gas production, hotel occupancy, and alcoholic beverage taxes, based on November sales. As the largest source of state funding for Texas’ budget, sales tax accounts for 58% of all tax collections.
Longtime South Congress Italian Restaurant to Close: Since 1998, Vespaio has served Italian cuisine to those on South Congress Ave. In February, the restaurant will close its doors for good, owners Daniel Brooks and Ryan Samson announced after running the business since 2018. Chapulín Cantina, which sits next door and has also been owned by the two since 2018, will additionally close. In the summer of 2025, the duo opened Vespa Rossa in Dripping Springs, which they will continue to operate. “As South Congress continues to evolve, we felt like this was the right moment to close this chapter on our own terms,” the owners wrote.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Trump has no right to take us to war with Venezuela. … My entire life, politicians have been sending other people’s kids to die in reckless regime change wars. Enough. No new wars.”
U.S. Rep. Greg Casar on the capturing of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro
This article appears in January 9 • 2026.