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TOP NEWS
“Ground stops issued at IAH, Hobby Airport due to staffing issues, according to FAA,” Houston Chronicle’s Caroline Wilburn -- “Ground stops were issued Tuesday evening [ [link removed] ] at George Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby Airports due to staffing issues, according to an advisory from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The FAA previously warned that ground stops could be possible at both Hobby and IAH as a result of staffing issues caused by the ongoing government shutdown.
The ground stop at Hobby ended just before 5:45 p.m. while the IAH ground stop was expected to last through at least 6:30 p.m., according to the FAA.
Both ground stops had a “medium” probability of being extended, according to the advisories.
The Houston Airport System directed all questions to the FAA, where representatives said they’re not responding to routine media inquiries due to a lapse in federal funding.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said earlier this month that the FAA is facing staffing concerns as air traffic controllers continue to work without pay. The administration is already facing a shortage of controllers, a problem exacerbated as more controllers have called in sick in some places, Duffy said.” Hou Chron [ [link removed] ] ($)
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TOP NEWS
“Gov. Abbott directs DPS, state guard to clean up homeless encampments in Austin,” KXAN’s Grace Reader -- “Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that the state started an operation targeting homeless encampments in the city of Austin last week.
Since then, the state said it has:
> Removed 48 encampments
> Removed over 3,000 pounds of debris
> Arrested 24 repeat felony offenders
> Seized over 125 grams of narcotics
“Texans should not endure public safety risks from homeless encampments and individuals,” said Abbott. “Weapons, needles, and other debris should not litter the streets of our community, and the State of Texas is taking action. I directed state agencies to address this risk and make Austin safer and cleaner for residents and visitors to live, travel, and conduct business.”
The governor’s office said the operation is being led by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) with help from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the Texas State Guard and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).
Video sent to KXAN by the governor’s office shows DPS troopers contacting and arresting people in those camps. It also shows what appear to be Texas State Guard cleaning up debris. That video is at the top of this story.
In response, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson pointed to recent successes the city has had reducing the homelessness population in Austin [ [link removed] ] and nodded to the city council’s recent decision to approve a budget and tax rate that, if approved by voters in November [ [link removed] ], would fully fund the city’s homelessness plan to do more of that work.
“Our continuing success has come with limited financial assistance from the state. It’s hard to not appreciate some state resources being put into helping. I do worry about where people will end up, where the next encampment will be. My hope is that this exercise will demonstrate the value of providing funding resources as assistance for addressing this humanitarian crisis in the state capital,” Watson responded in-part.
The governor’s office said that operation would be ongoing and that “homeless individuals violating state law or local ordinances will be arrested and debris created by homeless encampments will be removed.”
Austin also launched encampment surge Monday
Starting Monday, the city of Austin independently launched a homeless encampment surge [ [link removed] ], which is scheduled to last for roughly three weeks, according to a memo [ [link removed] ] from Director of Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations David Gray.
According to another memo obtained by KXAN after the first day of that surge, the city cleaned up 46 encampments and visited 29 more for outreach on Monday.
“Most people agreed to leave voluntarily, and staff connected several people to shelter and/or additional services. One person received life-saving CPR from an APD team. Two arrests were made: one for criminal trespass and resisting arrest, and one for a drug-related charge,” that memo said.
Gray said the city is doing it now to get people out of risky spaces ahead of the fall and winter, which can have more severe and dangerous weather conditions. The city is also concerned about heightened fire danger at the moment [ [link removed] ].
An internal communication about the initiative, provided to KXAN, said the city will focus on the following moving forward:
> Week 1: Freeways, frontage roads, high-traffic corridors, and adjacent alleyways and pedestrian/bike trails
> Week 2: Certain street levels, neighborhood parks and playgrounds, public library campuses and recreation areas
> Week 3: Large greenbelts and parks that pose major wildfire risks
“Multiple City departments are assigning staff to one of 12 crews working across three geographic zones in the City. The City is also stopping general intake at City-owned shelters to devote to this initiative,” that document said.” KXAN [ [link removed] ]
“Houston madam who ran Gulfton brothel sentenced to life in federal prison,” Houston Chronicle’s John Wayne Ferguson -- “The madam who ran a brothel in Houston’s Gulfton neighborhood [ [link removed] ], which subjected women to years of threats and abuse, has been sentenced to spend the rest of her life in federal prison.
Maria Angelica “Patty” Moreno-Reyna, 59, was sentenced Oct. 9 to two concurrent life terms after pleading guilty to sex trafficking by means of force, threats, fraud or coercion and a related conspiracy count.
Life sentences in federal court do not carry the possibility of parole.
The sentence is the longest punishment handed out so far [ [link removed] ] in connection with the Southwest Cholos-run brothel at six apartment buildings in Houston. Police shut down the brothel in 2017, and a federal grand jury indicted 23 people connected to the illicit business on charges mostly related to sex trafficking and prostitution.
Among the people arrested were Moreno-Reyna’s husband, sons and other family members [ [link removed] ].
Moreno-Reyna pleaded guilty in December 2023 to two of the 27 charges against her. Judge Charles Eskridge didn’t issue a fine — which could have amounted to $500,000 — but left the amount of restitution that Moreno-Reyna must pay to her victims undetermined.
As part of the plea agreement, Moreno-Reyna agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in other court proceedings, though it’s unclear if she has participated in any other investigations.
Moreno-Reyna helped manage the Southwest Cholos [ [link removed] ] sex trafficking operations. In her plea agreement, she admitted to helping smuggle four women to Houston from Mexico and Central America between 2010 and 2016.
Moreno-Reyna would charge the women and their families to smuggle them across the border and ply them with lies [ [link removed] ], saying the women could repay their debt by working in a restaurant. When they reached Houston, the women were forced into prostitution [ [link removed] ]. Some of the brothels’ prostitutes were as young as 14 [ [link removed] ].
Women who tried to escape were tracked down [ [link removed] ], even after returning to Mexico, and assaulted or had their families threatened or extorted. Some of the women were marked with tattoos and forced to have cosmetic surgery so they could be more “profitable” for the brothels.
The Cholos’ trafficking network reached as far as Honduras and El Salvador, and women were often moved to Cancún and McAllen before reaching Houston.
Federal agents described one of the brothels run by Moreno-Reyna — the Carriage Way Apartments on Dashwood — as one of the gang’s most profitable. The gang controlled 10 of the building’s 70 units and ran the prostitutes for 14 hours a day. The building was also a hub for methamphetamine and heroin sales and gun trafficking, according to the FBI.
Moreno-Reyna’s five sons acted as enforcers at the brothels. They were all indicted, as were her husband and brother, who were accused of handling the human smuggling side of the gang’s operations. Two of Moreno-Reyna’s daughters also worked as prostitutes, according to federal agents.
It’s unclear how many women were trafficked through the brothel, but at the time of the indictments, the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance, a collaboration between police and nonprofits, had identified 13 women who had been forced to work there.
Federal prosecutors seized 10 properties owned by Moreno-Reyna across Harris County in neighborhoods ranging from the Northside to Eastwood, Pecan Park and Edgebrook that were used to house the sex trafficking victims.
Of the 23 people indicted in the brothel case, 10 have been sentenced, including Moreno-Reyna. The sentences ranged from two years’ probation to her maximum penalty. Hector Reyna, one of Moreno-Reyna’s sons, in August was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Another eight people have pleaded guilty but have yet to be sentenced. Despite their pleas, the final disposition of their cases has been pending for as long as seven years, according to court records.
One of the defendants had the charges against him dismissed.
Four of the people named in the indictment have never been arrested and have active warrants out for their capture.
Moreno-Reyna joins a relatively small number of people who have been sentenced to spend the rest of their lives in federal prison. Of the more than 143,000 people serving federal sentences, only about 3,600 — 2.5 percent — were sentenced to life, according to the Bureau of Prisons.” Hou Chron [ [link removed] ] ($)
“Over 2M people visited the State Fair of Texas this year, a drop from last year,” Dallas Morning News’ Zacharia Washington and Carol Taylor -- “The State Fair of Texas [ [link removed] ] estimated an attendance of more than 2 million for the 2025 season, down nearly 400,000 visitors from last year.
In a news release Sunday, the closing day of the fair, State Fair officials said the busiest day during the event’s 24-day run occurred during the Texas-Oklahoma football game.
In 2024 [ [link removed] ], 2,385,855 people visited the fair during its 138th year. The attendance record for past fairs is 2.5 million visitors.
Social media lit up [ [link removed] ] this year about seemingly sparse crowds compared with prior years.
At the time, fair officials and vendors said seeing fewer people while at the fair doesn’t fully capture how many people are there and plan to attend. They also said attendance tended to pick up after the Texas-OU game.” DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
2025
“Texas voters have final say on $20 billion package to secure state’s water supply,” Texas Tribune’s Alejandra Martinez -- “In this part of Texas, residents stock up on bottled water in between boil notices. It’s part of life in a place where water pipes are old, corroded and falling apart.
In the High Plains, near Lubbock, farmers worry that their groundwater wells will run dry.
In North Texas, local elected leaders and business tycoons frantically search for new sources of water to meet the demand of a surging population.
No matter the region, there are water challenges. By one estimate, millions of Texans could face serious water shortages [ [link removed] ] in five years if nothing is done.
And this fall, state lawmakers hope voters will approve $20 billion for water projects over the next two decades. [ [link removed] ] If voters agree, Proposition 4 [ [link removed] ], on the November [ [link removed] ]ballot, [ [link removed] ] will be the biggest state investment in water in Texas history.
“Texas has been remarkably forward-thinking in creating financing mechanisms to address water infrastructure,” said Sarah Schlessinger, CEO of Texas Water Foundation, a nonprofit that educates Texans on water issues. “The challenge is that our water infrastructure needs far exceed the available funds.”
If adopted, the state would create a new dedicated funding source for water, wastewater and flood infrastructure across the state.
A portion of existing state sales tax revenue — up to $1 billion annually — would be deposited into the Texas Water Fund each year, starting in 2027. No new taxes would be created. However, the money would only be transferred to the fund when sales tax collections exceed $46.5 billion in a given year. The past two fiscal years have surpassed that amount [ [link removed] ]. Assuming the state’s growth continues, there will be enough money available to dedicate the $1 billion to the fund.
The Texas Water Development Board would manage the fund and allocate the money. Funding would be divided into two categories: water supply projects and other existing water programs.
The first bucket of money would expand the overall volume of water available in Texas. That could include the desalination of seawater and brackish water [ [link removed] ], which is the process of removing salt from seawater or salty groundwater, allowing it to be used for drinking water, irrigation, and industrial purposes. This fund would also include fixing leaking pipes, water reuse, including produced water from the oil and gas industry [ [link removed] ], conservation strategies and constructing permitted reservoirs. Some of these may be included in the State Water Plan, a guide the state uses to manage the long-term demand for water resources. It also proposes water supply solutions to meet demand and must be updated every five years.
The second bucket would go to existing water programs, including improving flood control infrastructure and flood mitigation, ensuring clean drinking water, and agricultural water conservation. There is no specified breakdown for how this money must be divided among these programs and allocations would be determined in the future.
Some environmental groups are concerned that certain projects, like reservoirs, will be prioritized as a form of new water supply and take the land of farmers and residents who live in areas where they plan to be built.
“It’s terrific to have funding for fixing leaking pipes, increasing water efficiency, and developing innovative ways to provide water supply, but we also need to focus on those aspects of water planning that aren’t working for people, specifically reservoir projects,” said Janice Bezanson, senior policy director at Texas Conservation Alliance, in an interview. The group advocates for the environment, wildlife and water conservation.
There appears to be no formal opposition to the amendment. However, some conservative groups have come out against the idea, arguing that spending should not be written into the Texas Constitution [ [link removed] ].
As part of the fund, lawmakers have created a special committee to oversee the water board’s administration of the funding, and the public will have a chance to give input on how the money is being distributed.
“It’s not unchecked money going to the Water Development Board without accountability or oversight,” said Jeremy Mazur, director of infrastructure and natural resources policy for Texas 2036, at a recent Tribune event [ [link removed] ].
A report by Texas 2036, a nonprofit think tank focused on some of the state’s thorniest issues, [ [link removed] ]estimated that the state needs nearly $154 billion over the next 50 years for water infrastructure. That estimate accounts for $59 billion for water supply projects, $74 billion for leaky pipes and infrastructure maintenance, and $21 billion to fix broken wastewater systems.
Water stressors look different across the state. [ [link removed] ] In West Texas, Central Texas and along the coast, communities are in dire need of a new way to obtain water. In the East, communities are grappling with aging infrastructure that’s leaking.
About 17% of retail public water systems are either at risk of failure or have already failed in 17 counties located in the Neches River Basin, according to Kelley Holcomb, general manager of the Angelina & Neches River Authority. This has led the East Texas river authority to take over and repair some of these small, rural water systems. Boil-water notices have also become the norm.
“We issue boil-water notices on a routine basis that we have people just dedicated to do just that,” Holcomb said at a Tribune event [ [link removed] ].” Texas Tribune [ [link removed] ]
2026
“At Cypress event, Gov. Abbott promises to turn Harris County ‘dark red’ with $90M campaign account,” Houston Chronicle’s Elizabeth Sander -- “Gov. Greg Abbott visited a Cypress BBQ restaurant Tuesday with Republican lawmakers to rally voters [ [link removed] ] and turn Harris County “dark red.” He also promised that he would spend a chunk of his $90 million campaign account [ [link removed] ] over the next year to do so.
“I have two priorities in this election. Number one is to win reelection. Number two is to win Harris County. So I got $90 million in my bank account, and I’m going to spend most of it in Harris County, Texas to make sure, precinct by precinct, we turn out voters who voted in the presidential election, turn out voters who never voted before,” Abbott said. “We got to win Harris County and make Harris County dark red.”
Before a crowd of about 350 people, Abbott touted his recent legislative win — the $1 billion private and homeschool voucher [ [link removed] ] program set to open applications in early February [ [link removed] ] for the 2026-27 school year. But he said his plans won’t stop there.
“The time has come for Texas to rank number one in education, and school of choice is one element of that, because what it does, it affects competition,” Abbott said. “Our public schools are already competing for the students right now — our public schools, our private schools, our homeschools, and every possible education, our charter schools, all are going to be better because of the ability to choose the education path that’s best for each child.”
But the governor’s main goal in coming out to Cypress was to encourage voters to approve all 17 ballot propositions [ [link removed] ], the majority of which he said are in service of tax reform, including one proposition that would raise the school district tax exemption for elderly and disabled Texans.
Other speakers at the event included Harris County Republican Party chairwoman Cindy Siegel, state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, and former Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg. Ogg urged support of proposition three, which would stop what she called “rogue” judges from letting people accused of certain crimes out on bond. [ [link removed] ]
While Abbott didn’t endorse any local candidates at the event, the three candidates on a Republican-endorsed slate for the Cy-Fair ISD school board stood on the governor’s right: incumbent Natalie Blasingame, newcomer Radele Walker and former trustee George Edwards Jr. The three are battling to maintain the conservative majority that has shaped the board and the district’s policies over the past two years, allowing trustees to infuse conservative views into the state’s third-largest school system. Another slate of candidates [ [link removed] ] is trying to unseat the conservative slate in a high-stakes fight that has unearthed cracks within Cypress’ GOP.
Although school board races in Texas are officially nonpartisan, money from political groups is already pouring into the Cy-Fair ISD school board election [ [link removed] ], with political action committees raising over $70,000 and individual candidates raising nearly $100,000 combined.
Seigel urged voters to cast ballots for conservative candidates, and Bettencourt introduced the Cy-Fair candidates to the crowd. State Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, who contributed $5,000 to the slate’s campaign, also stood with the school board candidates and Republican lawmakers.
“We need to elect the right school board representatives and city council members here who can keep Texas right, and they’re the ones that make sure that this country stays true to its values and principles,” Siegel said.
Representatives for the governor did not immediately respond to a question of whether Abbott plans to endorse the conservative Cy-Fair ISD slate or support the campaign in other ways.” Hou Chron [ [link removed] ] ($)
“In special election for Houston congressional seat, candidates confront a bewildered electorate,” Texas Tribune’s Gabby Birenbaum -- “Houstonians in Texas’ 18th Congressional District will begin heading to the polls Monday to elect a new representative, more than seven months after the seat’s previous occupant, Sylvester Turner, died in office.
Sixteen candidates are vying to serve the remainder of Turner’s term representing the heavily Democratic district, all but ensuring the Nov. 4 special election will be decided in a runoff early next year between the top two finishers. By March, three-quarters of those voters will be participating in an entirely different primary, having been moved out of the 18th District by Texas Republicans’ mid-decade redistricting effort.
It’s been a confusing time for voters in the historic district, which has sent towering Black politicians to Washington such as Reps. Barbara Jordan, Sheila Jackson Lee and Turner, a former Houston mayor and longtime state lawmaker. About four-fifths of the district’s eligible voting population is comprised of voters of color, and in the special election, a cadre of mostly Black, relatively young candidates has emerged at the front of the pack after months of campaigning since Turner’s death [ [link removed] ] in early March.
The eventual winner will need to quickly turn around and begin campaigning for a different set of Houstonians’ votes next year, when voters will elect a representative to take office at the start of 2027.
While each candidate has their own pitch for why they should be the one to represent these voters, everyone seems to agree there is a high degree of uncertainty on the ground about who can vote and why there is a special election occurring at all.
“Every time we’re out, every time we knock, every time we have calls, there are groups of people — who are in the cohort of people who typically vote — who are confused,” said Amanda Edwards, a candidate for the seat and a former Houston City Council member. “It is deeply disturbing and problematic.”
Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, one of Edwards’ main rivals for the seat, said he too is “seeing a ton of confusion.”
“Part of it is, hey, vote for me, but part of it is also an education campaign to let folks know that there’s an election in November, and exactly what is on the ballot,” he said.
On the campaign trail, candidates have leaned into their records of service and promised to fulfill Democratic voters’ hunger for fighters who will forcefully take on the Trump administration. The special election will offer a clue toward what kinds of candidates Texas Democrats choose to boost in a moment of deep frustration within the party nationally, even as the specters of redistricting and age weigh over the race.
“That’s what I hear the most — we want a fighter,” said state Rep. Jolanda Jones, D-Houston, another candidate for the 18th Congressional District. “They say that everybody lays down to Trump, and they are really angry about it.”
But as early voting begins, candidates want to be sure that people in the existing 18th Congressional District know that they can participate. And part of taking the fight to Republicans, on the campaign trail, has been laying the blame at their feet for the lack of clarity surrounding the election — and the length of time the seat has been empty.
“All of this was intentional,” said Isaiah Martin, another Democratic candidate. “Republicans knew that when they did this sham process, and they’re trying to depress our turnout. And so it’s up to us to make sure that we don’t let them succeed.”” Texas Tribune [ [link removed] ]
STATE GOVERNMENT
“Texas finds thousands of illegal immigrants registered to vote on state voter rolls,” Fox News’ Christina Shaw — “A Texas election review has identified thousands of illegal immigrants [ [link removed] ] on the state’s voter rolls, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson said Monday.
Nelson said [ [link removed] ] a cross-check of state voter records found that more than 2,700 possible illegal immigrants were registered on the voter rolls, leading to an eligibility review across the 254 counties.
The data came from a full comparison of Texas’s 18 million registered voters against federal citizenship records in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ SAVE database, according to the secretary of state’s office.
“Only eligible United States citizens may participate in our elections,” Nelson said. “The Trump Administration’s [ [link removed] ] decision to give states free and direct access to this data set for the first time has been a game changer, and we appreciate the partnership with the federal government to verify the citizenship of those on our voter rolls and maintain accurate voter lists.”
The investigation showed after running the SAVE cross-check, that state officials could identify 2,724 potential noncitizens whose voter files have been sent to local counties to be further investigated.
This process falls under Chapter 16 of the Texas Election Code, which requires counties to verify each voter’s eligibility and remove confirmed noncitizens from the rolls.
Nelson said the review is part of an effort to maintain an accurate voter list and to safeguard election integrity ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
“Everyone’s right to vote is sacred and must be protected,” Nelson said. “We encourage counties to conduct rigorous investigations to determine if any voter is ineligible – just as they do with any other data set we provide.”
Each flagged voter will receive a notice from their county registrar giving them 30 days to provide proof of U.S. citizenship. If a voter does not respond, their registration will be canceled, though it can be reinstated immediately once proof of citizenship is provided.
Nelson’s statement said confirmed noncitizens who voted in previous Texas elections will be referred to the attorney general’s office for further review and potential prosecution.
The announcement comes amid growing national scrutiny of voter rolls as several states – including Georgia, Arizona and Florida – have conducted similar audits of voter eligibility.
Republican Governor Greg Abbott said that since Senate Bill 1 was signed into law, Texas has removed more than 1 million ineligible or outdated registrations from the state’s voter rolls, calling the effort essential to safeguard Texans’ right to vote.
“These reforms have led to the removal of over one million ineligible people from our voter rolls in the last three years, including noncitizens, deceased voters, and people who moved to another state,” Abbott said. “The Secretary of State and county voter registrars have an ongoing legal requirement to review the voter rolls, remove ineligible voters, and refer any potential illegal voting to the Attorney General’s Office and local authorities for investigation and prosecution. Illegal voting in Texas will never be tolerated. We will continue to actively safeguard Texans’ sacred right to vote while also aggressively protecting our elections [ [link removed] ] from illegal voting.”
Abbott has called the initiative proof that Texas is “leading the nation in election integrity.”
A breakdown of the information was released by the secretary of state’s office showing Harris County with the largest number of potential noncitizens at 362, followed by Dallas County (277), Bexar County (201) and El Paso County (165).
Smaller counties, including Andrews, Llano and Cooke, reported fewer than 10 flagged registrations.
In total, all 254 Texas counties were included in the SAVE database review. Counties began sending verification notices this week as part of the 30-day review process.
In June, Nelson announced that she had referred to the Office of Attorney General to investigate the names of 33 potential noncitizens who voted in the November 2024 General Election.
The statement released by Nelson said the referral came within weeks of Texas gaining access to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s SAVE Database.
“Gaining access to this database has been a game-changer. Not only have we been able to identify individuals who should not have voted in the last election, we have also been able to confirm naturalization of dozens more,” Secretary Nelson said.
The cross-check was made possible after the Trump administration granted states direct and free access to the federal SAVE database for the first time.
The tool allows election officials to confirm voter citizenship against immigration and naturalization records.
The statement also said Texas was among the first states to join a pilot program with DHS, USCIS and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to improve the database’s functionality.
“We are in the early stages of this pilot program, but we already see promising results. This may be the most current and accurate data set there is when it comes to citizenship verification,” Secretary Nelson said.
County registrars are expected to complete their investigations by early December, with official removals and potential referrals to follow.
The secretary of state’s office said the review will continue with periodic checks against federal databases to ensure accuracy.
“The SAVE database has proven to be a critically important data set and one of many that we will continue to use in Texas to ensure that only qualified voters cast a ballot in our elections,” Nelson said.” Fox News [ [link removed] ]
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
“Austin, Travis County declare preemptive disaster orders for wildfire risk,” Austin American-Statesman’s Dante Motley and Mary Wasson — “Travis County and the city of Austin issued preemptive disaster declarations Monday morning due to high wildfire risks, local officials said.
During a joint news conference, Travis County Judge Andy Brown and Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said the declarations are intended to speed up wildfire response. The orders allow officials to activate local emergency operations centers, request state assistance, and reassign staff or equipment for fire protection without waiting for City Council or Commissioners Court approval. They also help speed up reimbursement from state and federal agencies if a disaster occurs.
Watson noted that Austin now ranks fifth in the nation for the number of homes at risk of wildfire.
“We’re in particularly perilous conditions,” he said. “Whether you live downtown or in the county, wildfire could affect you and your family.”
The declarations were made as burn bans remain in effect across Central Texas, including in Travis County.
The wildfire risk worsened after deadly flash floods in northwestern Travis County in July, according to Travis County Fire Marshal Gary Howell. The flooding spurred new vegetation growth that has since dried out during what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calls a “flash drought.”
A flash drought develops when dry conditions set in unusually quickly, over weeks instead of months. After a wet July, Central Texas has been dry through August, September and October. Monday marked 43 consecutive days without measurable rain in Austin.
Any extension of the declarations beyond seven days requires approval from the City Council or Commissioners Court. The Austin City Council will vote Thursday on extending the declaration through Dec. 11, while the Travis County Commissioners Court will decide during its Tuesday meeting.
The local orders come 10 days after Gov. Greg Abbott renewed a statewide disaster declaration because of elevated wildfire danger.
Preparedness and prevention
Officials urged residents to avoid outdoor burning, park only on paved surfaces, secure tow chains on trailers and never discard cigarette butts on the ground. They also warned that embers, not just flames, can travel more than a mile and cause most home ignitions.
“These measures aren’t meant to scare you. They’re meant to prepare you,” said Pflugerville Fire Chief Nick Perkins, who joined Howell, the county fire marshal, and Austin Fire Chief Joel Baker at the briefing.
Baker said Austin firefighters have undergone specialized wildland-urban interface training — which prepares them to fight fires where developed areas meet undeveloped land — and continue to coordinate daily with county and state crews. Travis County agencies maintain a fleet of bulldozers and work with STAR Flight and the Texas A&M Forest Service to enable a rapid wildfire response.
Resources for residents
Watson and Brown encouraged homeowners associations and neighborhood groups to request wildfire-safety presentations from city officials. Residents can schedule a free Structural Ignition Zone Evaluation through Austin 311 or at the city’s Wildfire Hub (ATXWildfireHub.com), where they can also track active wildfires and learn how to protect property using defensible-space practices and noncombustible materials.
People are also urged to sign up for emergency alerts at WarnCentralTexas.org and review evacuation routes at ReadyCentralTexas.org.
“We can’t protect Texas from wildfire without individual members of our community doing their part,” Watson said. “Please be prepared, be aware and help spread the word.”
A risky forecast
A dry and breezy cold front will move through Central Texas on Tuesday, increasing wildfire danger across the region. Wind gusts could reach up to 25 mph — strong enough to quickly spread any fires that develop.
The latest drought monitor now places parts of Travis County under extreme drought, the second-highest drought category, with the most severe conditions east of Interstate 35.
Fortunately, there’s some good news ahead. Rain chances return later this week — the best opportunity all month — as another cold front arrives Friday night into early Saturday.” AAS [ [link removed] ] ($)
“Dallas City Hall repairs could top $345 million, staff report says,” Dallas Morning News’ Everton Bailey, Jr. — “A Dallas City Council committee will meet Tuesday to discuss the future of Dallas City Hall [ [link removed] ] as new estimates show repairs for the deteriorating downtown building could be well above $345 million.
A staff presentation released Monday afternoon ahead of the council’s finance committee meeting estimates the nearly 50-year-old building’s maintenance needs for water damage repairs, garage structural repairs and a host of other issues range from at least $152 million to more than $345 million.
“The City is at an inflection point: either begin addressing the significant investment needs or accept the potential risks, costs, and disruptions of deferred maintenance,” reads the presentation, which is expected to be given Tuesday by Assistant City Manager Donzell Gipson and John Johnson, facilities and real estate management director.
The document warns that deferring maintenance could lead to costly emergencies, service disruptions and even temporary closures of the building.
Last year, city officials estimated at least $60 million was needed for critical repairs, but council member Chad West, who chairs the finance committee, recently told The Dallas Morning News that he’d been told needed repairs could top $100 million. The presentation said additional expense is anticipated for work required to comply with current code.
West told The News on Monday that the latest repair estimates are just “city staffs’ best guesses,” not based on a full inspection.
“I wasn’t surprised necessarily,” West said when asked about his reaction to the revised potential repair bill. “But I was more disappointed than I had been to realize the level of deferred maintenance that had been allowed to build up over decades.”
He specifically pointed to estimates that the city needed up to $145 million to repair its two-level underground parking garage and possibly more than $10 million for upgrades to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act as among the top issues that jumped out to him.
When asked if he was confident whether the building can be fully restored, West said he wasn’t sure yet.
“The fact that we don’t have a complete estimate at this point for all of the various conditions is very telling,” the finance committee chair said. “Staff has come up with a maximum amount that the costs could be, but I wonder if it could be even more once a third party digs into the full condition of the entire building.”
The presentation on the state of Dallas City Hall lays out three potential paths forward: making minimal repairs, fully restoring the building or exploring alternatives like leasing space, selling the property or building a new City Hall.
Johnson told The News recently that the $60 million-plus repair estimate for City Hall last year was based on preliminary data from the 2024 bond program. Since then, only design and engineering work is underway for replacing generators. All the other needs remain unfunded.
More accurate estimates won’t be known until the city assesses the building’s condition, which would provide a full list of City Hall’s deficiencies, Johnson said. A contract for a firm to perform the assessment likely won’t be awarded until 2026, he added.
The city won’t know the true cost or timeline until the inspection is done and a contractor provides a detailed plan.
According to Tuesday’s staff presentation, maintaining the status quo is likely the most expensive option. Ignoring repairs means paying more for emergency fixes and if systems keep failing, City Hall could face major disruptions or even have to close temporarily.
“Because repairs happen only after failures, total costs are unpredictable and can escalate quickly,” the presentation said.
Under the option to fully fund the repairs, the document says it could take up to two years for a full building assessment to be done.
“Identifying available funding will be challenging,” the presentation said. “Additional bond funding/capacity may not be available for several years and proceeds from surplus sales are unlikely to fully cover costs.”
If relocation is chosen, nearby downtown-area buildings like Bank of America Plaza, the Comerica Bank Tower, Renaissance Tower and Harwood Center are among close to a dozen buildings noted in the presentation as housing city departments.” DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE
> UT Austin professor dismissed from administrative duties for ‘ideological differences’ - KUT [ [link removed] ]
> Austin to host new PGA Tour event starting in 2026 - KXAN Austin [ [link removed] ]
> Former Central Texas teacher of 20 years sentenced to life in prison for continuous sexual abuse of a child - KXAN Austin [ [link removed] ]
> Texas voters decide on homestead exemption increases in constitutional election - KXAN Austin [ [link removed] ]
> This tech entrepreneur’s website against Austin’s Prop Q is raising ethics questions - KUT [ [link removed] ]
> The November election could have a big impact on taxes in Texas - KUT [ [link removed] ]
> Houston man charged in SE Austin jugging case after GPS places him at scene of $2k theft - KEYE [ [link removed] ]
> Finances and campus improvement plans: latest Pflugerville ISD updates - Community Impact [ [link removed] ]
> The Kids Bookshop now selling children’s books in Leander - Community Impact [ [link removed] ]
> Austin voters weigh Proposition Q, city tax rate election measure - Community Impact [ [link removed] ]
> Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas supports families in medical distress - Community Impact [ [link removed] ]
> County fair, Marine Band concert: 10 Georgetown events through early December - Community Impact [ [link removed] ]
> San Vicente Cemetery to become historical marker - Community Impact [ [link removed] ]
> That’s My Jam now open in Bee Cave - Community Impact [ [link removed] ]
> ATX Hyperbarics now open in Lakeway - Community Impact [ [link removed] ]
> Starbucks launches new location at The Domain - Community Impact [ [link removed] ]
> Townlake YMCA redevelopment to have major housing component - ABJ [ [link removed] ]
> H-E-B keeps its crown as Austin metro’s largest private employer - ABJ [ [link removed] ]
> Nate Paul’s real estate empire dwindles thanks to sales, new foreclosures - ABJ [ [link removed] ]
> Journal Profile: Design is a family affair for Susanne Harrington - ABJ [ [link removed] ]
> Company moving HQ to Cedar Park hopes to put tech in flying cars - ABJ [ [link removed] ]
> Austin AI startup aims to boost odds for sports gamblers - ABJ [ [link removed] ]
> F1, COTA make deal to keep U.S. Grand Prix in Austin through 2034 - ABJ [ [link removed] ]
> Good Good Championship to debut on PGA TOUR in 2026 - PGA Tour [ [link removed] ]
> Larry Ellison’s agricultural tech company plans $50M investment in Lockhart - ABJ [ [link removed] ]
> Texas high school football 2025: Central Texas Week 8 rankings - FOX 7 Austin [ [link removed] ]
> Austin cleans up as greenest city in Texas for 2025, new report says - CultureMap Austin [ [link removed] ]
> UT Austin professor responds to his dismissal from administrative role - KVUE [ [link removed] ]
> “It is anti-free speech,” UT Austin students protest White House funding proposal - KEYE [ [link removed] ]
> UT Austin Blocks Grad Student Assembly Political Speech - Inside Higher Ed [ [link removed] ]
> Hollywood A-lister two-steps at historic Texas honky-tonk - MySA [ [link removed] ]
> AUS Unveils Bat Wall in Partnership with Austin Bat Refuge - AustinTexas.gov [ [link removed] ]
> Planning Commission recommends multifamily upzoning in Hancock - Austin Monitor [ [link removed] ]
> Arch Manning: Why Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian didn’t bench QB - Austin American-Statesman [ [link removed] ]
> Brown, Watson sign wildfire disaster declarations - Austin Monitor [ [link removed] ]
> Chamoy, chainsaws & Selena: Austin’s DIY Halloween costume guide - Austin American-Statesman [ [link removed] ]
> Austin, Travis County issue disaster orders for wildfire risk - Austin American-Statesman [ [link removed] ]
> Best colleges in Texas, US in 2025 include UT Austin: WalletHub - Austin American-Statesman [ [link removed] ]
EXTRA POINTS
Last night’s Texas sports scores:
> NFL: Seattle 27, Houston 19

Tonight’s Texas sports schedule:
> 6:30pm: NBA: Houston at Oklahoma City (NBC)
> 7pm: NHL: Columbus at Dallas (ESPN+)
Tomorrow’s Texas sports schedule:
> 8:30pm: San Antonio at Dallas (ESPN)
TEXAS SPORTS HEADLINES / LINKS:
HOUSTON TEXANS: “Smith-Njigba, defense show out again for Seahawks in 27-19 win against Texans” AP [ [link removed] ]
DALLAS COWBOYS: “Cowboys show a little life on defense, and that’s all a potent offense needs to contend” AP [ [link removed] ]
TEXAS TECH FOOTBALL: “QB Behren Morton is still day to day for No. 14 Texas Tech after missing a game” AP [ [link removed] ]
TEXAS A&M FOOTBALL: “Texas A&M fined $50,000, coach Mike Elko reprimanded for faking injury in win over Arkansas” Hou Chron [ [link removed] ] ($)
TEXAS FOOTBALL: “Sarkisian says he needs to do ‘a better job’ with struggling offense for No. 22 Longhorns” AP [ [link removed] ]
DALLAS MAVERICKS: “As Mavericks enter first year post-Luka, they’d better win big with their new formula” DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
HOUSTON ROCKETS: “Rockets’ predictions: How media ranks Houston as NBA season opens” Hou Chron [ [link removed] ] ($)
F1 (Austin): “Verstappen dominates U.S. Grand Prix; cuts points gap to McLaren” ESPN [ [link removed] ]

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