AUSTIN, Texas – The suspect in a violent road rage incident on the Capital of Texas Highway has been identified and charged, according to court paperwork.

The altercation was caught on camera.

What we know:

34-year-old Ian Kevin Brinkmeyer has been charged with criminal mischief, a Class B misdemeanor, in connection with the Dec. 5 incident.

At around 2 p.m. that day, officers responded to a call for service on Capital of Texas Highway, where they spoke with Brinkmeyer and another man.

The affidavit says Brinkmeyer “engaged in a road rage” with the other man while traveling north on Capital of Texas Highway. Brinkmeyer drove around the other man, changed lanes in front of him and cut him off before stopping his car.

Brinkmeyer then allegedly got out of his vehicle holding a “steel knife sharpening rod”, walked over to the other man’s car and struck the driver’s side door window with the rod, shattering the entire window.

The affidavit says Brinkmeyer then quickly walked back to his car and drove off.

The entire incident was caught on video by other drivers and posted on social media.

The affidavit says that the repairs to the shattered window cost about $480, making this a case of criminal mischief with a value between $100 and $750.

What’s next:

A warrant has been issued for Brinkmeyer’s arrest. As of 12 p.m. Dec. 11, he is not in custody.

Holiday gift giving means it’s time for a road trip.

Maceo’s Spice & Import Company (maceospice.com) in Galveston is the perfect destination for the chefs and eaters on your list. Not only is the island city decorated for the holidays, but the 81-year-old specialty shop has an expansive selection of spices and hard-to-find imported foods. The house-made tomato gravy and pesto sauce are highly recommended. While you’re there, treat yourself to a muffaletta sandwich and a bowl of gumbo.  

If someone on your holiday gift list is a New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival fan, head to Santo at the intersection of I-20 and U.S. 281. Kennedy’s Sausage Hometown Market (kennedyssausagehtm.com) makes the original Crawfish Monica Sauce (minus the crawfish) from Jazz Fest. The market sells other frozen foods that can be found nowhere else except maybe their other store in Stephenville. 

At Santo you’re 16 miles south of Mineral Wells, so drive to the Crazy Water Company for a case of Texas’ original mineral water. 

If you can’t make a road trip during the hectic days leading up to the holiday, then shop online. One of the pleasures of traveling Texas is finding the friendly voice of National Public Radio. Small radio stations were hit hard after the elimination of federal funding for public media. For instance, Marfa Public Radio lost a third of its funding. Consider making a gift to one of the 44 public stations in Texas in someone’s name. Or purchase a very cool T-shirt from Marfa Public Radio (marfapublicradio.org) as a way of making a donation.

Want a gift with staying power? Give a personalized brick to support the renovation of the historic Bolivar Point Lighthouse (bolivarpointlighthouse.org). The red brick with their name on it will be used as a paving stone at the lighthouse across the channel from Galveston.

Feliz Navidad, y’all. 

1,784th in a series. Everywhere is a day trip from somewhere. Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a travel blog, at austinchronicle.com/day-trips.

This article appears in December 12 • 2025.

AUSTIN, Texas — Austin city leaders recognized nine Black-led grassroots organizations on Tuesday after the groups completed a yearlong training initiative designed to strengthen their work serving people experiencing homelessness.

Mayor Kirk Watson called homelessness a true humanitarian crisis in the city of Austin, telling attendees, “I want to say I’m proud to live in a city that cares as much about this issue as we do.” He later added, “We have to do better in Austin, Texas.”

The participating organizations work on the front lines of Austin’s homelessness crisis, including groups like The Pfaith House. Founder Kimberly Holiday said her organization focuses on supporting women and children facing some of the most difficult circumstances. “We have transitional housing in Pflugerville for women and children who are actively fleeing domestic violence and or experiencing chronic homelessness,” she said.

Other honored groups include

• Black Men’s Health Clinic
• Change 1
• The Healing Project
• Hungry Hill Foundation
• Indeed Transitional Outreach Ministry
• My Sister’s Keeper ATX
• Walking by Faith Prison Ministry
• We Can Now

The groups completed a yearlong capacity-building initiative led by the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, funded by the City of Austin and Indeed, to expand the organizations’ impact. Holiday said the initiative has strengthened collaboration among providers. “I believe strongly that with the cohort we have created an ecosystem to be able to support one another and also an ecosystem for those that we serve,” she said.

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David Gray, director of Austin’s Homeless Strategies and Operations Department, said the city wanted to invest in the organizations’ growth. “We wanted to invest in them, cultivate their growth and professional development, and help their organizations continue to deliver extremely high impact in our Austin community,” he said.

Gray said the cohort received professional development training from Austin Community College, one-on-one coaching from local business leaders, and lessons on mental health and wellness. “When you have a diversity of providers who are out there each and every day engaging with people, that creates more entry points for folks to come into our homeless response system,” he said.

Holiday said the training helped her turn long-term goals into a reality. “I feel very strongly that it created the infrastructure that I needed to take my vision to action, and we are changing lives.”

City officials say the organizations are now better equipped to reach more people and deliver more support where it’s needed most.