When he heads off to college in a year or so, Yaheim Riley won’t have to travel far.

That was one the reasons why Riley chose to commit to the Texas football team. A three-star safety from Austin’s Anderson High School, Riley announced earlier this month that he will join the Longhorns’ 2026 recruiting class.

Riley is currently one of eight members in UT’s 2026 class, which currently ranks 26th nationally.

MORE: National Signing Day: 10 Central Texas uncommitted recruits to know moving forward

While recently working at a football camp put on by local products Sedrick Alexander, Latreveon McCutchin and Micah Gifford, Riley talked with reporters about his decision to play at Texas. He was previously committed to Houston, and he reportedly had offers from schools like Baylor, Texas Tech, TCU, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt.

“There’s nothing wrong with just staying at the crib,” Riley said. “I just moved here, and this city’s good. I’ve been here for two, three years, and I just like the environment. Then I just like (UT assistant coach Duane) Akina, I like the coaching staff up there too.”

According to a Spectrum News report, Riley grew up in Florida and has thus adopted the “Miami” nickname since his move to Texas. After playing at LBJ the past two seasons, Riley will suit up at Anderson this fall.

LBJ assistant coach Roderick Green wrote on social media that “Texas is definitely getting a playmaker! He can cover like a corner and come downhill (with) bad intentions! One of the best open field tacklers in high school football!”

But how would the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Riley describe his game?

“(Texas is) getting a hard hitter, a hard worker,” Riley said. “I love to work. If I ain’t working, I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Yaheim Riley is a rare Austin ISD recruit for Texas

Even though the Austin school district and Texas share an area code, a recruiting pipeline between the two entities doesn’t exist. Over the past decade, Austin High quarterback Charles Wright (2021), wide receiver Cayleb Jones (2012) and offensive lineman Mark Buchanan (2008) and LBJ tight end D.J. Grant (2008) have been the only Austin ISD products signed out of high school by Texas.

But Texas is coming off a season in which Andrew Mukuba, an LBJ graduate who started his college career at Clemson, starred in the secondary and developed into a second-round draft pick by the Philadelphia Eagles. Riley is hoping that he can also help change the narrative about the talent that exists in the city.

“Austin’s got a lot of slept-on talent,” Riley said. “I just say don’t sleep on the talent, there’s a lot of good people in Austin. I just will say just even though they might not look the part, just give them a chance. It’s a lot of good talent out here.”

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AUSTIN, Texas – Communities across Central Texas honored fallen service members at various Memorial Day events.

East Austin

What we know:

In East Austin, the Thankful Hubbard Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) and the Patrick Henry Chapter of Sons of the American Revolution (TXSAR) held their Memorial Day Service, which has been happening every year since 2007. 

They honored those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, including two Revolutionary War soldiers buried at the Texas State Cemetery. 

The two soldiers are Lt. Robert Rankin and Sgt. Stephen Williams. Williams also fought in the War of 1812 and the Texas War of Independence. His eulogy was given by a descendant of his. 

Over the weekend, the groups placed 3,200 flags on all the gravesites. 

What they’re saying:

“We want to have this available for the public to come out and memorialize those who have passed in battle,” Joseph Howell Burton, president of the Patrick Henry chapter of TXSAR said.

Pflugerville

What we know:

Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home and Cemetery in Pflugerville hosted its annual Memorial Day ceremony in the newly established Patriot Garden.

What they’re saying:

Veterans took time to connect and reflect. 

“The Marine Corps really changed my life big time. It taught me how to survive, discipline, and how to be a father, a son, et cetera,” veteran Jim Newman said. “Memorial Day to us is just remembering veterans that have gone before us and that we survived in order to remember their names.”

Round Rock

What we know:

Round Rock also had a ceremony at Old Settlers Park.

“Memorial Day is not just another holiday. It is a commitment. It’s a commitment to remember, to reflect, and to ensure that the sacrifice of our fallen heroes and their families are never forgotten,” Major General Michael McCurry with Army Futures Command said. “These were not just soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coast guardsmen. They were sons and daughters, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers. They were people with plans for the future with laughter and love to share, who instead gave everything for us.”

Memorial Day is also a time to honor Gold Star families.

“Your loss is immeasurable,” McCurry said.

The following article is from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation’s bi-monthly Foundation Action Newsletter, January/February 2025 edition. To view other editions of Foundation Action or to sign up for a free subscription, click here.

Case joins others for employees nationwide arguing Labor Board’s structure is illegal

Dallas Mudd helps connect people with the social services they need, and his and many other workers’ ability to do their important work shouldn’t be stymied because unaccountable NLRB bureaucrats are forcing union “representation” on them.

AUSTIN, TX – In November, Dallas Mudd, an employee for online social service coordination platform Findhelp, filed a federal lawsuit against the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on the grounds that the agency’s structure is unconstitutional. Mudd’s case, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, is the latest in a series of legal actions by National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys for employees challenging the NLRB’s authority.

Mudd’s case comes after he filed a decertification petition with the NLRB, seeking a vote to remove the Office & Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) from his workplace. However, NLRB officials blocked the vote, disenfranchising Mudd and his colleagues on the basis of unproven charges union bosses made against Findhelp. Mudd appealed the decision to the full NLRB in Washington, D.C., while also filing a federal lawsuit to challenge NLRB members’ removal protections.

Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, Mudd’s Foundation attorney also asked the Northern District Court of Texas to issue a preliminary injunction stopping the NLRB from adjudicating his appeal until the issue of the NLRB’s constitutionality is resolved. Mudd argues that he is suffering ongoing and irreparable harm by being forced to navigate a statutory process before an agency that he claims is unconstitutionally structured.

Constitutional Challenge: A Broader Legal Campaign

Meanwhile, in its own case against the NLRB, Findhelp has successfully secured an injunction against the NLRB in a federal district court making arguments similar to those raised by Mudd.

Mudd’s lawsuit follows four other constitutional challenges backed by the National Right to Work Foundation, targeting the NLRB’s structure. This includes a case for New York Starbucks employees Ariana Cortes and Logan Karam, who filed the first constitutional challenge to NLRB Board Member protections.

Their case is currently being briefed at the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, but since their groundbreaking lawsuit, numerous major employers have utilized the arguments first made in federal court by Foundation staff attorneys to challenge the radically pro-union boss BidenHarris NLRB.

“Independent-minded workers should not be forced to depend on biased agencies staffed by bureaucrats who exercise power in violation of the Constitution,” said National Right to Work Foundation Vice President Patrick Semmens.

“The Constitution does not permit a powerful federal agency to operate as the judge, jury, and executioner without proper oversight.

“Contrary to the wishes of Big Labor bosses, federal labor law is not exempt from the requirements of the U.S. Constitution,” added Semmens.