Austin, TX
Austin company using AI to track homeless encampments in city
Austin company using AI to track encampments
Austin company Nomadik is tracking homeless encampments in the city with the help of artificial intelligence.
AUSTIN, Texas – An Austin company is using artificial intelligence to track homeless camps in the city.
“It gets around the need for human analysts to sift through the data that allows for human error,” Nomadik AI owner Morgan Winters said.
AI is currently being used for manufacturing, education, and transportation. The owners of the Austin company said, why not use it for a local issue, like homelessness?
“There’s only two of us, and it would be very hard to do this with two people,” Nomadik AI owner Trevor Sorrells said.
Homeless crisis in Austin continues
The number of permanent supportive housing units in Austin is projected to increase by over 600% by 2026, according to city data shared at Tuesday’s city council work session.
With the help of AI, they’re tracking homeless encampments in Austin.
“A lot of these nonprofits in the city and stuff like that don’t have really accurate data to both try to solve the problem and then try to accurately manage how well they’re solving the problem,” Sorrells said.
Winters and Sorrells have created the Nomadik app where people like Jamie Hammonds, the owner of DASH, can provide information.
“I will go to each camp, I will photograph it, do a quick little inventory and hit submit,” Hammonds said.
Then AI does the rest of the work.
“We’re taking in all of the inputs and then using our ML models in the background to parse through all of that,” Sorrells said.
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He said it builds a picture of the current state of that homeless encampment and how many people are there.
“There’s going to be a more accurate count than what they’re actually putting out,” Hammonds said.
The Austin Homeless Strategy Office said ECHO estimated in October about 6,600 homeless people in the city. Winters and Sorrells said they hope to help the homeless through the app.
“We want to partner with some nonprofits so that people can actually just request resources or check in so that there’s a layer of safety that the app includes where it’s like, I’m here, I want you to know I’m here so that people can come and reach out to me, because right now, unless you see it as you’re driving around, there’s not really a whole lot, there’s no window into actually what’s going on in these camps,” Sorrells said.
“I think it’s going to change the way homelessness is approached in the future,” Hammonds said.
The creators said the app is set to be released in March.
AUSTIN, Texas — A man walking his dog with his son was fatally shot by a neighbor Friday evening in Northwest Austin, police said.
Billy Carlisle, 41, was shot at the intersection of Gardenridge Hollow and Wallace Drive at approximately 6:06 p.m. May 8. Austin-Travis County EMS attempted lifesaving measures, but Carlisle was pronounced dead at 6:45 p.m.
Hunter Buchmeyer, 36, was taken into custody in connection with the shooting.
According to APD, Carlisle was walking his dog with his son when he and Buchmeyer, also walking his dog, got into a verbal altercation. The two neighbors had “prior history,” APD said.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | APD investigating deadly shooting in NW Austin; suspect in custody
The dispute escalated to the point that Buchmeyer called 911 to report the altercation before shooting Carlisle. According to police, Buchmeyer yelled at someone to “get back” before the call disconnected.
Buchmeyer remained at the scene and attempted CPR on Carlisle before officers arrived.
No charges have been filed. APD said the investigation remains open.
The case is being investigated as Austin’s 23rd homicide of 2026.
Anyone with information is asked to contact APD at 512-974-TIPS or submit an anonymous tip through Capital Area Crime Stoppers at austincrimestoppers.org or 512-472-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 may be available for information leading to an arrest.
There was a significant reduction in the number of antisemitic incidents in Rhode Island in 2025, according to a national Jewish advocacy group.
According to the Anti-Defamation League’s latest Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, there were 26 antisemitic incidents in the state last year. That’s down from the 52 incidents counted by the group in 2024.
Samantha Joseph, New England regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, says a big reason for the reduction is a steep decline in antisemitism on college campuses.
“It shows that campus administrators are taking their responsibilities very seriously to provide a safe environment for all of their students,” said Joseph.
Brown University had over $500 million in federal funding frozen by the Trump administration last year following investigations into alleged antisemitism on campus. The funding was restored after Brown reached a settlement with the administration.
The reduction in antisemitic incidents in Rhode Island reflects a wider trend in New England as a whole. According to the ADL’s report, there were 400 antisemitic incidents in the region in 2025, compared to 638 the previous year.
While she’s pleased about the overall drop in antisemitic incidents in Rhode Island, Joseph says a number of concerning trends continue to persist. In particular, the state is still seeing more anti-Jewish incidents than it did prior to the October 7 attacks on Israel that launched the Gaza War in 2023.
Joseph is also concerned about the violent nature of local incidents of antisemitism.
“Even though overall incidents are down, assaults are up and assaults with a deadly weapon are up significantly,” said Joseph. “Our communities remain concerned for their safety, and our work is far from done.”
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Severe thunderstorms are possible Sunday evening as a cold front arrives in Central Texas. KXAN’s First Warning Weather Team will keep you updated on the weather coverage.
Risks to be aware of are damaging wind gusts that could reach as high as 60 to 75 mph and large hail up to quarter size.
Weather Resources:
Live Updates:
5:22 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is issued for all counties except for Milam County.
3:51 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for Mason, San Saba, and Lampasas County until 9:00 p.m.
3:30 p.m.: The primary risk for Sunday’s severe weather is damaging wind gusts which could cause power outages.
3:26 p.m.: Storms will likely move toward the I-35 corridor around 6 p.m. Most of the storms will enter the Hill Country around 6 p.m. and the Austin metro counties after 8 p.m.
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