Austin, TX
Bills to derail Austin light rail project fail to pass
AUSTIN, Texas — Austin’s multi-billion dollar light rail plan, Project Connect, is safe for now after two bills that targeted it failed to pass the Texas Legislature.
Senate Bill 2519, authored by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, passed the state Senate and House but failed to be voted on by the House before the deadline. Rep. Ellen Troxclair, R-Lakeway, authored House Bill 3879, which did not reach the House for a vote.
In November 2020, Austin voters approved Project Connect and a 21% property tax increase to help fund it, the Texas Tribune reports. The $7 billion plan is projected to expand the city’s public transportation system with an electric light rail and additions to CapMetro’s existing presence.
Project Connect has seen some changes since it was first announced, including reducing the 27 miles of light rail to less than 10 miles. The group managing the project’s development, Austin Transit Partnership, has also been met with a lawsuit from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over claims that tax money can’t be used to help fund the project.
Phase 1 of the light rail is currently underway as developers focus on planning, engineering and fulfilling funding requirements. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027.
LEANDER, Texas — Someone is now a multimillionaire after purchasing a jackpot-winning Powerball ticket in Leander.
The Texas Lottery says the winning ticket was purchased at QuikTrip #4165 at 10742 E. Crystal Falls Parkway. It matched all six numbers drawn, 25-37-42-52-65 and Powerball 14.
The $20 million grand prize will be split with another winner in Florida. According to the Multi-State Lottery Association, the ticket sold in Texas is worth approximately $4.5 million before taxes.
ALSO | South Austin church says they were vandalized for second time in nine months
The Texas winner has not come forward to claim their prize; the Texas Lottery says that person has 180 days from the draw date to claim their winnings.
“Saturday delivered a major win for a Texas Lottery player and an exciting moment for our state,” said Courtney Arbour, executive director of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), which oversees the Texas Lottery. “We look forward to congratulating our second Powerball Grand Prize winner in the last eight months when they come forward to claim the prize. Wins like this show the full impact that well-run Texas Lottery games have on players, retailers and our beneficiaries – public education and veterans’ services – across the Lone Star State.”
William “Bill” B. Moriarty, of Austin, Texas, passed away on April 26, 2026, at the age of 73, following an extended battle with cancer. A devoted partner, father, brother, uncle, an…
WIMBERLY, Texas – The names of all five people killed in the Central Texas plane crash late Thursday night have been released.
Plane crash victim names
The latest:
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the names of the five victims in the Wimberly, Texas crash are as follows:
- Justin Appling (pilot)
- Hayden Dillard
- Seren Wilson
- Brooke Skypala
- Stacy Hedrick
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigators are on scene and serving as the lead investigative agencies, DPS said in their Saturday release.
What we don’t know:
The cause of the crash has yet to be determined.
Fatal Texas plane crash
The backstory:
Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra says first responders received the call just after 11 p.m. April 30 about an aircraft down in the Wimberley area.
The crash happened in a wooded area in the 200 block of Round Rock Road, near the area of Ledgerock Road and FM 2325, northwest of Wimberley. The NTSB says the crash happened at around 11:03 p.m.
A post-impact fire destroyed the plane, says the NTSB.
According to FlightAware, the plane was on its way to New Braunfels from Amarillo.
The aircraft has been identified as a Cessna 421C that had five people on board. All five are confirmed dead.
A preliminary investigation shows the plane was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of the crash, but there is no indication of a mid-air crash. A second plane traveling in the same area landed safely in New Braunfels.
Flight tracking data shows the plane had a normal takeoff, climbing to 17,400 feet, but just before 11 p.m., something went wrong. The data showed the plane suddenly started dropped, plunging more than 5,000 feet per minute. Within minutes, radar contact was lost.
The Source: Information in this update comes from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
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