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Family of Austin 8-year-old who died after car crash sets up foundation in his memory

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Family of Austin 8-year-old who died after car crash sets up foundation in his memory


The family of a boy who died after a car wreck in December has set up a new foundation in his memory. At just eight-years-old, Jude Calley left his mark.

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“He was just so joyful and bubbly, and a light to everybody, he’s the kind of kid that if a kid needed help, he would be the first one to go help him, he was also so happy and giggly and smiley,” Jude’s mother, Mary Grace Calley said.

In December, Jude and his father, Brandon Calley, were in a roll-over crash on FM 1626 near Hays County. Jude was taken by STAR Flight to Dell Children’s Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. 

The family of a boy who died after a car wreck in December has set up a new foundation in his memory. At just eight-years-old, Jude Calley left his mark.

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“The community rallied behind us, came together like a team to support us, and we’ll never forget that,” Brandon Calley said.

Jude played on the Austin Raptors Baseball Team. When he was fighting for his life in the hospital, the baseball community was there to support.

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“Jude was still in the hospital, he was on life support, the whole entire community just rallied around us, and they wore Jerseys for Jude,” Mary Grace Calley said.

Jude died in the hospital, but his organs were donated to help two adults and two kids’ lives.

“He died a hero, he was always into superheroes, and he didn’t even know he was one in death,” Mary Grace Calley said.

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Eight-year-old Jude Calley died following a roll-over crash in Hays County. His family has now set up a foundation in his honor.

His parents continue to shine his light.

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“When you go through a tragedy like this, you have two choices, you can either let it destroy you which it could easily do because the grief is so intense, or you can let it fuel you to just do good, and live with purpose and glorify God with it,” Mary Grace Calley said.

“I think it was through that experience that we realized that nothing really matters except for loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself,” Brandon Calley said.

The Calleys started the JC7 Foundation. The J stands for Jude, C for Calley, and 7 for his baseball number.

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“It’s the biblical number for completeness, it’s God’s number of fulfillment,” Brandon Calley said.

The JC7 Foundation has a specific mission to enrich the lives of children and support families who have lost a child.

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“We’re looking to get kids that are maybe in a disadvantaged situation to get them into team sports, get them into the arts, to unlock beauty that the world desperately needs, get them into faith-based programs, like church,” Brandon Calley said. “We want to be there to support families that have lost a child, we want to support them financially, we want to offer grief counseling, but also hopefully find purpose in the pain, like we’ve found purpose in that pain.”

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Many are getting behind them. Kendra Scott hosted a Celebration of Life last week.

“Giving back to JC7 and being here and being with this group of people and being able to support obviously a horrible tragedy but rallying around it, is huge,” Bruce Bolt Founder and CEO Bear Mayer said.

“This just shows the power that when things happen, the community will come together,” Kendra Scott Vice President of Philanthropy and Belonging Sheena Wilde said.

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The Calley family said they’ve raised about $100,000 and are looking forward to using those funds to help others.

“In some many ways, it kind of lessons the pain of the grief when we’re just doing good and keeping his spirit alive,” Mary Grace Calley said.



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Austin, TX

Austin is the 2nd 'healthiest' city in America, Forbes says

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Austin is the 2nd 'healthiest' city in America, Forbes says


Is Halloween the new Christmas? Sure seems like it in Texas, which just earned top-5 status in a new study of the U.S. states that are the most into the Halloween spirit.

When it comes to doing up the spookiest holiday of the year, the Lone Star State comes in as the third-most Halloween-obsessed state in America.

The report by outdoor furniture retailer Backyard Oasis ranked all 50 states based on an analysis of search results for Halloween costumes, decor, candy, haunted houses, upcoming Halloween events, and more. State populations were also factored into the rankings to ensure the scores were “accurately comparable.”

Texas ranked No. 3 with a composite score of 48.16 points, beat only by California who ruled the list at No. 1, and New York which came in at No. 2, earning gilded costume crowns as the top two most Halloween-enthusiastic states.

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According to the study’s data, Texas is home to 47 haunted houses. The state has more than 75 Spirit Halloween stores in 2024, including nearly 30 in DFW, a dozen in Houston, half a dozen in Austin, and four in San Antonio.

Austinites have plenty of Halloween events to choose from, including a night out at one of many themed bars or artsy showcases. Looking outside of Austin, there are approximately 3,000 Halloween-related events happening all around the state in October.

Many trick-or-treaters dream of getting full size candy bars for Halloween, but in a surprising twist, the study found that the most popular Halloween candy in Texas is actually Sour Patch Kids. The sour-then-sweet candy is also highly popular in New York and Illinois, the report says.

Here’s how Backyard Oasis broke down the rest of Texas’ score:

  • 9,314,440 – Halloween costume searches in October 2023
  • 1,168,320 – Halloween decoration searches
  • 445,670 – Halloween candy searches

Backyard Oasis CEO Andy Wu said in the report that the spirit of Halloween isn’t just about giving out candy or dressing up in fun costumes, it’s about sharing in a “tradition that sparks creativity and joy across the U.S.”

“Halloween is one of the most exciting times of the year, bringing people together through creativity and celebration,” said Wu. “It’s amazing to see how different states embrace the holiday in their own unique ways, from massive costume searches to thrilling haunted houses.”

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The top 10 most Halloween-obsessed states are:

  • No. 1 – California
  • No. 2 – New York
  • No. 3 – Texas
  • No. 4 – Florida
  • No. 5 – Illinois
  • No. 6 – Ohio
  • No. 7 – Pennsylvania
  • No. 8 – Indiana
  • No. 9 – Michigan
  • No. 10 – Massachusetts

The least spooky state in the U.S. is Wyoming, which came in at No. 50, joined by nearby states Montana and South Dakota. New Mexico (No. 46) and Vermont (No. 47) were the other two states on the list’s bottom five.

The full report can be found on backyardoas.com.



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Austin, TX

AOG Living Breaks Ground on Novum Capital View in Austin, Texas

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AOG Living Breaks Ground on Novum Capital View in Austin, Texas


Firms Begins their Second Development Project in the 55+ Market

HOUSTON, Oct. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — AOG Living has broken ground on their second active adult community, Novum Capitol View in Austin, Texas, adding an additional 168 units to its growing development portfolio across the nation.

Developed by AOG Living and financed by CBRE, Novum Capitol View is slated for completion in late 2025. The 55+ luxury community is located at 9009 Capitol View Drive in Southeast Austin and offers a mix of studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments. Designed by architects Humphreys & Partners, the community will offer amenities such as weekly programming and activities, saltwater pool, dog park, community gardens, putting green, grilling station, yoga/aerobics room, hair/nail salon, fitness center, multi-purpose activity room, theater and game lounge, and air-conditioned storage units. AOG Living will also provide management for Novum Capitol View.

“We’re excited to leverage our experience in construction and development of Class A properties as well as our management experience of both Class A and senior living communities with our new, active adult community platform,” said Justin Hunt, Investment Associate at AOG Living.” AOG Living Chief Executive Officer Ricardo Rivas continued, “This project represents AOG Living’s ongoing expansion and dedication to serving diverse housing needs. We look forward to bringing our quality standards, community-driven values, and innovative property management as we expand our footprint in the Austin area.” For more information visit aogliving.com.

About AOG Living

AOG Living is a leading fully integrated, multifamily real estate investment, construction, and property management firm headquartered in Houston, Texas, with additional offices in Dallas and San Antonio. AOG Living has acquired, built, or developed more than 20,000 multifamily units with a total aggregate value of approximately $2.4 billion and has a growing portfolio of more than 35,000 apartment homes and 170+ properties under management throughout the nation. For more information, visit aogliving.com.

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For More Information Contact:
Carrie Saks
[email protected]
713-622-5844

SOURCE AOG Living

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Austin, TX

Election 2024: Strong turnout in Texas for early voting

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Election 2024: Strong turnout in Texas for early voting


Strong early voting turnout continued on Wednesday, as more Central Texans opted to head to the polls ahead of Election Day. 

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“It does look like this is going to be a relatively high turnout election in Texas,” said Joshua Blank with the Texas Politics Project at UT Austin. 

“Higher turnout is good because it means people are supporting the system,” said Dr. Brian Smith, a political science professor at St. Edward’s University. 

In Travis, Williamson and Hays Counties, significantly more people turned out in the first week of early voting this year, compared to 2020. Although COVID and population growth affect that comparison, there’s no doubt this year’s numbers are high. 

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“This has been such a nasty, divisive election at the presidential level that people have made up their mind, and they want to cast their votes sooner rather than later,” said Smith. 

In Texas, some experts say that could spell an advantage for Republicans. 

“So far, the data from early voting indicates that significantly more voters with a Republican primary voting history have voted than voters with a Democratic primary voting history. And that gap is unlikely to be erased,” said Blank. 

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Part of that equation could be people turning out who haven’t voted in a while. 

“There’s been a lot of discussion lately about Trump’s ability to turn out low-propensity voters, people who are unlikely to vote, and his appeal among these voters,” said Blank. 

MORE ELECTION 2024 COVERAGE

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Other factors could help Democrats, though. Looking at Travis County, more young people and first-time voters are making their voices heard this year, with 18- to 25-year-olds showing the largest increase in registration. 

“When we look at first time voters, this often helps the Democrats. They tend to do better with younger voters or voters who are new to the system,” said Smith. 

In its latest poll, the Texas Politics Project delved into what issues are motivating Texans to show up. 

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“Voters told us that the economy and prices were driving them to the polls. This is an issue that most voters feel on a daily basis,” said Blank. “Abortion remains a concern, but more so for Democratic voters.”

That same poll showed former President Donald Trump leading Vice President Kamala Harris by five points in the presidential race in Texas. In the race for U.S. Senate, it showed Sen. Ted Cruz, leading Democratic challenger Rep. Colin Allred by seven points. 

“There’s no indication in our polling or any of the other polling at this point, along with what we’ve seen in early voting turnout to date indicate a Democratic surprise here in Texas,” said Blank. 

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Eight early voting locations in Travis County will have extended hours Thursday and Friday. They’ll be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. for the last two days of early voting. Those locations are:

Austin Permitting and Development Center 

  • Ben Hur Shrine 
  • Carver Branch Library
  • Lakeway Activity Center
  • Pflugerville Rock Gym
  • Southpark Meadows 
  • Travis County Clerk
  • UT Union 



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