Austin, TX

Father of man stabbed after pro-Palestinian Austin rally speaks out: ’Stop this madness’

Published

9 months ago

February 9, 2024

Father of man stabbed after pro-Palestinian Austin rally speaks out: ’Stop this madness’

Just days after his 23-year-old son was rushed to a hospital after being stabbed in Austin, Nizar Doar is still struggling to cope with what happened.

“I can’t make any sense out of it; that’s the problem,” he said.

Doar, 55, and his son Zacharia — both identify as Palestinian American — were at a rally at the state’s capital to protest Israel’s actions in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war. After the demonstration, Zacharia, who lives in Arlington, decided to stay in Austin a while longer to eat with his friends, Doar said.

Doar was near Waco when one of Zacharia’s friends called to tell him his son had been stabbed.

“He said, ‘Uncle, you have to come back,’” Doar recalled. “It was the worst feeling I ever endured in my life. I felt like, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to lose my son.’”

A racial slur, then a stabbing

According to police, officers were notified at about 7 p.m. of a disturbance in the intersection of West 26th Street and Nueces Street in West Campus, near the University of Texas at Austin. Responding officers found a man with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, police said, adding that he was taken to a hospital.

One of the people with Zacharia during the stabbing told authorities that they, along with two other people, were in a pickup going southbound on Nueces Street when a man on a bicycle approached the truck, according to a probable-cause affidavit obtained by The Dallas Morning News.

The man, later identified by police as 36-year-oldBert James Baker, “put his bicycle down in front of the truck” and started yelling a racial slur at the people in the truck, according the affidavit. When they got out of the truck, Baker allegedly punched Zacharia in the shoulder and a fight ensued.

The witness told authorities Baker pulled out a knife at some point and ran toward the group. He then saw Zacharia “bleeding from his right ribs,” according to the affidavit. The same person told authorities that Zacharia, after being stabbed, “wrestled” Baker to the ground and “struck the knife out” of his hand.

Doar said he believes Baker targeted the truck because it had a keffiyeh, a traditional black and white head scarf, displayed on the passenger side of the vehicle.

Zacharia was stabbed “under the shoulder blade,” Doar said. The knife broke one of Zacharia’s ribs, and doctors told the family his recovery is expected to take at least six weeks. He is back in North Texas with his wife and son.

“He cannot attend to his son because he cannot carry him,” Doar said. “He can’t pick him up and comfort his son.”

Investigators mull a hate crime charge

Baker was arrested and accused of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. On Wednesday, Austin police announced that the department’s Hate Crimes Review Committee determined the stabbing met the definition of a hate crime.

“Per department policy, the information has been provided to the Travis County District Attorney’s Office. The prosecuting office will make the final decision on enhancing the offense to a Hate Crime,” Austin police said in a Wednesday news release.

Doar, who has lived in the United States since 1988, said he and Zacharia have been attending pro-Palestinian rallies in North Texas. He said what’s happening in Gaza is a “genocide” of Palestinians, adding that he thinks elected officials must do more to call for a cease-fire in the region.

“If we cannot do this as Americans, who else is going to stand in the front of this evil that’s going on in Gaza? We really need to stand together to stop this madness,” Doar said.

Doar said he is “110%” proud of his son and described him as his “pride and joy” and one of the “most helpful, wonderful, cheerful” people “you’ll ever meet.” His family has been moved by the outpouring of support for Zacharia following the stabbing, Doar said.

“I mean, I’m talking about Muslims, Christians, Jewish — people that I really never met call us to show their support for us,” he said.

The Palestinian Youth Movement Dallas has helped organize demonstrations in North Texas. Nidaa Lafi, a spokesperson for the organization, said she had met Zacharia at rallies in North Texas and described him as “outspoken and passionate.” The group is planning to participate in a rally Friday at Main Street Garden in response to the stabbing, Lafi said.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy group that works closely with the Muslim community, said it saw an alarming spike in the number of Islamophobic incidents following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack in Israel. In November, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department had noticed “a significant increase in the volume and frequency of threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities” in the U.S. following the attack,

In a written statement, state Rep. Salman Bhojani said the rise in hate crimes in Texas is “utterly unacceptable.”

“The horrifying Austin stabbing shows a disturbing trend that cannot be ignored,” his statement read.

Doar has felt a range of emotions about the stabbing: confusion, anger, sadness.

But he isn’t afraid.

“No matter what it is, I’m going to participate in more protests,” Doar said. “I’m not going to let this evil stop the good we provided to show the world we stand with Gaza. I’m not going to let that deter us from getting our messages out there.”

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Austin, TX

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

Published

4 hours ago

October 31, 2024

Press Room

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.

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.”

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

Published

12 hours ago

October 31, 2024

Press Room

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.

Left to Right: Kenneth Schaper (Superintendent) Michel Aviles (Project Engineer) Paul Riley (President, AOG Construction) Toni Boyette (Regional Manager) Ricardo Rivas (CEO) Justin Hunt (Associate) Sherri Swope (Senior Project Manager)

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.

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

Published

19 hours ago

October 31, 2024

Press Room

Election 2024: Strong turnout in Texas for early voting

Early voting in Texas

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

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

“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.

“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.

Large number of people turnout for early voting

In Travis County, the vote count may be coming from a large number of first-time voters. There is also a possibility some of those casting a ballot now haven’t voted in a while.

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.

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

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.

“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.”

46K in Travis Co. vote on first day of early voting

Around five percent of registered voters in Travis County cast their ballot on the first day of early voting Monday.

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.

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