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Health officials say number of measles cases climbs to 163 across Texas, including 1 Austin

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Health officials say number of measles cases climbs to 163 across Texas, including 1 Austin


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The Texas Department of State Health Services released its latest measles count Tuesday: 163 cases with 22 of those needing hospitalization. On Friday, there were 146 cases in the state.

The count includes only one death, a school-age child in Gaines County. Most of the cases, 159, are in West Texas.

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On Friday, Travis County had its first measles case since 2019, an Austin infant, who was noted in an Austin Public Health news conference. That child was too young to be vaccinated and had traveled outside the U.S. when they became exposed. The infant’s family were all vaccinated and are quarantining to prevent spreading the disease.

Measles is a concern because 90% of people exposed to the virus who have not been vaccinated or do not have natural immunity will become infected after being exposed. It is one of the most infectious diseases.

The virus can live on the surfaces of a room for two hours after the exposure.

Most of the cases are in and around Gaines County in West Texas, not far from Lubbock and the Panhandle, but the state issued a warning for people in San Marcos, New Braunfels and San Antonio about a possible exposure after a person who later tested positive for measles traveled to Central Texas on Feb. 14-16.

The measles infection of the Austin infant is not related to the person who traveled to Central Texas from West Texas.

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Most people don’t know they are infected with measles before they have infected someone else, said Dr. Rama Thyagarajan, an infectious disease expert and an associate professor at the University of Texas Dell Medical School. The disease is not something primary care doctors are used to screening for or suspecting as a possible cause for the flu-like symptoms that begin a measles case, she said.

“It is always a good idea with any respiratory illness to stay home,” Thyagarajan said.

What are the symptoms of measles?

After seven to 14 days of being exposed, measles starts with:

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  • Cough
  • Runny nose
  • Conjunctivitis
  • Usually a fever of 103 to 104

Four days later:

  • A rash starting at the head and working its way down the body appears.
  • The rash can start as sore spots in the mouth.

In severe cases:

  • Inflammation of the lungs
  • Pneumonia from a secondary infection
  • Inflammation of the brain

Years later:

In some rare cases, measles can cause a fatal form of encephalitis, swelling in the brain, years after being infected.

How long are you contagious with measles?

People with measles are infectious four days before the rash starts and then four full days after the rash begins. They should isolate an additional 10 days.

If you have been exposed and have symptoms, you should call your doctor first instead of showing up at an emergency room or doctor’s office.

When can I get a measles vaccination?

The measles vaccine is known as the MMR vaccine: measles, mumps and rubella (the latter is also known as German measles). It is a live vaccine and should not be given to pregnant women and some people with autoimmune issues, including some people who are undergoing treatment for cancer.

Most children are vaccinated with the first dose when they turn 1. A second dose is given between ages 4 and 6. A second dose can be given as soon as 28 days after the first dose.

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A first dose of the vaccine can start giving someone some protection within 72 hours and can be used to fight a measles exposure. A first dose provides about 93% protection after two weeks. After the second dose, a person has 97% protection.

For people who have been exposed, they can receive immunoglobulin within six days of an exposure to fight the virus.

What happens with babies who are not old enough for the vaccine?

In some cases, you can give the vaccine to infants who are 6 months or older, especially if they have been exposed. Health officials have not made that recommendation for all infants 6 months or older, yet, said Dr. Desmar Walkes, the Austin-Travis County public health authority, but that recommendation might change if Austin does experience an outbreak.

If you do get your 6- to 11-month-old vaccinated, they would need a second shot at age 1 and then a third shot at age 4.

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Infants who have not been vaccinated need to be kept away from exposure in an outbreak, and the people around them should be vaccinated, Thyagarajan said. The same is true for anyone who cannot receive the vaccine because of health conditions such as cancer treatments or an organ transplant.

How do I know if I have immunity?

People who were born before 1957 are presumed to have immunity because of the amount of measles that was present during that time. People born after that time need to make sure they have been vaccinated with two doses. If you were born between 1957 and 1968, you might not have immunity because the vaccine at the time didn’t use a live virus.

Vaccine protection does wane over time. You can get a blood test to check your immunity level to be sure. If you have been pregnant in the last 30 years, you have already had your titer check for rubella, which is in the MMR vaccine and would have been told if you did not have immunity.

How can I get vaccinated?

For vaccinations, contact your primary care provider or you can go through Austin Public Health. You can get vaccinated as an adult if you have not been vaccinated previously.

Austin Public Health offers vaccinations for free or at reduced rates for children and adults who do not have insurance, have Medicaid or are underinsured. The typical cost is $13 for children and $25 for adults. You can make an appointment at 512-972-5520 for either of the clinics at 405 W. Stassney Lane in South Austin or the 7500 Blessing Ave. location in Northeast Austin.

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Austin Gamblers Announce: ALL MY(EUX) GROOVY FRIENDS & TEJANO QUEEN FOREVER

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Austin Gamblers Announce: ALL MY(EUX) GROOVY FRIENDS & TEJANO QUEEN FOREVER


TO PERFORM AT PBR GAMBLER DAYS PRESENTED BY TECOVAS

Local Honky-Tonk Band to Kick Off Fan Fest on Saturday, Aug. 22, and Selena Quintanilla Perez Tribute Band to Close Out Gambler Days On Sunday, Aug. 23

AUSTIN, Texas (July 16, 2026) – The Austin Gamblers, 2024 PBR Teams Champions, announced today that Austin-based honky-tonk and country band All My(eux) Groovy Friends will take the Fan Fest stage on Saturday, Aug. 22, bringing an energetic mix of Texas country, Americana, and dance-ready sounds to PBR Gambler Days presented by Tecovas. Additionally, nationally acclaimed Selena tribute band Tejano Queen Forever will close out the weekend on Sunday, Aug. 23, with a high-energy celebration of the music and legacy of Selena Quintanilla Perez during Fan Fest. Both bands join a star-studded lineup of live music performances at Gambler Days, which also includes country superstar Dustin Lynch on Friday, Aug. 21, and hip-hop icon Nelly on Saturday, Aug. 22.

“We’re always looking for ways to raise the bar and deliver an experience our fans will never forget,” said JJ Gottsch, CEO of the Austin Gamblers. “Just like the adrenaline and excitement that comes with riding a 1,000-pound bull, we wanted to bring that same energy to our lineup of acts for Gambler Days 2026. Tejano Queen Forever will celebrate the music and legacy of Texas icon Selena Quintanilla, whose m and All My(eux) Groovy Friends is a staple in the Austin honky-tonk scene, so it felt only right to bring  both acts to the Fan Fest stage.”

Known for bringing people together through two-stepping and line dancing, All My(eux) Groovy Friends will add an authentic Austin honky-tonk experience to the Fan Fest lineup. Led by Tate Mayeux, the group continues to build its following throughout Austin. Mayeux has assembled a powerhouse band of long-time friends, featuring highly accomplished songwriters and multi-instrumentalists including Jordan Matthew Young, who competed on Season 20 of The Voice in 2021 as part of Team Blake (electric guitar/vocals) and Adam Johnson (electric baritone guitar/vocals), alongside Bryan McGrath (drums) and Preston Rhone (Gulf Coast bass).

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All My(eux) Groovy Friends

Based in Dallas and touring nationwide, the beloved tribute act Tejano Queen Forever is led by vocalist Carymel Rodriguez, whose dynamic performances capture the spirit and sound of the Queen of Tejano Music. Backed by an ensemble of award-winning musicians, the band delivers authentic renditions of Selena’s biggest hits, creating an unforgettable live experience for fans of all ages. Showgoers can look forward to chart-breaking hits from the beloved Tejano superstar such as “Como la Flor”, “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom”, “Amor Prohibido” and “Dreaming of You”.

Gambler Days Weekend Entertainment Lineup

  • Dustin Lynch – Friday, Aug. 21 | Fan Fest and post-event DJ performance on the dirt
  • All My(eux) Groovy Friends – Saturday, Aug. 22 | Fan Fest performance 
  • Nelly – Saturday, Aug. 22 | Post-event performance on the dirt
  • Tejano Queen Forever – Sunday, Aug. 23 | Fan Fest performance

The Austin Gamblers will host their fifth annual homestand, PBR Gambler Days presented by Tecovas, at Moody Center on August 21-23. 

Gambler Days 2025. Photo credit: Giant Noise

Tickets for the event are on sale now and start at $36 (taxes and fees not included) and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, PBR.com, and MoodyCenterATX.com, or by calling PBR customer service at 1-800-732-1727. Fans who purchase Sunday tickets starting at $42 before Aug. 7 will be eligible to receive a free kid’s ticket. Exclusions apply.

For more information on Austin Gamblers, visit www.austingamblers.com or follow on social media channels:

Austin Gambler bull ride
Gambler Days 2025. Photo credit: Giant Noise

ABOUT AUSTIN GAMBLERS

2024 PBR Teams Champions, the Austin Gamblers are based in Austin, Texas, where the team’s fifth annual Gambler Days homestand will take place at the state-of-the-art Moody Center on August 21-23, 2026, bringing three days of world-class professional bull riding to the heart of downtown Austin. The team is coached by PBR legend and world champion Michael Gaffney. Under the leadership of JJ Gottsch as CEO, the Austin Gamblers are owned by Egon and Abby Durban. Both originally from Texas, Egon is Co-CEO of Silver Lake, the global leader in technology investing, and serves on the board of directors of Dell Technologies, whose founder, Michael Dell, is also a minority investor in the Gamblers.

All PBR Teams events are carried on either CBS Television Network, the CW, streaming live on YouTube, RidePass on Pluto app, or the PBR app. For more information, visit PBR.com, or follow on Facebook at Facebook.com/PBR, Twitter at Twitter.com/PBR, and YouTube at YouTube.com/PBR.

ABOUT PBR TEAMS

PBR Teams is an elite league featuring the world’s top bull riders competing on teams in five-on-five games leading to a Team Championship at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. During the 2026 season, the league’s fifth, each of the 10 teams – Arizona Ridge Riders of Glendale, AZ; Austin Gamblers of Austin, TX; Carolina Cowboys of Greensboro, NC; Florida Freedom of Sunrise, FL; Kansas City Outlaws of Kansas City, MO; Missouri Thunder of Ridgedale, MO; Nashville Stampede of Nashville, TN; New York Mavericks of Belmont Park, NY; Oklahoma Wildcatters of Oklahoma City, OK; and Texas Rattlers of Fort Worth, TX – will host a three-day homestand. Neutral-site games in Anaheim, CA, and Fort Collins, CO are planned for the 2026 season as well.

PBR Teams, launched in July 2022, builds on the existing structure of professional bull riding with the same basic rules for judging and scoring qualified 8-second bull rides. In events staged in a tournament-style format, all teams compete in head-to-head matchups against a different opponent each day. Each game features five riders per team squaring off against another team. Full team rosters are comprised of seven riders on the Protected Roster and three Reserve Roster riders. The team with the highest aggregate score of qualified rides among its riders is declared the winner of each game.

PBR is part of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO), a global sports and entertainment company. For more information, visit PBR.com, or follow on Facebook at Facebook.com/PBR, Twitter at Twitter.com/PBR, and YouTube at YouTube.com/PBR.

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About the Author:

Biography:

I grew up on a Midwest farm with dirt under my fingernails and the sound of wind rustling through cornfields. My childhood was all about 4H – raising pigs and horses, learning to bake and sew, and discovering the magic of transforming a garden into jars of summer sunshine. Those years taught me the value of hard work, the thrill of seeing a project through to the end, and the simple joy of creating something beautiful. A country girl with a need for speed and a thirst for adventure. Maybe that’s why I love the feeling of wind in my hair – whether I’m cruising down a dusty road on my Harley or tackling a mountain trail on my trusty mountain bike. Some of my earliest memories of rodeo are watching my father compete at small local events. That’s also where my love for country music comes in – long car rides listening to 8 tracks. The lyrics and melodies always spoke to my soul. These days, you’ll find me cheering on the cowboys and cowgirls at rodeos, two-stepping to my favorite bands, belting out a country tune at a concert or sharing stories and laughter with friends around a bonfire. When I’m not soaking up the country life and getting my boots dirty, I’m a nurse, caring for folks in my community. Follow along for more stories from the heart of rodeo and country life!





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Austin, TX

Texas flooding: Kerr County begins recovery efforts

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Texas flooding: Kerr County begins recovery efforts


Recovery efforts are ongoing in Kerr County. 

The county received 20 inches of rain over the past few days, which led to lots of flooding.

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What they’re saying:

Paul Hawkins, a longtime Kerrville resident, picked up debris along the Guadalupe River Friday afternoon.

“We just kept having flood, after flood, after flood. Then, flood wave, after wave. It kept getting higher and higher, and it actually got up a little higher than it did on the Fourth of July last year,” he said.

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He says a white cross that was knocked over was supposed to honor the victims of last year’s flood.

“We just had it all looking really nice and stuff, and people were starting to bring their children back, so they could play here, and it was really nice again, and so just buckle up, get back to work, and get it straightened out here just as fast as we can,” Hawkins said.

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After the devastation last year, Hawkins reflected on how the community feels.

“It’s a bad blow, and it’s really depressing. Even though we needed this rain to fill up our reservoirs and fill up our aquifers because they were way, way low, and this will get that done, but here in Hill Country it’s a land of extremes, you either get too much or you don’t get enough, and that’s just the way it is,” he said.

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Dig deeper:

Multiple roads are still closed in Kerr County. Officials say at least six bridges have major damage, but they have to wait for water to fully recede to further assess.

Chunks of the road are washed away on Town Creek Road, and other parts are covered with rock and sediment.

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On Third Street, part of the sidewalk is washed up, the guardrail is damaged, and tree limbs and debris are clogged on the sides of the bridge.

Kerr County officials say they were much better prepared for this flood than they were last year.

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The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office said they had to do multiple water rescues this week, and there were 232 calls for service on Thursday, July 16. 

Officials set up an incident command center before the weather hit.

Statewide, there are two deaths from this flood event. One of the victims was identified as John Steward. 

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FOX 7 Austin confirmed Steward graduated from Westlake High School in 1979. He also played football, ran track and sang with the Madrigals.

Officials say there are no reports of missing people in Kerr County.

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“Much different than the loss of life that happened between this one and the last one, that goes back to, we weren’t caught off guard by something nobody expected,” State Rep. Wes Virdell (R-Kerrville), said during a press conference.

Alerts and sirens went off as they were supposed to.

“The flood warning system, something that is very important to everyone here. The good news is it worked, and it worked the way it was designed to work,” Tom Jones, Precinct 1 Commissioner for Kerr County, said.

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The county says 17 people were in a shelter Friday morning that was cleared by the afternoon.

Texas flooding: How to help

What you can do:

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If you want to volunteer for recovery efforts, click here.

If you want to donate to help out, click here.

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The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s Angela Shen

TexasWeather



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Austin, TX

Texas expands flood response as Abbott warns of more life-threatening rain

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Texas expands flood response as Abbott warns of more life-threatening rain


Texas is expanding its response to severe flooding as state leaders warn another round of heavy rain could bring more dangerous conditions to parts of Central and South Texas.

During a Thursday briefing at the State Operations Center, Gov. Greg Abbott said protecting lives remains the state’s top priority as life-threatening flooding continues.

“Once again, life-threatening catastrophic flooding remains our main risk tonight and overnight through the early morning hours,” Abbott said.

Abbott said 59 counties remain under a flood watch, with Uvalde and Johnson City among the communities facing the greatest risk over the next 24 hours. He also warned that record river levels are expected in several locations, including along the Nueces River near Uvalde.

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The state has expanded its emergency response since Wednesday, with about 2,350 emergency responders now deployed along with more than 1,400 vehicles and pieces of equipment, including more than 85 boats, 21 aircraft, and more than 200 high-profile vehicles.

Abbott said those crews have completed more than 230 water rescues.

RELATED| Two deaths reported in Texas Hill Country floods, Abbott confirms

KEYE

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Chief Nim Kidd, who leads the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said National Weather Service meteorologists are forecasting more rain over already saturated areas.

“Meteorologists from the National Weather Service tell us an additional 10 to 15 inches of rain is possible over already wet areas,” Kidd said.

Kidd said some communities in the Uvalde area remain cut off because of flooding. The state has half a million meals ready to eat and one million bottles of water prepared for delivery by high-profile vehicles or military aircraft.

The Texas Department of Transportation said 125 roadway sections across the state had been impacted by floodwaters as of Thursday afternoon, with 87 remaining closed. Officials warned that even after floodwaters recede, roads and bridges may still be unsafe because of hidden damage.

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Abbott also confirmed two flood-related deaths. One victim was a man who was swept away in an RV near Comfort. The second was a 75-year-old man who was swept away while driving in Uvalde.

During the briefing, CBS Austin asked the governor when the state’s focus would begin shifting from rescue operations to recovery.

“The most important thing we can do right now during the immediacy of all the rain coming down is doing everything we can to protect human life,” Abbott said. “But that said people can begin the process maybe as early as tomorrow to go through damage assessment.”

Abbott urged Texans to continue avoiding flooded roadways as the threat continues.

“Together, all of us Texans can be diligent over the next 24 hours to make sure we avoid rising water or heading into water on roadways,” he said.

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