Connect with us

Austin, TX

Mail delivery temporarily halted in South Austin neighborhood due to reported hawk attacks

Published

on

Mail delivery temporarily halted in South Austin neighborhood due to reported hawk attacks


USPS has temporarily halted mail delivery in a South Austin neighborhood due to an aggressive hawk.

Advertisement

First reported by Axios Austin, residents living on Milam Place and Kenwood Avenue must pick up mail at the South Congress Post Office until further notice. 

“Imagine walking out of your house and knowing that you’re going to get punched in the back of the head by an animal with large talons,” said Alfred Del Barrio. “It’s not ideal.”

Advertisement

The tree in front of Del Barrio’s Travis Heights home has been adopted by a neighborhood hawk that is particularly protective of its nest.

Even going out for a run now takes some extra planning. Del Barrio said one time he was able to avoid getting attacked while running because he spotted the hawk’s shadow.

“My brother was on a run, and he thought I punched him in the back of the head, which I haven’t done in 15 years,” said Del Barrio. “I’ve always been able to dodge it. I just kind of like go underneath my awning or run into my car.

Advertisement

It’s not just the residents that are aware of the nuisance. 

“The construction guys…get divebombs on their hardhats,” said Del Barrio. “So you just hear a thump on the hardhats on the construction workers.” 

Advertisement

The executive director of the Travis Audubon Society says this is not uncommon this time of year.

“We are just basically overlapping with them in their territory, and they are divebombing people to try to protect their nest, said Nicole Netherton. “Because we have had such severe winter weather over the past several winters, it is possible that we have lost a significant enough canopy that birds are having to look for different spots to build their nest…it’s possible that they are maybe building their nest in their runner-up location that just happens to be closer to people.”

MORE WILD NATURE NEWS

Advertisement

Wildlife biologist Blake Hendon estimates the perpetrator is a red-shouldered hawk.

“We don’t receive tons of calls, but we do receive calls periodically. Those tend to be red-shouldered hawks. That’s one of our more common resident nesting hawks in the area,” said Hendon who works for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. “This is the time of year that they have constructed nests earlier in the season. They’ve laid eggs. And now at this point in time in the season, they are raising their young.”

Hendon noted there is a six to seven-week transition period between the eggs hatching and the fledglings flying off. Because of state and federal laws that protect migratory birds, there is not much people can do. 

Advertisement

“Just giving them as much space as possible and really trying to ignore them so that they can get their business and breeding done is probably the best advice,” said Netherton.

Both Hendon and Netherton said using an umbrella as a form of protection can be effective if the area cannot be avoided.

Advertisement

“It’s a short period of time, so if we can just keep that in perspective and try to live with the wildlife,” said Hendon. “These hawks do provide a nice ecological service within our urban areas; certainly, they’re preying on rodents, especially.”

Here is the full statement FOX 7 Austin received from USPS on Monday:

“The Postal Service always strives to provide the best possible service; however, the safety of our employees and customers is our priority. With regards to mail service in the Travis Heights neighborhood, the presence of a hawk has prevented safe delivery of mail to a few of the residents on Milam and Kenwood streets. Local management at the South Congress Post Office has contacted Austin Animal Control and Texas Parks & Wildlife for assistance in resolving the situation, as hawks are a protected species. We are committed to working closely with these organizations to resume mail delivery as quickly as possible. In the interim, affected customers may pick up their mail at the South Congress Post Office, located at 3903 S. Congress, Austin, TX, 78704, from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday – Friday, and from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience this may have caused and appreciate their patience as we work to successfully resolve this matter.”

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Austin, TX

Father of Texas man killed at 2020 protest decries Abbott’s pardon for convicted killer

Published

on

Father of Texas man killed at 2020 protest decries Abbott’s pardon for convicted killer


AUSTIN — Texas Gov. Greg Abbot issued a full pardon Thursday to a former U.S. Army sergeant convicted of murder for fatally shooting an armed demonstrator in 2020 during nationwide protests against police violence and racial injustice.

Abbott announced the pardon just minutes after the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles disclosed it had made a unanimous recommendation that Daniel Perry be pardoned and have his firearms rights restored. Perry has been held in state prison on a 25-year sentence since his conviction in 2023.

The Republican governor had previously ordered the parole board to review Perry’s case and said earlier that he would sign a pardon if recommended. The board, which is appointed by the governor, announced its unanimous recommendation in a message posted on the agency website, and Abbott’s pardon swiftly followed.

‘I am a racist’: Daniel Perry wrote, shared trove of racist, anti-protester messages

Political Points

Advertisement

Get the latest politics news from North Texas and beyond.

A jury in Austin had convicted Perry of murder in the death of 28-year-old Garrett Foster, an Air Force veteran who had been legally carrying an AK-47 while marching in a Black Lives Matter protest. Perry was working as a ride-share driver in July 2020, when he turned his car onto a street crowded with demonstrators and shot Foster before driving off.

When reached by phone Wednesday, Foster’s father, Steve, said the pardon “makes no sense.”

“Looks like our justice system comes down to one person,” Steve Foster said, referring to Abbott. “A jury of peers doesn’t matter anymore… Let’s hope he doesn’t do anything again.”

Whitney Mitchell and Garrett Foster, both 28, pose for a picture provided by Mitchell’s mother Patricia Kirven. Kirven and Sheila Foster, Garrett Foster’s mother, say he was shot and killed at a protest in Austin, Texas on Saturday, July 25, 2020. Mitchell, a quadruple amputee, was not physically hurt.(Courtesy of Patricia Kirven / Courtesy of Patricia Kirven)

Abbott’s demand for a review of Perry’s case followed pressure from former Fox News star Tucker Carlson, who on national television had urged the Republican governor to intervene after the sergeant was convicted at trial in April 2022. Perry was sentenced to 25 years in prison after prosecutors used his social media history and text messages to portray him as a racist who may commit violence again.

Advertisement

Prosecutors argued at trial that Perry could have driven away without opening fire, and witnesses testified that they never saw Foster raise his gun. The sergeant’s defense attorneys argued Foster, who is white, did raise the rifle and that Perry had no choice but to shoot.

Father of BLM protester slain by Daniel Perry speaks out after Abbott pushes for pardon

Perry, who is also white, did not take the witness stand, and jurors deliberated for two days before finding him guilty.

By Jim Vertuno, The Associated Press





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Austin, TX

Glen Powell inducted into Texas Film Hall of Fame at ‘Hit Man’ premiere

Published

on

Glen Powell inducted into Texas Film Hall of Fame at ‘Hit Man’ premiere


AUSTIN, Texas — Glen Powell is now a member of the Texas Film Hall of Fame after the Austin premiere of “Hit Man” at the Paramount Theatre on Wednesday, his latest film with director and fellow Texan, Richard Linklater.


What You Need To Know

  • Austin native Glen Powell was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame on Wednesday at the premiere of “Hit Man” at the Paramount Theatre in downtown Austin
  • The film — inspired by a true story written by Skip Hollandsworth for Texas Monthly in 2001 — centers on a professor who discovers he has a hidden talent as a fake hit man
  • Powell’s rise to superstardom has been driven by his roles in hit movies like “Anyone But You” alongside Sydney Sweeney and “Top Gun: Maverick” alongside Tom Cruise and Miles Teller
  • It’s not the leading man’s first time working with Linklater. Powell starred in the Texas director’s “Everybody Wants Some!!,” “Apollo 10 ½” and “Fast Food Nation”

The Texas Film Hall of Fame honors those who have made a significant contribution to Texas film and inducts new members each year.

It’s not the leading man’s first time working with Linklater. Powell has starred in the Texas director’s “Everybody Wants Some!!,” “Apollo 10 ½” and “Fast Food Nation.”

“Hit Man” premiered on May 15 in Austin, where Powell was inducted into the coveted list of Texas film greats by Linklater and the Austin Film Society.

The film — inspired by a true story written by Skip Hollandsworth for Texas Monthly in 2001 — centers on a professor who discovers he has a hidden talent as a fake hit man.

Advertisement

Powell has had a recent rise to superstardom with hit movies like the rom-com revival “Anyone But You” alongside Sydney Sweeney and “Top Gun: Maverick” alongside Tom Cruise and Miles Teller.

The Austin native will also star in “Twisters” later this year alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones and Anthony Ramos, a spinoff of the 1996 film “Twister.”

Linklater founded AFS in 1985 to create more opportunities for filmmakers in Austin and Texas and to bring people together through film.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Austin, TX

Glen Powell’s parents hilariously troll him on the Hit Man red carpet in Austin as he’s inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame

Published

on

Glen Powell’s parents hilariously troll him on the Hit Man red carpet in Austin as he’s inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame


Glen Powell was celebrating the premiere of his new film Hit Man and his induction into the Texas Film Hall of Fame… though his own parents hilariously trolled him.

The 35-year-old actor returned to his hometown of Austin, Texas on Wednesday, with the premiere and his induction held at the Paramount Theatre.

While he hit the red carpet, his parents Glen Sr. and Cyndy were by his side, holding up signs that poked fun at his fame, using quotes from the 2004 film Mean Girls.

Powell’s mother Cyndy – clad in a black dress – held up a sign that read, ‘Stop Trying to Make Glen Powell Happen.’

Advertisement

His father Glen Sr. – donning a grey suit – held up another sign that read, ‘It’s never gonna happen.’

Glen Powell was celebrating the premiere of his new film Hit Man and his induction into the Texas Film Hall of Fame… though his own parents hilariously trolled him

Powell's mother Cyndy - clad in a black dress - held up a sign that read, 'Stop Trying to Make Glen Powell Happen'

Powell’s mother Cyndy – clad in a black dress – held up a sign that read, ‘Stop Trying to Make Glen Powell Happen’

Glen Jr.  – who rocked a brown polka dot shirt under a grey suit coat with matching pants and white shoes – took it all in stride, posing next to the signs on his big night.

The Austin Film Society announced in late March that they were inducting Powell into their Texas Film Hall of Fame, in conjunction with this premiere.

Richard Linklater – who founded The Austin Film Society and directs Hit Man from a script he co-wrote with Powell in his screenwriting debut – was proud to induct Powell into the Texas Film Hall of Fame.

‘It’s an honor to be part of inducting a fellow Austinite, my friend and collaborator Glen Powell, into the Texas Film Hall of Fame,’ Linklater began.

Advertisement

‘The Texas Film Hall of Fame acknowledges Texans who have had a lasting impact on film culture, and Glen has already achieved this milestone,’ he continued.

Hit Man is based on the outlandish true story of Gary Johnson, a seemingly mild-mannered Houston professor who lives alone with his two cats.

What no one knew was he was also moonlighting as a fake hitman, working with the police to help them arrest people who wanted others dead.

The film version – based on Skip Hollandsworth’s 2001 Texas Monthly article – follows Powell as Johnson, whose life is upended when he falls for a woman (Adria Arjona) who tries to hire him.

Glen Jr. - who rocked a brown polka dot shirt under a grey suit coat with matching pants and white shoes - took it all in stride, posing next to the signs on his big night

Glen Jr. – who rocked a brown polka dot shirt under a grey suit coat with matching pants and white shoes – took it all in stride, posing next to the signs on his big night

Richard Linklater (right)- who founded The Austin Film Society and directs Hit Man from a script he co-wrote with Powell in his screenwriting debut - was proud to induct Powell into the Texas Film Hall of Fame.

Richard Linklater (right)- who founded The Austin Film Society and directs Hit Man from a script he co-wrote with Powell in his screenwriting debut – was proud to induct Powell into the Texas Film Hall of Fame.

Hit Man is based on the outlandish true story of Gary Johnson, a seemingly mild-mannered Houston professor who lives alone with his two cats

Hit Man is based on the outlandish true story of Gary Johnson, a seemingly mild-mannered Houston professor who lives alone with his two cats

What no one knew was he was also moonlighting as a fake hitman, working with the police to help them arrest people who wanted others dead.

What no one knew was he was also moonlighting as a fake hitman, working with the police to help them arrest people who wanted others dead.

Powell had worked with fellow Austin, Texas native Linklater on 2006's Fast Food Nation, 2016's Everybody Wants Some and 2022's Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood

Powell had worked with fellow Austin, Texas native Linklater on 2006’s Fast Food Nation, 2016’s Everybody Wants Some and 2022’s Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood

Powell had worked with fellow Austin, Texas native Linklater on 2006’s Fast Food Nation, 2016’s Everybody Wants Some and 2022’s Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood.

Advertisement

During the COVID-19 pandemic, they started discussing ideas on how to the Hollandsworth’s article into a movie, resulting in them sharing a writing credit for the first time, and Powell’s first ever screenwriting credit. 

This is also the second collaboration between Linklater and Hollandsworth, who wrote the January 1998 Texas Monthly article that became the 2011 film Bernie.

Hit Man debuted at the Venice Film Festival last fall and then the Toronto International Film Festival, where Netflix picked it up for $20 million, more than doubling its $8.8 million budget.

The film will have a small theatrical release on May 24 before debuting on Netflix worldwide June 7. 



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending