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Morning Briefing Texas Jan. 23

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Morning Briefing Texas Jan. 23


Good morning, Texas. Here’s what you need to know today. 

Your Weather Planner

The first half of our Friday will be the final hours of preparation before the winter weather moves in. Expect rain on and off through the day for much of the state. A winter storm warning and extreme cold warnings go into effect over the weekend as our winter storm begins to unfold. 

Get your 7-day forecast: Austin | San Antonio | Dallas

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Around Texas 

1. ERCOT issues Weather Watch ahead of cold temperatures, grid conditions expected to be ‘normal’

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has issued a Weather Watch for Jan. 24-27 ahead of incoming cold temperatures.

ERCOT says the Weather Watch is due to “forecasted below-freezing temperatures with the possibility of frozen precipitation, higher electrical demand, and the potential for lower reserves,” adding that grid conditions are expected to be normal during this period.

2. Airlines offer no-cost flight changes during winter weather threat

If you’re scheduled to fly out during the threat of severe cold weather this weekend, a few of the nation’s largest airlines are offering some relief.

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Delta, American, Southwest and United Airlines are allowing passengers who are scheduled to travel starting Jan. 23 to change their travel plans at no extra cost.

3. TxDOT prepares roads for incoming winter weather

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has begun preparations in response to the incoming winter weather.

Texas Department of Transportation snow plows sit idle as a work crew, nearby, takes a lunch, Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, in Dallas. TXDOT continues cleaning off busy highways and streets that still have ice build up as the temperature is expected to dip down overnite in North Texas in the the low thirties. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Texas Department of Transportation snow plows sit idle as a work crew, nearby, takes a lunch, Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, in Dallas. TXDOT continues cleaning off busy highways and streets that still have ice build up as the temperature is expected to dip down overnite in North Texas in the the low thirties. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Around The Nation

1. Major winter storm will bring heavy snow and dangerous ice across the country this weekend

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2. Border Patrol says it won’t leave Minneapolis until all undocumented immigrants are detained

3. Trump says deal framework would give U.S. ‘everything we wanted’ in Greenland

Deep in the Heart of Texas 
Kristine Crump, right, and her husband Todd clean up debris from fallen branches Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, in their northwest Austin, Texas, neighborhood. Nearly every house in the neighborhood had trees damaged by an ice storm earlier in the week. (AP Photo/Nell Carroll)

Kristine Crump, right, and her husband Todd clean up debris from fallen branches Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, in their northwest Austin, Texas, neighborhood. Nearly every house in the neighborhood had trees damaged by an ice storm earlier in the week. (AP Photo/Nell Carroll)

Austin Energy says it’s ready for the potential storm

Andrew Anstrom has vivid memories of the 2023 winter storm that left Austin covered in ice. He’s the owner of a tree service company and was out helping the community clean up their neighborhoods.

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The ice and snow were so heavy that they caused trees to topple over onto homes, cars and power lines. The damage left over 400,000 Texans without power at the peak of the storm. Over 170,000 Austin Energy customers were without electricity, according to Austin Energy. The utility company reported that 10.5 million trees were damaged.

Over two years since the ice brought the city to a standstill, Austin Energy officials said their modernized program is leading to improvements.



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Austin, TX

Everything you need to know about Austin run clubs

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Everything you need to know about Austin run clubs


AUSTIN (KXAN) — Data analyst Corey Yeung created the ATX Running Guide to help runners find community across Central Texas. What started as a personal project has become one of Austin’s most comprehensive running resources.

Looking for a Run Club? There’s a Map for That

When Corey Yeung moved to Austin three years ago, he had a simple question:
“How many run clubs are actually out there?” The answer wasn’t easy to find. While several websites listed local groups, Yeung felt none offered a complete picture. So, he decided to build one himself. What started as a spreadsheet evolved into ATX Running Guide, a website and social media platform that helps runners discover clubs throughout the Austin area.

“The list would be more useful if it were a map and search tool,” Yeung said. “The Instagram page was simply a way to communicate those free resources to the community.”

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Today, the guide covers running groups from San Marcos to Hutto and serves as a one-stop resource for runners looking to connect. In this episode of KXAN’S Plus Simple Health, Corey Yeung walks us through everything you need to know about the 200-plus running clubs in Austin.





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Austin, TX

Texas Volts begin first home slate Thursday at Dell Diamond

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Texas Volts begin first home slate Thursday at Dell Diamond


AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Volts are off to a rough start in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, but maybe a little home cooking can help them get right.

After playing their first five games on the road, the Volts open play at Dell Diamond in Round Rock at 6 p.m. Thursday against the Utah Talons, kicking off an 8-game homestand.

Texas Volts Logo (Courtesy Athletes Unlimited Softball League)

It’s the first season the Volts will call Dell Diamond home. In the league’s inaugural season last year, the original four teams competed with a touring schedule that included a stop at Dell Diamond. This is the first year that the AUSL, now a 6-team league, will play in home markets.

They have a roster peppered with local stars, including 2-time NCAA national champion middle infielder Leighann Goode from the Texas Longhorns. Aliyah Binford, a New Braunfels native, played collegiately for Ole Miss and former Texas State pitcher Jessica Mullins made an appearance in the Volts’ previous series against the Carolina Blaze.

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Goode said there’s been a bit of a learning curve, but she credits her teammates for helping her adjust to the league.

“This group has brought me in and taught me stuff, taken me under their wings,” she said. “They’ve done an awesome job.”

Legendary Texas pitcher Cat Osterman is the team’s general manager, and the head coach is Texas State’s Ricci Woodard.

“We’re ready to rock and roll at home,” Woodard said. “I’m anxious to see what happens now that we get to play in our own place.”

Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 draft, joined the team last weekend after a brief contract holdout.

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The Volts are 1-4 this season, picking up their lone win over the Oklahoma City Spark on June 10. They’ll face the Talons in a 3-game series, the Chicago Bandits for a pair June 23-24, and finish the homestand with a 3-game set against the expansion Portland Cascade on June 26-28.

Ryan Sanders Baseball, the organization that owns and operates the Round Rock Express, is an operating partner with the Volts and an investor with the AUSL.



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Investigators seek clues in small jet crash that killed 1 in Texas, where bystanders rushed to help

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Investigators seek clues in small jet crash that killed 1 in Texas, where bystanders rushed to help


(AP) – Investigators combed through wreckage Wednesday for clues to why a business jet crashed on a Texas highway, killing one person on board after its pilots reported mechanical problems while requesting an emergency landing at a nearby airport.

The fiery crash late Tuesday in Laredo near the Mexican border sent bystanders racing from their cars to help police rescue passengers and crew from the burning aircraft. The crash killed Joshua Baer, a leader in Texas’ technology and startup sectors, the president of Baer’s company told the Austin American-Statesman.

Video from the frantic scene showed someone trying to smash the cockpit glass with a sledgehammer, while others used makeshift levers as they worked to open the plane’s door. Local officials said a firefighter entered the smoke-filled jet to extract one person still inside after the rest had escaped.

“While the loss of life is deeply regrettable, it is nothing short of a miracle that this tragedy did not become a mass fatality event,” Laredo Mayor Victor Treviño told a news conference Wednesday.

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The cause of the crash was not immediately known. The Federal Aviation Administration was investigating along with the National Transportation Board.

Laredo Police Chief Miguel Rodriguez Jr. said investigators working to reconstruct the crash were at the crash site Wednesday.

Crash victim worked to help entrepreneurs launch startups

Baer was the founder and chief executive of Austin-based Capital Factory, which helps entrepreneurs connect with investors and others to launch their businesses.

“Joshua was a fearless leader, a brilliant partner, and a dear friend to so many of us,” Capital Factory President Bryan Chambers told the Austin newspaper.

Capital Factory executives did not immediately return phone messages Wednesday from The Associated Press.

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Baer lived in Austin with his wife and three children, according to his LinkedIn page. He recently taught a student entrepreneur class at the University of Texas at Austin.

“I help people quit their jobs and become entrepreneurs,” Baer said on his LinkedIn page.

In a social media post, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas called Baer “one of the most significant figures driving innovation and entrepreneurship across America.”

Police did not release the name of the person killed, citing a request from family members. Rodriguez said those on the plane included two pilots and three teenagers.

Pilots reported low fuel, electrical issues, airport director says

The Cessna Citation Latitude twin jet departed Tuesday evening from the Mexican resort city of San José del Cabo and was bound for Austin, Texas, the FAA said in a statement.

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The plane was operated by NetJets, a company owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway that lets people buy part ownership in private jets. NetJets said in a statement it was cooperating with authorities.

The jet went down at about 10 p.m. Tuesday on the Loop 20 highway, just a few minutes after its pilots radioed the local airport seeking to make an emergency landing. Their call to air traffic controllers “mentioned low fuel and a power outage,” Laredo International Airport Director Gilberto Sanchez said.

“They had mechanical issues and they lost communication with the tower,” Sanchez said Wednesday, “and that’s when the accident happened.”

Dashcam video posted on social media showed the aircraft careening down the highway and knocking down a light post before coming to a stop near the airport. The jet also barreled into a car, sending one motorist to a hospital in stable condition, said Laredo police investigator Jose Baeza.

Video posted to social media showed the plane on its side, smashed into a highway barrier with the tail ripped from the fuselage.

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“It looked like part of a movie. I was in shock,” said Zayra Garza, an esthetician who was driving her co-workers home when she came upon the crash.

Garza, who shot video of the scene as her husband ran to help, saw motorists leave their cars to try to help smash the cockpit glass. She said the plane’s door opened and three people who looked like teenagers rushed out, followed by someone who appeared to be a pilot. Another crew member tried to pull out a person who seemed to be unconscious.

Smoke billowed from the plane as a firefighter climbed into the aircraft to rescue the remaining passenger. Police officers helping prop open the door had to back away as they doubled over coughing because of the intense smoke. Police said five officers were treated at a hospital for smoke inhalation.

“What was worrying me was the fire,” Garza said. “I was concerned that it could have just exploded at any time.”

This was the third significant aviation accident in as many days. A B-52 crashed Monday during a test flight at Edwards Air Force Base in California and killed all eight people aboard, while on Sunday, 12 people were killed when a plane on a skydiving outing in Missouri crashed.

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___

Golden reported from Seattle; Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut; and Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. AP journalists Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.



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