Austin, TX
New fentanyl awareness billboards unveiled in South Austin
Billboards raise awareness of fentanyl dangers
New billboards that are now up in South Austin are designed to raise awareness of the opioid crisis.
AUSTIN, Texas – Family members of Central Texans who died of fentanyl poisoning gathered in South Austin on Saturday to send a powerful message.
The group A Change for Cam unveiled one of two new billboards on East Oltorf Street near South Congress. The billboards feature 24 images of people who have died from fentanyl poisoning in recent years.
Organizers hope that having two dozen faces on the billboards will raise awareness about the magnitude of the opioid crisis in Central Texas. At the event, family members also handed out doses of Narcan in hopes of preventing more tragedies.
A Change for Cam was founded by Becky White, whose son Cameron died after taking a counterfeit pill laced with fentanyl.
“It’s a club that none of us wanted to be a part of. And we get so much support and understanding when we’re with each other,” said White at Saturday’s event.
Fentanyl education in Texas: Is it enough?
It’s been a year since the signing of Tucker’s Law, requiring Texas schools to educate students about the dangers of fentanyl. Tucker’s mom says not enough has been done to actually implement the law.
MORE ON THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC
Among those at the unveiling were Buda couple Jay de la Garza and his wife. De la Garza received a new heart from 17-year-old Chance Stovall of Wiley, who died from fentanyl poisoning.
“They were there because Chance died and saved his life. And now he’s supporting an effort to keep others from dying from the same fate. It’s just an incredible story,” White said.
There are currently several vinyl and digital billboards around the Austin area as part of the group’s partnership with Reagan Outdoor Advertising. White says she hopes to add more in the months and years to come.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas’ highway system dropped two spots since 2025, and now ranks at No. 27 in the country for its cost-effectiveness and overall conditions, according to the Reason Foundation’s 2026 Highway Report.
The report assessed pavement conditions, fatalities, deficient bridges, infrastructure costs and congestion levels across the United States. Texas earned the following rankings:
- 33rd in urban interstate pavement conditions
- 21st in rural interstate pavement conditions
- 39th in urban arterial pavement conditions
- 12th in rural arterial pavement conditions
- 3rd in structurally deficient bridges
- 26th in urban fatality rate
- 42nd in rural fatality rate
- 41st in traffic congestion
“More than 42,000 of the nation’s 618,923 highway bridges, nearly 7%, are still structurally deficient. Arizona, Nevada, and Texas reported the lowest percentages of deficient bridges,” the report said.
The full report can be found online.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Small hail peppered the Austin area as strong thunderstorms moved through Saturday.
A few of the storms dropped rain and up to pea-sized hail in San Marcos, Dripping Springs and the Austin metro area.
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for Williamson County around 8:15 p.m., and then canceled shortly after. However, it was enough for the Two Step Inn music festival in Georgetown to cancel shows for the rest of the evening. Event organizers say the festival will run as planned Sunday.
KXAN’s First Warning Weather team is monitoring the storms. We will update this post as the evening continues.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Society Sons of the American Revolution unveiled a new monument at the Texas State Cemetery on Saturday, dedicated to Texas Revolutionary War soldiers.
“We must educate every generation about why it is that America grew from a tenuous 13 colonies into the most powerful country in the history of the world,” said Governor Abbott. “This monument here is an enduring testament to the heroes who fought for the freedom that is unique to America.”
The monument was dedicated to 69 soldiers who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Texas, according to a press release.
Among those that were honored, Abbott recognized:
- José Santiago Seguín, grandfather of Texas Revolutionary hero Juan Seguín.
- Peter Sides, who fought in the 2nd Battalion of the North Carolina Regiment of the Colonial Army, and was later killed in the 1813 Battle of Medina, fighting for Mexican independence against Spain.
- Antonio Gil Y’Barbo, the founder of Nacogdoches.
- William Sparks, who fought as a mounted rifleman in the American Revolution and later settled in Texas. He had two sons and two grandsons who fought in the Texas Revolution.
“This year marks the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, which not only gave freedom to the British colonies of North America, but inspired movements for freedom and liberty all over the world,” said TSSAR President Mel Oller. “Texans played a role in the war too, and it’s important to recognize them, and the sacrifices they made for our freedom.”
At the monument unveiling, Abbott was also inducted into the Sons of the American Revolution and received its Silver Good Citizenship Medal.
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