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Austin, TX

New trade school at Austin homeless shelter hopes to give purpose, jobs to residents

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New trade school at Austin homeless shelter hopes to give purpose, jobs to residents


An Austin emergency shelter is taking a different approach to the city’s homeless problem.

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Instead of focusing solely on putting a roof over people’s heads, The Other Ones Foundation will start teaching some of its residents how to change tires, install an HVAC system, or fix a car.

“This is about finding purpose,” said Chris Baker, the founder of The Other Ones Foundation

For Baker, it’s purpose that’s driving this project.

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“I dropped out of high school when I was in 9th grade,” said Baker. “I spent a couple years doing all kinds of stuff that high school dropouts do.”

Now on the other side of homelessness, he stands before a crowd Friday.

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“All I wanted to do was to build sets,” said Baker. “That was what my dream was.”

So he returned for his high school diploma, then a bachelor’s degree in theater, and eventually his first job at a homeless shelter.

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“Which leads to that, which leads to this,” said Baker.

It’s an invisible string of circumstances that finally leads him to Friday’s opening of the John Paul DeJoria Skill Center.

“The room we’re in right now is everything from taking apart every part of an automobile to understanding an engine,” said John Paul DeJoria, who donated a $350,000 grant for the project.

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The center is an expansion of the Esperanza Community, an emergency homeless shelter in East Austin. Here, residents can learn the skills required for jobs like HVAC, auto-mechanics, plumbing, and other trades.

“It changes your life,” DeJoria. “You’re back in society, you have money, you have safety, you have a place to stay, and you are like everybody else.”

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The first instructors will come from Austin Community College.

ACC, The Rework Project, and the Texas Workforce Solutions Capital Area will cover the tuition of eligible students.

“Central to our work at Austin Community College is loving our students to success, this is what it looks like,” said Donald Tracy, interim director of continuing education at ACC.

A ribbon cutting opened the center with a round of applause and a word from Austin’s mayor.

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“It’s not just about recruiting jobs, it’s about putting Austinities, including the most vulnerable Austinites, in the jobs that are being created,” Mayor Kirk Watson.

This skill center is what Chris Baker thinks he was meant to do all along.

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“If life is about finding purpose, found it,” said Baker.

And he hopes this place will help someone else find their purpose too.

“Everyone needs a purpose and no matter what your challenges are in life, there’s always something for you to have a purpose,” said DeJoria.

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Austin, TX

7 Juneteenth celebrations happening in Austin this weekend

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7 Juneteenth celebrations happening in Austin this weekend


Juneteenth celebrations are happening across the city this weekend. The events will mark the 161st anniversary of the day Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay to announce that more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were free. The announcement on June 19, 1865, came more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. June 19 — known as Juneteenth — became a federal holiday in 2021.

From historical bike rides to Austin’s annual parade, here are seven events taking place in Austin.

Annual Juneteenth FunRun, June 19

The city of Austin’s African American Cultural and Heritage Facility will host a fun run starting at 8:30 a.m. on Friday at East Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Leona Street, and concluding at Hargrave Street near the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex. Participants will have one hour to complete the course. The route is the same as the parade through the African American Historical Cultural District that will start later that morning. Runners and walkers of all ages and levels can participate.

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Central Texas Juneteenth Parade & Festival, June 19

The annual Juneteenth parade will take place Friday and begin at 10 a.m. at East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Leona Street and will travel down to Chicon Street before turning on Rosewood Avenue. The parade will feature floats, live music and performers.

A Very Juneteenth Comedy Jam, June 19

The Velveeta Room, Austin’s longest-running comedy club, will have shows highlighting Black voices Friday night at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. The 18+ event will feature comedians like Freddy Do Less and Roderick McDaniel. Tickets for both shows are around $23.

Sistas Walk And Talk: Juneteenth Edition, June 20

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Texas Sistas Society will host a 3-mile walk and talk Saturday at 515 S. Pleasant Valley Road starting at 7:45 a.m. Texas Sistas Society is an Austin-based community created for Black women and women of color. Attendees are encouraged to wear Juneteenth colors: red, yellow, green or black, and to RSVP ahead of time.

The Carver Kickback: Juneteenth Edition, June 20

The George Washington Carver Museum in Austin is dedicated to creating a “space where the global contributions of all Black people are celebrated.” The museum is hosting a free celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday with barbecue plates, live music, vendors and activities for all ages.

Black Auteur Film Festival, June 20

The Black Auteur Film Festival, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting Black filmmakers in Texas, is hosting its third annual film festival to showcase short films directed by Black Texans at AFS Cinema on Saturday. One filmmaker will win the $1,000 “Best of Fest” award, and attendees can enter a raffle for a chance to win Austin Film Society memberships and movie tickets. The festival runs from 2 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $14.

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Juneteenth Social Ride, June 21

Black History Bike Ride, an Austin nonprofit teaching people about the city’s Black history through cycling, is hosting its seventh annual Juneteenth ride starting at the Haskell House on Saturday at 10 a.m. Austin-based historian Harrison Eppright will serve as the ride’s guide. Registration is required for all attendees. The event is free, but donations are encouraged.





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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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