Austin, TX
Texas Children’s Hospital puts an ICU in the sky with new helicopter program
A new helicopter will take to the skies over Central Texas on Tuesday. Texas Children’s Hospital has added a helicopter to its Kangaroo Crew intensive care transport team, which previously used only ambulances to bring patients to its Austin facility.
The team will be able to travel 120 nautical miles to pick up a patient. The hospital, which opened almost two years ago, has launched programs that are attracting patients from across Texas and around the country, said Dr. Jeff Shilt, the president of Texas Children’s in Austin. “Having a helicopter for a pediatric hospital is really a differentiator for us.”
The $15 million investment makes Texas Children’s the only hospital — pediatric or adult — in Austin with a dedicated helicopter. The other hospitals use STAR Flight.
The air transport program will expand this summer with a larger helicopter that will seat four in the bay instead of three and fly up to 200 nautical miles. That will take this helicopter beyond Waco, Brownwood, San Antonio and College Station, where this current helicopter can go, to near Dallas, San Angelo, Corpus Christi and Beaumont. Texas Children’s also has a plane that is based in Houston that can carry patients who are much further than 200 nautical miles.
The helicopter also will be used locally when traffic on MoPac Boulevard or Interstate 35 would make an ambulance trip longer than 30 minutes to an hour.
The helicopter’s crew of four pilots, critical care nurses and respiratory therapists is based at the Georgetown Executive Airport, which is seven minutes of flying time to the hospital in North Austin.
Each time the helicopter takes off, a respiratory therapist and a registered nurse travels with it. The medical team has been trained in trauma care and has multiple certifications. They also can bring a patient-specific specialized doctor or nurse practitioner if needed. There is a seat for a guardian to ride with their child.
Inside the helicopter is a miniature intensive care unit with ventilators, monitors and oxygen tanks that can be moved in and out to stabilize a patient in a hospital, during the flight and after landing at the Texas Children’s helipad until the patient is connected to hospital machines.
“We take the ICU to them, stabilizing them and bring them back to a higher level of care,” said Kelley Young, a respiratory therapist with 19 years of critical care team experience working in a helicopter.
The patients are strapped into a sled that is tied down to the helicopter. That sled can be put onto a gurney to take the patient in and out of the helicopter. For smaller patients, such as babies, there are parts that are added to secure them to the sled.
The team is prepared for an emergency, including each having a survival kit on them and an additional one in the helicopter.
“We do a lot of training and a lot of simulations,” said John Samluk, a critical care nurse with the team.
They also can talk to everyone in the helicopter using headsets and call to hospital staff at either end of the journey to relay or receive updates.
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas State Senator Nathan Johnson has defeated his opponent Joe Jaworski for the Democratic primary nomination in the Texas State Attorney General’s Race.
Johnson grabbed nearly 60 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s runoff election.
“A Johnson victory means that Democrats will probably have the best candidate for a November run as their nominee,” said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University.
Johnson is campaigning on a focus on public safety, including building public relationships with prosecutors and law enforcement, and protecting competition in the marketplace for Texas consumers.
ALSO| Texas AG Ken Paxton wins GOP runoff for US Senate, ousting longtime Sen. John Cornyn
Johnson will take on either current U.S. Congressman Chip Roy or current Texas State Senator Mayes Middleton in the November election.
While calling Johnson the favorite in the Democratic primary, Jones says Johnson will be the underdog in a much different battle in November.
“Texas remains a reliably Republican state where Republican candidates start with a natural, high single-digit advantage,” said Jones. “And unlike the case of, say, Ken Paxton, who’s a deeply flawed candidate, neither Mays Middleton nor Chip Roy has any of those same flaws. They’re very conservative.”
The winner of November’s race will replace Ken Paxton as state Attorney General. Paxton has held the position since 2015, but is running for U.S. Senate in 2026. Follow all election results here.
A man votes at James Island Charter High School on Election Day on Nov. 3, 2020 in Charleston, South Carolina. (Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
Polls are now open across Texas for the primary runoff elections.
How you voted in March’s primary election determines which party’s runoff election you are eligible to vote in. If you did not vote in a primary election in March then you can pick either party’s runoff to cast your ballot.
Where are polls open in Texas on election day?
Polls are open across the state from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Once the polls close for the day, official counts will begin to decide winners.
Any registered voter can cast a vote on Election Day, but unlike early voting, you’ll be limited to your specific precinct in some counties.
How do I find my voting place?
In order to find where the polls are in that precinct, follow these steps:
- Visit VoteTexas.gov
- Enter your details to find your polling location.
- You can also contact your local county election office to get information about your polling location and anything else voting-related. Do a simple online search for “[Your County] elections.”
- If you have your voter registration card, it should include your polling location. Locations can sometimes change — be sure to double-check this with one of the other options before you get out the door.
Do I need an ID to vote in Texas?
In order to vote in person during early voting or on election day, Texas voters will be asked to present an acceptable form of photo ID. Here is a list of the acceptable forms of photo ID:
- Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
- Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
- Texas Handgun License issued by DPS
- United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
- United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
- United States Passport (book or card)
Here is a list of the supporting forms of ID that can be presented if the voter does not possess an acceptable form of photo identification and cannot reasonably obtain one:
- Copy or original of a government document that shows the voter’s name and address, including the voter’s voter registration certificate
- Copy of or original current utility bill
- Copy of or original bank statement
- Copy of or original government check
- Copy of or original paycheck
- Copy of or original of (a) a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document)
The Colorado Buffaloes made a big splash in the transfer portal during the offseason by adding a promising receiver from SEC country.
DeAndre Moore Jr., who came to the Buffs by way of the Texas Longhorns, is aiming to be a one-and-done in Boulder and make his way to the NFL.
How DeAndre Moore Jr. Can Get Involved in Brennan Marion’s ‘Go-Go’ Offense
Moore’s NFL Draft stock primarily suffered with the Longhorns due to his inability to emerge as the primary target in their offense. It’s hard to blame Moore, though. In his three seasons in Austin, Moore shared the receiver room with NFL talents the likes of Xavier Worthy, Matthew Golden, Adonai Mitchell and Isaiah Bond. Moore faces stout competition at Colorado as well, but as it stands, he’s well within the mix for the primary receiver role.
Moore is a wild card in the position battle, as his participation was heavily limited during the spring. He was battling an injury that kept him out of action and forced him to miss the Buffs’ spring game. If he can come back well from his injury, he could surprise people and emerge as a go-to target in Brennan Marion’s fast-paced ‘Go-Go’ offense.
How DeAndre Moore Jr.’s Experience Can Lead to a Breakout Season
Moore’s time at Texas wasn’t wasted by any means, as it has prepared him to break out in his first year with Colorado. Despite the immense competition he faced, Moore still managed to see the field as a meaningful contributor.
Across the 2024 and 2025 seasons, Moore recorded a combined 988 yards and 11 touchdowns on 77 receptions, good for an average of 12.8 yards per catch. Moore was Texas’s second-leading receiver in 2025, only trailing star Longhorn receiver Ryan Wingo.
Moore’s experience battling against NFL-caliber players for time on the field, in addition to matching up against SEC cornerbacks, should translate well to Colorado. While the playstyle of the offense he’ll be a part of is far different, that adjustment is no worse than the adversity he’s already faced. If Moore competes as hard as he did to earn his playing time at Texas, there’s no question he’ll see the field a significant amount in 2026.
Key Games on the Colorado Buffaloes’ Schedule for DeAndre Moore Jr. to Boost His NFL Draft Stock
If Moore can make it through those tough pre-season challenges and carve out a role for himself in the offense, all that’s left to do is let the film speak for itself. Colorado has several games on the schedule in which Moore can build his 2027 NFL Draft stock with good performances.
First, Moore needs to focus on Colorado’s Week 7 matchup against the Utah Utes. It is likely to be the Buffaloes’ hardest matchup of the season, and the Utes’ stout defense is a large reason why. Utah allowed the second-least passing yards per game in the Big 12 in 2025, and its secondary showed out in its 53-7 demolition of the Buffaloes.
Then, Moore needs to end the season on a good note with a standout game against the UCF Knights. The Knights finished third in the Big 12 in fewest passing yards allowed per game during 2025. Although the blows they took from the transfer portal have called that into question, Alex Grinch will likely get that unit to a similar form by the final game of the season.
If Moore can stand out in those two games, his film will be undeniable, and he’ll likely hear his name called by an NFL team come April.
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