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.

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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. 

Texas continues to draw large numbers of new residents, and they aren’t coming just from California.

Newly released one-way trip data from U-Haul shows that, in the first half of 2024, the largest Texas cities drew new residents from throughout the region.

In Houston, for example, Louisiana was the top origin state for U-Haul movers, with New Orleans also ranking as the No. 1 out-of-state origin metro for the period.

In the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, Oklahoma, Florida, and Louisiana were the top three origin states for movers. Oklahoma City was the top out-of-state origin metro, followed by Denver.

In both San Antonio and Austin, the most common origin state was California, a testament that the “Texafornia” trend continues, with thousands of Californians relocating to the Lone Star State.

But in San Antonio, Phoenix was the top out-of-state origin metro. Los Angeles took the top spot in Austin, which remains a popular moving destination for Californians.

There are limitations to the U-Haul list, which shows only rankings, not raw numbers of movers. As well, the rankings don’t include all movers—just those who rented a U-Haul. Still, the list shows how Texas continues to draw new residents from a variety of cities.

Movers are fueling Texas population growth

Texas, which is the second-largest U.S. state with a population of about 30 million, has been growing rapidly for decades.

From 2000 to 2020, the state’s population increased by 40%, or about 8.3 million, the largest absolute population increase of any state over that period, according to census data. Only Nevada, Utah, and Idaho grew faster on a percentage basis during the same period.

Over those two decades, about half of Texas’ population gain resulted from natural increase, or births outpacing deaths. Roughly a third came from net domestic migration, or more people moving in from another state than out. The remainder was from net international migration.

Starting in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have turbocharged domestic migration to Texas, which has outpaced natural increase as the state’s top driver of population growth, according to the Texas Demographic Center.

Census data shows that from July 2020 to July 2023, nine of the 10 fastest-growing cities in the country were in Texas. The Texas cities in the top 10 were all suburban communities on the outskirts of major metro areas, their growth fueled by outward sprawl.

Typical was Celina, on the far northern edge of the Dallas metro area. From 2020 to 2023, Celina’s population increased by 143%, to 43,317, up from 17,808 three years prior.

Why are people moving to Texas?

Economic growth, lower tax burdens, and a lower cost of living in Texas are typically cited as the main factors driving the state’s population growth.

Relative home prices often provide some clues about why people are moving, and from where.

In San Antonio, for instance, the median July list price of $350,000, or $185 per square foot, is far below the $528,000, or $275 per square foot, seen in Phoenix, the top out-of-state origin city for San Antonio in the first half of this year.

Meanwhile, Houston’s median list price of $375,000 is somewhat higher than the $329,000 seen in top origin city New Orleans.

But Houston’s price per square foot of $177 comes in below the $179 in New Orleans, suggesting that a mover could sell in the Big Easy and get more house for their buck in Houston.

That trend doesn’t always hold—Oklahoma City, the top U-Haul origin city for Dallas-Fort Worth, has significantly lower home prices than its Texas counterpart.

However, it does help explain the enduring popularity of Austin, the most expensive major city in Texas, as a destination for people fleeing California.

Austin’s median July list price of $540,000 is eye-watering compared with prices in the other major metros of Texas.

But for someone moving from Los Angeles, Austin home prices would seem a bargain compared with that city’s $1.2 million median list price.

AUSTIN, Texas – Roadway safety is a major concern as students across Central Texas head back to school. 

We are just a few days away from the first day of school for Austin Independent School District and more drivers are expected to be on the roadways as classes start.

This month, districts across Central Texas are welcoming students back to the classroom.

The methods of transportation to and from class range from walking, cycling, car rides and school buses.

“It is really important that drivers should be prepared. For parents, talk to your kids. Back to school means back to safety,” says AAA Texas Spokesperson, Daniel Armbruster.

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, traffic patterns around school zones change yearly and so do bus routes.

AAA is highlighting steps parents and drivers should take to keep students safe and at the top of the list is staying off of electronic devices.

“In the state of Texas there is a texting law that is in place. You are not supposed to text and drive. It is against the law, and you can be fined for that. Certainly, you should never look at a smartphone, even just looking at a smartphone for two seconds doubles your risk for a crash,” says Armbruster.

In 2023, there were 748 traffic crashes in Texas school zones, resulting in one death and 14 serious injuries, according to TxDOT.

“It is really important for parents to walk routes with young children, point out potential traffic hazards and remind your kids just to watch the roads, not their phones” says Armbruster. 

The National Safety Council asks drivers not to block cross walks when stopped at a red light or while waiting to turn, never pass a bus from behind or from either direction if you’re on an undivided road or if it is stopped to load or unload children and stop far enough back to allow them space to safely enter and exit the bus.

“It is really important to talk about school bus safety with riders, including staying five steps away from the curb waiting until the bus comes to a complete stop, the driver signals for you to board first and then always look left to right for cars,” says Armbruster.

AAA recommends students using bikes to wear proper safety gear and for those walking to make eye contact with drivers and use crosswalks when crossing the street.

According to TXDOT the most common crash causes were speeding, distracted driving and failure to yield the right of way.