Headlines / Quote of the Week

Families join their first-graders at Zilker Elementary on the first day of school August 15, 2022, four days after Austin ISD's Board of Trustees unanimously approved the largest bond package in AISD history (Photo by John Anderson)

Strawberry Ice Cream Forever: Retired Blue Bell Creameries Prez Paul Kruse received a mistrial Monday, August 15, when the jury split 10-2 for acquittal. He's charged with federal felony counts of conspiracy and fraud related to a 2015 listeriosis outbreak at Blue Bell, Food Safety News reported.

Azerbaijan Dreamin' The Texas Tribune and others asked a federal court on Tuesday to unseal a search warrant from the January FBI raid of U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar's home and campaign office in Laredo. The raid was part of a broad federal probe into the former Soviet state of Azerbaijan and U.S. businessmen, ABC News reported. Cuellar is the most conservative Democrat in Congress; he won his primary run-off in May against progressive Jessica Cisneros by 300 votes.

Blowin' in the Wind, Unfortunately: While Leander, Round Rock, Georgetown, Eanes, and San Marcos schools have added air conditioning to all their buses, about 40% of Austin ISD's remain without A/C, CBS Austin reported. Until more buses can be replaced (by October, AISD says), students and drivers will endure the 100-plus-degree days with fans.

Almost Cut My Entire Elections Office: Gillespie County (home to roughly 30,000 people and the city of Fredericksburg) is in a strange position, as the director and entire staff of the Elections Department have resigned citing threats, stalking, and harassment related to rampant misinformation surrounding the election process, according to the Fredericksburg Standard.

Sister Methadone: Central Health announced Monday that it will begin offering methadone, a medication-assisted therapy for opioid addiction, after signing a contract with Community Medical Services. CMS will provide the meds for 15 patients monthly in the Medical Access Program, or MAP, which covers medical costs for uninsured Travis County residents, until Oct. 1, when CMS will expand to serve 50 patients per month.

Both Sides (of the County) Now: Austin Community College's trustees voted unanimously last week to approve a $770 million bond for the November 2022 ballot. If voters approve it, the money will expand training capacity for high-demand fields such as health care, advanced manufacturing, and IT at 11 existing campuses, while adding two campuses in Southeast and Southwest Travis County.

La-La-La-Lies? Defense attorneys for yoga teacher and accused murderer Kaitlin Armstrong have filed motions challenging the credibility of the probable-cause affidavit used to obtain a warrant for her arrest, eventually carried out in Costa Rica. Armstrong is accused in the May shooting death of professional cyclist Moriah "Mo" Wilson, who had previously dated Armstrong's partner Colin Strickland.

Image via CNN

Quote of the Week

"Where's this money going?"

– Alfred Garza III, father of Uvalde shooting victim 10-year-old Amerie Jo Garza, on the undistributed $16 million that has been donated for families of Uvalde victims