Thank you to the Austin Alliance for Women in Media for honoring me as Local Journalist of the Year three of the past four years and for a truly fun event last night. AWM Austin

NEW: Austin Mayor Kirk Watson announces he is seeking a second term. If elected, he would be the city's top leader until 2029.

Good morning! (12:06 a.m.) from a pretty busy for this time of day Austin-Bergstrom International Airport from so many weather-delayed flights.
I’m happy to be home after a *very* choppy inbound trip.

Wow. Golfball size hail near MoPac and 2222 in North-Central Austin as sent by my neighbor.

NEW: A day after we reported that an Austin police investigator received, but did not act on, a DNA report that could have stopped accused serial killer Raul Meza from allegedly striking again, the chief is apologizing, saying APD is 'deeply sorry.'
tinyurl.com/3rvejmt6

Beyond shocked and heartbroken.
I talked to Lori yesterday while I was boarding a flight.
She made me laugh so hard that people stared and wanted in on the fun.
statesman.com/story/news/loc…

The special prosecutor, Brian Wice, just told reports that this must be paid from Paxton's personal funds.
This is a question many people have had.

No.
This is an “extra-judicial” agreement.
The judge acknowledged on the bench that she cannot order or force a prosecutor to try his case.
We expect to hear from that prosecutor shortly.

UPDATE: Paxton perform 100 hours of community service in Collin County, take 15 hours of legal ethics education and pay a restitution of about $300,000. At the end of 18 months, the charges will be dismissed.

BREAKING: Texas AG Ken Paxton has reached a deal to resolve 9-year-old felony securities fraud charges through a deal with prosecutors. We will learn the terms momentarily.

Truly heartbreaking.
Ulises Rodriguez Montoya, 5, has been identified as the child killed when a Hays County bus crashed Friday.
“Ulises was a child who was filled with a lot of happiness and he often shared it with others,” his teacher said.

BREAKING: 55 people, mostly 44 pre-kindergarten children from Tom Green Elementary, and 11 adults were on a bus returning from a zoo trip when they collided outside Austin this afternoon, Hays ISD officials confirm. Preliminary reports are that at least two people are dead.

BREAKING: This incident has led to a major mobilization of medical and law enforcement personnel, with nearly three dozen patients. Many of the patients are not seriously injured but others are being taken to Austin hospitals via STAR Flight.

BREAKING: Authorities say multiple people, including children, have been injured in a school bus crash with a cement truck in rural Bastrop county, outside Austin, according to preliminary information.
Early reports from law enforcement are that at least two are dead.

BREAKING: Texas AG Ken Paxton could see 9-year-old state security fraud charges dropped next week in a proposed deal with prosecutors that would require community service, a six-figure restitution and other punishment, three sources confirm.
statesman.com/story/news/sta…

BREAKING: Angela Chao, who died last month in what authorities say was an accidental drowning in Blanco County, Texas, had a blood alcohol level of 0.23, new records show, as authorities close the case.
statesman.com/story/news/sta…

Congratulations to Manny García and Houston Landing! Your gain is our loss Austin Statesman.
houstonlanding.org/manny-garcia-a…

Austin. ❤️