The Week’s Biggest News in Brief: Oct. 15-21

Amazon’s Dog’s Head Plans: More information regarding the development of an Amazon robotics manufacturing plant on the East Austin land known as Dog’s Head has been revealed. According to state filings, construction of the site will begin in mid-November, with an expected completion in July of next year. Amazon is set to become the first tenant for the 2,600-acre development along the Colorado River that has been met with fervent opposition from some Austinites since the information was made public. The deal sparked a lawsuit from local environmental groups that claim the approval of a tax incentive plan for the developers involved is unconstitutional. 

Record-Breaking Early Voting Numbers: Early voting for this year’s midterm elections is officially underway, as more than 40,000 Travis County voters – 5.27% of the county’s 948,575 registered voters – cast their ballots on the first day the polls opened, according to the Travis County Clerk Elections Division. The initial influx of voters is yet another sign that this will likely be a high-turnout election, as numbers surpassed the 25,343 and 32,036 county residents who voted on the first day of the 2022 and 2018 midterm elections, respectively. On Tuesday, another 40,000 voters made their way to the polls to cast their ballots. Early voting remains open through Friday, Oct. 30, at any of the 45 locations around the county open from 7am to 7pm. On the last two days of early voting, seven locations will remain open until 10pm. The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is tomorrow, Oct. 23. 

Huffines Targets DEI: On Thursday, Oct. 15, acting Comptroller Don Huffines announced an “executive order” that would require any contractors and grantees receiving money from the state to “certify that no part of their work for the state involves discriminatory DEI.” According to the press release, those businesses and organizations must also comply with state and federal anti-discrimination laws. This comes as Huffines’ office continues to roll out initiatives he claims are executive orders, as his authority in the position has now started to raise questions. The attack on DEI from the comptroller’s office is nothing out of the ordinary, considering former Comptroller Kelly Hancock dismantled the Historically Underutilized Business program that was designed to uplift women- and minority-owned businesses late last year. In April, a Travis County judge granted a temporary injunction on Hancock’s emergency order that altered the program. 

Credit: Image via ice.gov

ICE Arrest in North Austin: Israel Cervantes Mateo was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers near Barrington Elementary School in North Austin on Saturday, Oct. 17, in what has been described by the agency as a “targeted enforcement operation.” The Department of Homeland Security claims that Mateo is an immigrant from Guatemala who does not have legal status. In video taken as the arrest unfolded, community members can be heard shouting in protest, with one officer responding, “We got your plates. Troopers are coming to your house tomorrow. Have fun!” According to the Statesman, the DHS has said that Mateo “will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings, and will receive due process.”

Sid Miller Slams Nate Sheets: While most Texans have tunnel vision on the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races, other statewide races are closer than some may have expected. One of those is the agriculture commissioner position, which currently has Republican Nate Sheets and Democrat Clayton Tucker pitted against each other to manage the state’s agricultural industry. On Monday, Oct. 19, current Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said that “Texas must reject Nate Sheets,” though he didn’t offer up a formal endorsement of Tucker, the Tribune reported. He took jabs at Sheets’ personal life, questioned his trustworthiness, and battered him for not speaking out against the construction of data centers throughout the state and allegedly receiving $300,000 from a major data center investor.

Library Attacker Charged with Murder: Back in March, an unprovoked man attacked an individual at the Austin Central Library, where he was arrested by Police Chief Lisa Davis, who was at the location for a community event. Now, that man is facing a first-degree felony murder charge after the victim died from “complications of blunt head trauma” in June, KVUE reported. 

Community members gathered for a No Kings Rally ahead of the midterm elections Credit: Betsy Woldman

No Kings Rally Ahead of Midterms: Hands Off Central TX and League of Women Voters hosted a No Kings: Don’t Ghost the Vote community gathering on Saturday, Oct. 17, at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin, days before early voting began across Texas. The organizations said that the event was not a protest or march, but rather a gathering of community members to spread information regarding this year’s midterm elections. Hands Off Central TX is also holding online events throughout the week to continue informing local voters. 

City Seeks Economic Development Input: Austin Economic Development announced last Friday, Oct. 16, that it is seeking input from the community to help guide the city’s Economic Development Policy. According to the department, this initial outreach is just the first part of a larger community engagement effort. Austinites are encouraged to complete a nine-question survey, which will remain available to the public through the conclusion of community listening sessions planned for early next year.

City Proposes Smoke Shop Guidelines: New tobacco and vape shops could see restrictions soon, as Austin Public Health recommended that the city prohibit any new retailers from opening shop within 1,000 feet of schools and childcare centers. This comes after City Council directed City Manager T.C. Broadnax to establish code amendments that would limit the proximity of e-cigarettes, vapes, and synthetic nicotine products to schools and daycares. APH wants to take the initiative a step further by including all tobacco products. Existing tobacco and vape retailers would be allowed to continue operating in their current locations. Typical convenience stores could also be impacted by the changes, though staff is considering an exemption for grocery stores to avoid harming communities with limited food access.

Austinites protested the shooting of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez by an ICE agent in front of the Texas State Capitol Monday night, Sept. 21 Credit: Sammie Seamon

Wilber Rafael Garces Perez Indicted: Wilber Rafael Garces Perez – the man who was shot by an ICE agent last month – was indicted by a federal grand jury on Tuesday, Oct. 20, on one count of assaulting, resisting, impeding and obstructing a federal officer, alleging that he used his vehicle as a deadly weapon while the agents attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The Department of Justice has said that Garces Perez could face up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted, according to KXAN.

Former LBJ Band Director Charged: A former LBJ Early College High School band director has been charged in connection with an alleged sexual relationship with a student who was also allegedly abused by another school employee. The Statesman reported that investigators received DNA evidence linking the director to the student in March 2025, but an arrest warrant was not issued until September of this year. This comes as a former assistant band director faces multiple felony charges in connection with his relationship with the student, including child grooming and online solicitation of a minor. The student’s mother has sued Austin ISD, alleging the district failed to investigate her initial report promptly. 

Body Recovered From Lady Bird Lake: Austin police are investigating after a person’s body was recovered from Lady Bird Lake early Friday morning, Oct. 16, near the Wishbone Bridge in East Austin, the Statesman reported. Police found no obvious signs of trauma and said the death is not being investigated as a homicide. The person’s identity remains unknown as the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office works to determine the cause of death. 

Credit: Getty Images

Flock Discrimination Lawsuit: A former Flock Safety employee has filed a federal lawsuit in Austin, accusing the surveillance technology company of sex discrimination and retaliation. The Statesman reported that Megan Deterling alleges she received fewer and lower-quality accounts than male colleagues and faced retaliation after reporting her concerns. She was fired in July 2025 and is now seeking lost wages and benefits, front pay or reinstatement, compensatory damages, punitive damages, and legal fees. Flock said it intends to defend itself in court. Flock currently faces nationwide backlash from individuals who believe the technology violates privacy rights.

Council to Consider Wildfire Protection Plan: At today’s regular City Council meeting, the dais will take a vote on a new plan aimed at protecting the Austin area from potential wildfire risk. The initiative proposes 71 recommendations to mitigate wildfire impacts. From clearing fire-prone vegetation to strengthening evacuation routes, the plan has a conglomeration of potential ways the city could enhance its wildfire risk management. However, there is not currently a cost estimate or funding. Those details would begin to develop if Council were to approve the plan today.

Tesla’s First Cybercab Crash: Last month, Elon Musk rolled out his Tesla Cybercabs around town for the first time, now competing with the multiple autonomous vehicle companies using Austin as their testing grounds for the future of transportation. In mid-September, the company reported that three of its vehicles here in Austin were involved in car crashes, one of those being a Cybercab. Tesla’s report claims that the vehicle was damaged after driving into a large pothole at about 5 mph. No passengers were present at the time of the crash.

Community members protested the Cicero Courage Awards on Saturday, Oct. 17 Credit: Courtesy VOCAL-TX

Cicero Courage Awards Protest: Led by VOCAL-TX, over 50 community members convened outside of the Four Seasons Downtown on Saturday, Oct. 17, to protest Palantir billionaire Joe Lonsdale’s Cicero Courage Awards. Protesters displayed banners and signs taking aim at Lonsdale, Trump, Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Flock cameras. According to VOCAL-TX, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows was in attendance at the event. Earlier this month, it was revealed that city staff have met with the Cicero Institute – which works to criminalize the homeless community – in regard to the city’s new initiative, called No Wrong Door, to help curb the severe homelessness cycle among the most vulnerable Austinites.

Abbott’s Data Center Decisions: As individuals around the state continued to rally in opposition to the construction of data centers throughout Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott unexpectedly took the side of the people when he called for the termination of major tax breaks for the buildouts back in June. Just a few months later, he pressed pause on issuing any permits for members of the industry, setting tighter guidelines for the developers to follow if they were going to call Texas home. In an interview with ABC, he even said that data centers “dug their own grave” and “got the backlash they deserve.” But after announcing the temporary halt, Abbott received an additional $2.8 million from donors tied to data center developments, the Tribune reported. Not only did he receive that funding, but Texas environmental regulators have continued to process permits for the data centers despite his pause. His gubernatorial opponent, Gina Hinojosa, who has battered him on the campaign trail for his support of data centers, called his actions “nothing more than an election year stunt.”

City Warns of Dangerous Substance: Austin Public Health is urging locals to steer clear of any products containing 7-hydroxymitragynine, better known as 7-OH, a chemical found in kratom that hits consumers’ opioid receptors. The compound naturally exists in the kratom plant, but in recent years, manufacturers have begun extracting the chemical from the kratom plant, highly concentrating the substance, and then selling it to the public. APH said the substance is sold as pills, gummies, candies, and ice cream cones at gas stations and smoke shops around the state, as well as online. Consuming any products containing the substance can result in potentially life-threatening overdoses, particularly when combined with alcohol or other drugs. No products containing 7-OH have been approved by the FDA, and it was temporarily classified as a Schedule I substance by the DEA back in July.

Credit: texasagrjiculture.gov QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Don’t vote for a party label. Vote for Texas.”

Sid Miller on the agriculture commissioner race

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