Runoff Elections Decided

Runoff elections for several high-profile mayoral and city council races were held on Saturday.

In San Antonio, former Under Secretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones defeated former Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos 54% to 46% to become the city’s next mayor. The Democratic National Committee said that Jones overcame “massive amounts of right-wing dark money.”

In McKinney, real estate agent and former city council member Bill Cox defeated pastor and former Republican State Rep. Scott Sanford 53% to 47% in the race for mayor. Cox is a proponent of expanding McKinney National Airport, while Sanford wanted to reassess the project.

In Frisco, Burt Thakur ousted incumbent Tammy Meinershagen 55% to 45%, becoming the first person of Indian descent to win a city council seat. Meinershagen’s campaign was plagued by a secret recording in which she asserted the local Indian population hadn’t sufficiently integrated into the community.

Hazing, Assault Allegations at Catholic School

San Antonio attorney Jesse Guerra is calling for a Texas Rangers investigation into allegations of bullying, hazing, and sexual assault at Central Catholic High School.

Administrators expelled two students following the report of the allegations in April, and they are hiring an independent firm to investigate, as more alleged victims have come forward.

Guerra claims he could compile up to 10 sworn affidavits from current and former students for a pending lawsuit regarding the alleged actions of several soccer team members at the prestigious all-boys school.

The school has asked parents and students to report incidents of bullying or hazing and has encouraged families to contact local police about claims of assault.

Asian Needle Ants Spreading

The invasive Asian needle ant, in the U.S. since the 1930s, is spreading in Texas. Its arrival is raising concerns about its potential threat to native ecosystems, not to mention its painful sting.

The dark brown to black ant is often mistaken for native ants, but can be identified by its slender waist and stinger. They nest in moist, shaded areas. Once established, they compete with and displace native ant species critical for seed dispersal.

While not as aggressive as fire ants, their sting is quite painful and can cause allergic reactions. “Imagine somebody inserting a needle directly into your flesh,” said Benoit Guénard, a professor of ecology and entomology at the University of Hong Kong.

Researchers at Rice University are tracking the spread of Asian needle ants throughout the state. “We’re just starting to understand how it fits into our local ecosystems,” said associate professor of biosciences Scott Egan. 

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➤ Fort Worth: Aristo Sham, a 29-year-old pianist from Hong Kong, won the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition on Saturday, earning $100,000 and three years of international concert bookings. (More)

➤ Waco: A K-9 officer dog named Andor is recovering from surgery after being shot three times by a suspect on May 28. (See Photo)

➤ Palo Pinto County: A 23-year-old man died while tubing on Possum Kingdom Lake on Friday after he was struck by a boat’s propeller. The operator of the boat was charged with intoxication manslaughter. (More)

➤ Royse City: Firefighters extinguished a blaze at a Tesla battery backup site under construction on Saturday. (See Photo)

➤ Richardson: Kelvin Joseph Jr., a 25-year-old former Dallas Cowboys cornerback, was arrested in the hit-and-run death of a woman on a motorcycle Saturday morning. (More)

➤ Dallas: A 40-acre park named in honor of a longtime justice of the peace opened to the public on Saturday. During the dedication, the state director for Trust for Public Land announced a $100 million public-private campaign that aims to expand parks across the city. (See Details)

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➤ UTSA men’s baseball lost 7-0 in their Super Regional series against UCLA yesterday, ending their season. (More)

➤ The Houston Astros took the lead in the 10th inning of Saturday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians when this wild pitch scored a run. They held on to win 5-3. (Watch Video)

➤ Mia Scott, a star player on the Texas Longhorns’ championship softball team, reportedly played the Women’s College World Series with a torn ACL, going 5 for 8 with two home runs. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NASCAR | WNBA | NCAAB | Soccer | PGA | LPGA | Tennis

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➤ Eight California residents whose homes were destroyed in the wildfires earlier this year are suing San Antonio-based USAA for allegedly underinsuring their homes by hundreds of thousands of dollars. The lawsuit claims some policyholders were offered as little as a third of their home’s value. (More)

➤ Austin’s median rent of $1,385 in May is nearly 9% lower than the previous year, marking the largest rent decrease among major U.S. cities, according to a recent Redfin analysis. (More)

➤ Walmart is introducing its drone delivery service to Houston within the next year. Walmart has partnered with Google-affiliated Wing to provide drone delivery service to parts of Dallas-Fort Worth for several years. (See Details)

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➤ Two Texas swim-up bars—the Cove in Galveston and the Salty Rim Bar & Grill on South Padre Island—are among the 15 best in the country. (More)

➤ Denton mail carrier Ian Burke adopted a dog named Floyd that previously belonged to one of his customers, an elderly Vietnam veteran who recently passed away. (Watch Video)

➤ U.S. News and World Report ranked Austin as the best retirement destination in Texas. The study considered factors like the happiness of locals, affordable housing, tax rates, and health care quality. (More)

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Did you ever take piano lessons?

1. Yes
2. No

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you ever seen a bear in real life?

1. Yes: 75%
2. No: 25%

What city in West Texas was once home to as many as seven alligators that lived in a downtown park?

Show me the answer