Daniel Perry Pardoned

Daniel Perry, the former U.S. Army Sergeant convicted of killing a Black Lives Matter protester in Austin in 2020, was pardoned by Gov. Greg Abbott and has been freed from a 25-year prison sentence.

Perry was driving for Uber when he got caught in a crowd of protesters on the night of July 25, 2020, and was confronted by Garrett Foster, who was carrying an AK-47. During his trial, Perry’s lawyers argued he shot and killed Foster when Foster pointed his rifle at him.

The state parole board unanimously recommended that Perry be pardoned before Abbott issued the order. The governor said Travis County District Attorney José Garza “demonstrated unethical and biased misuse of his office in prosecuting Daniel Scott Perry.”

Garza, on the other hand, said Abbott and the parole board “put their politics over justice and made a mockery of our legal system.”

Texas Cities Among The Fastest Growing In U.S.

Eight of the fastest growing cities in the nation are in Texas, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Topping the list is Celina, a Metroplex suburb that grew 26.6% between 2022 and 2023. Fulshear in Fort Bend County is second, growing at a rate of 25.6% during that period.

According to Lloyd Potter at the Texas Demographic Center, the state’s population is growing by around 1,300 people a day, with most of that attributed to net migration.

Abbott Rebuffs Request For Education Special Session

Gov. Greg Abbott pushed back this week against Texas House Democrats who are urging him to call a special session to increase state funding for public education.

Abbott refused, accusing Democrats of voting against a school funding bill that was tied to authorization for education savings accounts. He also said school districts need to adjust their budgets now that COVID recovery money has run out.

State Rep. Jon Rosenthal (D-Houston), who is leading the Democrats’ push, responded by asking for a meeting “to work out a solution” before the fall school term begins.

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➤ Houston: A re-do election has been ordered for the 180th District Court after a visiting judge from San Antonio determined that 1,430 votes were cast illegally in the 2022 contest between incumbent Democrat DaSean Jones and Republican Tami Pierce. (More)

➤ San Antonio: School district officials estimate it will cost $250 million to upgrade outdated HVAC units in area schools. In January, heating failures prompted the district to close every one of its schools for two days. (See details)

➤ Pecos: Residents weighed proposals at a public hearing from two firms competing for a chance to build a $47 million water park. Officials say the water park could become a major tourist attraction for the sparsely populated region. (See video)

➤ McAllen: A South Texas water planning group pitched a plan for a “water bank” to regulators in Austin on Wednesday that would set up a sharing agreement to let smaller cities get water from larger ones with surplus resources. (See video)

➤ Amarillo: The Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association is distributing $900,000 in donations to ranchers affected by the devastating wildfires in the Panhandle earlier this year. (See video)

➤ Godley: A small plane crashed about nine miles from the Cleburne airport Wednesday night, killing 18-year-old pilot Jon Monreal from Crowley. The FAA and NTSB are investigating the incident, but initial reports indicate the Cessna ran out of fuel. (More)

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➤ The Texas Rangers moved Max Scherzer to the 60-day injured list Wednesday due to nerve issues in his throwing arm. The 39-year-old pitcher will have to wait until at least May 28 to rejoin the active roster. (More)

➤ Led by a resurgent Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 104-92 Wednesday to take a 3-2 lead in the NBA Western Conference Semifinals. They’ll try to close out the series Saturday in Dallas. (See details)

➤ The Dallas Stars lost 5-3 to the Colorado Avalanche at home on Wednesday, missing an opportunity to advance to the next round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With a 3-2 series lead, Dallas will try to put the Avalanche away tonight in Denver. (More)

➤ The Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans learned who they’ll be playing each week this season with the release of the 2024 NFL schedule Wednesday. The Cowboys have seven prime-time games, while the Texans play six, including a Monday Night Football matchup against Dallas on November 18. (See schedule)

➤ Yesterday, we inadvertently left the Baylor University men’s golf team off our list of Texas teams advancing to the national tournament. The Bears finished in fifth place at their regional contest in Chapel Hill, NC. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s results: MLB | NBA | NHL | WNBA

➤ Caterpillar is investing $90 million to upgrade its Schertz and Seguin manufacturing facilities, where it plans to build new motors for construction equipment. The industrial giant says the upgrades will create dozens of new jobs. (More)

➤ Oil exploration company Apache Corp. sold a prime 6.3-acre parcel in Houston’s Uptown to 1750 Post Oak Partners for an undisclosed amount. Development plans include 1.5 million square feet of commercial space and “ultra high-end” condos. (See details)

➤ The Austin City Limits Music Festival pumped nearly $500 million into the Austin economy in 2023, according to a financial analysis by Angelou Economics. (More)

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➤ Two Midland ISD students received new cars from a local dealership for having perfect attendance records this school year. Albany Solis and Dylan Ramjattan were selected for the grand prize from a group of 40 eligible students. (More)

➤ Twelve Texas BBQ joints made Yelp’s list of the top 100 in the country. Spring’s Corkscrew BBQ and Tyler’s Barbeque in Amarillo came in at No. 3 and 4, respectively. (See the list)

➤ The valedictorian at two Fort Bend high schools has been changed “after a thorough assessment” by district officials, who blame the switch on a policy requiring students to be ranked at the school they’re zoned for, even if that’s not the one they attend. (See details)

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When you’re in the mood for spicy food, how spicy do you like it?

1. I don’t like spicy food
2. Mild
3. Medium
4. Hot
5. Extra Hot
6. Medical Emergency

Thursday’s Results:

What’s the fastest you’ve ever driven a car?

1. 1. 80 mph: 10.6%
   2. 90 mph: 14.0%
   3. 100 mph: 19.0%
   4. 115 mph: 19.8%
   5. 130 mph: 17.3%
   6. 150 mph: 12.1%
   7. 175+ mph: 7.3%

What Texas water park has been voted the “World’s Best Water Park” for 25 years in a row?

Show me the answer