Thursday, August 22, 2024

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2024

Good morning! On this day in 1977, the Texas A&M College of Medicine opened its doors to an inaugural class of 32 students.

Imagine mammoths walking through your backyard… A Central Texas woman found a fossil belonging to one of the enormous creatures while fishing at a local lake, sparking excitement among archaeologists. Read our story below!

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We’re sponsored today by Monogram, the Austin-based company known for its autonomous robotic surgical systems. Check out their investment opportunities today.

ERCOT Says SA Power Plant Crucial To Grid

The Texas grid operator plans to inspect one of three gas-powered units at CPS Energy’s Braunig Power Station near San Antonio to assess whether it can operate beyond the company’s planned suspension on March 31, 2025.

CPS Energy informed ERCOT it plans to shut down the plant due to high operating costs and up to $200 million in needed repairs, which would be passed on to consumers.

However, ERCOT argues the plant’s 859 megawatts of capacity are essential to meet state energy demands, especially given the lack of proposals for new power generation projects.

ERCOT will request an inspection of the Braunig Power Station at the Aug. 29 Public Utility Commission meeting, which could take one of the plant’s units offline for up to 60 days.

DNA Links Inmate to 1980 UT Student Murder

Austin police have made a breakthrough in the 1980 murder case of Susan Leigh Wolfe, a 25-year-old nursing student at the University of Texas.

DNA evidence from the crime scene matches that of 78-year-old Deck Brewer Jr., who is currently incarcerated in Massachusetts on unrelated charges.

Wolfe was kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered on January 9, 1980, the same day she enrolled in UT’s nursing school.

The case remains active as investigators seek a second suspect believed to have been involved in Susan’s abduction and murder.

Woman Finds Mammoth Fossils While Fishing

In June, a Bosque County woman discovered the fossilized remains of a 40-year-old male Columbian Mammoth while fishing at a local lake.

Researchers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tarleton State University, and the Waco Mammoth National Monument are excavating the site, the precise location of which hasn’t been disclosed. See a video here.

“It’s so hard to imagine them walking through your backyard,” said Dr. Lindsey Yann from the Waco Mammoth National Monument.

Once removed, the fossils will head to Tarleton State University to be preserved and studied.

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Monogram (Nasdaq: MGRM), the Austin-based company known for its autonomous robotic surgical systems, completed a crowd-funded public offering and NASDAQ Listing last year. What’s next? They just filed for FDA approval to market and commercialize their patented AI joint replacement tech. By the year 2027, 50% of knee replacement surgeries will be robotic – up from 12% today.

Monogram actually made history in the Lonestar State last year, successfully completing the first fully remote demonstration surgery between New York and Austin. Now, Monogram’s opened a unique opportunity for investors. They are selling preferred shares in their company. This isn’t the same stock trading on the Nasdaq. These shares feature:

Dividends: The preferred shares pay an 8% annual dividend (in cash or kind)
Warrants: Each preferred share comes with a warrant for future shares of common stock
Conversion: Preferred shares can be converted 1:1 into common shares

MGRM public shares closed as high as $3.11 within the past month, but these unlisted preferred shares are available for $2.25. Monogram currently plans to close the Series D Preferred offering on September 12, 2024. Learn more on their website.

➤ A federal judge in Texas blocked the implementation of a Federal Trade Commission rule that would have barred employers from imposing or enforcing non-compete agreements. (More)

➤ Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Election Integrity Unit executed search warrants in Bexar, Atascosa, and Frio counties on Tuesday, acting on allegations of fraud and vote harvesting during the 2022 election. (See Details)

➤ Refugio County: The county received a $4 million emergency grant from the Texas Historical Commission to repair and upgrade its courthouse. Built in 1917, the courthouse was badly damaged by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. (Watch Video)

➤ San Antonio: Bexar County commissioners approved $100 million in funding for a pair of rapid transit lines (dedicated bus lanes) through downtown San Antonio, unlocking $147 million in federal aid for the project. (More)

➤ Big Spring: Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of killing George Floyd in 2020, was transferred to the Federal Correctional Facility in Big Spring nearly nine months after being stabbed at a federal prison in Tucson. (See Details)

➤ Dallas: A developer was ordered to halt work on a half-finished duplex in Elm Thicket after residents complained he received a permit violating new zoning standards, sparking a heated discussion at a recent hearing. (See Details)

➤ Houston: A section of the popular Buffalo Bayou hike and bike trail collapsed Tuesday when a 33-year-old retaining wall failed. (Watch Video)

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➤ Boerne’s youth baseball team beat a club from Henderson, Nevada, to advance to the United States final in the Little League World Series on Saturday. (More)

➤ Houston Dynamo FC acquired 20-year-old Honduran soccer player Exon Arzú from Real España, where he scored 23 goals. (More)

➤ San Antonio Spurs announcer Bill Land announced his retirement ahead of the upcoming NBA season after more than 20 years with the team. (More)

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➤ Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers has bought property at the former Electronic Data Systems campus in Plano and plans to spend $20 million renovating 400,000 square feet for its new corporate headquarters. (See Details)

➤ A 326-megawatt solar facility owned by Enel North America is now operational in Hopkins County. Nestlé has agreed to purchase 100% of the facility’s renewable energy credits. (More)

➤ The RioPlex, a campaign promoting business in the Rio Grande Valley and Northern Tamaulipas, got a boost from Mexico Industry magazine, which produced a digital flyer highlighting the region’s advantages. (See Flyer)

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Elite investors often get special deals that aren’t available to the public. Take Warren Buffett, for example. When he invested $10B in Occidental Petroleum, he didn’t buy the publicly traded stock. He got preferred stock paying an 8% dividend.

While you won’t be investing alongside Warren Buffett, Texas-based Monogram is offering you preferred stock with an 8% dividend (in cash or shares of MGRM) that’s convertible to its common stock.

Monogram’s common stock (MGRM) closed at $3.11 earlier this week, but the unlisted preferred stock (which is convertible into one share of common) is available for $2.25 per share. This opportunity is planned to come to an end on September 12, 2024.

^{* This is a paid advertisement for Monogram Technologies Series D Preferred Stock offering. A prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus have been filed with the SEC. Before making any investment, you are urged to read the prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus carefully for a more complete understanding of the issuer and the offering.}

➤ Caldwell Zoo in Tyler announced the hatchings of rare Texas horned lizards. (See Photos)

➤ Kilgore Police Department celebrated K9 Santo’s birthday, gifting him protective booties and a helmet cam, as the dog marks nearly a year of service. (See Photos)

➤ NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal sold his 5,200-square-foot Texas mansion near Dallas in just one month, listing it for $1.7 million. (See Photos)

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