Abbott Orders Lottery Investigation

Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Rangers to investigate two controversial lottery drawings yesterday. This follows recent criticism of the Texas Lottery Commission for selling tickets through courier services, which buy tickets from retailers on behalf of customers who have purchased them online.

Last week, an Austin retailer operated by the courier service that facilitated the transaction sold a winning ticket for an $83.5 million jackpot, eliciting a visit to the establishment by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. In April 2023, an entity named Rook TX purchased nearly every possible number combination to win a $95 million jackpot.

Abbott’s directive came just hours after the Texas Lottery Commission announced it would prohibit the use of courier services to purchase lottery tickets. Patrick stated that the abrupt announcement, made before commission officials were scheduled to testify before lawmakers in the House and Senate, gives him “even less confidence in the integrity of the Lottery Commission.”

The new policy “does not solve the issue,” Patrick continued, threatening to abolish the lottery if it isn’t more transparent about its operations. A statement from the Coalition of Texas Lottery Couriers lamented the change, explaining the commission previously denied it has the authority to regulate couriers.

Yesterday’s developments follow the Friday resignation of Texas Lottery commissioner Clark Smith, who was appointed to the five-member commission by Gov. Abbott in 2023.

ICE Raids South Texas Bakery

The owners of Abby’s Bakery in Los Fresnos were arrested during a “worksite enforcement action” on Feb. 12, when federal immigration officials found eight illegal immigrants at the bakery.

According to court testimony, the workers were paid $8 an hour and lived next to the bakery in a facility with six beds along a wall, no kitchen, and windows covered with cardboard. They have reportedly been deported to Mexico.

The owners, Leonardo Baez and Nora Alicia Avila-Guel, admitted they knew the employees were in the country illegally. They were charged with “bringing in and harboring aliens and aiding and abetting the harboring of aliens.”

The operation was initiated by a call received by the Homeland Security Investigations tip line in December. Baez and Avila-Guel each posted a $100,000 bail yesterday.

Nation’s First Holographic Zoo Opens in Austin

Zoocade, the nation’s first holographic zoo, has opened in Austin. For $25, visitors can experience laser-projected animals in a 60-foot tunnel during one of three 25-minute shows.

Two shows feature animals from Africa or Australia, while a third allows guests to see dinosaurs. TIME Magazine named the technology powering the experience one of the “Best Inventions of 2023.”

Local entrepreneur Reva Enzminger brought the concept to Austin after experiencing it in Australia. Holographic zoos have also opened in Canada and China.

“Holographic technology and Zoocade is the future of family-friendly entertainment, and I’m thrilled to be the first to offer this in the United States,” said Enzminger.

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➤ The Federal Election Commission has dismissed a complaint against Sen. Ted Cruz regarding payments made to an affiliated political action committee by iHeartMedia, the producer of his podcast. The PAC characterized the payments as advertising revenue, and the commission said there was insufficient evidence to determine if Cruz directed the money to the PAC. (More)

➤ Balch Springs: Crystal Canales, 41, was charged with neglect in the death of her nonverbal autistic daughter, 19-year-old Delilah Villegas. First responders found the severely malnourished teen deceased after Canales called 911 on Feb. 14 to report her daughter was struggling to breathe. (More)

➤ San Antonio: A homeowner was stuck with a $106,614 bill for solar panels that don’t work after verbally agreeing to an installation for a much lower price. Frank Trevino has accused a third-party lender of fraudulently signing an electronic contract on his behalf. (See Details)

➤ Houston: A 25-year-old man has confessed to starting a fire at an apartment complex Sunday that damaged 37 units and displaced at least eight families. Neighbors said he started the fire after getting into a fight with his parents. (More)

➤ The Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday from attorneys representing a Texas death row inmate who has requested an examination of DNA evidence to prove he did not participate in the 1998 murder of an 85-year-old woman in Brownsville. (See Details)

➤ Lufkin ISD: The school board voted to close two elementary schools last week, citing declining enrollment and insufficient funding. The move will affect more than 500 students. (More)

➤ Corpus Christi: The city has contracted with business lender LiftFund for $340,000 to distribute $2 million in grants to local businesses that can show revenue has declined at least 20% since the implementation of Stage 3 water restrictions in December. (More)

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➤ The Dallas Mavericks will face Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers tonight for the first time since the team decided to trade the generational superstar earlier this month. (More)

➤ No. 1 Texas A&M baseball lost their first out-of-conference regular season game since 2023 on Sunday, falling 3-2 to Cal Poly. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | NCAAB | NCAASB | Soccer

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➤ NinjaOne, an Austin-based cybersecurity startup, has raised $500 million in Series C funding, pegging the company’s value at $5 billion. (More)

➤ The San Antonio City Council has approved the annexation of nearly 800 acres to facilitate the development of a master-planned community that will include 5,329 single-family homes, 67 acres of multifamily units, 170 acres of commercial development, and 425 acres of light industrial development. (More)

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➤ The FDA has approved the second phase of clinical trials for the BiVACOR mechanical heart. The first heart was implanted in Hockley truck driver Batson Avie at the Texas Heart Institute last July. The device was funded in part by a multi-million investment from Houston’s Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, who recently underwent open heart surgery. (More)

➤ Austin Parks and Recreation has produced a documentary about the history of Clarksville, a black community founded shortly after the Civil War west of downtown Austin, where the 1870s Haskell House still stands. (See Details)

➤ New York-based WeatherBell Analytics predicts that the 2025 hurricane season “should have fewer impacts” than last year, citing cooler surface temperatures in the Atlantic. Its forecast calls for 15 to 19 named storms and seven to nine hurricanes, two or three of which are likely to be major. (More)

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Would you pay $25 to visit a holographic zoo?

1. Absolutely
2. No way

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you ever been to an indoor water park?

1. Yes: 64%
2. No: 36%

Where in Texas is the grave of “Rope Walker,” a one-legged funambulist whose identity was a mystery for over a century?

Show me the answer