Good morning! On this day in 1878, eight young men enrolled in the short-lived Alta Vista Agricultural College, the first public black college in Texas, for a tuition of $130 a year. The school was rechartered as Prairie View Normal Institute the following year and continues today as Prairie View A&M University.
An Austin company wants to deploy its drones at schools across Texas to provide rapid response to active shooter situations. Check out the story in today’s Roundup, and reply to let us know what you think about the idea!
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An Austin-based company called Campus Guardian Angel demonstrated its innovative drones in a former elementary school building on Sunday. The drones can quickly respond to active shooter situations.
Small enough to navigate indoor environments, the drones are equipped to deploy flash bangs and discharge pepper balls. Co-founders Justin Marston and Bill King, a 32-year veteran of the Navy SEALs, said they were inspired by military drone usage in the Russia-Ukraine war.
“Our goal is to respond in five seconds, to be on the shooter in 15 seconds, and to degrade or incapacitate in 60 seconds,” said Marston. In May of 2022, it took law enforcement more than 70 minutes to engage the shooter at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.
Boerne ISD has already agreed to participate in the program. State Rep. Ryan Guillen (R-Rio Grande City) has filed legislation that would increase funding for school security, including the hiring of more security officers and the implementation of a drone response program.
Residents Oppose Burnet Quarry
A coalition of Burnet residents, including the local state representative, is trying to stop the development of a proposed rock crushing plant over concerns about potential air, water, and noise pollution.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) approved an air quality permit for Asphalt Inc. last month, stating in a 31-page response to opponents’ concerns that “all applicable statutes, rules, and regulations would be met.” The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) is currently reviewing how the proposed site would affect water quality at nearby Lake Buchanan.
Staffers at Camp Longhorn on Inks Lake, which is downstream from Lake Buchanan, have said they are “deeply concerned” about the impact the project could have on the organization’s 7,000 annual campers. State Rep. Ellen Troxclair (R-Lakeway) has filed legislation that would prohibit such projects within two miles of a youth camp and require environmental impact studies to be conducted before quarries can be developed in sensitive areas.
“I remain cautiously optimistic that our advocacy will eventually help the company to realize that this is not a place where they should be,” said Troxclair.
Experience the Titanic in Dallas
Titanic: The Exhibition has returned to Dallas after 25 years, transforming a former retail space into an immersive experience with artifacts, recreated rooms, props from the blockbuster movie, and personal stories.
The 25,000-square-foot exhibit was designed by creative producer Mark Lach and Imagine Exhibitions CEO Tom Zaller, whose company currently operates 45 different exhibitions in nearly a dozen countries. They aim to sell 100,000 tickets before closing on May 11.
The exhibit includes more than 350 artifacts from RMS Olympic, Titanic’s identical twin, and a virtual reality experience that helps visitors get a feel for what it’s like to explore the ship’s wreckage. Every guest receives a “boarding pass” with biographical information collected from a real passenger or crew member prior to the ship’s April 1912 voyage.
Tickets to the exhibit start at $25. It is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
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➤ Houston: The body of former mayor and U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner will lie in state at City Hall today. A longtime state representative, Turner’s body will also lie in state at the Texas Capitol on Thursday and Friday, with a public funeral service to be held on Saturday in Houston. (See Details)
➤ Cameron: A 30-year-old man was arrested after calling for an ambulance and then stealing it Monday morning. The suspect led deputies on a short, off-road chase before crashing into a tree. (More)
➤ Harris County: Cicerly Nicole Walker, the mother of a Hoffman Middle School student, is in custody after allegedly threatening to “shoot up the school” in retaliation for purported bullying directed at her daughter. (More)
➤ Houston: A woman on a Southwest Airlines flight to Phoenix last week suffered an apparent emotional breakdown when she demanded to get off the plane and then stripped naked before takeoff. The woman was evaluated at a local hospital after the plane returned to the gate at William P. Hobby Airport. (More)
➤ Caldwell: The city agreed to a $4.3 million settlement with the contractor hired to build a new city hall in 2018. Construction has been stalled for several years, and city offices recently relocated to a renovated building that previously housed a bank. (See Details)
➤ Houston: ICE arrested 646 illegal immigrants, including 543 criminals and 7 confirmed gang members, during a week long operation between Feb. 23 and March 2, according to a statement from the agency. (More)
➤ Burkburnett: City officials plan to build a museum housing the world’s largest collection of Hot Wheels. The collection of over 100,000 toy cars was purchased for $100,000 from 89-year-old Theophile Kwas Jr. (Watch Video)
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➤ The Houston Texans shocked the NFL yesterday by trading away franchise left tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Washington Commanders in exchange for a plethora of draft picks. (More)
➤ Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson did not suffer any structural damage from a scary ankle injury during Saturday’s 146-117 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Thompson will miss around two weeks. (More)
➤ High school basketball has wrapped up for most programs across the state. The Duncanville Panthers won their sixth state championship in a thrilling 56-54 contest against the Bellaire Cardinals on Saturday. Check out these links to see which schools were crowned the boys and girls champions in each division.
➤ Base Power, an Austin-based battery backup provider co-founded by Zach Dell, the son of Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell, is partnering with Bandera Electric Cooperative to offer its 40,000 customers whole-home battery systems for $36.99 a month. (More)
➤ The developer of a 17-story condominium tower in the Turtle Creek neighborhood of Dallas will begin accepting deposits from prospective tenants on Friday. The 33 units range in price from $3 million to $18 million for the penthouse. (More)
➤ Texas ranks 23rd in the amount of household income required—$50,515—to be considered middle class, according to a recent analysis. Plano’s requirement of $72,389 for the designation ranks 7th in the country. (More)
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➤ Daisy Ford, 25, convinced her parents to purchase a property in Dripping Springs where her 18-year-old horse Charly could retire after a career in show jumping. (See Photos)
➤ Only three of the state’s nine largest cities—Arlington, Corpus Christi, and Plano—are currently able to pay all their bills, according to an analysis by fiscal transparency think tank Truth in Accounting. (More)
➤ Researchers at the University of Texas have developed a website called CareWatch that provides a rating for nursing homes across the country using criteria regarding inspections, staffing, health outcomes, and reimbursements. (More)
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Should Texas lawmakers establish a Bitcoin reserve?
Implementing Drones for School Security
