State Rep. Naomi Gonzalez will run for office again.

State Rep. Naomi Gonzalez, D-El Paso, said on Friday that despite her pending drunk driving case, she intends to seek a third term serving in the Texas House.

Gonzalez ran unopposed in 2012. But after a hard-fought primary win in 2010 against former state Rep. Norma Chavez, D-El Paso, Gonzalez knows what a tough campaign it could be given her legal troubles and said she suspects Chavez will run again.

Chavez said she has received calls from constituents asking her to run again and that she is discussing it with family and friends. She did not say when she plans to make her political intentions known.

In mid-March, Austin police arrested Gonzalez on suspicion of driving while intoxicated she allegedly hit another vehicle that in turn hit a bicyclist.

Gonzalez, 34, publicly apologized to House members on the floor following her arrest and issued a statement in which she called the events “concerning” for her.

Gonzalez said she was not at liberty to discuss the particulars of her case, but admitted her DWI arrest could be used against her in a campaign.

“I’m sure people are going to try to bring out as much negative about anyone as they possibly can,” Gonzalez said. “But I have a strong record this session. I work very hard for the people of the district, and I’m going to continue to do that.”

Nearly a third of the legislation that Gonzalez filed has at least passed the House. They’re bills that address human trafficking, Type 2 diabetes and Texas Tech University. But Gonzalez said she wants to do more for the people of District 76, and that’s why she will run for re-election.

She said next session she intends to file a couple of tax bills that would provide “tax relief to everyday homeowners.” She said this was not necessarily the session to get that done, nor to tackle gaming — another important issue to her constituency.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune.

This story Suspected felony DWI suspect and State Rep. Naomi Gonzalez will seek re-election was first published on The Digital Texan

Moody

It took a Bastrop jury 45-minutes to find Pastor Rick Bartlett guilty of misdemeanor animal cruelty in the case involving the death of a neighbor’s cat named Moody.

The case received worldwide attention and polarized the Bastrop  community. The Bastrop Christian Church pastor was arrested in January  2012. The story quickly spread and international outrage and condemnation followed.

Pastor Rick Bartlett left the Bastrop Christian Church after his arrest.

“I think justice was definitely served. There was justice for moody,” said animal rights activist Amy Pavone.

Bartlett  trapped Moody in a cage he set up in his yard in January 2012. The  former Bastrop Police Department chaplain argued that he had a  problem with feral cats in his yard.

But Bartlett kept Moody caged  in the back of his pickup truck for over 24 hours with no food and  water. He eventually took Moody to the Bastrop Animal Control. The  officer testified that Bartlett was supposed to take the cat back to its  owners.

Bartlett instead opened the gate of the cage and drove off across the Loop 150 bridge that spans over the Colorado River.

Moody  jumped out of the moving pick up and somehow managed to fall off the  side of the bridge. The cat plunged some 60-feet on to the riverwalk.

What  no one has been able to answer is how Moody fell off the bridge after  jumping out of the cage. The suspicion

Moody fell off the Loop 150 bridge in Bastrop

is that Bartlett threw the cat  off the bridge, but that was never argued in court.

The jury never knew how Moody fell off the bridge, but they decide that the Pastor Bartlett is responsible.

Bartlett’s legal troubles aren’t over. He’s also being sued by the cat’s owner Sarah Bell.

The pastor will be sentenced next month.

This story Justice for Moody – Bastrop Pastor Rick Bartlett guilty of animal cruelty in death of cat was first published on The Digital Texan

Time for some Supercars, comedy and Shakespeare in the Park. We’ve got it all right here in this week’s Friday Five.

Here are our top picks for Austin events this weekend.

This story The Friday Five – our weekend picks for Austin events was first published on The Digital Texan

Moody’s owner, Sara Bell, says her cat reminded her of Garfield.

Pastor Rick Bartlett

A Bastrop jury will begin deliberating Friday whether Pastor Rick Bartlett is guilty of animal cruelty in the death of a neighbor’s cat named Moody.

Both sides rested Thursday morning after testimony from Bastrop veterinarian Dr. Greg Menard. Menard treated Moody after he was found injured along  the banks of the Colorado River last January.

Menard testified that Moody died from blunt force trauma sustained from a “high fall.” He also testified that Moody’s lungs were ruptured in the fall, and that is what eventually killed him.

There is little question that Moody fell off the Loop 150 Bridge over the Colorado River in Bastrop in January  2012. Bartlett is not accused of throwing Moody off the bridge.

But the reverend has admitted to caging the animal in the back of his pick up truck. He has also admitted to authorities that he opened the door of  the cage and drove off in the hope that the cat would jump out.

Moody did jump out of the cage, but exactly how he managed to fall off the Loop 150 Bridge may never be known.

Bartlett had reportedly become frustrated with domestic and feral cats on his property. He set up a cage and trapped Moody. Bartlett was aware that the cat belonged to his neighbors, but he did not return the animal to them.

Bartlett then took Moody to Bastrop Animal Control where he met with an officer and explained his of the story. But afterwards,  Bartlett was allowed to leave with the cat. The animal control officer testified that it was her understanding that Bartlett would return Moody to its owners Sarah and Eddie Bell.

The Bells are daily fixtures in the courtroom as are a number of animal rights organizations. The Moody case has garnered worldwide news coverage and  condemnation.

It has also made Bartlett somewhat of a pariah in the Bastrop community.

Animals are abused and killed every day in the United States. But this case  involved a man who is a local religious leader and a chaplain for  the Bastrop Police Department. That fact made the case perfect fodder for social media.

“You don’t usually have a man who purports to be  a man of God accused of being so mean to one of God’s creatures,” said,  Bill Aleshire, the attorney representing Moody’s owners in a civil  lawsuit against Bartlett.

Jurors will return Friday morning at 9 a.m. to begin deliberating the case.

This story Bastrop jury to decide fate of accused cat abuser Pastor Rick Bartlett was first published on The Digital Texan

Photo: @NBCDFW

Tornado victims in North Texas are now getting their first look at  the damage left behind by the twisters that swept through Wednesday  night.

Tornadoes killed six people and injured hundreds of others  in Granbury, 60 miles southwest of Dallas. Cleburne was also hit hard.

Most of the dead are from a single neighborhood near Granbury.

Hundreds  of homes have been destroyed, and some 250 people are said to be  homeless according to the Red Cross. Authorities are going door to door  Thursday morning looking for survivors. The death toll is expected to  rise throughout the day.

Witnesses say the tornadoes touched down  in what seemed like an instant. Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds  described it as a “nightmare”.

“I had three different storms that came through, but this is the worst one,” said Deeds.

The  National Weather Service reports that three tornadoes touched down  in Hood, Johnson, Montague, and Parker counties around 8 p.m. Wednesday  night.

Area hospitals were flooded with the injured who suffered cuts, broken bones and other injuries.

Tornado damaged home in Cleburne, Texas. Photo: @NBCDFW

One of three deadly tornadoes that hit North Texas. Photo: @CBSDFW

Texas tornado damage in Cleburne, Texas. Photo: @NBCDFW

Red Cross volunteers help storm victims in Hood County. Photo: Eva-Marie Ayala

Texas tornado damage in Cleburne, Texas. Photo: @NBCDFW

Granbury Texas tornado damage. Photo: NewsBreaker

This story 6 killed in North Texas tornadoes – Search for victims continues was first published on The Digital Texan

This story After West Fertilizer explosion, little discussion on soil issues was first published on The Digital Texan

Kendra Scott is an absolute gem. She is totally down to earth and super humble, yet she is also a go getter and a true southern gal. Kendra is not afraid to state her opinion, but always with grace. It is evident that the morals that she founded her career/company on are evident in the work she does and her daily life:

Family, Fashion, and Philanthropy.

In her new role as co-host of Crowd Rules on CNBC, Kendra blends her experience of motherhood and juggling a family with creating a start up business. She radiates in the premiere episode in gorgeous jewels. She is honest and definitely a straight shooter when she is giving entrepreneurial advice on the show.

At the premiere screening event it was great to see her with her two sons, husband and new baby bump (though vary well hidden in her flowing cream blouse).

Scott told us that “it is really progressive for CNBC to have a woman entrepreneur, on a (typically) more male dominated network”. She’s proud to represent Texas and especially Austin on a national level.

When asked how pop culture affects her performance, she said she gains her inspiration from Heidi Klum, who is also a very successful female TV role model on Project Runway and now America’s Got Talent. She also tries to approach each episode with a different edge of fashion that showcases a unique look. Though she humbly admitted she is “not a six foot tall super model,” she did say that CNBC encouraged her to embody her personal and business side of fashion so she was able to “just be me, and that was great.” Though she thinks no one will ever play her in a movie about her life, she hopes that if that were to ever happen, she would be played by Jessica Alba. “Because she’s amazing,” Scott said.

Throughout the premiere, on screen and at the event, you could tell Scott is a natural host. She provided guests with a sample of each of the premiere’s contestant food samples (which, by the way, Austinites chose an obvious winner – HOT SAUCE). She also provided each attendee with a goody bag that included a piece of her jewelry. She was so excited to give away her gifts, calling it her Oprah moment, announcing, “Now you get a jewel, and you get a jewel, and you get a jewel (insert laughs from her and the crowd).”

It was a fun and entertaining night filled with friends, family, laughs and a guest appearance by fellow TV fashion star (literally) Ross Bennett.

This article is special to the Digital Texan with reporting by Anna Lewallen.

Anna with NBC Fashion Star contestant Ross Bennett.

This story Kendra Scott makes television debut was first published on The Digital Texan

Austin may not have a professional sports team, but we do have skeeball.

If you don’t remember what skeeball is, it’s the arcade type game where you roll a small ball up a ramp and try to make it into a column of holes.

The Austin Skeeball League is where the top teams compete and pour their blood, sweat and beer into making into the skeeson playoffs.

The winner earns the glory that is the Golden Skeeball, and there are fun prizes along the way. Every game you get the opportunity to collect buttons depending on how you roll with categories like “Loop 360,” “The Cougar,” and “Dirty 30.”

List of Awards

“It’s basically like a bowling league except Chuck E. Cheese style Skeeball,” said co-founder Paige Powell.

“It’s competitive but it’s very friendly, everyone gets along. There’s a lot smack talking going on, but at the end of the day everyone is high-fiving everyone else. We’re just here to have a good time.”

Austin Skeeball League was  co-founded by Powell, Corry Reiling and Brandon Greer. They are on a mission to spread peace, love and skeeball.

The league has been rolling in Austin for 10 skeesons and now partners with Lavaca Street Bar, where teams can enjoy great food, drinks and four lanes to roll on. 

This story Austin Skeeball League gets ready for Skeeson XI was first published on The Digital Texan

Greg got called, but Greg didn’t help.

Disgraced Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg has issued another  statement regarding her arrest and conviction for DWI.

I am currently seeking professional help on the advice of one of the foremost experts in this region concerning the issues that lead to my behavior the night I was arrested for driving while intoxicated. He has concluded that I am “fully able to perform (my) duties” as District Attorney of Travis County, I am “not at risk of injuring the public interest in the performance of (my) duties,” and I have a “normal mental status exam.” This expert recommended that I attend treatment for a brief period to deal with the behavior that lead to my arrest. I immediately accepted his recommendation.

While I am seeking professional guidance, I will be in contact with my office on a regular basis—just as would any officeholder or department head who received medical treatment or took similar personal leave. John Neal, the First Assistant in the District Attorney’s office, will be in regular contact with me. John is extremely competent and I have every confidence in him. He served as First Assistant in the Travis County District Attorney’s office for over four years, and during his 33-year legal career also served as an elected District Attorney (for Stephens and Young Counties), as Chief Disciplinary Counsel of the State Bar of Texas, and as Division Chief of the Statewide Prosecution Division of the Office of Attorney General. Additionally, our office has a strong management structure, with very experienced, competent division chiefs. The citizens of Travis County can rest assured the office will function effectively while I am receiving this medical assistance.

Again, I apologize from the bottom of my heart for my personal mistake, and I commit to do everything in my power to deal with the underlying issues and to do the very best I can to serve the citizens of Travis County. I appreciate the many expressions of support, forgiveness, compassion, and patience from so many people.

Lehmberg has denied that she is an alcoholic, but this letter is a clear indication the DA has a problem with drink. Some might quibble with the DA calling using the phrase “medical assistance” when referencing her apparent problem with alcohol.

Lehmberg was released early from jail last Thursday for good behavior after serving roughly half of her 45-day sentence.

While it appears for the time being that her job is safe, that is not stopping some Austinites from continuing to fight for her removal. The most conspicuous resident in this quest is attorney and former Texas Assistant Attorney General Kerry O’Brien.

O’Brien and others calling for Lehmberg’s removal voiced their displeasure with the DA at Travis County Commissioner’s court Tuesday morning.

O’Brien has started an online pettition and has filed a lawsuit seeking her removal from office as well. But he hasn’t stopped there. Monday he and a group of followers gathered at I-35 on the 12^th St. bridge to urge already disgruntled commuters to become even less gruntled over the DA.

While it appears that Ms. Lehmberg’s position is safe for the time being, there is still the possibility that O’Brien’s actions or other forms of public scrutiny could eventually lead to her removal.

Lehmberg may find it in her heart to realize the complete hypocrisy of someone in her position behaving abusing her power and authority in a manner that is disrespectful of the office she holds and the community she serves.

This story Drunk driving DA Rosemary Lehmberg apologizes again and seeks treatment was first published on The Digital Texan

As the ATX Television Festival creeps closer and closer (June 6-9), we’ve been introducing you to some of the people involved in the event.

Actress Arielle Kebbel is a member of the ATX Fest advisory board and took part in multiple panels last year. This year, she is scheduled as part of The Vampire Diaries panel, though I’m sure we’ll see her involved in other ways as well. Kebbel can be seen in the recurring role of Lexi on TVD. She has also starred on CW series’ Life Unexpected and 90210.

In order to get to know her television tastes a bit better, we sent Kebbel our 10 Totally Texan Questions: ATX Fest Edition. 

10 – Who is your favorite Texan actor?

Robin Wright, Dennis Quaid, Patrick Swayze (God Bless him and his dance moves), Missi Pyle (first fellow blonde I worked with), Jenn Garner and Bruce McGill (I worked with Bruce and anyone in My Cousin Vinny is a rock star). What!!?! Y’all stop breeding them if you want me to list only one!

9 – What is your favorite Texas TV show (and movie too)?

Friday Night Lights. 

Hope Floats, Apollo 13 and Office Space. 

8 – What is your favorite TV show ever?

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. 

7 – What TV family do you wish you were a part of?

Who’s the Boss- I always wanted to be Samantha. 

6 – What reality show would you appear on?

I dunno – one that involves chefs and eating. 

5 – What is your craziest fan encounter?

I’m always honored when someone recognizes my work. No encounter is larger or small for me. 

4 – What’s the best TV show theme song?

Hey Dude! 

3 – What’s YOUR theme song?

Let’s Give Them Something to Talk About (Bonnie Raitt). 

2 – Who would play you in the TV show based on your life?

JLAW. 

1 – What would it (the TV show based on your life) be called?

Yeehaw!!!!

The ATX Festival is a celebration of the small screen. Including screenings, panels and meet & greets, it has the feel of a small film festival, but instead of movies, it features classic shows, never aired pilots, cancelled too soon series, cult favorites, current hits and new series premieres.

 

Tickets are still available. Use our discount code DigitalATX15 for 15% off badge prices.

This story ATX Television Festival: 10 Totally Texan questions for actress Arielle Kebbel was first published on The Digital Texan