The selection committee made the announcement Sunday during a live broadcast on ESPN2, giving the Longhorns the top spot over No. 2 Oklahoma despite the Sooners winning the Big 12 Conference tournament championship game over Texas the day prior. In the end, Texas was still at the top of the RPI table and beat Oklahoma two out of three games during the regular season, so the committee felt Texas deserved the top spot.

The Longhorns will open the regional round at home against Siena, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament champions and first-time tournament qualifier. They'll begin the four-team double-elimination tournament at 3 p.m. Friday while St. Francis (Penn.) and Northwestern will play the other game Friday. If the Longhorns make it through the regional, it's possible they could play either Texas A&M or Texas State in the super regionals. The Aggies are seeded No. 16 overall in the tournament while the Bobcats qualified by winning the Sun Belt Conference tournament championship. They'll play in College Station this weekend.

The athletic department as a whole made some serious hay in their last year as a member of the Big 12 Conference, winning a school-record 14 championships across all sports. Both men's and women's track and field teams were the latest to capture the top trophies, and the baseball and rowing teams still have a chance to make it 16 if things go their way later in May.

The Southeastern Conference also announced opponents and sites for Texas men's basketball's first season, and the schedule is favorable all things considered. Texas won't have to play Kentucky or Tennessee on the road in their inaugural season, only taking them on at Moody Center.

Watch the entire Horns Report live stream with Roger Wallace and Billy Gates at 3:15 p.m. or wait for the replay to be posted in this story shortly after the live stream ends.

Officials from both Austin and Travis County held a news conference to talk about making the overdose reversal drug more widely available in the community. They also showed how to administer it in the event someone needs it.

Speakers at Monday's event included Travis County Judge Andy Brown, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, Austin City Council Member Leslie Pool and others.

Austin-Travis County EMS shared how it's launching a new education campaign called Breathe Now, which aims to train people on how to help someone experiencing an overdose before first responders can arrive.

Part of that training includes showing how simply someone can administer Narcan. It's done by placing the nozzle in someone's nostril and then deploying the red button, which releases the overdose-reversing medicine into their system.

Paramedics said once Narcan is administered, it's best to roll that person onto their side. All of this should be done while also calling 911. First responders reminded people Monday that 911 call takers can also walk someone through how to use Narcan.

Fisher said there's no estimate for how many homes were affected by the storm, which produced hail around 5-6 inches in Johnson City.

Throughout the community of 1,800 people, trees and bushes battered by rain and hail have left leaves and debris scattered across lawns and roads.

Fisher said to her knowledge, there were at least 35 homes she's aware of that were hard hit with hail. She said the strong natural force punctured metal roofs and shattered numerous windshields.

"We had a piece of hail that was so large it punctured through their metal roof and into their drywall. That couple had a lot of water damage, there's so many homes with water damage," Fisher said.

Fisher said the city's goal right now is to help residents cover and patch the holes in their roofs from the storm.

"Our focus right now is helping our residents do what they need to do, to get their roofs patched for now. Look for a long term solution of getting those repaired and finding ways to help them pay for it," Fisher said.

Fisher asks anyone whose property was damaged in the storm to not only report it to their insurance provider but also the Texas Department of Emergency Management.

The Blanco County Office of Emergency Management shared a link to TDEM's iSTAT Damage Surveys page via social media Thursday night.

In the event that the city and county declare an emergency, Fisher said officials would have to prove there was $52,000 worth of damage done to uninsured properties in the area.

She predicts damage will easily pass that threshold, which could happen even faster with prompt reporting.

'It was horrible'

A couple living in Johnson City on Ranchview Drive said the hail came so quickly, and they weren't prepared for what came next.

When describing the hole that was seen in the couple's home on the ceiling, they described it as being round in nature.

"So, it must have been from the hail," they said.

"All of a sudden we hear of this hail on the roof and then then we had water coming in through the air conditioning," the couple said. "Oh, it was horrible. It just came so quickly."

A conversation happened Wednesday morning with investigative reporter Kelly Wiley and KXAN Live anchor Will DuPree to break down one of this week’s top stories.

The story they’re talking about this week is:

• A small town in Texas is pushing for change after Botox administered in the backroom of a store led to a medical emergency. KXAN investigative reporter Arezow Doost and investigative producer Dalton Huey break down how the state's cosmetic industry is largely unregulated.

Join Kelly Wiley and Will DuPree every Wednesday morning for a live recap of the latest headlines and in-depth reporting from the KXAN Investigates team.

"The research has either been a denying health outcome or a negative one," Krim said. "So if it's neutral or bad, I just tend to shy away from either of those outcomes."

Krim said it is important to use caution when it comes to energy drinks because of effects such as sleep disturbances. 

The lack of sleep 

Drinking energy drinks to stay alert was found to have sleep efficiency effects in a study earlier this year on college students in Norway. Those who drank energy drinks slept about a half hour less each night, compared to those who didn't drink energy drinks or had them only occasionally, according to the research.

Students who drank energy drinks also took longer to fall asleep, according to the study, conducted by researchers at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and the University of Oslo, Norway.

Keryn Pasch, a UT kinesiology and health education associate professor, has done research on energy drink consumption for more than 10 years. She said students should prioritize their sleep rather than stay up to study more. Pasch said getting good sleep can lead to a more successful academic career and an overall healthier lifestyle.

"When you get good sleep, you don't have to turn to energy drinks. You don't have to turn to fast food," Pasch said. "You can have more energy to do your day without these things."

Pasch found in her last study on energy drinks that a lower GPA was associated with energy drink consumption. A total of 844 first-year undergraduates in 2016 participated in this study. Although this was not a cause-and-effect situation, she said this correlation shows that getting enough sleep can be far more effective than energy drinks.

“Energy drinks are not going to be a permanent solution. It'll treat the symptoms for a moment," Pasch said. "But it's not going to treat the underlying issue that you're not getting enough sleep."

Other energy drink effects

Pasch said students who take energy drinks are more likely to binge drink as a whole. She said that students who binge drink also correlate with having an increase in alcohol consumption.

"They are able to use the energy drink to stay awake longer which allows you to drink more because you're up longer," Pasch said. 

Pasch said energy drinks are addictive substances just like anything else can be. In another study Pasch collaborated with, energy drinks were correlated with poorer eating habits. This study explored the relationship between energy drink consumption and dietary behaviors within a sample of college students at a large southwest university.

Pasch said drinking caffeine suppresses appetite, which makes it difficult to feel hungry. She said it should never be a substitute for eating. Pasch recommends students change their habits surrounding what they are eating and drinking.

"If you're struggling with caffeine or thinking, 'Maybe I want to reduce my caffeine,' drinking water is a substitution, you know, not gonna hurt, and it could start a healthy habit," Pasch said.

Pasch said when prioritizing someone's health, it is important to pay attention to how many energy drinks the person consumes. Young adults' recommended caffeine consumption is around 200 to 300 milligrams a day, according to Pasch. 

"If you're consuming an energy drink with 400 milligrams of caffeine and you also have chocolate and a soda that you don't think about and also have a coffee, it can add up very fast," Pasch said. 

Pasch said energy drinks have been around for a much shorter time compared to other kinds of caffeine. She said energy drinks have a lot of unknown ingredients, which can have potential consequences for avid drinkers.

Tea Davila, a Texas State student, experienced anxiety and lightheadedness after drinking an energy drink on March 15.

"My heart was beating super fast. I was anxious, lightheaded, and I couldn't sleep," Davila said. 

She said she was confused about why she felt sick since she had drunk energy drinks before. Davila said she decided to take a break from energy drinks until she learns what made her react this way.

Krimm said research is limited on the long-term effects energy drinks can have. She said, so far, the available research has shown only neutral or negative health outcomes.

"We're seeing more and more studies showing heart arrhythmia and abnormalities in college students that consume gross amounts of these energy drinks," Krimm said. "We don't know everything in it."

Krim recommends finding other ways to consume caffeine versus energy drinks. Although other caffeine drinks may cause negative effects such as anxiety or sleep disruption, she said there are also a lot of benefits compared to energy drinks.

Natural caffeine 

Natural caffeine, like coffee, tea and cocoa, can have positive health impacts, according to the American Heart Association:

• lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes
• lowers your risk of heart failure
• increases focus and productivity
• specifically, the consumption of tea can increase a person's lifespan

Pasch said students do not have to let go of energy drinks altogether but should work to make sure every part of their lives stays healthy. 

"Getting enough activity, eating healthier foods, moderating the number of unhealthy foods and getting enough sleep — I think that is key," Pasch said.

Pasch said that research encourages these healthy habits to be implemented while in college like sleeping well and eating throughout the day.

"So start thinking about how to form those healthier habits now," Pasch said, "so that you can maintain those habits throughout adulthood."

The No. 1 Longhorns finished the Big 12 with a 23-4 record, a game ahead of Oklahoma who had a steak of 11 regular season titles snapped with Texas' triumph. Oklahoma State beat the Sooners in two of their three games in the Bedlam Series to open the door for Texas to take the title outright.

During the Texas Tech series, Texas matched a program record for runs in a game and margin victory, throttling the Red Raiders 23-0 in the second game. Sophomore catcher Reese Atwood drove in a program-record nine RBIs and also broke the program mark for home runs in a season, ending the series with 21. She already has a season record for RBIs with 83, and she should have plenty of games left to add to her records.

On the bigger diamond, Texas moved back into the Baseball America rankings to No. 25 following their home series win over Oklahoma State. Texas has won four consecutive Big 12 series and they are tied for second with the Cowboys and West Virginia at 15-9 with two series to go. Texas heads to Central Florida for its next Big 12 series starting Friday.

Listen to our Horns Report live stream at 3:15 p.m. in the video player above or you can watch a replay that will be posted shortly after the stream concludes.

The White House announced Opal Lee from Marshall, Texas, is one of 19 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom this year. The 97-year-old activist who pushed for Juneteenth to become a federally-recognized holiday will receive this honor during a ceremony Friday.

Other honorees include Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Vice President Al Gore.

Lee previously joined Biden at the White House in 2021 when he signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. This made June 19 a national holiday commemorating the end of slavery. It marks when the last enslaved African Americans learned they were free, two months after the Confederacy surrendered. That was also about 2.5 years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in the Southern states.

Texas lawmakers also recognized Lee for her advocacy efforts. Last year the Texas Senate unveiled an official portrait of her. It's only the second painting in the Senate to honor an African-American Texan, according to the Texas Legislative Black Caucus.

During a ceremony in February 2023, Lee took a look at that painting and joked, "I didn’t know I looked that good!"

The University of North Texas, where Lee graduated with a Master of Education in 1963, also gave the former teacher an honorary doctorate last year during its spring commencement.

In 2016, she started walking 2.5 miles in cities all across the country, which symbolized the 2.5 years it took for word to get out to all slaves that they were free. Crowds began joining her during those walks.

In a news release Friday, the White House said the Presidential Medal of Freedom is "presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors."

A fuzzy little prairie vole led researchers from the University of Texas at Austin to more answers on how to find lasting relationships.

The researchers created the first map of the vole's brain that shows regions that are active during mating and pair bonding.

"I don’t think folks appreciate just the extent to which this strange little fuzzy creature has shaped our understanding of human love," said Steven Phelps, a professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Texas.

Prairie voles are as small as hamsters. They are monogamous, which means the males and females will form a bond and raise their young together. Like humans, they build long-term attachments. 

To go further in-depth on how this research can be related to human love, KXAN spoke with an expert on relationships and intimacy. 

What humans seek

"Humans relate to the vole in the way of wanting to seek partnership," Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Graduate Education Professor at UT Austin Dr. Anita L. Vangelisti said.

"Most social science researchers will agree that that sense of belonging and connection is important. Most people also almost say now as a sense of belonging, human contact is sort of a basic human need," Vangelisti said.

Vangelisti explained that the argument for this research is that it is "literally bred into us."

"We're hardwired for that need to belong, because we know it's basic, and in our lizard brains, we know it's basic to our survival," Vangelisti said.

Matchmaking the voles

Morgan Gustison is a former postdoctoral researcher at UT Austin and is now with the University of Western Ontario. She worked alongside Phelps, Rodrigo Muñoz-Castañeda of Weill Cornell Medical College, and Pavel Osten of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on this study.

To create the brainwide map, the researchers tracked 200 voles with brain sensors. They separated them into different groups to measure how they looked for a partner. 

"What we essentially did was play Cupid," Gustison said. "We looked at what their brain expression profiles were at different points within forming a pair bond, and with prairie voles, we are actually quite lucky because we can essentially get them to form a pair bond within 24 hours."

Over the course of the day, the partnered-up voles mated continuously. The team captured brain activity during this time. They used this data to develop a map of the brain, while also discovering three stages of brain activity: mating, bonding and finally developing a stable relationship.

"Prairie voles are really social," Gustison said. "In the lab, we house them, and they actually hang out with their siblings before we do any kind of pair bonding experiments."

"We had the group that would form a pair bond, and then we'd watch how that bond emerged. And then there were animals that were essentially reunited with their sibling, their cage mate, and then we could see what happened when they're just in a social context, like a meeting context," Gustison said.

In this map, the prairie vole and mouse are compared to see how the brains react after blood flows through them, a process called perfusion. The researchers conducted a detailed study of the time during the mating and bond formation to examine the immediate early gene induction across the brains to test their hypotheses.

Alone and single

"We did have a group where they were solo, but this was before animals were acclimated to the chamber, and so they'd be in this chamber by themselves for a couple hours," Gustison said.

"During that session, they pretty much just sort of sat kind of in a corner. They didn't really do too much. It wasn't until they got exposed to a social partner that you start to see a lot of active behaviors," Gustison said.

In this research, they found the bonded pairs of voles would groom each other, console each other when stressed, defend their territory and protect their young. Vangelisti said humans do the same.

When measuring the voles' mating, the researchers were able to identify which parts of the brain are communicating with one another on intimacy and partnership. Once the voles mated, they stayed together as a pair.

"Our results suggest a novel model in which the BST [bed nucleus of the stria terminalis] is a key node connecting sexual experience to the neuroendocrine functions," the research study said.

By measuring different parts of the brain like the hypothalamus, preoptic area, and the amygdala, the results found changes in hormones including body temperature, mood and emotions.

"Manipulations of these circuits and their behavioral consequences offer rich new opportunities for research into the mechanisms of bonding and their contributions to well-being," the study said.

Next steps in research

Gustison said people have studied the voles for male sexual behavior before.

"We found the same circuit popping up in the female brain," Gustison said. "Something we've been trying to really understand is, why is it that this circuit that's been studied in males' sexual behavior, also showing up in the female brain?"

She explained that there is a correlation that happens between the males and females.

"One thing that Steve and I have speculated is that it might actually be related to an orgasmic response," Gustison said. "This is something where people study with male sexual physiology, but females have not really been part of that story. So we do wonder if this sexual circuitry is really important for the female brain. And wondering if that experience of sexual behavior for the female is also a really key part for the pair bond formation."

This brainwide map shows how the voles found partnership and paved the way for future studies to identify how humans can do the same.

While humans have a greater social exchange through communication and awareness, this research found that fundamentally, humans seek partnership the same way the voles do.

"In humans, it's different degrees. But oftentimes, we're not necessarily able to look at kind of the molecular side of the stories, we're often focused on fMRI, which is really looking at blood flow, and sort of an index of brain activity," Gustison said.

"But here, we're kind of seeing that in a different format. So it gives us confidence that a lot of the networks that are popping up in humans were in a variety, different social contexts are also being recruited during the pair bonding process," Gustison said.

The researchers will continue to look for new findings in their biology fields. As this was the first brainwide map of its kind, Gustison has more research questions she is eager to find answers to with her team.

"This study just goes to show that you can find out some really interesting phenomena like brain to brain similarity, that seems really important for the pair bonding process and for social bonding in general," Gustison said.

Meteorologist Nick Bannin shares a few ideas for fun things to check out this weekend along with an updated look at what's in store with the forecast.

Here are some events to potentially add to the calendar:

• 49th Annual Spring Pecan Street Festival: This free arts and music festival is happening Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Vendors will set up along East Sixth Street from Brazos Street to the Interstate 35 frontage road in downtown Austin.
• The last day to vote in a number of local elections is Saturday, as polls are open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• The nonprofit Partners in Parenting is holding a Community Baby Shower at 10 a.m. Sunday at 1305 Philomena St. in northeast Austin. Expecting and new parents from the community can shop for anything they may need for their family at no cost. Products include gear like strollers and bassinets, clothing and linens, books and toys, feeding and bathing supplies and more.

The test-optional policy became normalized in schools across the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic, when access to testing became too dangerous for some students.

Nearly four years later, UT is one of the latest universities to require applicants to submit test scores, joining MIT, Brown University, Yale University, Dartmouth College and others.

The switch to test-optional

There is a long history of debate on whether standardized tests disproportionately affect marginalized student groups, such as students of color or students from low-income families. With scores from the SAT and ACT becoming test-optional for an extended time, many people believed they might stay that way for good.

Addison McKenna, who uses they/them pronouns, is a senior at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy, or LASA. LASA is a public school in Austin known for its rigorous curriculum, prompting McKenna to submit their scores when applying to colleges.

"Even though they say test optional... doesn't really impact anything, I feel like it can," McKenna said. "When I was applying, I thought that if it came down to me and another person, if they submitted their scores, it would probably be an advantage towards them."

McKenna had help when it came to starting the admissions process. They've been working with Breakthrough Central Texas since applying in the sixth grade.

Breakthrough is a nonprofit that helps students who would be the first in their families to attend college navigate secondary education. The nonprofit begins working with students in middle school -- continues assisting them throughout high school with resumes, essays and every other step of the admissions process -- and stays with them until age 24.

Michael Griffith, the executive director of Breakthrough Central Texas, saw many of the nonprofit's students apply to colleges they would not have previously considered because of the test-optional policy. As a result, Griffith saw an increase in applications and acceptances.

"Given the history of the SAT and ACT testing, and how it does privilege those who have the means to go and prepare for them in the many ways that one does, it is an unfair entrance requirement to a lot of young people," Griffith said.

Like many other educators, Griffith supports schools choosing to go test-optional. He sees the testing requirements disproportionately affecting low-income students, students of color and first-generation students.

According to Griffith, students from wealthier backgrounds can pay to take the test as many times as they want and spend thousands of dollars on private tutoring and individual application review. Wealthier students also have access to extracurricular activities that tend to boost their application, such as music lessons and travel sports teams.

The purpose of the ACT and SAT

Over the past few years, college administrations have noticed an influx of 4.0 high school GPAs. They're calling it grade inflation.

Will Ramsdell is the director of Advantage Testing of Austin, a private tutoring and testing preparation service. He believes grade inflation came from a good place -- it just happened to backfire.

"I think grade inflation happened out of the goodwill and care for students that teachers have," Ramsdell said. "It felt really unfair to give kids bad scores in their classes when they were so hampered by everything that was happening."

Prior to offering students the choice to submit scores, UT used a combination of test scores and high school GPA to determine if a student should receive admittance. UT President Jay Hartzell said the university used standardized testing to predict whether a student would succeed or not at the school, and determine who had the most academic potential.

Administrators from MIT voiced the same reasoning, claiming that standardized tests were the best way to accurately predict student success.

As the pandemic continued, grade inflation rose, resulting in an abundance of 4.0 GPAs, making it harder for admission offices to decipher applications. President Hartzell cited this as one of the deciding factors in UT's recent announcement.

"With an abundance of high school GPAs surrounding 4.0, especially among our auto-admits, an SAT or ACT score is a proven differentiator that is in each student’s and the university’s best interest," Hartzell said.

Opportunity Insights, a nonprofit made up of a team of researchers and policy analysts based at Harvard University, published data in January supporting this claim.

The group found that "high school GPA does little to predict academic success in college" and that higher ACT/SAT scores were associated with higher college GPAs, but higher high school GPAs were not.

How do the tests really affect marginalized students?

While data from Opportunity Insights proves inequality in secondary education exists, research done by the National Library of Medicine shows that disparity can actually be reduced when students are required to submit standardized test scores. Additionally, when students submit their scores along with their application, colleges like MIT take into consideration the applicant's school district ranking, average GPA, crime statistics of where they live and more.

"We don't care as much about what a student has done as what they have done relative to what might have been expected, given their resources," said MIT Dean of Admissions Stu Schmill.

Ramsdell agrees with academics like Schmill that the SAT and ACT are working properly when they pick up racial and economic disparities. He's a strong advocate for bringing back standardized testing, and he said the reason is counterintuitive to what you might think.

He explained that having the option to not submit test scores has created a "ratcheting" process. Every year, the average scores for universities continue to increase, because the only students submitting scores are ones who meet or are above the school's median, making the scores mean less.

Scores meaning less is a problem to Ramsdell. Without a national standardized test measuring college readiness, students from marginalized groups slip through the cracks, and there's no one to catch it.

"Some of these underprivileged kids may not even realize that their scores are good enough to help them," Ramsdell said.

However, schools like UT and MIT said they use a holistic admissions approach and that decisions are not solely based on test scores.

"The essential piece here is that they're not comparing head to head a student from a wealthy zip code who has access to wonderful tutoring and all these other things and doesn't have to hold down a job because they're not a primary income earner for their household," Ramsdell said.

The reality of standardized testing today

David Leonhardt, a long-time higher education reporter for The New York Times, said, "The existence of racial and economic gaps in SAT and ACT scores doesn't prove that the tests are biased. After all, most measures of life in America — on income, life expectancy, homeownership and more — show gaps."

To put it simply, standardized tests reflect the major inequities society deals with today.

For students like McKenna, Breakthrough fills those gaps Leonhardt discusses. After working one-on-one with a tutor provided through a collaboration between Breakthrough and Advantage Testing, McKenna got an almost perfect ACT score and shared they received 11 acceptances and $1.5 million in scholarships.

Without Breakthrough and help from Advantage Testing, McKenna said they would have probably accepted that college wasn't for them.

"Will's support has been tremendous. He helped me with essays, helped me figure out schools that would be a good fit, because I was like, I don't know what's a reach or anything anymore," McKenna said.

Investigations from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) found the dam was constructed without permits.

Meanwhile, in western Mason County, a second dam has been located along Leon Creek. This dam was also built without permits, according to TPWD.

"We're sure glad that that damn dam is gone," said Susan Keeling, a landowner who lives further down the James River. She and her sister, Kathy Zesch-Bradley, told KXAN about the dam after noticing the river had slowed to trickle.

"During dry seasons, ranchers in the hill country need that water in their rivers for their wildlife and their livestock," Keeling said. The James River feeds into the Llano River, which provides water to Lake Travis, Austin's water supply.

In October, KXAN crews visited the dam and witnessed it holding back several feet of water, while the other side of the river remained completely dry.

Restoring the James River

In May 2023, a 404-acre plot of land was purchased by an entity called ‘Neusch Mason, LLC.’ Mason County Appraisal District records link the LLC to Bill Neusch, CEO of Gibraltar. That company has built and installed more than 150 miles of the Texas/Mexico border wall, according to its website.

In September, TPWD informed Neusch Mason, LLC that they had violated the law and must submit a restoration plan. That plan was due November 20, but TPWD provided an extension until December 20.

On January 17, 2024 TPWD told Neusch Mason, LLC in a letter that "any structure left below the gradient boundary of the James River must meet the requirements set out in Chapter 86" of the Texas Administrative Code.

Additionally, the dam must be "removed entirely" from the low water channel, ensuring the James River's flow returns to normal.

Neusch Mason, LLC submitted a restoration plan on March 20, 2024, which was then approved by TPWD.

According to the restoration plan, 310 feet of the 400-foot wide dam had to be removed from the river. Two ramps could be constructed to provide access across the river.

Work was approved on March 22 and began on April 1. The project is required to be complete by April 30, contingent on weather, according to TPWD.

"I certainly think that justice has prevailed here because such a travesty to hurt many, just for the pleasure of one person," Keeling said.

KXAN reached out to Bill Neusch, but his attorney declined to comment.

Another illegal dam discovered

While water now flows on the James River, ten miles away at Leon Creek in Mason County, another illegal dam built in a remote area is restricting access to water.

"In September, my husband went to check the cattle and went down to where the creek goes into the Llano river. And the creek was only a trickle," said Kerry Hormann, a landowner in Mason County.

Hofmann's family has owned land along Leon Creek for more than a century. She said this is the first time it has stopped flowing. Neighbors living further upstream told Hofmann they had discovered a dam had appeared along the creek.

Hofmann said it was the first time they heard anything about the dam. They were not notified that the landowner was building a dam.

It was completely built "sometime in the summer" by the time Hofmann discovered its construction.

Both TCEQ and TPWD told KXAN they are investigating this dam. This dam, it is important to note, is NOT on land owned by Neusch Mason, LLC.

TPWD told KXAN that the dam "does not have a sand and gravel permit issued by the agency." They are investigating the "disturbance or taking of marl, sand, gravel, shell and mudshell."

Issues related to water impoundment fall under the TCEQ, who declined to provide further details about their ongoing investigation.

Hofmann said all they want is the restoration of the creek's flow. She said that since they discovered the dam, some water has returned to the creek, but its not what is typical this time of year.

KXAN photojournalist Todd Bynum contributed to this report.

During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, detectives told reporters they detained at least two people, calling them persons of interest in this deadly overdose investigation. One of those people is now facing a felony charge of in possession of a firearm, police said. However, more charges and arrests could be forthcoming.

"It is apparent there is a deadly batch of illicit narcotics in our community," APD Asst. Chief Eric Fitzgerald said, adding police will find the people responsible and hold them accountable.

Travis County Judge Andy Brown called what unfolded in the last 27 hours as the "largest opioid overdose outbreak we've seen in years." The earliest response to this surge began at about 9 a.m. Monday, and Austin-Travis County EMS paramedics said it was initially concentrated in the downtown area. However, other calls followed through Tuesday morning in different parts of the city.

The last surge of overdoses of this magnitude occurred in 2015 when K2, a synthetic drug, circulated in Austin.

Paramedics said they responded to 51 overdoses since Monday morning. Officials suspect eight people died of a drug overdose during this surge, but said many more suffered from cardiac arrests from Monday morning to Tuesday afternoon.

Several local leaders commended paramedics, police officers, firefighters and civilians for helping to administer opioid overdose reversal drugs, like Narcan, throughout this period. They said this effort helped to save many lives. They also extended condolences to the family members and friends who lost loved ones.

"You should never use an unknown substance. But if you choose to, we encourage you to start slow, start low and never use alone. You should always have a sober friend who has Narcan available so that they can administer and call 911," ATCEMS Assistant Chief Steve White said.

Initial information shared Monday

Officials said they are continuing to respond to a 1000% increase in overdose calls after they reported more than 30 "suspected overdoses" and four deaths on Monday, City of Austin Chief Medical Director Heidi Abraham said during a media briefing.

Around 9 a.m., the city experienced a sudden surge in opioid-related calls. A rapid response team made up of ATCEMS, the Homeless Strategy Office and Urban Alchemy were immediately deployed to the area, according to officials.

"The trend that we're seeing in this group of overdoses is that it is unusually deadly," Abraham said. "There have been four deaths, so far, that we suspect are related to these overdoses. We have not experienced overdoses of this volume in several years."

Those calls continue progressing into Monday evening, she said.

An opioid overdose is described as a "life-threatening condition that can be reversed if patients are treated immediately with Narcan and emergency medical cares," the city said in a news release Monday.

"When we see outbreaks like this, the suspicion is, essentially, there's a new 'batch' in town," City EMS Captain Christa Stedman said during the briefing. "It's fairly likely that it's from the same couple of sources because of the similar signatures that we're seeing in the symptoms."

Although it wasn't immediately clear what drug people used on Monday, patients reported a number of different types of drugs they thought they were using, Abraham said.

"We have seen several location clusters," Stedman said, "but it is affecting the entire city."

This is happening at businesses, residences and any other areas accessible to the general public, she said.

Medics said the community should look for signs and symptoms of someone who could appear to be overdosing.

Symptoms of overdosing provided by the city are below:

• Shallow or slow breathing 
• Confusion or loss of consciousness 
• Change in skin color (pale, blue, or purple) 
• Very small pupils  

"You should never use an unknown substance. But if you choose to, we encourage people to start low, go slow and never use alone. You should always use with a friend nearby who has Narcan and is able to call 911," Abraham said.

Roger Wallace and Billy Gates discuss what exactly the big draft weekend means for the program and head coach Steve Sarkisian, as well as an update on the Texas baseball and softball teams. The baseball team is coming off a big series win on the road against Oklahoma and the softball team has won 13 consecutive games and keeps adding to their program-record Big 12 win total.

Listen to the conversation in the video above live at 3:20 p.m., and if you missed it, you can check out the replay shortly after we go off the air.

Freshman Trey Owens led a game-winning drive for the Orange team, ending on a short touchdown pass to fellow freshman Ryan Wingo with 0:31 remaining to give his team a 35-34 victory over the White squad. Owens also threw for three touchdowns, two of which went to Wingo who looked like a college-ready receiver after enrolling early at Texas so he could participate in spring activities.

In this week's edition of the Horns Report, Roger Wallace and Billy Gates discuss the game and how it can give folks a glimpse of what's to come when the season begins. They also talk about the UT baseball team's series win over TCU and how the preseason polls aren't aging very well, along with the softball team's dominating sweep of Kansas.

You can watch the show live at 3 p.m. in the player above, and a replay will be available shortly after.

Now we look ahead to, perhaps, our most important month of the year, May, which is a month that could have implications on our summer and the drought.

What’s normal for May in Austin?

• Average High: 86.9º
  • May 1 Average High: 83º
  • May 31 Average High: 91º
• Average Low: 66.8º
  • May 1 Average Low: 63º
  • May 30 Average Low: 71º
• Average Rain: 5.04″ (Wettest month on average)

May is typically the wettest and stormiest month of the year in Central Texas and it’s usually our wettest month by a lot. No other month of the year averages more than four inches in a month, and May averages a little more than five.

May 2024 forecast

The Climate Prediction Center released its preliminary forecast for May and our odds are good for near-average rainfall in May. Wetter than normal weather is expected only for parts of Milam County and areas to our northeast.

With May already being such a wet month, getting near-normal rainfall would generally be a good thing for us.

While rainfall may end up near average in May, we look to be heading for another warmer-than-normal month. Coming off a warmer-than-normal February, March and (likely) April, May should continue that trend.

The May temperature forecast doesn't just lean warm, the darker colors indicate that a warmer May is *likely* near and west of Austin.

Drought update

The latest drought report shows some improvements over the last week with trimming of the drought in some of our northern areas.

We're even better off when comparing to how the drought looked 4 months ago.

Still, over the last two years, some areas are in 12-20 inch rainfall deficits that need to come to replenish our ground water and drinking supply. We can't forget about our friends in Gillespie and Blanco Counties still dealing with Extreme (level 3 out of 4) Drought.

Severe weather season

Remember, May isn't just typically our wettest month, but it's typically the peak of our severe weather season and it's second only to June for flash flooding incidents.

Be weather aware and make sure you have multiple ways to receive weather alerts.

A conversation happened Wednesday morning with investigative reporter Kelly Wiley and KXAN Live anchor Will DuPree to break down one of this week’s top stories.

The story they’re talking about this week is:

• Every year the Austin Independent School District receives thousands of requests to fix faulty heating and air conditioning systems at its schools. Now, after voters approved a $2.4 billion bond for improvements, district leaders have a plan to make long-term fixes. However, KXAN investigative reporter Avery Travis found data showing some of the campuses with the most air-conditioning issues are not at the top of the district's list for fixes.

Join Kelly Wiley and Will DuPree every Wednesday morning for a live recap of the latest headlines and in-depth reporting from the KXAN Investigates team.