Who is leading in Abilene races in early voting? How is the bond proposition doing?
Abilene voters are having their say Saturday on two City Council races and a $20 million bond measure to improve the Abilene Regional Airport.
Unofficial early voting results from Taylor County election officials show that incumbent Kyle McAlister is leading the way with just over 50 percent of the vote in the Place 5 races, and incumbent Travis Craver is outpacing his challenger.
In addition, nearly 53% of voters in early voting results have cast a ballot in favor of the proposed $20 million Abilene Regional Airport bond.
Check back with www.reporternews.com for updated election results.
Here are the unofficial early voting results for City Council candidates:
Place 5
Kyle McAlister, incumbent: 1,427 votes or 50.35%
Miquel Espinoza: 1,192 or 42.06%
Cynthia D. Alvidrez: 215 votes or 7.59%
Place 6
Incumbent Travis Craver: 1,781 or 63.74%
Tammy Fogle: 1,013 or 36.26%
Here are the early voting results for the airport bond measure:
For: 1,501 or 52.76%
Against: 1,344 or 47.24%
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Trish Choate is the executive editor for the Abilene Reporter-News, San Angelo Standard-Times and Wichita Falls Times Record News. Contact Trish with news tips at tchoate@gannett.com. Read her recent work here. Her X handle is @Trishapedia.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Election Day voting results for Abilene May 3
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Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
This Los Angeles city official testified for four days so Karen Bass wouldn't have to
Good morning, and welcome to L.A. on the Record — our City Hall newsletter. It's David Zahniser, with an assist from Noah Goldberg and Laura Nelson, giving you the latest on city and county government. If Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass manages to hold on to her power to oversee the city's homelessness programs, she may well have one person to thank: City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo. Szabo, a fixture in the administrations of the past three mayors, was effectively the city's star witness in its legal battle against the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, the nonprofit group that sued the city in 2020 over its handling of the homelessness crisis. During a seven-day hearing that concluded Wednesday, the alliance pressed U.S. Dist. Judge David O. Carter to take authority over homeless services away from Bass and the City Council and give it to a to-be-determined third party overseen by the court. On four of those seven days, Szabo sat in the witness chair, defending the city's decisions and occasionally offering cutting remarks about the city's critics. Above all, he insisted the city would meet its obligation to provide 12,915 additional homeless beds by June 2027, as required under a settlement agreement with the alliance. Szabo, who reports to both Bass and the council, is well known within City Hall for his work preparing the city budget, negotiating with city unions and providing policy recommendations on homelessness and other issues. During his time in Carter's courtroom, he was also a human shield, taking the brunt of the hostile questions and helping to ensure that Bass and others would not be called to testify. Throughout the proceedings, the city's lawyers lodged hundreds of objections to the alliance's questions, sometimes before they had been fully asked. Carter cautioned them that the rapid-fire interruptions could make things difficult for inexperienced witnesses. He also made clear that the group did not include Szabo. 'Mr. Szabo,' the judge said, 'certainly is used to the stress.' The alliance had placed not just Bass but also Councilmembers Monica Rodriguez and Traci Park on its witness list, saying all three had made public statements criticizing the response system. Bass herself called the system 'broken' during her State of the City address in April, a fact highlighted by Matthew Umhofer, an attorney for the alliance. Those statements, Umhofer said, only reinforce the alliance's argument that the city's homelessness programs are beyond repair and must be placed into receivership. 'The city is not fixing that broken system,' he said during closing arguments. 'It's simply doubling down on that broken system.' Bass spokesperson Zach Seidl, asked to explain the mayor's use of the word 'broken,' said she was referring to a number of obstacles, including 'an urge from many to return to the old way of doing things that allowed homelessness to explode.' 'But change is happening,' he said. 'Under the Mayor's leadership, we are moving forward.' The city's newly hired legal team from Gibson Dunn, the law firm that persuaded the Supreme Court to uphold laws barring homeless encampments on public property, sought to amplify that message. They also claimed the mayor and council members were shielded by the 'apex doctrine,' which bars high-level, or apex, government officials from testifying except in extraordinary circumstances. The city's lawyers offered up just two witnesses of their own: Szabo and Etsemaye Agonafer, Bass' deputy mayor for homelessness programs, saying they were the most familiar with the issues. The alliance initially sought 15. Agonafer testified for about four hours, highlighting progress made by the mayor's Inside Safe program, which moves people out of encampments and into hotels and motels. Umhofer ultimately withdrew his subpoenas targeting Bass and the others, saying he didn't want to incur additional delays. But he called Bass cowardly for failing to show up. By then, he said, his team had enough evidence to show that the city's elected officials should no longer control homeless programs. 'We have quite literally put the homelessness response system in Los Angeles on trial,' said Elizabeth Mitchell, another alliance attorney, on the final day of proceedings. The alliance used much of the questioning to highlight problems at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, also known as LAHSA. That agency, overseen by a board of appointees from the city and county, has been criticized repeatedly in audits dating back to 2001 — documents highlighted by the alliance during the proceedings. Szabo acknowledged that LAHSA has faced issues with data collection. But he insisted that the city is closely tracking the beds required under its settlement with the alliance. 'We have taken steps to ensure that the data we are reporting is accurate,' he told the court. Carter, who has yet to rule in the case, did not sound as confident in the city's attention to detail. On Wednesday, he demanded that the city turn over records regarding its compliance with another agreement in the case — this one known as the 'roadmap.' The roadmap agreement, which expires June 30, required the city to produce 6,700 beds. In his order, Carter raised questions about whether city officials had double counted 'time-limited subsidies' — money used to help homeless people move into apartments and pay their rent — by applying them both to the roadmap requirements and to the obligations within the alliance settlement agreement. Szabo said city officials are collecting the records for the judge. Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez, whose district includes Hollywood, voiced confidence in Szabo. He also praised Bass for taking on the issue of homelessness, pointing out that LAHSA reported that the city had made progress last year. 'We're doing things that are showing results,' said Soto-Martínez, whose office has participated in 23 Inside Safe encampment operations. 'Is it perfect? No. But we're working through it.' — ICE RAID OUTRAGE: L.A.'s elected officials voiced their anger on Friday over a series of federal immigration sweeps in Westlake, Cypress Park and other parts of the city. L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis said the individuals detained were 'hardworking Angelenos who contribute to our local economy and labor force every day.' Bass issued her own statement, saying: 'We will not stand for this.' 'As Mayor of a proud city of immigrants, who contribute to our city in so many ways, I am deeply angered by what has taken place,' she said. 'These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city.' — WELCOME, AECOM: Nearly five months after a firestorm laid waste to a wide swath of Pacific Palisades, Bass announced that the city has hired the global infrastructure firm AECOM to develop a plan for rebuilding the area and reconstructing utilities and other infrastructure. The firm will work alongside both the city and Hagerty Consulting, which Bass tapped as a recovery contractor in February, according to the mayor's office. — SWITCHING HORSES? Businessman and gubernatorial candidate Stephen J. Cloobeck offered praise for L.A.'s mayor last year, commending her for her work addressing homelessness. He even said he had donated $1 million to LA4LA, an initiative promoted by Bass during her 2024 State of the City address, an event he attended. But last weekend, while making the rounds at the California Democratic Convention, he told The Times he wasn't so keen on Bass' leadership. 'I would support Rick Caruso in a heartbeat over Mayor Karen Bass, and that's a quote,' he said. — MISSED MESSAGES: Bass has come under heavy scrutiny for deleting text messages she sent during the January firestorms. But she wasn't the only one. L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the area devastated by the Eaton fire, has an iPhone that 'auto deletes' messages every 30 days, her spokesperson said. — ENGINE TROUBLE: Earlier this year, then-Fire Chief Kristin Crowley cited disabled engines, and a lack of mechanics, as one reason why fire officials did not dispatch more personnel to Pacific Palisades before the Jan. 7 fire. But a Times analysis found that many of the broken engines highlighted by department officials had been out of service for many months or even years — and not necessarily for a lack of mechanics. What's more, the LAFD had dozens of other engines that could have been staffed and deployed in advance of the fire. — SAYONARA, CEQA: State lawmakers are on the verge of overhauling the California Environmental Quality Act, which has been used for decades to fight real estate development and public works projects in L.A. and elsewhere. One proposal would wipe away the law for most urban housing developments. — PADRINOS PAYOUT: L.A. County has agreed to pay nearly $2.7 million to a teenager whose violent beating at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall launched a sprawling criminal investigation into so-called 'gladiator fights' inside the troubled facility. Video of the December 2023 beating, captured on CCTV, showed Jose Rivas Barillas, then 16, being pummeled by six juveniles as probation officers stood idly by. — EVADING EVICTION: A 70-year-old homeless man who illegally moved into a state-owned house in the path of the now-canceled 710 Freeway extension is fighting his eviction. Benito Flores, who seized a vacant residence in El Sereno several years ago, recently holed up in a tree house he built in the backyard — and so far has warded off attempts by sheriff's deputies to lock him out. — AIRPORT AHEAD: The long-awaited LAX/Metro transit center at Aviation Boulevard and 96th Street finally opened on Friday, bringing commuters tantalizingly close to Los Angeles International Airport. For now, free shuttle buses will run every 10 minutes along the 2.5-mile route between the transit center and LAX. — BREAKING BARRIERS: The first transgender captain in the Los Angeles Fire Department died last month at age 80. Michele Kaemmerer joined the LAFD in 1969, retiring in 2003. She transitioned in 1991 and later led Engine 63 in Marina del Rey. In a 1999 interview with PBS, Kaemmerer said that some firefighters who knew her before she transitioned refused to work with her. Despite those hardships, she 'always had a good attitude,' said her widow, Janis Walworth. That's it for this week! Send your questions, comments and gossip to LAontheRecord@ Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Saturday morning.

USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Republican lawmaker slammed for 'hateful' post about Sikh congressional chaplain
Republican lawmaker slammed for 'hateful' post about Sikh congressional chaplain Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois, in a since-deleted post, misidentified a Sikh man who was serving as the guest chaplain in the U.S. House of Representatives as Muslim. Show Caption Hide Caption Kenyan Muslims pray for Gaza as they celebrate Eid Al-Adha As Muslims around the world celebrated Eid Al-Adha on Friday in Nairobi Kenya, the gathered crowds prayed for their fellow Muslims in Gaza. Africanews - News WASHINGTON – A Republican congresswoman from Illinois is under bipartisan criticism after saying that a Sikh man should "never have been allowed" to serve as the guest chaplain in the U.S. House of Representatives. In a since-deleted post on X, Rep. Mary Miller wrote on June 6 that it was "deeply troubling that a Sikh was allowed to lead prayer" in the U.S. Capitol. "This should have never been allowed to happen," she wrote. "America was founded as a Christian nation, and I believe our government should reflect that truth, not drift further from it." Initially, Miller misidentified the man, Giani Surinder Singh of the Gurdwara South Jersey Sikh Society, as Muslim. Her X account later edited the post to correctly describe him as Sikh before deleting the comment entirely. Muslims are adherents to Islam. Sikhism is a different religion, the fifth largest in the world. It was founded in the Punjab region of South Asia. There are roughly 750,000 Sikhs in the United States, according to the Sikh Coalition. A spokesperson for Miller did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Miller's remarks swiftly prompted backlash from Democrats and Republicans. "A Sikh prayer on the House floor—followed by a Christian prayer one week and a Jewish prayer the next—doesn't violate the Constitution, offend my Catholic faith, or throttle my support for Israel," wrote Rep. Nick LaLota, R-New York, on X. "Live and let live." Rep. David Valadao, R-California, also said he was "troubled" by Miller's post. Democratic leadership denounced Miller's comments, too. "It's deeply troubling that such an ignorant and hateful extremist is serving in the United States Congress," Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote on X. "That would be you, Mary." Zachary Schermele is an education reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@ Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @

Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Two Mercer County towns among Tuesday elections
bramwell — Voters will decide two town elections next week in Mercer County. The elections are set for Tuesday, June 10, in Bramwell and Athens. They are among 77 towns and cities across the Mountain State that hold an election Tuesday. In the town of Athens, the races are uncontested with two candidates vying for two seats on town council, according to Athens Town Clerk Debra Shorter. The candidates are incumbent council member Travis Pace and candidate James Blankenship. Incumbent Athens Mayor Timothy Peak also is running unopposed for re-election. The situation is different in Bramwell where the races for mayor, recorder and town council are all contested. Grant Bennett, the current mayor of Bramwell, is being challenged by former Mayor Louise Stoker and candidate Rodney Holcomb. Susan Lance Troutner, a current town council member, and Lathe Ellis are running for town recorder. Eight candidates are vying for four seats on the Bramwell Town Council, according to Bennett, who was answering the phone Friday at town hall. They include incumbents Jackie Shahan, Dennis Marcello, Charles Hawthorne and Kelley Murphy Eller and candidates Don Thompson, Perry Love, Elizabeth Brown Tillery and Sharon Workman, according to a legal advertisement copy of the ballot published in the Daily Telegraph. In all, 77 towns across West Virginia will hold an election Tuesday, according to West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner. Warner said some municipalities with contested races will receive a compliance visit on Election Day from an authorized representative of the Secretary of State's Office. 'My office will have more than a dozen individuals visiting municipal elections throughout the state on Election Day, June 10th,' Warner said in a statement Friday. 'These compliance visits are intended to ensure that polling locations are safe, secure and following the protocols in place to help every interested and eligible voter cast a ballot.' Warner said the visits are educational in nature to assist the clerks or recorders in charge of the elections, as well as the poll workers at each location. Trained members of the Elections Division, the WVSOS Field Team, or the Investigations Division will conduct the compliance visits, according to the Secretary of State's office. Contact Charles Owens at cowens@