Real Estate Photographer in Austin, TX

The West Virginia Mountaineers have been one of the Big 12's hottest baseball teams. For one night, at least, Texas Tech tamed the Mountaineers.

Ryan Free took a shutout into the sixth inning and Austin Green drove in five runs with a pair of doubles and a grand slam as Texas Tech won 15-2 Friday night in a Big 12 home series opener.

No. 24 West Virginia (23-14, 11-5) lost for the first time in eight Big 12 games.

"We didn't hit it too well. That's an understatement," WVU coach Randy Mazey said. "Which is pretty uncharacteristic of us to play that way. We haven't played that way all season, so a little disappointing, but tomorrow's another day."

Free (5-0) went six innings, yielding a two-run homer in the sixth to Kyle West.

"We were taking the strikes and swinging at the balls," Mazey said, "and when you're doing that, that means his stuff was pretty good tonight."

West Virginia starter Aidan Major (3-3) allowed a career-high six runs. The Red Raiders (27-13, 10-9) chased the hard-throwing sophomore righthander after three innings, his second shortest outing this season.

Cade McGee drove in three runs, Drew Woodcox and Davis Rivers two apiece.

In the first, Gavin Kash and Kevin Bazzell executed a double steal, and both scored when catcher Logan Sauve's throw to third glanced into foul territory. The Red Raiders made it 6-0 in the third, one run apiece scoring on a Green double, a Woodcox single, a Rivers groundout and a McGee single.

Saturday's game time has been moved to 6 p.m., four hours later than originally scheduled, because of the weather forecast.

Series preview:Preview, how to watch Texas Tech baseball vs. West Virginia

Around the conference:Oklahoma State holds on to top spot | Big 12 baseball power rankings

New No. 1 starter Ryan Free pitches like an ace

The senior lefthander allowed four hits, three of those in the sixth inning. He threw 90 pitches and striking out six.

Free started game one of a Big 12 series for the fourth weekend in a row after being a high-leverage relief pitcher in his first 1 1/2 seasons for the Red Raiders.

"I like to think there's really no difference," Free said. "I just like to go out there, pump a lot of strikes and just do my thing."

Austin Green on a tear

The Red Raiders' right fielder doubled in the first and third innings, and his grand slam off Chase Meyer in the sixth made the score 11-2. Green pulled all three shots down the line in right field.

"First double was a changeup. I was out in front," Green said. "Second at-bat, I was sitting on a fastball, and the grand slam was a changeup as well. Those pitches, I was out in on front on."

In 12 games in April, Green is 21 of 40 with three homers and 17 RBI. He has two or more hits in seven of his past 10 games.

"Baseball's a grind," Green said. "I'm just going into every day staying true to what I do, and it's finally clicking."

Owen Washburn leaves game

The Red Raiders' designated hitter left the game after Will Burns fouled a ball into the home dugout in the second inning. Washburn received attention for a few minutes and then walked into the clubhouse.

The ball hit Washburn in the face, Tech coach Tim Tadlock said. Team physician Dr. Michael Phy and medical staff were "running some tests on him," Tadlock said, "so we'll see" about Washburn's condition.

The ball went right past where Tadlock was standing.

"It was hit hard enough that I don't know how close it was to me," he said. "You just get down and duck."

On May 4, voters in the Austin area will decide on a number of city-level races and propositions.

Do you care about how your kid's school spends money, or what policy decisions it makes? Some school board positions and school budget items are on the ballot. Do you want to decide on funding for parks and roads? Depending on your location, those are up for a vote, too.

Here’s what you need to know.

Here are a couple things to look out for in Travis County:

Here are sample ballots covering everything people can vote on in your county:

To see a version that has only the items that will be on your specific ballot, type in your address at VOTE411.

You can go to the Texas Secretary of State's website to check your registration anywhere in the state. If it turns out you're not registered, the deadline for this election has passed — but you can visit the Vote Texas site to learn how to register for future elections.

You have to vote at a polling location in the county where you live.

From April 22 to April 30, Travis County early voting locations are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Hours are 12 to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Some polling centers also have extended hours on the last two days of early voting.

Find a location below:

You can check live wait times on the Travis County website.

Find a list of Williamson County early voting locations and hours on the county's website.

Find a list of Hays County early voting locations and hours on the county's website.

Make sure to bring a photo ID when you vote. Acceptable forms of ID include:

The ID can be expired for up to four years. If you're 70 or older, you can bring a photo ID that has been expired for any length of time.If you had trouble getting an ID, here are the alternatives you can bring to the polls:

All of these documents can either be a copy or the original. If you use one of these, you’ll have to sign a form that says you had a reasonable impediment to getting an ID.

Remember that you can't use cellphones, cameras, computers or any kind of recording device within 100 feet of voting booths. If you were planning to have some notes on your phone, print them out instead.

You also can't wear clothes or accessories relating to a candidate, political party or measure on the ballot.

In Texas, you can only vote by mail if you:

The deadline to submit a request for a mail-in ballot is April 23. To vote by mail, print the “Application for Ballot by Mail” or submit an online request for it to be mailed to you. Fill out the required sections and sign your name with the date, then mail or fax the completed application to the early voting clerk in your county. You can visit the Texas Secretary of State website for more guidance.

The Austin-area League of Women Voters has also put together a guide to voting by mail for Central Texas voters, which you can find on the organization's website.

There are some extra deadlines you should keep in mind if you're voting by mail:

Once you’ve returned your mail-in ballot, you can check its status on the Texas Secretary of State's website.

Mems Davila is taking his barbecue to Crestview. The longtime owner of Wünder Pig, previously named by Eater Austin as one of the city’s best under the radar food trucks, will open Black Gold in July 2024.

Davila tells Eater Austin to expect Texas-style barbecue, including menu items such as burnt end truffle mac and cheese made with gruyere, white cheddar, and truffle oil; smoked fajita botanita using wagyu skirt steak topped with an Oaxacan and Monterrey cheese blend, pico, refried black beans, and house-made tostadas; and cilantro and garlic steak fries prepared in beef tallow and topped with a fried egg. It will also include all the traditional barbecue offerings: wagyu brisket, house-made beef and pork sausage, beef ribs, turkey, plus brisket tacos, a smoked elk burger, and smoked duck with sweet and spicy peach chutney barbecue sauce.

“Being a fourth generation Texan and in Austin since 2001, I wanted to create a concept that combines my upbringing in South Texas and what I’ve learned here the last 20 plus years with an elevated approach culinarily,” Davila says. “I didn’t want to open another smokehouse-style spot where you gorge down on a tray of barbecue.”

A design feature of the Black Gold will be that the barbecue is part of the show, so to speak. Diners in the main room and bar can see the 1000-gallon pits preparing meats daily in the smoke room through two large windows by the entrance. Black Gold will also feature three outdoor patios, and the staff plans to feature all sorts of entertainment and events, including live music, DJs, whole hog cookouts, seasonal parties, menu tastings, and spirit pairings.

Expect to pair all that food with over 20 taps of beer from local Texas breweries, a large selection of wines, margarita flights, signature bourbon and vodka cocktails, nitro cold brew on tap, and spiked aquas frescas.

In addition to Davila, who is the owner and pitmaster, will be Aaron Duntley, who worked at Wünder Pig and before that was head pitmaster at Terry Black’s in its Barton Springs and Lockhart locations. Rick Olivares, the former head mixologist at Fairmont Hotel, will be the beverage and spirits manager, crafting all those drinks and selecting the brews.

Black Gold will be at 1521 W. Anderson Ln. It is expected to open in July 2024.

Attorney General Ken Paxton argues that taxpayer money cannot be "redistributed with no accountability or reasonable expectation of a general benefit."

AUSTIN, Texas — The city of Austin is bringing back a "guaranteed income" program to give 100 families an extra financial boost every month.

But a similar program in Harris County has faced opposition from the state's top lawyer.

RELATED: Texas AG sues Harris County over guaranteed income program. Is Austin next?

Austin enacted the program in 2022 to help 135 families, and staff said it was a success, finding that people actually used the money they got for necessities.

Harris County implemented a similar program, but Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is trying to put a stop to it.

"These are discretionary funds that the powers that be in the local communities have an opportunity to disperse those funds as they see fit to, to the general benefit and welfare of the community," Charlie Baird, an attorney & former Travis County district court judge, said.

"Yes, this is going to help me tremendously with housing, groceries, bills," Austinite Robert Holley said of the program.

Those are some of the needs income guaranteed program members say they're getting help with.

On Thursday, the Austin City Council approved setting aside $1.3 million to disperse to lower income Austinites.

Baird said the attorney general doesn't have a strong case against Harris County.

Paxton argues that taxpayer money cannot be "redistributed with no accountability or reasonable expectation of a general benefit."

"There's a general benefit if you have individuals in the community who are at the poverty level, who are now able to afford shelter and food and medicine and childcare," Baird said.

RELATED: Austin paid 135 families $1,000 a month for a year. Here's what they spent it on.

Those who study the program in Austin say there's a true benefit.

"We heard from one woman who was actually had been homeless until she received her $1,000 a month, and she was using the thousand dollars a month to save up," Mary Bogle, a researcher with the Urban Institute, said.

The city hired researchers with the Urban Institute to audit how the previous program went. Bogle said not putting limitations on the spending was successful.

"That's one of the most fascinating things is how people choose to spend the money. They're so smart about it. They're way smarter than our siloed systems that would say, 'Here's money, and you must spend it on just food,'" Bogle said.

Baird said if any lawsuits come Austin's way, they likely won't stick.

"I would expect a judge in Austin to rule in favor of Austin in Travis County because they have precedent. They have done this last year. It was spent for the benefit of the general good of the community," Baird said.

While the city of Austin isn't being sued over its program, a judge in Houston sided with Harris County on Thursday, denying the attorney general's request to block that county's program.

RELATED: Judge sides with Harris County on program to give families $500 a month

In a statement, the CEO of UpTogether, which works with Austin on its guaranteed income program, wrote the following about the Harris county ruling:

"Today was a victory, but the fight is not over. We will continue to demonstrate investing in families is an approach that works."

Approximately 14,000 jobs are on the line, but it's unclear how many of the layoffs will be in Austin.

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AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: The above video was published on April 8.

Tesla is reportedly laying off 10% of its global workforce and cutting hours for Cybertruck employees at its Austin gigafactory.

Both Reuters and tech publication Electrek reported Monday morning that Tesla is cutting 10% of its workforce worldwide, both citing a companywide email sent by CEO Elon Musk.

According to the Reuters report, some staff in Texas and California have already been notified of layoffs, though it's unclear right now how or if the cuts will impact Tesla's operations in Central Texas.

Tesla had 140,473 employees globally as of December 2023, and while the memo from Musk didn't say how many jobs will be impacted by these planned cuts, 10% of the workforce would equate to roughly 14,000 employees.

Electrek's report includes the full text of Musk's memo, in which the CEO said the layoffs are necessary to eliminate "duplication of roles and job functions in certain areas" that he said are a byproduct of Tesla's rapid growth.

"There is nothing I hate more, but it must be done," Musk wrote of the layoffs. "This will enable us to be lean, innovative and hungry for the next growth phase cycle."

RELATED: Tesla sales tumble nearly 9%, most in 4 years, as competition heats up and demand for EVs slows

Meanwhile, over the weekend Business Insider reported that Tesla has sent an internal message to Austin employees who work on the Cybertrucks, informing them their production line shifts will now be shorter.

Business Insider reported that previously, Cybertruck workers clocked 12-hour long shifts, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Now, according to the memo, they will be working 11-hour shifts during the day and 10.5-hour shifts at night, from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.

These memos come after Tesla reported a dip in first-quarter delivery sales and the first year-over-year quarterly sales decline in nearly four years. The news also comes about a week after Tesla reported to Travis County that it finished 2023 with nearly 23,000 workers at the gigafactory, making it the largest private employer in the Austin area.

Boomtown is KVUE's series covering the explosive growth in Central Texas. For more Boomtown stories, head to KVUE.com/Boomtown.