Army Paratrooper from Marble Falls Killed
A soldier from Marble Falls has been killed in Afghanistan.
Army Pfc. Payton Jones died Thursday in Kandahar province after an attack on his base, according to the Department of Defense. He was one of two soldiers who died during the same assault. Staff Sgt. Jordan L. Bear, 25, of Denver, Colorado was also killed.
Jones was a paratrooper in the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg, N.C. He was 19 years old.
F1 Promoter Sues Former Partners
The Statesman reports this morning that Tavo Hellmund, once the most visible member of the team that organized the planned Formula One race outside Austin, is suing his former partners. Hellmund broke with his partners last year, amid negotiations over the organization's contract with F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone.
The civil suit filed in state District Court in Travis County does not specify damages but says Hellmund had an agreement for an $18 million buyout that was not fulfilled and that he was scheduled to make $500,000 a year for 10 years as chairman of the F1 U.S. Grand Prix.
The Statesman says the suit reveals Hellmund is trying to buyout some other investors in the project, and may be seeking to get back management of the F1 U.S. Grand Prix.
State Funding Cuts Trickle Down to Homeless Services
Cuts to a state program designed to assist big cities in providing services to the homeless are putting a strain on some organizations. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports this morning that the funding cut is forcing cities and non-profits to stretch dollars to keep up with the demand for services.
The Texas Homeless Housing and Services Program was created by the 81st Legislature in 2009 to help the state's eight largest cities provide homeless services. In most cases, the cities awarded the money to local nonprofit organizations, said Gordon Anderson, spokesman for the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. The $20 million, which was allocated to cities in a two-year cycle, was eliminated during the budget crunch of the 2011 session.
