News of the Night, 4/22/99
* Terrorist Attack at McKinney Falls?
Saturday, April 17, 5:30: two state officers were injured and eight
were incapacitated in what some have called an ecoterrorist attack at McKinney
Falls State Park. The attackers also brought a police helicopter to the
ground. No deaths occured.
Police and park rangers came to the scene when a park visitor reported the sounds of a woman screaming. They arrived to see the woman being carried off by two men. She was struggling. Police called for backup units, bringing a total of ten officers to the scene. Two officers were incapacitated by one of the woman's assailants, and many others were rendered unconscious by a group of four men dressed entirely in black. The rest of the officers blacked out when the previously struggling woman drew a weapon.
The attackers destroyed the police car's cameras and tapes. In addition, they destroyed a nearby wildflower research and reclaimation center, killing many rare, irreplacable and in some cases unique plants and flowers. The wildflower research center is used by several scientists in the Austin area. "They just burned down hundreds of hours of work. Some of us had been working on projects here for almost a year," said Monica Binks, a Graduate student in the UT Botany department.
Police and witnesses built composite sketches of some of the suspects.
(Picture: Large, very large, very norse man)
(Picture: Angry woman with shoulder-length auburn hair and black jacket)
(Picture: Light-built man with black hair)
Some vehicles found in McKinney parking lots were definately linked to terrorist activities. Talk of "ecoterrorism" makes a few papers, based on a theoretical link between this activity and the recent litigation that ended freeway construction on the McKinney Falls watershed. None of the several "terrorists" have been arrested, and police are still searching for them.
* Construction Foreman killed in Central Austin
A foreman at a recently begun construction site in South Central Austin was found dead at 10:00 Saturday morning, after a disturbance at the site attracted the attention of passers-by.
Investigation of the site showed one of the building's vertical girders was seriously damaged, bent to such a degree that the entire structure was decided to be unstable. The foreman was found battered against another girder.
An eye-witness to the crime, 88-year-old Martha Freeman, has been in a state of shock and denial since the accident. She told police that the foreman and the building were both attacked by two large, blue-skinned people with horns. Strangely, police are not following up on this important (?) lead.
The attackers apparently took a number of small tools and all the food on the site. The company funding the project has agreed to send additional security to protect the area from any further delays.
* Goth Club Opening Razed by Wolves
Thursday, April 22, 4:45: The grand opening of "Arachnophilia," Austin's
newest "Goth" club, was interrupted by what witnesses report as an
attack by a pack of wolves. The wolves somehow entered the club and
pursued several clubgoers. At least twenty people were injured when
a crowd panicked and tried to leave the club. Three of them were
bitten and were taken to a minor emergancy center. One police officer
at the scene was thrown against a wall, and has been relieved of
duty for a medical leave. Some reporters have linked this to the recent
"ecoterrorism" rumors from McKinney Falls. See our "Entertainment" section
for info on the new club.
* 4th Page, "A" section Article: An anonymous source has revealed to Austin American Statesman reporters a heavy coverup within the Austin Police Department. For the past few months, the source said, the Police have made startling discoveries of the bodies of children. The source could not reveal any more details about the subject, but identified himself as a member of the Austin police force. Police officials have denied all accusations.
* In Austin's Tarrytown, two unknown persons carried an unconscious girl from her two-story house. One was dressed in black "ninja" outfit, witnesses say. All food in the house was missing, and later investigation found a child-sized hole in the house's backyard fence. [ADST Says: "Sorry I lost the girl's name!"]
* Round Rock woman found dead, Police Baffled.
Thursday, April 15: Round Rock police were stunnded to discover
46 year old mother of three, Julia Muire, dead in southeast Austin.
Police describe Muire's condition as a "gross mutilation of the body."
She was apparently tied to the hood of her car and allowed to bleed
to death.
Police began looking for the mother of three after John Muire, her husband of six years, reported her missing on Thursday night. She left her house at 7pm, saying that she needed to do some last minute grocery shopping, and would be back by 7:30. When she had not returned by 10pm, her husband reported her missing. Police discovered her body in the trunk of her car in southeast Austin in a parking lot Friday morning.
* Score One for Apathy:
Previously unknown candidate Republican Thomas Freeley was elected
District Attorney in a landslide victory, partly due to a backlash against
his predecessor (indited after a child pornography scandal), and partly
because his opponent was an empty chair. Freeley has not yet made a public
appearance, and may be biding his time until he takes office as part of
a publicity campaign.
News of the Weird:
A friendly bystander alerted the Austin police department and the Animal Control Center to this one--a wolf was sighted running out of an import store on Guadalupe, the University's infamous Drag. Witnesses say the animal was wearing some sort of bag. Even stranger, the creature was stealing a brightly colored Bob Marley hemp T-Shirt from one of the Drag's import stores. Police video taped the chase (it appeared on most 6:00 news shows), but the animal disappeared into traffic and was not captured.
Two scuba divers in Lake Travis claim to have sighted a mermaid in the
lake's depths Sunday, April 11. Both divers' oxygen levels were normal,
and both appear to be of sound mind--though there is that whole "mermaid"
thing. The two became quirky local celebrities.
Police Blotter:
A survivor of a vigilante attack in South Austin voluntarily turned himself in to the police department Friday, April 9. His attacker, the now-reformer robber says, was a huge thug in league with a local gang lord named "Troy." Troy has been linked to several such "citizen's action" attacks.
Custodian Joe Huxley, an employee at the state capitol, was arrested on charges of drug trafficking Tuesday, April 13. Police and security guards are beginning an investigation of Huxley's possible clientelle.
House Representative Kenneth Jamison (R) and Mental Health, Mental Retardation financial director John Bell literally came to blows arguing over a proposed budget for the 2000 financial year, Wednesday, April 14. The pair physically attacked each other and Bell recieved several lacerations from Jamison's fountain pen, but neither was seriously injured. Both parties are preparing litigation.
* Commercial news: Dell computers announced its intention to switch to AMD processors over Intel processors; several other major companies, including Compaq and Gateway, have also jumped on Dell's bandwagon. Advanced Microdevices has a strong presence in Austin's electronics industry, and Dell's announcement can only spell good things for local technobusiness.
Entertainment news:
Despite possible terrorist attacks--when did a little death stop a
Goth?--the eccentric designer of 6th Street's "Nest" night club and entertainment
center opened his newest enterprise, "Arachnophilia," Thursday afternoon.
The club features appropriately moody music, a unique "arachnid and Urban
Angst" decorating them, and a wide selection of quality cloves. It's
opening made waves in the fishnet community--given the amount of
money the owner sank into it, it's worth the cover charge. Like its predecessor,
Arachnophilia is located on Austin's party district, Sixth Street.
Jacob Williamson 9802-157, ADST Propaganda
OOC Media Status: *Goth*
With thanks to Ben Gibbs, Kelley Barnes, Brian Ward.