February 20: Newscasters broadcast live footage of a riot at the Sy-Co toy factory. If your character watches the news, you'll see the shining faces of Maera and Walker, two of our Sept's Galliards, pulling security guards from the rioting crowds--the newscasters hailed these anonymous rescuers as local heroes.
The riot broke out when Sy-Co, makers of the fine Major Dick and the Action Squad products, announced their intention to shut down the factory. Between a recent attack on their writers and the rash of shoplifting of Major Dick merchandise, Austin just isn't a safe environment.
The aftermath of the riot: the crowd lost two adults and four children, and two security guards were killed by the mob. Five guards were afflicted with an as-yet unexplained stress disorder which left four in a persistant vegitative state--Sy-Co will be providing aid to their families. Another guard, Mark Bell, is missing. Police have recieved no information on this missing person.
Following the factory's announcement black market videotapes of the Major Dick show have been priced at over $75. Austin school district has asked students to keep their Major Dick products at home to reduce theft and fighting.
The factory shutdown left 75 workers unemployed for now, but Sy-Co intends to bring the MAjor Dick show back to air in the future.
Feburary 20: Advanced Microdevice's Semiconductor Fabrication Facility 10 was closed because of a transformer fire. The factory was sheduled for shut-down due to obsolete parts and equipment, and will not be reopened. Property damage is estimated at over $3 million.
February 20: Vigilantism on the rise: Two ski-masked attackers raided Mojo's Coffee House, charging upstairs and assaulting six people. The victims of this crime were under the influence of narcotics. Four were thrown out of Mojo's window and two recieved concussions, but none were killed or seriously injured. Among the victims was the son of Victor Ramirez, Vice President of Dell Computers. Police are working on a composite sketch of the vigilanties--reports are that the attackers were very, very large.
Drug Law update: Community leaders reacted to the new drug laws Tuesday,
February 24, stating in a meeting at Anderson High School that the new
laws are leading to an increase in DWI, state police arrests, and the
death of at least ten people from drug overdose. Further, they stated that
because of the laws federal art and highway funding has been slashed.
February 28: A string of hate crimes flared up and down Austin's East Side. Individuals dressed as police officers and neonazis rampaged through the city, attacking blacks and Hispanics, carving swastikas into victim's foreheads and claiming that they were "taking back the streets from their kind." K-EYE news ran a videotape showing a police officer beating a large black man. The Austin Police Department supressed the tape and claims that no officer in their departments match descriptions of those involved in the attacks, but protesters still massed around police stations and attacked officers.
One of the police officers in the attack resembled Angie Dickenson, but Dickenson was not availible for comment.
Local government: HR 2785 passed recently. The new law authorizes private institutions to serve as holding tanks for criminals. Further, Austin has begun an ambitious program to replace all of its sewage treatment plants by the year 2000.
Freeway construction within the watershed of McKinney Falls State Park has been temporarily halted due to a court injunction and litigation from a "Save our Springs" organization.
Jacob Williamson 9802-157