In an aerial view, traffic is seen on Interstate 35 in Austin, Texas. AAA Travel is forecasting a record high of approximately 81.8 million people traveling at least 50 miles from home over the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
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As another year comes to a close, Austin American-Statesman staffers reflect on the stories that our readers talked about the most. In no particular order, here are 15 of 2025’s top Austin- and Texas-based stories spanning crime, weather, politics, business and entertainment.
Sonora Thomas, right, sister of Eliza Thomas, hugs Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis at a news conference at Austin City Hall about the 1991 I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt murder investigation at City Hall on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Suspect identified in yogurt shop murders
In September, authorities announced they’d solved Austin’s most notorious cold case: the yogurt shop murders. In 1991, four teenage girls were brutally murdered inside a yogurt shop in Austin, leaving the community shaken and desperate for answers. After 34 years, investigators used DNA testing to identify the killer as Robert Eugene Brashers, a known serial killer whose other crimes were similar in nature to the yogurt shop murders. Brashers died by suicide in 1999 as officers closed in on him in relation to other crimes. The Travis County District Attorney’s Office is now working to fully clear the names of the men originally suspected in the crime.
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Families from Camp Mystic who lost their children in the July 4th flooding react as Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Governor Greg Abbott hold up newly signed camp safety bills at the Governor’s Mansion in Austin, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Devastating Fourth of July weekend floods
Catastrophic flooding left at least 80 people dead in Central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend, including 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic in Kerr County. Much of the flooding happened along the Guadalupe River in Texas’ “Flash Flood Alley.” At one point, state officials reported the Guadalupe River had risen 26 feet in just 45 minutes. Parents of many of the Camp Mystic campers and counselors killed have filed lawsuits against the girls’ camp, whose director Dick Eastland was also killed in the floods. The camp maintains it was not responsible for the deaths and could not have predicted the scale of the flooding event.
Officials examine the aftermath of a March 13 crash on Interstate 35 near Parmer Lane that killed five people. Truck driver Solomun Weldekeal-Araya was arrested in connection to the collision.
Jay Janner/American-Statesman
Fatal 17-vehicle crash involving tractor-trailer
Around 11:30 p.m. Thursday, March 13, a tractor-trailer driven by 37-year-old Solomun Weldekeal Araya crashed into multiple other vehicles, killing five people, including a family of four. Seventeen vehicles were involved in the crash, police said. Weldekeal Araya was initially charged with intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault, but testing would later reveal Weldekeal Araya had a 0.00 blood alcohol level and he denied being on drugs. A grand jury in September indicted Weldekeal Araya on five counts of manslaughter and 17 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
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The Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center in Austin on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
How Austin and Texas stack up against the rest
As usual, there have been lots of comings and goings in Central Texas and beyond. U-Haul released a list claiming Texas is no longer a top state to move to, and U.S. News and World Report named it the 29th-best state. People are still moving to Austin — yes, mostly Californians — but the folks leaving Texas are mostly moving to Denver, a study shows. And six of the country’s hottest zip codes are in Texas, including several in the Austin area.
Police work at the scene of an accident near North Mopac Expressway Service Road and Executive Center Drive in Austin, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, that was reportedly connected to the fatal shooting at Target.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
North Austin Target shooting
Three people were killed in a shooting at a North Austin Target store in August. Investigators said the shooter “randomly shot” 24-year-old Rose Martinez Machuca, a Target employee, as she collected shopping carts in the parking lot. The suspect then shot 65-year-old Adam Chow, who was in the driver’s seat of a Toyota 4-Runner, and also fired into the back seat, striking Chow’s granddaughter. Police later identified the shooter as 32-year-old Ethan Nieneker, who police said had a history of mental health issues. Public records show Nieneker remained in custody as of Dec. 31.
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A man walks along the beach Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020, in Galveston, Texas, as Hurricane Laura moves toward the Gulf Coast. Forecasters say Laura is rapidly intensifying and will become a “catastrophic” Category 4 hurricane before landfall. It’s churning toward Texas and Louisiana, gathering wind and water that swirls over much of the Gulf of Mexico.
AP Photo/David J. Phillip
Gulf of Mexico vs. Gulf of America
In January, President Donald Trump announced it would formally rename the Gulf of Mexico, which borders much of South Texas, to “Gulf of America.” Two weeks later, Google announced it would change the name in its official maps. Shortly after, Apple made the same announcement for its Apple Maps feature.
Austin Independent School District officers are seen outside Barton Hills Elementary near where a person was apprehended on Homedale Drive following a shooting near Zilker Park in Austin, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Shooting rampage through Zilker, Barton Hills neighborhood
In early September, a suspected gunman was shot and killed by a homeowner after a dangerous rampage through the Zilker and Barton Hills neighborhoods, starting with the nonfatal shooting of an Austin police officer. Police said the man shot a woman in the head at Zilker Park, then shot an officer before fleeing. During a manhunt through the neighborhoods, the suspect ran into a home, where he was shot by the homeowner, police said.
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High-rise residential, hotel and other commercial developments in the Rainey Street district tower above Lady Bird Lake in a view looking east from the First Street Bridge on May 28, 2024.
Jay Janner/American-Statesman
Lady Bird Lake serial killer theory debunked
After years of rumors, researchers concluded there is no “Rainey Street Ripper.” Texas State University researchers and Austin police say decades of drowning data show no evidence of a serial killer at Lady Bird Lake. The September report hasn’t fully stopped the rumors, though.
Sabrina Carpenter was joined by The Chicks at Austin City Limits Music Festival set on Saturday Oct. 11, 2025.
Alfredo Flores/Provided by C3 Presents
Taylor Swift rumors at ACL
Speaking of rumors, after global superstar Taylor Swift announced her 2025 album “The Life of a Showgirl” would feature Sabrina Carpenter on the title track, fans speculated that perhaps Swift herself would drop in to Zilker Park. The first weekend of Austin City Limits Music Festival coincided with the album drop, and on the first day of weekend one, gossip in the media tent even claimed that Swift booked out several floors of an Austin hotel. The rumor proved to be untrue — but Carpenter did bring out Shania Twain and The Chicks, so fans still got a treat.
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This trailer home at 1700 Bitter Creek Drive in Southeast Austin on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, was the site of an alleged assault and prolonged restraint. Austin police arrested five people Thursday after finding a woman handcuffed to exercise equipment outside the residence, showing signs of long-term confinement, authorities said.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Woman found handcuffed outside of South Austin home
Authorities arrested five people after discovering a woman handcuffed to exercise equipment outside of a South Austin home in November. An affidavit claims the five people responsible kept the woman captive for months, shooting her with BBs and denying her food.
Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) celebrates a win over Texas A&M Aggies 27-17 during the NCAA college football game in the Lone Star Showdown in Austin, Texas, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.
Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman
Texas football and Arch Manning’s rollercoaster season
The hype was real leading into Texas’ first season with Arch Manning as the quarterback, but the young member of one of football’s greatest dynasties got mixed reviews from fans — especially during Texas’ devastating loss to Florida. Fans called him a “fraud” and many blame the Florida loss for the Longhorns not making the College Football Playoffs. But those wins over Texas A&M and Oklahoma sure felt sweet for Texas fans.
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Stopping for barbecue at Buc-ee’s has become a Texas tradition and, as the chain expands, a tradition in other states. Will Colorado be the exception?
J.C. Reid/Contributor file photo
Buc-ee’s is growing
Beloved Texas brand Buc-ee’s announced multiple expansions in 2025, both in Texas and beyond. A new store breaking ground in San Marcos will be among the biggest in the state, and a new store in rural Colorado ruffled residents’ feathers. Tennessee is also getting in the game to compete with Buc-ee’s — country legend Dolly Parton announced a Dolly-themed travel stop to rival the beaver. Speaking of the famed beaver, the store sued a North Texas gas station claiming it ripped off the chain’s iconic logo.
Home explosion in Northwest Austin
Janner Jay / Austin American Statesman
Northwest Austin home explosion
In April, at least six people were injured and two dozen homes were damaged when a home exploded off U.S. 183 near McNeil Road. Neighbors miles away from the explosion reported feeling their homes shaking, window screens blowing off and kitchen cabinets opening. The Austin Fire Department said the explosion could be heard as far away as Georgetown. The Travis County Fire Marshal later announced the explosion was caused by a propane gas leak.
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HOUSTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 25: Beyoncé performs during the halftime show for the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on December 25, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Alex Slitz/Getty Images
Beyonce ticket drama
Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing caused meltdowns yet again when fans attempted to buy tickets for Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter tour, with prices for VIP packages ranging from $732 to $2,958. The Houston-born star played two dates in her home city on June 28 and 29, and demand was high, causing prices to spike.
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Austin police Sgt. Nathan Sexton, left, and homicide detective Robert Marshall speak during a news conference at APD headquarters in Austin on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, about the death of 19-year-old Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera, which has been determined to be a suicide.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Texas A&M student’s fatal fall ruled suicide
After a Texas A&M student fell to her death from the balcony of a West Campus apartment the night of the Texas-Texas A&M game, her family called for a deeper investigation into what happened to 19-year-old Brianna Aguilera. Police confirmed Aguilera died by suicide after finding a deleted suicide note in her phone from the week of her death. Aguilera’s family maintains they don’t believe it was suicide and have retained Houston lawyer Tony Buzbee to continue investigating.
