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We’re approaching the only weekend of early voting in Texas, and nearly 1 in 5 registered voters in Travis County have cast their ballot. We’ve got answers to some common voting questions.
A new partnership will allow the Austin nonprofit SAFE Alliance to offer forensic exams to sexual assault survivors. Funding challenges ended those services earlier this year.
A Travis County jury found Daniel Perry not guilty of a misdemeanor deadly conduct charge in the fatal shooting of a Black Lives Matter protester in 2020.
It’s a busy sports weekend in Austin with Texas football, Spurs basketball and the U.S. Grand Prix.
And tonight, KUTX’s family-friendly Rock the Park celebrates their 50th show. Come hear from the duo who’ve been there since the early days.
The full transcript of this episode of Austin Signal is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.
Jerry Quijano [00:00:08] We are approaching the only weekend of early voting in Texas, and nearly one in five registered voters in Travis County has already cast their ballot. We’ve got some answers to some of the questions folks had before heading to the polls, and a new partnership will allow an Austin nonprofit to offer forensic exams to sexual assault survivors. Funding challenges ended those services earlier this year. Plus, the Travis County jury declined to convict a man of a misdemeanor deadly conduct charge stemming from the fatal shooting of a Black Lives Matter protester in 2020. More about those stories coming up on today’s show.
KUT Announcer: Laurie Gallardo [00:00:42] The Austin Signal is a production of KUT News, hosted by Jerry Quijano.
Jerry Quijano [00:00:47] It’s a busy weekend in Austin with Texas football, spurs, basketball, and the U.S. Grand Prix. And tonight, KUTX’s family-friendly Rock the Park celebrates their 50th show. Come hear about it. That’s up next on Austin Signal. Howdy out there, this is Austin Signal. I’m your host, Jerry Kehannel. It is Friday, October 23rd. Thank you for listening and for making us part of your day. A Travis County jury has cleared a man who fatally shot a Black Lives Matter demonstrator in 2020. As KUT’s Andrew Weber reports, Daniel Perry was in court this week facing a charge of deadly conduct.
Andrew Weber [00:01:32] Perry was previously convicted of murder for fatally shooting Garret Foster. The now former Army Sergeant drove into a downtown Austin march in July 2020 while driving for Uber. He got into an altercation with Foster, who was carrying a rifle, and Perry fatally shot him. After Perry was convicted, he was pardoned by Governor Greg Abbott. Five years after the incident, Travis County prosecutors pursued a misdemeanor charge of deadly conduct, punishable by up to a year in prison. In that case, went to jury trial this week. Perry’s attorney Doug O’Connell says the decision caps a six-year ordeal for his client.
Doug O’Connell [00:02:04] He’s extremely happy, you know, this is the final chapter and now he’s going to be able to go back to North Texas and get on with his life.
Andrew Weber [00:02:13] Travis County attorneys say Perry intended to harm protesters, but they were not allowed to refer to the murder charge associated with the incident. Jurors deliberated for just over two hours before the not guilty verdict Thursday afternoon.
Jerry Quijano [00:02:35] In Austin, Nonprofit is bringing back a clinic that offers forensic exams to sexual assault survivors. That’s months after the program had ended. KUT’s Luz Moreno Lozano tells us more about Eloise House.
Luz Moreno-Lozano [00:02:48] Earlier this year, the SAFE Alliance faced a nearly $2 million budget shortfall. That led the nonprofit to end its forensic exam clinic for sexual assault survivors. But thanks to a new partnership, the clinic, known as Eloise House, which provided the exams, will resume their services starting in January. Pierre Beresten is CEO of the SAFe Alliance. He says the goal is to build a system that provides survivors with multiple options, especially outside of a hospital setting.
Pierre Beresten [00:03:15] I think survivors deserve choice. What we have right now is not really a multi-provider model. This is safe, I think, in tension and desire to see how we can help the ecosystem and provide services for survivors.
Luz Moreno-Lozano [00:03:30] Through the exams, nurses collect evidence that is then turned over to police and district attorneys to investigate and prosecute sexual violence. The SAFE Alliance will now partner with the Forensic Center of Excellence, operated by the non-profit Texas Forensics Nurse Examiners. The group will provide funding and help staff the Austin Clinic with nurses. It also connects survivors with resources and support services. Kara Breeding is the group’s founder and CEO. She says they did not anticipate expanding to Austin, but she says the Safe Alliance is a great place to start because of its trusted relationship in the community.
Kara Breeding [00:04:04] I think it’s really important for Austin specifically to have a place that’s in Austin that’s local, that can be accessible to patients, that can provide an alternative to a hospital if that’s something a patient wants. You know, I think over time and after we get situated, we’ll kind of see what the responses and what the needs actually are.
Luz Moreno-Lozano [00:04:26] The Eloise House has provided medical and legal advocacy for survivors of sexual assault for 50 years. While its forensic exams ended in May, Barristan says other support services have continued despite funding challenges. Through the new partnership, he says Eloise house will once again be able to give comprehensive care to survivors. I’m Luz Moreno Lozano in Austin.
Jerry Quijano [00:04:55] We’re closing out the first week of early voting in the midterm elections, and there is quite a lot on the ballot that’s here in Travis County and beyond. Now, we’ve been getting some questions from Austinites about how to vote and what the local races mean. QUT’s engagement reporter, Chelsea Zhu, has been working with the newsroom to sort through the most common questions people are asking and trying to get them answered. She spoke with Morning Edition host, Ben Philpott.
Ben Philpott [00:05:21] So what are Austin voters wondering about ahead of the election?
Chelsey Zhu [00:05:25] The most common questions are really just the basics. Where you can vote, when you can vote, what you need to bring with you. It can be really confusing depending on where you live because not every polling place has the same hours during early voting. And in some counties you can vote anywhere in the county, but others you can’t on election day. So it’s a lot.
Ben Philpott [00:05:42] Okay, so let’s start there. What do people in the Austin area need to know about how to vote?
Chelsey Zhu [00:05:47] So first, early voting is happening now, and it continues until Friday, October 30th. After that, you’ll have to wait to vote in person until election day, November 3rd. In Travis County, polls are open from 7 a.m. To 7 p.m., every day of early voting, and on the last two days of early-voting, some locations are open until 10. Travis County has a map of all the early- voting places on its elections page, and they also show live wait times, so you can hopefully skip a long line. If you’re in Williamson or Hayes County, hours for early voting can be different depending on the day, and on election day, all polling places in the state are open seven to seven. The big thing to know for all three of those counties is that they have countywide polling places, which means you can vote at any polling place within the county that you live in, both during early voting and on Election Day. The best thing to do if you’re confused about polling places or hours or any of that is to go to our website, you’ll find our voter guides for Travis, Williamson, and Hayes counties with all this information. You can also go straight to your county’s elections page.
Ben Philpott [00:06:46] Okay, so you’ve decided where you’re gonna vote. You’re about to get in your car and head to that polling place that doesn’t have a long line, but what do you need to bring to be able to vote?
Chelsey Zhu [00:06:55] You should bring a photo ID. I won’t list all the different types that are accepted, but they include a Texas driver’s license, which most people probably use, and a U.S. Passport. The ID can be expired for up to four years, and if you’re 70 or older, it can be expired for any amount of time. If you don’t have a photo id that’s accepted by the state and you can’t get one, there are alternatives that you can bring to the polls, like a utility bill. You’ll just have to sign a form that says you had an impediment to getting an id.
Ben Philpott [00:07:21] Okay, so now you’re there, you’re looking at the ballot. What kind of questions did people have about what was on the ballot?
Chelsey Zhu [00:07:26] So the ballot can be pretty overwhelming to look at, and there are a lot of statewide races, and so it can be a lot to research all of those candidates and everything happening in your county or city or school board. So here is a quick and dirty rundown of the big things in Austin. Number one, there’s five Austin City Council seats on the ballot. That’s District 1, 3, 5, 8, and 9. And there’s a map on the City of Austin’s website where you can find out which district you live in if that applies to you. Number two, there are a lot of local propositions on the ballot. One that’s been in the spotlight is Prop I, which is about implementing an independent recurring audit of the city’s finances. That has been controversial because the city of Austin recently implemented its own independent audit. But people who support the proposition audit say that their version has stronger standards and the way that they’re doing it, which is through a charter amendment is more permanent. Opponents say that the proposition is going to be expensive and with the way that it’s structured it could incentivize the auditor to recommend deeper cuts There are a lot more propositions on the ballot than just Prop I though There’s also a Parks and Libraries bond So we’ve got this story on our website that lists out all of the Austin ones how they appear on the ballad and what they mean
Ben Philpott [00:08:39] So you’ve been going through all these questions from voters, do you have a favorite?
Chelsey Zhu [00:08:43] Yes, somebody asked, and I quote, could this be the end to this apocalyptic nightmare or nah, asking for a friend? I will not speculate on what they mean exactly, but I think it’s a good reminder that election season is stressful, and if you need to take a breather, you probably should.
Ben Philpott [00:09:02] Are there any other pieces of advice that you’d give somebody heading to the polls?
Chelsey Zhu [00:09:07] Would personally recommend voting early if it’s at all possible for you. I may or may not have found myself in the past planning to vote on election day and then, you know, things kept coming up and I may, or may, not have made it in time. Lines can get long and I’m going to say this On air, as my promise, I am going to vote today.
Ben Philpott [00:09:26] Well, good luck with that. Okay, so you’ve been going through all these questions, Chelsea, but we didn’t answer everything we’ve gotten. There are more questions I’m sure that people have. So if someone out there wants to submit a question, what do they need to do?
Chelsey Zhu [00:09:39] Uh, yeah, we would love to get more questions. The easiest way would be to email us at news at kut.org. We’ll be keeping an eye out for things that keep popping up all the way up to election day.
Jerry Quijano [00:09:50] That is KUT’s Chelsea Zhu speaking with Morning Edition host Ben Philpott. We’re going to have a link to her story in today’s podcast, Show Notes, and we have plenty more voter guides and election information at KUT.org and on the KUT app. And a quick reminder, today is the final day to submit an application for a vote by mail ballot. For more information, you can visit votetexas.gov. And if you’re voting here in Travis County, you can go to votetravis.gov to check out wait times at polling locations around you. We’ve got more Austin Signal coming up after this break. This is Austin Signal. Welcome back. Thank you for being here with us. You might’ve heard already that KUTX’s Rock the Park is celebrating 10 years in Austin and it’s 50th show that is happening tonight. But do you know the KUTx team behind all that magic? Well, KUTX Assistant Program Director Jackie Fuller is here with us. She is the co-producer for Rock the Park and she brought a special surprise guest who has been an integral fixture at Rock the Parks since the beginning. Here’s a quick little audio hint.
Jacquie Fuller [00:11:02] Birthday parties. They’re important to any five-year-old, and KUTX is no exception. This year, we’re partying on the air, with all our friends.
Penny Fuller [00:11:11] Spoon and White Dum, and Woody Nelson, and Sweet Spirit, and Cherokee Graves, and Magna Caldera, and Azuron Nash, and Heartless Bat’s Torch.
Jerry Quijano [00:11:24] That tiny little voice is from a 2018 KUTX birthday promo, but first we’re talking with the other voice from that promo, that is Jackie Fuller. Jackie, welcome to the show.
Jacquie Fuller [00:11:34] Hi, Jerry.
Jerry Quijano [00:11:35] Alright, before we get to talking with your special guest, I wanted to know, like, what was the nexus for Rock the Park?
Jacquie Fuller [00:11:42] So it was back in 2016, I had been at KUTX for about a year and we were trying to come up with an idea for a new event and we we’re looking at our ratings. And there was, in the demographics, we can see age breakdowns, there was a big chunk of listeners missing for KUTx back then. And KUT was a relatively new station at that point, few years old. And we were like, that’s interesting, we’ve got the younger set, 18 to early 30s, and we’ve got the 50 and up crowd, but that middle crowd was missing. And ratings can only tell you so much, you have to do a little bit of conjecture.
Jacquie Fuller [00:12:22] Um, so we thought, you know, what would cause that? And a few of us at the time had small children at home. And we knew that, you now, when your kid is in the car, they want to listen to what they want listen to over and over and ad nauseam. So you probably aren’t listening to KU TX. So we thought you know maybe that missing demographic is caregivers of young children like us. And we also knew, because we had young kids, how hard it is to get out and enjoy the Austin music scene when you’ve got a little one at home. It becomes this, you know, huge undertaking. You’ve got to get a babysitter and you’re, you can’t stay up late because your child wakes with the sun. So, you now, we wanted to, we want all of our events to be somehow of service to the Austin community. So we thought, let’s make an event that will help that demographic in particular be able to experience Austin music at an early time. When they can, and they can bring their kids along. So the event was born, but it’s not just for parents, it’s for anybody that wants a fun free show on a Friday night.
Jerry Quijano [00:13:27] Do you remember that first show?
Jacquie Fuller [00:13:29] I do, I do remember it.
Jerry Quijano [00:13:30] Who was performing?
Jacquie Fuller [00:13:32] Let me think, actually. It was the Octopus Project, and the opener was Chair Bearer, who was going to play the show this Friday, but had to cancel for personal reasons. But it was a great show. It was a really lovely evening at the park, but it was still a small event back then. It’s changed a lot.
Jerry Quijano [00:13:50] What did you think about the potential of what this event might become 4K UTX at that time?
Jacquie Fuller [00:13:54] Honestly, at the in the moment, I was just so worried about getting through it. You know, I knew what I wanted the event to be. I knew I wanted it to be free. I wanted to be accessible. And that was about as far as I thought. I didn’t think until I think a few years in, my friend told me, Jackie, you’ve created something with this that’s like part of the fabric of living in Austin. And I said, Really? And I just hadn’t even thought that far into the future, but she saw it coming.
Jerry Quijano [00:14:25] Every Rock the Park Friday around here at KUTX. It’s a busy one. There’s lots of people preparing for the shows. How has your role changed and what are you most proud of over these 10 years?
Jacquie Fuller [00:14:36] Over these 10 years of Rock the Park. My role hasn’t really changed. From the beginning, since the first show, I’ve been co-producing this with our live music booker, Deidre Gott. So we’re kind of the two-headed monster behind Rock the park. She takes care of the artists and the performers and the stage, handles all that. And I’m sort of handling the logistics, the permitting, the security, those sorts of things. It’s just been really fun to see the event grow. And then, you know, as it has grown, I, should I say this? I think that there have been moments where, you now, I think, oh, this event’s getting bigger. Maybe we need to be a little, maybe we need have a little more process around this. Maybe this needs to be a little bit more structured. Like, I don’t think we had a medical presence at the first one. But, you, know, the more people you get, you start to realize that those things are necessary. So the event has grown up.
Jerry Quijano [00:15:33] Well speaking of growing up, we can now unveil the surprise guest for today, that is your daughter Penny. She’s been to every single Rock the Park with you, so she’s sort of grown up alongside the events. So what’s been the best part of having her by your side this whole time?
Jacquie Fuller [00:15:46] For my daughter, it’s been fun to grow up with the event because she had friends from her elementary school that would come to the events and hang out with her. And it was neat to watch her go from being this two and a half year old, toddling around the park to being this teenager who shows up with her friends and they just kind of walk around looking cool. So I like that it’s an event that the attendees can grow up to. You know, it’s fun for little kids, but it’s also, I see lots of kids my daughter’s age, just, you know, it’s just a cool Friday night hang.
Jerry Quijano [00:16:22] All right, that is Jackie Fuller, Assistant Program Director at KUTX. Jackie, thank you very much.
Jacquie Fuller [00:16:27] Thank you.
Jerry Quijano [00:16:28] And now we’re gonna bring in our special guest for this Rock the Park retrospective, if you will. That is Penny Fuller, she is the daughter of Jackie Fuller. Penny, thanks for talking to us. Thank you. So what do you first remember from going to Rock the park? I know it’s been a long time, but what do remember from that first time or from one of the early times you went?
Penny Fuller [00:16:46] I don’t really remember anything because I was very young, um, I don’t know it’s just kind of been a thing that I go to for my whole life.
Jerry Quijano [00:16:56] Do you have a favorite Rock the Park show that you’ve seen over the years?
Penny Fuller [00:17:00] Um, hmm. I don’t always know the names of the bands, although Sweet Spirit and Prom Queen were really good.
Jerry Quijano [00:17:08] Yeah, I sort of remember that prom queen performance. That was a very memorable one. What do you enjoy most about being at Rock the Parks?
Penny Fuller [00:17:17] I really like discovering new music and hanging out with my friends is always fun.
Jerry Quijano [00:17:24] Do your friends have any knowledge of other Austin artists or people that might be appearing when you go to these Rock the Parks?
Penny Fuller [00:17:30] Lots of them do, yeah. I think growing up and often, there’s lots of small artists that we find out about and then maybe someone will be like, hey, you should come to Rock the Park this time. There’s an artist I really like playing and then you can discover that artist too.
Jerry Quijano [00:17:47] Do you happen to know a lot of people who listen to KUTX?
Penny Fuller [00:17:51] Lots of my friends do very cool
Jerry Quijano [00:17:53] Do you ever like, you know, kind of like abuse your power and like, yeah, I know somebody who works at Rock the Park, we can go over here and get some stuff?
Penny Fuller [00:18:02] I haven’t yet, but you’re giving me ideas.
Jerry Quijano [00:18:07] There’s still time, you know, it’s only the 50th show, so maybe the 100th show you’ll do something crazy. What do you enjoy about getting to be with your mom during these Rock the Parks?
Penny Fuller [00:18:17] Rock the Park is always something that we can do together, which has been really enjoyable for me.
Jerry Quijano [00:18:26] We’ve been speaking with Penny Fuller. She is the daughter of Jackie Fuller, the assistant program director at KUTX and co-producer of Rock the Park. Penny, thank you for your time.
Penny Fuller [00:18:35] Thank you.
Jerry Quijano [00:18:46] Formula One weekend is underway here in Austin as the city hosts the U.S. Grand Prix. KUT’s Juan Diego Garcia is out at Circuit of the Americas getting an early start on the action. That’s where he’s joining us from. Howdy, Juan!
Juan Diego Garcia [00:18:59] Very loud!
Jerry Quijano [00:18:59] Oh, well, you sound great. So let us know what’s happening out at the track right now
Juan Diego Garcia [00:19:04] Well, right now we are in free practice one. This is one of three practice sessions Formula One teams will use to set up their cars, make sure the drivers know the track, and try to get any last second competitive advantages before they take to the track in qualifying tomorrow.
Jerry Quijano [00:19:21] Speaking of the track, defending champion Max Verstappen had some feelings about the conditions out there. What did he have to say this week?
Juan Diego Garcia [00:19:27] Yet, he called the bumps at Circuit of the Americas out of control and unacceptable. This was after he was asked about it, after quipping about it during the Singapore Grand Prix last weekend. Circuit of America’s has always famously been one of the bumpiest circuits on the Formula One calendar. It’s built on soil that likes to move a lot and expand and contract. And that makes it one of the bumpiest places to go racing on the Formula One calendar, something Formula One drivers have been complaining about for years, and it led to resurfacing of the whole track in 2024, as well as certain parts of the track this year.
Jerry Quijano [00:20:07] So you said this is a problem that’s sort of been known about Coda in years past. Did other drivers this year have anything to say about the track conditions?
Juan Diego Garcia [00:20:14] Yeah, Lando Norris talked about it a little bit when he was asked about the bumps at COTA. He has talked about how he takes headache medication in order to get through a lap here. It’s something that a lot of the drivers have complained about, but Lando Norris pretty much said that there’s nothing they can do. They just have to grin and bear it until something more permanent happens.
Jerry Quijano [00:20:36] Okay, Juan, well, the big race, the U.S. Grand Prix, happens on Sunday, about 48 hours from right now, but you’re already out at the track. What else is gonna be happening out there at COTA this weekend?
Juan Diego Garcia [00:20:46] A whole lot. There are music acts at the end of every night, as well as throughout the day, all weekend. There’s support races. You can see Porsche race cars, classic Formula One cars, an all-women feeder series that is designed to showcase the best talent in up-and-coming female racing. There is something to do at every turn here, not just hearing the screaming beasts behind me.
Jerry Quijano [00:21:12] Well, it’s a pretty big weekend of sports. The Spurs are in town tonight. The Longhorns host Ole Miss tomorrow, and F1 is gonna be happening all weekend out at Cota. What else are you excited to see this weekend?
Juan Diego Garcia [00:21:24] I’m interested to see if Kimi Entinelli, the Mercedes driver, can lock up the World Drivers’ Championship a few races early. This is the earliest he could possibly win it. There’s a little bit of math that involves him winning as well as specific results for his closest title rivals in order for him to mathematically wrap it up here in Austin. And the Mercedes is very quick. I think he has a chance to do it.
Jerry Quijano [00:21:50] Well, you told us a little bit about Kimi Antonelli earlier this week. We just talked about Verstappen. He is the defending champion here at Cota. Last question for you, who do you think is going to emerge victorious on Sunday?
Juan Diego Garcia [00:22:01] I am going to say it is Kimi Antonelli, but I don’t think he locks up the title. I think George Russell and Lewis Hamilton both do enough to make it go to the next race and potentially even further.
Jerry Quijano [00:22:13] All right, that is Juan Diego Garcia. He is out at Circuit of the Americas all weekend long, covering the U.S. Grand Prix for KUT. Keep an eye out for our social media channels. Juan, thank you and have some fun out there.
Juan Diego Garcia [00:22:25] Will do. Thank you, Jerry.
Jerry Quijano [00:22:27] All right, that is it for us this week on Austin Signal. You can catch up on all the stories we brought you by going over to kut.org slash signal. And a reminder, early voting is happening all weekend long. Polls in Travis County are open from 7 a.m. To 7 p.m.. We have voter guides and more election information at kut dot org and on the KUT app. Karoline Pfeil, our technical director, Alexandra Hart is our producer, and Kristen Cabrera is our managing producer. I’m your host Jerry Quijano, we’ll talk to you on Monday.
This transcript was transcribed by AI, and lightly edited by a human. Accuracy may vary. This text may be revised in the future.
