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Rodney "Rod" Kelley served with AFD for 20 years. (Austin Fire Dept.)
After the loss of two police officers due to COVID-19 last week, the Austin Fire Department announced its first death today: 20-year firefighter Rodney Kelley.
Kelley died on Sunday after a long battle with COVID. In a tweet, AFD said it was heartbroken over the "loss of our brother."
Heartbroken to share we lost 20-yr AFD member FF Rodney “Rod" Kelley last night after battling #COVID19. Please keep his family, friends, and crew in your thoughts and prayers, and we ask for your respect and kindness as we grieve the loss of our brother. 💔
📷©AFD/C. Wilkinson pic.twitter.com/aUlUJ7hCMY
— Austin Fire Dept (@austinfiredept) August 30, 2021
According to a recent department survey, 78% of firefighters are vaccinated, though many did not respond to the survey. An earlier April report showed that only 60% of uniformed employees had been vaccinated—a much smaller number than the 95% vaccinated civilian staff.
Texas lawmakers passed a bill in May saying if a firefighter died of COVID-19, it would be presumed the virus was contracted due to the nature of their work.
COVID-19 is ravaging through the police department as well—40 officers and seven civilian employees were out of work with the virus as of Friday—leading to an increase in safety protocols to reduce contact.
For now, the Austin Police Department is suspending non-required training and ride-along programs, non-patrol units will telework, lower priority calls will be handled remotely where possible and enforcement of non-hazardous traffic violations will be at the officer's discretion.
APD does not have a reliable count on vaccinated officers, according to Interim Police Chief Joseph Chacon, who said he estimates that around 50-60% of officers have been vaccinated.
Chacon said he is encouraging colleagues to get the vaccine, as well as following guidance on masking, social distancing and driving alone when it's an option.
Popular
(Bob Daemmrich)
After months of speculation, a new report says political personality Beto O'Rourke is mulling a run for Texas governor that he will announce later this year.
Sources tell Axios the former congressman is preparing his campaign for the 2022 election, where he will likely vie for the position against incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott. The only other candidate that has announced he will take on Abbott for governor is former Texas GOP Chairman Allen West—no Democrats have announced they are running as of yet.
"No decision has been made," Axios reports David Wysong, O'Rourke's former House chief of staff and a longtime adviser, said. "He has been making and receiving calls with people from all over the state."
A new poll from The Dallas Morning News and University of Texas at Tyler shows O'Rourke is narrowing the gap between himself and Abbott's prospects for governor. In the poll, 37% said they'd vote for O'Rourke over Abbott, while 42% said they'd vote for Abbott.
Abbott has been in the hot seat due to his handling of COVID-19 and the signing of landmark legislation into law, including new abortion and voting rights laws; 54% of poll respondents voted they think the state is headed in the "wrong direction." Still, Texas hasn't had a Democrat as governor since the 90s.
O'Rourke's people-focused approach to the 2018 Senator race, which he lost to Sen. Ted Cruz, gave him a widespread following and many hoped he'd throw his hat into the ring since he said he was considering it earlier this year.
"We hope that he's going to run," Gilberto Hinojosa, the state chair of the Democratic Party, told Axios. "We think he'll be our strongest candidate. We think he can beat Abbott because he's vulnerable."
Jordi is an Austin-based rapper who represented Texas at the 2021 Red Bull Batalla. (Esparza)
Austin rapper Jordi Esparza may not have won the 2021 Red Bull Batalla, the world's largest Spanish freestyle rap competition, but for a spirited two rounds, the 22-year old Mexican native looked like he had every right to.
On Saturday evening in Los Angeles, the event itself looked like Cobra Kai meets Star Search with graphics adding a very Batman Beyond aesthetic. Over a dozen rappers hoping to represent the U.S. in the international round of the competition took to the stage with in-your-face jabs at accents, sexual orientation and odors, among other things.
This was Esparza's second rodeo; he had placed third at the 2020 National Finals, automatically securing him a spot this year.
However, things were different this year. He was not nervous about the contest. Unlike in 2020, when he made his Red Bull Batalla debut, the anxiety of the event led him to "feeling so bad."
Affecting a casual calm, the locally-based landscaper said he just felt "so relaxed, so happy" and primarily wanted to "enjoy everything."
Choosing his first-round opponent, Esparza, whose stage name is Jordi, elected to go against LA-based Boss.
Esparza freestyled an attack on his opponent's weight and cholo style of dress.
Boss—bracketing his Latin freestyle with English appeals to the crowd—mocked Jordi's lack of education, made fun of how clean Jordi's shoes looked and suggested that Jordi just came back from a Footlocker.
That first round went to Jordi.
But his next opponent Eckonn would prove to be his undoing.
Eckonn compared Jordi to Hannah Montana, while Jordi soulfully explained that he had learned from the best.
Esparza's verbal dexterity is matched by a rattling rhythm and a game face that is as mawkish as it is mockish. The overall effect is that of an underdog with bite.
Eckonn beat Esparza in that round with the overall championship going to Palm Beach-based rapper Reverse.
However, Esparza was just happy to be there. He recently told Austonia going to the finals again was a dream come true—a pinnacle that he said he won't know how to top.
With his nimble jabs and sneaky prowess, honed from pop culture and the swagger of a young working man hungry to be more, Jordi Esparza is just getting started.
