AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: The video attached above is related to KVUE's top digital story for the year.
The "unprecedented times" continued in 2021.
The year started off with a riot at the U.S. Capitol, the impeachment of former President Donald Trump and the inauguration of President Joe Biden. Then a historic snowstorm hit the Lone Star State, leaving millions without power for days and taking the lives of dozens of Texans. Then we marked one year of a pandemic that still continues today.
And that was just the first three months.
Like 2020, 2021 was a year where staying informed was crucial. As we reach the finish line, we are reflecting on the top stories that made headlines this year.
Here's a roundup of the top 10 Austin-area stories you clicked on this year.
You know what they say: a picture's worth 1,000 words. And our top story for the entire year was a striking reminder that a life in Texas means a life with snakes.
In March, the Texas Department of Agriculture tweeted a photo of a snake coiled up under a saddle strapped to the back of a horse. The message accompanying the photo: "Watch for snakes this season. They may be tucked in places you'd never assume." Yikesss.
On Jan. 26, two doctors died following a reported hostage situation at an Austin pediatrician's office that lasted about six hours. According to police, Dr. Bharat Narumanchi held five hostages, including Dr. Katherine Lindley Dodson. Several hostages were able to escape and others were later allowed to leave, leaving Dodson as the sole hostage.
Hostage negotiators made several attempts to make contact with Narumanchi, but he was not responsive. Later, Narumanchi and Dodson were found with gunshot wounds. Police said Narumanchi killed Dodson before taking his own life.
In February, a historic winter storm struck Texas, resulting in the loss of power for millions of residents across the state. With many in the dark, demand for energy was exceptionally high – so high that it exceeded the supply the state had to offer.
As a result, the Public Utility Commission of Texas introduced an order that would adjust energy prices. The order said in part, "Energy prices should reflect scarcity of the supply. If customer load is being shed, scarcity is at its maximum, and the market price for the energy needed to serve that load should also be at its highest." The order also stated that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) should correct any past prices to reflect the current shortage of energy.
Many took to social media to express their frustration over the situation in the moment and in the days that followed, including KVUE's own Bryan Mays:
The biggest story of the year worldwide was undeniably the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines. The vaccine rollout began at the tail end of 2020 and vaccines have stayed in the headlines all year.
On Jan. 14, KVUE created this article, a list of places that people could sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine waiting list in Austin. We kept it continuously updated through April, past the March 29 milestone when all adults in Texas were finally eligible to receive the vaccine.
On the morning of April 18, police said Stephen Nicholas Broderick – a former Austin-area detective – shot and killed three people in northwest Austin. Broderick remained missing until he was arrested the following morning after officials received two 911 calls about a man walking along US 290. Officials said he was armed with a loaded pistol in his waistband.
As mentioned earlier, one of the biggest stories of the year was the January murder-suicide involving two Austin doctors. The story in the No. 2 spot on this list was KVUE's initial article, but in the days that followed the tragedy, we worked to learn more. In this article, we compiled the facts we collected about both Dr. Katherine Lindley Dodson and Dr. Bharat Narumanchi, as well as about the hostage situation itself.
Again, as mentioned earlier, millions of Texans were left in the dark after the state's power grid failed to keep up with demand during February's winter storm. It was more important than ever for KVUE to keep viewers informed in whatever way we could, even as we dealt with power and water loss ourselves.
One way we kept people informed was with a list detailing the status of various power outages in our area. For more than a week, we continuously updated this list so that our viewers could keep track of when their lights and heat might turn back on.
On Sept. 18, tragedy struck at the Ponderosa Pet Resort in Georgetown when 75 dogs were killed in a fire. Investigators immediately began looking into what could have caused the fire and it was revealed that city code did not require the facility to have sprinklers, smoke alarms or 24/7 staffing.
In the wake of the fire, families shared memories of their pets with KVUE and community members started a petition to add more safety requirements for facilities that house pets. On Sept. 28, the Georgetown City Council approved a memorial for the 75 dogs who died. On Oct. 7, State Rep. James Talarico filed a bill in the Texas Legislature that, if it passed, would have required fire alarms and sprinkler systems in dog kennels if the kennel is not staffed 24/7.
A lawsuit filed by affected families in early November stated that the fire "started with sparks coming from an electrical device or outlet."
Michael Bublé canceled his Sept. 20 performance at Austin's Frank Erwin Center because he was requiring all tour attendees to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken with 72 hours of the event.
But the center faced limitations that other venues didn't because it's owned and operated by the University of Texas at Austin and therefore follows the university's guidelines. That means social distancing and face coverings were recommended, but optional, due to an executive order signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in late July that prohibited certain entities from mandating masks or requiring proof of vaccination.
One hot topic this summer and fall was uncertainty over how the school year would go amid the continuing pandemic. To help keep parents informed, KVUE created this list of school closures caused by COVID-19 cases. Early in the school year, several local schools were forced to temporarily close campuses or move classes to remote learning, but the numbers dwindled as the year continued.
And there you have it: the top 10 local stories of the year. To make sure you're in the know about Austin's latest news and weather updates for the rest of 2021, all of 2022 and beyond, download the KVUE app.
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