Church announces award in honor of slain member

Tracey Showers, a longtime member of Greater St. John Bible Church, was killed Tuesday night in front of her Austin home. The Tracey Showers Faithful Servant Award will be given each year to a woman in the community whose light has shined exceptionally over the past year. A $10,000 award also has been announced to help find Showers’ killer.

Gun violence hits close to home

A 22-year-old man was shot to death near state Rep. La Shawn Ford’s family home last weekend. Nearly 30 people have been killed in Austin so far this year. Ford urges city leaders to take more aggressive steps to protect West Side residents and “end this violence now.”