Identity of dead body not released

Fires

Managers at the North Austin apartment complex said Friday that they were able to house several residents in other apartments.

“We’re still working on it,” said Melissa Drewitt, who works in the management office at the complex. Drewitt did not know how many people had been housed but said most of the units destroyed were two- or three-bedroom apartments.

The Red Cross served more than 1,000 meals and snacks to first responders and affected families, including breakfast, lunch and dinner at the shelter as well as snacks, water and hot meals to firefighters and other first responders, the statement said. Caseworkers assisted more than 25 families to replace shoes, winter coats and other clothing and arranged health services assistance to replace items such as lost medications and eyeglasses, the statement said.

The fire was one of several fed by high winds from Thursday’s early morning cold front. Firefighters in Austin alone had battled 11 blazes by 5 p.m. Thursday, the worst of which was reported just after 2 a.m. at a house on Kellie’s Farm Lane in far North Austin near MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1) and Scofield Ridge Parkway. Fire Department officials confirmed that a body was found in the rubble of the home but said Friday that they would not release the identity of the person killed or the cause of the fire until after Christmas Day. hear the matter in midJanuary. If she is found competent, she would be returned to the Williamson County Jail to await trial on the shooting charges.

On Friday, Barnes’ client, Randy Gourley, learned that because Barnes could continue to act as his attorney — and because she could not currently attend court — his case would be postponed indefinitely. In 2009, Williamson County prosecutors charged him with theft of property, saying he tried to sell stolen prescription pet medication on the Internet.

He says he didn’t know it was stolen.