AM Update: Local Population Boom, Former UT Swimmers to Olympics, 'Stand Your Ground' Sentence

Texas Dominates Population Growth

Round Rock is ranked second and Austin is ranked third on a list of the country’s fastest-growing large cities.

New estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau show Round Rock’s population increased by 4.8 percent from April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2011.

Austin’s population increased by 3.8 percent during that same period – growing by more than 30,000 people.

Texas was home to eight of the 15 fastest growing cities in the United States:

1.  New Orleans
2.  Round Rock, Texas
3.  Austin, Texas
4.  Plano, Texas
5.  McKinney, Texas
6.  Frisco, Texas
7.  Denton, Texas
8.  Denver
9.  Cary, N.C.
10. Raleigh, N.C.
11. Alexandria, Va.
12. Tampa, Fla.
13. McAllen, Texas
14. Carrollton, Texas
15. Atlanta

Former Longhorn Swimmers Head to Olympics

2010 UT-Austin graduate Ricky Berens will join the U.S. Olympic Swim Team in London this year after finishing third in the 200 meter freestyle. Berens' time qualifies him for the 800 freestyle relay team.

This will Berens' second consecutive trip to the Olympics. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he won the gold medal as a member of the 800 freestyle relay team and helped set a world record.

Longhorn Brendan Hanson will also be competing in London in the 100 meter breast stroke.

Texas Man Gets 40 Years in ‘Stand Your Ground’ Case

A Houston jury sentenced Raul Rodriguez to 40 years in prison on Wednesday for the killing of 36-year-old neighbor Kelly Danaher. Rodriguez argued that the state’s version of the stand-your-ground law enabled him to fatally shoot Danaher after a fight about his noisy 2010 party.

Rodriguez, a retired firefighter, armed himself with a gun and a video camera and can be heard saying he was scared for his life on the footage. NPR station KUHF reports that prosecutors believe the shooting had nothing to do with self-defense and are hopeful this ruling will stop the use of violence to settle arguments.