Tragic loss of reporter

Former YNN Austin reporter Asa George dies in Wisconsin

Authorities in Wisconsin are investigating what appears to be the accidental death of former TV news anchor Asa George, who graduated from the University of Texas and once worked at Austin’s 24-hour news channel.

On September 6, George was found dead in her apartment in West Allis, Wis., a suburb of Milwaukee. Police discovered her decomposing body in a water-filled bathtub.

“The house was messy and covered with blood and feces, and a malnourished boxer dog was in the home,” according to Dayton, Ohio, TV station WHIO (CBS). George had previously worked in TV news in Dayton.

Positive identification of George, 34, was delayed until September 12 as investigators awaited dental records from Ohio, according to media reports.

Firefighters entered her locked apartment through a window. According to the Milwaukee County medical examiner’s office report, George’s father had been trying to contact her for four days with no luck, reports WDJT (CBS) in Milwaukee. George’s aunt then called West Allis police and asked them to check on her niece.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a final ruling on the cause of George’s death will depend on pending results of toxicology tests. The medical examiner’s office says her death was most likely accidental but wasn’t caused by drowning or a cut to her head.

West Allis Police Chief Charles Padgett told CultureMap Austin that it would take roughly six weeks for the toxicology tests to be completed.

Relatives told investigators that George had battled alcoholism for years, according to the Milwaukee newspaper. Two empty vodka bottles and several prescription medications were found in her apartment.

George’s father did express concern to investigators about foul play being involved “because his daughter had spoken of some kind of harassment,” the Milwaukee newspaper reported.

George launched her TV journalism career in 1999 at News 8 Austin, the 24-hour news channel now known as YNN. According to her LinkedIn profile, she worked at News 8 from 1999 – the year the channel went on the air – to 2002. Among her positions there were reporter, associate producer and photographer.

George earned a journalism degree from UT in 2001, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Since May 2012, George had been at freelance TV reporter in Milwaukee. From 2010 to 2011, she was a morning news anchor at WDJT in Milwaukee. She was a reporter and anchor at WKEF (ABC) and WRGT (Fox) in Dayton from 2004 to 2009. After graduating from UT, George landed at KLKN (ABC) in Lincoln, Neb., where she was a reporter and anchor from 2002 to 2004.

Gery L. Deer, editor of The Jamestown Comet in Ohio, wrote that he knew George during her time in Dayton.

Deer recalled that George was an avid animal lover who volunteered for the Humane Society of Greater Dayton, serving as an emcee for local events and even fostering a puppy. For three years in a row, she hosted the Dayton group’s Furry Skurry and Hairball fundraisers.

“I had the privilege of knowing Asa George, but only for a very short time. She was always pleasant, fun and thoughtful, a credit to our profession,” Deer wrote. “In light of this terrible tragedy, I hope she finally has peace and wish for everyone to keep her memory bright and honor her life. She will be missed.”

Study This

Austin is the No. 7 most educated city in the country, says Forbes

UT Austin tower

Photo by Dan Dennis on Unsplash

UT Austin gets a lot of praise, but this study includes degrees from everywhere — as long as the recipient lives in Texas.

Austin and San Antonio don't get all the same opportunities as the even larger cities in Texas, but in a recent study they prove they're prepared. Both made the top 10 in Forbes Advisor's "Most Educated Cities In The U.S." list: San Antonio was No. 4, and Austin was No. 7.

Other Texas cities made the list of 100, but some fell surprisingly far behind. Dallas made No. 20, followed by Houston at No. 79 and Fort Worth at No. 93. In some even more surprising twists, the smaller city of Garland was the fourth in Texas at No. 26, and El Paso, Corpus Christi, and Laredo all beat Houston.

This study compared the 100 largest cities in the country as of the 2021 census, using metrics like high school dropout rate, percentage of adults age 25 and older with some college, but no degree, undergraduate college completion rate, and percentage of adults age 25 and older with an advanced degree. There were also some lower-weighted metrics about equity, studying racial and gender college completion gaps.

Although many education studies fall into praising the University of Texas, this one considers education as a whole — while still mentioning the university once.

In San Antonio, the bachelor’s completion rate for people 25 and up was 67.30 percent, and 29.56 percent of people in that age group have advanced degrees. The study doesn't have much to say about educational opportunities in the city, focusing instead of its tourist potential. But it did note that the city had one of the smallest racial gaps for higher ed, which was only -5.49 percent. Its gender gap was 0.97 percent, and its high school dropout rate was 4.53 percent.

San Antonio's Trinity University did great in a Niche study that came out in early September. It was the No. 18 best small college in America, and topped the list entirely in Texas. Among bigger fish, it was also the No. 20 best liberal arts college in the country (and again the best in Texas), and made No. 4 in general for best colleges in Texas.

In Austin, 59.89 of people 25 or older completed Bachelor's degrees, and 22.76 percent completed advanced degrees. The racial gap was much worse at -10.87 percent. Its gender gap was a bit less than San Antonio's, at 0.69 percent, and its high school dropout rate was more at 7.56 percent.

Of course, this is where the study mentions UT, which is based in Austin. It made WalletHub's 2024 ranking of the best colleges and universities in Texas and earned the No. 2 spot; clinched the No. 6 spot in Niche's ranking of the best public universities in the country; and earned No. 2 in a list of best undergraduate programs for entrepreneurs by the Princeton Review, among other accolades.

Just breaking into the top 20, Dallas' Bachelor's degree completion rate was 57.05 percent, with 21.37 percent attaining advanced degrees. The racial and gender gaps were −14.99 percent and 1.64 percent, respectively. Much further down the list, Houston's Bachelor's degree completion rate was only 32.99 percent, and only 10.97% achieved advanced degrees. High school dropouts were at 8.90 percent, and the racial and gender gaps were −4.99 and 2.10 percent respectively.

Here are all the Texas cities on the list of 100, in order from most to least educated:

4. San Antonio
7. Austin
20. Dallas
26. Garland
49. El Paso
59. Corpus Christi
76. Laredo
79. Houston
81. Arlington
83. Irving

More information on the study by Forbes advisor, including full city rankings and expanded methodology, is available at forbes.com.

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