Good morning, it's Friday morning, August 17. I'm Valikia Newsome, and here's your local news from the Austin American-Statesman. Today will be sunny and hot, with a high near 101, and a heat index as high as 104. The evening will be mostly clear with a low around 77. In drought news: According to new data from the U.S. Drought Monitor, storms that swept across Central Texas over the weekend helped ease drought conditions in some parts of the state, including in the Austin area.