Austin news

• Caldwell County deputy takes baby steps in recovery from shooting

  19-02-2018 23:27 via kxan.com
  CALDWELL COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – The Caldwell County Sheriff’s deputy who was shot while responding to a call in the town of Dale earlier this month continues to recover in the hospital.
  Elizabeth Johnson, the wife of Deputy Jay Johnson, says he has undergone many surgeries and is now going through physical therapy.
  “The doctors think he should be able to get pretty close to full mobility in his hand. His shoulder should be basically 100 percent,” said Johnson.
  She says he
  
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• Family and friends remember loving father, avid cyclist killed in RM 620 crash

  19-02-2018 23:03 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Family and friends of Andrew Tilin say he could light up any room he walked into and could lift up anyone’s day and help make them smile. Tilin was killed over the weekend after being hit in a chain-reaction crash on Ranch to Market 620 near the south shores of Lake Travis.
  Tilin’s friends told KXAN he was on a 50-mile bike ride Saturday morning with about a dozen other cyclists. He pulled over to the side of RM 620 near Marshall Ford Road when his bike got a fl
  
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• UT/TT Poll: Texas Republican voters remain high on Trump

  19-02-2018 22:42 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) — With the usual disclaimers about partisan imbalance, President Donald Trump’s job approval ratings are holding steady, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.
  Overall, equal numbers of Texas voters approve and disapprove of the job Trump is doing. Beneath that, the poll found, Republicans are highly supportive, with 83 percent saying they approve, while 84 percent of Democrats say they disapprove. The president’s numbers are
  
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• DPS: Suspect dies after wounding trooper in shootout near San Antonio

  19-02-2018 22:40 via kxan.com
  GUADALUPE COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — The suspect injured in a shootout involving Texas Department of Public Safety troopers on Sunday near San Antonio has died, the agency says. A trooper wounded by the suspect is recovering and doing well, according to a DPS spokesperson.
  Around 2:45 p.m. Sunday, a trooper tried to pull over a vehicle for a traffic violation on Farm to Market 78 in Guadalupe County. DPS says when the trooper tried to place the driver, identified as 33-year-old Ernest Man
  
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• Design for new downtown MetroRail station unveiled

  19-02-2018 21:44 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Capital Metro wants to show off the new design for the downtown MetroRail station.
  The agency is hosting an open house on Wednesday, Feb. 21 so people can see the renderings as well as get updates on the upcoming construction around Fourth Street and Red River Street. The open house will be at the Austin Convention Center — Ballroom B from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
  CapMetro says the design for the Downtown MetroRail Station is currently 90 percent complete. The renderings releas
  
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• Lucky Charms adding a new marshmallow

  19-02-2018 20:54 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — For the first time in a decade, your box of Lucky Charms will feature a new but permanent marshmallow.
  The cereal’s Twitter account posted a photo on Monday morning, displaying a box featuring a unicorn. The box read “Now With Magical Unicorn Marshmallows.” The unicorns are white, blue and purple!
  However, if you’re a fan of the hourglass marshmallow, you’ll be sad to learn the unicorn is replacing it. The unicorns will join hearts, stars, hors
  
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• Albuquerque groomer accused of handing over dog to wrong owner

  19-02-2018 20:38 via kxan.com
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – An Albuquerque woman says a trip to the groomers for a routine haircut for her Yorkie ended in confusion and tears.
  “Bailey is a big part of our family. We love her. She’s very mellow, very friendly,” Veronica Grine said.
  She said the past few days have been heartbreaking, and that a piece of her family is missing. “My 8-year-old is devastated about this. She says it’s her best friend.”
  Grine said Friday morning she dropped Bai
  
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• MLB imposes stricter mound limits, defers on pitch clocks

  19-02-2018 20:29 via kxan.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball imposed stricter limits on mound visits by players in an effort to speed games but decided against 20-second pitch clocks for 2018.
  After more than a year of negotiations, the Major League Baseball Players Association refused to agree to the changes but also signed an agreement that it will not oppose the rules.
  The amendments to the playing rules announced Monday include a general limit of six mound visits per nine-inning game without a pitching chang
  
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• What to watch tonight in PyeongChang: Ice dance medal time, must-win for USA men’s hockey

  19-02-2018 20:12 via kxan.com
  There’s a full slate of competiton continuing tonight in PyeongChang.
  Ice dance medals will be awarded tonight in Primetime, with both Team USA’s Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue and Alex and Maia Shibutani in medal contention. The qualifying playoff begins in the men’s hockey tournament as Team USA takes on a familiar foe in Slovakia in a must-win game. The Jamaican women’s bobsled team is also set to make its Olympic debut in its new sled.
  Men’s and women&rsq
  
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• WATCH: Texan Justin Olsen piloting two-man bobsled

  19-02-2018 19:27 via kxan.com
  Texan Justin Olsen piloted his U.S. sled down the track in his final run of the two-man bobsled competition.
  PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 19: Justin Olsen and Evan Weinstock of the United States finish their final run during the Men’s 2-Man Bobsleigh on day 10 of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Olympic Sliding Centre on February 19, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
   
  
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• After 26 years, LakeFest in Marble Falls won’t happen this summer

  19-02-2018 18:46 via kxan.com
  MARBLE FALLS, Texas (KXAN) — After 26 years, LakeFest in Marble Falls won’t be happening this year due to failed contract negotiations with the event sponsor.
  The Marble Falls and Lake LBJ Chamber of Commerce say it was unable to come to an agreement with Lucas Oil. The chamber says the company was “proposing substantial contractual changes.”
  Because Lucas Oil won’t be sanctioning the drag boat races, the chamber had to cancel the popular festival.
  “We were aw
  
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• Elderly man dies in single-car crash in Oak Hill neighborhood

  19-02-2018 18:21 via kxan.com
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A man in his 70s died in a single-vehicle car crash in an Oak Hill neighborhood Monday morning.
  The Travis County Sheriff’s Office says the crash happened around 10:30 a.m. in the 9100 block of Towana Trail, which is a neighborhood just north of US 290 near Circle Drive.
  Austin-Travis County EMS says the driver ran into an “immovable object.” He died at the scene.
  
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• Get to know the candidates: Texas House District 52

  19-02-2018 18:14 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas House District 52 represents 176,174 residents living in parts of Travis County and Williamson County. District 52 stretches into Austin, Georgetown, Taylor, Hutto, Pflugerville and Round Rock.
  Incumbent Larry Gonzales is not seeking re-election.
  Get to know the three Republicans running for the seat:
  Christopher L. Ward (R)Ward is a self-proclaimed family man who wants voters to know he is not running for personal gain. Ward is a Central Florida transplant and moved
  
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• Voting early in the primary election: What you need to know

  19-02-2018 17:50 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Numerous races are in store for the March 6 Primary Election.
  Voters will make decisions on candidates they want to be placed on the ballot for the General Election in November. The primary will determine slots for governor, land commissioner and agriculture commissioner. There are also several high-profile congressional districts up for grabs.
  Early voting starts Tuesday, Feb. 20 and runs through Friday, March 2. Election Day is Tuesday, March 6. To find out what is on you
  
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• Meet the 22 candidates vying for retiring Rep. Lamar Smith’s seat

  19-02-2018 17:48 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas’ 21st Congressional District, serving parts of Austin and San Antonio, has been under Republican leadership for nearly 40 years. After more than three decades in office, Rep. Lamar Smith announced he was stepping down from office in November. This seat is one of the hottest seats in Texas with 18 Republicans and four Democrats fighting for Smith’s spot in the Texas primary on March 6.What you need to know about voting early in the March primaryKXAN reached
  
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• VIDEO: Two guys try ‘tall man’ trick to get into ‘Black Panther’

  19-02-2018 17:07 via kxan.com
  CARSON, Calif. (KXAN) — We’ve all tried to sneak into a movie theater, but trying to get a 2-for-1 deal by dressing up as an extra tall person isn’t very common.
  Over the weekend, two guys decided to get a “2 for 1 at black panther” at a Black Panther showing in the Los Angeles area. In a Snapchat video, one guy got on the other’s shoulders and of course, they put on a long trench coat to mask the ridiculous get-up.
  The guys took the escalator up to the m
  
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• JROTC student killed in Florida shooting; family, friends seeking military burial

  19-02-2018 16:51 via kxan.com
  PARKLAND, Fla. (WCMH/AP) — A petition has been started to give Peter Wang, a student killed during the Parkland High School shooting, a full military burial after he shielded fellow students from gunfire while wearing his JROTC uniform.
  According to witnesses Wang, 15, was last seen in uniform helping students escape from gunfire during the shooting. It was exactly what his JROTC Cadet training had taught him to do: Protect and Serve.
  Family and friends of Wang have begun a petition for th
  
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• First hippopotamus born at new Dallas Zoo exhibit dies

  19-02-2018 15:39 via kxan.com
  DALLAS (AP) — The first baby hippopotamus born at a new Dallas Zoo exhibit has died.
  The Dallas Morning News reports that zoo officials said a female hippo gave birth early Saturday to her first calf, but she did not help the newborn to the surface of the pool soon enough.
  Dallas Zoo vice president of animal operations and welfare Harrison Edell said in a statement that “there was no safe way” for staff to assist the calf.
  The official cause of death is pending.
  Boipelo and her
  
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• Texas’ 27th Congressional District: Get to know the candidates

  19-02-2018 15:18 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — From Nueces County in the south to Bastrop County in the north, Texas’s 27th Congressional District represents almost 740,000 residents. Amid sexual harassment allegations, incumbent GOP Rep. Blake Farenthold announced he would not be running for re-election and as a result, the seat remains vacant. Vying for Farenthold’s seat are five Democratic and six Republican candidates.
  Raul (Roy) Barrera (D)In 2016 Barrera sought election to the U.S. House to represent t
  
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• Get to know the candidates: Texas’ 27th Congressional District

  19-02-2018 15:18 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — From Nueces County in the south to Bastrop County in the north, Texas’s 27th Congressional District represents almost 740,000 residents. Amid sexual harassment allegations, incumbent GOP Rep. Blake Farenthold announced he would not be running for re-election and as a result, the seat remains vacant. Vying for Farenthold’s seat are five Democratic and six Republican candidates.
  Raul (Roy) Barrera (D)In 2016 Barrera sought election to the U.S. House to represent t
  
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• Social Security: The backbone of most retirement plans

  19-02-2018 14:49 via kxan.com
  It does not make sense to wait as long as you can to claim social security in many cases.Imagine you retire in your early 60’s. Imagine from 62 to 70, you could have a check coming in. How much money are you going to leave in the government’s bank account that could be in yours?
  Click play on the video above to hear Chris Herlein explain why taking Social Security in your early 60’s may be a better tax strategy than waiting until your 70’s.
  Get your free copy of Understan
  
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• US Postal Service truck driver shot, killed in Dallas

  19-02-2018 14:37 via kxan.com
  DALLAS, Texas (KXAN) — The driver of a United States Postal Service truck was shot and killed early Monday morning on Interstate 30 in Dallas.
  KXAS in Dallas reports the shooter left the scene and no description has been provided. The Dallas Morning News reports the shooting happened around 2:30 a.m. near the main post office just west of downtown.
  KXAN will update this story as more information becomes available.
  USPS truck driver shot and killed on I-30 in Dallas on Feb. 19, 2018. (KXAS)
  
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• WATCH: Former Rice University football player in two-man bobsled

  19-02-2018 14:15 via kxan.com
  Codie Bascue and Sam McGuffie finished 25th in the two-man bobsled.
  McGuffie got his start on the football field. McGuffie, who’s high school football reel is filled with outlandish highlights, played collegiately at the University of Michigan and Rice University, and was signed by the Oakland Raiders in 2013. He was subsequently waived, but had stints on the practice squad for the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots. The bobsled was calling his name, though. By 2015,
  
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• Missouri 3rd graders selling AR-15 raffle tickets

  19-02-2018 13:54 via kxan.com
  NEOSHO, Mo. (KOZL) — Third-graders in southwest Missouri’s Neosho are still selling raffle tickets for an AR-15 after the same type of weapon was used in a mass killing last week.
  The Kansas City Star reports Levi Patterson, who coaches a 9-and-under baseball team, says the idea was conceived before the shooting in Broward County, Florida.
  Patterson told the newspaper he considered finding a different raffle item after the Florida tragedy, but ultimately decided to “turn it int
  
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• Fergie’s NBA All-Star Game national anthem confuses, amuses

  19-02-2018 13:46 via kxan.com
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fergie tried something different with her national anthem at the NBA All-Star Game, and not everybody was cheering.
  The Black Eyed Peas singer’s slow, bluesy rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” on Sunday night wasn’t particularly well received at Staples Center or on social media before the 67th edition of the NBA’s annual showcase.
  A low chuckle rumbled through the sold-out arena after Fergie finished the first line of the song with a t
  
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• Pflugerville parents holding rally against gun violence at schools

  19-02-2018 12:53 via kxan.com
  PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) – A rally is planned across the street from Pflugerville High School Monday morning to show support for students to have a safe learning environment.
  The group organizing the rally, Community Supporting Safe Schools, is made up of community members united against gun violence in schools. The rally will be held from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.
  Rally organizers say they want to keep it positive and upbeat for the kids. While they encourage signs they don’t want hateful
  
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• Pflugerville parents hold rally against gun violence at schools

  19-02-2018 12:53 via kxan.com
  PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) – Dozens of Pflugerville parents, teachers and staff held a rally across the street from Pflugerville High School Monday morning to show support for students to have a safe learning environment.
  The group that organized the rally, Community Supporting Safe Schools, is made up of community members united against gun violence in schools. The rally was held from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.
  Rally organizers said they wanted to keep it positive and upbeat for the kids. While th
  
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• 6-year-old boy, 3 adults shot at San Antonio restaurant parking lot

  19-02-2018 12:43 via kxan.com
  SAN ANTONIO (AP) – A 6-year-old boy and three adults were shot in the parking lot of a popular westside San Antonio Steakhouse.
  The San Antonio Express-News reports that San Antonio Police Chief William McManus says two of the adults’ injuries are life-threatening. Police say the shooting happened as the group waited outside of the Texas Roadhouse on Cinema Ridge, near Ingram Park Mall.
  The boy was shot in the leg and is expected to survive. McManus says all four victims are related
  
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• New La Grange homes must abide by new standards after Harvey floods

  19-02-2018 12:28 via kxan.com
  LA GRANGE, Texas (KXAN) — Volunteers are starting work this week on two new homes in La Grange, replacements for two that were destroyed in the floods following Hurricane Harvey.
  The volunteers, representing Mennonite Disaster Service, will begin framing the two homes Tuesday after workers pour concrete foundations Monday. Both of them are in the northern part of the town, far from the homes the families lost in the flood.
  Even so far from the Colorado River, the houses must adhere to new
  
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• What you missed last night in PyeongChang: Ice dancers dazzle, big air on the slopes

  19-02-2018 12:12 via kxan.com
  Primetime spotlight
  Ice dancing highlighted Primetime coverage. The Americans had three pairs competing in the event. Maia and Alex Shibutani were skating for the first time since contributing in the team event. The pairs of Madison Chock/Evan Bates and Madison Hubbell/Zach Donohue were marking their PyeongChang debut.
  Canada’s Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir charmed in the short dance. They lead the competition after the short event with a score of 83.67.Reigning world champions Gab
  
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• PHOTOS: Shib Sibs compete in short dance at South Korea 2018

  19-02-2018 12:11 via kxan.com
  Check out these photos of Alex and Maia Shibutani competing in short dance at South Korea 2018!WATCH the Shib Sibs in action here.Photos: Alex and Maia Shibutani Compete in Short Dance at South Korea 2018GANGNEUNG, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 19:Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani of the United States compete during the Figure Skating Ice Dance Short Dance on day 10 of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Ice Arena on February 19, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.(Photo
  
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• French dance team finishes second in short dance despite wardrobe malfunction

  19-02-2018 07:02 via kxan.com
  Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron made their Olympic debuts on Sunday, but everything did not go as planned.
  At the beginning of their short dance, set to Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” and “Thinking Out Loud,” the clasp on Papadakis’ top came undone. She skated tentatively throughout the rest of the program, which you can watch (edited) below:
  She explained the malfunction in the mixed zone:
  “My costume opened up,” she stated simply. “I
  
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• Man, woman suffer serious stab wounds in east Austin

  19-02-2018 04:30 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – UPDATE: Austin-Travis County EMS said a third person in this incident has been taken to Dell Seton Medical Center with non life-threatening injuries.
  EARLIER: A man and a woman were stabbed in east Austin Sunday night, said Austin-Travis County EMS.
  Medics said the call came in just before 9 p.m. to the 2800 block of Gonzales Street near the intersection of East 7th Street and North Pleasant Valley Road.
  They said they found a woman in her 30s and a man in his 40s with
  
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• South Austin coffee shop caters to working parents, offers childcare

  19-02-2018 03:57 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Inside an old house in south Austin on an acre of land The Hive is buzzing with parents. It’s a coffee shop and co-working space with child supervision.
  “Our goal is to have this be a mecca of everything a parent would need without having to leave the site,” said Shelly Weiser, The Hive’s owner.
  The mom of two is a graphic designer and came up with the idea out of necessity.
  “I had some work that I was frantically trying to plug out and my kids
  
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• Moms create new childcare options out of necessity

  19-02-2018 03:57 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Inside an old house in South Austin on an acre of land The Hive is buzzing with parents. It’s a coffee shop and co-working space with child supervision.
  “Our goal is to have this be a mecca of everything a parent would need without having to leave the site,” said Shelly Weiser, The Hive’s owner.
  The mom of two is a graphic designer and came up with the idea out of necessity.
  “I had some work that I was frantically trying to plug out and my kids
  
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• Buffalo gores camper on Southern California island

  19-02-2018 03:40 via kxan.com
  AVALON, Calif. (AP) — Authorities say a buffalo has gored a man camping on Southern California’s Catalina Island.
  Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials say the man was sitting on a log Saturday evening and the buffalo was grazing nearby.
  Sgt. Ray Ward says that when the buffalo came closer, the man tried to move away and that’s when the animal charged.
  Ward says the buffalo gored the man’s left arm. He didn’t know the extent of the injuries.
  The Orange County
  
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• Few states let courts take guns from people deemed a threat

  19-02-2018 03:34 via kxan.com
  SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The warnings around Nikolas Cruz seemed to flash like neon signs: expelled from school, fighting with classmates, a fascination with weapons and hurting animals, disturbing images and comments posted to social media, previous mental health treatment.
  In Florida, that wasn’t enough for relatives, authorities or his schools to request a judicial order barring him from possessing guns.
  Only five states have laws enabling family members, guardians or police to a
  
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• Driver flees traffic stop, shoots DPS trooper in San Antonio

  19-02-2018 03:22 via kxan.com
  SAN ANTONIO (KXAN) – A man stopped for a traffic violation fled the scene and then shot and wounded a trooper with the Texas Department of Public Safety when his path was blocked on Sunday afternoon, said DPS.
  It started at about 2:45 p.m. when a Highway Patrol Trooper stopped a Chrysler car for a traffic violation on FM 78 in Guadalupe County.
  After the driver gave the trooper a false name, the trooper attempted to arrest him, DPS said. But the driver resisted and fled the scene in his ca
  
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• DPS trooper shot while exchanging gunfire with chase suspect

  19-02-2018 03:22 via kxan.com
  SAN ANTONIO (KXAN) – A man stopped for a traffic violation fled the scene and then shot and wounded a trooper with the Texas Department of Public Safety when his path was blocked on Sunday afternoon, said DPS.
  It started at about 2:45 p.m. when a trooper stopped a driver in a Chrysler for a traffic violation on Farm to Market 78 in Guadalupe County.
  After the driver gave the trooper a false name, the trooper attempted to arrest him but the driver resisted and fled the scene in his car, say
  
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• Thousands line up for first look at Ellsworth Kelly’s ‘Austin’ at Blanton

  19-02-2018 01:55 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — More than a thousand people got in a line that snaked for hours around the front of the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas on Sunday.
  They waited to glimpse artist Ellsworth Kelly’s outdoor, structural art piece which officially opened Feb.18. “Austin” is a permanent piece of the Blanton’s collection and will remain on campus.
  The structure is white and pristine on the outside — a 2,715-square-foot stone building with rainbow star
  
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• World’s largest science society held Family Science Days in Austin this weekend

  19-02-2018 01:23 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Hundreds of Austin-area families “got their science on” this afternoon at the Austin Convention Center.
  Parents and kids explored interactive science exhibits and science stage shows on the second of two Family Science Days held there.
  The event is the brainchild of the American Association for Advancement of Science, which is the world’s largest science society. As a result, it draws scientists from around the world to the weekend conference.
  This is the
  
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