Austin news

• America’s cars could soon stop drunk drivers from driving at all

  16-10-2019 23:52 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nexstar) — What if your car wouldn’t let
  you drive drunk? Two senators want auto makers to build technology into every
  new car that would, essentially, take away your key if you’ve had a few too
  many. Fighting back tears, Meghan Abbas held the last pictures of her brother and his family. In January, her family of five was returning home from the holidays when a truck slammed into their car. The driver had a blood alcohol level nearly four times the l
  
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• Cities of Austin, San Marcos, Kyle intend to sue over environmental concerns with Kinder Morgan pipeline

  16-10-2019 23:36 via kxan.com
  Austin (KXAN) — Several cities and conservation groups mailed a letter Wednesday giving notice of intent to sue federal agencies if they don’t hold Kinder Morgan’s Permian Highway Pipeline to the requirements of the Endangered Species Act. The entities who filed the notice don’t believe the process Kinder Morgan is currently taking to get permitted through federal agencies complies with the Endangered Species Act.
  The City of Austin, the City of San Marcos, the City of Ky
  
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• Deadline to apply to host event at Fiesta Gardens – West End is Nov. 1

  16-10-2019 23:35 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Parks and Recreation Department is looking for experienced event organizers and producers to host an annual special event at Fiesta Gardens – West End.APRD says applications should be for a dynamic, cultural or music experience that is family friendly and affordable.
  The department also says applicants for the event should have experience organizing and producing special events with more than 1,000 attendees and working with the Austin Center for Events.
  Th
  
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• Help clean up Lady Bird Lake this Saturday with Texas Exes

  16-10-2019 22:52 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Exes Austin Chapter is partnering with Keep Austin Weird to clean up Lady Bird Lake this weekend.Hundreds of volunteers will be working from 25 locations along Lady Bird Lake. This event will provide extra care to the lake and trails. Texas Exes says it’s something the area needs after the Austin City Limits Music Festival wrapped up this past weekend.Clean Up Lady Bird Lake will take place Saturday Oct. 19 from 9 to 11 a.m.You can sign up to volunteer at th
  
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• Your kids can send a letter to Santa thanks to USPS’ Operation Santa program

  16-10-2019 22:45 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Christmas is racing towards us at light speed — and Santa is going to need some help replying to all the letters he receives from children.Fortunately, people in Austin can step up thanks to the United States Postal Service’s Operation Santa program.Now in its 107th year, the program sets up a direct line between local children and Santa’s grotto in the North Pole.And this year, it’s important that children write to Santa’s newly released offic
  
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• ‘Let me out!’ Man gives family last laugh at funeral, surprises them with recording from grave

  16-10-2019 22:13 via kxan.com
  DUBLIN (NEXSTAR) – An Irish military veteran wanted to make his family laugh, not cry at his funeral.And loved ones were shocked to hear the voice of Shay Bradley calling out from his coffin. Bradley could be heard screaming “let me out” from his grave.Mourners couldn’t help but laugh as they heard it.
  My dad's dieing wish, always the pranksters, ya got them good Poppabearand gave us all a laugh just when we needed it!! I will love you forever #shayslastlaughPos
  
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• Are girls who play one sport more likely to be injured than boys? Austin doctors weigh in

  16-10-2019 22:11 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – A recent study of student-athletes across the country found that girls who played only one sport had a 30% higher chance of suffering an overuse injury than boys who played the same sport. The most common injuries were torn ACL’s, tendonitis, and shin splints.Dr. JP Rodriguez with Texas Orthopedics says that while the
  study may have published recently, the research is almost two decades
  old. “For a while we thought that was the trend,” Dr. Rodrig
  
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• Austin police deliver Halloween costumes to children affected by abuse

  16-10-2019 21:58 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Monday, Austin Police Department officers stopped by the SAFE Alliance, a local organization that serves survivors of child abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence.In a tweet, APD officers can be seen handing over a collection of costumes — including Supergirl and Iron Man.In its most recent update on its work, the SAFE Alliance has served over 4,121 youth and adults; given 53,747 provided beds and a safe place to sleep in; and offered counseling for 10,537 via
  
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• Burnet gun store owner accused of child pornography possession

  16-10-2019 21:52 via kxan.com
  BURNET, Texas (KXAN) — The owner of a gun store in Burnet has been arrested on charges of possession of child pornography, according to the Office of the Attorney General’s child exploitation unit.The OAG says that John Max Potts, 47, was found to have at least 10 files of child pornography on a digital device or devices found during a search of his business, Tilly’s Armory, located at 106 S. West St. in Burnet. According to investigators, multiple devices were taken to be exam
  
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• FBI names new agent in charge of El Paso office

  16-10-2019 21:03 via kxan.com
  EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — The FBI has named a new special agent in charge of the El Paso field office.Luis M. Quesada takes over for Emmerson Buie, who was recently named to head the FBI Chicago field office, according to the agency. Quesada has been with the FBI since 1995 and was named a supervisory agent in 2003. Since then, he’s performed a number of roles with the agency that range from counterterrorism to serving in gang and narcotics task forces. He was also legal attac
  
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• Bill O’Reilly called Beto O’Rourke a ‘liar’ during the debate. Beto’s response went viral

  16-10-2019 20:43 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (KXAN) — Former Fox News anchor Bill O’Reilly’s attempt to call out former Rep. Bet O’Rourke has turned into a viral response on the internet, NBC News reports.O’Reilly took to Twitter Tuesday while watching the Democratic presidential debate. He said a story O’Rourke told about meeting a woman working four jobs while raising a special needs child was made up.
  Beto says he met a woman working FOUR jobs. And raising a special needs child. I don&rsquo
  
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• ACL phone theft victims receive suspicious messages on new devices

  16-10-2019 20:21 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police have issued a warning after people who had their phones stolen at ACL received suspicious messages on their new devices.It is feared that scammers are specifically targeting those whose devices were stolen at the music festival, which took place over the last two weekends.The theft victims have received messages on their new phones, according to APD, which are possible phishing attempts for their Apple ID and password.Police said that if the details are sent,
  
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• Austin making safety improvements to East Slaughter Lane after deadly crashes

  16-10-2019 19:34 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) —Austin Transportation will make safety improvements to the 500 Block of East Slaughter Lane by closing the median break between The Ridge condominiums and the Still Water apartment complex.
  According to the City of Austin, delineators will be placed at the median break to prohibit left turns out of both properties to reduce conflict between eastbound and westbound traffic on East Slaughter Lane.
  Drivers traveling westbound from Still Waters will have to drive toward Brandt R
  
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• Police investigating bank robbery near UT Austin campus, suspect wore surgical mask

  16-10-2019 19:29 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Police are investigating a bank robbery in central Austin Wednesday afternoon.According to a tweet from APD, the robbery took place at the Chase Bank at the corner of West Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Guadalupe Street. Officers received the call at 11:32 a.m.The suspect is described as a white man in his 40s wearing a hospital mask, a black jacket, blue jeans and a black backpack. Police say he entered the bank demanded money then left on foot.The man matches the de
  
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• Watch Tracking the Tropics: Tropical wave to enter Gulf of Mexico this week

  16-10-2019 19:15 via kxan.com
  TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – A tropical wave over southern Mexico is drifting north toward the Gulf of Mexico and the Bay of Campeche.Gradual development is possible once the system gets over the warm waters of the southern Gulf of Mexico. The National Hurricane Center is giving this a 50% chance of development in the next five days.Forecast models show that the system will get picked up by a front and spread the moisture across the southeast.
  
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• GM and union reach tentative deal that could end strike

  16-10-2019 19:02 via kxan.com
  DETROIT (AP) — Bargainers for General Motors and the United Auto Workers reached a tentative contract deal on Wednesday that could end a monthlong strike that brought the company’s U.S. factories to a standstill.The deal was hammered out after months of bargaining but won’t bring an immediate end to the strike by 49,000 hourly workers. They will likely stay on the picket lines for at least two more days as two union committees vote on the deal, after which the members will have
  
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• Rare black coyote caught on camera in Austin after 3-month search

  16-10-2019 19:00 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — This handsome black coyote couldn’t look any more peaceful as it chilled out in a rural area in Austin.The rare creature was finally caught on camera after a painstaking three-month search conducted by wildlife officers from the Austin Animal Center.When they started receiving reports of a black coyote in Austin, wildlife officers set up cameras to try to find it — but it was months before the shy animal finally showed its face.Black coyote spotted somewhere in
  
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• Miami to get F1 race — what does that mean for F1 in Austin?

  16-10-2019 18:50 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal/KXAN) — Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens has finalized a deal to host a Formula One Grand Prix in 2021, the organizations announced in a joint statement Oct. 15.The news comes as thousands of people from all over the world prepare to come to Austin’s Circuit of the Americas for F1.“They come from Europe. They come from Mexico. From all over the world,” said Angelos Angelou whose company Angelou Economics conducts various economic impact s
  
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• Miami to get F1 race — what does that mean for Austin’s F1?

  16-10-2019 18:50 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal/KXAN) — Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens has finalized a deal to host a Formula One Grand Prix in 2021, the organizations announced in a joint statement Oct. 15.The news comes as thousands of people from all over the world prepare to come to Austin’s Circuit of the Americas for F1.“They come from Europe. They come from Mexico. From all over the world,” said Angelos Angelou whose company Angelou Economics conducts various economic impact s
  
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• Miami to get F1 race, racing league’s only US stop other than Austin

  16-10-2019 18:50 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) — Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens has finalized a deal to host a Formula One Grand Prix in 2021, the organizations announced in a joint statement Oct. 15. With Austin’s contract with F1 set to expire in 2021, the announcement begs the question: Will Austin be replaced by Miami?
  As Circuit of The Americas in Austin prepares to host its eighth F1 U.S. Grand Prix on Nov. 3, track chairman Bobby Epstein said in August he is confident about the sport&rs
  
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• City hits landowners with $200K in ‘hidden liens’ on 40-year-old paving debts

  16-10-2019 18:45 via kxan.com
  INVESTIGATIVE SUMMARY:
  For 40 years, nearly 200 paving bills issued to landowners sat inside Granite Shoals city hall collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest. The city continues collecting this money from landowners, but an attorney tells KXAN state law required the city to forgive these debts in 2006.GRANITE SHOALS, Texas (KXAN) – They found a buyer, agreed on a price and had just hours to go before closing the deal. But, a call from a land title company stopped everythin
  
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• Elgin parents accused of child abuse meet with Texas lawmaker to prevent misdiagnoses

  16-10-2019 18:43 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two Elgin parents, who once faced felony child abuse charges after a doctor’s misdiagnosis, will meet with Texas legislators to discuss law changes to prevent the wrongful separation of children from their parents.After a KXAN story documenting the family’s medical struggles aired earlier this month, Lorina and Jason Troy began speaking with Texas Congressman James Frank. The parents will meet with Rep. Frank on Wednesday to make plans to testify in front of a c
  
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• Delivery companies hiring hundreds of people in Austin for holiday season

  16-10-2019 18:26 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The holidays are coming — and with them, hundreds of short-term job opportunities in Austin.
  UPS is hiring at least 762 people in the Austin area for the holidays, in both seasonal and permanent jobs.The roles include 212 package handlers, 164 delivery and tractor-trailer drivers, 370 driver-helpers and 16 part-time seasonal supervisors, according to the company.UPS says 35% of employees hired full-time in the last four years were originally brought in as a seasonal p
  
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• Prop 4 would make it harder for Texas to implement personal income tax

  16-10-2019 17:16 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Texas is already one of nine states where residents don’t have to pay personal income tax and come November, voters will get to decide if they want to make it harder for the state to implement one. On Nov. 5, Texans will see Prop 4 on their ballot, which reads “the constitutional amendment prohibiting the imposition of an individual income tax, including a tax on an individual’s share of partnership and unincorporated association inc
  
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• Fort Worth chief: ‘absolutely no excuse’ for woman’s killing

  16-10-2019 15:14 via kxan.com
  FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The furor Tuesday over the killing of a black woman by a white Fort Worth officer became increasingly about a gun pointed at a bedroom window. But the police chief and activists said the focus was on the wrong gun.Officer Aaron Dean was arrested on a murder charge Monday in the slaying of Atatiana Jefferson. Police released an arrest warrant Tuesday quoting the victim’s 8-year-old nephew as saying Jefferson had pulled out a gun after hearing suspicious noises
  
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• San Marcos police looking for suspect in Sunday hit-and-run

  16-10-2019 14:46 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — San Marcos police are investigating a hit and run over the weekend that left a man unconscious and seriously injured in the street.The crash happened in downtown San Marcos Sunday morning around 2:14 a.m. in the 100 block of West San Antonio Street. A 23-year-old man was hit by a white sedan traveling east. The driver left the scene, heading north down an alley behind the bar Nephew’s. He was last seen turning west onto West Hopkins Street.The victim was fo
  
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• Texas Health and Human Services to launch ‘Blueprint for a Healthy Texas’

  16-10-2019 14:45 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A business plan with twelve key initiatives is in the works to improve Texans’ health.The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) will reveal the“Blueprint for a Healthy Texas” plan at its inaugural launch Wednesday morning.HHSC mentioned in their press release the blueprint’s key initiatives will “provide greater transparency and accountability while producing measurable improvements for Texans.”A list of the twelve initiatives
  
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• Leander police investigate fatal crash where man was laying down in the road

  16-10-2019 14:45 via kxan.com
  LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) — Leander police are investigating a fatal crash that happened Monday night where a pedestrian was hit by a car on Horizon Park Boulevard.Police say the crash occurred around 7:45 p.m. in the 500 block of Horizon Park Boulevard north of East Crystal Falls Parkway. A woman was driving southbound in a gray Ford pickup when she hit a man who was laying on the road.Emergency medics immediately took the man to St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center where he was declar
  
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• Kingsland Flooding One Year Later: Back to business

  16-10-2019 13:09 via kxan.com
  KINGSLAND, Texas (KXAN) — One year ago Wednesday, Llano River floodwaters washed away the Kingsland RM 2900 Bridge that connected communities and businesses. It was a crushing moment for thousands of people who depend on the bridge.
  “When the bridge was out it was just a pain in the butt,” Mark D’Asto the owner of LBJ Gardens said. “It was just really a hassle to have to go the long way around.”It took TxDOT crews seven months to finish rebuilding a new strong
  
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• White Cane Day celebrates blind independence as city works to improve mobility

  16-10-2019 13:06 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Wednesday marks a celebration of the abilities of people who are blind or visually impaired in Austin.The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) will observe White Cane Day with a series of marches throughout the city, most starting at 9 a.m.The annual nationwide event is named for the common tool that provides independence and an ability to navigate the world for the visually-impaired community.There are five marches happening in Austin, starting at the f
  
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• Williamson County sheriff warns of police impersonator in Liberty Hill

  16-10-2019 12:41 via kxan.com
  LIBERTY HILL (KXAN) — A police impersonator is trying to pull drivers over in the Liberty Hill area, according to a tweet from Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody.Chody wrote Tuesday night that a blue-colored SUV with red and green overhead lights tried to stop multiple cars. He said the Sheriff’s Office received three different calls about this impersonator within a 30-minute time frame.If in doubt about a traffic stop, he encourages drivers to activate their hazard lights, pull
  
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• Taos Air to relaunch flights to Austin, Dallas in December

  16-10-2019 12:25 via kxan.com
  TAOS, N.M. (AP) — Taos Air has announced that it will relaunch flights to Austin and Dallas in December, giving some Texans direct access to northern New Mexico for the ski season.The Santa Fe New Mexican reports Taos Air will begin direct service Dec. 19 through March 29.The service will link Taos Regional Airport with Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and Dallas Love Field — the smaller Dallas airport used by Southwest Airlines. Taos Ski Valley and Taos Air say fligh
  
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• Despite Governor’s threats, Austin Mayor doesn’t see Council reinstating camping ban

  16-10-2019 06:29 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Mayor Steve Adler said that in recent weeks he’s received thanks from dozens of women in Austin who are experiencing homelessness.The thanks, Adler says, stems from the city council’s vote in June to loosen the city’s ordinances in a way that largely decriminalized the act of camping, sitting, and lying down in most public spaces.
  “These are women that are experiencing homelessness that are in the dark, hidden places in the woods, near our riv
  
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• Felicity Huffman starts serving prison time in college scam

  16-10-2019 06:16 via kxan.com
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — “Desperate Housewives” star Felicity Huffman — aka inmate No. 77806-112 — reported Tuesday to a federal prison in California to serve a two-week sentence in a college admissions scandal that underscored the lengths some wealthy parents will go to get their children into top universities.Huffman’s husband, actor William H. Macy, dropped her off at the Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin, a low-security prison for women in the San Franc
  
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• Scott and House Democrats introduce ‘College Affordability Act’

  16-10-2019 06:11 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (Nexstar) — On Tuesday, House Democrats unveiled a plan they said would cut the cost of college, increase the quality of higher education and make a college degree available to more Americans.Supporters said the higher education system is broken and this is their plan to fix it.“We can no longer afford to do nothing when 44 million Americans are saddled with $1.5 trillion in debt,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.Pelosi said the “College Affordability
  
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• Breaking down the Democratic debate

  16-10-2019 06:05 via kxan.com
  WESTERVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) — The fourth democratic debate of the year took place Tuesday night on the campus of Otterbein University featuring a record-breaking 12 candidates.Donald Trump won Ohio by eight points in the 2016 general election, and the Buckeye state’s importance is reflected in the fact that every president has won Ohio since 1960.
  The field of 12 has three front-runners in former Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Senator Bernie
  
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• Torchy’s Tacos will close its first Austin location

  16-10-2019 05:47 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Torchy’s Tacos is saying goodbye to its first brick-and-mortar restaurant.The company’s South First Street restaurant set to close Oct. 22.Torchy’s says its focusing on more accessible restaurants throughout the Austin-area.All employees at the South First restaurant are being offered jobs within the company.Torchy’s says this location has created a lot of memorable moments — like when President Barack Obama ordered a Democrat, a Republican, an
  
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• AISD hosts meeting to discuss possible Palm Elementary closure

  16-10-2019 05:30 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The demand was so high, Austin Independent School District held another school closure meeting Tuesday night for Palm Elementary.MORE: AISD releases dates/times for school closure proposals
  Huge changes could happen.Four-hundred and forty-five students at the school could end up at Perez Elementary. That school is already at 125% capacity with 601 students.Parents are upset about the uncertainty.“Where are you going to put 445 extra kids?” asked parent Jennifer
  
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• GALLERY: Views of Tuesday night’s storms in the Austin area

  16-10-2019 04:47 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Some fierce weather blew through the Austin area on Tuesday afternoon and evening. KXAN viewers submitted their best shots and videos of the storms — take a look!
  
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• Photo goes viral after UPS worker honors wife’s request to hide packages

  16-10-2019 04:12 via kxan.com
  A Facebook post is going viral after a Texas woman shared how a postal worker followed suit in hiding packages from her husband.Ebony Freeman shared a photo of a delivered package placed under her doormat by a UPS driver, apparently in response to the doormat’s message, “Please hide packages from husband.”She captioned the photo, “Oh my god look! The UPS guy actually hid it under the rug!”The Facebook post has gained over 48,000 shares and 7.4K reactions across the
  
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• Airport improvements to boost cargo shipments to binational industrial park

  16-10-2019 04:01 via kxan.com
  EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — A $9 million improvement plan begins next week at a Southern New Mexico airport where officials want to expand the capability to land cargo planes.Business leaders see the replacement of the 9,550-foot runway at the Doña Ana County International Jetport at Santa Teresa as a first step toward speeding up shipments of parts and components to two sprawling industrial parks next door and to manufacturing operations just across the border with Mexico.&ldq
  
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• Marble Falls city leaders will keep pressing LCRA to dredge lake after historic 2018 flood

  16-10-2019 03:19 via kxan.com
  MARBLE FALLS, Texas (KXAN) — The back and forth over a problem caused by last year’s historic flooding is playing out Tuesday in Marble Falls, and Marble Falls city leaders aren’t taking “no” for an answer.
  The Marble Falls City Council will continue to ask the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) to dredge sediment from Lake Marble Falls even though the agency already told the city no once.
  “I don’t see how we can ignore it,” said City Council Me
  
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• Marble Falls city leaders will keep pressing LCRA to dredge lake after 2018 flood

  16-10-2019 03:19 via kxan.com
  MARBLE FALLS, Texas (KXAN) — The back and forth over a problem caused by last year’s historic flooding is playing out Tuesday in Marble Falls.
  The Marble Falls City Council will discuss asking the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) to dredge sediment from Lake Marble Falls even though the agency already told the city no once.
  On Oct. 4, City Manager Mike Hodge sent a formal request to the LCRA to “consider dredging conditions on Lake Marble Falls.”
  The City Council dir
  
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• Citizenship question on the 2020 Census could keep Hispanics away, hurt states’ federal dollars

  16-10-2019 03:01 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nexstar) — The controversy over immigration
  and the Census may have already done damage to the accuracy of the 2020 Census. Some lawmakers fear that the high-profile court battle over a
  question about U.S. citizenship on the Census forms may scare immigrants,
  especially Hispanics, away from participating in the once a decade populations
  tally. The data collected by the Census determines how many seats
  each state gets in Congress. Congress sets aside 1.5 trillion
  
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• Cole can’t be beat as Astros take game 3 in ALCS vs. Yankees

  16-10-2019 02:14 via kxan.com
  NEW YORK (KXAN) — Astros starting pitcher Gerrit Cole wasn’t going to let his streak end Tuesday in New York.Cole pitched seven innings of scoreless baseball and the Astros jumped ahead early with the long ball for a 4-1 win in game three of the American League Championship Series against the Yankees.Cole hasn’t pitched to a losing decision since May 22 against the Chicago White Sox.Jose Altuve hit a solo home run in the first inning. Josh Reddick hit a solo shot in the second
  
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