Austin news

• Woman ejected, killed in crash on I-35 near Oltorf identified

  21-10-2016 23:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The woman killed in a crash on South Interstate 35 early Wednesday morning has been identified by Austin police.
  Heidi Carrillo, 20, was driving southbound in the 2500 block of I-35 near Oltorf Street when she lost control and hit a guard rail on the west side of the highway.
  Police say she was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle. Carrillo, who was the only person in the car, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash at 2:35 a.m.
  Austin police are s
  
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• Hidden lint in Samsung dryer starts fire in Cedar Park home

  21-10-2016 22:30 via kxan.com
  
  CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) – A Cedar Park family said their Samsung dryer caught fire twice after lint built up.
  The Cowarts say it’s not the lint trap filter that everyone cleans out. The lint is inside the dryer itself and covers electrical heating elements. “There was about 6 to 8 inches deep of lint everywhere and the entire bottom of the dryer caught fire,” Scott Cowart said, pointing out the damage on his dryer. “It’s charred literally everywhere.”
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• Cedar Park family warning others after Samsung dryer catches fire

  21-10-2016 22:30 via kxan.com
  
  CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) – A Cedar Park family said their Samsung dryer caught fire twice after lint built up.
  The Cowarts say it’s not the lint trap filter that everyone cleans out. The lint is inside the dryer itself and covers electrical heating elements. “There was about 6 to 8 inches deep of lint everywhere and the entire bottom of the dryer caught fire,” Scott Cowart said, pointing out the damage on his dryer. “It’s charred literally everywhere.”
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• F1 Fan Fest takes over downtown Austin

  21-10-2016 22:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — If the ticket prices to the U.S. Grand Prix is too rich for your blood, you can still head to downtown Austin this weekend and join in on the free fun of Formula 1 Fan Fest.
  The Bud Light Fan Fest will take over East Sixth Street between San Jacinto Boulevard and Neches Street on Friday and Saturday. This is the first year the event is on the main entertainment street through downtown Austin. East Sixth Street will be closed to vehicular traffic from San
  
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• F1 brings tourists from around world to downtown Austin, Fan Fest takes over

  21-10-2016 22:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Formula One weekend 2016 is officially underway and as expected, visitors from around the world have gathered in the heart of downtown Austin to embrace all of the festivities that come along with the race.
  “Practice was on today,” said Andreas Nikolaus, “Niki,” Lauda. “[Nico] Roseberg was quickest so, I hope that we keep on winning, and even here in Austin.”
  “Lewis Hamilton and Nico Roseberg are driving for me and we’re doing
  
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• Russian observer denied access to Texas polls on election day

  21-10-2016 21:58 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Secretary of State’s Office has denied a request from the Russian consulate in Houston to allow a consulate official to observe a polling location on election day.
  In a letter to Secretary of State Carlos Cascos, Russian Consul General Alexander Zakharov expressed interest in sending “the officer of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Houston to be present (for a short period of time, when convenient)” at a Texas polling station.
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• Multiple fires in Bastrop County lead to road closures

  21-10-2016 21:41 via kxan.com
  
  CEDAR CREEK, Texas (KXAN) — Multiple fires located on the south side of State Highway 71 between Pope Bend and FM 1290 have led to road closures in the area.
  At around 2:20 p.m., Bastrop County’s Office of Emergency Management said the fires were mostly put out and firefighters were in “mop up” mode. Union Chapel Road, Pope Bend and Stonybrook Drive remain closed in all directions, the sheriff’s office said.
  Cedar Creek High School was in the vicinity of the fire.
  
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• Popular websites dealing with outage related to cyberattack

  21-10-2016 21:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A cyberattack is disrupting the internet across the United State.
  New Hampshire-based Dyn said its server infrastructure was hit by a distributed denial-of-service attack, which works by overwhelming targeted machines with malicious electronic traffic. The company said in a series of statements that the attack took place early Friday local time and created disruption, but that “services have been restored to normal,”
  The level of disruption caused was hard
  
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• Florida man accused of stealing steak, lobster

  21-10-2016 20:08 via kxan.com
  
  BROOKSVILLE, Fla. (WFLA) – Police say a 57-year-old man stole steak and lobster at a Brooksville Walmart – and put the food items down his pants.
  The incident occurred on Thursday at the 7305 Broad St. store, according to the Brooksville Police Department. Mark Alan Belkola is accused of taking six packages of steak and two packages of lobster, valued at $172.98, and putting them down his pants.
  He “was then observed passing all points of sale,” police said.
  Belkola was t
  
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• Even with $40M shortfall, state will hire 550 new CPS workers

  21-10-2016 19:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The commissioner for the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) says his agency will hire an additional 550 investigators and caseworkers for Child Protective Services in an effort to combat the current backlog involving neglected and abused children in Texas.
  Commissioner Hank Whitman’s enhanced methods to tackle to the problem is a direct response to a directive issued by state leaders last week. In his letter addressed to Gov.
  
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• LCRA to lower Lake LBJ, Lake Austin in 2017

  21-10-2016 18:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Homeowners along Lake Austin and Lake LBJ will get a chance to repair and maintain their property along the shoreline when the Lower Colorado River Authority lowers the lake levels in early 2017.
  Since the Highland Lakes are basically full, the LCRA says now is the time where they can actually release water downstream. By lowering lake levels, property owners can do repair and maintenance work on their docks and retaining walls.
  “It’s been years since we&rs
  
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• WATCH: Chase through San Antonio during morning rush hour

  21-10-2016 17:48 via kxan.com
  
  SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KXAN) — A chase that spanned several counties ended in northwest San Antonio during morning rush hour Friday.
  WOAI TV says the incident began in Guadalupe County as deputies chased a suspect in a stolen truck. When the chase entered into Bexar County, the sheriff’s office there joined in on the pursuit.
  After leading Bexar County deputies on a chase on Interstate 10, WOAI says the suspect exited the highway and drove into neighborhoods on the East Side before maki
  
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• Warmer and drier winter predicted for Texas

  21-10-2016 16:10 via kxan.com
  
  The latest update from NOAA:
  October 20, 2016
  Forecasters at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center issued the U.S. Winter Outlook today, saying that La Nina is expected to influence winter conditions this year. The Climate Prediction Center issued a La Nina watch this month, predicting the climate phenomenon is likely to develop in late fall or early winter. La Nina favors drier, warmer winters in the southern U.S and wetter, cooler conditions in the northern U.S. If La Nina conditions material
  
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• Fort Hood soldier killed in Afghanistan

  21-10-2016 15:51 via kxan.com
  
  FORT HOOD, Texas (AP/KXAN) — A soldier from Fort Hood died in an attack this week in Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul.
  The Defense Department says 26-year-old Sgt. Douglas J. Riney of Fairview, Ill. and 40-year-old Michael Sauro, an Army civilian employee from Oklahoma, were the two killed in the Oct. 20 attack. The DoD says the two encountered hostile enemy forces. NATO and an Afghan official said a man wearing an Afghan army uniform had killed a U.S. service member and
  
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• Tips for dressing up your dog for Halloween this year

  21-10-2016 15:26 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (NBC News) — Halloween is just around the corner, and this year Americans are getting the whole family involved… including their pets.
  “Going out trick-or-treating with them is part of the experience, or going out to halloween doggie parties,” says Ana Smith of the National Retail Federation
  Get the right fit by considering breed, weight and measurements when sizing a store-bought costume. Be sure the animal can see, breathe and drink normally, and just know some
  
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• VIRAL: Smiling preemie ‘Happy to be alive’

  21-10-2016 15:22 via kxan.com
  
  (WFLA)— An adorable photo of a smiling preemie baby is getting hundreds of thousands of likes on Facebook.
  We’re not surprised. You can’t help but smile when you look at the photo.
  Mother Lauren Vinje posted the photo of her daughter on the “Love What Matters” Facebook page. The picture was taken when her daughter was just five days old and only weighed 3 lbs and 4 oz.
  “She was happy to be alive,” wrote Vinje in the post. “This picture was one I lo
  
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• US Postal carrier filmed dumping bins of mail into a ditch

  21-10-2016 15:19 via kxan.com
  
  DECATUR, GA (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service has launched an investigation after a metro Atlanta resident says she filmed a worker dumping hundreds of pieces of mail in the woods.
  Kellie Campbell of DeKalb County tells WSB-TV she recorded the postal worker walking near a fence and dumping several bins of mail into a ditch.
  Campbell called the Postal Service, which sent workers to collect and deliver the mail.
  In a statement, the Postal Service condemned the unlawful disposal of mai
  
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• Recapping Austin City Council vote on ‘Grove’ development, Prop 1

  21-10-2016 15:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin City Council meeting Thursday was not explosive as others have been this year but there were still some big developments. Austin Monitor’s Mike Kanin explains why the Grove at Shoal Creek development is moving forward as well as the push for Austin’s mobility bond.
  The council also postponed a vote on whether or not to lease out traffic signal space to wireless communications providers to attach small cell antennae. The small cell antennae will i
  
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• Get rid of your unwanted prescription drugs Saturday

  21-10-2016 14:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — It’s time to look through your medicine cabinet and get rid of your unwanted prescription drugs in a safe and easy way (not flushing it down the toilet).
  Saturday, Oct. 22 is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the public can dispose of their unused, unwanted prescription medications at one of 4,700 collection sites nationwide.
  One of the biggest reasons for the Take Back Day is to make sure painkillers are being disposed of properly.
  
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• WATCH: Powerful earthquake rocks western Japan

  21-10-2016 14:17 via kxan.com
  
  TOKYO (AP) — A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 shakes western Japan, but there is no danger of a tsunami being caused.
  The Meteorological Agency said the earthquake occurred Friday at 2:10 p.m. (0510 GMT) in Japan’s western prefecture of Tottori, about 700 kilometers (430 miles) west of Tokyo, at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles) underground.
  The agency said there was no danger of a tsunami from the inland temblor.
  There was no immediate report of injuries or
  
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• WATCH: Powerful earthquake in western Japan

  21-10-2016 14:17 via kxan.com
  
  TOKYO (AP) — A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 shakes western Japan, but there is no danger of a tsunami being caused.
  The Meteorological Agency said the earthquake occurred Friday at 2:10 p.m. (0510 GMT) in Japan’s western prefecture of Tottori, about 700 kilometers (430 miles) west of Tokyo, at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles) underground.
  The agency said there was no danger of a tsunami from the inland temblor.
  There was no immediate report of injuries or
  
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• Trump, Clinton trade caustic barbs as roast turns bitter

  21-10-2016 14:07 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — The annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, a white-tie gala in New York that is often the last time the two presidential nominees share a stage before Election Day, is traditionally a time when campaign hostilities are set aside.
  Not this year.
  Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton traded sharp barbs and brutal takedowns Thursday, the night after their final debate, with many in the well-heeled crowd turning on the Republican nominee midway through his remarks and sh
  
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• City broach tax swap talks with AISD, again

  21-10-2016 13:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Mayor Steve Adler says it is time for the city to reconsider a tax swap with its school district.
  On Friday, city leaders will discuss the benefits of using the unique funding system to help the Austin Independent School District.
  “All a tax swap does is try to find a new way to finance those in a way that saves our taxpayers dollars, that’s all it does,” said Adler in an interview Thursday.
  The city says a swap is needed because AISD’s budget
  
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• Southbound entrance ramp to I-35 to permanently close in Kyle

  21-10-2016 13:33 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — Starting at 9 a.m. Friday, the southbound entrance ramp to Interstate 35 just south of Ranch to Market 150 in Kyle will be closed.
  The Texas Department of Transportation says drivers heading southbound on the frontage road can enter the freeway using the ramp immediately prior to Ranch to Market 150. The closure of the ramp is part of the $9 million Mobility35 ramp reversal project that will add one new ramp and five existing ramps will be modified between RM 150 and t
  
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• Formula 1 kicks off in Austin: How to get there

  21-10-2016 13:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Race weekend has arrived! Formula One is kicking off in Austin on Friday and will take over the Circuit of the Americas until Sunday. If this is your first time out to the track or your fifth time, here is everything you need to know to make your trip out to the track easy and smooth.
  Parking and transportation 
  While three-day parking passes at COTA are sold out, there are other options.
  Shuttles will run from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Friday, 7 a.m. – 12 a.m. on
  
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• Mercury leak detected at Jarrell Intermediate School

  21-10-2016 12:45 via kxan.com
  
  JARRELL, Texas (KXAN) — Several classrooms at Jarrell Intermediate School are off limits after high levels of mercury was detected in the rooms due to a leak.
  The Jarrell Independent School District says on Wednesday campus staff noticed an old barometer leaking in the school’s science lab. When the maintenance staff realized the barometer contained mercury, they contacted the Williamson County HazMat team, who helped remove the material.
  “They used their scanners and we were t
  
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• Former UVA football player claims he was bullied, hazed

  21-10-2016 12:18 via kxan.com
  
  CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WRIC) — The University of Virginia is facing a lawsuit from one of its former football players who claims he was bullied and hazed by teammates because he suffers from a learning disability.
  The accuser is former wide receiver Aidan Howard, who signed his National Letter of Intent last February and enrolled at UVA over the summer. He has since transferred to Robert Morris University because — the lawsuit claims — of his treatment at UVA and an injury that
  
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• Hunters agree to use extra caution shooting near Brushy Creek Trail

  21-10-2016 05:39 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — A property owner is promising to be careful after people say bullets have flown by them on the Brushy Creek Trail.
  Police say they took action after another complaint was filed Monday. They say there have been 10 calls in the past two years. KXAN first spoke with people in the area of concern, a portion of the trail off Collingwood Drive, Wednesday night.
  In a statement, police said, “The property owner said he would not shoot toward the
  
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• After complaints, property owner won’t fire shots towards Brushy Creek Trail

  21-10-2016 05:39 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — A property owner is promising to be careful after people say bullets have flown by them on the Brushy Creek Trail.
  Police say they took action after another complaint was filed Monday. They say there have been 10 calls in the past two years. KXAN first spoke with people in the area of concern, a portion of the trail off Collingwood Drive, Wednesday night.
  In a statement, police said, “The property owner said he would not shoot toward the
  
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• Avid bicyclists push for safer roads with Prop 1

  21-10-2016 05:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In nearly three weeks, Travis County voters will have to decide whether to check yes or no for the cities $720 million mobility bond project. Proposition 1 will pay for several projects in Austin including adding “smart corridors” for traffic improvements on several of the city’s busiest roads, including south and north Lamar Boulevard, Airport Boulevard and Guadalupe Street.
  The total price tag for the corridor improvement projects wou
  
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• State money in parents’ hands: A look at Education Savings Accounts

  21-10-2016 05:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Key lawmakers are making plans to overhaul your child’s school during the next legislative session. The president of the Texas Senate, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick laid out his priorities in Dallas, including the idea of “Education Savings Accounts.”
  Here’s how it would work. Right now, each student in public school gets $5,200 from the state. That tax money follows the student to their local school district. But under this new program, parents coul
  
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• Stage 4 water restrictions lifted for west Travis, north Hays counties

  21-10-2016 04:09 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An emergency repair on a 24” transmission main on Thursday has triggered Emergency Stage 4 water restrictions in select neighborhoods in Hays and Travis counties.
  The transmission main delivers water to customers along western Highway 290 in Hays and Travis counties within the West Travis County Public Utility Agency (PUA) service territory. Crews continue to work on the repair. The PUA will give updates on the state of the repairs as more information is availabl
  
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• Stage 4 water restrictions in effect for west Travis, north Hays counties

  21-10-2016 04:09 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An emergency repair on a 24” transmission main on Thursday has triggered Emergency Stage 4 water restrictions in select neighborhoods in Hays and Travis counties.
  The transmission main delivers water to customers along western Highway 290 in Hays and Travis counties within the West Travis County Public Utility Agency (PUA) service territory. Crews continue to work on the repair. The PUA will give updates on the state of the repairs as more information is availabl
  
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• 2 Austin band members killed in North Carolina crash

  21-10-2016 04:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two Austin musicians are dead after a crash on a North Carolina highway.
  It happened on Interstate 95 after a different crash shut down part of the highway. Video of the semi crash showed the fiery scene on I-95 in Johnston County, North Carolina.
  The Highway Patrol had to re-route traffic because the burning truck was carrying hazardous chemicals.
  The resulting traffic slowdown may have contributed to a deadly crash a few miles away, where a semi truck rear-ended an R
  
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• UT worker charged with sexual assault of a child

  21-10-2016 03:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A University of Texas at Austin employee was arrested and charged with sexual of assault of a child.
  UT police said the man, Bryan Elkins, had no contact with students or children through his job at the university.
  A spokesperson did not know if Elkins has been fired or suspended since his arrest.
  The department would not release any additional details about the arrest.
  
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• Texts show lawmakers wanting to help Texas AG’s legal woes

  21-10-2016 01:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Private text messages show lawmakers wanting to help Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton by potentially halting payments to prosecutors over his criminal case.
  The Dallas Morning News reported Thursday that five Republican lawmakers exchanged messages last week about convincing a county judge to stop paying three special prosecutors.
  The newspaper obtained the messages under open records laws. Paxton has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of duping investors in a tech
  
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• Clinton campaign eyeing Texas voters after Trump drops in polls

  21-10-2016 01:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (NEXSTAR) — Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton went head-to-head Wednesday night for the final presidential debate in Las Vegas.
  The candidate’s immediately got down to business, walking straight to their podium on stage without shaking hands.
  Joshua Blank, a professor at the University of Texas, says Wednesday’s debate is the first time Texas voters heard the candidates talk about two of the most important issues in the Lone Star State; gun control and immigrati
  
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• Float Fest denied a mass-gathering permit by Guadalupe County

  21-10-2016 00:02 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) – Guadalupe County Commissioners denied a mass-gathering permit for Float Fest organizers during a special meeting held in Seguin on Tuesday.
  Each summer the festival brings in thousands to float the San Marcos River and enjoy a concert by big-name bands. Since the festival began, neighbors have been voicing their concerns to state and county leaders saying the festival is dangerous.
  Tuesday afternoon, Guadalupe County Commissioners sided with the neighbors and den
  
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• County sides with neighbors in denying permit to Float Fest

  21-10-2016 00:02 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) – Guadalupe County Commissioners denied a mass-gathering permit for Float Fest organizers during a special meeting held in Seguin on Tuesday.
  Each summer the festival brings in thousands to float the San Marcos River and enjoy a concert by big-name bands. Since the festival began, neighbors have been voicing their concerns to state and county leaders saying the festival is dangerous.
  “They drink, they trash our river, and they get in their cars and they head
  
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