Austin news

• Money missing from Pflugerville police evidence room

  26-10-2016 23:57 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) – An unknown amount of cash is missing from the evidence room at Pflugerville Police Department and the Texas Rangers are weeks away from wrapping up a months-long investigation into the disappearance, the city manager told KXAN News.
  Pflugerville City Manager Brandon Wade (City of Pflugerville Photo)“We discovered the issue based on a claim for return of evidence from an individual,” said City Manager Brandon Wade. “There was a case that w
  
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• Texas Senate holds emergency hearing on abused and neglected children

  26-10-2016 23:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — More than 500 children at the highest risk of abuse and neglect were not seen by Child Protective Services so far this year in Texas. Another 1,800 kids were seen too late according to state law.
  The Department of Family and Protective Services is asking for an extra $500 million to hire more than 800 new employees, 550 of those would go to new front-line CPS caseworkers and investigators.
  Wednesday, the Texas Senate Finance Committee held an emergency hearing to discuss op
  
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• DFPS commissioner: I need troopers to find at-risk children

  26-10-2016 23:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The sheer volume of emergencies is shocking: Five hundred high priority calls where a child’s life might be in danger have gone unanswered so far this year. One hundred and seventy-one children died from abuse and neglect last year in Texas.
  The head of the Department of Family and Protective Services, Hank Whitman, told lawmakers he doesn’t have the manpower to fix this. Now he wants the Department of Public Safety to dedicate Texas troopers to help.
  
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• AISD sees unexpected rise in student enrollment numbers

  26-10-2016 20:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — For the first time in three years, Austin ISD has exceeded their projections for student enrollment.
  The total number of AISD students for the 2016-2017 school year was expected to be 82,690. After the first six weeks of school, the numbers are out and the total is 83,238 students, which is 548 above the projected estimate.
  “Every day, our teachers and staff show up excited and ready to help Austin ISD reinvent public education, and I am thankful for their work,&
  
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• AISD sees unexpected rise in student enrollment

  26-10-2016 20:25 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — For the first time in three years, Austin ISD has exceeded their projections for student enrollment.
  The total number of AISD students for the 2016-2017 school year was expected to be 82,690. After the first six weeks of school, the numbers are out and the total is 83,238 students, which is 548 above the projected estimate.
  “Every day, our teachers and staff show up excited and ready to help Austin ISD reinvent public education, and I am thankful for their work,&
  
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• Official: South Austin house fire victim intentionally started blaze

  26-10-2016 20:08 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN ) — A man who suffered burns when a fire broke out at a home in South Austin Monday died from his injuries a day later. The fire has been ruled an arson by the Travis County Fire Marshal’s Office.
  Investigators determined the fire was intentionally set by the victim. Their investigation is ongoing.
  The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s said the man, reported to be in his 50s, died on Tuesday after he was transported to the burn unit at San Antonio Military Medic
  
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• Man severely burned in south Austin house fire dies

  26-10-2016 20:08 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN ) — A man who suffered burns when a fire broke out at a home in South Austin Monday died from his injuries a day later.
  The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s said the man, reported to be in his 50s, died on Tuesday after he was transported to the burn unit at San Antonio Military Medical Center. His identity has not been released at this time.
  Firefighters were originally called to the home on the 10100 block of Slaughter Creek Drive at 3:15 p.m. When firefighters arr
  
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• Deadly South Austin fire was started by victim

  26-10-2016 20:08 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN ) — A man who suffered burns when a fire broke out at a home in South Austin Monday died from his injuries a day later. The fire has been ruled an arson by the Travis County Fire Marshal’s Office.
  Investigators determined the fire was intentionally set by the victim. Their investigation is ongoing.
  The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s said the man, reported to be in his 50s, died on Tuesday after he was transported to the burn unit at San Antonio Military Medic
  
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• Clinton celebrates her 69th birthday on the campaign trail

  26-10-2016 19:56 via kxan.com
  
  (MEDIA GENERAL) — Hillary Clinton is celebrating her 69th birthday today. She hopes to spend her 70th in the White House and join this gallery of presidents eating cake to celebrate their special day. American presidents eating birthday cake President Franklin D. Roosevelt coaxed a speech out of three-year-old Jill Myrup at the White House in Washington, Jan. 27, 1942 as she appeared as spokesman for the Bakery and Confectionery Workers International Union to present the president wit
  
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• Man dies, 5 injured in crash on Manchaca Road

  26-10-2016 19:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — One man in his 20s died after being involved in a three-vehicle crash on Manchaca Road near Slaughter Lane Wednesday.
  Austin police say two men in a silver Mazda Protege were traveling southbound on Manchaca Road when the driver in the Mazda veered into the northbound traffic and hit a red Kia Sportage just after noon. Austin-Travis County EMS said a man in his 20s in the Mazda died at the scene. The other man in the car was taken to the hospital.   A woman i
  
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• Man dies, 5 injured in crash closing northbound Manchaca

  26-10-2016 19:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A three-vehicle crash that killed one man and left five people injured around 12:15 p.m. has Manchaca Road just south of Slaughter Lane closed in the northbound direction and one lane in the southbound direction.
  Three people were rescued by Austin/Travis County EMS after they were pinned inside their vehicles. A man in his 20s was pronounced dead at the scene.
  A woman in her 40s has been rescued from the crash while EMS puts out a trauma alert. Three other p
  
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• Woman dragged to death by tow truck driver in San Antonio

  26-10-2016 19:17 via kxan.com
  
  SAN ANTONIO, Texas (WOAI) — Police say a woman who was found dead on a San Antonio street late Tuesday night was apparently dragged by a tow truck.
  WOAI reports a witness told officers the victim saw her car being towed somewhere along Wurzbach Parkway near Blanco Road and she started running after it. Police say somehow the woman became entangled with the wrecker and was dragged for about a half mile. Her identity has not been released at this time.
  Investigators tell WOAI they were speak
  
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• VIDEO: Burglars sneak past sleeping kids

  26-10-2016 19:14 via kxan.com
  
  BREVARD COUNTY, Florida (WESH) Brazen and unafraid, a burglar is seen on security camera creeping around a home, even stealing a cell phone from beside the head of a sleeping child.
  The video shows the thief handing stolen goods to another person outside the house who appears to be wielding a gun.
  “Oh, man. I was in shock. My jaw dropped when I saw that guy come in and walking around my kids,” homeowner Al Vera said.
  Thankfully no one was hurt, but authorities are still searching for
  
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• Celebration for opening of Round Rock Early College High School

  26-10-2016 18:54 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — An Early College High School started in the Round Rock Independent School District in August. Since then, students have been using portable classrooms on the Austin Community College Round Rock campus.
  Round Rock ECHS gives students the opportunity to earn up to an Associate Degree or 60 college hours and a high school diploma at the same time.
  Round Rock ISD and Austin Community College will celebrate the official opening of the Round Rock Early Colleg
  
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• Female remains found near I-10 in Kerr County

  26-10-2016 18:28 via kxan.com
  
  KERR COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Authorities in Kerr County are trying to determine the identity of a female whose remains were found by a crew clearing brush Tuesday morning. The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office says the remains were found on a property off Bartell Road near Interstate 10.
  “At this point, we have no idea how the body got there,” Sheriff Rusty Hierholzer said in a statement. “We don’t know if it is a homicide or possibly a homeless person who died of e
  
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• City Council wants answers on Austin police grievances audit

  26-10-2016 15:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department is unveiling a lengthy proposal to address an audit that discovered issues with the way grievances against police officers are handled.
  The city released the report last month. It found several barriers for citizens to file complaints.
  Police Chief Art Acevedo sent representatives to meet with city council members on Wednesday. The city’s top officers will meet to answer questions from city leaders directly.
  “I hope high level Austin
  
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• AISD school bus crashes on FM 1626

  26-10-2016 15:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — No one was injured in a school bus crash on FM 1626 and Alto Rancho Road around 7:15 a.m
  The AISD bus was on the way to Bailey Middle School with 37 students on board. The bus is equipped with seat belts.
  In-depth school bus seat belt laws
  The students were taken off of the bus and placed onto another bus to get to school.
  Police have now cleared the scene of the crash.
  This is the second AISD bus crash in two days after a bus driver crashed into a mailbox on Tuesday. 
  
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• Listen: 911 call minutes before police kill 'suicidal' man

  26-10-2016 14:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit after police shot and killed Richard Munroe on July, 5 2015. 
  A Travis County grand jury decided not to charge three Austin police officers who killed Munroe. Officers John Nelson, Stephen Johnson and Matt Murphy were called to a home in north Austin after a 911 call described Munroe, 25, as “distraught,” crying and “suicidal.” The lawsuit states Munroe told the dispatcher that
  
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• Family sues after police kill ‘suicidal’ man

  26-10-2016 14:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The family of Richard Munroe has filed a wrongful death lawsuit after police shot and killed a man with a BB gun on July, 5 2015. 
  A Travis County grand jury decided not to charge three Austin police officers who killed Munroe. Officers John Nelson, Stephen Johnson and Matt Murphy were called to a home in north Austin after a 911 call described Munroe, 25, as “distraught,” crying and “suicidal.” The lawsuit states Munroe told the
  
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• UT Austin ranks in top 30 colleges around the world

  26-10-2016 13:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — “What starts here changes the world.” That is the University of Texas at Austin slogan promoting student achievements that impact people internationally.
  U.S. News & World Reports that UT has landed in the number 30 spot on the list for best colleges across the globe. UT also ranked number 10 for top public universities in the U.S. In Texas, UT holds the number one spot for the best education statewide.
  This is not the first time UT has landed on a list for
  
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• Crash between car, pedestrian on Lamar Blvd

  26-10-2016 13:44 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Lamar Boulevard has been reopened after a crash between a car and pedestrian.
  The crash was reported around 6:30 a.m. at the 3000 block South Lamar Boulevard at Barton Skyway. The road was closed in both directions, but has now been reopened.
  Detours 
  We are working to get more information. 
  
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• 10 things you didn’t know about Donald Trump

  26-10-2016 13:15 via kxan.com
  
  (MEDIA GENERAL) — Donald Trump has kept a high profile for years before throwing his hat into the 2016 presidential race but there are things you might not know about the billionaire businessman turned GOP presidential nominee. Below are 10 interesting facts about Trump.
  1. Trump attended military school
  Donald John Trump as pictured in his 1964 New York Military Academy yearbook. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)Citing “behavior problems,” Trump’s parents sent him away to the
  
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• 10 things you didn’t know about Hillary Clinton

  26-10-2016 13:11 via kxan.com
  
  (MEDIA GENERAL) — Hillary Clinton has been in the public eye for a long time and the basic biographical details of her life are of course well known. Here, though, are some of the noteworthy things about the Democratic presidential nominee that you may not have heard yet:
  1. BEFORE POLITICS, SHE WANTED TO BE AN ASTRONAUT
  When she was 13 she wrote a letter to NASA asking them what she had to do to become an Astronaut. They wrote back telling her that girls couldn’t be astronauts.
  2. S
  
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• Man killed in Central Austin crash

  26-10-2016 11:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police are investigating a crash that killed a man on Koenig Lane and Woodrow Avenue.
  A private company was picking up trash in the area just east of Burnet. Another car hit the trash vehicle killing the driver at the scene around 3:19 a.m.
  Koenig Lane is closed from Grover Avenue to Woodrow Avenue at this time. Police say they will reopen the road soon.
  We have a KXAN crew there LIVE with updates.  
  
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• Man dies after hitting garbage truck in Central Austin

  26-10-2016 11:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police are investigating a crash that killed a man on Koenig Lane and Woodrow Avenue.
  A private company was picking up trash in the area just east of Burnet. Another car hit the garbage truck killing the driver at the scene around 3:19 a.m.
  Koenig Lane has reopened at Grover Avenue to Woodrow Avenue.
  We have a KXAN crew there LIVE with updates.  
  
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• Driver dies after hitting garbage truck in Central Austin

  26-10-2016 11:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police are investigating a crash that killed a man on Koenig Lane and Woodrow Avenue.
  A garbage truck, owned by a private company, was picking up trash in the area just east of Burnet around 3:20 a.m. when the crash happened. Authorities say a man, estimated to be in his 20s, driving a sedan struck the garbage truck. The driver of the car died at the scene.
  Koenig Lane has reopened at Grover Avenue to Woodrow Avenue.  
  
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• Depth chart decisions and the Longhorns road woes

  26-10-2016 05:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Roger Wallace and the Austin American Statesman’s Danny Davis evaluate the midway mark of Shane Buechele’s freshman season and why Texas has been so much better at home.
  
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• Texas State’s Conner fights cancer ‘like a Bobcat’

  26-10-2016 05:48 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — In 17 seasons at Texas State, coach Kat Conner has never felt more alive.
  “I walk out here and sometimes I think you’re taking this for granted because last year I wasn’t here,” Conner said.
  During a Texas State practice, Coach Conner is doing what she does best — coaching the Bobcats, but it’s with a new spirit only found on those with a second chance.
  “I feel like it’s my duty to live life. Just thrive through it,
  
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• Letter to budget writers: we need immediate raise for CPS caseworkers

  26-10-2016 05:33 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The heads of Child Protective Services and the Department of Family and Protective Services say they do not have enough CPS caseworkers to keep Texas children safe. Wednesday, Texas lawmakers will try to figure out where to get the money to take care of this crisis.
  Here’s a number to know: 171. That’s the number of children the state says died of neglect and abuse last year. A real fear is there are more cases that go unreported.
  The head of the Department
  
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• Austin ISD bus driver injured in crash with mailbox

  26-10-2016 05:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin ISD bus driver was injured Tuesday afternoon after crashing into a mailbox in southwest Austin.
  At around 4:15 p.m., first responders were called to the 6800 block of Fence Line Drive, near William Cannon Drive, for reports of a crash. The bus driver was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
  Two children were on board the bus at the time of the collision, but were uninjured. The parents came to the scene to pick up their children.
  Last mon
  
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• Small Texas businesses taking a stand against anti-LGBT legislation

  26-10-2016 04:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In Texas, more than 200 small businesses have written an open letter to state lawmakers saying they will not tolerate any kind of legislation that would mirror North Carolina’s controversial bathroom bill.
  Of the 200 businesses that signed the letter, 67 of them are right here in Austin, including B.D. Riley’s Irish Pub on Sixth Street.
  “Basically we’re saying, any legislation that discriminates or creates an air of discrimination, is simply bad
  
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• Doctors say new FDA approved tablets could cure some allergies

  26-10-2016 04:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – There is a new set of tablets out that could help with certain allergies.
  Doctors say the FDA approved tablets, which dissolve under the tongue, are still fairly new on the market. The tablets called Ragwitek, Grastek and Oralair target ragweed and grass allergies.
  Dr. Alexander Alvarez with the Allergy & Asthma Consultants says these tablets are a good option for those who hate shots and can’t go to see a doctor regularly. “They are a cure in a sense f
  
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• Trump’s narrow lead in Texas makes state a toss-up

  26-10-2016 03:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (NEXSTAR) — Election Day is just two weeks away and most national polls show Hillary Clinton is in the lead but Donald Trump claims he is winning and that the polls are rigged against him.
  “There is no evidence, at this point, that somehow the polls are being manipulated against Donald Trump, it’s a conspiracy fantasy,” said Jim Henson, Director of the Texas Politics Project.
  In Texas, the latest statewide survey shows Trump is ahead of his Democratic rival, but he
  
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• Texas researchers say distracted driving impacts your body

  26-10-2016 02:51 via kxan.com
  
  COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KPRC) Research is now being conducted to show the effects distracted driving has on our bodies.
  “We’ve found that people do get stressed out when they’re trying to do two things at once,” says Robert Wunderlich, with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. “And that in certain circumstances, particularly when they’re taking their eyes off the road, that their performance deteriorates.”
  Researchers at the Transportation Institu
  
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• Multiple K2, heroin overdoses reported in Austin

  26-10-2016 02:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin-Travis County EMS says two people were in cardiac arrest following heroin overdoses in Austin, part of multiple K2 incidents and heroin overdoses reported Tuesday night.
  Austin police, the fire department and EMS are at the scene of multiple incidents. The condition of those affected is not currently known.
  On Monday, 24 people were arrested and charged with dealing K2 near the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH). Eighteen people still have warrants out fo
  
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• No, #BallotSelfies are not allowed in Texas voting booths

  26-10-2016 02:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN/AP) — If you are so proud you made it to the polls you feel the urge to snap a picture of yourself in the voting booth, think again, if your in Texas.
  Texas law prohibits voters from using a “wireless communication device” or “any mechanical or electronic means of recording images or sound” within 100 feet of a voting station. Yes, that includes cell phones.
  “It’s okay to check messages while you’re standing in line, but put it away wh
  
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• Coach fired, team suspended after 19-year-old suits up for preteen football game

  26-10-2016 01:44 via kxan.com
  
  PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Spectators watching the Buccaneers team compete Sunday during a Rhode Island Preteen Football League game may have noticed a bizarre play on the field.
  Spotted among the 13- and 14-year-old players was a 19-year-old man who suited up to compete against players six years his junior. The man is reportedly the older brother of one of the team members.
  “I’m embarrassed, I feel disrespected,” said Alexandra Diaz, the team&rsqu
  
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• Travis County sheriff’s race revolves around ‘sanctuary city’ status

  26-10-2016 01:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — One of the candidates for Travis County sheriff says, if elected, she’ll stop cooperating with federal immigration officials at the county jail.
  Democrat Sally Hernandez wants to keep U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, out of the jail. In a statement to KXAN, she says, “I will change the current ICE policy to reflect our county’s progressive values and will prioritize the safety of all.”
  Her opponent, Republican Joe Martinez, says
  
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• Travis County sheriff’s race focuses on ‘sanctuary city’ status

  26-10-2016 01:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — One of the candidates for Travis County sheriff says, if elected, she’ll stop cooperating with federal immigration officials at the county jail.
  Democrat Sally Hernandez wants to keep U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, out of the jail. In a statement to KXAN, she says, “I will change the current ICE policy to reflect our county’s progressive values and will prioritize the safety of all.”
  Her opponent, Republican Joe Martinez, says
  
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• 2nd Georgetown mosquito sample in a week tests positive for West Nile

  26-10-2016 01:16 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — For the second time in a week, a mosquito trap sample in Georgetown has come back positive for West Nile Virus.
  The sample was collected last week in the Villages of Berry Creek neighborhood on the north side of the city, according to the Williamson County and Cities Health District. Last week, a mosquito sample collected north of downtown Georgetown tested positive for West Nile.
  The positive test was confirmed in lab results received Monday. The sample was
  
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• Reward for missing West Texas student reaches $100K

  26-10-2016 00:44 via kxan.com
  
  ALPINE, Texas (AP) — The family of a missing Sul Ross State University student says the reward for information leading to her whereabouts or safe return has grown to $100,000.
  Alpine police say searchers in the air, on foot and on horseback are looking for 22-year-old Zuzu Verk of Fort Worth. The junior has been missing since Oct. 12.
  Sul Ross State has about 2,100 students. President Bill Kibler on Thursday released a statement saying Verk’s disappearance has deeply affected the ent
  
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• Central Texas man gets probation for sex assault of girl, 12

  26-10-2016 00:44 via kxan.com
  
  BELTON, Texas (AP) — Authorities say a Central Texas man who pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl must serve 10 years of probation.
  George Karns Jr. of Holland was also sentenced Monday by a judge to 120 days in jail after earlier pleading guilty in the 2013 assault at his home.
  The Temple Daily Telegram reports Karns, who was 17 during the incident, was initially charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child.
  Investigators learned of the assault in 2014. Karns, who&r
  
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