Austin news

• Blue Santa volunteers deliver gifts for the holidays

  17-12-2016 23:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)- Saturday was the delivery day for the Austin Police Department’s Blue Santa Operation. Santa and his volunteer elves delivered presents for more than 14,000 Austin children who would otherwise be without gifts this year. This is the 44th year for the deliveries. In 1972, officers gave gifts to 20 families from the back of a patrol car.
  Santa told KXAN, “these are children that wouldn’t have Christmas, so for us to be able to deliver a child a Christmas dinner, th
  
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• Travis County DA declines any charges in 2015 West Lake High School investigation

  17-12-2016 23:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)- The Travis County District Attorney’s office will not press charges in a case of an alleged sexual assault involving West Lake High School students. That’s according to an announcement Saturday morning from the West Lake Hills Police Department.
  The department had suspended their investigation in the assault allegation in February 2016 because they were waiting for test results from the Department of Public Safety. The department says those results came back and were t
  
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• No charges expected in investigation involving Westlake High students

  17-12-2016 23:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Travis County District Attorney’s Office will not press charges in a case of an alleged sexual assault involving Westlake High School students. That’s according to an announcement Saturday morning from the West Lake Hills Police Department.
  The department had suspended their investigation in the assault allegation in February 2016 because they were waiting for test results from the Department of Public Safety. Police says those results came back and were tur
  
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• No charges expected in investigation involving West Lake High students

  17-12-2016 23:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)- The Travis County District Attorney’s office will not press charges in a case of an alleged sexual assault involving West Lake High School students. That’s according to an announcement Saturday morning from the West Lake Hills Police Department.
  The department had suspended their investigation in the assault allegation in February 2016 because they were waiting for test results from the Department of Public Safety. Police says those results came back and were turned ov
  
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• Weekend Gardener: Creating Compost

  17-12-2016 21:58 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Making your own compost for your garden can be easy and inexpensive.
  John Dromgoole with the Natural Gardener has some tips on creating compost.
  
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• Video of Oklahoma RB Mixon punching woman released

  17-12-2016 21:31 via kxan.com
  
  OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A video showing Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon punching a female student was released to The Associated Press on Friday.
  The Oklahoma Supreme Court ordered the release last week of a video that the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters sued to obtain.
  The Associated Press acquired videos showing two angles of the incident. One, which shows the altercation, is the video the OAB sued for. The other shows another angle of the incident.
  The video shows Amelia Molitor shove
  
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• Henry Heimlich, life-saving maneuver creator, dies at 96

  17-12-2016 21:05 via kxan.com
  
  CINCINNATI (AP) — The surgeon who created the life-saving Heimlich maneuver for choking victims died early Saturday in Cincinnati. Dr. Henry Heimlich was 96.
  His son, Phil, said he died at Christ Hospital after suffering a heart attack earlier in the week.
  “My father was a great man who saved many lives,” said Heimlich, an attorney and former Hamilton County commissioner. “He will be missed not only by his family but by all of humanity.”
  Heimlich was director of sur
  
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• UPS delivers assault rifle instead of toy for Christmas gift

  17-12-2016 19:30 via kxan.com
  
  OCEANSIDE, N.Y. (AP) — A New York couple was horrified when a UPS delivery that they thought was a Christmas present turned out to be an assault rifle.
  Newsday reports that Joel Berman opened the keyboard-sized case in front of his wife and 6-year-old granddaughter Wednesday night in Oceanside, on Long Island.
  Instead of a toy plane they were buying for their friend’s son, they found a semi-automatic rifle, scope, stand, ammo clip and copies of an Arizona man’s driver’s l
  
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• Fire erupts in downtown Georgetown restaurant

  17-12-2016 19:04 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) – The Georgetown Fire Department is at the scene of a fire in downtown Georgetown.
  The fire started at Eats on 8th Saturday morning.
  No further information has been released at this time.
  We have a crew at the scene and will provide more information as it becomes available.
  
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• Fire burns downtown Georgetown restaurant

  17-12-2016 19:04 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) – Georgetown Fire Department investigators are trying to figure out what started a fire at a downtown restaurant Saturday morning. The fire was at the Eats on 8th restaurant at the corner of 8th and Church Streets a block away from the Williamson County Court House.
  A restaurant employee told KXAN he heard a pop come from the upstairs kitchen, saw the fire and then left the building. We’re working to get information from the fire department about the dam
  
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• 2 adults, 3 children injured in crash on FM 812

  17-12-2016 17:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – A crash in Southeast Austin has sent 5  people to area hospitals Saturday morning.
  Austin-Travis County EMS responded to the crash on FM 812 and South U.S. Highway 183 at around 9:19 a.m.
  Medics have transported 2 adults to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, and 3 children to Dell Children’s Medical Center for medical treatment.
  EMS is asking to avoid the area if at all possible and for drivers to slow down if they are near the scene.
  
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• Volunteers needed for APD’s Blue Santa delivery day

  17-12-2016 16:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Austin Police Operation Blue Santa is in need of volunteers to help deliver packages to area families Saturday.
  Volunteers interested in participating do not need to sign up in advance. Packages can be picked up at the Operation Blue Santa headquarters at 4101 South Industrial Drive, suite 260.
  The following locations are also in need of volunteers:
  Robert T. Martinez Sr. Central East Substation at 812 Springdale Road, Austin, TX 78702
  Jaime Padron North Substation at 1
  
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• One dead, family of 7 injured in fiery New Braunfels crash

  17-12-2016 15:19 via kxan.com
  
  NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas (KXAN) – A man is dead and a family is injured after a fatal crash in New Braunfels Friday night.
  At around 10:46 p.m., New Branfels Police and the New Braunfels Fire Department were called to the crash at the 4800 block of North Interstate 35, near the intersection of Conrads Lane.
  According to the police investigation, a 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse exited the main lanes of Interstate 35 at a high rate of speed when the driver crashed to the back of an Explorer trave
  
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• Austin airport introduces nonstop flight to Pittsburgh

  17-12-2016 05:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin’s airport has added another nonstop destination, this time to “Steel City.”
  Friday, Allegiant Air launched direct service between Austin and Pittsburgh. The flight will operate twice a week.
  Allegiant says they are starting the flight because of Austin’s growing popularity as a tourist destination. Courtney Goff with the airline says, “Through our research we have seen that people up north especially in Pittsburgh have been wanting
  
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• Thousands in Corpus Christi still without water

  17-12-2016 05:10 via kxan.com
  
  CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (NEXSTAR) — Thousands of Texans remain without water Friday night. 
  Residents in Corpus Christi were told Wednesday to not “drink or use the tap water” because of a chemical spill that started at a local industrial plant.
  “Don’t drink it or even touch it.” That’s what the 300,000 residents in the coastal city were warned after a dangerous chemical called “asphalt emulsifier” made its way into the city&rsqu
  
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• More than the Score: One-on-one with Hank Carter

  17-12-2016 05:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Lake Travis football head coach Hank Carter does a one-one-one interview with KXAN’s Andrew Schnitker talking about their state title appearance and what makes Lake Travis a special place to coach at.
  
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• ‘John School’ would offer education over jail time for soliciting sex

  17-12-2016 04:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Travis County Attorney’s Office is hoping to complete its efforts to prevent prostitution crime by implementing an intervention education program for men arrested for soliciting illegal commercial sex.
  In 2015, the county started a prostitution prevention court, funded by the Governor’s Office, known as the Phoenix Court.
  “At that time, the vision was to have a court that served both sides of that issue,” explained Roger Jefferies, county ex
  
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• Austin charities want curbside clothing pickup contract canceled

  17-12-2016 03:36 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin plan to keep clothes out of the landfill has local charities worried and calling on the city to take action.
  Austin residents with curbside service can now get rid of clothes, kitchenware and toys with a curbside pickup service, which started this month. The for-profit Ohio company called Simple Recycling is behind the new service. The city approved a contract with the company to add the curbside pickups for free. Simple Recycling also has to pay the city $20
  
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• HEB issues Salmonella recall for tainted bakery items

  17-12-2016 03:12 via kxan.com
  
  SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KXAN) – If you’ve purchased any baked goods from an HEB store recently, you need to check the labels. Specifically, some cakes could be carrying some Salmonella tainted milk.
  HEB said the cakes, distributed by Dawn Food Products, Inc., contain High Heat Nonfat Dry Milk Powder from Valley Milk Products LLC.
  No one has reported any illnesses, but the products have been removed from stores. If you have them, return them to the store for a full refund.
  Custo
  
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• HEB issues Salmonella recall for potentially tainted bakery items

  17-12-2016 03:12 via kxan.com
  
  SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KXAN) – If you’ve purchased any baked goods from an HEB store recently, you need to check the labels. Specifically, some cakes could be carrying some Salmonella tainted milk.
  HEB said the cakes, distributed by Dawn Food Products, Inc., contain High Heat Nonfat Dry Milk Powder from Valley Milk Products LLC.
  No one has reported any illnesses, but the products have been removed from stores. If you have them, return them to the store for a full refund.
  Custo
  
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• HealthCare.gov moves sign up deadline to 1:59 AM Tuesday

  17-12-2016 02:18 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is giving consumers a few extra days to sign up on HealthCare.gov in time for health insurance coverage to take effect Jan. 1.
  The new deadline is 11:59 p.m. Pacific time or 1:59 a.m. our time on Monday, Dec. 19, says Kevin Counihan, CEO of the federal health insurance markets.
  The unexpected extension was announced after close of business Thursday. Counihan said it’s due to strong interest.
  The old deadline was Thursday.
  The Obama administr
  
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• The Oasis pedestrian traffic a ‘fatality waiting to happen,’ group warns

  17-12-2016 01:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Comanche Trail Community Association calls it “a fatality waiting to happen,” referring to growing pedestrian safety concerns surrounding The Oasis. Customers parking across the street have to cross Comanche Trail to get to the popular restaurant and shops overlooking Lake Travis.
  Carolyn Wilsford, a Comanche Trail Community Association board member, says more needs to be done, having witnessed several “close calls.”
  “More lightin
  
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• Breakthrough research at UT starves cancer cells

  17-12-2016 01:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin say they have found a way to cut off cancer’s food supply and watch it starve to death. The major breakthrough means a new cancer-fighting drug.
  Dr. Everett Stone is one of the researchers behind the drug called cyst(e)inase, which has treated prostate and breast cancers in animals and has shown to lengthen the lifespans in cases of leukemia. “We really believe it’s going to work well with existing drug
  
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• Drive gathers books featuring minority characters for East Austin

  17-12-2016 01:36 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A holiday book drive is gathering books that feature African-Americans, Latinos, Muslims and LGBT characters.
  The drive is a push from CounterBalance ATX, an Austin group of community advocates who say they want children to be exposed to different types of people and religions.
  “I think its really important for a child to see themselves, like I said, in the book, but also recognize that there are different types of people in this world, I think that&rsq
  
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• Man allegedly marries 2nd woman for green card, kills her

  17-12-2016 00:52 via kxan.com
  
  VISALIA, CA (AP) — A husband and wife who married in Mexico in 2007 have been charged with murdering another woman who the man married in California so the man could get legal permission to stay in the U.S., authorities said Wednesday.
  Francisco Valdivia, 37, and Rosalina Lopez, 39, were arrested Tuesday in connection with the June 9 disappearance of Cecelia Bravo. The suspects lived in the small central California city of Visalia, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office said.
  The body of
  
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