Austin news

• Georgetown teen still missing after going on morning run 15 years ago

  06-01-2017 23:37 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — Nearly 15 years after she disappeared, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office is still getting tips on Rachel Cooke. The 19-year-old vanished during her morning run in Georgetown on Jan. 10, 2002. Walking the streets of her old neighborhood where Rachel disappeared brings back a lot of memories for her mother, Janet Cooke.
  “Just makes you wonder what happened between here and the house.” Cooke says her daughter was last seen about 200 yards from
  
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• Man trying to hide DUI arrest buys hundreds of newspapers

  06-01-2017 23:23 via kxan.com
  
  PALMYRA, NY (AP) – The owner of a weekly upstate New York newspaper says a man bought hundreds of copies in an unsuccessful effort to keep people from reading about his drunken-driving arrest.
  State police arrested Joseph Talbot on Dec. 29 in Wayne County and charged him with driving while intoxicated.
  Police also charged him with refusing to be fingerprinted or photographed. They say he told troopers he didn’t want his mugshot in the newspaper.
  The 12,000-circulation Times of Wayne
  
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• Lockhart High parent accused of threatening students with a knife

  06-01-2017 22:35 via kxan.com
  
  LOCKHART, Texas (KXAN) — A Lockhart High School parent was arrested Thursday after police say she threatened students at the school.
  Lockhart police say around 4:30 p.m., they received reports of a woman on campus threatening two students with a knife. A letter sent home to parents indicate a crowd of students were in the parking lot when the altercation happened.
  When officers arrived, they arrested 43-year-old Chandra Murray. Police say the incident started as an altercation involvi
  
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• ‘Only by the grace of God that we’re alive:’ Man recounts airport shooting

  06-01-2017 22:17 via kxan.com
  
  FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (WCMH) — A Columbus man in Fort Lauderdale with his wife and mother-in-law says he stood just feet from the shooter at the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport Friday afternoon when shots rang out.
  “I heard a couple more pops and people on either side of where I was standing fell to the ground, they had been shot,” John Schlicher told NBC’s Lester Holt. “As I turned, I looked and saw the shooter standing in the middle of the kind of a hallway that ru
  
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• Travis County baby born with Zika-related defect

  06-01-2017 19:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A baby born back in September is Travis County’s first infant born with microcephaly as a result of congenital Zika virus. The Austin Public Health department received laboratory confirmation on the child earlier this week.
  The department says the mother emigrated from Central America in August 2016, the baby was born one month later. During her pregnancy, she reported experiencing an illness consistent with Zika virus. Health officials say the mother did not acq
  
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• ‘Multiple dead’ in Fort Lauderdale airport shooting

  06-01-2017 19:23 via kxan.com
  
  FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP/KXAN) — The Sheriff’s Office says numerous people are dead after a shooting broke out at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport around noon Friday. Officials say at least five people are dead and eight more have been taken to the hospital.
  One suspect is said to be in custody and wounded. NBC News reports the suspect is 26-year-old Esteban Santiago of New Jersey. Police are looking to see if there are any other people connected to the shooting.
  
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• Five dead, 8 injured in Fort Lauderdale airport shooting

  06-01-2017 19:23 via kxan.com
  
  FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP/KXAN) — The Sheriff’s Office says numerous people are dead after a shooting broke out at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport around noon Friday. Officials say at least five people are dead and eight more have been taken to the hospital.
  NBC News reports the suspect is 26-year-old Esteban Santiago of New Jersey; he is currently being questioned. A county official says Santiago pulled a gun out of a checked bag, loaded it in a bathroom and start
  
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• WATCH: Hilarious video ‘sums up motherhood in 34 seconds’

  06-01-2017 19:05 via kxan.com
  
  AMERICAN FORK, UT (WCMH) — A mom of quadruplets is summing up her life while taking refuge in her pantry, and the internet is loving it.
  Ashley Gardner just wanted a moments peace from the chaos of raising four toddler girls, so she posted a video of herself hiding in her kitchen pantry enjoying a licorice whip.
  “Mom desperately needed a treat to get through the rest of the night,” Garner says in her video. “Is that wrong?”
  Gardner goes on to show why she’s la
  
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• Round Rock police searching for Walmart hit, run suspect

  06-01-2017 19:00 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — A woman was walking in a Round Rock Walmart parking lot when she was hit by driver who quickly fled the scene. Police are now asking for help from the community to find the hit and run suspect.
  Around 8 p.m. on Dec. 17, the woman was hit at the Walmart on 2701 S Interstate 35. Surveillance video from the store captured the suspect speeding off after hitting the pedestrian.
  A witness told police the car has temporary dealership license plate tags. Anyone with info
  
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• Thieves slam truck into Houston shooting range to steal guns

  06-01-2017 18:45 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON, Texas (KXAN) — Smash and grab robberies are commonplace, but rarely did you see suspects back an entire truck into a business to steal items.
  Surveillance video from Marksman Indoor Range in Houston shows a pick-up truck plowing through one of the walls around 4 a.m. Thursday. Once the hole in the wall was made, police say the suspects made off with dozens of guns, pistols and high-powered rifles.
  Police have not arrested anyone in this burglary
  
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• US believes missing Houston journalist is alive, boosts parents’ hopes

  06-01-2017 18:42 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (AP) — The parents of a Houston journalist taken hostage in Syria in 2012 say their hope their son will come home safely has never wavered.
  That faith recently got a boost from U.S. officials, who told the family that they have high confidence Austin Tice is alive.
  Tice’s parents got the update about their son late last year from James O’Brien, President Obama’s Envoy for Hostage Affairs.
  Marc Tice, Austin Tice’s father, told The Associated Press during an i
  
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• Woman finds stranger sleeping in her bed in South Austin

  06-01-2017 18:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A woman came home on Jan. 4 to find a man sleeping in her bed.
  The man was arrested and has been identified as Robert Cummins, 35. According to the affidavit, Cummins was discovered in the bed around 11:25 p.m. along with Popeye’s chicken, an adult magazine, cigarettes, a glass pipe and what police believe to be marijuana.
  Cummins told police he was looking for a warm place to sleep and had been there for two days. The woman says she has never seen him before, bu
  
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• Delta cancels 350 flights ahead of winter storm

  06-01-2017 18:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — If you have a flight scheduled Friday, airlines are urging you to keep a close eye on changes to your flight due to the winter storm barreling down on the Southeast.
  Delta Airlines has canceled 350 flights ahead of the storm hitting Atlanta, home of Delta’s global headquarters and the world’s busiest airport. Delta said it had canceled the flights “pre-emptively” ahead of the storm.
  Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport spokesman
  
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• SeaWorld: Tilikum, orca that killed trainer, has died

  06-01-2017 16:40 via kxan.com
  
  ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tilikum, an orca that killed a trainer at SeaWorld Orlando in 2010, has died.
  Sea World says in a statement posted online that Tilikum died Friday. A cause of death had not yet been determined, though the orca was being treated for a persistent bacterial infection. He was estimated to be 36 years old.
  Tilikum was profiled in the documentary “Blackfish,” which helped sway popular opinion against keeping killer whales in captivity at SeaWorld parks.
  As SeaWor
  
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• VIDEO: Fredericksburg Boy Scout leader eats ghost peppers for fundraiser

  06-01-2017 15:03 via kxan.com
  
  FREDERICKSBURG, Texas (KXAN) — A Scoutmaster for a Fredericksburg Boy Scout troop took on a fiery challenge to raise money for the troop.
  In the YouTube video you can see Johnny scarfing down 23 ghost peppers to benefit Troop 137. The troop works to offer scholarships for Boy Scouts’ uniforms, gear, trips and adventures.
  Johnny took on the challenge hoping the video would help raise awareness for the troop in need of money.
  You can donate to Troop 137 here
  The Boy Scouts of Ame
  
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• VIDEO: Boy Scout leader eats 23 ghost peppers for fundraiser

  06-01-2017 15:03 via kxan.com
  
  FREDERICKSBURG, Texas (KXAN) — An Assistant Scoutmaster for a Fredericksburg Boy Scout troop took on a fiery challenge to raise money.
  In the YouTube video you can see Johnny scarfing down 23 ghost peppers to benefit Troop 137. The troop works to offer scholarships for Boy Scouts’ uniforms, gear, trips and adventures.
  Johnny took on the challenge hoping the video would help raise awareness for the troop’s need for scholarship money. However, 23 hours after the challenge,
  
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• Bastrop bridges reopen after ice reported on the road

  06-01-2017 13:59 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP (KXAN) — Bridges in Bastrop County have reopened after reports of ice on the road.
  Icy conditions had State Highway 71 at State Highway 21, and State Highway 71 at Farm to Market 20 closed for nearly two hours Friday morning. Bastrop County emergency crews say light freezing drizzle or rain is expected until 9 a.m.
  There have been multiple crashes on the highways near the bridges. EMS is reporting crashes on SH 71 at SH 21, and on SH 71 at FM 20. Slippery conditions also caused a c
  
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• Bastrop bridges reopen after ice on the road

  06-01-2017 13:59 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP (KXAN) — Bridges in Bastrop County have reopened after ice coated several roads posing a danger for drivers Friday morning.
  TxDOT says crews are working to treat bridges with sand in Bastrop and Lee counties to cut down on slippery roads.
  Icy conditions had State Highway 71 at State Highway 21, and State Highway 71 at Farm to Market 20 closed for nearly two hours. Bastrop County emergency crews say light freezing drizzle or rain is expected until 11 a.m.
  There have been multiple cr
  
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• Surprising late night snack may help you sleep better

  06-01-2017 13:40 via kxan.com
  
  (WFLA) — A recent study is suggesting late night fruit snacks may actually be better than the historic milk choice.
  The Advances in Nutrition study found eating kiwis and cherries will help you sleep better.
  Specifically, eating two kiwis one hour before bedtime was found to help adults with self-reported insomnia fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
  Also, drinking one cup of tart cherry juice in the morning and night helped insomnia and reduced unfortunate wake-ups. The two stu
  
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• Yahoo deletes tweet that included racial slur

  06-01-2017 13:36 via kxan.com
  
  CA (AP) —  Yahoo Finance says it accidentally tweeted out a racial epithet when promoting a story about the cost of President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to increase the size of the U.S. Navy.
  The headline for the story on Yahoo Finance is, “Trump Wants a Much Bigger Navy: Here’s How Much It’ll Cost.” But when it was tweeted Thursday, the word “bigger” had an `n’ as its first letter instead of a `b.’
  The tweet was deleted and Yahoo
  
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• Akins High Schools wins $10,000 in McDonald’s contest

  06-01-2017 13:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Akins High School received $10,000 from local McDonald’s owners.
  The school took part in the franchise’s “lovin’ school spirit” hashtag contest during the fall and came out on top. All McDonald’s operators in the Austin-area are locally owned, which is why they decided to give back to the community where they live and work.
  “We feel like education is very important to us. That’s why we have programs like scholarship programs,
  
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• VIDEO: Flurries falling outside the KXAN studio

  06-01-2017 12:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — With a wintry mix sweeping across the radar has some flurries falling in Austin!
  However, the air is so dry Austinites won’t be waking up to wintry wonderland. Drivers should be wary of ice freezing on windshields as they head out for their morning commutes.
  Interactive radar
  A Special Weather Statement has been issued the National Weather Services. They say Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Hays, Lee, Travis, and Williamson Counties should expect light freezing driz
  
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• Feds issue decision on operating plan for Rio Grande

  06-01-2017 12:45 via kxan.com
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Federal officials have signed off on a plan that spells out how the Rio Grande will be allocated and delivered to users in southern New Mexico and Texas over the next three decades.
  The Bureau of Reclamation announced that the record of decision regarding the river’s operating agreement was signed Thursday and that accounting and operation of the system will continue as it has for the past several years.
  A decision is still pending on renewal of a contract to
  
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• Texas schools get first look at A-F rating system

  06-01-2017 12:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Education Agency has released their new system for school ratings. The Texas Legislature passed a bill during the 2015 legislative session that aims to change the Texas school accountability system to make it easier to understand how schools stack up by giving an A through F rating.
  Currently, schools are rated on a pass, fail system. TEA officials say Friday’s release of the ratings are not the official grade for schools, instead more of a test run of the n
  
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• Texas Education changing the way schools are ranked

  06-01-2017 12:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Education Agency will release a new system for school ratings on Friday. The Texas Legislature passed a bill during the 2015 legislative session that aims to change the Texas school accountability system to make it easier to understand how schools stack up by giving an A through F rating.
  Currently, schools are rated on a pass, fail system. TEA officials say Friday’s release of the ratings are not the official grade for schools, instead more of a test run of
  
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• Texas changing the way schools are graded

  06-01-2017 12:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Education Agency will release a new system for school ratings on Friday. The Texas Legislature passed a bill during the 2015 legislative session that aims to change the Texas school accountability system to make it easier to understand how schools stack up by giving an A through F rating.
  Currently, schools are rated on a pass, fail system. TEA officials say Friday’s release of the ratings are not the official grade for schools, instead more of a test run of
  
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• Look up your school’s 2016 TEA accountability rating

  06-01-2017 10:00 via kxan.com
  
  Look up your school’s 2016 TEA Accountability Rating
  App Users: Tap here to launch search
  Click here to load this Caspio Cloud Database 
  About the TEA’s accountability system
  Schools earn either a Met Standard, Met Alternative Standard or Improvement Required rating based on their performance in four key indices:
  Index 1: Student Achievement provides a snapshot of performance across subjects.
  Index 2: Student Progress measures year-to-year student progress.
  Index 3: Closing
  
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• Officers cleaning up crash urge drivers to slow down on RM 2222

  06-01-2017 06:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) —  Drivers taking Ranch to Market 2222 Thursday morning received a visual reminder of how quickly things can take a bad turn behind the wheel.
  Austin police say the driver of a black SUV crossed the center line and hit a white SUV near The County Line BBQ just east of 360, resulting in a rollover.
  One of APD’s motorcycle officers tweeted an update from the scene.Everyone is "ok". B careful w/ crews while we clear it up! This is why we work speed on 2222!
  
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• Mother accused of stabbing, mutilating 5-year-old daughter in Kyle

  06-01-2017 05:13 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — A mother is accused of stabbing her 5-year-old daughter to death at a home in Kyle on Thursday, in what Sheriff Gary Cutler called probably the most horrific case in the history of Hays County.
  The mother, 24-year-old Krystle Villanueva, has been charged with capital murder for the death of Giovanna Hernandez, who was mutilated, police say.
  At 12:51 p.m., Hays County Sheriff’s deputies received a 911 call reporting an aggravated assault at a house on Willow Terra
  
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• Mother accused of stabbing 5-year-old daughter to death in Kyle

  06-01-2017 05:13 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — A mother is accused of stabbing her 5-year-old daughter to death at a home in Kyle on Thursday, in what Sheriff Gary Cutler called probably the most horrific case in the history of Hays County.
  The mother, 24-year-old Krystle Villanueva, has been charged with capital murder for the death of Giovanna Hernandez, who was mutilated, police say.
  At 12:51 p.m., Hays County Sheriff’s deputies received a 911 call reporting an aggravated assault at a house on Willow Terra
  
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• 5-year-old girl killed in Kyle; mother in custody

  06-01-2017 05:13 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — A 5-year-old girl was killed Thursday in Kyle.
  At 12:51 p.m., Hays County Sheriff’s deputies received a 911 call reporting an aggravated assault at a house on Willow Terrace in the Green Pastures subdivision of Kyle.
  Deputies arrived and found a 58-year-old man with multiple stab wounds. The man said a woman in the house had stabbed him. He told deputies the woman’s daughter was injured during the assault. Hays County SWAT team entered the house and found t
  
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• 5-year-old girl killed in Kyle aggravated assault

  06-01-2017 05:13 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — A 5-year-old girl was killed Thursday in Kyle.
  At 12:51 p.m., Hays County Sheriff’s deputies received a 911 call reporting an aggravated assault at a house on Willow Terrace in the Green Pastures subdivision of Kyle.
  Deputies arrived and found a 58-year-old man with multiple stab wounds. The man said a woman in the house had stabbed him. He told deputies the woman’s daughter was injured during the assault. Hays County SWAT team entered the house and found t
  
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• More than the score: Texas Stars

  06-01-2017 05:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Stars head coach Derek Laxdal joins Chris Tavarez on More than the score to talk about this weekend’s homestand and why Texas plays a special role in his career.
  
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• Acevedo: ‘All hands on deck’ for Super Bowl LI in Houston

  06-01-2017 04:47 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (KXAN) — Exactly one month from Thursday, Houston will host the 51st Super Bowl.
  The city’s new police chief, Austin’s former Chief Art Acevedo, addressed concerns about the number of officers available for the big event.
  “What was projected in terms of retirements, we’re not seeing those numbers,” he said. “There’s fewer people signing up than we thought there were gonna be.”
  Acevedo continued, “Everybody that has a badge, ever
  
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• Colleagues remember Round Rock woman killed in murder-suicide

  06-01-2017 04:13 via kxan.com
  
  CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) — Friends and coworkers of the Round Rock woman authorities say was killed last week by her husband are remembering the woman they knew and loved through a makeshift memorial at their store, before she is laid to rest on Friday.
  Law enforcement officers say Van Chau, 47, was shot and killed by her husband, Kiet Chau, 53, before he took his own life, on Dec. 29. Deputies with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office were called to the family’s home around
  
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• Colleagues remember Round Rock woman killed by husband in murder-suicide

  06-01-2017 04:13 via kxan.com
  
  CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) — Friends and coworkers of the Round Rock woman authorities say was killed last week by her husband are remembering the woman they knew and loved through a makeshift memorial at their store, before she is laid to rest on Friday.
  Law enforcement officers say Van Chau, 47, was shot and killed by her husband, Kiet Chau, 53, before he took his own life, on Dec. 29. Deputies with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office were called to the family’s home around
  
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• Breaking down what the so-called ‘Bathroom Bill’ means for Texans

  06-01-2017 03:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The real name of the so-called “Bathroom Bill,” is the Texas Privacy Act. It was filed by State Senator Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, as Senate Bill 6. It is a priority and major talking point for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick but he cannot file legislation as president of the Senate. He rarely gets to vote on bills.
  The Texas Privacy Act is one of the most anticipated and controversial ideas ahead of the 2017 legislative session. Many sides on this issue cla
  
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• Breaking down the Texas Privacy Act, the so-called ‘Bathroom Bill’

  06-01-2017 03:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The real name of the so-called “Bathroom Bill,” is the Texas Privacy Act. It was filed by State Senator Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, as Senate Bill 6. It is a priority and major talking point for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick but he cannot file legislation as president of the Senate. He rarely gets to vote on bills.
  The Texas Privacy Act is one of the most anticipated and controversial ideas ahead of the 2017 legislative session. Many sides on this issue cla
  
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• Passengers at Austin airport can buy ‘affordable’ carbon offsets

  06-01-2017 02:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — For $2 every thousand miles, passengers flying out of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport can help make air travel environmentally sustainable.
  Passengers who opt in to the Good Traveler Program get to choose where their dollars go: a wind farm and forestry project in the Colorado Delta Restoration or Congo/Zambia deforestation projects.
  “During construction, we used recycled materials,” said Jim Halbrook, ABIA spokesperson. “We opened this airport with
  
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• Utility faces penalty for wastewater release in nature preserve

  06-01-2017 01:42 via kxan.com
  
  BEE CAVE, Texas (KXAN) — A Travis County public utility is facing thousands of dollars in fines for environmental violations that included the release of nearly 2 million gallons of treated wastewater into the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve last year, according to records obtained by KXAN.
  The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality proposed the $10,000 penalty against the West Travis County Public Utility Agency. The utility’s general manager, Robert Pugh, confirmed it&nb
  
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• Tom Herman discusses finalizing staff, vision for Texas football

  06-01-2017 01:38 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Tom Herman completed his first coaching staff at Texas on Tuesday with the announcement of Tim Beck and Stan Drayton’s hiring.
  But the two hires were received with mixed emotions. While Drayton’s hiring as the running backs coach/run game coordinator/associate head coach was praised, Beck’s addition as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach was met with skepticism, especially since the last game Beck coached in was Ohio State’s shutout loss to
  
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• Police: Principal admits stealing nude images from students

  06-01-2017 00:45 via kxan.com
  
  LOUISVILLE, KY (AP) — A fired Kentucky high school principal has admitted to seizing students’ phones so that he could steal pornographic images and trade them online, investigators said.
  Stephen Kyle Goodlett, 36, of Elizabethtown, was indicted Wednesday in Louisville on federal charges of possessing and transporting child pornography. Last month, he pleaded not guilty to 63 state felony child porn charges.
  Goodlett admitted to Kentucky State Police investigators that he has a porno
  
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• Drug bust at home near Lake Travis uncovers 88 bags of cocaine

  06-01-2017 00:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Cedar Park police investigators helped bring half a pound of cocaine off the streets Wednesday morning.
  Officers and agents with the Central Texas Regional SWAT Team, ATF, DEA, ICE and DPS served the search warrant that resulted in the arrest of Horacio Estrada-Casas, 47, who was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. The warrant was the result of an investigation into the distribution of cocaine by multiple people.
  At 4:30 a.m.
  
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• Sears sells Craftsman brand, Macy’s closing dozens of stores

  06-01-2017 00:23 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP/KXAN) — Sears is selling its well-known Craftsman brand to Stanley Black & Decker Inc., which plans to grow the tool brand by selling its products at more stores. Currently, only 10 percent of Craftsman products are sold outside of Sears-owned department stores. Sears will continue to sell Craftsman products at its stores, including Kmart and Sears Hometown.
  Stanley will pay about $900 million for Craftsman, which includes $525 million when the deal closes this year, $250
  
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