Austin news

• Woman killed in double hit-and-run in north Austin identified

  06-02-2017 23:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The woman killed by a suspect who drove into a group in a north Austin parking lot, then returned to hit them again, has been identified.
  At around 2:57 a.m. Sunday, first responders were called to Galewood Drive, near the intersection of US 183 and Payton Gin Road. The caller to 911 said a car was hitting people in the parking lot.
  Austin-Travis County EMS arrived first and found a woman who was dead, identified as Ernestina Limon-Ocana, 36, and another woman who was
  
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• Alcohol may have played a part in deadly south Austin shooting

  06-02-2017 23:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police are trying to determine what led up to a deadly shooting at an apartment complex in south Austin early Saturday morning.
  Police say they were called to the Cannon Place Apartments, located at 1500 W. William Cannon Dr., just before 1 a.m. for a shooting. When they arrived, they found a man in his 40s with a gunshot wound and another man with minor injuries. The gunshot wound victim was taken to the hospital where he died a short time later. The other man was t
  
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• Remains identified as missing West Texas college student

  06-02-2017 23:37 via kxan.com
  
  ALPINE, Texas (KMID) — The remains found just outside of Alpine, Texas Friday have been identified as Zuzu Verk, officials announced in Brewster County.
  Another man, Chris Estrada, has also been arrested and authorities have more persons of interest, Alpine police said.
  Officials found the remains last weekend in a “shallow grave,” which was about three feet deep, and sent them off to be identified.
  “Its a disgrace,” Sheriff Ronny Dodson said regarding the case. &ld
  
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• Lt. gov. blasts coverage of ‘fear-mongering’ Bathroom Bill study

  06-02-2017 23:08 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — “There is no evidence whatsoever that the passage of Senate Bill 6 will have any economic impact in Texas,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Monday afternoon, in a rebuke of both the study that estimated Texas losses for passage of the “Bathroom Bill” at up to $8.5 billion and the news media that reported the study.
  Citing a PolitiFact Texas finding that the $8.5 billion claim made in a study commissioned by the Texas Association of Business (TAB)
  
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• Racist receipt targets San Antonio restaurant owner

  06-02-2017 22:12 via kxan.com
  
  SAN ANTONIO, Texas (NBC News) –  Staffers at a San Antonio restaurant are concerned and disappointed after they found a receipt from a customer saying they would not be coming back because the owner is Mexican.
  “The food was tasty and the service was attentive,” the note reads. “However the owner is Mexican. We will not return. America first.”
  “Something like this is a slap in the face,” says Di Frabo Italian restaurant owner Fernando Franco.
  H
  
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• FACT CHECK: Judge claims no arrests have been made from travel ban countries

  06-02-2017 21:19 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) – The federal judge who halted President Donald Trump’s travel ban was wrong in stating that no one from the seven countries targeted in Trump’s order has been arrested for extremism in the United States since the 2001 terrorist attacks.
  Just last October, an Iraqi refugee living in Texas pleaded guilty to attempting to provide support to the Islamic State group, accused of taking tactical training and wanting to blow himself up in an act of martyrdom. In Novemb
  
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• Texas Rangers called in to help find Tom Brady’s missing jersey

  06-02-2017 20:32 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (KXAN) — The Texas Rangers is stepping in to help find Tom Brady’s missing jersey, which he wore during Super Bowl LI in Houston. Brady says the jersey disappeared from the New England Patriots locker room after the game.
  “I put it in my bag and I came out and it wasn’t there anymore,” Brady said during a news conference. “It’s unfortunate, because that’s a nice piece of memorabilia.” Brady joked that he expects to see it show up in a
  
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• Judge orders no sex until marriage for man after he’s convicted of rape

  06-02-2017 20:31 via kxan.com
  
  TWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP) – An Idaho judge has ordered a 19-year-old man not to have sex with anyone before he marries as part of his sentencing for statutory rape of a 14-year-old girl.
  Judge Randy Stoker sentenced Cody Duane Scott Herrera of Twin Falls to five to 15 years in prison, but he suspended the sentence for a one-year rider program. If the unmarried Herrera completes the program, he’ll be released on probation, which requires celibacy unless he weds. Herrera received the sent
  
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• VIDEO: Meteor lights up the Midwest sky

  06-02-2017 19:27 via kxan.com
  
  MILWAUKEE, Wis (KXAN) — A meteor streaked across the sky in the Midwest and it was caught on numerous cameras.
  The National Weather Service says the flash was seen by people from Iowa to Indiana around 1:30 a.m. Monday. One person in Oshkosh, Wis. said it shook their home.
  The American Meteor Society says the preliminary trajectory shows the meteor was traveling southwest to northeast and ended somewhere between Sheboygan and Manitowoc.
  It’s unclear if any part of the object made it
  
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• Dog deemed hero after giving life to save owner from a fire

  06-02-2017 19:06 via kxan.com
  
  GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) – An early morning fire in Greenville left nearly 20 people without a home and sent four people, including a first responder, to the hospital.
  Now two families are without more than just belongings.
  Just after 1 a.m. Saturday morning, Marc Martinez got a call, his little girl, Karina was in trouble.
  “My wife gets a phone call and it’s very very chaotic [cause] she has her on speaker phone and my daughter is very, very distraught she was screaming that th
  
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• TxDOT launches website to help drivers navigate I-35

  06-02-2017 18:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Construction along Interstate 35 in Central Texas is expected to be ongoing for the next two 10 to 15 years. Which means, the traffic situation won’t be improving any time soon.
  In an effort to minimize impacts and keep drivers informed of the work being done in Williamson, Travis and Hays counties, the Texas Department of Transportation launched a new website, www.My35Construction.org. The new site gives drivers information on upcoming lane closures, crashes and
  
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• Austin teen robbed of Air Jordans on his way to school

  06-02-2017 18:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — “Give me what you got or I’ll pull the trigger,” shouted a robbery suspect at an Austin teen on his way to school, according to the affidavit.
  A 14-year-old boy told police he was threatened and robbed at gunpoint on Feb. 3 around 8 a.m. The suspect, identified as 23-year-old Benito Rodriguez, is accused of pointing a handgun at the boy’s stomach and demanding that he hand over his belongings.
  Fearing for his life, the teen said he handed over his ph
  
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• Austin police rolling out new ballistic vests

  06-02-2017 17:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Austin Police Department and the police union will be handing out new, heavier ballistic vests to officers Monday.
  The Austin Police Association president made the plea for the more expensive ballistic vests last summer after the attack on police officers in Dallas. An officer would only don the ballistic vests during a critical incident such as an active shooter. Most officers would store the extra 20 pounds of gear in their patrol vehicle.
  “In the past, this has
  
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• ‘Haze’ on board American Airlines plane at ABIA grounds flight

  06-02-2017 16:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin flight heading to New York was grounded after smoke was reportedly spotted in an American Airlines plane, according to a passenger.
  Austin Fire Department is at ABIA assessing the situation (KXAN Viewer Photo/ Margaret Ricke)The flight was heading down the tarmac when the pilot announced that “haze in the cabin” was going to keep them grounded. The flight 2183 is now back to the gate and the passengers have disembarked.
  Initially, the flight staff
  
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• American Airlines flight diverted due to ‘haze’ on the plane

  06-02-2017 16:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin flight heading to New York was diverted after smoke was reportedly spotted in an American Airlines plane, according to a passenger.
  Austin Fire Department is at ABIA assessing the situation (KXAN Viewer Photo/ Margaret Ricke)The flight was heading down the tarmac when the pilot announced that “haze in the cabin” was going to keep them grounded. The flight 2183 is now back to the gate and the passengers have disembarked.
  Initially, the flight staff told
  
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• Police release new numbers on cases impacted by DNA lab freezer break

  06-02-2017 16:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Almost a year later, the Austin Public Safety Commission is learning more about the DNA lab freezer break that lasted six days jeopardizing numerous cases.
  The Austin Police DNA lab has been shut down since June, due to a lack of properly trained staff, but a memo obtained by KXAN shows problems with the lab also extend to equipment failure from March 2016. During that time, the maintenance manager determined the freezer reached temperatures as warm as 8
  
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• APD releases new stats on cases impacted by DNA lab freezer break

  06-02-2017 16:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Almost a year later, the Austin Public Safety Commission is learning more about the DNA lab freezer break that lasted six days jeopardizing numerous cases.
  The Austin Police DNA lab has been shut down since June, due to a lack of properly trained staff, but a memo obtained by KXAN shows problems with the lab also extend to equipment failure from March 2016. During that time, the maintenance manager determined the freezer reached temperatures as warm as 8
  
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• VIDEO: 12-year-old Yemeni girl reunited with family in U.S.

  06-02-2017 14:10 via kxan.com
  
  (KRON)— A South Bay family is celebrating Sunday night after their young daughter is finally allowed to enter the country.
  The 12-year-old’s visa was stalled by President Trump’s immigration order.
  Her parents and two sisters are U.S. citizens, but she was born abroad in Yemen.
  That’s where she’s been most of her life apart from her family here because of a technicality in immigration law.
  KRON4’s Hermela Aregawi has the family’s story.
  Eman Ali arrives
  
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• Austin ISD school bus involved in east Austin crash

  06-02-2017 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin ISD school bus was involved in a crash on Loyola Lane and Millrace Drive, according to Austin — Travis County EMS.
  There were four students on board at the time of the crash around 6 a.m.
  Austin police said no one was injured in the crash.
  We are working to get more information. 
  
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• Pet python gets stuck in Portland woman’s gauge

  06-02-2017 13:53 via kxan.com
  
  PORTLAND, ORE (KXAN/KGW) — A Portland woman and her pet python are okay after what she says was a terrifying ordeal.
  “I kind of went into shock,” says Ashley Glawe. “I started shaking.”
  Glawe was taking selfies with her pet snake Bart when he attempted a new trick. Bart slithered into Glawe’s gauge, a small hole in her earlobe.
  Unable to get him out of her ear, Glawe called for help. Firefighters reportedly rushed over to her house, but needed additional assis
  
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• ‘Stranger Things’ season 2 set to hit Netflix on Halloween

  06-02-2017 13:19 via kxan.com
  
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Netflix has used the Super Bowl to announce the return of “Stranger Things.”
  Last summer’s 1980s-set science-fiction hit for the streaming service will return for a second season on Halloween later this year.
  Netflix previewed the season in a trailer that debuted during Sunday night’s Super Bowl. It opened with what looked like an eighties-era TV commercial before showing a montage of scenes from season two.
  “Stranger Things” earned hi
  
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• Flu season surge has outbreaks spreading wider than last year

  06-02-2017 13:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Offices and classrooms are filled with a cacophony of coughing this time of year.
  It is the height of flu season and right now the country is in a middle of a surge. The Center for Disease Control says flu activity is higher this year than last year and considerably more widespread within each state. According to the CDC, flu cases peak between December and March, sometimes lasting until May.
  Center for Disease Control map of flu outbreaks (Courtesy: CDC)The map above
  
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• States cite `chaos’ in Trump’s refugee order

  06-02-2017 12:59 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawyers for Washington state and Minnesota have told a federal appellate court it would “unleash chaos again” if it lifted an order temporarily halting President Donald Trump’s ban on refugees and travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States.
  In briefs filed early Monday morning with the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Washington state and Minnesota said Trump’s travel ban harmed re
  
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• Suspect hits officer with car leading to shooting, chase in east Austin

  06-02-2017 11:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A DWI suspicion and officer involved shooting led to a police chase in east Austin around 12:30 a.m. Monday morning.
  Austin Police Chief Brian Manley says the incident began when the suspect was approached by police for a DWI suspicion. The driver, a 25-year-old Hispanic man, immediately drove backwards knocking the officer down on the ground and underneath his vehicle. At this point the backup officer saw the first officer knocked down and go under the vehicle. The officer
  
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• Police: DWI suspect runs over cop, second officer opens fire in an attempt to stop driver

  06-02-2017 11:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A routine traffic stop for a suspected DWI driver ended up in an officer-involved shooting and a police chase in east Austin around 12:30 a.m. Monday morning.
  Austin Police Chief Brian Manley says the incident began when an officer tried to pull over at 25-year-old Hispanic man for possible DWI on Airport Boulevard. Manley said the driver refused to stop and led the officer on a short chase where he pulled over on Marks Street, near Munson Street. As the officer approached
  
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• Police: DWI suspect runs over cop, 2nd officer opens fire on driver

  06-02-2017 11:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A routine traffic stop for a suspected DWI driver ended up in an officer-involved shooting and a police chase in east Austin around 12:30 a.m. Monday morning.
  Austin Police Chief Brian Manley says the incident began when an officer tried to pull over a 25-year-old Hispanic man for a possible DWI on Airport Boulevard. Manley said the driver refused to stop and led the officer on a short chase where he pulled over on Marks Street, near Munson Street. As the officer approached
  
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• Officer involved shooting leads to police chase in east Austin

  06-02-2017 11:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A DWI suspicion and officer involved shooting led to a police chase in east Austin around 2 a.m. Friday morning.
  Austin Police Chief Brian Manley says the incident began when the suspect was approached by police for a DWI suspicion. The driver, a 25-year-old Hispanic man, immediately drove backwards knocking the officer down on the ground and underneath his vehicle. At this point the backup officer saw the first officer knocked down and go under the vehicle. The officer use
  
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• Photo: Simone Biles confirms Shaq is uhh … tall

  06-02-2017 11:24 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR MEDIA) — Olympic gold medalist/gymnastics superstar/American sweetheart Simone Biles helped “Inside Edition” showcase Houston — her hometown – for Super Bowl LI.
  While working as a correspondent, Biles stopped for a quick photo op with former NBA great Shaquille O’Neal, who is uhh … taller than Biles.hey shaq pic.twitter.com/YCrSufiyk7
  — Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) February 5, 2017
  Biles stands 4-foot-8, Shaq is 7-foot-1, and both set st
  
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• Patriots pull off incredible comeback to win Super Bowl LI

  06-02-2017 04:31 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (KXAN) — The New England Patriots win Super Bowl LI 34-28 over the Atlanta Falcons in the first overtime game in the Super Bowl’s history.
  Patriots running back James White scored the game-winning touchdown on the first possession of overtime.
  It’s fifth Super Bowl victory for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick. Brady becomes the first five-time Super Bowl winning QB in NFL history.
  
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• Texas senator looks to scrap funds that lure business to Texas

  06-02-2017 04:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The state set aside more than $25 million to reimburse Houston for hosting the Super Bowl. The Houston Super Bowl Committee estimates the game and surrounding events will bring in $31 million in city and state tax revenue. Now, some state senators now have their eyes set on cutting the funds meant to lure business and events to Texas.
  The Texas Enterprise Fund and Texas Major Events Trust Fund have both been around since 2003. The Enterprise Fund has given out more than $60
  
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• The best of Super Bowl 51’s ads

  06-02-2017 03:44 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP/WCMH) — A feature of several Super Bowl ads as an expected 110 million tune in to watch the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots face off:
  ___
  9:00 p.m.
  Snickers generated buzz before the game by saying it planned to air a live ad starring Adam Driver from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and the TV show “Girls.”
  In the ad that aired, a set that falls apart — on purpose — during a Wild West live spot with Driver.
  “You ruin live Super
  
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• Austin’s Chinatown Center rings in ‘Year of the Rooster’

  06-02-2017 03:38 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Mayor Steve Adler lit traditional firecrackers Sunday, part of the Chinatown Center’s Lunar New Year celebration, ringing in the Year of the Rooster.
  The celebration featured performances through the day, including the Dragon and Lion Dance Teams, at the Chinatown Center pagoda.
  “It is the diversity that gives our city its fabric, its magic, its shades and tones and sounds,” Adler said. “This is what Austin is.”
  
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• Looking ahead to Super Bowl LII

  06-02-2017 01:19 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (NEXSTAR MEDIA) — Super Bowl LI is almost in the history books, and soon it’ll be time to start thinking about Super Bowl LII. There’s already a buzz in Houston about Minneapolis 2018.
  The eyes of the football world are on Houston this week. At this time next year, they’ll be on Minneapolis.
  “We’re embracing the theme of the Bold North,” Andrea Mokros, Vice President of Communication and Events of Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee, said. &
  
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• Football teams aren’t the only ones working hard in Houston

  06-02-2017 01:16 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR MEDIA) — Everywhere you look, everywhere you go, Super Bowl fans are using their phones.
  Super Bowl Sunday is an experience and people are on their phones capturing the moment.
  In fact, Verizon has been preparing three years for the demand.
  They’ve increased capacity 450 percent in the most congested areas in Houston like the convention center and stadium.
  “What you’ll see is these towers, if you will, and what they do [is] they allow for more bandwidth to make c
  
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