Austin news

• Hostage held at gunpoint for days 40 years ago speaks for first time

  07-02-2017 23:58 via kxan.com
  
  INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — On Feb. 8, 1977 Richard Hall was in his downtown office at Meridian Mortgage when the unimaginable happened. A disgruntled customer came in with a shotgun and took him hostage. For the next three days, he was held at gunpoint at the mercy of his attacker. 40 years later, he’s sharing his story publicly for the first time.
  In order to tell this story, 24-Hour News 8 had to dig deep into its archives. 40 years ago, it was a hostage situation that not just Hoosiers
  
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• Young Lockhart ISD students bringing weapons to school

  07-02-2017 23:01 via kxan.com
  
  LOCKHART, Texas (KXAN) — For the third time in two months, a young student has brought a weapon to school in Lockhart ISD from home, officials say.
  The district warned that bringing weapons to school can lead to significant consequences, both at school and potentially with law enforcement, leading to “long-lasting negative effects on children.”
  Friday morning, a young student at AB Strawn Elementary in Dale found an airsoft pistol in his backpack while putting his jacket a
  
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• Army to allow completion of Dakota Access oil pipeline under reservoir

  07-02-2017 22:56 via kxan.com
  
  BISMARCK, ND (AP) — The Army told Congress on Tuesday that it will allow the $3.8 billion Dakota Access oil pipeline to cross under a Missouri River reservoir in North Dakota, completing the disputed four-state project.
  The Army intends to allow the Lake Oahe crossing as early as Wednesday, according to court documents the Justice Department filed that include letters to members of Congress from Deputy Assistant Army Secretary Paul Cramer.
  The stretch under Lake Oahe is the final big chunk
  
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• Threat found written at Westlake High deemed ’empty’

  07-02-2017 22:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Authorities have found the person they believe wrote a bomb threat on the bathroom wall at Westlake High School.
  The Travis County Sheriff’s Office say they were notified of the potential threat on Monday. An investigation into the writing led officers to a man in his early 20s who is not a student at the school. TCSO says the suspect was at the school on Saturday, Feb. 4, for an event.
  Authorities determined the “message was an empty threat” and will not
  
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• Austin ranked as the best place to live in the country

  07-02-2017 22:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — If the number of people moving to Austin every day isn’t enough of an indicator, U.S. News has ranked the Live Music Capital as the best place to live in the United States.
  U.S. News analyzed the 100 most populous metro areas to find the best places to live. The outlet looked at the cost of living, desirability, the job market and quality of life to determine its rankings.
  Austin topped the list with an overall score of 7.8; scoring a 7.3 for quality of life and value
  
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• DA: Handyman kept ‘perverse shrine’ to serial child rape

  07-02-2017 22:26 via kxan.com
  
  BUCKS CO., PA (AP) — A Pennsylvania handyman accused of serial child rape kept a “perverse shrine” in his trailer home — as many as 1,000 pairs of used girl’s underwear — and documented his crimes in hundreds of disturbing, graphic images and writings, authorities said.
  Investigators said William Charles Thomas’ crimes were discovered because he wrote about sex assaults on a piece of plywood that he used in a renovation project.
  Thomas, 58, of Morrisvill
  
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• First lady says high profile could mean millions for brand

  07-02-2017 22:15 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Melania Trump has said little about what she intends to do with her prominent position. But in new court documents, her lawyers say that the “multi-year term” during which she “is one of the most photographed women in the world” could mean millions of dollars for her personal brand.
  While the new documents don’t specifically mention her term as first lady, the unusual statement about her expected income drew swift condemnation from
  
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• Hays Co. approves new hire to go through cases with high-profile evidence

  07-02-2017 22:12 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) – Hays County commissioners are approving the additional hire of a new administrator for the district attorney’s office to help with a backlog of evidence.
  Hays County District Attorney Wes Mau says the caseload increased by 7 percent from 2015 to 2016 and expects the amount of cases to continue to grow. The new position will be a temporary full-time position to help process digital evidence.
  The increased case load is due to several high profile cases that h
  
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• ATCEMS looks at retrofitting ambulances to prevent theft

  07-02-2017 21:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Following the hijacking of an Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services (ATCEMS) ambulance and a separate ambulance theft in December, the agency tells KXAN several options are under consideration to prevent similar situations from happening again.
  “The goal is to find solutions that provide additional protection from theft while not restricting the crew’s ability to access and move the truck at the scene as they determine to be necessary,” Capt
  
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• Lawyer asks court to order release of Pence emails from Abbott staffer

  07-02-2017 21:35 via kxan.com
  
  INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indianapolis lawyer is asking the Indiana Supreme Court to order the release of emails sent to Vice President Mike Pence when he was governor.
  William Groth’s appeal asks for access to emails sent to Pence in 2014 in which a staffer for Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott outlined a legal strategy for challenging then-President Barack Obama’s executive order on immigration.
  The Indiana appeals court last month found the documents are privileged attorney-cl
  
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• Tornadoes touch down, wreak havoc in southern Louisiana

  07-02-2017 21:04 via kxan.com
  
  NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Tornadoes touched down in southern Louisiana Tuesday, wiping houses from their foundations and downing power lines as severe weather moved across the region.
  At least three tornados have touched down — one in the eastern part of New Orleans, another near the town of Donaldsonville and another in the town of Killian, said Danielle Manning, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
  They have heard reports of injuries but nothing that has been confirmed yet,
  
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• Uncontrolled brush fire burning 20 acres in Del Valle

  07-02-2017 20:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Smoke can be seen in Del Valle from a brush fire on northbound State Highway 130.
  The fire is at Farm to Market 812 on the SH 130 ramp. The Travis County Sheriff’s Office says 20 to 30 acres are on fire.
  STARFlight is on standby to drop water to control the flames.
  Travis County reinstated a burn ban on Tuesday with record high temperatures expected this week.
  FORECAST: Record heat likely today and tomorrow 
  We have a KXAN crew on the way to the scene. 
  
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• Brush fire in Del Valle fully contained, roads still closed

  07-02-2017 20:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Firefighters from numerous agencies contained a brush fire in southeast Travis County Tuesday afternoon. The fire started around noon along SH 130 at Farm to Market 812.
  Travis County Emergency Service District 11 said crews are in “mop up” mode,” making sure the fire is completely out. Northbound lanes of SH 130 are still closed as of 2 p.m.
  Deputy Chief Jason Pack for ESD No. 11 says the fire burned around 30 to 35 acres. KXAN’s First Warning
  
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• 35 acre brush fire in Del Valle fully contained by firefighters

  07-02-2017 20:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Firefighters from numerous agencies contained a brush fire in southeast Travis County Tuesday afternoon. The fire started around noon along SH 130 at Farm to Market 812.
  Travis County Emergency Service District 11 said crews are in “mop up” mode,” making sure the fire is completely out. Northbound lanes of SH 130 were shut down for hours.
  Deputy Chief Jason Pack for ESD No. 11 says the fire burned around 30 to 35 acres. KXAN’s First Warning
  
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• Mom says daycare worker breastfed her son

  07-02-2017 19:52 via kxan.com
  
  CARRBORO, NC (WCMH) — A mom in North Carolina is furious after, she says, a daycare worker was seen on video breastfeeding her son.
  “As a mom, you’ve taken something from me, because I wasn’t able to defend my child,” Kaycee Oxendine told WTVD. “I wasn’t there.”
  Oxendine says the daycare worker asked if she could breastfeed the child, and Oxendine told the woman no.
  “She said that she had a son and did I want her to put my child to her breast
  
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• Man wrongfully imprisoned for 33 years, will receive $1.6 million

  07-02-2017 19:30 via kxan.com
  
  RICHMOND, VA (WRIC) – Keith Allen Harward, who served 33 years in prison for crimes he didn’t commit, will receive nearly $1.6 million from the commonwealth of Virginia under a bill approved Monday by the House of Delegates.
  Harward was convicted of a 1982 rape and murder in Newport News. He was released from prison last year after DNA testing proved he was innocent. The House unanimously passed HB 1650 to provide relief to Harward, now 60.
  The bill notes that because of his wrongful
  
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• Deputies: Autistic child locked in cage inside Tennessee home

  07-02-2017 17:49 via kxan.com
  
  JONESBOROUGH, TN (WJHL) – The Washington County, TN Sheriff’s Office is investigating a case of child abuse and neglect after deputies say they were asked to check on an autistic child inside a Jonesborough home.
  Sheriff Ed Graybeal says deputies made the welfare check at a home located on Miller Crossing Road around 5:00 p.m. on Monday.
  Deputies said they met the homeowners — Mickey Sparks, age 69, and Patricia Laws, age 43. Deputies told the man and woman they had received in
  
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• Christie Brinkley returns to SI Swimsuit Issue at age 63

  07-02-2017 17:49 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Model Christie Brinkley is returning to the pages of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue at age 63 and this time she’s appearing with her two daughters.
  Brinkley will appear with 31-year-old Alexa Ray Joel, her daughter with singer Billy Joel, and 18-year-old Sailor Brinkley Cook, in the issue coming out this month.
  In an Instagram post , Brinkley thanks Sports Illustrated “for sending the powerful message that good things come in packages of every size and we
  
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• Suspicious object found at Pflugerville High after bathroom fire

  07-02-2017 17:34 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — Students at Pflugerville High School are getting a late start Tuesday morning due to a small fire that was discovered in an upstairs bathroom.
  The Pflugerville Fire Department responded to the school around 8:45 a.m., just before school started. All staff and students were evacuated and sent to the nearby football field for several hours but then were moved to the school’s gym around 12:30 p.m.
  Authorities say a suspicious object was found in the bathroom
  
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• Student charged with arson after fire at Pflugerville High School

  07-02-2017 17:34 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — A Pflugerville High School student has been taken into police custody and charged with first-degree arson Tuesday after an “object” was set on fire in an upstairs bathroom.
  The Pflugerville Fire Department responded to the school around 8:45 a.m., just before class started. All staff and students were evacuated and sent to the nearby football field for several hours and were moved to the school’s gym at around 12:30 p.m. The incident was
  
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• Pflugerville High School evacuated due to bathroom fire

  07-02-2017 17:34 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — Students at Pflugerville High School are getting a late start Tuesday morning due to a small fire that was discovered in an upstairs bathroom.
  The Pflugerville Fire Department responded to the school around 8:45 a.m., just before school started. All staff and students were evacuated and sent to the nearby football field until the building was cleared.
  Authorities say a suspicious object was found in the bathroom. A KXAN crew saw one student being questioned by
  
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• All clear given after suspicious object found at Pflugerville High

  07-02-2017 17:34 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — Students at Pflugerville High School are getting a late start Tuesday morning due to a small fire that was discovered in an upstairs bathroom.
  The Pflugerville Fire Department responded to the school around 8:45 a.m., just before school started. All staff and students were evacuated and sent to the nearby football field for several hours but then were moved to the school’s gym around 12:30 p.m.
  The incident was given the all clear around 1:20 p.m.
  Authori
  
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• Baylor axes assistant strength coach after prostitution bust

  07-02-2017 15:57 via kxan.com
  
  WACO, Texas (AP) — Baylor University has fired a newly hired assistant strength and conditioning coach after he was arrested on a prostitution solicitation charge.
  A Baylor athletics department statement Monday says Brandon Washington was fired Saturday after school officials learned that he had been arrested earlier in the day.
  McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara says deputies arrested the 33-year-old coach at a Waco-area hotel. The class B misdemeanor is punishable by up to 180 days
  
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• Stinky star: Dying red giant releases ‘rotten egg’ smell light years away

  07-02-2017 14:51 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (KXAN) — A smell that you can’t blame on the dog. A dying star is stinking up space roughly 5,000 light years away.
  NASA and the European Space Agency have released a photo of the calabash nebula captured by the Hubble Telescope. The dying star, known as a red giant, blows out its outer layers during the final stages of death.
  The dying process leaves clouds of dust and gas behind. It is also known as the “rotten egg nebula” because it contains high amounts of sul
  
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• Parent upset after Amazon search app displays porn to 6-year-old

  07-02-2017 14:18 via kxan.com
  
  DUNEDIN, Fla. (WFLA) — A Tampa Bay area mother wants answers from Amazon representatives, after her six-year-old son was able to pull up pornographic images by saying the word “realistic” in the app’s search engine.
  “Thank goodness he’s so innocent. He just said, she was in her underwear,’” said Donna McCormick.
  McCormick and her family were celebrating her son’s birthday over the weekend.
  She said her son wanted a Batman theme party and want
  
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• Travis Co. deputy pursuit ends in east Austin crash

  07-02-2017 13:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A 911 disturbance call led to a pursuit that ended with a crash in east Austin Tuesday morning.
  The Travis County Sheriff’s Office says they were called to a home for a disturbance on the east side of the county around 5:36 a.m. Deputies attempted to pull over a car driven by a person involved in the disturbance.
  The car would not stop and led deputies on a chase. As deputies called off the pursuit, the suspect’s car crashed at US 183 and Martin Luther King
  
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• Car crashes after leading Travis Co. deputies on chase in east Austin

  07-02-2017 13:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A 911 disturbance call led to a pursuit that ended with a crash in east Austin Tuesday morning.
  The Travis County Sheriff’s Office says they were called to a home for a disturbance on the east side of the county around 5:36 a.m. Deputies attempted to pull over a car driven by a person involved in the disturbance.
  The car would not stop and led deputies on a chase. As deputies called off the pursuit, the suspect’s car crashed at US 183 and Martin Luther King
  
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• Waller Creek gets biggest gift in Austin park history

  07-02-2017 13:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The City of Austin is getting $15 million to restore more than 37 acres of green space along Waller Creek.
  It is the biggest gift for parks and public open space in the city’s history. The Moody Foundation has donated the money to build a new trail to connect the University of Texas to Butler Trail. The goal is to help turn the area into a connected chain of parks in downtown Austin.
  An iconic outdoor public amphitheater will be created to transform Waterloo Park
  
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• Final round of votes expected to pass controversial sanctuary city bill

  07-02-2017 12:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A highly debated emergency item declared by Gov. Greg Abbott this Legislative Session is moving forward on Tuesday in the State Senate.
  The Texas Senate will take up Senate Bill 4, which would cut funding for any agencies that do not cooperate with federal immigration officers. The bill also prohibits cities or counties from instituting any policies that prevent local authorities from asking a person their immigration status.
  Last week, hundreds signed up to speak during th
  
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• Bill prohibiting sanctuary cities up for full Senate vote

  07-02-2017 12:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A highly debated emergency item declared by Gov. Greg Abbott this Legislative Session is moving forward on Tuesday in the State Senate.
  The Texas Senate will take up Senate Bill 4, which would cut funding for any agencies that do not cooperate with federal immigration officers. The bill also prohibits cities or counties from instituting any policies that prevent local authorities from asking a person their immigration status.
  Last week, hundreds signed up to speak during th
  
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• Bill prohibiting sanctuary cities gets preliminary approval

  07-02-2017 12:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A highly debated emergency item declared by Gov. Greg Abbott this Legislative Session is moving forward on Tuesday in the State Senate.
  The Texas Senate gave preliminary approval to Senate Bill 4, which would cut funding for any agencies that do not cooperate with federal immigration officers. The bill also prohibits cities or counties from instituting any policies that prevent local authorities from asking a person their immigration status.
  Gov. Greg Abbott said, in r
  
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• Man arrested after Skype reports child porn to authorities

  07-02-2017 12:21 via kxan.com
  
  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – After Skype reported child porn images were uploaded through their service last August, a Nashville man was arrested this week.
  Gerardo Paredes was booked into the Metro jail late Sunday night on charges of solicitation of a minor.
  According to an affidavit, two sexual images of nude minor females were sent via Skype on Aug. 5, 2016. Skype reported it and included the user’s IP address.
  After subpoenaing the IP records from the internet service provider, pol
  
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• Senate set to confirm education secretary by narrow margin

  07-02-2017 12:18 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is poised to confirm President Donald Trump’s nominee for education secretary by the narrowest possible margin, with Vice President Mike Pence expected to break a 50-50 tie.
  The vote planned around 12 noon EST Tuesday comes an all-night speaking marathon by Democrats on the Senate floor, in a show of opposition to the nominee, Betsy DeVos. She is a wealthy GOP donor who has devoted herself to boosting alternatives to public education, sparking concerns am
  
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• Senate confirms DeVos as education secretary

  07-02-2017 12:18 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has confirmed school choice activist Betsy DeVos as Education secretary, with Vice President Mike Pence breaking a 50-50 tie.
  The Senate historian says it was the first time a vice president had to break a tie on a Cabinet nomination. Two Republicans joined Democrats Tuesday to vote to derail DeVos’ nomination. Democrats cited her lack of public school experience and financial interests in organizations pushing charter schools. DeVos has said she wo
  
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• CPS Prevention Programs want more state funding not federal

  07-02-2017 12:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Tuesday at the State Capitol, a new case is being made to help with the backlog of cases at CPS and the need for more workers.
  Advocates who run groups that help keep kids out of the CPS system are unhappy with state budget cuts and lawmakers relying heavily on federal funding to make up the difference.
  These prevention programs are often referred to as home visiting programs. It’s where a nurse or social worker goes into a home that’s having problems and hel
  
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• CPS advocates unhappy with budget cuts impacting Texas kids’ lives

  07-02-2017 12:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Tuesday at the State Capitol, a new case is being made to help with the backlog of cases at CPS and the need for more workers.
  Advocates who run groups that help keep kids out of the CPS system are unhappy with state budget cuts and lawmakers relying heavily on federal funding to make up the difference.
  These prevention programs are often referred to as home visiting programs. It’s where a nurse or social worker goes into a home that’s having problems and hel
  
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• Accused child sex trafficker became victim’s guardian

  07-02-2017 06:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Del Valle man accused of sex trafficking a 16 year old is alleged to have gained guardianship over the girl, removed her from school, vowed to marry her and at one point threatened to kill her family.
  James Aaron Lenox, 51, was arrested Monday afternoon by the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force in the 10200 block of FM 812 in Austin. He has been charged with trafficking a child — causing the child to engage in sexual conduct, a first degree felony.
  Lenox was pu
  
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• Untreated allergies leading to secondary infections

  07-02-2017 05:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) — Cedar fever is a phrase well-known across central Texas. When the pollen releases are so bad, people call 911 thinking there’s a fire happening.
  This season, pollen counts have hit record highs, leaving many feeling miserable and helpless.
  “It’s no fun. And this has definitely been pretty eye-opening, because where we’re from we didn’t have a ton of allergies,” said Haley Overstreet.
  Haley and her two children both suffer from alle
  
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• Unlicensed drivers in Austin could soon get their cars impounded

  07-02-2017 04:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The number of crashes and serious crashes involving unlicensed drivers in Austin has gone up compared to a 2015 report. In 2016, there were 477 serious injury crashes and 81 of them, or 17 percent, involved unlicensed drivers. That’s up from 2015 with 16 percent and 2014 from 12 percent.
  In our original report, an Austin police commander said it was his priority to deal with the issue of unlicensed drivers on Austin roads. Now, two years later, the city is finall
  
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• Member: City Council will stall measure to impound unlicensed drivers’ cars

  07-02-2017 04:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The number of serious crashes involving unlicensed drivers in Austin has gone up compared to a 2015 report. In 2016, there were 477 serious injury crashes and 81 of them, or 17 percent, involved unlicensed drivers. That’s up from 2015 with 16 percent and 2014 from 12 percent.
  In our original report, an Austin police commander said it was his priority to deal with the issue of unlicensed drivers on Austin roads. Now, two years later, the city is finally one step c
  
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• UT Women shock #2 Baylor in Waco

  07-02-2017 04:37 via kxan.com
  
  WACO, Texas (AP) — Surely there had to be some sense of relief for 11th-ranked Texas after beating second-ranked Baylor, holding on after letting all of a big lead slip away in the second half.
  “I would say definitely not. I know coach always talks about being in the moment,” junior guard Brooke McCarty said. “That game was really tough, and we have to keep building from there.”
  Well, this was a fine moment to embrace for the Longhorns after an 85-79 victory at Bayl
  
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• Willie Nelson cancels 3 California shows because of illness

  07-02-2017 03:36 via kxan.com
  
  BAKERSFIELD, California (AP) — Willie Nelson has postponed three California shows because of illness.
  Publicist Elaine Schock tells The Associated Press that Nelson will have to miss his three-night stint that had been scheduled for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace in Bakersfield.
  Schock gave no details on Nelson’s sickness, but she says he plans to be back on the road again for a Feb. 16 concert at a San Antonio rodeo.
  Virginia governor unknowingly p
  
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• ‘Ellen’ show teases appearance at UT Austin on Tuesday

  07-02-2017 03:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Ellen DeGeneres has a message for University of Texas at Austin students: “I hope you’re free tomorrow.”
  The talk show host’s crew was on the campus of Georgia Tech last week to give a lucky fan tickets to the Super Bowl. The university said Ellen’s crew flew in to Atlanta and started setting up on campus. Within the hour, she posted to twitter telling fans to dress up like a cat.
  DeGeneres gave Georgia Tech students a similar tease last w
  
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• ‘Ellen’ calls UT students to dress up as Beyonce for Grammy tickets

  07-02-2017 03:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Ellen DeGeneres had a message for University of Texas at Austin students on Tuesday: “How fast can you pull together a Beyonce costume?”
  The talk show host told students on Twitter to meet on the Main Mall at 3:30 p.m. with the chance to win tickets to the Grammy Awards.
  Ellen’s crew was on the campus of Georgia Tech last week to give a lucky fan tickets to the Super Bowl. The university said Ellen’s crew flew in to Atlanta and started sett
  
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• ‘Travel ban’ catches around 100 Texas-bound refugees in limbo

  07-02-2017 02:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Refugee Services of Texas tell KXAN around 100 Texas-bound refugees were caught in the confusion over President Trump’s travel ban and its block by a federal court.
  President Trump’s executive order banned refugees and travelers from seven predominately Muslim countries. Over the weekend, an appeals court opted to keep in place a temporary restraining order issued by a federal judge on Friday, temporarily halting the ban.
  The Trump administration says the or
  
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• Mom: Amazon search app showed pornography to 6-year-old son

  07-02-2017 01:15 via kxan.com
  
  DUNEDIN, Fla. (WFLA) — A Tampa Bay area mother wants answers from Amazon representatives, after her six-year-old son was able to pull up pornographic images by saying the word “realistic” in the app’s search engine.
  “Thank goodness he’s so innocent. He just said, she was in her underwear,’” said Donna McCormick.
  McCormick and her family were celebrating her son’s birthday over the weekend.
  She said her son wanted a Batman theme party and want
  
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• Auditors discover problems in Austin’s Historic Preservation Program

  07-02-2017 01:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — City auditors discovered several problems with the operation of Austin’s Historic Preservation Program. The issues could lead to theft of revenue and inconsistent monitoring of the city’s historic landmarks, a draft report states.
  The purpose of the Preservation Program, which is administered by the Historic Preservation Office, is to protect and enhance buildings that exemplify Austin’s history and culture. Austin currently has three histor
  
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• Nearly $90K raised to help fund Travis County programs as positions are cut

  07-02-2017 01:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Within three days of launching an official fundraising account for Travis County, #StrongerTogether has already raised nearly $90,000.
  Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt along with several other agencies launched the donation site in response to Gov. Greg Abbott cutting $1.5 million in grant money to the county in response to Sheriff Sally Hernandez’ new ICE detention policy. Eckhardt wanted to make sure any donations being made would be managed properly and tax-
  
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• Nearly $90K raised to help fund Travis County programs

  07-02-2017 01:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Within three days of launching an official fundraising account for Travis County, #StrongerTogether has already raised nearly $90,000.
  Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt along with several other agencies launched the donation site in response to Gov. Greg Abbott cutting $1.5 million in grant money to the county in response to Sheriff Sally Hernandez’ new ICE detention policy. Eckhardt wanted to make sure any donations being made would be managed properly and tax-
  
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• 14 positions cut from Travis County as governor eliminates funding

  07-02-2017 01:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Within three days of launching an official fundraising account for Travis County, #StrongerTogether has already raised more than $100,000.
  Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt along with several other agencies launched the donation site in response to Gov. Greg Abbott cutting $1.5 million in grant money to the county in response to Sheriff Sally Hernandez’ new ICE detention policy. Eckhardt wanted to make sure any donations being made would be managed properly and
  
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