Austin news

• Kyle family offers $1,000 reward for info on driver who killed their son

  08-03-2017 23:51 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — The family of Michael Mince, the 15-year-old Lehman High School student who was run down by a hit-and-run driver in Niederwald the day after Christmas, is offering an additional $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of the driver.
  Crime Stoppers is already offering a reward up to $1,000. Mince had just left the gas station at the corner of Farm to Market 2001 and State Highway 21 between 7:30 and 8 p.m. on Dec. 26 when he was hit from behind by a pickup truck.
  T
  
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• Teen charged after beheading mother was in US illegally

  08-03-2017 23:26 via kxan.com
  
  ZEBULON, N.C. (WNCN) — ICE confirmed the teen charged with beheading his mother Monday afternoon in Zebulon is in the U.S. illegally from Honduras.
  Click for more photos from the sceneOliver Funes-Machado, 18, is accused by Franklin County deputies of beheading his 35-year-old mother, then walking out of their home with her head in one hand and a butcher knife in the other to wait for deputies to respond to the 911 call he made.
  Funes-Machado’s 4-year-old sister and 2-year-old brothe
  
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• Hutto teenage runaway has gone off the grid, investigators say

  08-03-2017 22:45 via kxan.com
  
  HUTTO, Texas (KXAN) — Officers are asking for your help finding a missing teenager after investigators say the cell phone they were tracking has gone off the grid.
  Aislynn Ann Davis, 13, was reported to police as a voluntary runaway on Feb. 26. Investigators were tracking a cell phone the girl was using, indicating she was still in the Austin area. Police now say that device is no longer active and are asking for the public’s help.
  “You just gotta say something if you think you
  
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• School bus driver accused of telling boy he’d go to hell because of his mom

  08-03-2017 22:44 via kxan.com
  
  POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – A Polk County mother is outraged after she claims a school bus driver used her son to spread hate.
  Natalie Encarnacion told News Channel 8 that the bus driver, now identified as Violeta Jacobo, told her seven-year-old son he would go to hell for supporting his mom’s same-sex relationship.
  One afternoon, in the beginning of February, her son had missed his bus from Alta Vista Elementary School, so a different bus driver took him home.
  “H
  
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• APD seeking wheelchair robbery suspect

  08-03-2017 22:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Can you recognize the woman pictured above? Austin Police say she’s a suspect in an armed robbery at the Best Buy store at 9607 Research Blvd.
  Police say the woman and an accomplice pulled out weapons as they were confronted by Best Buy’s loss prevention staff. The duo then escaped in a dark grey Ford Escape with a temporary license plate.
  Suspect #1 is described as:
  White female
  Approx. 40 years of age
  Approx. 5’4”
  Approx. 130 lbs.
  Right leg wrapped
  
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• Texas sheriff pleads guilty to assault in fight, resigns

  08-03-2017 21:56 via kxan.com
  
  WAXAHACHIE, Texas (AP) — A North Texas sheriff who acknowledged being involved in a New Year’s Day fight has resigned and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault.
  Ellis County Sheriff Johnny Brown quit Wednesday. Brown, in a plea deal, was sentenced to a day in jail and fined $500.
  An attorney for Brown previously said the sheriff walked into a restaurant where a fight was in progress and his 59-year-old brother had been knocked to the floor.
  Montgomery County District Attorney Brett L
  
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• Nike unveils hijab for Muslim athletes

  08-03-2017 21:15 via kxan.com
  
  BEAVERTON, Ore. (AP) – Nike has unveiled a hijab for Muslim female athletes.
  The Nike Pro Hijab has been in development for a year, the company said. Athletes contributed input into the product, and figure skater Zahra Lari was among those who tested it.
  The pull-on hijab is made of light, stretchy fabric that includes tiny holes for breathability and an elongated back so it will not come untucked. It will come in three colors: black, vast grey and obsidian. Beaverton-based Nike says the h
  
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• Cowboys to release Tony Romo

  08-03-2017 20:30 via kxan.com
  
  DALLAS (AP) — A person with knowledge of the decision tells The Associated Press that the Dallas Cowboys will release quarterback Tony Romo when the NFL year opens on Thursday.
  The person spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced a decision on Romo, who will get a chance to pursue a starting job elsewhere.
  Romo will leave the Cowboys as the franchise leader in yards passing and touchdowns after losing the starting job to r
  
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• Tim Kaine’s son arrested protesting against pro-Trump rally

  08-03-2017 20:28 via kxan.com
  
  ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The youngest son of U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, who was Hillary Clinton’s running mate last year, was one of six people arrested while protesting against a rally in support of President Donald Trump at the Minnesota state Capitol building last weekend.
  The protesters clashed with hundreds of Trump supporters who gathered at the Capitol rotunda in St. Paul on Saturday for one of several pro-Trump rallies held throughout the country.
  Linwood “Woody” Kaine, o
  
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• “Wavy” cloud formations spotted across Central Texas

  08-03-2017 19:37 via kxan.com
  
  Wednesday morning brought a great deal of low clouds across the KXAN viewing area. However, it’s the formation those clouds were making that had many folks grabbing their cameras and snapping a photo. So why were the clouds taking on such a “wavy” shape?
  The cloud formation many had witnessed is called “Undulatus Asperatus.” This “undulation” or wave-like motion in the atmosphere moves air up and down, causing winds to brush along the base of low clouds.
  
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• UT rolls out new hate, bias incident policy

  08-03-2017 19:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The University of Texas at Austin released a new Hate and Bias Incident Policy this morning that outlines what is and isn’t protected under university policy.
  The policy is in place to protect students, staff and visitors who may be targeted for their race, color, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity or gender expression, age, disability, citizenship, veteran status, sexual orientation, ideology, political views and political affiliation.
  Controversial i
  
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• Lockhart couple killed in bus crash were staples in education community

  08-03-2017 19:14 via kxan.com
  
  LOCKHART, Texas (KXAN) — A Lockhart couple was killed in Tuesday’s accident in Biloxi. Lockhart ISD has identified them as Ken and Peggy Hoffman.
  Ken retired in 1996 as the assistant superintendent for the district. His wife, Peggy, retired in 2002 and was a principal at Plum Creek Elementary for many years.
  The two have sat in the same seats at the high school football stadium since it was built.
  “They probably had more Lockhart ISD clothes and memorabilia than anyone els
  
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• Passenger says ‘train just kept coming’ toward bus on tracks

  08-03-2017 18:08 via kxan.com
  
  BILOXI, Miss. (AP) — A charter bus carrying dozens of tourists to Mississippi casinos was stuck on railroad tracks for about five minutes before a freight train barreled into it, sending frantic passengers in all directions, witnesses and authorities said.
  Four people were killed Tuesday and 40 were hurt, including seven critically. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
  Witnesses said some of the tourists from Texas were getting off the bus as the driver tried to move it, and at l
  
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• NTSB details moments leading up to bus crash

  08-03-2017 17:01 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) — “Pray.” Bastrop Police Chief Steve Adcock said as he updated the public and media on the deadly bus crash involving members of the Bastrop community.
  The outpouring of support from the community, Adcock added, has been overwhelming. He said he’s had phone calls from car dealerships offering their vehicles and staff to drive to Biloxi to retrieve any stranded passengers.
  For those looking for a way to help, Adcock suggested praying and considering a
  
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• 2 p.m. news conference set for bus crash updates

  08-03-2017 17:01 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) — Bastrop Police and the Bastrop Senior Center will hold a joint news conference Wednesday afternoon where we expect to learn more information about the victims in the Biloxi bus crash.
  Little information about the passengers who were on the bus when it was struck by a freight train has been made public in the hours following the crash.
  Lockhart ISD has identified two of the victims as retired administrators Ken and Peggy Hoffman. In a letter to staff, LISD
  
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• Westlake HS student hit by car near school

  08-03-2017 16:32 via kxan.com
  
  WEST LAKE HILLS, Texas (KXAN) — A Westlake High School student was sent to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries after she was hit by a car Wednesday morning near the school.
  Police were notified of the incident on Westbank Drive at 8:31.
  Deputies tell KXAN they do not expect charges to be filed against the driver.
  Additional details weren’t immediately available. KXAN News is gathering more information and will update this story as it becomes available.
  
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• Oregon high school students shaken by homophobic vandalism

  08-03-2017 14:48 via kxan.com
  
  PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A sign reading “love wins” is displayed on the front doors of Grant High School in Northeast Portland. But some students tell KOIN 6 News they aren’t feeling that love because of hateful graffiti found on campus.
  On Tuesday, school officials confirmed homophobic slurs were found scribbled over a mural inside one of the school’s gender-neutral bathrooms last week.
  The school’s LGBTQ community has since spoken out in respon
  
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• China grants preliminary approval to 38 new Trump trademarks

  08-03-2017 14:32 via kxan.com
  
  SHANGHAI (AP) — China has granted preliminary approval for 38 new Trump trademarks, paving the way for President Donald Trump and his family to potentially develop a host of branded businesses from hotels to insurance to bodyguard and escort services, public documents show.
  Trump’s lawyers in China applied for the marks in April 2016, as Trump railed against China at campaign rallies, accusing it of currency manipulation and stealing U.S. jobs. Critics maintain that Trump’s swe
  
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• Ryan pushes for unity as House panels debate GOP health bill

  08-03-2017 13:47 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Paul Ryan labored to rally divided fellow Republicans behind their high-stakes drive to overhaul the nation’s health care system Wednesday, praising his party’s legislation as “what good, conservative health care reform looks like” as lawmakers cast Congress’ first votes.
  Republican leaders wanted to push their measure through two House committees by week’s end — Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce. But they hit
  
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• Ryan defends GOP health care bill in face of opposition

  08-03-2017 13:47 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Paul Ryan staunchly defended the House Republican health care plan Wednesday as the only alternative to the current Obama-era law, as he confronted forceful opposition from conservatives, medical professionals and others.
  “This is the choice we face. Are we going to stay with Obamacare … or are we going to do what we said we would do,” Ryan said at a Capitol Hill news conference after a private GOP meeting in which he tried to rally support.
  Sho
  
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• Industry groups oppose GOP health bill, Ryan seeks unity

  08-03-2017 13:47 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Hospitals, doctors and consumer groups mounted intensifying opposition to the Republican health care bill as GOP leaders labored Wednesday to rally a divided party behind their high-stakes overhaul drive. Lawmakers cast Congress’ initial votes on the legislation as House Speaker Paul Ryan praised the proposal as “what good, conservative health care reform looks like.”
  The American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association and AARP, the natio
  
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• Facing strong pushback, GOP leaders advance health care bill

  08-03-2017 13:47 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Over the strong objections of key conservatives and Democrats, House Republican leaders are forging ahead with a health care plan that scraps major parts of the Obama-era overhaul.
  The House Ways and Means Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee will convene what are expected to be marathon sessions on Wednesday to start voting on the legislation. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence back the plan to repeal Barack Obama’s health care law, and
  
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• Red light cameras could soon be banned across Texas

  08-03-2017 13:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Senate Transportation Committee is discussing Senate Bills 87 and 88 that would ban red light cameras across the state of Texas.
  Austin police say they have nine red light cameras stationed throughout the city. Sgt. David McDonald with APD Highway Enforcement says they have seen a drastic reduction in crashes at those intersections, up to 88 percent in some areas.
  The nine cameras cost the city $584,000 and are not making that cost back in citations. However, Sgt.
  
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• Committee passes ‘Bathroom Bill’ early Wednesday morning

  08-03-2017 12:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Despite 13 hours of emotional testimony, the State Committee agreed to move what critics call the “Bathroom Bill” to the Senate floor for a full vote following a 21-hour committee hearing.
  Senate Bill 6 would require people in Texas to use the bathroom that matches the gender on their birth certificate in public schools, government buildings, and public universities. The 7-1 vote came after a marathon public meeting that started at 8 a.m. on Tuesd
  
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• ‘Bathroom Bill’ passes committee now moving to full Senate vote

  08-03-2017 12:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Despite 21 hours of emotional testimony, the State Committee agreed to move what critics call the “Bathroom Bill” to the Senate floor for a full vote.
  Senate Bill 6 would require people in Texas to use the bathroom that matches the gender on their birth certificate in public schools, government buildings, and public universities. The 7-1 vote came after a marathon public meeting that started at 8 a.m. on Tuesday and ended minutes before 5 a.m. Wed
  
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• Acid victims redefine beauty in Bangladesh fashion show

  08-03-2017 12:44 via kxan.com
  
  DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Teen model Shonali Khatun strutted the catwalk as the audience cheered at a fashion show in Bangladesh’s capital.
  But Shonali is no ordinary model, and this was no ordinary show.
  She and the 14 other models are survivors of acid attacks, common in this South Asian country, where spurned lovers or disgruntled family members sometimes resort to hurling skin-burning acid at their victims.
  The fashion show, held Tuesday night in Dhaka and attended by fashion love
  
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• Pot for pets: Owners treat sick animals with cannabis

  08-03-2017 12:42 via kxan.com
  
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Michael Fasman’s 12-year-old dog, Hudson, limps from pain caused by arthritis and an amputated toe, but Fasman doesn’t want to give her painkillers because “they just knock her out.”
  So the San Francisco resident has turned to an alternative medicine that many humans use to treat their own pain and illness: marijuana.
  On a recent morning, Fasman squeezed several drops of a cannabis extract onto a plate of yogurt, which the Portuguese water dog l
  
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• “A Day without a Woman” to draw attention to women’s economic impact

  08-03-2017 10:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)- Women across the country are planning to take part in a national event Wednesday called “A Day Without A Woman.”
  Women nationwide are encouraged to skip work, wear red, or shop exclusively at stores owned by other women. Organizers in Texas are encouraging people to support women-owned businesses. They are calling it “Spend a Day With Women.” More than 200 businesses here in Texas are taking part in the “A Day Without A Woman” mov
  
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• ‘A Day Without a Woman’ draws attention to female economic impact

  08-03-2017 10:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Women across the country are planning to take part in a national event on Wednesday called “A Day Without a Woman.”
  Women nationwide are encouraged to skip work, wear red, or shop exclusively at stores owned by other women. Organizers in Texas are encouraging people to support women-owned businesses.
  More than 200 businesses here in Texas are taking part in the movement
  The event was designed to draw attention to the impact women, including t
  
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• WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play is two weeks out

  08-03-2017 04:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In two weeks the best golfers in the world will be in Austin for the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. Tuesday night PGA Tour Director of Communications Chris Reimer was a guest on More Than the Score with the some great tour insight leading up to the event.
  
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• Veterans have PTSD, noise concerns after shooting range moves in nearby

  08-03-2017 04:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A month after The Range at Austin opened its doors in south Austin, hailing itself as the finest precision shooting range in the country, we’re hearing from neighbors concerned about the noise. KXAN investigated whether it’s loud enough to break the law. The answer, not clear because of where it’s located.
  KXAN spoke with veterans who live at The Cottages apartment complex next door, who say they’re hearing loud gunshots consisten
  
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• PHOTOS: Train crashes into bus from Austin in Biloxi

  08-03-2017 03:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Multiple people were killed Tuesday when a charter bus from the Austin area became stuck on train tracks in Biloxi. The train hit the bus and dragged it for several hundred feet.
  Officials say it was a chaotic scene as passengers were trapped inside the bus and trying to get out as first responders arrived.
  The bus was on the tracks for about a minute before the collision happened. Some of the passengers in the back of the bus were able to escape before the crash. Biloxi bu
  
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• Emotional testimony heard in Texas ‘Bathroom Bill’ debate

  08-03-2017 02:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Hundreds of people showed up to speak out on Senate Bill 6 at the state capitol. Many of those who signed up to testify were against the bill, but some came forward to speak in favor of what’s known as Texas’ ‘bathroom bill.’
  There was a long list of people signed up to speak, so much that there were multiple overflow rooms dedicated to SB 6 testimony.
  “This bill is not against them; it’s a bill to protect our ladies and our young boys, a
  
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• Williamson County Juvenile Justice Center expanding

  08-03-2017 02:23 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — Texas lawmakers are once again considering raising the age of criminal responsibility from 17 to 18 years old. The move would send more 17-year-olds to juvenile justice centers, instead of adult prisons.
  In preparation for the law, the Williamson County Juvenile Justice Center has asked for an expansion. On Tuesday, county commissioners approved a 48 room expansion for the center. All the new rooms will be secure with locks. The facility currently has 96 rooms, o
  
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• To find money for school reforms, lawmakers try to get creative

  08-03-2017 01:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — For the first time in decades, lawmakers are trying to revamp the way they pay for your school – without a threat from the Texas Supreme Court.
  Part of the plan would be to increase the amount of money per student in a district but that comes with a $1.6 billion price tag. Lawmakers don’t want to raise taxes– so, they’ll have to get creative.
  For the first time in years, money meant for McNeil High School and other Round Rock ISD schools wi
  
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• Bus involved in deadly Biloxi crash last inspected in December

  08-03-2017 01:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Echo Tours & Charters bus involved in Tuesday’s deadly crash in Biloxi passed its last three inspections with the most recent being in December, KXAN has learned.
  According to data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Echo Tours & Charters LP based in Dallas, has had six crashes in the past two years. One of those resulted in at least one injury and five required the vehicle to be towed away.
  Over the same two-year period, there were
  
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• How to negotiate the maze of SXSW street closures downtown

  08-03-2017 00:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — South by Southwest is just a few days away and it’s time to start planning how you’ll get there — or alternatively, how you can best avoid the swell of festival traffic.
  Road closures will begin Friday, March 10 and last until March 20 for SXSW events. Pedicab pickup areas and road closures along populated areas like Sixth Street and Riverside have been mapped out.
  There will be full closures of Trinity Street and San Jacinto between their F
  
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• In busy start to March, K9 Lobos nabs laundered cash and black tar heroin

  08-03-2017 00:14 via kxan.com
  
  FAYETTE COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Central Texas’ most famous K9 and his partner have had a busy start to the month with a major heroin bust and money laundering find.
  The afternoon of Thursday, March 3, Fayette County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Randy Thumann and Lobos stopped a Ford F-150 on Interstate 10 at the 658 mile marker — near Flatonia — for a traffic violation. Sgt. Thumann noticed extremely nervous behavior from the driver and signs of drug trafficking.
  After the
  
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