Austin news

• Central Texas blood supplies ‘uncomfortably low’ after Biloxi crash

  09-03-2017 23:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — We Are Blood is asking Central Texas families to help bring the blood supply back to a safe level.
  The organization, formerly known as the Blood Center of Central Texas, sent multiple blood products to help the victims of the Biloxi bus and train collision.
  Four were killed and 35 were injured after the bus became stuck on train tracks in Biloxi on Tuesday and was hit by a freight train. Three of the deceased were from the Austin area.
  Now, We Are Blood says their shel
  
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• Air Force Sgt. says goodbye to K9 partner in heartbreaking photo

  09-03-2017 22:42 via kxan.com
  
  CHARLOTTE, NC (WCMH) — Air Force Sgt. Kyle Smith says having to euthanize his K9 partner, Bodza, was one of the hardest things he’s ever done.
  “I hugged him and told him I loved him a lot. I’m going to miss you,” Smith tells WSOC.
  Bodza and Smith were paired together for four deployments and multiple security details for officials.
  In 2014, when Bodza retired, Smith adopted him. “He was just goofy. He liked running around and just being a dog,” Smith say
  
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• 10 gorgeous places to see bluebonnets this spring

  09-03-2017 22:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Austin Insider Blog) — Every spring, the gently rolling hillsides of Texas bloom into a colorful cascade of delicate bluebonnets, as the state flower blankets the meadows, fields and valleys.
  Bring your camera — and your sense of wonder — as you scout out these spectacular wildflowers in and around Austin. And be sure to share your best shots on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #TrueAustin.
  1. There’s no time like springtime to visit the Lady Bird Johns
  
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• Wingz rideshare doubling fares during SXSW to keep up with competitors

  09-03-2017 21:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Rideshare company Wingz announced Thursday they are doubling their fares March 10 through March 19 for South by Southwest.
  Wingz sent an email to its customers saying they have been informed their competitors will be implementing “dramatic fare increases” during the festival.
  “Although we are against surge pricing in its truest form, we need to implement a special event pricing to provide your favorite Wingz Drivers a reasonable incentive to accept your re
  
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• WATCH: Men dressed as women jump counter, rob jewelry store

  09-03-2017 21:44 via kxan.com
  
  DEERFIELD BEACH, Florida (NBC News) Two men used women’s fashions to disguise themselves as they robbed a Florida jewelry store.
  These customers appear to be women interested in buying jewelry – but you can see the pair leap over the counter, grab the sales ladies and force them to the back of the store.
  Now watch this security video provided by the Broward County Sheriff as the men start ransacking the jewelry cases.
  When they are satisfied they’ve taken enough, they try to le
  
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• Nissan creates car specifically made for man’s best friend

  09-03-2017 21:13 via kxan.com
  
  ROLLE, Switzerland (WFLA) — Dog owners will drool over Nissan’s latest cross-over concept car because it’s made to keep your pooch safe and happy.
  Our furry friends love their time at the park or the beach, but it does create a messy clean-up after your adventure.
  Nissan’s latest cross-over car creation hopes to solve that problem.
  The Nissan X-Trail features an access ramp for easy doggy access, and a 360 degree pull out water shower for on the go baths. The upholstered
  
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• Deadly bus-train wreck spurs call for safer rail crossings

  09-03-2017 20:05 via kxan.com
  
  JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The mayor of the Mississippi city where a train slammed into a bus, killing four Texas tourists, says he will keep working with the railroad to close some crossings and make others safer.
  Biloxi Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich said Wednesday that he will use recommendations from CSX Transportation to minimize the chances of another fatal wreck.
  The city had already scheduled a hearing March 21 to discuss closing six railroad crossings when the CSX freight train
  
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• Honor the best in local music at the Austin Music Awards

  09-03-2017 19:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — This weekend you can help honor the best in local music. Sarah Wolf with the Austin Chronicle joined us in the KXAN studio to discuss the Austin Music Awards.
  New this year is the first-ever Townes Van Zandt Award, which will be presented to musician and artist Terry Allen, who will perform with Joe Ely. Other special guests include, Rose Reyes, the honoree of the Margaret Moser Award celebrating a trailblazer in the music industry.
  Get tickets here
  There will also be
  
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• Man allegedly posing as Bieber charged with more than 900 child sex crimes

  09-03-2017 19:52 via kxan.com
  
  BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — A 42-year-old Australian man who allegedly posed as Justin Bieber online to solicit explicit images from children has been charged with more than 900 child sex offenses, police said Thursday.
  Bieber, a 23-year-old Canadian pop singer, is currently in Australia performing his “Purpose World Tour.” Police have warned young fans and their parents to be extra vigilant when using the internet.
  Gordon Douglas Chalmers, a law lecturer at the Queensland Unive
  
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• Texas asks to join lawsuit over Dallas County ICE holds

  09-03-2017 19:48 via kxan.com
  
  DALLAS (AP) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has asked a judge to allow the state to join Dallas County officials in a federal lawsuit brought by immigrants alleging their civil rights were violated when they were held in the county jail on immigration holds.
  The 2015 lawsuit alleges that the immigrants were wrongfully incarcerated. They say they were held on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement requests when others charged with the same offenses were allowed to pay bond and leave.
  
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• Notorious B.I.G. remembered 20 years after death

  09-03-2017 19:40 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — The Notorious B.I.G. is being remembered by collaborator Sean “Diddy” Combs and his wife, Faith Evans, 20 years after the rapper’s killing.
  Combs asked social media users to salute the rapper also known as Biggie Smalls by rapping their favorite Biggie verse and posting video on social media. He put up a somber video message himself saying, “time heals all wounds, but this one ain’t healed yet.”
  In an appearance on the syndicated “T
  
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• Man sentenced for scalping woman tells judge to skip lecture

  09-03-2017 19:30 via kxan.com
  
  BURLINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky man who told a judge to skip the lecture has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for scalping his girlfriend and ordering his pit bull to attack her.
  The Kentucky Enquirer reports 31-year-old Zachary Gross continued to maintain at sentencing Wednesday for his first-degree assault conviction that his dog “Capone” was responsible for the injuries to Marilyn Stanley.
  Gross told Boone County Circuit Judge Rick Brueggemann he feels “horrible&
  
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• Woman seeks $350 million for ‘wrongful’ Waco biker shootout arrest

  09-03-2017 19:22 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (AP) — A woman who says she was wrongfully arrested following a deadly 2015 shootout involving bikers at a Waco, Texas, restaurant has filed a lawsuit alleging civil rights violations and asking for $350 million in damages.
  Attorneys for Morgan English filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Austin federal court.
  The lawsuit says English and her husband were set to attend a meeting of motorcycle clubs when they got caught in the shootout that left nine dead.
  English’s attorneys say th
  
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• EPA chief: Carbon dioxide not primary cause of warming

  09-03-2017 18:15 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The new chief of the Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday he does not believe that carbon dioxide is a primary contributor to global warming, a statement at odds with mainstream scientific consensus and his own agency.
  EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said measuring the effect of human activity on the climate is “very challenging” and that “there’s tremendous disagreement about the degree of impact” of carbon dioxide and other greenhou
  
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• FCC probing AT&T’s Wednesday night 911 outage

  09-03-2017 18:14 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Communications Commission says it is investigating why AT&T cellphone customers were unable to call 911 in several states on Wednesday night.
  Law enforcement and government agencies in Texas, Florida, Tennessee and other states reported the problem and provided alternate numbers for people to call during emergencies. AT&T later on Wednesday evening said that service had been restored.
  FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement Thursday that he has told th
  
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• Brothers go on naked rampage, face numerous charges

  09-03-2017 17:49 via kxan.com
  
  INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Two men are in custody after they went on a nude rampage Sunday afternoon in front of an apartment complex.
  It happened around 3:30 p.m. at the Lighthouse Landing apartment complex in the 6600 block of Heron Neck Drive on reports of a person exposing.
  Upon arrival, officers observed 21-year old Timothy Batz and his brother 24-year old Noah Batz walking the area nude.
  An investigation determined that Timothy and Noah had punched a woman in the forehead earlier after sh
  
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• PHOTOS: Tap water accidentally runs pink in Canada town

  09-03-2017 15:03 via kxan.com
  
  ONOWAY, Canada (WFLA) – Residents of a town in Canada got a surprise Monday morning when their tap water was running pink.
  Onoway Mayor Dale Krasnow said in a statement that the town’s Public Works Department washed filters at a water treatment plant on Monday.
  Krasnow said it appears a valve may have been stuck, allowing potassium permanganate to get into the sump reservoir, then into the town’s water distribution system, coloring the water pink.
  “I won’t chance dr
  
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• First Central Texas clinic with transgender specialized care opens in Austin

  09-03-2017 14:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KKXAN) — After the State Committee passed what critics call the “Bathroom Bill,” a local clinic wants Austinites to know they are offering the first specialized care for the transgender community in Central Texas.
  The Kind Clinic, located near 30th Street and Interstate 35, aims at helping transgender and non-binary individuals. The clinic says they will not provide gender re-assignment surgery, but will offer high-quality full-service care at little to no cost when pos
  
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• Austin clinic offering specialized care for transgender community opens today

  09-03-2017 14:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KKXAN) — After the State Committee passed what critics call the “Bathroom Bill,” a local clinic wants Austinites to know they are offering the first specialized care for the transgender community in Central Texas.
  The Kind Clinic, located near 30th Street and Interstate 35, aims at helping transgender and non-binary individuals. The clinic says they will not provide gender re-assignment surgery, but will offer high-quality full-service care at little to no cost when pos
  
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• Rep. Dawnna Dukes to appear in court facing corruption charges

  09-03-2017 14:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — State Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, is expected in court on Thursday to face criminal corruption charges, accused of tampering with government records and abuse of her official capacity.
  Dukes, who represents the east Austin district, says she plans to plead not guilty. Prosecutors say Dukes used her official staff to do things like take her kids to school. She is also accused of collecting her per diem on days she never went to the Capitol.
  After she made a surprise appeara
  
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• Rep. Dawnna Dukes court appearance reschedule, facing corruption charges

  09-03-2017 14:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — State Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, will no longer be in court on Thursday to face criminal corruption charges, accused of tampering with government records and abuse of her official capacity. Her court date has been rescheduled for April 19 at 9 a.m.
  Dukes, who represents the east Austin district, says she plans to plead not guilty. Prosecutors say Dukes used her official staff to do things like take her kids to school. She is also accused of collecting her per diem on days
  
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• AISD bus invovled in crash with truck in south Austin

  09-03-2017 13:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Police are investigating after an Austin ISD bus was involved in a crash with a truck in south Austin Thursday morning.
  The bus crashed in the 9000 block of South Interstate 35 at Slaughter Lane.
  Two students were on-board at the time of the crash. Officers say no one was injured. The students were on their way to Kealing Middle School.
  Once the bus is inspected, it will take the kids to school.
  We have a KXAN crew on the way to the scene. 
  
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• AISD bus involved in crash with truck in south Austin

  09-03-2017 13:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Police are investigating after an Austin ISD bus was involved in a crash with a truck in south Austin Thursday morning.
  The bus crashed in the 9000 block of South Interstate 35 at Slaughter Lane around 6 a.m.
  Two students were on-board at the time of the crash. Officers say no one was injured. The students were on their way to Kealing Middle School.
  Once the bus is inspected, it will take the kids to school.
  
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• Florida police deliver new bicycle to boy robbed of lunch money, bike savings

  09-03-2017 13:22 via kxan.com
  
  CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) – A boy who had his lunch and bicycle money stolen by a bully got a surprise Wednesday morning.
  Clearwater police surprised Ander Gonzalez, 10, with a new bicycle at Skycrest Elementary School.
  When police learned some of the money stolen from Ander on Tuesday was meant for a new bike, they set a plan in motion.
  Walmart donated a bike and Chainwheel Drive did some last-minute alterations.  Police provided a new helmet.
  Officers brought the bike to school and su
  
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• Family of Biloxi bus crash victims file wrongful death lawsuit for millions

  09-03-2017 13:14 via kxan.com
  
  LOCKHART, Texas (KXAN) — The family of the Lockhart couple killed in the Biloxi, Mississippi bus crash have filed a wrongful death and negligence lawsuit.
  Former Lockhart ISD administrators Peggy and Ken Hoffman were killed in the crash on Tuesday. The Hoffman’s were traveling on the seven-day charter excursion organized by the Bastrop Senior Center when the bus and train collided. The lawsuit is asking for millions of dollars in damages.
  The Hoffman family is suing the bus driver, E
  
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• Changes to health care plan voted on impacting Texas, dividing lawmakers

  09-03-2017 12:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Lawmakers in Washington D.C. voted at midnight on changes to the country’s health care plan, including repealing tax penalties for people without health insurance.
  The House Ways and Means Committee also agreed to end subsidies the government gives to buy health insurance, instead of offering tax credits based on age.
  This development comes after Wednesday’s attempted delay from Austin Congressman Lloyd Doggett. The Texas Democrat said there’s been little
  
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• Hawaii becomes 1st state to sue over Trump’s new travel ban

  09-03-2017 12:48 via kxan.com
  
  HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii has become the first state to file a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s revised travel ban, saying the order will harm its Muslim population, tourism and foreign students.
  Attorneys for the state filed the lawsuit against the U.S. government Wednesday in federal court in Honolulu. The state had previously sued over Trump’s initial travel ban, but that lawsuit was put on hold while other cases played out across the country.
  The revised executive orde
  
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• Bastrop woman killed in Biloxi bus crash remembered by friends

  09-03-2017 06:48 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) — The first group of passengers who survived a train and bus collision in Biloxi, Mississippi, have returned home to Bastrop.
  Members of the community greeted the group warmly, as they also remembered those they lost.
  Maureen Tanner, a friend of Deborah Orr, 62, who was identified as one of the four victims Wednesday, said, “I can’t believe she’s gone. It just doesn’t seem possible. I keep saying it and I see it. But, she’s not gonna come
  
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• Bill aims to require insurance companies to cover 3D mammograms for women

  09-03-2017 06:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Women in Austin are getting diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age, according to doctors with Austin Breast Imaging. The national average for woman who are diagnosed is 62, but here in Central Texas, doctors say they’re seeing women in their 40s, the average is 42 years old.
  The bigger problem doctors say is most insurance companies don’t cover one of the most advanced tests for breast cancer, but a 45-year veteran lawmaker, Rep. Senfr
  
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• UT study finds PTSD risk can be predicted before deployment

  09-03-2017 06:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — For Randy Waters, there’s no greater service than serving your country. He was in the Marine Corps from 1969 to 1975, after following in the footsteps of his dad. Waters also served in the Texas Army National Guard.
  “I was a Marine brat so I always wanted to be in the military, the Marines,” said Waters.
  These days, he spends a lot of time helping the men and women coming back from war. While retired, Waters has a master’s degree in therape
  
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• Texas keeps season alive, upsets Texas Tech in Big 12 tournament

  09-03-2017 06:07 via kxan.com
  
  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Texas coach Shaka Smart drove home a very simple point to his players in the halftime locker room Wednesday night: If they didn’t turn things around in a hurry, their season was over.
  “When he said that,” Texas guard Kerwin Roach Jr. said later, “everyone’s flip switched.”
  Andrew Jones proceeded to pour in 15 points, Roach had all 13 of his after the break and the No. 10 seed Longhorns rallied past No. 7 seed Texas Tech 61-52 in t
  
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• Fewer heavy Americans are trying to lose weight, study finds

  09-03-2017 03:38 via kxan.com
  
  CHICAGO (AP) — Fewer overweight Americans have been trying to lose weight in recent years, and researchers wonder if fat acceptance could be among the reasons.
  The trend found in a new study occurred at the same time obesity rates climbed.
  “Socially accepted normal body weight is shifting toward heavier weight. As more people around us are getting heavier, we simply believe we are fine, and no need to do anything with it,” said lead author Dr. Jian Zhang, a public health resear
  
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• Road rage victim says he was brutally attacked for having Trump bumper sticker

  09-03-2017 02:42 via kxan.com
  
  PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla.  (WFLA) – The victim of a brutal road rage incident in Pinellas County says he was attacked for supporting President Donald Trump.
  The incident took place on Wednesday afternoon while the victim, Gregg Dunay was driving on 66th Street North in Kenneth City.
  He tried to change lanes on the busy street, but another driver wouldn’t let him pass. And things went downhill from there.
  “He was cursing at me,” Dunay told News Channel 8. &
  
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• AT&T 911 service restored after nationwide outage

  09-03-2017 02:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — AT&T cell phone users nationwide were unable to call 911 for more than two hours Wednesday evening.
  Austin-area emergency agencies scrambled to inform callers of the alternative numbers to use in the case of an emergency. The service has now been restored and callers can use 911 for emergencies.
  At 6:58 p.m., Austin police put out an alert warning any caller to 911 to use 311 instead. At 9:30 p.m., AT&T said the problem was resolved.
  In a statement du
  
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• 911 down for AT&T cell phone users possibly nationwide, officials say

  09-03-2017 02:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The 911 system in Austin is unable to receive calls from AT&T cell phone users. The outage may be affecting AT&T cell phone users nationwide.
  Anyone trying to call 911 with an AT&T cell phone in Austin should call 311 for emergencies until further notice. Austin police say they do not know how long the outage will last.
  Who to call for emergencies by area
  Austin: Call 311
  Bastrop County: Call 512-549-5100 option 0.
  Caldwell County: (Rural) Call 51
  
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• Few Texas low-ground railroad crossings appear in federal data

  09-03-2017 01:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Federal transportation safety investigating the train and bus collision in Biloxi, Mississippi are concentrating part of their work on the elevation of a railway crossing that allowed a tour bus filled with Austin seniors to get hung up a moment before a freight train struck it Tuesday afternoon.
  The approach to the track has signs that warn long vehicles like tour buses to avoid the route.
  In Texas, TxDOT has designed similar signs, but a search of federal railway saf
  
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• Texas bill making divorce harder gets early movement

  09-03-2017 01:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – A bill making divorce much more difficult is moving its way through the Texas Legislature. Ending what’s called ‘no fault’ divorce would force a spouse to be legally responsible for causing his or her marriage to split up. In 2015, the idea passed a panel of lawmakers as a first hurdle. This session, HB 65 had its first public hearing in the Texas House Committee on Juvenile Justice and Family Issues – with still months to go in the session.
  Kristi D
  
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• LISTEN: Woman tells 911 ‘Boss will kill me if I leave this mansion’

  09-03-2017 01:00 via kxan.com
  
  ATLANTA (AP) — A man hired women to work as dancers inside a million-dollar mansion and threatened to kill at least one of them if she tried to leave, according to a 911 call.
  Officers helped eight women leave the home after the 911 call was made Tuesday morning, police said Wednesday in a news release. In the 911 recording, the caller cryptically asks the dispatcher for help getting out of a “bad situation.”
  Under questioning from the dispatcher, the woman describes a boss who
  
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• Suspect in Dripping Springs shooting considered armed and dangerous

  09-03-2017 00:41 via kxan.com
  
  DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas (KXAN) — Deputies are searching for a man they believe shot a 26 year old after a fight in Dripping Springs, Wednesday.
  A 911 call reporting something suspicious brought officers to the 28000 block of Ranch Road 12, not far from Dripping Springs Elementary School, and just north of the US 290 and RR 12 intersection.
  Arriving deputies found a 26-year-old man with a gunshot wound. He was conscious and breathing as medics took him to an Austin-area hospital with non-li
  
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• Shooting reported on RR 12 in Dripping Springs

  09-03-2017 00:41 via kxan.com
  
  DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas (KXAN) — Sheriff’s deputies are at the scene of a shooting in Dripping Springs, Wednesday evening.
  The Hays County Sheriff’s Office says the shooting happened on Ranch Road 12 near Dripping Springs Elementary School, less than two miles north of the US 290 and RR 12 intersection.
  Dale Whitaker with Dripping Springs ISD says, as a precaution, they brought students inside from the playground for about 15 minutes.
  Additional information on the shooting, inc
  
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• Bastrop Senior Center gets outpouring of support after crash

  09-03-2017 00:28 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) — It was a long night for many of the friends and family of those involved in the deadly bus crash in Biloxi, Mississippi. 
  “It was not a good night.” Shirley Tymel, like many of her friends, spent the morning at the Bastrop Senior Center, hoping for any updates on the condition of her friends.
  “I’m drinking coffee at 2:00 in the morning or 4:00 in the morning, because you just want to take your mind off it,” Tymel said.
  She was
  
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