Austin news

• APD officers surprise teen with new car

  17-03-2017 23:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN — It was just a normal Friday, or so senior Cody Morgan thought.
  “As far as Cody knew, all we were going to do today was meet for lunch,” Officer Jason Borne said. “Then afterwards I said, ‘Let’s just go check out some cars and see what your trade-in value would be.'”
  Little did he know, there would be a line of cars waiting for Cody to pick one and drive home.
  “After the KXAN story ran, the next 24 hours increased our GoFundMe by over $3,00
  
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• PACE: the hidden safety net at South by Southwest

  17-03-2017 23:28 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – An unassuming but dedicated hybrid team of public servants is making sure crowds of South By Southwest revelers are able to revel in relative safety. The city of Austin’s PACE teams — short for Public Assembly Code Enforcement — patrol downtown venues and those spots farther afield looking for issues related to alcohol, noise and security.
  “We’re not here to dampen their party. We’re here to make sure they’re safe,” said
  
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• Numerous homicides across Travis County keep investigators busy this week

  17-03-2017 23:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Over the past seven days, the Austin Police Department along with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office have been busy investigating six homicides and several other violent crimes in every part of the county.
  On Friday, March 10, 51-year-old Glen Buford was attacked and stabbed to death in east Austin. Several hours later, a musician was mugged and shot while walking to his home, also in east Austin.
  On Sunday afternoon, a man was shot while answering his door at the Six
  
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• North Texas school refutes AG’s concerns over Muslim prayer room

  17-03-2017 22:09 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (AP) — A Texas school district says Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton is raising unfounded concerns about religious freedom over a spare classroom where Muslim students pray.
  Chris Moore is a spokesman for the Frisco school district near Dallas. He said Friday the room is available to “students of all walks of life.”
  Muslim students at Liberty High School have been allowed since 2007 to pray in a classroom that’s vacant for part of the afternoon. School offici
  
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• CapMetro adds backup buses in anticipation of large crowds

  17-03-2017 19:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — With large crowds expected in downtown Austin for the last weekend of South by Southwest, Capital Metro is adding extra crews to help with overcrowding on the MetroRail.
  CapMetro says they are adding four overflow buses that will be staged at Red River and dispatched to stations as needed. If the MetroRail is full, people are urged to take the MetroRapid downtown. Extra buses will be added if the agency sees overcrowding on the MetroRapid routes.
  If you do stay out late, Ca
  
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• Amber Alert for missing Tennessee teen extends nationwide

  17-03-2017 18:55 via kxan.com
  
  NASHVILLE, TN (WKRN) – The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Thursday it “remains extremely concerned” for the 15-year-old girl at the center of a statewide AMBER Alert.
  Authorities say their investigation has revealed a “troubling pattern of behavior” from Tad Cummins, 50, who “may have been abusing his role as a teacher to groom this vulnerable young girl for some time in an effort to lure and potentially sexually exploit her.”
  Cummins reportedly
  
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• ‘Mother of the Year’s’ lactation cookie business booms

  17-03-2017 18:06 via kxan.com
  
  NEWVILLE, Pa. (WHTM) – A little bakery in Newville is growing, but Bessie’s Best cookies aren’t what you’d expect.
  The baker behind it all, Jennifer Acuna, knows the recipe to be a good mom.
  “So I told her,” Acuna said about her daughter. “I think she should go to medical school, just in case the princess thing falls through.”
  The ingredients for motherhood don’t always come as easily.
  “When I tried to breast feed, I wasn’t very s
  
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• Police: Wrong-way driver almost hits SXSW-goers downtown

  17-03-2017 17:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — People were hitting the hood of a woman’s car as she rolled through a busy downtown Austin intersection during SXSW early Thursday morning.
  According to an arrest affidavit, Stefani Espinosa, 36, was driving southbound in the northbound lane of Red River Street at roughly 1:48 a.m. when an officer manning a barricade at the intersection of Red River and East Tenth Street noticed her vehicle rolling through the intersection.
  People walking on the east curb line of Red
  
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• How to see Garth Brooks’ FREE SXSW show

  17-03-2017 17:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Whenever Garth Brooks tickets go on sale, they sell like hot cakes. In the case where there’s a FREE Garth Brooks show, we’re going to make an educated guess and say it’s going to be a madhouse.
  On Friday, the singer announced he was going to close out South by Southwest with a free show at Auditorium Shores, sponsored by Amazon Music. The SXSW Outdoor Stage at Lady Bird Lake, which holds around 50,000 attendees, features a three-day series of charity bene
  
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• Hope you got a Garth Brooks ticket; they’re all gone

  17-03-2017 17:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Whenever Garth Brooks tickets go on sale, they sell like hot cakes. In the case where there’s a FREE Garth Brooks show, we’re going to make an educated guess and say it’s going to be a madhouse.
  UPDATE: And it was. South by Southwest said the tickets are all ‘sold out.’ One person told KXAN they saw the ‘sold out’ message on the site within 30 seconds after noon.UPDATE: @garthbrooks tickets are sold out. #SXSW Registrants and M
  
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• Round Rock man charged with 6 counts of child porn possession

  17-03-2017 15:40 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — A Round Rock man is in jail after being found to be in possession of child pornography.
  Eric Christopher Lucas, 45, was taken into custody by the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office at his home at the Landing Apartments on March 15 during an investigation by the Child Exploitation Unit of the Attorney General’s Office. Authorities were alerted to Lucas after receiving two CyberTipline reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
  
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• Kids’ stories become song thanks to Sing Me a Story Foundation

  17-03-2017 15:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A national foundation is giving children fighting diseases new hope through music.
  The Sing Me a Story Foundation is in Austin through Saturday. They take the stories children in hospitals and hospices write and hand them over to songwriters to put it to music. The songs are then given back to the kids.
  Bands are stationed on the third floor of the Chuggin’ Monkey on Sixth Street.
  Austin Atteberry with the foundation spoke with Sally Hernandez on KXAN News Today
  
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• SXSW Gaming convention begins

  17-03-2017 14:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Gamers will descend upon South by Southwest this weekend as the Gaming Expo begins.
  Conference associate Estevan Aviles joined John Dabkovich on KXAN News Today to talk about the event which is taking place until Saturday night.
  SXSW is considered a premiere destination for video game fans. Austin is also home to more than 7,000 industry workers, two thirds of which are independent.
  This year, the expo requires a wristband which starts at $25. Those with a badge will g
  
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• Police fatally shoot escaped airport security dog delaying flights

  17-03-2017 14:06 via kxan.com
  
  WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) – New Zealand police shot and killed a young security dog at the Auckland Airport on Friday after it escaped its handler and ran loose for more than three hours on the tarmac, disrupting at least 16 flights.
  Many people in New Zealand were upset that the dog was killed and some questioned why it couldn’t have been tranquilized instead.
  Named Grizz, the dog was being trained to detect explosives by New Zealand’s Aviation Security Service and was abou
  
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• Body found stuffed in suitcase identified as 89-year-old WWII veteran

  17-03-2017 12:39 via kxan.com
  
  LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – An 89-year-old man whose body was discovered in a large suitcase on a rural Arkansas farm was a World War II veteran from New York, police say.
  Robert Brooks died of natural causes at his home about a month before his body was discovered in a Prairie County field on March 5, Lt. David Gilbo of the Johnstown, New York, Police Department told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
  “He was a war hero who could have been buried at the (Arlington) National Cemetery,&rdquo
  
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• Free Fun in Austin during SXSW weekend

  17-03-2017 11:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)- With both Spring Break and South-by-Southwest winding down, here are some tips from our partners at Free Fun in Austin.
  Girls Rock Austin SX Day Party − Friday from Noon to 10:00 p.m. Girls Rock Austin is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering girls and women of all backgrounds and abilities through musical education and performance. Don’t miss their SX Day Party featuring live music by more than a dozen performers. All ages welcome.&nbs
  
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• Dive team on standby after car drives into Lady Bird Lake

  17-03-2017 11:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The driver of a car that ended up in Lady Bird Lake is safe, but dive team members are on scene for assistance while the car is retrieved.
  It happened at West Cesar Chavez Street and B.R. Reynolds Drive around 4:24 a.m.
  A worker from the Watershed Department says the car drove past a traffic light, over the Hike and Bike Trail, hit a tree and landed on the driver side in the lake.
  A tow truck is on scene and crews will begin working to get the car out of the lake soon.
  THIS
  
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• Car pulled from Lady Bird Lake after crash, no DWI charge expected

  17-03-2017 11:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The driver of a 2013 Toyota sport utility vehicle that landed in Lady Bird Lake early Friday morning is safe.
  It happened at West Cesar Chavez Street and B.R. Reynolds Drive around 4:24 a.m.
  The man driving, officials said to be in his 40s, refused treatment from medical teams. Austin police said he passed field sobriety tests and will not be charged with DWI but may face other charges pending the investigation.
  A worker from the Watershed Department said the SUV
  
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• Car pulled from Lady Bird Lake after crash

  17-03-2017 11:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The driver of a 2013 Toyota sport utility vehicle that landed in Lady Bird Lake early Friday morning is safe.
  It happened at West Cesar Chavez Street and B.R. Reynolds Drive around 4:24 a.m.
  The man driving, officials said to be in his 40s, refused treatment from medical teams. Austin police said he passed field sobriety tests and will not be charged with DWI but may face other charges pending the investigation.
  A worker from the Watershed Department said the SUV
  
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• Austin researchers say proposed NIH budget cuts are a mistake

  17-03-2017 04:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In an effort to ramp up defense spending, President Trump is proposing some major cuts in other areas, including health.
  In his budget blueprint, President Trump wants to cut $5.8 billion from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about 20 percent of its budget. Trump says the budget includes a major reorganization of NIH and aims to focus resources on the highest priority research and training activities.
  Several biomedical research companies in Austin rely on NIH
  
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• President Trump’s travel ban could worsen Texas’ doctor shortage

  17-03-2017 04:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (NEXSTAR) — President Donald Trump said his latest travel ban is necessary to keep terrorists out of the United States, but researchers warn the ban could also stop much-needed doctors from coming in.
  New research by graduate students at Harvard University and MIT found Trump’s latest immigration-related executive order could cause doctor shortages in the U.S.
  “I think you’ll feel it acutely in Texas,” said Dennis Andrulis, PhD. The senior research scien
  
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• Massive fire burning in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina

  17-03-2017 03:49 via kxan.com
  
  RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Firefighters are battling a huge fire in downtown Raleigh.
  The fire could be seen from the CBS North Carolina tower cam, which is north of the city’s downtown. The flames were visible against the city’s sklyline.
  More details will be added as they become available.Downtown #raleighfire pic.twitter.com/pTMKcOijJr
  — Alison Fowler (@alfowlfa) March 17, 2017
  
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• Medic run over, killed by stolen ambulance in New York City

  17-03-2017 02:51 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Police say an emergency medical technician in New York City has died after she was run over by a stolen ambulance.
  Authorities say the EMT had stopped her ambulance in the Bronx at around 7 p.m. Thursday after being told someone was being robbed.
  Police say a man then jumped into the vehicle and drove off.
  The EMT tried to stop the man, but fell and was caught beneath the wheels.
  READ: Theft of ambulances is not uncommon
  Video posted on Twitter by a bystander shows the ambu
  
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• Longhorns ready for NCAA tournament

  17-03-2017 02:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas was on a big win streak and sitting on top of the Big 12.
  Then came four losses in the last six games, a skid that sent the No. 3-seed Longhorns stumbling onto their home court for the opening round of the women’s NCAA Tournament. It’s not exactly the kind of momentum push Texas was looking for.
  After advancing to last season’s final eight, Texas opened the season with big expectations, only to bookend it with struggles early and late. The Longh
  
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• Suspect in deadly Wells Branch shooting arrested in downtown Austin

  17-03-2017 01:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man is dead after being shot in the parking lot of an apartment complex in north Travis County. The suspect in the homicide, Deandre Eric Conner, 20, was arrested in downtown Austin at around 3 p.m. Friday.
  Deputies say the shooting in the Wells Branch neighborhood appeared to be drug related. Their investigation, aided by a large number of tips from the community, led to an arrest warrant fairly quickly.
  The shooting happened around 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Ch
  
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• Man shot to death in north Travis County

  17-03-2017 01:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man is dead after being shot in north Travis County in the Wells Branch neighborhood.
  The shooting happened around 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the 14100 block of Thermal Drive, near the intersection with Wells Branch Parkway, according to the sheriff’s office.
  Deputies, who are investigating the incident as a homicide, say the suspect should be considered armed and dangerous. Authorities were looking for the suspect, who ran from the scene on foot. Investigators
  
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• East Austin neighbors want details after man was shot while answering door

  17-03-2017 00:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Neighbors at the Sixty 600 Apartments in east Austin are waiting for answers after a resident was shot through his front door.
  Austin police say it happened Sunday, March 12 at 10:50 p.m. off US 183/Ed Bluestein Boulevard and Loyola Lane. A man in his 30s heard a knock at the door, went to answer it, and was shot. He was transported to the hospital with serious injuries.
  “I just wanted to take cover and protect myself, and once the shots stopped I called 911,” s
  
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• Three shot on Rio Grande River as NBC crew films story

  17-03-2017 00:22 via kxan.com
  
  STARR COUNTY, Texas (KVEO) — One person is dead and two injured after a shooting along the U.S.–Mexico border in Starr County.
  Border Patrol agents, DPS troopers and deputies from Starr County are investigating.
  Multiple law enforcement agencies are part of the investigation, but the Starr County Sheriff’s Office is taking the lead. Not much was said to the media about what happened Wednesday night.
  Three people were shot while on a boat along the Rio Grande River. Someone from
  
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