Austin news

• UT fraternity fence tagged with ‘racist,’ ‘rapist’

  17-04-2017 23:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The fence at the Phi Gamma Delta house, a University of Texas at Austin fraternity located just north of campus, was found vandalized Monday morning.
  “Rapist” and “racist” was reportedly spray painted on two sides of a stone fence post at the corner of Whitis Avenue and West 27th Street.
  Monday afternoon, a man was seen power washing the graffiti off the stone. The university confirmed they have received reports of the graffiti at the off-c
  
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• Texas House orders study before using poison on feral hogs

  17-04-2017 22:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (AP/KXAN) — The Texas House has approved a bipartisan bill requiring further study before the state’s agriculture commissioner can authorize the use of a poison he’s boasted will trigger an “apocalypse” against the invasive creatures.
  Approved Monday 128-13, the measure requires further academic or policy scrutiny on the poison’s effects on the hogs as well as residents, hunters and the environment. A final, largely formulaic vote is all that’s ne
  
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• 7-year-old boy sprayed with water gun falls off Beaumont dock and drowns

  17-04-2017 22:42 via kxan.com
  
  BEAUMONT, Texas (KXAN) — A 7-year-old boy drowned on Easter Sunday in Beaumont after he was sprayed with a water gun and fell off a dock into the Neches River.
  Witnesses say a group of kids had just finished an Easter egg hunt in the park that afternoon when they started playing with water guns along the edge of the dock at Collier’s Ferry Park.
  The 7 year old, Kenneth Haynes, was sprayed in the eye and lost his balance, sending him into the river, according to KJAC. Emergency crews
  
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• School choice advocates hope ‘special needs bill’ passes in compromise

  17-04-2017 22:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In the wake of the Texas House scuttling a Senate idea of spending tax dollars on private and home schooling, school choice advocates say they hope their ideas could come from the House itself.
  House Bill 1335, by Rep. Ron Simmon, R-Carrollton, would create an education savings account program for children with “special needs.” Families with students in special education, in Child Protective Services, homeless, at risk of dropping out or if a school distric
  
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• Embattled TABC director resigns amid investigation into perks

  17-04-2017 21:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — After fielding some tough questions last week by the House Committee on General Investigations and Ethics, Sherry Cook, the executive director of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, has resigned from her position.
  Gov. Greg Abbott’s Office issued a statement to KXAN stating: “It became clear that action needed to be taken to in order to restore trust in the agency and Ms. Cook’s resignation is the first step in that process.” In a Tweet, Go
  
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• Texas mom accused of shooting video, photos of child’s abuse

  17-04-2017 19:49 via kxan.com
  
  HUMBLE, Texas (AP) — Court records show a Houston-area woman is accused of placing a plastic bag over the head of her 1-year-old son and sending video of the abuse to relatives because she was upset that the child’s father had a new girlfriend.
  Twenty-three-year-old Jamelle Peterkin of Humble appeared in court Monday on a charge of endangering a child.
  The boy’s aunt, Ra’Neicha Broadnax, told KTRK-TV (http://abc13.co/2oPAGkt ) in Houston that in recent days she received v
  
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• North Korea accuses US of creating situation for nuclear war

  17-04-2017 19:32 via kxan.com
  
  UNITED NATIONS (AP) — North Korea’s deputy U.N. ambassador accused the United States on Monday of turning the Korean peninsula into “the world’s biggest hotspot” and creating “a dangerous situation in which a thermonuclear war may break out at any moment.”
  Kim In Ryong told a news conference that “if the U.S. dares opt for a military action,” North Korea “is ready to react to any mode of war desired by the U.S.”
  He said the Trump
  
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• Texas church’s rainbow flag stolen, replaced with an American flag

  17-04-2017 18:58 via kxan.com
  
  DALLAS, TX (WCMH) — A Texas church says someone stole the flag from its sanctuary and left behind an anonymous note.
  “I didn’t agree with your flag so I took it down. P.S. There are only 2 genders,” Rev. Patrick Price read from the note to KTVT.
  The Community Unitarian Universalist Church prides itself on being an open-minded congregation, but on Saturday night, someone stole their rainbow flag and replaced it with the Stars and Stripes.
  “We’re not naïve.
  
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• Report: 65 Texas foster children stayed in CPS offices in March

  17-04-2017 18:28 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (AP/KXAN) — Records show the number of Texas foster children staying in agency offices or alternate sites due to lack of placement more than doubled in March, compared to February.
  The Texas Department of Family Protective Services said Friday that 65 children slept at least two consecutive nights in a state office, motel or shelter last month. There were 29 foster children living in state offices or alternate sites during February.
  A 15-year-old foster girl living at a state office
  
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• Texas attorney general’s request for new judge rebuffed

  17-04-2017 18:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A judge has rebuffed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request that he step aside before the Republican stands trial on criminal securities fraud charges in September.
  A spokeswoman for state District Judge George Gallagher confirmed Monday that he will stay on the case. Paxton had asked for a new judge after his trial was moved from his hometown in suburban Dallas to Houston.
  Melody McDonald Lanier says Gallager doesn’t need to formally rule on the motio
  
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• Power restored to thousands in east Austin

  17-04-2017 17:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Energy has restored power to thousands of customers in east Austin.
  The city’s transportation department said several traffic signals were originally out Monday morning.
  According to Austin Energy’s outage map, nearly 4,000 customers were without power in the area south of East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and north of East Seventh Street. The outage extended to some intersections along US 183, according to the transportation department.
  Austin Energy
  
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• What to Watch: Will voucher defeat hurt school finance fix?

  17-04-2017 17:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas House all but buried school vouchers. Could the Senate do the same with the school finance fix?
  After the Senate approved a sweeping bill offering taxpayer funds to private and religious schools, the House overwhelmingly passed language in its version of the state budget forbidding the practice — likely killing state-subsidized “school choice.”
  On Wednesday, the House is scheduled to approve a $1.6 billion bill altering how Texas pays for it
  
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• Celebrate America with Willie at COTA on Fourth of July

  17-04-2017 16:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — You’re going to want to set some time aside on Friday morning if you’re planning to party with Willie Nelson on the Fourth of July.
  Tickets for Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic are open to the public starting at 10 a.m. on April 21. It’s the third year for the annual event to be held at the Circuit of the Americas and the 44th edition of the picnic overall.
  This year’s all-day event features performances from artists on two stages, including
  
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• Identity thief has been posing as Texas infant that died in 1972

  17-04-2017 16:31 via kxan.com
  
  PITTSBURGH (AP) — A Pennsylvania man who assumed the identity of a baby who died in Texas in 1972 has been arrested on charges of Social Security fraud and aggravated identity theft after the baby’s aunt discovered the ruse on Ancestry.com.
  Jon Vincent, 44, was arrested in Lansdale, near Philadelphia, on Monday, but had also lived near Pittsburgh and York, Pennsylvania since 2003 — after first obtaining a Social Security card in the name Nathan Laskoski in 1996, federal prosecu
  
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• Teen arrested in Louisiana for swearing in front of senior citizen

  17-04-2017 15:35 via kxan.com
  
  WEST MONROE, La. (WFLA) – An 18-year-old Louisiana man faces charges for disturbing the peace after he allegedly cursed near a senior citizen.
  The Ouachita Citizen reports Jared Dylan Smith was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge on April 8.
  According to the report, the complaint stated: “While standing next to my 75-year-old complainant, Jared yelled the word ‘f***’ and clearly disturbed her peace.”
  No witnesses were present at the time.
  Smith has reportedly de
  
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• Border wall could leave some Americans on ‘Mexican side’

  17-04-2017 14:53 via kxan.com
  
  BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — The border wall President Donald Trump has imagined could seal some Americans on the “Mexican side” — technically on U.S. soil, but outside of a barrier built north of the river separating the two countries.
  Landowners could lose property. Those who that already lost some for an existing fence are already preparing for a new battle. Even if they don’t win, lawyers hope to tie up the wall in court long enough that politics could stop it, eit
  
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• ‘Only Steve knows’: Police baffled by Facebook video killing

  17-04-2017 14:45 via kxan.com
  
  CLEVELAND (AP) — In a rambling video, Steve Stephens said, “I snapped, I just snapped.” But as the manhunt dragged on Monday for the man accused of posting Facebook footage of himself killing a Cleveland retiree, police were unable to explain what set him off.
  “Only Steve knows that,” Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said as authorities posted a $50,000 reward for Stephens’ capture in the shooting of Robert Godwin Sr., a 74-year-old former foundry worker
  
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• Multi-state search targets suspect in Facebook video murder

  17-04-2017 14:45 via kxan.com
  
  CLEVELAND (AP) — The search for a suspected killer who posted gruesome Facebook video of a fatal Cleveland shooting put authorities in surrounding states on the lookout Monday after police said the man might have left Ohio.
  Cleveland police allege 37-year-old Steve Stephens, a case manager at a behavioral health agency, shot a 74-year-old passer-by on Sunday in an apparently random attack.
  The victim, retired foundry worker Robert Godwin Sr., apparently was shot while out on a walk to coll
  
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• Manhunt expanded for suspect in Facebook video killing

  17-04-2017 14:45 via kxan.com
  
  CLEVELAND (AP) — Authorities in several states were on the lookout Monday for a man police say shot a Cleveland retiree collecting aluminum cans and then posted video of the apparently random killing on Facebook.
  “He could be nearby. He could be far away or anywhere in between,” FBI agent Stephen Anthony said on Day 2 of the manhunt for Steve Stephens, a 37-year-old job counselor for teens and young adults.
  Police said Stephens killed Robert Godwin Sr., a 74-year-old former fou
  
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• Man accused of Facebook video killing said he ‘just snapped’

  17-04-2017 14:45 via kxan.com
  
  CLEVELAND (AP) — In a rambling video, Steve Stephens said, “I snapped, I just snapped.” But as the manhunt dragged on Monday for the man accused of posting Facebook footage of himself killing a retiree, police were unable to explain what set him off.
  “Only Steve knows that,” Cleveland police Chief Calvin Williams said as authorities posted a $50,000 reward for Stephens’ capture in the shooting of Robert Godwin Sr., a 74-year-old former foundry worker.
  In the v
  
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• Blind East Texas musician gets gift of sight, pays it forward

  17-04-2017 13:23 via kxan.com
  
  MARSHALL, Texas (KETK) – A few weeks ago, with the help of the community, Robert “Blind Dog” Cook got a pair of “New Sight” glasses and he’s now looking to give the gift of sight to others.
  Since birth, “Blind Dog” has lived everyday without fully seeing the world.
  “A lot of babies were born with too much oxygen which caused the cataracts,” said Cook. “At that time, they would do surgery to remove the lenses in your eyes. I&r
  
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• Leander ISD hosting mental health awareness event

  17-04-2017 13:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Leander Independent School District invites parents and community members to a meeting Monday night to discuss mental health issues inside the schools.
  The ‘Supporting our Teens in Today’s Society’ event starts at 6:30 p.m. April 17 at Cedar Park High School Performing Arts Center, 2150 Cypress Creek Road in Cedar Park.
  The goal, according to the district, is to provide advice to parents and show what resources for preventing teen suicide are available to
  
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• Polaris recalls ROVs due to faulty heat sheild

  17-04-2017 10:03 via kxan.com
  
  MINNEAPOLIS (NBC)- Polaris is recalling about 51,000 recreational off-highway vehicles because a heat shield can fall off, posing fire and burn hazards to riders.
  The recall involves all model year 2015 Polaris Ranger X-P 900, X-P 900 EPS and Crew 900 ROVs.
  Polaris has received 13 incident reports, including five fires. No injuries have been reported.
  Owners of these ROVs should contact Polaris to schedule a free repair.
  Polaris can be reached at 800-765-2747 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and Fri
  
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• Suspected DWI driver crashes into west Austin condo

  17-04-2017 09:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man who police said was driving under the influence is recovering in the hospital after driving his car into a west Austin condominium complex Sunday night.
  Austin Fire Department says the crash happened at the Lakehouse Condos located at the intersection of Scenic Drive and Lake Austin Boulevard at 11:07 p.m. The department said the man ran a stop sign, hit a vehicle and a parked car.
  Austin-Travis County EMS said paramedics took the driver to University Medical Center B
  
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• PHOTOS: Car crashes into west Austin condo; driver hurt

  17-04-2017 09:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man who police said was driving under the influence is recovering in the hospital after driving his car into a west Austin condominium complex Sunday night.
  Austin Fire Department says the crash happened at the Lakehouse Condos located at the intersection of Scenic Drive and Lake Austin Boulevard at 11:07 p.m. The department said the man ran a stop sign, hit a vehicle and a parked car.
  Austin-Travis County EMS said paramedics took the driver to University Medical Center B
  
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• Car crashes into West Austin condo; 1 hurt

  17-04-2017 09:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)- A man is recovering in the hospital after driving his car into a West Austin condominium complex Sunday night.
  Austin Fire Department says the crash happened at the intersection of Scenic Drive and Lake Austin Boulevard at 11:07 p.m. The department says the man ran a stop sign, hit a vehicle and a parked car. Part of the complex was leaning over so crews will stay there overnight. The damaged part of the complex was used as a storage unit and nobody was inside.
  Austin-Travis Count
  
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• ACC asks its community for input on campus carry

  17-04-2017 05:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — While Texas’ campus carry law was implemented Aug. 1, 2016, for public universities in Texas, the law doesn’t go into effect until Aug. 1,2017, for community colleges. The law permits licensed handgun owners to carry concealed weapons on most locations on campus including classrooms. Austin Community College and community colleges around the state are now tailoring their policies to determine the “exclusionary zones” where guns will be bann
  
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• Fairy-tale ending for Leander High’s newest prom queen

  17-04-2017 03:59 via kxan.com
  
  LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) — Hair, make-up, high heels and formal dresses … it’s that time: prom season. And this year, the winning prom queen at Leander High School made a surprising move on the dance floor.
  Leander High seniors Abby Cano and Keilany Solano were two of five 2017 prom queen nominees. But when Solano’s name was called as the winner, she surprised her classmates by taking the crown and the sash and placing them on Cano for a real-life fairy-tale ending.
  Solano
  
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• Cleveland police: Manhunt underway for man who live-streamed homicide

  17-04-2017 01:35 via kxan.com
  
  CLEVELAND (AP) — A manhunt is underway for a suspect who police say killed a man on the street Sunday while streaming it live on Facebook.
  Law enforcement is searching the Cleveland area and beyond for Steve Stephens, the suspect police say walked up to an elderly man and shot him while on video, said Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams.
  The victim has been identified as 74-year-old Robert Goodwin Sr.
  Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson publicly urged Stephens to turn himself into police and
  
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• Easter service under I-35 offers dignity, a helping hand to homeless downtown

  17-04-2017 00:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Hundreds of people – many of them homeless — attended a different kind of Easter service in downtown Austin Sunday afternoon.
  The Austin New Church held Easter service under Interstate 35 between 7th and 8th Streets downtown that included live music, a free lunch and communion to recognize the dignity of people who find themselves homeless in the Austin community.
  Members of several churches joined them to serve food and hugs along with donations of socks, shoes
  
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• Arkansas governor says accelerated execution plan just part of the job

  17-04-2017 00:01 via kxan.com
  
  LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson comes across as a reluctant figure just carrying out the duties of his office when he discusses his extraordinary plan to execute eight inmates in 11 days.
  Although the plan faces multiple legal hurdles, no other state has executed that many people so quickly since the U.S. Supreme Court reauthorized the death penalty in 1976, and it has thrust Hutchinson and his solidly Republican state into the center of the debate over capital punish
  
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