Austin news

• Chinese girl abandoned on road flown to Austin for lifesaving heart surgery

  28-04-2017 23:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — One in four babies in the U.S. are born with a congenital heart defect, according to the CDC, but survival rates are high because of the advanced surgeries and medicine we have available.
  Beyond our borders, the birth defect takes many more lives, and for that reason, a local non-profit, HeartGift, is on a mission to help children from other countries by donating lifesaving surgeries right here in Austin.
  Their most recent patient is a 5-year-old girl from China named 
  
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• Hamilton Pool reopens to swimmers starting May 1

  28-04-2017 22:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — After Hamilton Pool was closed to swimmers after two drownings in 2016, Travis County Parks has now decided to reopen the natural pool to swimmers starting Monday, May 1.
  Travis County Parks banned swimming on Oct. 7, 2016 to spend time determining if any of their operational protocols could be changed to minimize future incidents. A 20-year-old man drowned at the pool on Oct. 2, 2016 and in August, a 17-year-old died after being underwater for near
  
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• Round Rock sees string of home burglaries involving unlocked doors

  28-04-2017 22:05 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — Twenty burglaries in Round Rock since March have been incidents where the burglars entered the property through an unlocked door or garage, police there said Friday.
  Round Rock police took to social media to remind residents to lock their doors saying, “We’re all in this together folks.”
  A total of 27 burglaries were reported since March 1, and all but seven have involved unlocked doors.
  In summer 2016, the police department said they saw a rash
  
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• Roseanne rumored to be returning in limited series

  28-04-2017 20:39 via kxan.com
  
  HOLLYWOOD, California (KXAN) — With so many nostalgic television shows being revived, some may say it was only a matter of time until we returned to the Conner’s living room.
  Arguably one of the greatest shows about a normal, blue collar family (except for maybe that last season,) Roseanne has been reported by Deadline to be up for the revival treatment. Deadline reports a possible eight episode limited series with Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Sara Gilbert and Laurie Metcal
  
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• Austin abortion clinic closed in 2014 reopened

  28-04-2017 19:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin abortion clinic that closed in spring of 2014 has reopened nearly 10 months after the Supreme Court rejected a Texas law which shut down clinics across the state.
  Whole Woman’s Health’s reopening will mean Texas will have 19 abortion facilities, down from 41 when House Bill 2 was passed by lawmakers in 2013. The Supreme Court called the bill unconstitutional, saying its admitting privileges and surgical center requirements placed a “substant
  
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• George H.W. Bush released after latest Houston hospital stay

  28-04-2017 19:04 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (AP) — Former President George H.W. Bush has been released from a Houston hospital where he received treatment for a mild case of pneumonia and chronic bronchitis during a two-week stay.
  Bush spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement that the 92-year-old Bush was discharged from Houston Methodist Hospital on Friday.
  McGrath says Bush is “pleased to be home.”
  Bush was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital on April 14 for treatment of a persistent cough. Doctors determin
  
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• WATCH: Boys debate ‘doing the right thing’ with found money

  28-04-2017 18:49 via kxan.com
  
  CLEARFIELD, Utah (KSL) — Just about every day, 7-year-old Eli and 5-year-old Bronx Squire are on the hunt in their neighborhood.
  “We like to look for bugs mostly,” said Bronx.
  On Saturday they headed to a friends house. “We were going to a Pokemon battle,” Eli said.
  The two boys didn’t get far before they found a little treasure. It was some money and a toy at the end of a neighbor’s driveway. What happened next could only be called a test of character.
  
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• House being converted to alternative Round Rock fire station

  28-04-2017 18:15 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — A single family home purchased by the city of Round Rock in 2015 will soon be used by a crew of firefighters, after some renovations.
  By the end of May, an engine company of three firefighters will be housed at 2721 Sam Bass Rd. The hope is that having them in this location will increase response times to northwest Round Rock.
  The home will be taken off the existing septic system and connected to a city line. The home will also get a new driveway and garage befor
  
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• Tennessee lawmakers ‘tricked’ into honoring KKK founder

  28-04-2017 17:12 via kxan.com
  
  NASHVILLE, Tennessee (NBC News) — State Rep. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, has to pass by a bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest at the state Capitol several times a week. She has no choice, but said she would never vote to pass a resolution honoring the former Klansman and slave owner.
  “If we know nothing else, we know Nathan Bedford Forrest was a slave owner, and slavery is the cruelest, most inhumane part of our history,” said Akbari while speaking on the House floor S
  
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• Police: Man yells ‘America deserves better’ at Hispanic woman

  28-04-2017 16:25 via kxan.com
  
  PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A 35-year-old year old man is charged with a hate crime after he yelled “America deserves better” at a Hispanic woman while jumping on her car and reportedly threatening to kill her earlier this week.
  Police were called out to the intersection of Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Northeast Oregon Street on April 25 on reports that a woman had been attacked.
  When police arrived, they found the alleged victim who was crying and very distraught. Th
  
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• Boy with autism forms friendship with garbage truck driver

  28-04-2017 15:33 via kxan.com
  
  HOLLAND, Mich. (WOOD) — A small act of kindness turned into an unexpected friendship between a young Holland boy and a woman who drives a garbage truck.
  Around the time now-10-year-old Landon Rozeboom started preschool, his family started noticing changes in his behavior.
  “When kids would be playing together, he would be off by himself,” Barb Alderink, Landon’s grandmother, said. “When you try to start a conversation, he couldn’t look at you, no eye contact.&r
  
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• Wife of Tennessee kidnapping suspect claims he asked for forgiveness

  28-04-2017 15:06 via kxan.com
  
  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A week after 50-year-old Tad Cummins was found in northern California with his former student, 15-year-old Elizabeth Thomas, his wife said he called and asked for forgiveness.
  Jill Cummins, who has filed for divorce, said her husband called her just days after his arrest.
  “It was very hard to hear his voice after all this time not knowing if I was going to hear it again,” she said to Inside Edition. “But he told me he was sorry. He told me h
  
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• Here are the top 10 possible names for April’s baby giraffe

  28-04-2017 14:47 via kxan.com
  
  HARPURSVILLE, New York (WISH) — Nearly two weeks after April gave birth to her much-anticipated baby boy, he’s one step closer to getting a name.
  Following several days of voting, Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, N.Y., revealed the top 10 names submitted to its naming contest.
  Among the names is “Allysa’s Choice.” If this gets the most votes, the calf’s keeper, Allysa, will get to name him.
  With the list now narrowed down, fans can now vote on their
  
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• WATCH: Frenzy as cash register gives 20s instead of 5s

  28-04-2017 14:25 via kxan.com
  
  WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (WFLA) – It’s video you have to see to believe, a man at the self-checkout counter of a Winter Haven Walmart.  When he realized the machine was giving back extra cash –  he got his entourage involved.
  In less than thirty minutes, eight people, including children, walked away with almost $1,100. Now, Winter Haven Police are looking for those involved.
  It all started with a simple purchase.
  A man with a large tattoo covering his right shoulder, bought
  
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• Tiny hero crawls from car crash with broken leg to save dad

  28-04-2017 13:57 via kxan.com
  
  LETCHER COUNTY, Kentucky (WLEX) — A 5-year-old boy is being credited for saving his father’s life in a car accident earlier this week.
  Ayden Ison and his dad, Shane, were driving along Route 7 in Letcher County Tuesday when the Mustang they were in hydroplaned, blew a tire and went spinning out of control over an embankment.
  “It just kept spinning and then it went down and it landed on its head, the car did,” Ayden said.
  Ayden was in the backseat when the car landed just
  
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• Get rid of expired prescriptions with Saturday’s Drug Take Back

  28-04-2017 13:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Have a medicine cabinet full of pills and medicines you don’t need anymore and need a safe place to dispose of them? It’s time for another Drug Take Back Day.
  In Oct. 2016, America turned in 366 tons of unwanted drugs. In its 12 previous Take Back events, the Drug Enforcement Agency has taken in over 7.1 million pounds of the potentially dangerous substances.
  The majority of prescription drug abusers report that they obtain their drugs from friends and fami
  
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• Drug Take-Back Day helps Central Texans dispose of unneeded prescription drugs

  28-04-2017 13:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Travis County constables teamed up with the Drug Enforcement Agency to help people safely dispose of their unneeded prescription drugs Saturday.
  Four Travis County constable offices served as drop-off points as part of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.
  The program lets people get rid of expired, unused or unnecessary drugs — with no questions asked.
  In October 2016, Americans turned in 366 tons of unwanted drugs. In its 12 previous Take Back events, the Drug E
  
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• Mom support group says mental health workers need more training

  28-04-2017 12:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Most times, a new baby or pregnancy brings join to a family. For some women, however, it sparks a time of deep depression and stressful anxiety, according to the Pregnancy and Postpartum Health Alliance of Texas.
  Many health care workers aren’t adequately trained to recognize the signs and symptoms, said Elaine Cavazos, a licensed certified social worker and the alliance’s clinical director. Her group plans to take on the task of training over the weekend at a t
  
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• Missing Austin woman poses threat to own safety

  28-04-2017 09:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Police are looking for an 81-year-old Austin woman last seen Thursday afternoon.
  Police say Sara Nell Gray was diagnosed with a cognitive impairment. She is five foot seven inches tall, weighs 145 pounds and has gray hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a black shirt, black pants and black shoes.
  Gray was last seen at 1:30 p.m. on Pompton Drive near Anderson Lane and Burnet Road. She was driving a tan, 2010 Buick Lucerne with Texas License Plate BW5T101.
  Police b
  
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• Free Fun for the last weekend of April

  28-04-2017 09:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)- Here are some suggestions from our partners at Free Fun in Austin.
  12th Annual Texas Community Music Fest – Friday from 5:30-9:00 p.m., Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. All day music and fun for all! Ranging in size from single performers to ensembles of 70 pieces or more, and running the musical gamut from classical to rock to jazz to world beat and everything in between, TCMF XII truly has something for
  
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• APD looking for missing Austin woman

  28-04-2017 09:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)- Austin Police are looking for an 81-year-old Austin woman who last seen Thursday afternoon.
  Police say Sara Nell Gray was diagnosed with a Cognitive Impairment. She is white, 5 foot-7 inches tall, weighs 145 pounds and has gray hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a black shirt, black pants and black shoes.
  Gray was last seen at 1:30 Thursday afternoon on Pompton Drive near Anderson Lane and Burnet Road. She was driving a tan, 2010 Buick Lucerne with Texas License Plate BW5T10
  
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• Bowie High parents sue AISD for teen to be expelled

  28-04-2017 06:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Title IX lawsuit has been filed against Austin ISD after a student says she was sexually harassed and the school did not do enough to help her.
  Attorneys say the young man who deals with emotional problems became “fixated” on the girl at Bowie High School, located at 4103 W. Slaughter Ln., during fall 2016. According to the suit, his own parents went to the school to warn them about their son’s behavior, but AISD failed to notify the girl&rsquo
  
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• Austin police officers help middle school students bring their A-game

  28-04-2017 06:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Some Austin police officers are helping a group of future tennis stars bring their A-game.
  A retired police officer noticed the tennis team at the Bertha Sadler Means Young Women’s Leadership Academy needed new equipment.
  The Austin Police Department, Austin Police Association and the Texas Peace Officers Association each donated several hundred dollars to make it happen.
  Chandra Ervin with the Texas Peace Officers Association, said, “It’s just someth
  
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• Cowboys follow script, draft Michigan’s Taco Charlton

  28-04-2017 05:57 via kxan.com
  
  FRISCO, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys drafted for defense as expected, taking Michigan defensive end Taco Charlton with the 28th overall pick on Thursday night.
  Charlton, who led the Wolverines with 9 1/2 sacks in 2016, is the first defensive end taken in the first round by the Cowboys in 10 years. Pass-rushing is the biggest need for Dallas, which was the top seed in the NFC last season but struggled to pressure the quarterback.
  It’s the third time in four years that the Cowb
  
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• More than the Score: Sean Adams talks

  28-04-2017 05:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Sean Adams joins Roger Wallace on More than the Score to talk NFL Draft and Texas football.
  
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• Boone Elementary parents meet with AISD regarding sex assault allegation

  28-04-2017 05:28 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — After almost a week of questions, Boone Elementary School parents were finally given the chance to address district leaders and the Austin ISD police chief, lasting just over an hour Thursday evening.
  “Why did the case have to be closed so quickly, what is the protocol, is this a standard protocol?” asked Boone Elementary parent Iram Leon.
  Those are just some of the questions Leon and hundreds of other parents had for the school district after an investigation i
  
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• Texas bill aims to make organ donation opt-out, sparking debate

  28-04-2017 05:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A public hearing of House Bill 1938, which would change the way Texans get on the organ donor registry through their driver’s license, was held at the House Transportation Committee Thursday morning.
  Registering through driver’s licenses is the primary way Texans enter the donor registry.
  Currently, Texas residents must opt in to be placed on the donor registry during their driver’s license process. HB 1938 would instead automatically place all adults on&n
  
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• Cedar Park SWAT situation leads to shelter-in-place order

  28-04-2017 04:51 via kxan.com
  
  CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) — A SWAT team is at a Cedar Park apartment complex responding to a suspect barricaded inside.
  Cedar Park police are ordering residents of buildings 11, 12 and 13 of the Muir Lake Apartments, located at 12600 Avery Ranch Blvd., to shelter in place.
  At around 7:30 p.m. Thursday, police say an acquaintance of the suspect expressed concern about the person’s mental health. Officers responded and saw the individual inside the apartment, but the suspect would not s
  
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• Cedar Park SWAT situation ends with man in custody

  28-04-2017 04:51 via kxan.com
  
  CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) — Cedar Park Police say a man is in custody Friday morning after a SWAT standoff at an apartment complex.
  According to police, the man refused to come out of a unit at the Muir Lake Apartments on 12600 Avery Ranch Blvd. At around 7:30 p.m. police say an acquaintance of the man expressed concern about his mental health. Officers responded and saw him inside the apartment, but the man would not speak to police.
  SWAT sent a robot to find out what was going on ins
  
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• Cedar Park SWAT situation ends; man in custody

  28-04-2017 04:51 via kxan.com
  
  CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) — Cedar Park Police say a man is safely in custody Friday morning after a SWAT standoff at an apartment complex.
  According to police, the man refused to come out of a unit at the Muir Lake Apartments on 12600 Avery Ranch Blvd. The SWAT team sent a robot to find out what was going on inside and found the man had blocked a door with furniture.
  According to Cedar Park Police Commander Bryan Wukash, the man at some point went to a vacant unit by entering through t
  
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• Myles Garret becomes first Aggie taken No. 1 in Draft

  28-04-2017 04:29 via kxan.com
  
  BEREA, Ohio (AP) — The Browns didn’t mess around with the No. 1 pick.
  Myles Garrett was the consensus best player in the NFL draft, and Cleveland made sure he didn’t go anywhere else.
  Although their biggest need remains a franchise quarterback, the Browns selected Texas A&M’s defensive standout first overall, a pick that had been projected for weeks.
  Following a dismal 1-15 season, the Browns are counting on Garrett and this draft — Sashi Brown, the club’s
  
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• Friends of motorcyclist who fell to her death push for safer flyovers

  28-04-2017 04:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Friends and family members of a motorcyclist who fell to her death on a US 183 and MoPac Expressway flyover are calling for a change.
  In a plea to Mayor Steve Adler’s office, city councilors and TxDOT, a petition posted on Change.org asks for a review of the flyovers across Austin to examine the safety.
  Brandy Eileen Allatt, who knew the victim, 28-year-old Megan Brennan, is behind the movement.
  “I was on Facebook after Meg died, talking to friends and some
  
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• Million dollar lawsuit filed against Fixer Upper’s Chip Gaines

  28-04-2017 02:44 via kxan.com
  
  WACO, Texas (KWKT) — Chip Gaines of Fixer Upper fame faces a lawsuit accusing him of fraud and demands more than a million dollars in relief.
  John Lewis and Richard Clark say Gaines convinced them to sell their pieces of Magnolia Realty for just $2,500 each in May of 2013. They say Gaines told them, “There are no assets” and the company is “less than worthless.”
  Days later, Gaines announced HGTV and Scripps Networks planned to produce the television show.
  The lawsui
  
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• Nasty note targets heart patient parked in handicap spot

  28-04-2017 02:33 via kxan.com
  
  BEECH GROVE, Ind. (WTHR) — Emily Frye is a fortunate woman. The 28-year-old mother of two is pregnant with her third child, but she also has a heart condition, which is why she has a handicapped parking sticker for her car.
  “I have two legs. I don’t walk with a cane, so why do I need one?” Frye says.
  Three blackout episodes led to her heart difibrillator. A recent trip to the grocery store in her hometown of Beech Grove, Indiana led her to a harsh reality when someone lef
  
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• If you hear loud noises from Camp Swift on Saturday, don’t be alarmed

  28-04-2017 01:56 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Demolition training at Camp Swift on Saturday could make quite a racket.
  Forty-pound demolition charges will be discharged at the Texas Army National Guard’s training facility from around 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. People who live near Camp Swift, located on State Highway 95 just north of downtown Bastrop, may hear loud noises that sound like thunder or explosives, as well as see and smell smoke in the air.
  The Texas Military Department says, due t
  
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• Hundreds of students get sick at Houston-area elementary

  28-04-2017 01:15 via kxan.com
  
  HUMBLE, Texas (NBC News) — More than 200 students and five staff members missed school after an illness outbreak near Houston.
  Wednesday, dozens of students at Woodland Hills Elementary in Humble, about 20 miles northeast of downtown Houston, displayed the same symptoms.
  And then on Thursday a large part of the student body called in sick: 205 students out of 581 students total, according to KPRC.
  Wednesday night a special cleaning crew sanitized every desk, doorknobs and more. Specia
  
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• SB 4: Are we going to get sued for this?

  28-04-2017 01:04 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) —  A ban on sanctuary cities in Texas won final approval Thursday afternoon but there are already opponents threatening to take it to court over a particular part of the law. House and Senate negotiators will need to hash out small differences in the bill before it heads to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. Once it lands on his desk, he promises to sign it.
  People in the Texas State Capitol know that protests come just before the lawsuit.
  “This is going to cause a sig
  
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• Sanctuary cities ban: Are we going to get sued for this?

  28-04-2017 01:04 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) —  A ban on sanctuary cities in Texas won final approval Thursday afternoon but there are already opponents threatening to take it to court over a particular part of the law. House and Senate negotiators will need to hash out small differences in the bill before it heads to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. Once it lands on his desk, he promises to sign it.
  People in the Texas State Capitol know that protests come just before the lawsuit.
  “This is going to cause a sig
  
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• Five suspects arrested in Lake Pflugerville shooting

  28-04-2017 00:33 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) – Four teenagers and one 23-year-old have been arrested and charged in connection with the shooting that injured one person near Lake Pflugerville last weekend.
  The Pflugerville Police Department says the shooting happened around 9 p.m. in the 18000 block of Weiss Lane. Investigators determined that multiple shots were fired into a vehicle, injuring an occupant.
  On Thursday, police say they arrested five people in connection with the shooting. All five are charge
  
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• Future of free tuition program for veterans, their children debated

  28-04-2017 00:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (NEXSTAR) — On Thursday, Texas lawmakers debated a program that gives free college tuition to veterans and their children.
  House Bill 3766 would limit the number of students who qualify for the Hazlewood program. Under the proposed legislation, veterans would need to serve four years instead of 180 days before their children are eligible. The bill would also set an expiration date of 15 years after a military member leaves the service.
  The bill’s author, State Rep. J.M. Lozano
  
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• 1-on-1 with AISD’s top cop on how department handled sex assault cases

  28-04-2017 00:04 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the Austin Independent School District police department comes under scrutiny for how they handled an sexual assault allegation involving a Pre-K student at Boone Elementary School, Chief of Police Eric Mendez sits down with KXAN’s Sally Hernandez to talk about why he still believes his department went through all the necessary steps before the case was deemed “closed.”
  KXAN: Chief you called us because you wanted to clear up some issues. What exactly d
  
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