Austin news

• With the clock ticking, Dell Seton staff practice moving critical patients

  17-05-2017 23:04 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Dell Seton Medical Center switch from University Medical Center Brackenridge is a half a week away. For months now, doctors and nurses have custom-made the move for each patient.
  This week, hospital staff scheduled their last drill that gives medics mere minutes to move critical care patients from the old Brackenridge to the new Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas.
  It is an across-the-street move, with double the staff and several road closures.&nb
  
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• Blanco mom to spend 30 years in prison for daughter’s death

  17-05-2017 22:27 via kxan.com
  
  BLANCO COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A Blanco woman will spend 30 years in prison for her role in the death of her baby girl last year.
  In a plea deal, Jamie Petronella, 24, pleaded guilty to injury to a child. On May 3, 2016, Petronella called 911 stating her 15-month-old daughter, Sunny Bort, was unresponsive and not breathing. Sunny was found by police lying on the living room floor as Petronella’s boyfriend, John Lawrence attempted to perform CPR. Emergency crews noticed the c
  
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• Rodney Reed case: Testimony calls alternate suspect’s alibi into question

  17-05-2017 22:22 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) —  A lower court will examine testimony in the case of Rodney Reed that casts doubt on an alternate suspect’s alibi, following an opinion issued Wednesday by the State Court of Criminal Appeals.
  In 1998, a Bastrop County jury convicted Reed of sexually assaulting, strangling and dumping the body of Stacey Stites along a rural road. DNA evidence found in Stites matched Reed, but Reed has maintained his innocence and says the two had a clandestine sexual
  
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• VIDEO: Boy crossing rails barely dodges Houston Metro train

  17-05-2017 22:15 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (KPRC) — Security cameras recently captured an extremely close call at a Houston Metro train platform.
  The video shows a young boy step into the path of an oncoming train, then scramble to safety seconds before it speeds past.
  Metro officials released surveillance video of the incident to urge parents to talk to their children about the dangers of crossing train tracks.
  “The video is very disheartening, it really shows you what a close call can happen when people aren’t
  
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• Dan Patrick backs special session for ‘bathroom bill’

  17-05-2017 20:33 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is clamoring for a special legislative session unless the Texas House approves two bills it was already expected to pass, a North Carolina-style “bathroom bill” and a separate measure cutting property taxes.
  Only Gov. Greg Abbott can order lawmakers back after the Legislature adjourns May 29, and he’s said previously he’s hesitant to do so. Texas so relishes small government that its legislators meet only every-other year.
  B
  
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• Uber, Lyft: We’ll be back in Austin immediately after governor signs bill

  17-05-2017 20:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (AP/KXAN) — After suspending operations in Austin for more than a year, Uber and Lyft says they plan on coming back once new statewide regulations are passed.
  On Wednesday, the Texas Senate voted to create statewide regulations for ride-hailing companies, potentially voiding a local Austin ordinance that caused Uber and Lyft to stop operating in the State Capitol. Approved 21-9, the bill brings ride-hailing companies under Texas regulatory control and imposes fees.
  Initially, t
  
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• Uber, Lyft: We will come back to Austin immediately after governor signs bill

  17-05-2017 20:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (AP/KXAN) — After suspending operations in Austin for more than a year, Uber and Lyft says they plan on coming back once new statewide regulations are passed.
  On Wednesday, the Texas Senate preliminarily voted to create statewide regulations for ride-hailing companies, potentially voiding a local Austin ordinance that caused Uber and Lyft to stop operating in the state capital. Approved 21-9, the bill brings ride-hailing companies under Texas regulatory control and imposes fees
  
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• Texas Senate defies Austin, OKs statewide ride-hailing rules

  17-05-2017 20:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (AP) — The Texas Senate has preliminarily voted to create statewide regulations for ride-hailing companies, potentially voiding a local Austin ordinance that caused Uber and Lyft to stop operating in the state capital.
  Approved 20-10 on Wednesday, the bill brings ride-hailing companies under Texas regulatory control and imposes fees. Final Senate passage is expected Thursday.
  The bill previously cleared the House, which included tea party-backed language defining “sex” a
  
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• Man mowing grass in Kyle robbed at gunpoint, police say

  17-05-2017 19:52 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — Kyle police are on the lookout for two men who are believed to have robbed a man Wednesday morning as he was mowing his lawn.
  Kyle police said the robbery happened around 10:05 a.m. in the 100 block of Musgrav. The victim reported he was in hit front lawn when he was approached by two black males who had handguns.
  The man reported he was assaulted with a crow bar before the men fled in a late model, red, four-door Mitsubishi SUV.
  One suspect was described as having a d
  
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• Dog dead after presumed poisoning in Pflugerville

  17-05-2017 18:59 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — Police in Pflugerville are issuing an alert to homeowners who live in the Creekside neighborhood after one dog died from presumed poisoning.
  According to a city spokesperson, the incident happened in the Creekside neighborhood on Settlers Valley Drive. One neighbor sent an email to KXAN stating the dogs were poisoned with meatballs, but the city would not confirm how the dogs were potentially poisoned.
  The city is aware of two dogs being potentially p
  
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• High risk sex offender who violated parole heads back to prison

  17-05-2017 18:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A 26-year-old man who is classified as a “high risk” sex offender is heading back to prison after he ran away with an underage girl earlier this year.
  In February, the Kyle Police Department issued an alert for authorities in Texas and New Mexico to be on the lookout for Dane Minter after he ran away with a 13-year-old Kyle girl he met online. At the time, the teenager’s mother said, “I think she meant to leave, and that’s hard to say, but I do
  
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• Travis County announces top 10 delinquent property taxpayers

  17-05-2017 18:33 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — If you owe back taxes, you may want to consider paying them because Travis County tax assessor-collector Bruce Elfant is coming for you.
  The county has released the top 10 property offenders for 2016. These are business owners that haven’t returned phone calls, answered letters or paid their past due bills.
  “I take no joy in this,” Elfant said. “However, I will not allow these property owners to fly under the radar and disrespect the thousands o
  
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• UT stabbing suspect appears in court for the first time

  17-05-2017 17:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The University of Texas at Austin student accused of going on a stabbing rampage, killing one and injuring three others, faced a judge for the first time Wednesday morning.
  At the start of the hearing in Judge Tamara Needles’ court, the state requested a competency and sanity exam for 21-year-old Kendrex White, who is charged with murder.
  Judge Needles says she won’t rule on any motions until the White’s attorneys supplies her court with additional medical
  
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• Houston congressman calls for impeachment of President Trump

  17-05-2017 16:55 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (WCMH/KXAN) — U.S. Representative Al Green, D-Houston, called for the impeachment of President Donald Trump Wednesday morning.Today on the floor of the Congress of the United States of America, I will call for the Impeachment of the President between 9am & 10am CST.
  — Congressman Al Green (@RepAlGreen) May 17, 2017
  “I do not do this for political purposes Mister Speaker,” Green said on the floor. “I do this because I believe in the great ideals that t
  
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• Bill O’Reilly gets weekly spot on Glenn Beck’s radio show

  17-05-2017 16:14 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Bill O’Reilly is taking up his former Fox News colleague Glenn Beck’s offer to work together again.
  Variety reports O’Reilly announced on his “No Spin News” podcast that he will have a weekly spot on Beck’s radio show. He calls Beck “a good friend” and says the two have a “lively” rapport.
  O’Reilly was ousted by Fox News Channel last month amid accusations of sexual harassment that O’Reilly has denied.
  
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• Prosecutors: Deputy issued legal speeding ticket to man he never saw speeding

  17-05-2017 15:50 via kxan.com
  
  DARE COUNTY, N.C. (WAVY) — A deputy issued a speeding citation to Gabriel Stitt in late March without ever seeing him drive over the posted speed, according to prosecutors.
  Jeff Cruden, assistant district attorney, says the ticket was issued based solely on the words of a former law enforcement officer who phoned in Stitt’s alleged speeding to the Dare County Sheriff’s Department.
  Cruden says he believes the traffic stop is “unusual,” but legal.
  “I’m bei
  
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• Reports: Pvt. Chelsea Manning released from military prison

  17-05-2017 14:46 via kxan.com
  
  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pvt. Chelsea Manning, the transgender soldier convicted of giving classified government materials to WikiLeaks, was released from a Kansas military prison early Wednesday after serving seven years of her 35-year sentence, according to media reports.
  President Barack Obama granted Manning clemency in his final days in office in January. NBC News, citing an unnamed U.S. Army official, reported that Manning was released from Fort Leavenworth military prison at around 2
  
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• WATCH: Boy walks away from erratic hit and run

  17-05-2017 14:29 via kxan.com
  
  HOLIDAY, Fla. (WFLA) — The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a hit-and-run that happened Monday on Moog Road in Holiday.
  Home surveillance video shows a gold Ford Explorer fishtailing down Moog Road towards US-19. The video shows the driver run into a family’s front yard, hit their truck, swing back out into the street and then hit a 7th-grade boy who was riding his bike.
  14-year-old Johnny Walsh Jr. told News Channel 8 he saw the SUV coming, but didn’t realize what happe
  
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• 3 vehicle crash on FM 969 leaves one critically injured

  17-05-2017 13:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — At least one person was transported to the hospital with CPR in progress after a far east Austin crash Wednesday morning.
  Austin-Travis County EMS said the crash happened around 5:59 a.m. at the intersection of Imperial Drive and Farm to Market 969.
  Three vehicles were involved. ATCEMS said that one adult was being transported UMC Brackenridge with critical life-threatening injuries. Other injuries are unknown.
  FM 969 and Imperial Drive 3 vehicle crash (KXAN photo/Fabian Me
  
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• Travis County inmates ready to train dogs after graduation

  17-05-2017 13:38 via kxan.com
  
  DEL VALLE, Texas (KXAN) — Travis County now has 21 new dog trainers.
  Inmates at the Travis County Correctional Complex graduated from their ‘Dogs 101’ course Tuesday. The program, which has been around for a while, gives them hands-on experience training dogs from the Austin Animal Center.
  The program gives the dogs exercise and attention while inmates build relationships and boost self-confidence and gain experience that could lead to volunteer or job opportunities a
  
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• Fallen: Only 7 percent of Texas officers have mental health training

  17-05-2017 13:00 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas offers police optional, advanced training to respond as Mental Health Officers. Only 7 percent of law enforcement officers statewide have that certification.
  This article is part of KXAN Investigates’ Fallen project. Watch it here.
  Fallen examines the role mental health played leading to officers’ murders and the necessary solutions that could prevent future deaths.
  
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• Fallen | How police in Texas fall short when it comes to mental health training

  17-05-2017 13:00 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas offers police optional, advanced training to respond as Mental Health Officers. Only 7 percent of law enforcement officers statewide have that certification.
  This article is part of KXAN Investigates’ Fallen project. Watch it here.
  Fallen examines the role mental health played leading to officers’ murders and the necessary solutions that could prevent future deaths.
  
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• Court pauses criminal case against Texas’ attorney general

  17-05-2017 12:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A state appeals court has temporarily halted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s criminal case on securities fraud charges as he presses for a new judge.
  The ruling Tuesday comes as Paxton is scheduled to stand trial in Houston in September on felony accusations that he misled investors in a tech startup. He has pleaded not guilty.
  The Dallas-based 5th Court of Appeals is now putting the case on hold while it considers Paxton’s demand for a new judge. The R
  
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• Court pauses criminal case against Ken Paxton

  17-05-2017 12:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A state appeals court has temporarily halted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s criminal case on securities fraud charges as he presses for a new judge.
  The ruling Tuesday comes as Paxton is scheduled to stand trial in Houston in September on felony accusations that he misled investors in a tech startup. He has pleaded not guilty.
  The Dallas-based 5th Court of Appeals is now putting the case on hold while it considers Paxton’s demand for a new judge. The R
  
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• Millions slated to prevent future Travis County flood damage

  17-05-2017 12:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Residents living in flood prone areas of southeastern Travis County will learn what’s being done to protect their homes and property from future floods Wednesday night.
  It was one year ago this month that the people who live along Citation Avenue in the Thoroughbred Farms area saw many of their homes destroyed as heavy rain fell and Dry Creek was anything but dry as it rose to chest deep in some spots. Travis County Commissioners are now allocating $2.5 million t
  
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• Texas cities fear loss of millions as 5G becomes reality

  17-05-2017 06:32 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Municipal League says a bill coming up for a vote in the Texas House will cheat local governments by hundreds of millions of dollars.
  In an attempt to build a future framework for wireless internet and 5G nearly all lawmakers are siding with major telecommunication companies at the expense of the cities.
  A TML analysis shows Texas city governments would lose $750 million per year once 5G is in all Texas cities. State Bill 1004 by Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North R
  
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• Cities say telecom bill cheats them out of hundreds of millions

  17-05-2017 06:32 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Municipal League says a bill coming up for a vote in the Texas House will cheat local governments by hundreds of millions of dollars.
  In an attempt to build a future framework for wireless internet and 5G nearly all lawmakers are siding with major telecommunication companies at the expense of the cities.
  A TML analysis shows Texas city governments would lose $750 million per year once 5G in all Texas cities. State Bill 1004 by Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Rich
  
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• Spurs get blown out in Game Two

  17-05-2017 06:09 via kxan.com
  
  OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Curry had 29 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in three quarters and the Golden State Warriors trounced on the Spurs missing Kawhi Leonard, running away from San Antonio for a 136-100 rout Tuesday night and 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.
  Kevin Durant added 16 points and Draymond Green provided another strong all-around performance with 13 points, nine rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks. Rookie Patrick McCaw had 18 points and f
  
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• Convicted drunk drivers might soon be able to seal their records

  17-05-2017 05:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Convicted drunk drivers might soon be able to seal their records, effectively hiding them from job applications and other public records.
  It’s part of a bipartisan push at the Texas legislature that still has one major hurdle left to become law. The bill sailed through the House and is now waiting on a vote in the Senate. The bill would seal Class C misdemeanors if a judge approves it, including charges like trespassing, gambling and petty theft.
  Oppone
  
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• Man critically injured in north Austin house fire

  17-05-2017 04:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man with critical burn injuries from a north Austin house fire has been flown to San Antonio for treatment. The Austin Fire Department is asking bystanders who helped rescue the victim to call 512-974-0240.
  Firefighters were called to the 1300 block of Colony Creek Drive, near the intersection of Rundberg Lane and North Lamar Boulevard, at 6:08 p.m. Tuesday.
  The fire caused around $100,000 in damage to the structure of the house and $25,000 in damage to its cont
  
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• ‘Number one issue’ for Texas jails: supporting those with mental illness

  17-05-2017 03:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Sheriffs and jail employees from across Texas met Tuesday in Austin for the annual Texas Jail Association Conference. This year every one of the dozens of jail administrators who spoke with KXAN had a major concern on their minds: how Texas jails will continue to support the mental health needs of their inmates.
  “Of course the number one issue we face as county jail operators is mental health and what we do with inmates that face mental health and mental health crises
  
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• Former counterintelligence agent talks about Russia leaks

  17-05-2017 01:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A former counter terrorism agent with the U.S. Department of State says it is likely around 100 federal employees will be under investigation for unauthorized leaks that could be a threat to America’s national security.
  Fred Burton is Chief Security Director Officer for Austin-based Stratfor, an international strategic forecasting firm. Burton spent 14 years as a counterintelligence agent with the State Department. He was charged with investigating leaks.
  “Havin
  
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• Austin ISD superintendent addresses recent sex assault allegations

  17-05-2017 01:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Before heading into an event honoring teachers and dedicated staff members, the Austin Independent School District superintendent will address the media about the allegations at Boone Elementary School and what is being done when it comes to student safety. Superintendent Paul Cruz is also expected to give details on a new employee training initiative.
  Last week, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office determined the injuries a 4-year-old Boone Elementary school
  
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• Search for possibly armed suspects near St. Edward’s University suspended

  17-05-2017 00:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An alert was sent out to students and staff warning of an armed intruder on the St. Edward’s University main campus in south Austin, Tuesday evening.
  At around 7 p.m., Austin police said they were suspending the search for the two suspects, because evidence at the scene indicates they may know one of the young men involved. Officers say they have not received any report that the suspects ever made it on campus.
  Students and staff were told to find a secure locati
  
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• Unlicensed driver charged with manslaughter for crash that killed 18-year-old

  17-05-2017 00:39 via kxan.com
  
  HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Police say Bernadette Gonzales was driving without a license and had been drinking alcohol and using meth hours before a December crash that killed an 18-year-old passenger.
  In fact, Gonzales, 21, has never had a driver’s license, according to an arrest affidavit. At 5:35 a.m. on Dec. 20, she was running late in getting the passengers in her car to work when a tire blew out and she lost control while driving northbound on Interstate 35 near exit
  
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