Austin news

• Mabel Davis pool closed due to water leak

  26-05-2017 23:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Families who were planning to head to Mabel Davis Municipal Pool for the holiday weekend will have to find another place to cool off.
  On Friday afternoon, Austin Parks and Recreation said Mabel Davis pool, which is located in southeast Austin, won’t open on Saturday, May 27 due to a water leak. The “large loss of water” was discovered as crews were preparing the pool for the season earlier this week.
  Crews are currently working to determine the cause of th
  
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• First-time Austin homeowner gets rude awakening after disputing appraisal

  26-05-2017 22:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — When someone disputes their property taxes, they usually expect the appraisal amount to be lowered or stay the same, but for one homeowner, the result wasn’t even something he thought could happen.
  Chris Allgeier and his fiance Janette bought their first home in southeast Austin last May for $190,000. This year, when they got their appraisal in the mail from the Travis County Appraisal District (TCAD), their home was appraised around $170,000, which was around a $30,0
  
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• Texas teacher gives student ‘Most Likely to Become a Terrorist’ award

  26-05-2017 22:21 via kxan.com
  
  CHANNELVIEW, Texas (KPRC) — Thirteen-year-old Lizeth Villanueva was awarded “Most Likely to Become a Terrorist” by her junior high school teacher near Houston.
  The teacher had told students the awards were meant to be funny, but Lizeth didn’t see it that way, and neither did her mom who said her daughter was very hurt.
  “A terrorist is a really big thing, just like what happened two or three days ago with Ariana Grande at her concert — and they’re joking
  
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• Former Texas nurse accused of killing dozens of kids in ’80s

  26-05-2017 20:29 via kxan.com
  
  DALLAS (AP) — A Texas nurse who is in prison for the 1982 killing of a toddler has been charged with murder in the death of an infant a year earlier, and authorities said Friday that they think she may have killed up to 60 young children around that time.
  Genene Jones, 66, is serving concurrent 99-year and 60-year sentences at a Gatesville prison for the 1982 killing of 15-month-old Chelsea McClelland and the sickening of a 4-week-old boy who survived. The girl was given a fatal injection
  
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• Ex-Texas nurse accused of killing dozens of kids in 1980s

  26-05-2017 20:29 via kxan.com
  
  DALLAS (AP) — A Texas nurse who is in prison for the 1982 killing of a toddler has been charged with murder in the death of an infant a year earlier, and authorities said Friday that they think she may have killed up to 60 young children around that time.
  Genene Jones, 66, is serving concurrent 99-year and 60-year sentences at a Gatesville prison for the 1982 killing of 15-month-old Chelsea McClellan and the sickening of a 4-week-old boy who survived. The girl was given a fatal injection o
  
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• VIDEO: Woman threatening ‘suicide by cop’ saved by Williamson County deputies

  26-05-2017 20:00 via kxan.com
  
  COUPLAND, Texas (KXAN) — Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody has released video showing several of his deputies responding to a woman who threatened suicide by cop on May 19 and demonstrated “extreme restraint and professionalism” in handling the situation.
  According to Sheriff Chody, the deputies responded to the call and began to talk to the woman, who is in her 50s, who eventually exited her home with a suicide note in one hand and a gun in the other. The video shows the
  
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• High-risk sex offender from Austin captured in San Antonio

  26-05-2017 19:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin sex offender who was added to the state’s 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders list earlier this week has been located.
  The Texas Department of Public Safety says 25-year-old Everett Cole Rainey was arrested on May 23 in San Antonio, the same day he was added to the Top 10 list. Authorities say after receiving a tip on Rainey’s whereabouts, they found him at a bus station in west San Antonio.
  Rainey, a high-risk sex offender, was wanted for failing to comply w
  
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• One person shot, one stabbed in southeast Austin

  26-05-2017 19:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A fight that broke out between two groups in southeast Austin ended up with one person shot and another being stabbed.
  Austin police say officers responded to the 4900 block of Scarsdale Drive just before 11:30 a.m. When they got there, they learned that the person who suffered a gunshot wound drove himself to the hospital. The stabbing victim was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
  Authorities are looking in the area for other people who might have involved.
  
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• One man shot, one stabbed, another run over in southeast Austin

  26-05-2017 19:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A fight that broke out between two families in southeast Austin ended with one man being shot, one being stabbed and another man being run over.
  Austin police say officers responded to the 4900 block of Scarsdale Drive just before 11:30 a.m. When they got there, they learned that the person who suffered a gunshot wound drove himself to St. David’s South Austin Medical Center, where police have established a second crime scene. The stabbing victim was taken to the hosp
  
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• US plans first test of ICBM intercept, with NKorea on mind

  26-05-2017 18:45 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Preparing for North Korea’s growing threat, the Pentagon will try to shoot down an intercontinental-range missile for the first time in a test next week. The goal is to more closely simulate a North Korean ICBM aimed at the U.S. homeland, officials said Friday
  The American interceptor has a spotty track record, succeeding in nine of 17 attempts since 1999. The most recent test, in June 2014, was a success, but that followed three straight failures. The system has ev
  
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• Leery of North Korea, US plans first test of ICBM intercept

  26-05-2017 18:45 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Preparing for North Korea’s growing threat, the Pentagon will try to shoot down an intercontinental-range missile for the first time in a test next week. The goal is to more closely simulate a North Korean ICBM aimed at the U.S. homeland, officials said Friday
  The American interceptor has a spotty track record, succeeding in nine of 17 attempts against missiles of less-then-intercontinental range since 1999. The most recent test, in June 2014, was a success, but tha
  
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• Flood of off-lease used cars push prices down, upend market

  26-05-2017 18:39 via kxan.com
  
  DETROIT (AP) — In 2014, Infiniti leased more than 28,000 Q50 luxury sedans for as little as $329 per month in a growing U.S. market. The leases accounted for more than three-quarters of Q50 sales.
  Now they’re coming back to haunt the automaker.
  Like many companies that juiced sales with sweet leases during the past few years, Nissan’s luxury brand now faces a hefty supply of nice, low-mileage used cars at a time when most people want SUVs. For the U.S. auto industry, about 3.5
  
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• Teens accused of violent carjacking spree

  26-05-2017 18:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A 17-year-old along with four juveniles are being linked to nearly half a dozen violent robberies throughout Austin. According to an arrest warrant, in the span of three weeks this month, Bladimir Vargas-Perez worked with the other teenagers to carjack five people.
  The spree started on May 9 when a victim said he was getting out of his Ford Escape around 2:23 a.m. to go to his apartment located at 701 W. Longspur Blvd. in Austin. As he was walking, four Hispanic m
  
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• Here are the ways you can pay respects this Memorial Day Weekend

  26-05-2017 18:09 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — For a lot of us, Memorial Day means a three-day weekend and the unofficial start to summer, often forgetting the real reason the day exists, remembering those who died serving our country.
  Take some time out of your day and pay your respects at one of these events:
  Williamson County
  Fiesta AmistadWhen: Noon Saturday and Sunday.Where: Old Settler’s Park, 3300 Palm Valley Blvd., Round Rock.What: Live music and dance. Includes car show from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. $7
  
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• Governor signs law making Texas gun fees nation’s lowest

  26-05-2017 18:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Gov. Greg Abbott has visited a gun range to sign a law reducing Texas’ fees for licenses to carry handguns to the lowest in the nation.
  The Republican endorsed Friday a law dropping to $40, from $140, the cost of first-time permits, and from $70 to $40 fees for 5-year-renewals. Abbott then took target practice, as he often does after signing gun bills.
  The law also waives the fee for peace officers and members of the Texas military forces.
  The National Rifle Asso
  
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• Brady Campaign condemns Gov. Abbott’s joke about guns and reporters

  26-05-2017 18:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (AP/KXAN) — Gov. Greg Abbott visited a gun range Friday to sign a law reducing Texas’ fees for licenses to carry handguns to the lowest in the nation.
  According to the Texas Tribune, the governor then joked, “I’m gonna carry this around in case I see any reporters,” while holding his bullet-ridden target sheet.
  The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence posted to their Facebook page, “The governor of Texas made a dangerous and out of line joke. We&rsquo
  
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• WATCH: Trump pushes aside Montenegro leader, who calls it natural

  26-05-2017 17:43 via kxan.com
  
  BRUSSELS (AP) — President Donald Trump’s push to get in front of the pack at a NATO summit generated indignation in the Balkans and garnered attention on social media — but the man he shoved aside took it in stride.
  At Thursday’s gathering in Brussels, Trump put his right hand on the right arm of Montenegro Prime Minister Dusko Markovic and pushed himself ahead as NATO leaders walked inside the alliance’s new headquarters and prepared for a group photo.
  Trump then s
  
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• Texas could make play for NASCAR all-star and finale races

  26-05-2017 17:32 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Lawmakers have given Texas Motor Speedway a big helping hand if the state’s premier stock-car track wants to lobby for NASCAR’s All-Star race and season-ending championship.
  The Texas Legislature approved a bill Thursday that makes those two races eligible for the state’s Major Events Reimbursement Program. It’s the same fund that’s used to help attract big events such as the Super Bowl, the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four and Formula O
  
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• WATCH: Man wearing body armor drives semi into famed Nevada brothel

  26-05-2017 15:28 via kxan.com
  
  LAS VEGAS (AP) — A man wearing body armor and a mask backed a tractor-trailer through the gate of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch before dawn Thursday and crashed it into the front door of the famed Nevada brothel featured in the CatHouse reality television show, according to authorities and the brothel’s owner.
  Brian Brandt, 40, of Reno, was arrested and faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon, property destruction and possession of stolen property, the Lyon County Sheriff’s of
  
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• Austin firefighters to pay respects to fallen San Antonio firefighter

  26-05-2017 15:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Several members of the Austin Fire Department will be in attendance at the Friday funeral of San Antonio firefighter Scott Deem, who died fighting a four-alarm fire last week.
  Lieutenant Andre De la Reza says the entire firefighter community feels a loss.
  “Our job is to help that catharsis, that emotoinal healing start for the family and for the members of that department and for all of us,” De la Reza said. “We’ll have our time to grieve afterwards
  
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• Pflugerville water park opens Saturday under new ownership

  26-05-2017 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — Typhoon Texas is set to open Saturday in Pflugerville, and owners admit they will have to work hard to prove they are different than the last ownership group.
  Saturday is Typhoon Texas’ grand re-opening, but the park originally opened in 2014 as Hawaiian Falls. Under the previous management group, the park was plagued with financial and legal troubles. The park opened unfinished and late. Construction costs exceeded initial estimates by $1.5 million.
  
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• VIDEO: Grouch unplugs bounce house at 1-year-old’s birthday party

  26-05-2017 13:23 via kxan.com
  
  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (WFLA) – A neighborhood party pooper disrupted a little girl’s birthday party in Port St. Lucie by deflating a bounce house. The incident was all caught on video.
  The video shows children enjoying themselves in the bounce house, celebrating the one-year-old’s birthday, when suddenly, the bounce house begins to lose air.
  Parents rush over to help a dozen children who were trapped in the deflated bounce house.
  That’s not all the home’s security ca
  
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• Celebrate responsibly Memorial Day weekend, law enforcement is watching

  26-05-2017 12:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Memorial Day holiday weekend kicks off Friday. While area roads are expected to busy, this year The Texas Department of Public Safety, Travis County Sheriff’s Office and other police departments will be handing out special bookmarks to drivers who get pulled over. It tells the story of John Merritt who was killed by a drunk driver in Travis County in 2008. The hope is by having drivers read about the family’s loss it will make others reconsider getting behin
  
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• Miss Black Texas 2016 says she was wrongfully arrested

  26-05-2017 12:24 via kxan.com
  
  COMMERCE, Texas (AP) — An East Texas police chief is on leave pending investigation after he was accused of wrongfully arresting Miss Black Texas 2016.
  Carmen Ponder tells KXAS-TV that Commerce Police Chief Kerry Crews had her arrested Saturday after a confrontation that led to him directing a racial and sexist slur at her.
  Ponder said she passed a truck and pulled into a Wal-Mart parking lot. The truck pulled up beside hers and the passenger, who she believes to have been Crews, said he w
  
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• Miss Black Texas 2016 says she as wrongfully arrested

  26-05-2017 12:24 via kxan.com
  
  COMMERCE, Texas (AP) — An East Texas police chief is on leave pending investigation after he was accused of wrongfully arresting Miss Black Texas 2016.
  Carmen Ponder tells KXAS-TV that Commerce Police Chief Kerry Crews had her arrested Saturday after a confrontation that led to him directing a racial and sexist slur at her.
  Ponder said she passed a truck and pulled into a Wal-Mart parking lot. The truck pulled up beside hers and the passenger, who she believes to have been Crews, said he w
  
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• Imprisoned Greg Kelley: I’m just ready to go home

  26-05-2017 06:20 via kxan.com
  
  WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas — A former Leander High School football star who has been in prison for the last three years says he’s ready to go home.
  Greg Kelley was convicted of sexually assaulting a 4-year-old at an in-home day care where he lived from the summer of 2012 to 2013. But the Williamson County district attorney is reopening the case because the defense team brought credible evidence that someone else committed the crime.
  KXAN spoke with Kelley and his mother about
  
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• ‘I’m just ready to go home’: imprisoned Greg Kelley could get second chance

  26-05-2017 06:20 via kxan.com
  
  WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas — A former Leander High School football star who has been in prison for the last three years says he’s ready to go home.
  Greg Kelley was convicted of sexually assaulting a 4-year-old at an in-home day care where he lived from the summer of 2012 to 2013. But the Williamson County district attorney is reopening the case because the defense team brought credible evidence that someone else committed the crime.
  KXAN spoke with Kelley and his mother about
  
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• New bill helps bring ride-hailing companies to rural parts of Texas

  26-05-2017 05:14 via kxan.com
  
  WIMBERLEY, Texas (KXAN) — Uber and Lyft aren’t just coming back to Austin, House Bill 100 will allow all ride sharing companies to work across the state of Texas. That means smaller towns surrounding Austin, like Wimberley, will also have the benefits of using these companies.
  However, in a small town like Wimberley, there aren’t many places a local would need to go with the help of a driver.
  “Maybe the convenience store, or HEB until midnight,” said business owner
  
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• Women-only Alamo Drafthouse ‘Wonder Woman’ screenings sell out

  26-05-2017 04:36 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two women-only screenings for “Wonder Woman” next month at Alamo Drafthouse Ritz have sold out, but more are on the way.
  “Apologies, gentlemen, but we’re embracing our girl power and saying ‘No Guys Allowed’ for one special night at the Alamo Ritz,” the Austin-based movie theater chain posted on their website for the two screenings on June 6.
  “And when we say ‘People Who Identify As Women Only,’ we mean it. Everyon
  
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• Austin ISD fourth grader shining light on leaks, mold at school

  26-05-2017 04:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A 10-year-old student got the attention of trustees with the Austin Independent School District this week.
  Ava Georg, a fourth grader at Menchaca Elementary School in south Austin, stepped up to the microphone to speak during the public comments portion of the Austin Independent School Board meeting Monday night to share concerns about her campus, and advocate for a new building.
  “A couple weeks ago during the STAAR test water came into my classroom from the bathroom
  
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• One-on-one: Gov. Abbott on future of school finance

  26-05-2017 03:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — It looked like an overhaul for school finance was dead, but words from Gov. Greg Abbott could resuscitate the deal-making.
  Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick declared it dead Wednesday night. The Senate now says it’s open to negotiating again, and earlier this week the House appointed negotiators to work out a deal.
  “I refuse to give up and I will keep trying,” the governor said. “Let’s not go home and say we couldn’t fix it. Let’s at least attem
  
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• Delayed input for ‘whitewashed’ east Austin mural draws disappointment

  26-05-2017 02:44 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Community members packed into the Eastside Community Church by the dozens, hoping to express their concerns over a mural that was painted over more than a week ago.
  KXAN was not allowed inside the meeting of the 12th Street Merchants Association, but most of the attendees leaving the meeting said they left disappointed and without a chance to share their thoughts.
  Down the street from the church is a new store on 12th and Chicon called Las Cruxes. Nearly two weeks
  
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• Austin police officer, ‘NinjaKat,’ will compete on American Ninja Warrior

  26-05-2017 02:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Some police officers are on a mission not only to protect their community, but also show people around them there’s more to the person behind the uniform.
  One officer here in Austin is only about a year into her job with the department and she’s on a mission to show her strength and determination to people across the country.
  “I graduated the Academy in October of last year, so I’ve been with the department for about six months including th
  
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• Texas lawmakers finalize deal on $217B spending bill

  26-05-2017 01:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas lawmakers say they’ve finalized a $217 billion state budget deal with only a few days left to deliver the spending bill to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
  The compromise announced Thursday by House and Senate budget leaders boosts funding for the state’s troubled child welfare agency but includes no new money for public schools.
  Texas will also keep spending $800 million on border security despite President Donald Trump’s promises to build a wall b
  
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• New Braunfels police plan to sell high-profile part of its fleet: a Corvette

  26-05-2017 01:32 via kxan.com
  
  NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas (KXAN) — A Chevrolet Corvette awarded to the New Braunfels Police Department in 2013 will most likely be sold at auction.
  The money from the sale would be returned to the department’s seizure fund, which will then be used to continue their community outreach programs, professional training and equipment purchases.
  The 2007 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 — with after-market modifications for racing — has never been used as a patrol car, as it would be too high
  
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