Austin news

• Austin looks to mid-level jobs to help get people out of poverty

  01-06-2017 23:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Ten thousand people in Austin will be taken out of poverty and into better paying jobs, according to a plan by Mayor Steve Adler and Travis County. The goal is to help address the city’s affordability problem.
  “We have an affordability issue in the city. There are two ways you deal with that, use subsidies to make things less expensive, but equally if not more important is you help people earn more income,” Adler says. “The goal today is to
  
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• Fight between elderly men in Killeen leads to cane attack, murder

  01-06-2017 23:28 via kxan.com
  
  KILLEEN, Texas (KWKT) — Killeen police say they have filed murder charges against 84-year-old Santiago Vasquez in connection with the death Tuesday of another elderly man on Fishpond Lane.
  Bond was set at $1 million for Vasquez, who is charged with the death of 80-year-old John Wesley Seth, Jr.
  Police say that the two had been involved in some kind of ongoing dispute and shortly after 3:00 p.m. Tuesday Seth was walking to his mailbox when the two met up and an argument began.
  Police report
  
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• Wisconsin town’s water tower gets unfortunate paint job

  01-06-2017 22:22 via kxan.com
  
  SUSSEX, Wis. (WFRV) — The Sussex, Wisconsin water tower is getting repainted, but residents were alarmed when painters had to stop halfway through the project.
  Workers started painting over the “Sus” in Sussex, but what was left for them for the next day was quite the scene.
  Drivers stopped to snap pictures of the water tower.
  VIDEO: Texas water tower demolished after tornado damage
  Residents say that the painters did the same thing the last time the water tower was painted.
  An
  
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• Obama: Exit from Paris accord means US joins nations that ‘reject the future’

  01-06-2017 22:04 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Barack Obama says the Trump administration is joining “a small handful of nations that reject the future” by withdrawing from the Paris climate change pact.
  Obama is defending the deal that his administration painstakingly negotiated. He says the countries that stay in the Paris deal will “reap the benefits in “jobs and industries created.” He says the U.S. should be “at the front of the pack.”
  The former presiden
  
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• Erick Fowler, former Manor standout, transferring from Texas

  01-06-2017 21:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas sophomore linebacker Erick Fowler is transferring from the Longhorns, the university announced on Wednesday.
  Fowler, who played football at nearby Manor High School, signed with Texas in 2016 after flipping from LSU to the Longhorns on signing day.
  In his only season on campus, Fowler played in just nine games, mostly on special teams with sporadic appearances on defense, recording just one tackle against Iowa State.
  From the beginning, Fowler’s time with Texas
  
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• What does the US withdrawal from the Paris climate change accord mean?

  01-06-2017 20:27 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced that the United States is withdrawing from the Paris climate change accord.
  Now what does this mean for the rapidly heating Earth?
  Here’s a guide to what’s in the Paris agreement, what’s going on with global warming, and what might happen if the rest of the world keeps fighting man-made climate change and the U.S. stays partially or completely on the sidelines.
  WHAT IS THE PARIS AGREEMENT TRYING TO DO?
  The 2015 agreement
  
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• Trump announces US withdrawal from Paris climate accord

  01-06-2017 20:27 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will announce that the United States is withdrawing from the Paris climate change accord. That’s according to multiple congressional officials and others briefed by the White House on the decision.
  According to those briefed, Trump will argue that the Paris pact is a bad deal for American workers and was poorly negotiated by the Obama administration. Those briefed by the White House insisted on anonymity in order to discuss the matter ahead of
  
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• Online predators discussed during Liberty Hill “Donuts with the Chief”

  01-06-2017 20:26 via kxan.com
  
  LIBERTY HILL, Texas (KXAN) — As part of the Liberty Hill Police Department continues its community engagement initiatives such as “Donuts With The Chief,” they’re taking this month’s session to remind parents and children about the dangers that lurk on the world wide web.
  “Child predators are always on the hunt,” says Liberty Hill Police Officer Kimberly Bustos. “The more we can talk to parents and educate them and also their children about th
  
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• Tow truck crash shuts down southbound lanes on I-35 in Georgetown

  01-06-2017 20:18 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — Drivers on Interstate 35 in Georgetown might soon hit a delay after a garbage truck lost it’s load, causing major delays.
  Authorities made the call to close the southbound lanes before 1 p.m. The incident is happening near exit 265, near State Highway 130.
  Georgetown police say around 12:43 p.m., a large tow truck hauling a garbage truck was headed northbound on I-35 when the driver suddenly crossed all the lanes of traffic and crashed through the center co
  
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• Tow truck crash shuts down I-35 in Georgetown for several hours

  01-06-2017 20:18 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — Drivers on Interstate 35 in Georgetown had to sit through some major delays after a tow truck crashed Thursday afternoon.
  Authorities made the call to close the southbound lanes at State Highway 130 before 1 p.m. The freeway was back open by 4 p.m.
  Georgetown police say around 12:43 p.m., a large tow truck hauling a garbage truck was headed northbound on I-35 when the driver suddenly crossed all the lanes of traffic and crashed through the center concrete divider
  
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• 3 arrested in San Marcos hardware store burglaries, 4th on the loose

  01-06-2017 19:48 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — After putting out the call for assistance in locating four people who targeted two San Marcos hardware stores, the group was caught around 12:30 a.m. Thursday.
  Police have Ochoa Ulises Pompa, 20; Jose Francisco Pompa, 21; and Alexandro Castillo, 21, in custody in connection to the burglaries after setting up surveillance at Elliot Electrical Supply at 1904 Dutton Drive.
  Police said around 12:22 a.m., while keeping an eye on the store, they noticed two p
  
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• Senate panel will hear from Comey after given OK to testify

  01-06-2017 19:05 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The House intelligence committee says it is issuing subpoenas for Michael Flynn and Michael Cohen — President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser and Trump’s personal lawyer — as well as their businesses as part of its investigation into Russian activities during last year’s election.
  Additional subpoenas for the National Security Agency, the FBI and the CIA seek information about requests that government officials made to unmask
  
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• Woman walking to Canada freezes to death in Minnesota drainage ditch

  01-06-2017 18:44 via kxan.com
  
  NOYES, Minn. (AP) — A woman who may have been trying to reach Canada on foot from the United States probably froze to death in a remote part of northwestern Minnesota, authorities said.
  The body of 57-year-old Mavis Otuteye, who authorities believe was a citizen of Ghana in western Africa, was found Friday in a field a half-mile from the Canadian border near the tiny town of Noyes, according to the Kittson County Sheriff’s Office.
  Otuteye was reported missing a day earlier and was li
  
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• Leaked birth control rule would broaden religious exemption

  01-06-2017 18:31 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Women’s groups are threatening to take the Trump administration to court after a leaked, draft regulation revealed a plan to let employers opt out of providing no-cost birth control to women for religious and moral reasons.
  The White House refused comment, calling the 125-page document posted online by the news site Vox an “alleged draft.” A government website shows that a rule on preventive services under the Affordable Care Act — which includes b
  
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• Former beauty queen, actress found dead in Round Rock

  01-06-2017 18:16 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — An actress in Laredo and former beauty queen was found dead of unknown causes in her Round Rock home early Tuesday morning.
  Authorities said Margaret Ann Garza, 31, was found at a home in the 1800 block of Mathers Mill Trail when officers responded around 6:30 a.m. to a call of a woman who was not breathing.
  Garza, according to My San Antonio, was crowned Miss Texas Belleza Latina in 2007 and Miss Belleza Latina International in 2008. Her social media accoun
  
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• Mack Brown debuts on College Football Hall of Fame ballot

  01-06-2017 17:52 via kxan.com
  
  IRVING, Texas (AP) — Longtime Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer and former Texas coach Mack Brown, along with former players Charles Woodson, Ed Reed and Calvin Johnson, are among those making their first appearance on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot this year.
  The ballot released Thursday by the National Football Foundation includes 75 players and six coaches who competed in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA. An additional 98 players and 31 coaches from lower divisions and
  
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• WATCH: Valedictorian reveals during graduation she is undocumented

  01-06-2017 17:17 via kxan.com
  
  HORRY COUNTY, South Carolina (WMBF) — Cinthia Zavala-Ramos stood before the more than 400 members of her graduating Socastee High School class Wednesday afternoon as their valedictorian.
  From the stage of the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, she let everyone in attendance – classmates, teachers, friends and family – know exactly who she is.
  “The face that stands before you is the face of an undocumented illegal immigrant,” Ramos said.
  RELATED: Valedictorian, UT fresh
  
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• Cavs the champs but Warriors the favorites in the NBA Finals

  01-06-2017 16:56 via kxan.com
  
  Some predictions see the NBA Finals ending quickly. A video game simulation has them going the distance.
  All seem to agree on the Golden State Warriors winning.
  Beaten last year by Cleveland’s historic comeback, the Warriors will try to avenge that defeat and get back on top when they face the Cavaliers again, the first time two teams have met three straight times in the NBA Finals.
  Game 1 is Thursday at Oracle Arena, where the Cavaliers won their first championship last year by becoming
  
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• Did your name make the 2017 hurricane names list?

  01-06-2017 16:20 via kxan.com
  
  PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WESH/WAVY) — Every year, the National Hurricane Center releases the list of names for the hurricane season.
  June 1 marks the beginning of hurricane season. The list of names for this season will not include Otto or Matthew, as both were retired following the 2016 season.
  New study may explain lack of major hurricane landfalls in U.S.
  Here is the full list of names from the National Hurricane Center:
  2017 Hurricane Names (National Hurricane Center photo)The National Hu
  
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• Man killed after driving into semi in Williamson County

  01-06-2017 15:16 via kxan.com
  
  HUTTO, Texas (KXAN) — A man was killed when he crashed into a semi truck Wednesday afternoon, The Texas Department of Public Safety said.
  DPS investigators said Georgetown native David Pitts, 23, was driving northbound in the 900 block of Farm to Market 1660 in Hutto around 3:40 p.m. when he approached a right-hand curve.
  The semi truck was exiting a private drive when the Nissan Pitts was driving crashed into the trailer and became crushed underneath.
  Pitts was declared dead at the scene.
  
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• New tool protects police dogs in drug raids from overdosing

  01-06-2017 14:49 via kxan.com
  
  BOSTON (AP) — Police dogs simply follow their noses to sniff out narcotics. But inhaling powerful opioids can be deadly, so officers have a new tool to protect their four-legged partners: naloxone, a drug that has already been used for years to reverse overdoses in humans.
  Law enforcement officers have started carrying naloxone with them on drug raids, when K-9s are often sent into houses or cars to find narcotics. Three police dogs in Florida were rushed to an animal hospital last year wh
  
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• Austin mayor's response to man's 'sexist' comments goes viral

  01-06-2017 14:36 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — If you are going to spout nonsense, you should probably be aware of the skills the person you’re spouting it to possesses. Clearly a man who signed his name Richard A. Ameduri didn’t do his research and decided to hit the send button on May 26 before taking a second to breathe deep, count to 10 and think about what really matters in his life.
  Austin Mayor Steve Adler, or his public relations handler, decided to completely obliterate Ameduri in a response to his
  
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• Central Texas high school graduates have good prospects for future

  01-06-2017 14:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — This week is all about celebrating the accomplishments of area high school graduates. Now comes the real challenge for those students – choosing their field of study as they move on to post-secondary education.
  “I see my future to be as an interpreter for the deaf,” said Leonel Banda.
  The Travis Early College High School senior graduates Thursday and already has a plan for the future.
  Austin Community College recruiting specialist Ross Nelson says having a
  
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• Mother facing deportation given sanctuary by North Carolina church

  01-06-2017 13:40 via kxan.com
  
  (WXII/NBC News) A North Carolina grandmother has taken sanctuary inside a Greensboro church to avoid being deported.
  Speaking through a translator to a standing room only crowd Wednesday, Juana Tobar Ortega said she hopes her sanctuary inside the church will not be for long.
  “I have hope to return to my home soon, to be able to hug my children, my grandchildren and to be with my family,” Ortega said through a translator.
  The 44-year old mother of four will live in a small room inside
  
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• Supporters will rally Thursday night for Greg Kelley

  01-06-2017 13:02 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — Thursday night, a large group supporting Greg Kelley will gather outside the Williamson County Courthouse. New evidence and a possible new suspect in the case is bringing out his supporters to rally for his release.
  The non-profit Greg Kelley Foundation is asking the public to come out at 8 p.m. to show support. This all comes after the new Williamson County District Attorney, Shawn Dick, decided to reopen the case.
  Kelley has been in prison for the past three ye
  
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• As Greg Kelley sits in prison, his supporters are still backing him

  01-06-2017 13:02 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — Thursday night, a large group supporting Greg Kelley will gather outside the Williamson County Courthouse. New evidence and a possible new suspect in the case is bringing out his supporters to rally for his release.
  The non-profit Greg Kelley Foundation is asking the public to come out at 8 p.m. to show support. This all comes after the new Williamson County District Attorney, Shawn Dick, decided to reopen the case.
  Kelley has been in prison for the past three ye
  
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• Man receives life-threatening injuries in north Austin shooting

  01-06-2017 12:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Authorities are working to determine how an 18-year-old man was shot after midnight Thursday.
  Austin police responded to the intersection of Shag Bark Trail and Shadyview Drive around 12:45 a.m. for the shooting.
  Austin-Travis County EMS took the man to Dell Seton Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.
  Investigators said, because of the evidence at the scene, they aren’t certain if there is a suspect; the shooting may have been self-inflicted. Police will need
  
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• Kacy Clemens goes one-on-one with MTTS

  01-06-2017 05:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Longhorns senior Kacy CLemens goes one-on-one with Roger Wallace on More than the Score before the Longhorns start their run int he NCAA Tournament.
  
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• Veterans build ROT Rally military giveaway motorcycle

  01-06-2017 05:32 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Next week’s Republic of Texas Biker Rally brings hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists to Austin.
  This year, a special bike will be there — a 1992 Harley Davidson Softail Springer. What makes it so special?
  Three months ago, seven men took it apart. Ever since then, they’ve been making it new, putting a touch on it that only seven veterans would know how to.
  “This bike doesn’t look anything now like it did in February,” said Krystal Hess
  
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• Criminals gain from delayed asset forfeiture cases in Williamson County

  01-06-2017 05:28 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — A Williamson County district court judge Wednesday dismissed asset forfeiture proceedings and ordered seized funds be paid back to the criminal defendant in a case dating back to February 2016.
  Judge Donna King found due diligence was not exercised in the case by the Williamson Co. District Attorney’s Office under the previous administration and ordered the return of $1,545 to criminal defendant Justin Cord Dabney. King says the time it took for the office
  
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• Carjacking victim: ‘I was a finger twitch away from getting my head blown off’

  01-06-2017 04:58 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Police say they’re looking for more teen suspects involved in a carjacking spree throughout Austin. They’re asking the community to be aware of their surroundings as they look to tie more people to the violent crimes.
  “We’re having people that are having their car stolen by force in parking lots and they’re mostly happening in apartment complexes, people are coming or going from home and they’re being approached by anywhere from two to fo
  
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• One killed on Bee Cave Road after vehicle crashes and catches on fire

  01-06-2017 04:31 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — One person is dead in southwest Travis County after a vehicle crashed and caught on fire.
  Austin-Travis County EMS was called to the 10300 block of Farm to Market 2244/Bee Cave Road, near Creeks Edge Parkway, at 9:08 p.m. Wednesday.
  Medics warn drivers to expect closures and to avoid the area. The Department of Public Safety is taking over the investigation.
  KXAN has a crew on the way to the scene. We’ll update this page as we get additional information.
  
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• VIDEO: Dash cam released of Tiger Woods DUI arrest

  01-06-2017 03:45 via kxan.com
  
  JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Police in Florida have released video of Tiger Woods’ DUI arrest.
  Jupiter police released the dash-cam footage Wednesday night.
  Officers on patrol early Monday noticed a Mercedes pulled awkwardly to the side of the road with the engine running, the brake lights on and a right turn signal blinking. Both tires on the left side of the car were flat, and police described fresh damage to the driver’s side.
  The video shows officers approach the car and Woods, who
  
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• Noose found inside National Museum of African American History

  01-06-2017 03:35 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — A noose has been found in a public exhibition space of the Smithsonian’s African-American museum.
  Smithsonian Secretary David Skorton says in a statement that the rope was found Wednesday afternoon in the Segregation Gallery of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
  The statement says tourists found the noose on the floor.
  Museum founding Director Lonnie Bunch III says in an email that the noose represents an act of cowardice and depravity.
  The
  
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• VIDEO: Burglars make off with Yeti coolers, power tools in San Marcos

  01-06-2017 01:49 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — Police in San Marcos are asking for help identifying four people who broke into two businesses and stole thousands of dollars worth of goods in the span of 12 minutes last week.
  The first burglary happened at 11:14 p.m. on Thursday, May 25 at Power Haus Equipment at 111 E. Martin Luther King Dr. The burglars were able to get into the store by prying the front door open.
  Police say two suspects went inside while the other two suspects stayed outside to keep an eye
  
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• Laura Bush in Austin to promote recovery of the monarch butterfly

  01-06-2017 01:32 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Over the last two decades, the monarch butterfly population has been on a gradual decline, which is why former First Lady Laura Bush met with scientists and experts from across the country on Wednesday to discuss ways to enhance and recover the species.
  Texan By Nature organized the 2-day Monarch Symposium at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Texan By Nature is a community-run conservation effort, founded by Bush with the aim of preserving Texas’ environment fo
  
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• Sensors throughout Austin monitoring for bioterrorism agents

  01-06-2017 00:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Bioterrorism. It’s a threat that many people don’t think about, yet is ever present on the minds of health officials and the Department of Homeland Security.
  In 2003, after the anthrax scare at federal buildings, BioWatch was formed. BioWatch is an early warning system that is designed to detect the release of bioterrorism agents. Special sensors are strategically placed in selected cities, such as Austin, to monitor the air.
  Dr. Philip Huang with Austin Public
  
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• Hays CISD students graduating career-ready with valuable licenses

  01-06-2017 00:16 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — It’s graduation season and that means thousands of students will be walking out of high school doors searching for a job. The Hays Consolidated Independent School District says it is graduating students who are career-ready and hoping to fill a shortage of employees across a number of industries.
  “Many of these students will go to college after this, but they can work their way through college and make a really good salary along the way,” said Hays CI
  
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