Austin news

• Drivers worried about lack of lighting along Montopolis Bridge

  09-06-2017 22:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Driving through an area that is under construction is a challenge in itself, but imagine that commute with hit-or-miss overhead lighting. People who live in east Austin say they can barely see the road along sections of US 183 and it’s causing them concern.
  “It’s pretty dangerous. It’s really dark out here at night,” says Frank Monreal, who has lived in the Montopolis area for nearly 60 years. “It’s confusing a lot of the peopl
  
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• Standoff with 18-wheeler chase suspect in Arlington ends

  09-06-2017 22:28 via kxan.com
  
  ARLINGTON, Texas (KXAN) — A standoff between a suspect in a flatbed semi truck and Arlington police has come to an end.
  The man driving the truck led police on a multi-city chase, ending with a standoff that shut down Interstate 30 near Montgomery Street in Arlington, according to NBCDFW. The suspect, whose condition is unknown, hit several cars on the interstate before crashing around 12:45 p.m.
  SWAT officers were seen aiming their rifles at the cab of the truck, as other officers t
  
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• Central Texas day care owner, employee charged with injuring children

  09-06-2017 21:39 via kxan.com
  
  WACO, Texas (KWKT) — Waco police report an owner and an employee of a local day care have been arrested following an investigation into child abuse at the business.
  Both turned themselves in Thursday after warrants were obtained.
  The Crimes Against Children Detective Unit had begun investigating allegations of child abuse at Miss Pepper’s Daycare that were received back on April 4.
  Waco Police Department spokesman Patrick Swanton says that during the course of the investigation
  
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• Two Hill Country children dead after being left in car for more than 15 hours

  09-06-2017 20:37 via kxan.com
  
  KERR COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A 19-year-old Hill Country mother is in jail accused of causing the death of her two daughters by leaving them in a hot car for more than 15 hours.
  The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office says on Tuesday, June 7, Amanda Hawkins, along with a 16-year-old male, showed up at Peterson Regional Medical Center in Kerrville with her two daughters, Brynn Hawkins, 1, and Addyson Overgard-Eddy, 2. Hospital staff determined the children were in “grave condition”
  
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• TRAFFIC ALERT: Lane closures near UT campus

  09-06-2017 19:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Lane closures along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Guadalupe Street could slow down traffic around the University of Texas area this weekend.
  The closures, which start Friday morning, are necessary so construction crews can move a crane being used in the construction of UT’s new Rowling Hall. Heading westbound on MLK Jr. Boulevard, the right-turn lane will be closed from Whitis Avenue to Guadalupe Street.
  The northbound far-right lane of Guadalupe Street will be
  
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• VIDEO: Buck flies through paint store window in Pennsylvania

  09-06-2017 19:35 via kxan.com
  
  MOUNT POCONO, Pa. (NBC News) — Workers at a paint store in Pennsylvania had a surprise customer when a deer came flying through a window last week.
  Surveillance cameras throughout the Gleco Paint store captured the buck coming through a window and then leaping over a display. The buck initially seemed confused, but once he got his footing, he tried to find another way out of the store.
  Declawed cat fights off burglar
  He eventually found a way out but only after causing a few thousand
  
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• Al-Jazeera a target in Gulf confrontation with Qatar

  09-06-2017 19:17 via kxan.com
  
  DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The Arabic news network Al-Jazeera has been thrust into the center of the story as Qatar came under virtual siege by its Gulf neighbors, pressuring it to shut down the channel that has infuriated them with its coverage for 20 years.
  Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed ties with Qatar this week over allegations it supports terrorism and, more specifically, that it uses Al-Jazeera as a mouthpiece to destabilize the region.
  The Qatar-based netw
  
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• Declawed cat stops attempted burglar

  09-06-2017 19:14 via kxan.com
  
  INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) – A family’s pet cat is being called a hero for doing something that caught even his owner off-guard.
  “Binky” stopped a burglar climbing in a window at home.
  That would-be burglar showed up at a house on Finley Avenue around midnight determined to get in. But the family cat had something else in mind.
  “I was shocked the first time he started growling,” said Cynthia Kootz, Binky’s owner.
  Kootz now holds onto her cat when certain compan
  
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• Experts talk about identification process of human remains

  09-06-2017 18:39 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — As investigators in Williamson County work to find human remains following a tip, KXAN spoke with Dr. Suzanne Dana, forensic pathologist in Lockhart, about what it takes to identify a body which has been buried for years, or possibly even decades.
  Dana said a body that has been buried for 15 years would likely be skeletal by now, but that all depends on the conditions of burial, including what type of clothing, if any, the deceased was wearing.
  To identify t
  
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• Court denies innocence appeal in yogurt shop murders

  09-06-2017 18:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas Supreme Court has turned away an appeal from a man who wants the Texas courts to declare him innocent of killing four young women in Austin’s notorious 1991 yogurt shop murders.
  Robert Springsteen was one of two men initially convicted of capital murder. The convictions were later overturned and the charges dismissed. Springsteen wants a formal declaration of innocence to allow him to collect more than $700,000 from the state for wrongful imprisonment.
  
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• WATCH: British Labour leader’s high-five ends in awkward thud

  09-06-2017 17:34 via kxan.com
  
  LONDON (AP) — In the overnight hours of the Labour surge when results pointed toward a hung Parliament, there was a moment of levity during celebrations for a colleague of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s in north London.
  A missed “high-five” that ended in an awkward place.
  As Corbyn and Labour Member of Parliament Emily Thornberry embraced, pointing at the other with huge smiles, the opposition leader’s attempt at a “high-five” wasn’t seen by his col
  
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• Tip regarding human remains in Liberty Hill could be tied to Rachel Cooke case

  09-06-2017 17:04 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — Even though she’s been missing for 15 years, a recent tip could lead authorities to answers on what happened to Rachel Cooke.
  The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office confirms they recently received a tip about possible human remains being found at 221 Chaparral Dr. in Liberty Hill. Rachel’s mother, Janet Cooke, tells KXAN she has received a phone call from local authorities but says she can’t elaborate on the conversation in fear of jeopar
  
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• Human remains search possibly tied to Rachel Cooke comes up empty

  09-06-2017 17:04 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — Even though she’s been missing for 15 years, tips regarding the disappearance of Rachel Cooke still come in, and for the Williamson County sheriff, all leads still need to be followed through. That’s the reason why a throng of local and federal officials made their way to a property in Liberty Hill on Friday.
  The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office says a deputy received a tip around three weeks ago about possible human remains buried on the prop
  
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• Doctors: UT stabbing suspect is competent to stand trial

  09-06-2017 16:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — At a Friday morning hearing, University of Texas stabbing suspect Kendrex White was told by two doctors that he is competent to stand trial and that his motion to be tested for insanity has been denied.
  The hearing lasted minutes in Judge Tamara Needle’s 427th Criminal District Court. Prior to Friday’s hearing, White’s attorneys filed a motion asking the judge to ban cameras and audio recordings from court proceedings. Judge Needle granted the motion which
  
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• Chelsea Manning talks leaks, transition after prison release

  09-06-2017 16:13 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Chelsea Manning believed she had a “responsibility to the public” and didn’t think she was risking national security when she leaked a trove of classified documents, the soldier said in her first interview since being released from a military prison last month.
  The 29-year-old formerly known as Bradley Manning said in a pre-taped interview broadcast Friday on ABC’s “Good Morning America” that she was prompted to give the 700,000 military
  
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• WATCH: Kangaroo rescued after falling into Australian canal

  09-06-2017 15:53 via kxan.com
  
  BRIBIE ISLAND, Australia (NBC News) — A kangaroo in Australia recently needed rescuing after it fell into a canal and couldn’t get out.
  The Australia Zoo rescue unit said a crew responded to the canal on Bribie Island after a young male kangaroo fell into the water and observers were concerned he would not escape before the tide rolled in.
  A post on the Australia zoo wildlife warriors Facebook page said the rescue team had to chase the kangaroo until it was too tired to go any furthe
  
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• Texas inmate escapes, kills resident for car, dies in shootout

  09-06-2017 15:12 via kxan.com
  
  SAN BENITO, Texas (AP) — Officials in South Texas say an inmate disarmed a jail officer, escaped to a nearby house where he killed a resident and took his vehicle, then led authorities on a car chase that ended in a shootout that left the fugitive dead.
  Brownsville police say the incident began shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday as when the detention officer was taking inmate Miguel Garcia for medical attention. On the way, Garcia attacked the detention officer, slashed his face and took his gu
  
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• WATCH: Officers on stolen vehicle call save puppy choking on cheese

  09-06-2017 14:51 via kxan.com
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It wasn’t the call they expected.
  Albuquerque Police Department officers were investigating a stolen vehicle when they found themselves trying to save a tiny puppy’s life, and it was all caught on lapel video.
  It happened in front of the Kicks 66 gas station store on Wyoming near I-40.
  Officers saw a woman crying over her puppy that was choking, and they quickly stepped in to help.
  “They were right here…I had came out to see what the
  
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• How to keep your dogs safe in the scorching heat

  09-06-2017 14:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Dogs don’t handle heat as well as we do.
  That’s what Sarah Hammel wants dog owners to know as the temperatures continue to rise in Central Texas.
  Hammel runs the shelter at the Austin Humane Society. She starts to worry this time of year that dog owners aren’t aware of the impact heat can have on man’s best friend.
  Georgetown woman accused of running dog to near death
  “Just like people, they can get dehydrated, overheat really quickly and it ca
  
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• VIDEO: Woman on phone falls down open sidewalk cellar door

  09-06-2017 13:38 via kxan.com
  
  PLAINFIELD, New Jersey (NBC News) —  A New Jersey woman was hospitalized in serious condition after a terrible tumble on Thursday.
  Security video shows the 67-year-old woman walking while on her phone.
  She didn’t notice an open sidewalk access door in front of her and plunged down the hole.
  Passersbys reach out to help her, but she is already mid-fall and disappears into the hole falling about 6 feet.
  She was extracted by emergency crews and rushed to the hospital.
  The woman, wh
  
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• TxDOT installing new signs throughout Central Texas

  09-06-2017 13:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Department of Transportation is working to install 27 new signs throughout Central Texas.
  The permanent signs will warn drivers of problem areas, ramp closures or Amber Alerts. The signs can also give alternative routes to relieve congestion.
  The new signs will be about eight feet by 30 feet. “I think arming people with enough information gives them an opportunity to make a decision, whether or not to stay on the road, or to find a different way to get aroun
  
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• TxDOT installing new signs throughout Austin

  09-06-2017 13:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Department of Transportation is working to install 27 new signs throughout Austin.
  The permanent signs will warn drivers of problem areas, ramp closures or Amber Alerts. The signs can also give alternative routes to relieve congestion.
  The new signs will be about eight feet bigger than the signs that are currently displayed around Austin. “I think arming people with enough information gives them an opportunity to make a decision, whether or not to stay on th
  
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• Additional digital signs along freeways aimed at improving congestion

  09-06-2017 13:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Department of Transportation is working to install 27 new signs throughout Central Texas.
  The permanent signs will warn drivers of problem areas, ramp closures or Amber Alerts. The signs can also give alternative routes to relieve congestion.
  The new signs will be about eight feet by 30 feet. “I think arming people with enough information gives them an opportunity to make a decision, whether or not to stay on the road, or to find a different way to get aroun
  
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• ICE shutters detention alternative for asylum-seekers

  09-06-2017 12:45 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (AP) — The Trump administration is shutting down the least restrictive alternative to detention available to asylum-seekers who have entered the U.S. illegally, The Associated Press has learned.
  Immigration activists consider the move a callous insult to migrants fleeing traumatic violence and poverty — nearly all the program’s participants are Central American mothers and children — by a White House that has prioritized deportations that break up families over as
  
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• ICE shutters detention alternate for asylum-seekers

  09-06-2017 12:45 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (AP) — The Trump administration is shutting down the least restrictive alternative to detention available to asylum-seekers who have entered the U.S. illegally.
  A letter obtained by The Associated Press says the Family Case Management Program involving 630 families in five major metropolitan areas is shutting down June 20.
  Immigration activists consider the move a callous insult to migrants fleeing traumatic violence and poverty in dysfunctional nations by a White House that has pr
  
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• Pflugerville home catches fire second time in less than 12 hours

  09-06-2017 06:37 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — A family is displaced from their Pflugerville home after it caught fire Thursday night.
  Authorities said Friday morning that the fire in the 700 block of Runners Ridge, about a block from Pflugerville Middle School, restarted in the 8 a.m. hour, this time in the attic.
  Crews are on scene working the second fire, but access is difficult.
  Firefighters were called to the initial blaze at 9:28 p.m. Thursday.
  The initial fire started from cooking on a stove.
  No
  
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• Cooking fire displaces family from Pflugerville home

  09-06-2017 06:37 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — A family made it out of a house fire in Pflugerville Thursday night, but firefighters say they will likely be displaced from their home.
  No one was injured in the fire in the 700 block of Runners Ridge, about a block from Pflugerville Middle School. Firefighters were called to the blaze at 9:28 p.m.
  The fire started from cooking on a stove.
  Additional information on the fire was not immediately available.
  Pflugerville firefighters at the scene of a house fire o
  
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• Three charged with capital murder in Craigslist drug deal shootout

  09-06-2017 06:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police are investigating after a man was shot and killed in northeast Austin Thursday around 10 p.m. Three suspects have been charged with capital murder in what police are describing as a drug deal on Craigslist that turned into a shooting homicide.
  According to the Austin Police Department, they received a call at 9:54 p.m. for gunshots at 4309 East St. Elmo Rd. At the time, they were told two vehicles left the scene after the shots were fired.
  Around 10:05 p.m. po
  
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• Police have no suspects after northeast Austin homicide

  09-06-2017 06:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police are investigating after a man was shot and killed in northeast Austin Thursday around 10 p.m.
  Austin-Travis County EMS say they pronounced the man dead after the shooting in the 8000 block of Exchange Drive, near the US 290 and US 183 interchange. Authorities say the shooting happened inside The Reserve at Walnut Creek Apartments.
  Police say they have no suspects and no one is in custody. Investigators are talking to the person who called 911.
  
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• Man killed in northeast Austin shooting

  09-06-2017 06:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Police are investigating after a man was shot and killed in northeast Austin Thursday night.
  Austin-Travis County EMS say they pronounced the man dead after the shooting in the 8000 block of Exchange Drive, near the US 290 and US 183 interchange. Austin Police say the shooting happened inside The Reserve at Walnut Creek Apartments.Officers were called to the scene at 10:05 p.m. Austin police say they have no suspects and no one is in custody. Investigators are talkin
  
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• Austin homicide victim identified, was found 10+ miles from shooting scene

  09-06-2017 06:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police are investigating after a man was shot and killed in northeast Austin Thursday around 10 p.m.
  According to the Austin Police Department, they received a call at 9:54 p.m. for gunshots at 4309 East St. Elmo Rd. At the time, they were told two vehicles left the scene after the shots were fired.
  Around 10:05 p.m. police received a call for a man who had been shot and was not breathing at 8038 Exchange Dr., more than 10 miles away from the original shooting scene.
  
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• New safety measures explored to take on ‘haven for crime’ on Red River St.

  09-06-2017 05:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — City Council agreed in Thursday’s meeting to look at ways to make one of Austin’s downtown entertainment districts safer.
  The Red River District attracts people wanting to experience the live music Austin is known for, but it’s also attracting crime local business owners say they’re tired of dealing with. In particular, an alley between Seventh and Eighth streets KXAN told you about back in October. Thursday’s council move marked a step fo
  
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• $20 dog adoptions at Austin Animal Center through June 19

  09-06-2017 05:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — You can take advantage of $20 adoptions for dogs weighing more than 20 pounds from Friday through June 19 at the Austin Animal Center.
  “We have more than 200 medium to large dogs waiting for homes and more than 50 senior pets who desperately need lifesavers,” said Lee Ann Shenefiel, Austin Animal Center Interim Chief Animal Services Officer.
  “Looking for kittens or puppies? We’ve got them, too.”
  MORE: Often above capacity, Austin Animal Center
  
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• Couple spends decades preparing for rare American solar eclipse

  09-06-2017 04:25 via kxan.com
  
  MONMOUTH, Ore. (KMTR) — A Monmouth, Oregon couple believes their property has the best view for the August solar eclipse. Jon Brewster and his wife have taken some extreme measures to make sure nothing blocks their view.
  “We’ve been planning for all of these years to be ready for the big, great American Eclipse,” Jon Brewster said.
  Back in 1979, during the last total solar eclipse visible in Oregon, overcast skies blocked the view for many in Portland. Since then, the Bre
  
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• Austin USPS contract employee fired, investigated for stealing gift cards

  09-06-2017 03:33 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A six-month long mail theft investigation, first brought to KXAN’s attention in January, is about to be handed over to the Travis County District Attorney’s Office.
  U.S. Postal Inspector Mike Sullivan says a United States Postal Service contract employee was fired on May 10 after he was caught stealing hundreds of dollars in gift cards he was supposed to be helping deliver in Austin.
  “It’s rare, but do employees know what’s in those envelopes?
  
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• Abandoned baby found inside Jonas Brothers backpack

  09-06-2017 03:25 via kxan.com
  
  TEMPE, Ariz. (WCMH) – Police in Arizona are trying to identify a baby girl found abandoned in a parking lot.
  According to Tempe police, the girl was found Sunday evening in a shopping cart outside a business on Apache Blvd. Police said the girl was wrapped in a blanket and placed inside a Jonas Brothers backpack that was inside the cart.
  The girl was taken to an area hospital and is in good health. She has since been placed in foster care.
  KTVU reported police believe the girl was born wit
  
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• Employee will no longer work at UT after ‘hateful incident’ with student

  09-06-2017 03:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A University of Texas at Austin employee is out of the job after an exchange with a student during summer orientation.
  The university says they became aware of the incident, between a food services employee and a student, on Wednesday. “Hateful incidents like this are unacceptable and are counter to University values,” UT said in a statement. “We resolved the situation expeditiously. We reached out to the student. The employee will no longer work for the u
  
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• First black chief pilot at a major U.S. airline retires

  09-06-2017 03:12 via kxan.com
  
  DALLAS (AP) — The first black chief pilot at a major U.S. airline is retiring after a 36-year career that saw big changes in aviation.
  Louis Freeman says he felt a special burden when Southwest Airlines hired him out of the Air Force in 1980. He says he wanted to be perfect so that the airline would hire other African-Americans.
  Freeman made his last flight as a Southwest captain on Thursday, a few days before turning 65, the federal retirement age for airline pilots.
  He says he hopes his
  
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• Houston-area deputy, husband indicted in man’s death at Denny’s

  09-06-2017 01:45 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (AP) — A Texas grand jury has indicted a sheriff’s deputy and her husband on murder charges in the death of a man they restrained during a late night confrontation outside a Houston-area restaurant.
  John Hernandez died three days after the May 28 confrontation with Harris County deputy Shauna Thompson and her husband, Terry.
  A Harris County grand jury in Houston indicted the couple on Thursday. The two did not testify before the panel. Investigators say Shauna Thompson helped
  
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• Credit card skimmer uncovered at south Austin gas station

  09-06-2017 01:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A credit card skimmer was found on a south Austin gas station fuel pump on Thursday.
  The Texas Department of Agriculture, which inspects fuel pumps, says the 7-Eleven gas station at 1320 E. Oltorf St., just west of Interstate 35., was not aware the device was on the pump and is not involved in any illegal activity regarding the device. No skimmers were found on the other pumps at the station.
  The TDA looks for skimmers as part of its routine inspections of more than 400,000
  
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• Perspective and reaction to Comey’s damning testimony

  09-06-2017 01:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Most Americans are bombarded by media every hour of every day. In Mezes Hall at the University of Texas, new technology allows UT History Professor Jeremi Suri to give a lecture, live and online, to his students around the country for his summer course. Today’s topic? Seeing fired FBI Director James Comey give an unfiltered account of what happened.
  “So Comey’s testimony, in a sense, is an effort to be an antidote to all the spinning that various othe
  
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• Austin City Council says no to gun rights activist’s board appointment

  09-06-2017 00:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin City Council Member Rita Ora Houston is defending her decision to nominate Michael Cargill, owner of Central Texas Gun Works, to a city advisory board.
  When Council Member Houston nominated Cargill to the Bond Election Advisory Task Force, some people questioned her judgment. One person on Twitter called Cargill a “fringe extremist” while another person stated he “politicized a student’s death” referring to Haruka Weiser’s death an
  
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• Motorcyclist who lost leg sends safety message to fellow ROT Rally bikers

  09-06-2017 00:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Republic of Texas Rally, kicking off Thursday, is the largest gathering of its kind in the state, but one biker spent the last year recovering in a trauma center after a horrific crash.
  Austin Eddins used to ride a Suzuki. Now, he walks on his “Cadillac,” a bionic, prosthetic leg. He lost his motorcycle in the crash last April.
  “It’s allowed me to get back on my feet,” Eddins said. “I didn’t believe I was going to make it throug
  
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