Austin news

• April storm damage in Point Venture was a tornado after all

  16-06-2017 23:58 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — National Weather Service meteorologists have taken the lull in active weather to comb over videos, pictures and radar images from the severe storms on April 2 which looked, to many who sent them in, like tornado damage. NWS crews initially thought the damage was likely due to straight line winds, but the agency decided to go back and look through the evidence a second time.
  NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist Paul Yura has officially ruled the damage at Point Venture tha
  
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• Report: Voter ID problems delayed hundreds at polls

  16-06-2017 23:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A report from a voting rights advocacy group shows that hundreds of Texas voters were delayed or nearly turned away during the 2016 presidential election because of confusion over the state’s voter ID laws.
  More than 4,000 reports of voter issues, primarily in Harris and Dallas counties, were reviewed by the Texas Civil Rights Project’s Election Protection Coalition. The Houston Chronicle (http://bit.ly/2s9jyaC ) reports most were related to polling place p
  
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• What Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods means for Austin

  16-06-2017 23:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Amazon’s surprise decision to spend $13.7 billion on Austin-based Whole Foods left many local shoppers scratching their heads. Amazon will now take over the organic empire with 456 stores but struggled to rein in prices and integrate technology.
  The announcement shocked many lunch-goers at Austin’s flagship store on North Lamar Boulevard.
  “I’m like a little surprised, honestly I didn’t expect that,” said shopper Luis Solis. Leaving some,
  
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• PHOTOS: The early years of Whole Foods

  16-06-2017 23:05 via kxan.com
  
  Whole Foods: The Early Years First Whole Foods Market (Photo Credit: Whole Foods Market®)John Mackey at Dallas's Greenville Ave. store (relocated to Lakewood in 2009) (Photo Credit: Whole Foods Market®)John Mackey and Lex Alexander (Wellspring co-founder) (Photo Credit: Whole Foods Market®)Frank Wellerding at Austin's former Brodie Oaks store (mid-80s)(Photo Credit: Whole Foods Market®)James Parker in bulk department in Austin's former Crossroads store (Photo Credit: Whole Foods
  
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• Serial jewelry store robber faces life in prison

  16-06-2017 22:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A 40-year-old man is facing life in federal prison for robbing numerous jewelry stores in Austin and Houston in the span of a year.
  The U.S. Department of Justice says a jury found Marvin Lewis, of Austin, guilty in a series of robberies and attempted robberies in Texas in 2014 and 2015 as well as one robbery in Ohio in 2015. Investigators connected Lewis to 13 robberies and attempted robberies, seven of which were jewelry stores in Austin.
  Brandon Grubbs (Austin Police Dep
  
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• The Latest: Activists, Castile supporters plan rally

  16-06-2017 22:20 via kxan.com
  
  ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Latest in the manslaughter trial of a Minnesota police officer who fatally shot a black motorist during a traffic stop (all times local):
  5 p.m.
  Community activists and supporters of the family of a black man who was killed by a Minnesota police officer last July are planning to hold a rally at the state Capitol.
  Officer Jeronimo Yanez, who is Latino, was aquitted Friday on all counts stemming from the shooting of 32-year-old Philando Castile.
  Castile was killed
  
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• Latest: Protest against Castile verdict grows in Minnesota

  16-06-2017 22:20 via kxan.com
  
  ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Latest in the manslaughter trial of a Minnesota police officer who fatally shot a black motorist during a traffic stop (all times local):
  10:10 p.m.
  Thousands of chanting demonstrators are continuing a march toward the St. Paul Cathedral to protest a police officer’s acquittal in the shooting of a black motorist.
  The demonstration has been peaceful, but has caused the suspension of light rail service in the city since it began Friday evening.
  Officer Jeroni
  
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• Latest: Police push protesters from St. Paul freeway

  16-06-2017 22:20 via kxan.com
  
  ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Latest in the manslaughter trial of a Minnesota police officer who fatally shot a black motorist during a traffic stop (all times local):
  12:20 a.m.
  Police in St. Paul, Minnesota, appear to have largely cleared protesters who shut down a downtown freeway following a suburban officer’s acquittal in the shooting death last year of a black motorist.
  A line of police confronted a crowd of scores or hundreds of protesters who initially marched onto Interstate 94
  
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• Latest: Castile girlfriend after verdict: ‘God help America’

  16-06-2017 22:20 via kxan.com
  
  ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Latest in the manslaughter trial of a Minnesota police officer who fatally shot a black motorist during a traffic stop (all times local):
  5:10 p.m.
  The girlfriend of a black man who was shot and killed by a Minnesota police officer last July says she’s disappointed with the jury’s verdict to acquit the officer.
  Officer Jeronimo Yanez was found not guilty Friday of three counts stemming from the shooting of Philando Castile. Yanez, who is Latino, shot
  
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• Five killed in New Mexico murder spree

  16-06-2017 21:22 via kxan.com
  
  EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A 21-year-old northern New Mexico man has been charged with five counts of murder after police say he was involved in a killing spree that resulted in the death of his mom, step-dad and brother.
  Damian Herrera was charged Thursday after a massive manhunt that spanned all of northern New Mexico and into Colorado. The Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Department were initially dispatched to a shooting in La Madera, N.M. around 3:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon. When they a
  
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• Parents of teen killed walking in Austin crosswalk last year sue driver, city

  16-06-2017 20:26 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The parents of a 14-year-old boy killed last year in northwest Austin while walking his bicycle across an intersection filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Travis County suing the city of Austin and the driver who struck him.
  Eric and Anna Bauereis claim their son, Alexei Bauereis, was walking his bicycle through a crosswalk at the intersection of Rustic Rock Drive and Spicewood Springs Road around 10:13 p.m. June 7, 2016, when oncoming driver Mason Currah failed to yield and
  
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• Elderly Texas woman won’t be charged in Kansas airport clash

  16-06-2017 20:09 via kxan.com
  
  WICHITA, Kan. (AP) – An 82-year-old Texas woman who got into a scuffle with a Wichita airport security agent will not face charges.
  Wichita City Attorney Jennifer Magana said the case against Lila Bryan was dismissed Friday at the request of the security agent.
  Bryan, of Mesquite, Texas, was cited by police May 31 for misdemeanor battery after she hit a Transportation Security Administration agent at Wichita’s Dwight Eisenhower Airport. The TSA said Bryan became upset after the agent
  
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• Dead bat found in Buda, city issues alert

  16-06-2017 19:53 via kxan.com
  
  BUDA, Texas (KXAN) — The city of Buda is issuing an alert to residents after a dead bad was found in the 500 block of Cullen Boulevard Thursday.
  The Department of State Health Services tried to test the bat for rabies but it was untestable due to being so decomposed. The city is asking people who may have come into contact with the bat to call the following numbers:
  City of Buda Animal Control 1-512-312-1001
  Hays County Health Department 1-512-393-5525
  Department of State Health Services Z
  
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• Girlfriend whose texts urged suicide guilty of manslaughter

  16-06-2017 19:31 via kxan.com
  
  TAUNTON, Mass. (AP) — A woman who sent her boyfriend a barrage of text messages urging him to kill himself when they were both teenagers was convicted Friday of involuntary manslaughter in a trial that raised questions of whether words can kill.
  Juvenile Court Judge Lawrence Moniz found that Michelle Carter caused the death of Conrad Roy III, who intentionally filled his truck with carbon monoxide in a Fairhaven store parking lot in July 2014. Carter cried and clutched a handkerchief to he
  
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• VIDEO: Ohio woman leads police on chase in reverse

  16-06-2017 19:21 via kxan.com
  
  CENTERVILLE, Ohio (KXAN) — Car chases are not unusual, but a chase where the suspect is driving in reverse for a good amount of time is.
  Dash camera video from Centerville, Ohio shows police chasing after a woman in a truck who is flying down the highway backwards on June 9. When the woman does try to turn the truck around to go in the correct direction, she clips the patrol car and then takes off down an enbankment.
  The officer followed the driver for a few more minutes but ended the
  
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• On Day 5 of jury talks, Cosby thanks fans and supporters

  16-06-2017 18:47 via kxan.com
  
  NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Bill Cosby thanked his fans and supporters on Friday as a jury deliberated sexual assault charges that could send him to prison for the rest of his life, sending a tweet shortly after the panel asked to review his devastating testimony about giving drugs to women he wanted to have sex with.
  It was the first Twitter message from Cosby in more than a week and came as jurors spent a fifth day in talks, trying to break an impasse that has raised the possibility of a mist
  
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• Cosby tweets thanks, defense demands mistrial over impasse

  16-06-2017 18:47 via kxan.com
  
  NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Bill Cosby thanked his fans and supporters on Friday as a jury deliberated sexual assault charges that could send him to prison for the rest of his life, tweeting shortly after the panel asked to review his testimony about giving drugs to women with whom he wanted to have sex.
  It was the first Twitter message from Cosby in more than a week and came as jurors spent a fifth day in talks, trying to break an impasse that has raised the possibility his trial will end with
  
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• At impasse, Bill Cosby jury tests patience of judge, defense

  16-06-2017 18:47 via kxan.com
  
  NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) — The jury in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault case tested the patience of defense lawyers and even the judge on the fifth day of deliberations Friday as it repeatedly asked to run through testimony from the TV star, his accuser and others, struggling to break a deadlock that threatens to end the trial without a verdict.
  With deliberations running about as long as the testimony of all the witnesses combined, the 79-year-old TV star’s lawyer complained that juror
  
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• Fasten celebrates 1 year in Austin with big party

  16-06-2017 18:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — With Uber and Lyft poaching away ride-hailing customers in Austin, local app Fasten is making sure its customers stay with them by having a big party for its first anniversary.
  Fasten is celebrating its first full year in business and its 3-millionth ride by throwing a free, all-day event called FastenFest on Saturday, June 17. The festival will have free drinks, food, bands and games.
  Earlier this month, Fare closed up shop due to loss of business. Just this week, RideAust
  
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• Man accused of trying to fly out of Austin airport with loaded gun

  16-06-2017 18:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man who was traveling out of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Wednesday was arrested after authorities say they found a loaded gun in his carry-on backpack.
  According to an arrest affidavit, 29-year-old Jeffery McAfee of Hallettsville, was going through a security checkpoint when a Transportation Security Administration agent saw on an X-ray what appeared to be a firearm in his backpack. When officers arrived and questioned McAfee, he said he owned a gun but he d
  
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• Round Rock installing 75 bus stops for new Cap Metro service

  16-06-2017 17:26 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — As Austin’s suburbs continue to grow, public transportation is also making its way to those areas.
  Construction crews in Round Rock are currently installing 75 bus stops throughout the city, as the city welcomes Capital Metro bus service slated to start on Aug. 21. The service will be provided by Capital Metro through a contract with the city.
  “It’s great to see tangible progress being made to provide our residents expanded transit services in t
  
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• Low-cost heartworm treatment now offered by Emancipet

  16-06-2017 17:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Treating a dog that has heartworms can be cost prohibitive for some dog owners, with the average treatment price running around $1,000.
  In an effort to cut the cost, Emancipet Central Austin is offering heartworm treatment at a lower cost so more owners can get their pets healthy. Emancipet says their prices range from $224-$594 depending on the size of the dog.
  The non-profit treats heartworm disease by treating dogs with three injections of a drug called Immiticide. The t
  
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• Uncertainty over Islamic State leader’s fate after airstrike

  16-06-2017 16:12 via kxan.com
  
  BEIRUT (AP) — Uncertainty and confusion surrounded the fate of the head of the Islamic State group Friday as Russia announced it may have killed him in an airstrike targeting a meeting of IS leaders just outside the group’s self-declared capital in Syria, but U.S. officials said there was no definitive proof of his death.
  The demise of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi would be a severe blow to the extremist group as it fights to hang on to its strongholds in Syria and Iraq, although it was not c
  
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• Russia verifying whether it killed IS leader in airstrike

  16-06-2017 16:12 via kxan.com
  
  BEIRUT (AP) — Russia said Friday it was verifying whether it had killed the leader of the Islamic State group in an airstrike targeting a meeting of IS leaders just outside the group’s de facto capital in Syria, dealing a potentially severe blow to the extremist group as it fights to hang on to its strongholds in Syria and Iraq.
  The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a Russian strike in late May along with other senior group commanders, adding th
  
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• Amazon buys Austin-based Whole Foods

  16-06-2017 15:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — One of Austin’s most prominent home-grown businesses is being bought out by Amazon. On Friday, Amazon announced they were acquiring Whole Foods Market for $42 per share in an all-cash purchase of approximately $13.7 billion.
  “Millions of people love Whole Foods Market because they offer the best natural and organic foods, and they make it fun to eat healthy,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO in a statement. “Whole Foods Market has been satisfy
  
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• SWAT uses gas to get Round Rock barricaded man out of home

  16-06-2017 15:19 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — A shots fired call had Round Rock police responding to a barricaded subject Friday morning.
  Authorities said the call began around 3:55 a.m. in the 1900 block Texoma Drive. Around 8:15 a.m. SWAT fired gas canisters into the home, making Mark Harley Ferguson, 41, exit the home, where he was taken into custody without incident.
  Authorities said Ferguson did fire a gun during the incident. He has been charged with Aggravated Assault with Deadly Weapon.
  No one else w
  
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• Sailor presumed overboard from US warship found aboard 7 days later

  16-06-2017 14:56 via kxan.com
  
  TOKYO (AP) — An American sailor whose disappearance at sea last week prompted a search by American and Japanese ships of thousands of square miles (square kilometers) of ocean was found alive onboard his ship on Thursday, the U.S. Navy said.
  The U.S. 7th Fleet said the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Peter Mims of Interlachen, Florida, were being investigated. It said Mims would be transferred to another ship for a medical evaluation and recommendations for follow-on care.
  I
  
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• PHOTOS: Fans from Fans!

  16-06-2017 14:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — KXAN is proud to partner with Family Eldercare for the 27th annual Summer Fan Drive, benefiting local residents who cannot afford — or do not have — air conditioning.
  We encourage you to come join KXAN at Fans from Fans, taking place from 7 a.m.-1 p.m. at Threadgill’s at 301 W. Riverside Dr., then from 4-7 p.m. at Hanover’s 2.0 in Round Rock at 16912 N. Interstate 35. You can donate online anytime here.
  Here’s just some of the sights to be seen
  
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• PHOTOS: Fan Fare Friday

  16-06-2017 14:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — KXAN is proud to partner with Family Eldercare for the 27th annual Summer Fan Drive, benefiting local residents who cannot afford — or do not have — air conditioning.
  We encourage you to come join KXAN at Fans from Fans, taking place from 7 a.m.-1 p.m. at Threadgill’s at 301 W. Riverside Dr., then from 4-7 p.m. at Hanover’s 2.0 in Round Rock at 16912 N. Interstate 35. You can donate online anytime here.
  Here’s just some of the sights to be seen
  
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• Woman claims she was told by salon she’s “too big” for pedicure

  16-06-2017 14:24 via kxan.com
  
  DENVER, North Carolina (NBC News) — A North Carolina woman says a nail salon turned her away because of her weight.
  Tiffany Nelson says she’s been going to QC Nails in Denver. for more than a year, but was recently told they can no longer provide manicures or pedicures because she’s too heavy for their spa chairs.
  Nelson says she was told “Our chairs will break, you’re too big of a girl to sit in our chairs.”
  “That’s not okay,” Nelson sa
  
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• Musicians rally behind popular Wimberley cafe destroyed by fire

  16-06-2017 13:24 via kxan.com
  
  WIMBERLEY, Texas (KXAN) — It’s been more than two weeks since a devastating overnight fire that destroyed one of Wimberley’s most popular businesses.
  That morning, owners Randy and Trish Uselton watched as their business burned, the flames and smoke covering their town. Cypress Creek Cafe was more than just their livelihood, it was a bedrock to the community.
  “‘CCC’ means an incredible amount of importance to me and to so many others in this community,”
  
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• 6 displaced after north Austin house fire

  16-06-2017 12:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A smoke alarm is being credited with saving the lives of six people, including a one-year-old child, who were home when their duplex burned early Monday morning.
  Austin firefighters responded around 1 a.m. to the 1000 block of Bird Creek Drive after reports of smoke pouring out from one side of the home. When crews arrived they found heavy fire that they had contained within about 10 minutes.
  No injuries were reported and investigators are working to determine the cause.
  Th
  
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• 80-year-old volunteer keeps Summer Fan Drive in motion

  16-06-2017 11:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — KXAN is proud to partner with Family Eldercare for the 27th annual Summer Fan Drive, benefiting local residents who cannot afford — or do not have — air conditioning.
  More than 85,000 fans have been distributed to those in need through this event’s history. The success of the drive depends on the generosity of Central Texans, but also on a team of volunteers.
  Dorothy Goodwin is one of them, an 80-year-old woman who has become well-known around Austin fire
  
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• Daytime curfew for minors eliminated, as 27-year nighttime curfew continues

  16-06-2017 06:04 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin City Council voted to extend a 27-year-old curfew for juveniles until October 1. The move eliminates the current daytime curfew for minors when school is in session.
  As for the nightly curfew from 11 p.m. until 6 in the morning, juveniles will now get two warnings before receiving a citation. State law requires city leaders to decide whether to readopt the curfew every three years.
  KXAN met with some of the dozens of people who came out to speak against the ordinance
  
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• Say goodbye to free downtown Austin parking on Wednesday nights

  16-06-2017 05:38 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Enjoy it while you can. Free parking on Wednesday nights in downtown Austin is about to be a thing of the past.
  Thursday, the Austin City Council voted to extend the metered time until midnight to match the paid parking times on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Now, drivers will have to pay to park from 8 a.m. to midnight on Wednesdays. Parking will remain free all day on Sundays, and after 6  p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays.
  “I actually think it’s a goo
  
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• ‘Bigfoot crossing’ signs go up in Round Rock

  16-06-2017 04:56 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — Possibly jumping on the “Harry and the Hendersons” craze that swept the nation in the late ’80s, the Round Rock Parks and Recreation Department is enlisting the help of its citizens in tracking the movements of the creature known as sasquatch, yeti, the abominable snowman and bigfoot.
  The department is getting creative, complete with actual “bigfoot crossing” signs and social media posts encouraging neighbors to tag them on Facebook,
  
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• VIDEO: Burglar breaks into Central Austin hair salon, steals safe

  16-06-2017 04:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Surveillance video from a Central Austin hair salon shows just how quickly a burglar can break in and get out of a business with — in this case — a safe.
  It happened around 4 a.m. Thursday at the Urban Betty hair salon at 1206 W. 38th St., across the street from Seton Medical Center Austin.
  The video shows the suspect throwing something at the glass door, before eventually kicking and pushing the glass through the door frame and climbing through. In less than 10
  
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• VIDEO: Driver fights with homeless man in Austin traffic

  16-06-2017 04:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A fight between a homeless man offering to wash car windows and a driver escalated Thursday when the driver shoved the homeless man into a lane of traffic.
  The video, taken by Kristi Hammonds at around 4:30 p.m. at US 183 and Interstate 35, starts when the driver is already out his car.
  While you can’t hear what the two men were saying, at one point the driver appears to be walking back to his car before charging at the homeless man, and then seemingly throwing him in
  
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• APD aims to diversify ranks to become more like the city it serves

  16-06-2017 03:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the Austin Police Department prepares to graduate its 136th cadet class next week, the agency continues to work toward diversifying its ranks.
  Department recruiters are hopeful that by the end of the year, they will have filled the 109 vacancies in APD’s ranks; a cadet class with 70 recruits finishes on June 23, and another class with 101 current cadets that started last month should finish up by December.
  But the demographics in the department, both in race and ge
  
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• Senior keeps cool during summer heat thanks to Fan Drive

  16-06-2017 02:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — You don’t even have to look at the forecast to know it’s heating up outside. But for some folks in Central Texas, the big concern is the heat inside.
  James Walsh knows Texas summers all too well.
  “Oh gosh, it gets really, really hot,” Walsh said. “Steamy.”
  Walsh is on a fixed income, living in subsidized housing and relies on an oxygen tank.
  “The heat takes a toll on my body. When it gets really hot, it seems like the oxygen doesn&r
  
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• Gov. Abbott uses veto to block 50 mostly low-profile bills

  16-06-2017 02:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Gov. Greg Abbott has vetoed 50 mostly low-profile bills approved by the Legislature, nixing everything from mandating training on sexual abuse prevention for public school students to allowing small counties to accept some mail-in election ballots.
  Announced Thursday, the vetoes’ impacts weren’t far-reaching.
  Many dealt with obscure or local issues.
  One surprise was Abbott blocking a Republican-backed proposal that youngsters be instructed on how to avoid s
  
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• Drivers repeatedly plowing through San Marcos subdivision fences

  16-06-2017 02:10 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — Cars repeatedly crashing through fences in San Marcos has one neighborhood calling for action, after speeding drivers have destroyed all that’s left to protect several homes.
  Jerreaca Perez Saucedo says the latest crash happened on Tuesday. “See these bricks? They came so fast that I have holes in my house now,” she said while looking at the damage.
  Those living in the Hills of Hays subdivision on Highway 621/Staples Road are familiar with the c
  
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• City Council calls for audit on skyrocketing Austin FD overtime

  16-06-2017 01:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — City council members approved an audit of the Austin Fire Department’s skyrocketing overtime at a scheduled Thursday meeting.
  “I’m not looking for abuse. That is not the purpose of this audit. I just want to be very clear we’re trying to figure out, to make sure that we as a city have the right solutions for our problem,” said Council Member Allison Alter at the meeting.
  It’s the latest development following a KXAN investigation into city
  
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• Traumatized firefighters search for more London fire victims

  16-06-2017 01:14 via kxan.com
  
  LONDON (AP) — Struggling through the trauma of what they witnessed, London firefighters combed through a devastated apartment tower on Thursday, trying to make sure the sooty, hulking ruin was structurally safe enough to let them keep searching for those still missing.
  At least 17 people were killed in the early morning inferno Wednesday that swept through the 24-story Grenfell Tower, trapping people inside their apartments before firefighters could arrive.On Thursday, British Prime Minist
  
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• Probes launched amid grim search for London fire victims

  16-06-2017 01:14 via kxan.com
  
  LONDON (AP) — London firefighters combed through a burned-out public housing tower Thursday in a grim search for missing people as police and the prime minister launched investigations into the deadly inferno, with pressure building on officials to explain the disaster and assure that similar buildings around the country are safe.
  At least 17 people were killed as flames raced through the 24-story Grenfell Tower early Wednesday, trapping people inside their apartments. Many people remained
  
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• Grapefruit-size hail reported during West Texas storms

  16-06-2017 01:12 via kxan.com
  
  ODESSA, Texas (AP) — Storms packing winds of more than 60 mph and hail as big as grapefruit left behind damage in West Texas but no reported injuries.
  The National Weather Service says the chance for more severe weather continued late Thursday in the Midland and Odessa area, followed by a heat wave this weekend. Meteorologist David Hennig (HEN’-ig) in Midland says temperatures could top 100 degrees Friday and Saturday.
  Hennig says 4-inch hail was recorded Wednesday night near Odessa
  
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• Abbott signs ‘Sandra Bland Act,’ bolstering training for officers

  16-06-2017 00:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Starting Sept. 1, all future law enforcement cadets in Texas will be required to undergo 40 hours of mental health training. This step comes after a KXAN investigation last month revealed a widespread lack of training for officers interacting with people experiencing mental health crises in the field.
  The increase in training is part of a major law enforcement bill, dubbed the Sandra Bland Act, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday. Bland was an African-American woman foun
  
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• Mexican national who attacked ICE agent in Austin gets 18 months in prison

  16-06-2017 00:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Mexican national who pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal deportation officer in Austin four months ago has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. Officials said he was initially facing up to 20 years.
  Hugo Baltazar-Ramirez, 23, was pulled over by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent at around 6:05 a.m. on Feb. 10, near US 183 and Woodland Village Drive in northwest Austin.
  Austin police rushed to the scene after the ICE agent radioed that Balta
  
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• Local healthcare groups urge senators to drop AHCA

  16-06-2017 00:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – More than 20 healthcare and community groups in Central Texas say they are frightened about the future of healthcare. They are closely watching what happens with American Health Care Act, which is now in the hands of the U.S. Senate.
  The details of the Republican-backed bill is still a mystery; and, many Medicaid patients are worried that the bill will slash state funding by millions of dollars.
  That group of 20 health and social agencies wrote a letter to US Senators
  
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