Austin news

• Lightning strike ignites attic fire in NW Austin

  23-07-2017 22:47 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As scattered storms rolled through parts of Central Texas, Austin fire crews attacked a house fire in Northwest Austin Sunday afternoon, said the Austin Fire Department.
  It happened just after 3:30 p.m. in the 8900 block of Black Oak Street, near Anderson Mill Road and Parmer Lane.
  AFD said a lightning strike started the fire in the attic.  Crews had the fire knocked down in less than 20 minutes.
  KXAN has a crew at the scene and will update this story as more informati
  
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• The Latest: DHS takes over deadly immigrant smuggling case

  23-07-2017 22:12 via kxan.com
  SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The Latest on several people found dead in the back of a tractor-trailer in a Walmart parking lot in Texas (all times local):
  1:10 p.m.
  Authorities say 30 people have been taken to the hospital after they were found in the back of a sweltering tractor-trailer with in the parking lot of a San Antonio Walmart. Eight others died in what police are calling “a human trafficking crime.”
  Twenty are said to be in extremely critical or serious condition, many sufferin
  
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• Jordan’s wild journey: Spieth wins British Open

  23-07-2017 21:22 via kxan.com
  SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Jordan Spieth is the British Open champion, just like expected. Not like anyone could have imagined.On the verge of another meltdown in a major, so wild off the tee that he played one shot from the driving range at Royal Birkdale and lost the lead for the first time all weekend, Spieth bounced back with a collection of clutch shots, delivering a rally that ranks among the best.
  A near ace. A 50-foot eagle putt . A 30-foot birdie putt.
  Spieth played
  
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• Affordable housing activists protest Trump’s housing budget cuts during “Week of Action”

  23-07-2017 20:15 via kxan.com
  Austin (KXAN)– Several groups are joining forces at Austin city hall to launch a week of action. The “Austin Homes Austin voices Rally” is demanding more investment in Federal housing programs.
  In Austin, the week began with a rally outside Austin City Hall Saturday. and continue with other events, including teach-ins, letter writing and call-ins.The group, made up of several organizations including Habitat for Humanity, Austin Housing Coalition and ADAPT of Texas, is calling o
  
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• Firefighters battle Burnet grass fire, shed fire

  23-07-2017 18:40 via kxan.com
  Burnet (KXAN)– Firefighters battled a fire that burned two storage sheds in Burnet late Saturday night.
  According to the Burnet Fire Department, the fire started just before 11 p.m. in the Hoovers Valley area west of Burnet. Hoover Valley Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene along with Burnet County Fire Department, East Buhanan and Cassie Volunteer Fire Departments.
  While there was also a grass fire near the area at Hoover Valley Road near Park Road 4 around the same time, the
  
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• State of Texas: Abbott’s Special Session

  23-07-2017 15:00 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas lawmakers have returned to Austin for the special session, taking up many of the same bills that failed to pass just months ago.
  There are 20 items on Gov. Greg Abbott’s special session call. Many of them hot button, and controversial. The head of the Senate – Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick — says he wants to pass all of them. Speaker of the House, Joe Straus, does not.
  That’s why the house is moving slower on the first one — sunset legislation. La
  
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• 8 people found dead inside tractor-trailer in San Antonio

  23-07-2017 11:49 via kxan.com
  SAN ANTONIO (KXAN) — Eight people are dead and 28 others are recovering after police found them in the back of a tractor-trailer parked at a Walmart in San Antonio.
  San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said a Walmart employee called for help when someone from inside the truck approached him asking for a cup of water. Officers responded to the Walmart parking lot at 8353 Interstate Highway 35 South at 12:30 a.m. Sunday and discovered a total of 38 people inside the truck. Officials
  
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• 8 people found dead inside tractor-trailer, dozens taken to hospitals

  23-07-2017 11:49 via kxan.com
  SAN ANTONIO (KXAN) — Eight people are dead and 28 others are recovering after police found them in the back of a tractor-trailer parked at a Walmart in San Antonio.
  San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said a Walmart employee called for help when someone from inside the truck approached him asking for a cup of water. Officers responded to the Walmart parking lot at 8353 Interstate Highway 35 South at 12:30 a.m. Sunday and discovered a total of 38 people inside the truck. Officials
  
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• Special Session: Senate committees stack full weekend of hearings

  23-07-2017 06:06 via kxan.com
  State senators heard nearly 20 hours of combined testimony between three different committee hearings on Saturday.
  Texans had the opportunity to testify about several different items on the Governor’s call during the special session. Senators are spending the weekend pushing legislature through committees in order to allow the full Senate to hear them.
  The Senate Committee on Business and Commerce discussed Senate Bills 8, 12, 13, 14 and 15. The topics of health insurance coverage for elec
  
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• Fire destroys abandoned building in southeast Austin

  23-07-2017 05:41 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Firefighters battled a two-alarm blaze at an abandoned building Saturday evening in southeast Austin, said the Austin Fire Department.
  Fire crews responded to the fire at about 7:38 p.m. in the 1600 block of South Pleasant Valley Road north of East Riverside Drive.
  AFD said that the firefight was defensive and that they had it knocked down in less than an hour, just before 8:30 p.m.
  There were no injuries, and the cause of the fire and the cost of the damage remains under i
  
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• Group wants to boost cornea transplants, eye donors in Central Texas

  23-07-2017 03:57 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — For many patients, the gift of sight begins with a much-needed transplant. That is why one Lions Club branch is pushing for more eye donations across Central Texas.
  10-year-old Carmel Navarro was born with a large cataract in her right eye. It led to blurred vision and painful mornings.
  “I always felt like something was in my eye,” said the 5th grader.
  So three years ago, doctors decided on a cornea transplant. But, Carmel’s body rejected the first and sec
  
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• Spieth 1 round away from 3rd leg of Grand Slam

  23-07-2017 02:28 via kxan.com
  SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Jordan Spieth is one round away from the third leg of the career Grand Slam, and one year removed from a reminder that it won’t be easy.On the horizon is a chance to join Jack Nicklaus as the only players to win three different majors at age 23. In the past was his last time leading a major, when he let a five-shot lead get away from him on the back nine a year ago at Augusta National.
  All that mattered to him was the present.
  Spieth did his part on an
  
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• Plane crashes into Lake Travis; all 3 on board safe

  23-07-2017 01:15 via kxan.com
  LAKE TRAVIS, Texas (KXAN) – Three people were rescued by deputies with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office Lake Patrol when the plane they were in crashed into Lake Travis near Starnes Island Saturday evening, said Travis County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Kristen Dark.
  It happened at about 5:34 p.m. near the island located just southwest of Volente Beach, said Austin-Travis County EMS.
  The TCSO Lake Patrol arrived quickly to the scene and safely removed all three passengers f
  
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