Austin news

• Investigators want access to Greg Kelley’s account info on hookup website

  17-08-2017 23:59 via kxan.com
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — Search warrants filed Thursday by the Texas Rangers are requesting Greg Kelley’s account information from an online hookup website and his iCloud account.
  A third search warrant is for the iCloud account of Johnathan McCarty, recently named as one of the three suspects, along with Kelley and another unnamed man, in the sexual assault of a 4-year-old boy in Cedar Park sometime between April and July 2013.
  An investigator in the search warrant says Kelley, 22
  
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• Velocity Credit Union Wants Your Help to Clear the Shelters

  17-08-2017 22:54 via kxan.com
  Carol Cain and Nico Ramsey of Velocity Credit Union joined us in the studio to share the organization’s history of support for pet-related charities, and the personal journey of Cain’s rescue dog, Bailey from shelter to loving home. To find out more about Velocity’s community efforts, visit velocitycu.com/about/community.
   
   
   
  Sponsored by Velocity Credit Union . Opinions expressed by guests on this program are solely thos
  
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• Richard Overton returns home after week-long hospital stay

  17-08-2017 21:50 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The nation’s oldest veteran and Austin local Richard Overton has returned home after a week-long hospitalization for pneumonia in both lungs.
  Volma Overton, the 111-year-old veteran’s nephew, said his uncle arrived back home Thursday afternoon.
  “Overall he is getting better one day at a time,” Volma said. “Richard is doing much better — just the fact that he is back in his home.”
  America’s oldest veteran gets major home improv
  
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• Texas Water Development Board green lights slate of projects

  17-08-2017 21:39 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The Texas Water Development Board approved more than $12 million in financial assistance for projects related to water infrastructure and wastewater treatment.
  The board funded $9.5 million for a new wastewater treatment plant in Bexar County. The money will be tapped from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and will benefit the San Antonio River Authority.
  TWDB also granted $4.5 million to Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 for costs related to an incoming dra
  
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• Georgetown’s fixed-bus routes launch Monday

  17-08-2017 21:18 via kxan.com
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — Starting Monday, Georgetown residents will have four new bus routes to choose from to take them around town.
  The service called GoGeo will serve Lone Star Circle of Care, Wolf Ranch, the Rivery, City Lights Theatres, Southwestern University, the Georgetown Recreation Center, apartment complexes and other locations. The fixed-route and paratransit bus service (for people with disabilities) runs 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on
  
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• PHOTOS: Aftermath of terrorist attack in Barcelona

  17-08-2017 20:28 via kxan.com
  BARCELONA (AP) — Up to 13 people died and as many as 50 were injured when a van jumped onto a sidewalk at Las Ramblas and hit pedestrians. Authorities are considering it a terrorist attack. Terrorist attack in Barcelona An injured person is carried in Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017, after a white van jumped the sidewalk in the historic Las Ramblas district, crashing into a summer crowd of residents and tourists and injuring several people, police said. (AP Photo/Oriol Duran)Poli
  
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• Texas police chiefs start adapting to ‘sanctuary cities’ law

  17-08-2017 19:38 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (AP) — Even as a new Texas law targeting so-called sanctuary cities remains in legal limbo, police chiefs and sheriffs are making changes to comply with it.
  They’re rewriting training manuals and withdrawing policies that prevented officers from asking people whether they’re in the United States illegally.
  The law known as Senate Bill 4 goes into effect Sept. 1 unless a federal judge in San Antonio blocks it. The law prohibits police Senate Bill 4, goes into effect Sept
  
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• Private property tree removal fees restricted in new law

  17-08-2017 19:26 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN/AP) —  Property owners now have added protections when it comes to removing trees in Texas.
  Gov. Greg Abbott signed HB 7 Wednesday, which creates limits on local tree ordinances. The goal is to restrict “overagressive” tree removal fees, and directs municipalities to offer private property owners tree planting credits to offset those removal fees.
  “Texas families that work hard for the dream of one day owning their own property should be able to do what
  
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• How I won a chance to see the Great American Eclipse from the air

  17-08-2017 19:20 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — It was the last call I expected — an offer to watch the Great American Eclipse from the air.
  I was sitting in a car dealership, of all places — waiting for the workers to finish the infamous Texas Vehicle Inspection on my car that had spent only a month on Texas soil.
  I didn’t recognize the number, but the voice on the other end was endlessly cheery. My mind was in a daze as I heard the words “Great American Eclipse,” “charter flight,&rdq
  
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• Prostitution sting nets 7 arrests in north Austin

  17-08-2017 18:45 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An undercover prostitution sting conducted by the Austin Police Department netted seven arrests this week. According to arrest affidavits, police focused their efforts in the area of Powell Lane near Interstate 35 in north Austin.
  Police had an undercover officer posing as a possible prostitute to catch the Johns on Tuesday, Aug. 15 between the hours of 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. All of the men arrested drove up to the undercover officer and made a deal to exchange money for a sexu
  
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• WATCH LIVE: Van jumps sidewalk, hits people on Barcelona sidewalk

  17-08-2017 17:41 via kxan.com
  BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Police in Barcelona say a white van has mounted a sidewalk, struck several people in the city’s Las Ramblas district.
  
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• More than a dozen reported dead in suspected terror attack in Barcelona

  17-08-2017 17:41 via kxan.com
  BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Police in Spain have confirmed there are fatalities after a van slammed into pedestrians in Barcelona’s historic Las Ramblas  Local media report up to 13 people dead.
  Catalan police tweeted that “there are mortal victims and injured from the crash” without specifying numbers. The Barcelona-based La Vanguardia newspaper is reporting at least one dead and 20 injured.
  Spain’s El Pais newspaper says that Barcelona police are treating the van
  
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• 13 dead, 100 injured in Barcelona van attack claimed by ISIS

  17-08-2017 17:41 via kxan.com
  BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the van attack in Barcelona that officials say killed 13 people and injured 100 others.
  A senior police official in Spain’s Catalonia region says the van attack is “connected” to an explosion the night before in a town south of the city in which one person died and injured several more.
  Police Major Josep Lluis Trapero also gave the nationalities of the two suspects detained Thursday. He said d
  
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• 12 dead, dozens injured in Barcelona van attack

  17-08-2017 17:41 via kxan.com
  BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Police in Spain have confirmed there are 12 fatalities and 80 people are injured after a van slammed into pedestrians in Barcelona’s historic Las Ramblas
  Regional police now are evacuating stores and bars in the Las Ramblas district.
  The move came right after police announced they had arrested one suspect and were “treating him as a terrorist.”
  In a photograph shown by public broadcaster RTVE, three people were lying on the ground in the street of
  
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• Brother of slain Tejano star Selena jailed for child support

  17-08-2017 17:34 via kxan.com
  CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) — The brother of slain Tejano superstar Selena has been jailed for not staying current on his child support payments.
  A.B. Quintanilla was taken into custody Wednesday during a court appearance in Corpus Christi, Texas.
  Quintanilla had failed to appear at a scheduled hearing earlier this month. His attorney said Quintanilla was at his Florida home that day and hadn’t been informed of the court date.
  Quintanilla is accused of owing $87,000 in back child supp
  
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• Food finalists announced for state fair’s Big Tex Choice Awards

  17-08-2017 16:47 via kxan.com
  DALLAS (NBC News) — The State Fair of Texas announced its 10 food finalists for the 13th annual Big Tex Choice Awards.
  Among the finalists is creator of the “Fat smooth” — three deep fried cream puffs drizzled with sugar, chocolate and caramel.
  The other finalists’ creations include food items such as deep fried sheet cake and bacon cheeseburgers sandwiched between two funnel cakes.
  And just when you thought you had seen it all — one creation includes fried ch
  
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• $88.5M bond for Bastrop ISD improvements now up to voters

  17-08-2017 16:45 via kxan.com
  BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) — Renovations at schools and facilities in Bastrop Independent School District and expansions for a growing school district are some of what’s on the line for voters to consider in the November election.
  The Bastrop ISD Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to put a $88.5 million bond on the ballot. If the bond passes, homeowners should expect to pay an extra $2.02 per month for an average taxable-value home of $143,079.
  “Bastrop ISD is a fast growth district, w
  
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• Zebra mussels found in Lake Austin

  17-08-2017 16:06 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An invasive species has made its way into Lake Austin, making it the third Central Texas reservoir to have zebra mussels found in the area this year.
  Last week biologists tested the water and found a zebra mussel larva in a sample near the Tom Miller Dam. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Inland Fisheries and City of Austin staff also found half-inch long adult mussels on a barge and floatation devices near the Walsh Boat Landing on Aug. 9.
  Two months ago biologists disco
  
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• City council takes up housing discrimination suit, budget hearing

  17-08-2017 15:33 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Here’s a quick rundown of the items topping Austin’s city council agenda Thursday:
  New special events and high capacity event venues rulesCouncil will consider approving the second and third reading of an ordinance related to right-of-way closures, requirements for temporary food establishments during special events, street closures and penalties.
  MORE: Increased illegal parking fines during Austin festivals proposed
  Aquatic Master Plan It’s back to t
  
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• VIDEO: Bodycam captures speedy K9 pursuit in Florida

  17-08-2017 14:44 via kxan.com
  PASCO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – A K9 with a Florida sheriff’s office is being hailed a hero after his speedy pursuit was caught on a deputy’s body camera.
  Dramatic video shows K9 Shep and his handler, Deputy Nick Carmack in their patrol car, chasing down a suspect who fled a traffic stop near the Shady Hills area Tuesday.  WARNING, the video contains graphic language.
  “They just struck a vehicle, we’re about to bail,” the deputy says on a radio call before he
  
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• Blast from the past: Inside a Cold War-era fallout shelter in Austin

  17-08-2017 14:12 via kxan.com
  WEST LAKE HILLS, Texas (KXAN) — Underneath West Lake Hills is a relic from a distant era.
  As students head back to school, we found a real-life lesson in history. A fallout shelter built more than 6 decades ago rests in the backyard of Jason Hunter’s home.
  Austin has changed a lot since the 1960s, but the shelter preserves a rare, authentic view of the past. Everything in the bomb shelter has been in place since the 1960s. There are supplies: food — all of it expired; beds
  
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• $70.3M high school football stadium in Katy most expensive in U.S.

  17-08-2017 13:59 via kxan.com
  KATY, Texas (NBC News) — The most expensive high school football station in the nation will be unveiled Thursday night.
  The Katy, Texas, stadium cost $70.3 million dollars to build. Voters originally approved construction in 2014 when the estimated price tag was $58 million.
  District officials say more than 77,000 students from eight high schools will benefit from the stadium.
  The facility is called Legacy stadium, while the field is named after Mike Johnston, who led the Katy Tigers to th
  
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• Education activist Malala Yousafzai to study at Oxford

  17-08-2017 13:06 via kxan.com
  LONDON (AP) — Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai has gained a place at the University of Oxford.
  The 20-year-old education activist tweeted her acceptance to the school, saying she was “so excited” to win a spot to study philosophy, politics and economics.So excited to go to Oxford!! Well done to all A-level students – the hardest year. Best wishes for life ahead! pic.twitter.com/miIwK6fNSf
  — Malala (@Malala) August 17, 2017
  Yousafzai won international renown in 2012 a
  
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• Austin utility bills, property tax proposed to go up

  17-08-2017 12:38 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin residents could see their bills go up. Under the city’s proposed fiscal year 2017-2018 budget, Austin Energy, Austin Resource Recovery and property taxes are proposed to go up. Thursday, city council will hold the first of two public hearings to get feedback.
  Austin Resource Recovery, which is the trash and recycling bill, is proposing to raise its rate by $0.85. Austin Water is not proposing a rate increase, but Austin Energy wants to increase its rate by 3.6
  
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• Amid student concerns, Austin to launch West Campus safety study

  17-08-2017 06:25 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The city of Austin is continuing with plans to make the West Campus neighborhood safer, their next step is launching a six month study in the neighborhood. The city issued a memo Tuesday as requested by a council resolution in May: providing details on the study which will focus on pedestrian safety in that area.
  Austin Transportation Department, Austin Energy and Austin police will all be involved in the study, they plan to look at things like crash analysis, crime and loc
  
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• Two men killed in east Travis County crash

  17-08-2017 04:11 via kxan.com
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Two men have been killed in a crash on Farm to Market 969/Webberville Road in east Travis County, according to Austin-Travis County EMS.
  Medics were called to the 18000 block of the road, just east of Taylor Lane, at 8:39 p.m.
  The road is closed in both directions at the crash site. One victim is in his 60s and the other is 35 years old. The Department of Public Safety says a Toyota was heading westbound on the wrong side of the road when it struck a Ford vehi
  
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• Austin program saving cats with leukemia that are euthanized elsewhere

  17-08-2017 03:17 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A special program in Austin is saving hundreds of potential pets that would be euthanized anywhere else. The Austin Pets Alive! FeLV Adoption Center keeps cats diagnosed with Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) alive and helps place them in caring homes.
  Generally when cats are diagnosed with the virus, they’re euthanized. The Austin Pets Alive! program is setting a precedent for other rescue groups and is saving cats that test positive across the country.
  “One of
  
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• Austin program saving cats with leukemia euthanized elsewhere

  17-08-2017 03:17 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A special program in Austin is saving hundreds of potential pets that would be euthanized anywhere else. The Austin Pets Alive! FeLV Adoption Center keeps cats diagnosed with Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) alive and helps place them in caring homes.
  Generally when cats are diagnosed with the virus, they’re euthanized. The Austin Pets Alive! program is setting a precedent for other rescue groups and is saving cats that test positive across the country.
  “One of
  
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• Mayor calls for monuments to come down in former capital of the Confederacy

  17-08-2017 02:47 via kxan.com
  RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — In the wake of a deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Richmond’s mayor said Wednesday that Virginia’s capital city should consider removing or relocating its prominent Confederate statues.
  Mayor Levar Stoney’s announcement Wednesday is a reversal from a position he took earlier this year, when he said he thought the monuments should stay in the former capital of the Confederacy but have context added about what they represent and why the
  
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• Driver of Texas trailer indicted for 10 passengers’ deaths

  17-08-2017 02:22 via kxan.com
  SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A federal grand jury has indicted the driver of a tractor-trailer crammed with people illegally entering the United States in an alleged human smuggling operation that led to the deaths of 10 people.
  James Matthew Bradley Jr. was charged Wednesday with five separate counts, including conspiracy to transport immigrants for financial gain resulting in death.
  Some Texas tractor-trailer survivors held in same lockup as driver 
  At least 39 people were inside the trailer
  
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• Gov. Abbott cites roadblocks, lack of will for items that didn’t pass

  17-08-2017 02:09 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — When Gov. Greg Abbott called lawmakers back for a special session this summer, he tasked them with a 20-item agenda. However, when the Texas legislature adjourned Tuesday night — one day before the official last day of the session — only a handful of items ended up making it to the governor’s desk.
  KXAN’s Phil Prazan spoke with Abbott about what was accomplished this session:
  KXAN: Can you make the case that Texas is a better state than it was 3
  
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• ‘Free cruise’ spam call could now get you $900

  17-08-2017 01:23 via kxan.com
  TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — If you’ve received a spam call about a free cruise before, you could be owed a lot of money. All you have to do is check your phone number!
  That annoying robocall could now get you up to $900 thanks to a class action lawsuit.
  Anyone who received a call between July 2009 and March 2014 could be eligible.
  The lawsuit claims a third-party travel agency made pre-recorded robocalls offering free cruises with Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line.
  Th
  
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• Rep. Joaquin Castro blames special session woes on ‘ugly internal fight’

  17-08-2017 01:21 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro, D-Texas (20th District), weighed in on the special legislative session and tied it to the president’s approach to governing.
  “This was a Trump inspired legislative session and special legislative session,” Castro said in a Wednesday press conference. “The governor tried to bully local governments, cities, counties, women, Hispanics, African Americans– he even tried to bully his own legislators.”
  &l
  
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• APD seeks help identifying suspect in two east Austin robberies

  17-08-2017 01:02 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Police are asking for the public’s help to solve two early-evening robberies in Austin.
  Both happened east of Interstate 35 in the last few days and the Austin Police Department believes they’re both the work of the same man. Detectives hope private security camera footage or a tip from the public will help identify the suspect.
  Fred Loya Insurance, a small storefront in a strip mall on Riverside Drive, was the first business police say the man stole money from.
  
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• Woman accused of stealing $25K from Texas Girl Scouts

  17-08-2017 00:54 via kxan.com
  ODESSA, Texas (KMID) — The Odessa Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating a suspect accused of taking thousands of dollars from the Girl Scouts of the Desert Southwest.
  Officials say they are currently searching for Heather Renee Haskins, who is wanted on a theft of property charge.
  Police say she is wanted in connection with more than $25,000 taken from the organization.
  Haskins is described as 5-foot-6 and about 185 pounds.
  We first learned of the reported the
  
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• Special bassinet gives parents of stillborn babies more time to grieve

  17-08-2017 00:34 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The time to say goodbye is short for parents of stillborn babies. A device called a “Cuddle Cot” at St. David’s Medical Center is giving families longer moments together.
  Experts say that time is crucial for healing. In April of last year, Sara and Don Hogan received news they never wanted to hear.
  Nearly five months into Sara’s pregnancy their baby’s heart stopped beating. Doctors were forced to deliver the baby. “I think I asked the que
  
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• Shops, restaurants part of planned entertainment district for Hutto

  17-08-2017 00:15 via kxan.com
  HUTTO, Texas (KXAN) — Driving along US 79 in Hutto, silos tower over a field that used to be home to a cotton gin — a reminder of a once-small town.
  But those silos near Exchange Boulevard will soon have company.
  The city of Hutto is creating what’s called the Co-Op district, to possibly include shopping, restaurants, a movie theater, even housing and businesses on the 30 acres of land.
  “My kids are growing so they want more atmosphere, we want more choices of what to eat
  
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