Austin news

• VIDEO: Time-lapse shows Houston garage fill with water

  30-08-2017 23:43 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (NBC News) — Incredible time-lapse video shows a garage in Houston filling up with water.
  The garage was breached this past Sunday at 2 a.m. Just 10 hours later it crested.
  At the start of the video, homeowner Dani Roisman is seen preparing the garage by moving boxes on tables. However, water quickly filled the garage, causing the SUV to float.
  TIME-LAPSE: Hurricane Harvey’s destructive path through Texas
  The lights were left on, allowing us to get a view of the rising w
  
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• Tips to avoid scams as you donate to disaster relief

  30-08-2017 22:49 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — With more than 32,000 people forced into shelters following Hurricane Harvey, thousands of people around Texas and the nation want to help. While this is the perfect time to donate, it’s also the perfect time for scammers to take advantage of generosity.
  There are two considerations for people who want to help, according to Better Business Bureau Chief Marketing Officer Erin Dufner. The first is to decide what kind of giving to participate in — whether to donate
  
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• Bodies of six Houston family members found in van

  30-08-2017 22:43 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (AP) — Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez says the bodies of six members of a Houston family have been recovered from a van that was swept off a Houston bridge and into a storm-ravaged bayou.
  Gonzales says relatives returned to the scene Wednesday to look for signs of the van and notified authorities after spotting part of it poking above the water and seeing two bodies in the front seat.
  The van was recovered from about 10 feet of muddy water in Green’s Bayou in northeast Hou
  
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• Bun B, Scooter Braun planning Houston benefit for Sept. 12

  30-08-2017 22:25 via kxan.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — Houston rapper Bun B and music manager Scooter Braun are planning a benefit concert to help those affected by Tropical Storm Harvey.
  A representative for Bun B told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the rapper is working with Braun, who manages Justin Bieber and produced Ariana Grande’s massive benefit show in June in Manchester, England.
  The rep said Braun “is actively working on gathering talent and organizing logistics for the event.” The rep added
  
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• Sandra Bullock donates $1 million to Harvey relief effort

  30-08-2017 21:54 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (WATE) — Many celebrities are donating to help Harvey victims in Houston, including actress Sandra Bullock.
  The star, who has a home in Texas, announced Tuesday that she will be donating $1 million to the American Red Cross.
  “There are no politics in eight feet of water,” said Bullock to People magazine. “There are human beings in eight feet of water.”
  Stand Strong Texas: How you can help Hurricane Harvey survivors
  Other celebrities that donated money to the
  
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• Shell, Exxon say some pollution released as storm hits Texas

  30-08-2017 21:19 via kxan.com
  DALLAS (AP) — Pollutants have been released from refineries operated by Exxon, Shell and other companies as torrential rains damaged storage tanks and other industrial facilities on the Texas Coast.
  Shell told state regulators this week that a floating roof over a tank at its oil refinery in Deer Park, Texas, partially sank during the heavy rainfall. The company said 100 pounds of benzene and 100 pounds of toluene were released.
  A similar event happened at Exxon Mobil Corp.’s refiner
  
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• Texas inmate to die next week gets reprieve due to Harvey

  30-08-2017 21:07 via kxan.com
  HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — A 36-year-old condemned Texas inmate scheduled for execution next week has won a temporary reprieve because of Hurricane Harvey.
  Bexar County prosecutors cited “extraordinary circumstances” in asking a state judge to move Juan Castillo’s execution to Dec. 14 because some of his legal team is based in Harris County. Gov. Greg Abbott has designated the county a disaster area along with dozens of other Texas counties hit by the storm.
  State District
  
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• Floodwaters drop across much of Houston; danger not over

  30-08-2017 20:46 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (AP) — Harvey’s floodwaters began to drop across much of the Houston area and the sun peeked through thinning clouds Wednesday in the biggest glimmer of hope in days for the besieged city. But as the crisis eases, the storm could begin to give up its dead.
  “We have good news,” said Jeff Lindner, a meteorologist with the Harris County Flood Control District. “The water levels are going down. And that’s for the first time in several days.”
  The numb
  
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• All evacuees in Austin will be move to mega shelter

  30-08-2017 20:46 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The American Red Cross is making final preparations at the Austin Convention Center before transferring around 2,500 evacuees to the new mega shelter.
  A Capital Metro spokesperson tells KXAN they are ready to assist with the transfer of evacuees from other Austin shelters to the convention center, but they’re not clear of the exact time frame. Currently, more than 560 evacuees are spread out at shelters across the city at the Delco Center, LBJ High School, the To
  
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• All evacuees in Austin being moved to mega shelter

  30-08-2017 20:46 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The American Red Cross is making final preparations at the Austin Convention Center before transferring around 2,500 evacuees to the new mega shelter.
  A Capital Metro spokesperson says buses will begin transferring evacuees from other Austin shelters to the convention center Wednesday evening. Currently, more than 560 evacuees are spread out at shelters across the city at the Delco Center, LBJ High School, the Toney Burger Activity Center and the University of Texas J.
  
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• Posts, tweets spread widely as the Harvey missing are sought

  30-08-2017 20:37 via kxan.com
  Photos with pleas for help in finding the missing from Hurricane Harvey are being posted, cut-and-pasted and retweeted by thousands of people as desperate family members seek loved ones who they fear might be dead, but may only have a dead phone.
  No official number of the unaccounted-for had been released Tuesday night amid the vast uncertainty of the storm’s fourth day, with authorities saying the 18 deaths confirmed so far could surge in the days to come.
  Pictures and pleas for dozens of
  
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• Texans ready to head home to Houston after game canceled

  30-08-2017 20:32 via kxan.com
  ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texans headed home to flood-ravaged Houston after their final preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys was canceled Wednesday.
  “We’ve got several members of our travel party — our coaches, our players, our staff members — whose families have been evacuated,” general manager Rick Smith said. “There is so much devastation in the city and the region and we want to be part of the recovery process.”
  The game scheduled for Th
  
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• Trump sows confusion by rejecting idea of North Korea talks

  30-08-2017 20:28 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — True to form, President Donald Trump sowed policy confusion with a tweet.
  Declaring Wednesday that “talking is not the answer” on North Korea, Trump’s message appeared to clash with efforts by his Cabinet members to safeguard the possibility of a diplomatic solution as Kim Jong Un’s military races toward mastering a nuclear-tipped missile that can reach America.
  The president’s morning tweet came a day after a highly provocative North Korean
  
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• Trump tweets about first-hand visit to Harvey’s ‘horror’

  30-08-2017 20:25 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Just back from Texas, President Donald Trump tweeted on Wednesday that he had witnessed “first hand the horror & devastation” wrought by Harvey. He wrote that after seeing the widespread damage, “my heart goes out even more so to the great people of Texas!”
  But Trump saw little damage during his visit to Corpus Christi — mostly boarded-up windows, downed tree limbs and fences askew. And that was through the tinted windows of his SUV as hi
  
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• Current situation in Texas as Harvey pounds the southeast region

  30-08-2017 19:59 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As Tropical Storm Harvey continues to pound the Texas-Louisiana border, Gov. Greg Abbott says more rescue crews are being deployed to Southeast Texas to deal with the emergency conditions there.
  On Wednesday morning, Abbott conducted a briefing to discuss the ever-changing rescue and recovery efforts happening across the state.
  “At the same time we’re rebuilding around the Coastal Bend region and receding waters in Harris County, we’re now also dealing wit
  
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• Williamson County Sheriff’s Office teams helping in Houston

  30-08-2017 19:25 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (KXAN) — A third boat crew from Williamson County Sheriff’s Office arrived in Houston Wednesday to help with rescue efforts as the city deals with historic flooding from Harvey.
  Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo requested the help from the crews trained in swift water rescue. As of Tuesday, two crews had helped with more than 35 evacuations, according to Williamson County. A third crew drove to Houston to relieve the first one that arrived Sunday. Its members got to work only
  
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• Williamson County deputies rescue Texans from flooded homes in Houston

  30-08-2017 19:25 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (KXAN) — A third boat crew from Williamson County Sheriff’s Office arrived in Houston Wednesday to help with rescue efforts as the city deals with historic flooding from Harvey. Deputies have aided in more than 100 rescues.
  Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo requested the help from the crews trained in swift water rescue. A third crew drove to Houston to relieve the first one that arrived Sunday. Its members got to work only a few hours after unloading their gear Wednesday morn
  
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• Both Houston airports will reopen in limited capacity Wednesday afternoon

  30-08-2017 18:48 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON, Texas (KXAN) — Both of Houston’s airports will reopen at 4 p.m. Wednesday after being shut down for nearly four days.
  In an update Wednesday afternoon, the airports say only limited domestic airline passenger service will resume Wednesday. The plan is to begin a phased return to service, with full service expected by this weekend.
  Travelers should still confirm with their airline to see the status of their flight. Only those with a ticket for a confirmed scheduled flight sho
  
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• Both Houston airports are still closed

  30-08-2017 18:48 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON, Texas (KXAN) — Both of Houston’s airports are still closed as the city continues to deal with major flooding.
  In an update Wednesday morning, the airports say no inbound or outbound flights are occurring at either airport at this time. The George Bush Intercontinental Airport in north Houston said there has been no flooding at the ecopark lots or the terminal parking garages at this time.
  In terms of road conditions to get to the airports, all lanes of JFK are open near
  
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• NFL cancels Texans vs. Cowboys preseason game

  30-08-2017 18:02 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — It seems like the NFL is listening to J.J. Watt. On Wednesday, a reporter for the NFL tweeted that Thursday’s preseason game between the Cowboys and the Texans is canceled.
  The game, which was originally scheduled for Houston, was moved to Arlington. The proceeds from Thursday’s game were slated to go to Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts.
  When Harvey struck, Watt said he didn’t believe the game should be played because of the catastrophic flooding. In resp
  
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• Austin motorcycle cop injured in crash

  30-08-2017 17:35 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin police officer went to the hospital Wednesday morning after his motorcycle collided with an SUV.
  It happened at 9:56 a.m. at the intersection of West Parmer Lane and North Lamar Boulevard in north Austin. According to APD, the officer has what appears to be non-life-threatening injuries.
  The intersection where the crash happened has been deemed one of the most dangerous intersections in Austin. Over the summer, the city made changes to make it safer, including a r
  
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• Houston furniture stores become shelter for evacuees

  30-08-2017 17:10 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON, Texas (KXAN) – Gallery Furniture owner Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale is known for his wacky commercials and promotional stunts. His latest feat? Turning his massive Houston-area furniture stores into shelters for those fleeing flooding.
  More than 600 people were able to curl up on showroom chairs, sofas and beds and get some much needed sleep after two Gallery Furniture locations were opened.
  Check out more on McIngvale’s story in the video above.
  
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• Motiva closes Port Arthur refinery

  30-08-2017 16:55 via kxan.com
  PORT ARTHUR, Texas (AP) — Motiva Enterprises has closed its refinery in Port Arthur, Texas — the biggest in the nation — because of floodwaters that are inundating the area east of Houston near the Louisiana border.
  CNN reports that company officials Wednesday opted to temporarily cease operations as Harvey continues to batter coastal regions. The tropical storm has dropped a record amount of rain on Texas.
  The company had just announced Tuesday that it had cut output to 40 per
  
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• Red Cross gains thousands of Harvey volunteers, urges donations

  30-08-2017 16:37 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — American Red Cross volunteers are working around the clock to help Harvey survivors feel cared for as many are rescued and enter evacuation shelters.
  Some volunteers are going from place to place in Houston using helicopters and Humvees, according to Bristel Minsker with the organization. She said many evacuees from that area were rescued from rooftops or had to wade away from their homes as the water rose.
  “The scene in Houston is devastating, so we are here to provi
  
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• Port Arthur shelter floods as waters rise

  30-08-2017 16:12 via kxan.com
  PORT ARTHUR, Texas (KXAN) — Flood victims in Port Arthur evacuated their homes only to be faced with flooding inside the Bob Bowers Civic Center where they were sheltering.
  The woman who shot this video says she has seen a snake in the water.
  Officials plan to close the center and move the evacuees to another location but so far there is no timetable for when that will happen.
  
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• Shivering toddler found clinging to drowned mom

  30-08-2017 15:53 via kxan.com
  BEAUMONT, Texas (AP) — Authorities found a shivering toddler clinging to the body of her drowned mother in a rain-swollen canal in Southeast Texas after the woman tried to carry her child to safety from Harvey’s floods.
  Capt. Brad Penisson of the fire-rescue department in Beaumont said the woman’s vehicle got stuck Tuesday afternoon in the flooded parking lot of an office park just off Interstate 10. Squalls from Harvey were pounding Beaumont with up to 2 inches (5 centimeters)
  
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• Second day of Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott’s suspension appeal

  30-08-2017 15:47 via kxan.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott’s appeal of his six-game suspension for domestic violence is headed for a second day with no timeline for completion of the hearing.
  The appeal before arbitrator Harold Henderson is held at an undisclosed location. The NFL suspended its 2016 rushing leader after concluding he was physically abusive toward his then-girlfriend in Ohio last summer. Prosecutors declined to pursue the case.
  The league’s letter detailing the suspens
  
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• Cowboy’s RB Ezekiel Elliott appealing NFL over domestic case

  30-08-2017 15:47 via kxan.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott’s appeal of his six-game suspension for domestic violence is headed for a second day with no timeline for completion of the hearing.
  The appeal before arbitrator Harold Henderson is held at an undisclosed location. The NFL suspended its 2016 rushing leader after concluding he was physically abusive toward his then-girlfriend in Ohio last summer. Prosecutors declined to pursue the case.
  The league’s letter detailing the suspens
  
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• Salvation Army serves more than 19,000 meals to Harvey survivors

  30-08-2017 15:05 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Salvation Army has 71 units stationed in areas hard-hit by Harvey, helping serve meals and provide shelters.
  It’s beyond just a nationwide effort, Area Commander Maj. Andrew Kelly told KXAN News.
  “We’ve been told every disaster unit the Salvation Army has across the U.S. and Canada will be coming to help the disaster relief efforts,” Kelly said.
  As of Wednesday, volunteers served more than 19,000 meals to those in need, not including 18,000 snack
  
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• Forecast brings hope as new shelters open, death toll rises

  30-08-2017 14:31 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (AP) — The latest weather forecast delivered hope to Houston after five days of torrential rain submerged the nation’s fourth-largest city: Less than an inch of rain and perhaps even sunshine.
  But the dangers remain far from over Wednesday. With at least 18 dead and 13,000 people rescued in the Houston area and surrounding cities and counties in Southeast Texas, others were still trying to escape from their inundated homes. Weakened levees were in danger of failing and a less
  
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• NFL lineman Louis Vasquez collects Harvey donations

  30-08-2017 14:08 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As relief organizations collect donations and help those whose lives were completely changed by Harvey, smaller efforts are also supporting that same goal. The situation is creating opportunities for more people to help.
  Royce and Louis Vasquez are collecting supplies, including formula, diapers and onesies. People have started dropping off goods at the Vasquezes’ Lakeway home.
  The couple is using Louis’ connection as an NFL lineman and Super Bowl Champion to ra
  
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• Houston police chief blunt and emotional during Harvey

  30-08-2017 13:17 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (AP) — In a matter of hours Tuesday, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo had warned looters to stay away from his city and then choked back tears as he announced the death of one of his veteran officers.
  It’s that empathetic side mixed with a heavy dose of no-nonsense law-and-order that makes Acevedo so endearing to the communities he has policed over his 30-year career in law enforcement.
  The Cuban-born Acevedo, who came to the U.S. with his family in 1968, has been on the job
  
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• What to do if you file a Harvey insurance claim

  30-08-2017 13:00 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Department of Insurance is gearing up to head to the coast and shelters to help those impacted by the flooding file claims through their insurance.
  The first step is to talk to your insurance agent, then go to your property and assess the damage before the insurance company sends someone out, according to Jerry Hagins with the department
  “When the insurance adjuster does come out try to be there to walk them through it to show them the damage to make su
  
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• University fires professor who blamed Harvey on GOP vote

  30-08-2017 06:14 via kxan.com
  TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The University of Tampa has fired a visiting assistant professor who suggested in a tweet that Hurricane Harvey’s destruction is “instant karma” for Texas because it voted Republican.
  Sociology professor Kenneth L. Storey posted the tweet and two responses on Sunday before removing the entire thread and his profile photo.
  University spokesman Eric Cardenas said in a statement Tuesday that Storey was fired after the school weathered an outpouring of onli
  
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• Cedar Park woman helps rescue Harvey victims from afar

  30-08-2017 05:56 via kxan.com
  CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) — Annie Hardy lives in Cedar Park, but she’s not letting that stop her from helping people who live in some of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Harvey’s storm. Since Sunday, she’s spent hours coordinating help in flooded cities using only her phone, her computer and her connections in the coastal area.
  Hardy was raised in Dickinson, Texas, 30 miles south of Houston. As the flooding began Sunday, she says her Facebook feed was inundated with
  
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• Deputies visit relative of family of 6 presumed dead in Harvey floods

  30-08-2017 05:18 via kxan.com
  DALLAS (AP) — When two Harris County Sheriff’s deputies found him clinging to a tree branch, water up to his neck, Samuel Saldivar was distraught and in tears, describing how he watched a van carrying his elderly parents and his brother’s grandchildren sink into Greens Bayou, a relative said.
  Saldivar’s sister-in-law, Virginia, told The Associated Press Tuesday that the same deputies came to the suburban Houston home where she and her husband have stayed since volunteers
  
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• Texas delegation will pursue billions in recovery aid from D.C.

  30-08-2017 05:04 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — President Donald Trump was in Austin Tuesday for around two hours to get briefed by state leaders on the response to Hurricane Harvey.
  The top leaders are here from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, FEMA and the Small Business Administration.
  This is your tax dollars at work, the federal government really doesn’t help much with the emergency response to disasters, as that’s left up to local and state workers.
  What the feds do afterwards is come in
  
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• Families open up about harrowing flood evacuations in La Grange

  30-08-2017 04:53 via kxan.com
  LA GRANGE, Texas (KXAN) — The day after the Colorado River crested at a level not seen in more than 100 years in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, local and county entities are inspecting the damage left behind to homes and businesses, and conducting safety checks before owners are allowed to re-enter.
  Over the weekend, Sarah Jackson and her three children were evacuated from the home they rent along the river, when floodwaters began to rise and ultimately overwhelm the home.
  “When they
  
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• La Grange ISD decides to close schools for the week

  30-08-2017 02:46 via kxan.com
  LA GRANGE, Texas (KXAN) — Due to the stress of historic flooding on La Grange, the school district has decided to close its schools for the rest of the week.
  Superintendent Bill Wagner said the first day of school is now planned for Tuesday, Sept. 5 — since Monday is Labor Day.
  The district had already canceled classes for Monday and Tuesday. District staff will wait until Sept. 5 to start as well.
  Cleanup begins in La Grange after Colorado River inundates city
  La Grange ISD asks tha
  
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• Security measures in place as Austin students share school with evacuees

  30-08-2017 01:45 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Dozens of Harvey evacuees are calling an east Austin high school home for the time being, while two more AISD campuses are on standby.
  In response to concerns over students going to class while their school is being used as a shelter, evacuees and volunteers said Tuesday parents don’t need to worry about their children sharing the space.
  “I’m just trying to soak in everything that’s going on,” Manuel Ranjel, an evacuee from Victoria,
  
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• Hotel at center of KXAN price gouging investigation loses franchise

  30-08-2017 01:09 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The owners of the Robstown Best Western Plus will soon be taking down the hotel chain’s signage, one day after a KXAN investigation exposed 40 instances of price gouging at the hotel the day after Hurricane Harvey slammed the coast.
  The hotel chain’s public relations manager, Courtney McCurry, told KXAN though email Tuesday, the company is parting ways with the Robstown Best Western Plus – Tropic Inn.
  “Best Western was founded on the principles of ho
  
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• Attorney General’s Office fields 451 price gouging complaints

  30-08-2017 01:02 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – State investigators knew it would likely happen. And, it did.
  As of this report, the Texas Attorney General’s Office has received 451 complaints of price gouging since the governor declared 30 Texas counties disaster areas ahead of Hurricane Harvey’s landfall. The governor’s declaration activated the state’s anti-price gouging law, which makes it illegal to inflate prices for fuel, food, medicine or “any other necessity.”
  As of Tuesday, t
  
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• Failure to pay child support leads to over 14K vehicle registration denials

  30-08-2017 00:27 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Office of the Attorney General says since last September they have denied motor vehicle registration for more than 14,500 non-custodial parents.
  The denials are part of a statute which allows the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to deny registration to individuals who have gone at least six months without making a child support payment.
  Following the statute, which went into effect last September, the OAG has issued motor vehicle denials on a total of 18,693 cas
  
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• Central Texas blood bank has ‘growing’ need for donations after Harvey

  30-08-2017 00:18 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In an update to We are Blood’s “ongoing and growing” blood donation needs, the blood bank that works as the sole provider of blood to Central Texas hospitals is asking for donors to schedule a donation appointment.
  We Are Blood says many people from the coast have been brought into hospitals in their 10-county region in Central Texas. “If We Are Blood can build a surplus of blood, they’ll also be able to send some to our neighbors on the coast,
  
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• Austin duck boats in Houston to help deliver medical supplies

  30-08-2017 00:06 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two Austin Duck Adventures boats have left for Houston to help deliver medical supplies to those in need.
  Owner Paul Mahler and his crew packed up one of the amphibious boats and left Austin at 5:30 p.m. Monday, while another left Tuesday morning.
  As of Tuesday afternoon, the boats are at Kemah and will soon head to Galveston. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is directing the boats on where to go and deliver the equipment.
  Dozens of Austin-area first responder
  
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• Cleanup in La Grange begins after Colorado River inundates city

  30-08-2017 00:04 via kxan.com
  LA GRANGE, Texas (KXAN) — Days after Hurricane Harvey dumped heavy rain in Central Texas, community members in La Grange are getting their first look at the damage left behind.
  Larry Harrington has worked at Oma’s Choice, a downtown business that distributes treats like pies and jerky, for nearly a decade and has never seen the Colorado River rise as high as it did after the storm.
  “I’ve seen it flood, but nothing like this,” Harrington said. “They say this is
  
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