Austin news

• Killeen soldier killed on USS McCain will be laid to rest Thursday

  11-09-2017 23:36 via kxan.com
  KILLEEN, Texas (KXAN) — A soldier from Killeen who died in a collision aboard the USS John McCain last month will be laid to rest at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery on Thursday, Sept. 14.
  John Hoagland III, 20, enlisted in the Navy on July 7, 2015 and achieved the rank of Electronics Technician Second Class. After his death, Hoagland was posthumously advanced to petty officer second class.
  Hoagland graduated from Shoemaker High School in Killeen in 2015.
  The fallen soldier will r
  
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• Killeen sailor killed on USS McCain will be laid to rest Thursday

  11-09-2017 23:36 via kxan.com
  KILLEEN, Texas (KXAN) — A sailor from Killeen who died in a collision aboard the USS John McCain last month will be laid to rest at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery on Thursday, Sept. 14.
  John Hoagland III, 20, enlisted in the Navy on July 7, 2015 and achieved the rank of Electronics Technician Second Class. After his death, Hoagland was posthumously advanced to petty officer second class.
  Hoagland graduated from Shoemaker High School in Killeen in 2015.
  The fallen sailor will rec
  
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• Rockport family renovating home before Harvey hit faces enormous costs

  11-09-2017 23:26 via kxan.com
  ROCKPORT, Texas (Nexstar) — More than two weeks after Hurricane Harvey made landfall, some families are heading back to the Coastal Bend for the first time since the storm.
  Rosendo Mendoza and his family were in the process of renovating their 10-year-old Rockport home when Harvey hit. They fled to Wyoming to stay with relatives and returned over the weekend to assess the damage.
  “It was sad to see everything you ever worked for is just gone,” Mendoza said.
  “The loss of o
  
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• Caught on cam: UC Berkeley officer takes hot dog vendor’s wallet, money

  11-09-2017 22:06 via kxan.com
  BERKELEY, Calif. (KRON) – Video showing a University of California, Berkeley police officer taking a man’s wallet is making its way around social media.
  A man named Martin Flores took the video.
  He says he witnessed the police approach a hot dog vendor to ticket him for selling in the street with no permit.
  However, the situation escalated when an officer took his wallet and money.
  The vendor pleads with the officer in Spanish who replies, “this is how it works.”
  Another
  
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• Before and after video shows water levels in Tampa Bay

  11-09-2017 21:48 via kxan.com
  TAMPA, FL (WCMH) – Video recorded before and after Irma passed through shows the effect the storm had on Tampa Bay.
  Matt Tilman posted the side-by-side footage to Facebook Monday. The clip on the left shows the bay without any water before Irma hit Sunday. The clip on the right shows the water back again after the storm passed.
  The strength of the hurricane actually pushed the water away from the shorelines in the Bahamas and the Gulf Coast of Florida, CNN reported.
  National Weather Servic
  
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• VIDEO: Dashcam footage of St. Louis County officer getting attacked

  11-09-2017 21:38 via kxan.com
  ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KSDK) An encounter that could’ve turned deadly for a police officer in St. Louis County, Missouri was caught on police dash cam video. The video shows a suspect assaulting an officer in Calverton Park and nearly getting a hold of the officers gun during a traffic stop Wednesday morning.
  “For law enforcement, it’s one of the least routine assignments that we have,” said Calverton Park police officer Chris Robertson.
  Officer Alex Bowes, a two-year veteran on
  
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• Westbound SH 71 at Bastrop-Travis County line closed due to crash

  11-09-2017 21:12 via kxan.com
  BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Westbound lanes of State Highway 71 are blocked at the Travis-Bastrop County line after an 18-wheeler struck a traffic light.
  Authorities say the crash happened around 1:15 p.m. on SH 71 at Tucker Hill  Lane. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.
  The Texas Department of Transportation says westbound lanes will remain closed as crews work to remove the downed traffic light.
  
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• SH 71 back open at Bastrop-Travis County line after crash

  11-09-2017 21:12 via kxan.com
  BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Westbound lanes of State Highway 71 are back open at the Travis-Bastrop County line after an 18-wheeler struck a traffic light.
  Authorities say the crash happened around 1:15 p.m. on SH 71 at Tucker Hill Lane. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.
  The lanes were reopened around 4:40 p.m. But authorities say the west and eastbound turn lanes will be closed to traffic.
  
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• George Strait to help Frank Erwin Center celebrate its 40th anniversary

  11-09-2017 20:51 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Frank Erwin Center is celebrating 40 years next summer and of course the center will have some big names on hand for the celebration.
  On Saturday, the center posted on Twitter a video with country legend George Strait. Strait said he will help ring in the center’s 40th year with a show next summer. While details weren’t released, fans should expect a good show!
  To end his video announcement, Strait said: “Hook ’em, Horns.”
  The center opened
  
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• Thieves steal SUV, trailer carrying casket with body inside

  11-09-2017 20:16 via kxan.com
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Albuquerque police have located a stolen vehicle and a U-Haul trailer that was carrying a body in a casket.
  The black 2005 Chevy Trailblazer SUV and trailer was stolen from the Residence Inn in Albuquerque Sunday morning around 4:15 a.m. The people who owned the SUV said their father-in-law’s body was inside the U-Haul trailer.
  A witness believes he saw the theft occur and observed the offenders arrive in a red Chevy Silverado pick-up truck.
  Polic
  
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• PHOTOS: Hurricane Irma’s wrath across Florida

  11-09-2017 19:59 via kxan.com
  TAMPA, Fla. (KXAN) — As Irma slowly makes her way out of Florida, the damage being left behind across the state is widespread. Florida officials say the storm cut power to more than 6.5 million customers as of Monday afternoon.
  Here is some of the damage from across southern Florida. Hurricane Irma Damage: Pinellas County Source: Raymond SiewertSource: Pinellas County SheriffSource: Jeff Svajdlenka Source: Pinellas County SheriffSource: Pinellas County SheriffSource: WFLA.com mark Douglas
  
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• Two dead bats blown down from Harvey found in Buda

  11-09-2017 19:58 via kxan.com
  BUDA, Texas (KXAN) — The city of Buda issued two rabies alerts after two bats were found dead last week in separate areas. The city said the bats were blown down from Harvey and people are now noticing them, which is why there have been a number of alerts in the past few weeks.
  Both bats were too decomposed to test for the disease, but the city warned residents out of an abundance of caution.
  The first was found in Whispering Hollow Park in the 100 block of Joy Hollow around 6 p.m. on Sept
  
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• Rabies Alert: Two dead bats blown down from Harvey found in Buda

  11-09-2017 19:58 via kxan.com
  BUDA, Texas (KXAN) — The city of Buda issued two rabies alerts after two bats were found dead last week in separate areas. The city said the bats were blown down from Harvey and people are now noticing them, which is why there have been a number of alerts in the past few weeks.
  Both bats were too decomposed to test for the disease, but the city warned residents out of an abundance of caution.
  The first was found in Whispering Hollow Park in the 100 block of Joy Hollow around 6 p.m. on Sept
  
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• Austin man dies in I-35 rollover

  11-09-2017 19:01 via kxan.com
  MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — An Austin man died over the weekend when his car rolled on the highway near West, Texas.
  The crash happened Sunday around 3:15 p.m., according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. A 1997 Chevy pick up was driving south on I-35 when it veered off the right side of the road. The driver over-corrected and the truck rolled into the center barrier.
  The 59-year-old man was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle. He died at the scene.
   
  
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• 2 stranded manatees helped after Irma sucks water from bay

  11-09-2017 18:22 via kxan.com
  TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Two manatees were stranded after Hurricane Irma sucked water out of Sarasota Bay, in Florida’s Manatee County.
  Several people posted photos Sunday of the mammals on Facebook, hoping rescue workers or wildlife officials would respond. Michael Sechler posted that the animals were far too massive to be lifted, so the rescuers gave them water.
  Marcelo Clavijo posted that a group of people eventually loaded the manatees onto tarps and were able to drag them to deeper wa
  
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• Target lowers prices on thousands of items

  11-09-2017 18:19 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In a shake up of how Target does business, the company announced it is slashing prices on items and changing the way it advertises deals in its stores.
  The store announced in a blog post Friday it is decreasing prices on “thousands of items, from cereal and paper towels to baby formula, razors, bath tissue and more.”
  It is also getting rid of many of the small signs throughout the store advertising “Weekly Wow!” or “Bonus Offer” deals in
  
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• Erica Nix is back and Joe is wearing tiny shorts

  11-09-2017 18:13 via kxan.com
  It’s the workout for everyone, that likely no one has seen the likes of before. Erica Nix of Transform Fitness is here to show us how getting in shape can be fun again. You can catch this super fun class at Transform at 1909 Wheless Lane, Austin, Texas on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Go to TransformFitnessAustin.com for more information or call 512-923-5859.
  
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• Suspected drunk driver runs into Manor police patrol car

  11-09-2017 17:59 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Manor police officer who was working a lane closure was struck by an alleged drunk driver over the weekend.
  According to an arrest affidavit, Lario Albarran, 23, was driving along US 183 near State Highway 71 when he hit a parked Manor Police Department patrol car from behind around 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 9. The officer had his emergency overhead lights on for construction crews.
  Albarran told police he did not see the patrol car until “he had already crashed into it.&r
  
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• Human mom and dog mom go into labor at Hurricane Irma shelter in Florida

  11-09-2017 17:31 via kxan.com
  BROOKSVILLE, FL (WFLA) — It seems the atmospheric pressure from Hurricane Irma created some circumstances that are impossible to stop.
  Amidst the life-threatening storm, a new life begun. At D.S. Parrott Middle School in Brooksville, two moms went into labor Sunday– one pup, one human.
  The school is a designated shelter, packed with animals and their worried owners. A Siberian husky–wolf mix is now expecting puppies. Panting and trying to get comfortable, Chyanne is gettin
  
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• No bride’s dress? No problem: National Guard couple gets married in Irma

  11-09-2017 17:30 via kxan.com
  ORLANDO, FL (AP) — Lauren Durham had a poofy white dress and plans for an intimate beach wedding on the second weekend of September. Instead she got married in fatigues, with no makeup, in a vast hangar filled with rescue vehicles and paramedics just hours before she would rush into a hurricane to try to save her fellow Floridians.
  She and her fiance, Michael Davis — both of them senior airmen with the Air National Guard — were deployed indefinitely to assist with the rescue. T
  
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• NFL files appeal in Ezekiel Elliott case

  11-09-2017 16:32 via kxan.com
  The NFL has filed an appeal in the ongoing NFL vs. Ezekiel Elliott battle.
  On Monday, the NFL filed an appeal with the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to combat a Texas court's ruling which blocked the  NFL from enforcing a six-game suspension on Elliott, the Dallas Cowboys star running back, which was announced in August.BREAKING: #NFL appeals Texas court injunction in the Ezekiel Elliott case to the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals pic.twitter.com/W5K9efk7wO
  — Daniel Wallach
  
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• Miami Police share photo of alleged Irma looters in jail

  11-09-2017 16:30 via kxan.com
  FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (AP/WCMH) — Police in Florida have arrested several people who were caught on TV cameras looting sneakers and other goods from a sporting goods store and a pawn shop during Hurricane Irma.
  In Miami, the police department also issued a warning about looting during Irma with using a photo with 10 suspects sitting in a cell, along with the caption “Thinking about looting? Ask these guys how that tuned out. #stayindoors.”It wasn’t immediately clear wh
  
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• Make a clean up kit for Harvey survivors

  11-09-2017 16:29 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — More than two weeks after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas, some of the efforts are shifting to cleaning up.
  The Austin Disaster Relief Network is asking people to drop off cleaning supplies or clean up kits this week to the Hope Family Thrift Store at 1122 E. 51st St. or the 360 Warehouse at 1905 S. Capitol of Texas Highway.
  Jimmy Fallon donates $1 million to J.J. Watt’s Harvey relief fund
  Here’s a list of items to include in a clean up kit. It should be
  
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• Houston students to start classes after delay from Harvey

  11-09-2017 15:46 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (AP) — Students in Houston are finally starting their new school year following a two-week delay because of damage from Harvey.
  Students at 202 of the Houston school district’s 284 campuses were scheduled to start classes Monday.
  Other campuses will start classes on Sept. 18. Students at the nine schools most severely damaged by Harvey will be relocated to nearby campuses or to new locations and won’t start classes until Sept. 25.
  School District Superintendent Richard
  
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• Houston students ‘excited’ to return to classes after Harvey

  11-09-2017 15:46 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (AP) — Students in Houston on their first day of classes following city-wide flooding from Harvey were greeted Monday with hugs from teachers and staff, many coming from school secretary Demitra Cain.
  The longtime school district employee said she had probably given out at least 200 hugs as she stood outside Codwell Elementary and greeted students and parents as they began the new school year, which was delayed by two weeks due to Harvey.
  Students “are excited to be back. Par
  
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• Miss Texas, Miss America criticize President Trump during Q&A

  11-09-2017 14:32 via kxan.com
  ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Cara Mund is not worried that she may begin her year-long reign as Miss America by starting a Twitter war with the nation’s Tweeter-In-Chief.
  The 23-year-old Miss North Dakota won the crown Sunday night in Atlantic City after saying in an onstage interview that President Donald Trump was wrong to pull the United States out of the Paris climate accord. Miss Texas Margana Wood also gave a fiery response to a question she was asked about the white supremacist
  
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• Many first responders focused on Harvey and Irma victims this 9/11

  11-09-2017 13:18 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Fire Department Captain Mike Becker remembers well where he was the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.
  “Here, it just seemed so quiet and so still,” said the 31-year veteran of the department. “It was just a strange time, a strange date.”
  Becker was on duty at the fire house when the World Trade Center towers in New York City were first struck by terrorists in hijacked air planes.
  “This time of year in the fall when September rolls around, just
  
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• Events commemorating 16th anniversary of Sept. 11 attacks

  11-09-2017 12:54 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Across the nation, many are recognizing the anniversary of the terror attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.
  In Austin, the fire department will hold a memorial service at 7:30 a.m. at the Buford Fire Tower on Lady Bird Lake. Then at 10 a.m. firefighters will take part in their annual memorial stair climb, where they ascend the Pleasant Valley Drill Tower at 517 S. Pleasant Valley drive. They’ll wear their full gear and carry an air pack
  
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• At least 8 dead after shooting at Cowboys watch party in North Texas

  11-09-2017 12:20 via kxan.com
  PLANO, Texas (AP) — Authorities in North Texas say at least eight people are dead, including the suspect, after a shooting at a home in Plano where people gathered to watch the Dallas Cowboys game.
  The shooting occurred Sunday night in the city less than 20 miles northeast of Dallas.
  Plano police spokesman David Tilley says police initially responded to a report of shots fired. When the first officer arrived and went inside the home, the officer confronted the suspected shooter. Tilley say
  
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• Hundreds devastated by Harvey in La Grange look for long-term help

  11-09-2017 09:47 via kxan.com
  LA GRANGE, TX ( KXAN) — As the hundreds of people displaced by Harvey in La Grange are now situated in temporary housing, the community is beginning the difficult transition into long-term recovery.
  Janet Moerbe, mayor of the city of La Grange for the past 17 years, said that of the 300 to 400 people left homeless by the storm in her city, roughly a dozen remain at the city shelter. The rest have all been housed in hotels through FEMA’s Transitional Shelter Assistance (TSA) or are st
  
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• Plane crash kills 9-year-old, pilot in Gillespie County

  11-09-2017 09:27 via kxan.com
  GILLESPIE COUNTY (KXAN) — Two people are dead after a plane crash Sunday in Gillespie County, including a 9-year-old girl.
  The Department of Public Safety says the plane crashed about 1 mile south of Stonewall. Shane Lee Buck, 39, was flying his Rans Coyote II plane with a 9-year-old girl riding along. They both died when the plane crashed in a pasture around 6:55 p.m.
  The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating. Officials have not said what caused the plane to go down.
   
  
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• Deadly plane crash kills 2 in Gillespie County

  11-09-2017 09:27 via kxan.com
  GILLESPIE COUNTY (KXAN) — Two people are dead after a plane crash Sunday in Gillespie County. Department of Public Safety troopers are investigating but as of early Monday morning could not confirm any more details beyond how many people were killed. We are working to get more information and will update this story as soon as we get it.
  
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• Cowboys open season with 19-3 win over Giants

  11-09-2017 05:18 via kxan.com
  ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jason Witten scored the only touchdown while breaking the franchise record for yards receiving and the Dallas defense shackled a New York offense missing Odell Beckham Jr. in the Cowboys‘ 19-3 season-opening victory over the Giants on Sunday night.Ezekiel Elliott had a rugged 104 yards rushing and another 36 receiving two days after a judge halted his six-game suspension over a domestic violence case, although last year’s NFL rushing leader had already b
  
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• Photo of officer kissing daughter before Irma goes viral

  11-09-2017 03:57 via kxan.com
  CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) — An officer holds his daughter’s cheeks and kisses her as it pours on them both, saying goodbye before going on duty during Hurricane Irma.
  The photo, shared by the Clearwater Police Department, quickly spread across social media.
  Officer Seth Stiers is seen giving, Lola, 7, a kiss in the photo.
  Clearwater is just West of Tampa, which is expected to bear the brunt of Hurricane Irma’s strength.
  
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• KXAN Meteorologist David Yeomans continues to post new Irma videos from Miami

  11-09-2017 03:56 via kxan.com
  MIAMI (KXAN) — Strong winds toppled two construction cranes in Miami. One was right down the street from where KXAN Meteorologist David Yeomans is tracking the changing weather.He posted new video on Facebook as Irma was making landfall in the Florida Keys.David decided to spend his weekend off in Miami, which is where he studied at the University of Miami. He earned his Master’s Degree there and researched hurricane formation as part of his thesis.
  We will continue to check in with
  
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• Athletic stars, musicians, other celebs turn out to support youth sports

  11-09-2017 03:53 via kxan.com
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — Hundreds of people turned out Sunday in Round Rock for the 9th annual Reckless Kelly Celebrity Softball Jam.
  The event was created as a way for the band to bring together their friends from the worlds of music and sports to benefit Austin’s youth.
  The softball game featured former major leaguers and celebrities at the Dell Diamond. It was followed by a concert on two stages with more than 20 acts.
  Since the Celebrity Softball Jam began, it has raised more t
  
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• Walmart ups hurricane relief to $30 million

  11-09-2017 03:24 via kxan.com
  BENTONVILLE, Arkansas (CNN) — Walmart pledged to give up to another $10 millionin donations for hurricane relief, bringing its total commitment to as much as $30 million.
  The company made the announcement Sunday as Hurricane Irma barreled into Florida’s southern tip after decimating some parts of the Caribbean islands.
  The new $10 million commitment is a promise to match customer donations to the American Red Cross: Whatever a Walmart shopper gives, the company will put in double tha
  
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• Louisiana firefighters stage in Florida for hurricane relief

  11-09-2017 03:14 via kxan.com
  MARIANNA, Fla. (WMBB) — Dozens of Louisiana firefighters arrived in Jackson County this weekend, ready to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.
  The Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal, responding to a request for assistance from Florida, is staging four teams at Chipola College.
  “You’ll see firemen here from Shreveport, Baton Rouge, Monroe, Alexandria,” Assistant Chief Bob Wolfe said. “This is the closest we could get but still be out of harms way so as soon
  
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• Red light cameras across Texas could be operating illegally

  11-09-2017 02:30 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- There are nine intersections in Austin, armed with a red light camera. You might not notice them, but roll through a red light or roll past that white stop bar painted on the ground and you’re likely to end up with a $75 ticket in the mail.
  Austin is one of 60 cities across Texas to have installed red light cameras. Several of those cities have gotten rid of their cameras; mostly because when voters have a say, they vote the cameras out of town.
  But, a KXAN Investigation o
  
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• Texans blown out in season opener, looking at QB controversy

  11-09-2017 01:56 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (AP) — The Texans already have a quarterback controversy after just one game.
  Houston coach Bill O’Brien replaced Tom Savage with rookie Deshaun Watson at halftime of the Texans’ 29-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, leaving questions about who will start on Thursday night for a team long plagued with problems at the position.
  “We’ve got a quick turnaround here so we’ve got a lot of film to watch, a lot of things to get caught
  
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• Sporting a black eye, pope urges Colombians to reconcile

  11-09-2017 01:41 via kxan.com
  CARTAGENA, Colombia (AP) — Pope Francis wrapped up his Colombia trip Sunday by honoring a fellow Jesuit who ministered to African slaves and urging Colombians today to follow his lead in working for a more peaceful future.
  Francis’ visit to Cartagena got off to a rocky start when he bonked his head on his popemobile when it stopped short amid swarms of well-wishers. Francis, who had only a hip-high bar to hold onto, lost his balance and suffered a bruised, black left eye and a cut on
  
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• Austin Energy sends five crews to northeastern Florida in advance of Irma

  11-09-2017 01:25 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin Energy crews left the city in a convoy Sunday morning on their way to Jacksonville, Fla., to help with power restoration operations that will be necessary after the damage that Hurricane Irma is expected to cause.
  The Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) reached out to Austin Energy before the storm’s arrival to ask for the help.
  Five crews with 31 employees and two of the city’s Fleet Services mechanics are expected to arrive in Jacksonville on Monday,
  
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• Sister of man killed crossing the street blames group home

  11-09-2017 00:43 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A woman reached out to KXAN saying she is the sister of the man killed trying to cross the street Thursday. She is blaming the group home where he was staying for his death.
  Renee Milam says someone with the group home called her the day it happened, and told her her brother, Sterling Milam, 38, had died, but they could not tell her how or why. She later learned while trying to look up information online that he may have been the one hit and killed by a driver in the 6600 b
  
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