• Icenhauer’s fined for refilling bottles of vodka

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Rainey Street bar agreed to pay a $900 civil penalty for refilling bottles of liquor, which is prohibited by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code.
    The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission says Icenhauer’s, at 83 Rainey St., was cited for refilling on May 23 following the violation on May 20.
    The agency says they seized 10 bottles of vodka, but couldn’t specify the brand names. TABC then met with the owner, who they say agreed to pay the civil penalty instead of ge
  • WATCH: Robert E. Lee statue removed in Dallas

    DALLAS, Texas (KXAN) — The Robert E. Lee statue at Lee Park in Dallas has been removed after a temporary restraining order kept it from being removed last week.A crane arrived at the park Thursday afternoon to prepare for the removal. The removal took about three hours to complete.
    The city has not said where the statue will be kept after its removal.
    The Dallas City Council voted to remove the statue on Sept. 6. On the night of Sunday, Sept. 10, the driver of a semitrailer died after it c
  • Fast-food worker charged with trying to kill newborn in toilet

    SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – California prosecutors say a fast-food restaurant cashier gave birth to a baby girl while at work and then tried to kill her by flushing her down a toilet.
    The San Mateo County district attorney said Wednesday that 25-year-old Sarah Lockner has been charged with attempted murder after the child survived.
    Prosecutors say Lockner went to work Sept. 4 at a Redwood City McDonald’s complaining of stomach pains and visited the bathroom numerous times.
    A concerned co-wo
  • VIDEO: Man caught on camera abandoning dog in Dallas

    DALLAS (KXAN) — A man caught on camera abandoning a dog at a known dog dump site in south Dallas has turned himself into authorities.
    On Aug. 4, surveillance cameras that were installed near Teagarden Road at Dowdy Ferry Road captured video of a heartbreaking scene. The video shows a car pulling onto the shoulder of the road and a man, identified as Gorge Spears, getting out and opening his rear passenger door.
    He then grabs a frayed rope and yanks it to pull the dog out of the car. When t
  • Advertisement

  • Deaf community demands apology for interpreter disaster at Irma press conference

    BRADENTON, Fla. (WFLA) — It’s a press conference no one will ever forget.
    The video has gone viral. People all over the world have seen it, and the majority are stunned by what they witnessed.
    Manatee County called a crucial press conference as Hurricane Irma approached the Tampa Bay area. On Friday, Sept. 8, county leaders were assembled at the podium and prepared to address the public. The Emergency Operations Center in Manatee County was up and running, ready to announce crucial i
  • Czech Republic donates $237K for displaced families in La Grange

    LA GRANGE, Texas (KXAN) — Five million Czech Crowns, the equivalent of $237,437, will be going to help families displaced by flooding in La Grange.
    The donation will go towards shelter, food, water health and hygiene needs for the hundreds affected after the Colorado River crested at its highest level since 1913, spurred by massive amounts of rain from Hurricane Harvey.
    The Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center in La Grange says the donation represents the Czech Republic’s dedicat
  • Austin ISD gives 3-campus tour of past and future bond projects

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Independent School District gave KXAN a tour of three campuses as it gears up to put their biggest bond in history on the November ballot.
    As AISD prepares for a $1.05 billion bond election, school officials wanted to show off how 2013 bond dollars have revamped aging campuses like Winn Elementary School in east Austin. New floor tile, lighting, office space and a new stand-alone library wing were completed last school year.
    “You get motivated when you
  • Florida men caught with stolen power pole strapped to SUV

    JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Sheriff’s officials in Jacksonville say two men are accused of trying to steal a $2,500 utility pole days after Hurricane Irma caused severe flooding there.
    Jacksonville sheriff’s officials say 42-year-old Blake Lee Waller and 46-year-old Victor Walter Apeler were arrested on grand theft charges Wednesday after someone reported seeing them load the pole onto a sports utility vehicle.
    A police report says an officer noticed a light pole missing from an
  • Advertisement

  • Residents shelter in place after Lockhart gas leak

    LOCKHART, Texas (KXAN) — Residents in central Lockhart are being asked to shelter in place due to a gas leak.
    The Caldwell County Office of Emergency Management said the leak was reported just after noon on the 900 block of Clear Fork Street. Residents living on that road between South Medina Street and South Rio Grande Street were told to shelter in place with doors and windows closed.
    Officials say the gas company was aware of the issue, and emergency personnel were standing by just in c
  • Two men arrested, accused of murdering Ledbetter man

    LEE COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Two men are charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of Cedro Anton Blue, 43, in Ledbetter last month. 
    The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said they recently arrested Gabriel Patterson, 26, of Burton, and Deontrail Smith, 22, of Chappel Hill. Blue was found shot to death on the back porch of his home in the 4000 block of County Road 127 on Aug. 2.
    Both suspects are currently in the Lee County Jail with bonds set at $500,000 each.
    The Texa
  • Two babies born in the same Burger King parking lot, 24 hours apart

    DENVILLE, N.J. (NBC News/KXAN) — Two new moms will be able to tell a Whopper of a story after both gave birth in the parking lot of the same New Jersey Burger King, a little more than 24 hours apart.
    At 7:30 p.m. on Friday one couple found themselves in the fast food parking lot after they got stuck in traffic on the way to the hospital. The father pulled into the parking lot and called 911, according to the Denville Police Department.
    “When we responded, he told us that this isn&rsq
  • Retail gasoline prices across US decline 2 cents per gallon

    COPPELL, Texas (AP) — Retail gasoline prices in Texas and the rest of the country declined 2 cents per gallon this week amid recovery from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
    AAA Texas on Thursday reported the average price at the pump statewide was $2.52 per gallon. The nationwide retail gasoline price was $2.65 per gallon.
    Association officials say Dallas has the most expensive gasoline in Texas this week at $2.61 per gallon. Drivers in Amarillo have the cheapest gasoline statewide at $2.36 per
  • Certain Liberty Hill-area phone numbers can’t call 911 right now

    LIBERTY HILL, Texas (KXAN) — Certain phone numbers in Liberty Hill may not be able to reach 911 due to an issue with AT&T.
    Williamson County says the issue only affects phone numbers that have a 515 and 778 prefix. These prefixes may not be able to reach 911.While the lines are able to call other numbers, the issue with the AT&T circuits won’t allow the number to call 911. AT&T is currently working to repair the problem. 
    If you have an emergency, you can call Willia
  • AT&T restores 911 service for certain Liberty Hill-area numbers

    LIBERTY HILL, Texas (KXAN) — Certain phone numbers in Liberty Hill may not be able to reach 911 due to an issue with AT&T.
    Williamson County says the issue only affects phone numbers that have a 515 and 778 prefix. These prefixes may not be able to reach 911.
    While the lines are able to call other numbers, the issue with the AT&T circuits won’t allow the number to call 911. AT&T is currently working to repair the problem.
    If you have an emergency, you can call Williamson
  • Serial jewelry store robber gets 77 years in prison

    AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texan blamed for more than a dozen jewelry store robberies or attempted holdups must serve 77 years in federal prison and repay nearly $1.6 million.
    Marvin Lewis was sentenced Wednesday in Austin for crimes during 2014 and 2015. Prosecutors say the 40-year-old Lewis, who lived in Austin and Houston, targeted jewelry stores in Texas and Ohio.
    Jurors in June convicted Lewis of 25 counts including conspiracy, interference with commerce by threats or violence, money laun
  • More than 2 dozen guns stolen from Copperas Cove pawn shop

    COPPERAS COVE, Texas (KXAN) — Firearm burglaries on are on the rise and now the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has another theft case to solve.
    On Sept. 3, a man broke into the Kwik Cash Pawn in Copperas Cove around 10 p.m. and managed to get away with 26 guns. Surveillance video shows the suspect stuffing the guns into a backpack. From the video, it appears the guns that the stolen were not in locked cases.
    ATF and the National Shooting Sports Foundation
  • Photos from road rage victim’s phone help police ID suspect

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — Police have identified a suspect in a road rage incident that led to a man being shot and killed, after finding images of him on the victim’s cell phone.
    Juan de Dios Carbajal-Jaimes, 18, faces a first degree murder charge, according to an arrest warrant. He is not yet in custody.
    Alfred A. Lockett. (Courtesy: Lockett Family)Carbajal-Jaimes is accused of shooting Alfred Lockett, 48, Tuesday afternoon after their cars apparently collided.
    Investigators looked through L
  • Tyler Perry leaves $500 tip for San Antonio waitress

    SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KXAN) — A woman who served Tyler Perry and Janet Jackson earlier this week discovered they’d left her a huge surprise: a $500 tip on a $27.06 ticket.
    Jackson was in San Antonio for a concert Wednesday night, while Tyler Perry was in the area after participating in the “Hand in Hand” benefit Tuesday in Austin, which raised $44 million for hurricane relief. The two starred together in Perry’s 2007 film “Why Did I Get Married?”
    On Monday
  • Grandpa ends police standoff by throwing suspect off the roof

    LA PUENTE, Calif (KXAN) — A burglary suspect kept police at bay on the roof of a southern California home for nearly five hours before an 83-year-old man climbed up and pushed the suspect off.
    Willard Burgess was at home when the ordeal began. And after a while, he was able to do what deputies and a crisis negotiator weren’t: get the suspect off the roof.
    “I’d made up my mind. I said, ‘He’s on my roof? Whatever it takes, he’s coming off,’ ” W
  • Selena Gomez undergoes kidney transplant due to lupus

    Selena Gomez says she has received a kidney transplant due to her struggle with lupus.
    Gomez writes in an Instagram post confirmed by her publicist early Thursday that she has been somewhat out of the spotlight this summer because she was recovering from the procedure. The 25-year-old calls the transplant “what I needed to do for my overall health.”
    The post didn’t reveal Gomez’s current condition or say where or when the procedure took place. Gomez’s publicist decl
  • Austin’s Veterans Park slated for makeover

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Veterans Park in Austin could be getting a makeover. The park that is less than half an acre is located adjacent to the American Legion by Lady Bird Lake and the Hike and Bike Trail.
    The idea for the makeover came after three statues were removed from Waterloo Park years ago as crews began construction on the Waller Creek Tunnel. Because the statues that honor the Vietnam and Korean wars as well the conflict in Beirut have been sitting in storage, city officials want th
  • Non-profits worry about donor fatigue after Harvey and Irma

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — First Harvey, and now Irma — Americans have been very generous in helping with relief efforts after the major storms ravaged large parts of Texas and Florida. However, many non-profits are worried about “donor fatigue” and want to remind people their support will still be needed for months to come.
    Marty McKellips, CEO of the American Red Cross of Central and South Texas says Texas is already feeling an impact in giving toward Harvey relief less than a wee
  • Harvey evacuees go on back-to-school shopping spree

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — Children who evacuated Harvey-hit areas got a surprise school shopping spree Wednesday in Austin. Officers from the Austin Police Department and volunteers with Keller Williams International served as their personal assistants as they picked out outfits to wear to class.
    The group arrived by bus to the Target in south Austin.
    Mike Sheffield with APD said he wants the students to feel like its another day at school, and not dwell on the fact that they are evacuees.
    “Al
  • NFL trying to speed appeal over blocked Elliott suspension

    FRISCO, Texas (AP) — The NFL is trying to accelerate the timeline in its appeal of a federal judge’s injunction that blocked Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott’s six-game suspension over a domestic violence case.
    The NFL quickly answered a filing from Elliott’s attorneys Wednesday, telling U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant that the league would immediately go to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans if he didn’t rule on its request for a stay of his i
  • Trump denies final deal with Democrats on DACA

    WASHINGTON (AP/KXAN) — President Donald Trump is denying assertions by the two top congressional Democrats that they have an agreement with him that will preserve protections for young immigrants in the U.S. illegally while adding border security without the wall he has coveted.
    At a briefing this morning before he heads to Florida to survey the damage from Hurricane Irma, he did say he and Congress are “fairly close” to a deal.
    “We’re working on a plan for DACA,&rd
  • Trump denies deal with Democrats on young immigrants

    WASHINGTON (AP/KXAN) — President Donald Trump is denying assertions by the two top congressional Democrats that they have an agreement with him that will preserve protections for young immigrants in the U.S. illegally while adding border security without the wall he has coveted.
    Trump sent out a series of tweets before daybreak Thursday taking issue with characterizations by Sen. Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of talks the group at a White House dinner Wednesday eveni
  • Trump heads to southwestern Florida to survey Irma recovery

    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will hear directly from people affected by Irma’s fury as he makes his third visit in less than three weeks to the storm-wracked South.
    Trump, joined by Vice President Mike Pence, was scheduled to visit Naples and Fort Myers on Florida’s southwestern coast Thursday to meet with those affected by the hurricane and learn more about relief efforts.
    He tweeted Wednesday that he planned to meet “with our great Coast Guard, FEMA and many
  • President Trump praises rapid response to Irma in Florida

    FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump met with federal and state leaders in Florida on Thursday as he surveyed damage from Hurricane Irma and praised the rapid response of the recovery effort.
    “We have been very, very fast and we had to be,” Trump said at an airport hangar where he was joined by Vice President Mike Pence, Gov. Rick Scott and other leaders.
    The president said his administration is “trying to keep them as happy as we can under the circumstances. In
  • APD: Man crashes car driving to the hospital after being shot

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Police are looking for a suspect in a Wednesday night shooting in southeast Austin. Police discovered the shooting after the victim crashed his car while driving to the hospital.
    Police say the man was shot during a confrontation at the corner of Burton Drive and Woodland Street. The man then tried to drive himself to the hospital. According to APD, he was heading eastbound on Oltorf when he lost control of his car and crashed into several vehicles at the intersectio
  • DA, defense attorneys ask for more time in Greg Kelley case

    WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick and defense attorneys are asking for more time in the Greg Kelley case.
    They were supposed to file their findings after several hearings this week.
    Dick told KXAN they have not finished their findings of fact yet and need more time.
    He says Kelley’s former attorney, Patricia Cummings, and her attorneys are filing new documents with the court — almost every day — causing a delay.
    Judge King wa
  • Democrats say they have deal with Trump on young immigrants

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The top House and Senate Democrats said Wednesday they had reached agreement with President Donald Trump to protect thousands of younger immigrants from deportation and fund some border security enhancements — not including Trump’s long-sought border wall.
    The agreement, the latest instance of Trump ditching his own party to make common cause with the opposition, was announced by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi f
  • How much the new city of Austin budget will cost you

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — A budget totaling roughly $3.9 billion was approved by Austin City Council Wednesday night for the 2017-2018 fiscal year.
    The property tax rate within the new budget is 44.48 cents per $100 of property valuation, the city said in a statement.
    With the rate of 44.48, the city tax bill for the projected median-priced non-senior home with a standard homestead exemption is estimated to be $1,250 per year or $104.18 per month, the city said, representing a $9.77 approximate incr
  • $3.9B balanced budget approved by Austin City Council

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — A budget totaling roughly $3.9 billion was approved by Austin City Council Wednesday night for the 2017-2018 fiscal year.
    The property tax rate within the new budget is 44.48 cents per $100 of property valuation, the city said in a statement.
    With the rate of 44.48, the city tax bill for the projected median-priced non-senior home with a standard homestead exemption is estimated to be $1,250 per year or $104.18 per month, the city said, representing a $9.77 approximate incr
  • Pregnant teacher found dead; boyfriend charged with murder

    BALTIMORE (AP) — A pregnant Maryland teacher who was missing for more than a week has been found dead in a shallow grave, and her boyfriend is charged with her slaying, police said Wednesday.
    Montgomery County police Chief Thomas Manger said at a news conference that investigators found the body of Laura Wallen in a shallow grave in Damascus, about 38 miles west of Washington on Wednesday. She was four months pregnant.
    Wallen’s boyfriend, Tyler Tessier, was arrested Wednesday afterno
  • Neighbors call broken sewer line an ‘obscene waste of taxpayer money’

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — Neighbors say a broken sewer line is wasting taxpayer dollars. A KXAN investigation reveals years of complaints from the Judge’s Hill neighborhood downtown — of odor, overflow and still no fix.
    “There’s been several times where the sewage is overflowing into the street,” neighbor Rob Kohler said.
    Austin Water makes daily trips to pump the sewage from a broken line at 16th and Pearl streets and move it to another access point in the line or trea
  • Refugee in Austin gets 30 years for attacking social worker with screwdriver

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin judge sentenced a refugee from Afghanistan to 30 years in prison Wednesday afternoon for attacking a social worker with a screwdriver.
    The attack happened on May 17, 2016 in Sayed Sadat’s apartment. The incident began when Sadat and his social worker had trouble communicating with a language line translator.
    After being there for an hour, the social worker told Sadat she needed to go, but he got upset and insisted she call the translator line again. Whe
  • Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli has bail revoked, heads to jail

    NEW YORK (AP) — A judge jailed former pharmaceuticals company CEO Martin Shkreli on Wednesday after finding that he violated his bail on a securities fraud conviction with a social media posting she agreed posed a threat to Hillary Clinton.
    Defense attorneys had argued at a hearing in federal court in Brooklyn that the post by Shkreli, offering a $5,000 bounty to anyone who could grab him one of Clinton’s hairs while she’s on a book tour, was political satire. But U.S. District
  • Police advocates worry APD won’t see staffing increase in city budget

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — Is Austin safe enough? That’s the question the Greater Austin Crime Commission wanted people here to ask as the city’s budget negotiations wound down.
    As of this writing Wednesday evening, there was no staffing increase included for the Austin Police Department in the budget despite years of requests to hire dozens or hundreds more officers. “I don’t see a lot right now in the budget for APD,” Ken Casaday, president of the Austin Police Associa
  • Computer repairman restoring memories after Hurricane Harvey

    WIMBERLEY, Texas (KXAN) – A computer repairman in Wimberley is volunteering his time to help restore computer files damaged during Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma.
    Dock Vickers first started restoring hard drives after the 2015 Memorial Day flood that devastated much of Hays County. “I just wanted to help, but I didn’t want to be in the way,” he said.
    Since that flood, Vickers says he has helped restore around 500 people’s hard drives, giving them back memories
  • Parents sue AISD over daughter’s health problems from mold exposure

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — A lawsuit filed Monday against the Austin Independent School District claims a 5-year-old girl suffers from acute allergies after being exposed to mold at her east Austin school.
    The lawsuit, filed by the girl’s parents, Jennifer Matos and Darrell Holmes, states their daughter was enrolled in pre-K at Oak Springs Elementary School in September 2016.
    Matos spoke to KXAN’s Erin Cargile for an investigation on school mold in November 2016, which revealed her t
  • Poll: Hispanic views on Texas’ new immigration enforcement law aren’t so simple

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — Senate Bill 4 was supposed to take effect on Sept. 1, but a federal court placed a temporary injunction on the law until judges decide whether it violates the constitution.
    The state has appealed. It’s been one of the most divisive topics in Texas this year, with many groups claiming it was born of racist intentions and leads to discrimination.
    While most Hispanic people in Texas oppose the law the numbers are closer than you’d think.
    “Hispanics aren&rsquo
  • As Austin budget vote nears, council could reconsider Domain deal

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the Austin city budget deadline quickly approaches, Council Member Leslie Pool says backing out early of an economic incentive deal with The Domain may be the best option to bringing more cash to the table. The Domain is in Pool’s District 7.
    The city entered into an economic development agreement with Endeavor Real Estate Group in 2003. Under the agreement, the real estate group agreed to specific performance guidelines, or suffer certain penalties.
    In turn, the c
  • As Austin budget passes, council could reconsider Domain deal

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the Austin city budget deadline approached quickly, Council Member Leslie Pool said backing out of an economic incentive deal early with The Domain may be the best option to bringing more cash to the table. The Domain is in Pool’s District 7.
    The city entered into an economic development agreement with the developer in 2003. Under the agreement, the real estate group agreed to specific performance guidelines, or suffer certain penalties.
    In turn, the city has agree
  • Abbott vows to help Harvey-impacted communities with new website

    LA GRANGE, Texas (Nexstar) — With the creation of a commission to rebuild the Lone Star State following Harvey, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced a website for communities to access information and resources.
    According to the governor’s office, Rebuild Texas was designed to be “a real-time information resource for local officials in the communities impacted by Hurricane Harvey.” The site will have informion on state and federal resources available for cities and count
  • After parent uproar, more RNs are being added to Austin ISD schools

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — Seton Healthcare Family says it will foot the $1.8 million cost to make sure Austin Independent School District campuses have more registered nurses this year.
    When students returned to school last month, many parents contacted KXAN worried that the district were removing registered nurses from all their elementary school campuses.
    At the time, Seton, who contracts nurses for the district, said there would still be some presence of RN’s on elementary school campuses,
  • State rolling out food assistance benefits in disaster counties

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — For families in Bastrop and Fayette counties impacted by Hurricane Harvey, the state is offering short-term food assistance benefits.
    The Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) is designed to help people return to their homes and make sure they have access to food and electricity. To qualify, you must have experienced a loss of income, destruction of your home or a disaster-related expense. You must almost meet certain income limits.
    Since Bastrop

Follow @Austin_News_US on Twitter!