Austin news

• Search warrant provides new details of alleged AFD locker room recording

  21-09-2017 23:41 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Search warrants have been issued to find evidence of whether a former lieutenant with the Austin Fire Department secretly recorded video of women in a fire station locker room at the beginning of September.
  A search warrant was issued and executed Monday for an H2 Spy Camera and SD card allegedly belonging to the AFD lieutenant, who KXAN is not naming because he has not been charged with a crime. The city says the man, who worked at the Fire Station No. 1 in downtown Austin
  
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• English teacher sparks creativity with Harry Potter classroom

  21-09-2017 22:51 via kxan.com
  SOUTH BEND, Indiana (KXAN/WNDU) — A group of students is attending their very own wizarding classroom this school year — and they didn’t even have to hop on the Hogwarts Express to do it.
  A teacher in South Bend, Indiana, transformed her English classroom into the fabled school from the Harry Potter series, and she said it’s helping her Penn High School students get excited about learning.
  “The very first day, most kids’ reactions are, ‘Woah!” Kayl
  
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• Police shoot, kill man in Rockwall who hit patrol cars

  21-09-2017 22:48 via kxan.com
  Rockwall, Texas (KXAN) — A man died Thursday after an officer in north Texas shot him after he hit multiple patrol vehicles.
  Rockwall police say officers were responding to an alleged domestic violence incident around noon. They found the suspect inside his vehicle in a parking lot, but when he spotted them he started ramming his car into police vehicles.
  The man was taken to the hospital, but he died.
  The Texas Rangers and Rockwall Police Department Internal Affairs Unit are investig
  
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• $281M in unclaimed property returned to Texans

  21-09-2017 22:17 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — From forgotten deposits to checks that were never cashed, the Texas Comptroller’s office worked all year to reunite Texans with money that’s rightfully theirs. It set a record for the total amount returned this past fiscal year — $281 million.
  The past five years have all broken records for the amount of money returned to residents. The last record, set in 2016, was $270 million.
  “Each year we make a commitment to reunite unclaimed property with its
  
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• Texas, US gasoline prices decline amid hurricane recovery

  21-09-2017 21:45 via kxan.com
  COPPELL, Texas (AP) — Retail gasoline prices in Texas and across the country declined this week as recovery continues from hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
  AAA Texas on Thursday reported the average price at the pump statewide was down 4 cents to settle at an average $2.48 per gallon. Nationwide gasoline prices dropped a nickel to an average $2.60 per gallon.
  Association experts say gasoline prices are declining as more refineries resume operations since Hurricane Harvey made landfall in South
  
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• City of Austin could save historic Montopolis Negro School

  21-09-2017 21:12 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The man who owns the property which houses the historic Montopolis Negro School tells KXAN he is willing to work with the city of Austin who wants to purchase the property for preservation.
  A site supporting the preservation of the school refers to it as “the last remaining Freedman’s school in this part of Texas.” The school was founded in 1891 on Bastrop Highway. After a storm destroyed the church in 1935, it was relocated to Montopolis Drive.
  Austin Sto
  
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• Two killed in East Texas pizza parlor crash

  21-09-2017 20:13 via kxan.com
  WINONA, Texas (KETK) — Two people and four dogs were killed after a vehicle crashed into a pizza parlor near Tyler, Texas.
  DPS says the driver of a vehicle was traveling north on Highway 155 in Winona when the vehicle crashed into Uncle Mike’s Pizza and Pasta and caught fire Thursday morning.
  The owners and their son live in an upstairs apartment above the restaurant. They were able to get out safely, but their dog died in the fire. The husband has a background in firefighting.
  
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• Austin police officer suspended for 90 days

  21-09-2017 20:03 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A veteran Austin police officer is serving a 90-day suspension after Chief of Police Brian Manley determined he provided misleading statements during an investigation.
  According to a disciplinary memo, Officer Blaine Eiben, who was assigned to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, acknowledged that he “brought discredit to the Austin Police Department” during the course of events. During his disciplinary hearing, Eiben indicated he was “impacted
  
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• Lyft, Budwesier team up to provide safe rides home

  21-09-2017 18:52 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Lyft is teaming up with Budweiser to expand its “Give a Damn” campaign to Texas to make sure people who are out drinking are able to get home safely.
  Beginning Thursday, Sept. 21, the safe-ride partnership will provide up to 150,000 round-trip rides to customers in 10 new states, including Texas. Customers can receive two $10 credits this year. With this new round-trip offering, both companies hope to empower more consumers to plan ahead.
  To take advantage of a
  
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• Driver accused of speeding recklessly through MoPac construction zone

  21-09-2017 18:26 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A driver who is accused of driving at a high rate of speed through a barricaded area where construction workers were working has been charged with evading arrest.
  On Sept. 19, around 9:15 p.m., Austin police received a call about a driver, identified as Willie Williams, 39, on the wrong side of the marked barricades going southbound on North MoPac near Northwood Road. According to an arrest affidavit, Williams was seen driving at least 60 mph passing “construction veh
  
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• Driver accused of driving recklessly through MoPac construction zone

  21-09-2017 18:26 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A driver who is accused of driving at a high rate of speed through a barricaded area where construction workers were working has been charged with evading arrest.
  On Sept. 19, around 9:15 p.m., Austin police received a call about a driver, identified as Willie Williams, 39, on the wrong side of the marked barricades going southbound on North MoPac near Northwood Road. According to an arrest affidavit, Williams was seen driving at least 60 mph passing “construction veh
  
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• The fight against breast cancer comes to Austin

  21-09-2017 17:33 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – This Sunday, the 19th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure will hit the streets of Downtown Austin. All are invited to attend – you can run, walk, jog or even participate virtually!
  There’s a new start location for this year’s race: The 5K and one mile family walk will begin at the Austin American Statesman on South Congress Ave. at 7:30 a.m. After the race, breast cancer survivors will pose for group photos. KXAN’s own Kate Weidaw will be on hand
  
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• SWAT situation happening at south Austin shopping center

  21-09-2017 16:41 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police said they had to call a SWAT team to a shopping center in south Austin Thursday morning.
  The original call came in just before 8 a.m. at 710 E. Ben White Blvd. which is the Walmart. Police have not indicated what the original call was concerning.
  Several KXAN viewers have reported seeing numerous officers in the parking lot.
  The Austin Police Department will hold a briefing on the incident at 10:15 a.m. KXAN.com will live stream the briefing in this story.
  
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• Knife-wielding man taken into custody at south Austin shopping center

  21-09-2017 16:41 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police said they had to call a SWAT team to a shopping center in south Austin Thursday morning after they received reports of a man waving a knife around.
  The original call came in just before 8 a.m. at 710 E. Ben White Blvd. which is the Walmart. The caller said a man was at the business waving a knife. When officers arrived at the business, they found the suspect standing on top of a shipping container next to the business.
  Because he was wielding a knife, SWAT off
  
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• Republicans see political necessity in health care effort

  21-09-2017 15:12 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s divisive and difficult, but the Republican drive to erase the Obama health care overhaul has gotten a huge boost from one of Washington’s perennial incentives: Political necessity.
  In the two months since Senate Republicans lost their initial attempt to scuttle President Barack Obama’s statute, there’s fresh evidence GOP voters are adamant that the party achieve its long-promised goal of dismantling that law. This includes conservative firebra
  
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• Halloween decoration spurs calls to 911

  21-09-2017 14:56 via kxan.com
  GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Greene County Sheriff’s Department in Tennessee calmed residents after a homeowner began decorating for Halloween.
  The sheriff’s department posted on Facebook asking residents to not call 911 to report a body outside a home.
  Some residents mistook Halloween decorations in a home’s driveway as a human. The display shows what looks to be a human crushed by a garage door.
  The sheriff’s department wrote, “Congratulate the homeowner
  
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• Trump nominee for Texas judge said transgender children show ‘Satan’s plan’

  21-09-2017 14:51 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (AP) — President Donald Trump’s nominee for a federal judgeship in Texas – and the No. 2 in the state attorney general’s office – previously described transgender children as evidence of “Satan’s plan” and suggested that gay marriage could lead to polygamy and bestiality.
  First Texas Assistant Attorney General Jeff Mateer’s comments came during a 2015 speech. They were first reported Wednesday by CNN. Mateer was discussing a Colorado l
  
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• Take a look at 2018 Winter Olympics medals

  21-09-2017 14:36 via kxan.com
  NEW YORK, New York (NBC News) — We’re getting a look at what the new 2018 Winter Olympics medals look like.
  The medals for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics were unveiled in both Seoul and New York City Wednesday. The Korean alphabet was incorporated into the edge of the medals to spell “Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.”
  The opening ceremony for the games is on Feb. 9, 2018 and you can watch all of it on KXAN! KXAN’s Erin Cargile will also be reporting from all the action
  
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• Group fighting to get old truss bridge in Bastrop County repaired

  21-09-2017 14:06 via kxan.com
  BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — The Lower Elgin Road Bridge in Bastrop County has clearly seen better days.
  It sits ravaged by the Memorial Day floods of 2015. Before that, it served as a pedestrian walkway. Before that, it was the only way for farmers and others in their cars or on their horse and buggy to cross Wilbarger Creek
  Today it’s mangled, rusted and a safety hazard.
  “It’s just shameful that it’s been allowed to deteriorate to this point,” says Ernie N
  
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• A fanny pack for the man who wants a ‘dad bod’

  21-09-2017 13:36 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN/CNN) — Dad bods are all the rage. But if your svelte physique won’t let you gain those extra few pounds for the perfect belly, there’s a new fanny pack that can help you with that.
  The “Dadbag” is the newest men’s fashion accessory — or women’s — and it’s the brainchild of a London artist. The fanny pack is made to resemble a hairy, pudgy belly.
  The designer is currently seeking production partners to make the “D
  
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• Trapped girl a symbol for Mexico’s quake rescue efforts

  21-09-2017 13:19 via kxan.com
  MEXICO CITY (AP) — A delicate effort to reach a young girl buried in the rubble of her school stretched into a new day on Thursday, a vigil broadcast across the nation as rescue workers struggled in rain and darkness to pick away unstable debris and reach her.
  The sight of her wiggling fingers early Wednesday became a symbol for the hope that drove thousands of professionals and volunteers to work frantically at dozens of wrecked buildings across the capital and nearby states looking for s
  
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• Mexico navy official: No missing child in collapsed school

  21-09-2017 13:19 via kxan.com
  MEXICO CITY (AP) — A high-ranking navy official said Thursday there is no missing child at a collapsed Mexico City school that had become a focus of rescue efforts following this week’s deadly magnitude 7.1 earthquake, though an adult still may be alive in the rubble.
  Navy Assistant Secretary Angel Enrique Sarmiento said that while there are blood traces and other signs suggesting that someone is alive, all the school’s children have been accounted for.
  “We have done an a
  
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• Girl still buried in ruins of Mexico school, anxiety grows

  21-09-2017 13:19 via kxan.com
  MEXICO CITY (AP) — A delicate effort to reach a young girl buried in the ruins of her school stretched into a new day on Thursday, a vigil broadcast across the nation as rescue workers struggled to pick away unstable debris and reach her.
  The sight of her wiggling fingers early Wednesday became a symbol for the hope that drove thousands of professionals and volunteers to work frantically at dozens of wrecked buildings across the capital and nearby states looking for survivors of the magnit
  
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• Body found at collapsed Mexico school; girl still trapped

  21-09-2017 13:19 via kxan.com
  MEXICO CITY (AP) — A delicate effort to reach a young girl buried in the ruins of her school stretched into a new day on Thursday, a vigil broadcast across the nation as rescue workers struggled in rain and darkness to pick away unstable debris and reach her.
  The sight of her wiggling fingers early Wednesday became a symbol for the hope that drove thousands of professionals and volunteers to work frantically at dozens of wrecked buildings across the capital and nearby states looking for su
  
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• $185M in bonds proposed for Travis County

  21-09-2017 12:35 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Beginning Thursday, Travis County voters will start hearing a lot about the $185 million in bonds voters will decide on this November. County officials plan to kick off their campaign to educate the public about what they want to do with that money and how much it’s going to cost taxpayers.
  The bond is broken down into Proposition A and Proposition B. Prop A would be $93.4 million for road improvements, drainage and bicycle safety. Prop B is slated for $91.5 for parks
  
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• ‘You will have consequences,’ UT stabbing victim’s mother to suspect

  21-09-2017 12:07 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Sept. 17 would have been Harrison Brown’s 20th birthday.
  For Lori Brown, Harrison’s mother, the past four months since his murder has been emotionally draining. She has been anxiously waiting for the court proceedings against suspect, Kendrex White, to unfold.
  “I’ll be honest with you, I have a lot of apprehensions and my stomach hurts,” Brown said speaking about her feelings on the hearing. “And I hope that the prosecution does get to br
  
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• Fire damages sobriety center in central Austin

  21-09-2017 11:55 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin firefighters are investigating the cause of a fire early Thursday morning at the Austin Turning Point Sober Living group home on Kim Lane in central Austin.
  Firefighters were called to the scene at 1:20 a.m. The fire started on the deck and spread to the kitchen. The fire was put out just after 2 a.m.
  The fire department says 11 people who were displaced by the fire are staying at Aloft Hotel in downtown Austin. Other residents who didn’t have damage to th
  
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• Fire burns group home in central Austin

  21-09-2017 11:55 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin firefighters are investigating the cause of a fire early Thursday morning at the Austin Turning Point Sober Living group home on Kim Lane in central Austin.
  Firefighters were called to the scene at 1:20 a.m. The fire started on the deck and spread to the kitchen. The fire was put out just after 2 a.m.
  The fire department says 11 people who were inside the home were not hurt in the fire. Those displaced by the fire are either staying at Aloft Hotel in downtown Au
  
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• UT significantly increases graduation rates, falls short of 70% goal

  21-09-2017 11:54 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The University of Texas at Austin released a new study Wednesday which found that the university is making significant strides in improving graduation rates but still faces significant obstacles in getting all students to graduate within four years.
  UT says the rate of students graduating in four years is 65.7 percent, which is up from the 51 percent rate the school saw in 2012. That was the year UT set a goal to raise student graduation rates to 70 percent by 202
  
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• 2 cited in Texas boating collision that left child dead

  21-09-2017 05:37 via kxan.com
  LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Texas game wardens say the operators of two boats have been cited for failing to maintain a proper lookout after a collision earlier this month on a Lubbock-area lake that left a 1-year-old child dead and several people injured.
  Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game wardens said in a statement Wednesday that the adult operator of each of the motorboats was cited for negligent operation-fail to maintain proper lookout. The offense carries a fine ranging from $24 to
  
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• $10 million in cocaine seized in two busts in Fayette county

  21-09-2017 05:18 via kxan.com
  FAYETTE COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — K-9 Lobos sniffed out cocaine in one of two drug busts the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office conducted in two days, within miles of each other. In total, officers seized more than $10 million worth of cocaine.
  The first bust happened Monday, when an investigator stopped a Chevy truck for a traffic violation on Interstate 10 near mile 660 outside of Flatonia, Texas. According to a release, several “criminal indicators” as well as conflicting st
  
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• More charges, new defendant in Texas human smuggling case

  21-09-2017 05:15 via kxan.com
  SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Authorities say the driver of a semitrailer found outside a San Antonio Walmart in July packed with immigrants, including 10 who died, faces additional charges in the smuggling case and another defendant has now been charged.
  The U.S. attorney’s office in San Antonio says a grand jury returned the superseding indictment Wednesday. U.S. Attorney Richard Durbin Jr. says he won’t seek the death penalty against the driver, James Bradley Jr. Bradley faces up to li
  
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• Car shoppers beware: flooded vehicles showing up on used car lots

  21-09-2017 05:10 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Harvey’s floodwaters could cause problems for people shopping for used cars for months to come. Nearly 1,000,000 vehicles were damaged during the hurricane, and now, a good number of them are expected to begin showing up at used car lots.
  “After a big storm, we will almost always get a car or two in that has suffered some water damage,” said Joe Lamping, owner of Flamingo Automotive.
  Lamping founded the automotive shop nearly 30 years ago and doe
  
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• Mental health at center of pre-trial for UT stabbing suspect Kendrex White

  21-09-2017 04:06 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In a pre-trial hearing set for Thursday afternoon, prosecutors will ask again to have their own expert evaluate Kendrex White for sanity. White was indicted by a Travis County grand jury on first-degree murder charges in connection with the stabbing attack on the University of Texas campus on May 1 that killed one student and injured three others.
  White, 21, has also been indicted on three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for the three students he allegedly
  
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• Ricky Williams arrested after traffic stop

  21-09-2017 03:19 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A former NFL running back and Longhorn spent part of the night in the Travis County jail after being pulled over for a traffic stop.
  The Austin Police Department says an officer stopped Ricky Williams, 40, in the 4400 block of Manchaca Road around 10:36 p.m. Tuesday because his car was missing a rear license plate. During the traffic stop, the officer discovered Williams had two outstanding traffic warrants, so he was taken to jail.
  Williams paid a fine and was released Wed
  
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• San Marcos residents must conserve water under drought rules

  21-09-2017 03:16 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — After a brief break from drought conditions, the City of San Marcos is telling residents they will have to conserve water by cutting down on sprinkler use and car washing.
  The city is implementing Stage 1 drought rules starting Sunday, Sept. 24. The Edwards Aquifer Authority implemented Stage 1 on Sept. 16.
  “Wasting water is prohibited,” according to a release from the city.
  San Marcos Stage 1 drought restrictions for watering lawns (Courtesy City of
  
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• TxDOT uses virtual dodgeball game to tackle serious drunk driving topic

  21-09-2017 02:29 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (Nexstar)– The Texas Department of Transportation is promoting a creative way to tackle drinking and driving in the state.
  The agency uses a virtual dodgeball game to remind Texans about “how drinking can impair a driver’s reflexes.”
  “The goal here is to get people to plan while you can,” TxDOT spokesperson Chris Bishop said.”We want you to understand that what you need to do is to plan for a way to get home. Plan for a way to get where you’
  
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• Man who found skeletal remains posts discovery on Facebook

  21-09-2017 02:03 via kxan.com
  WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — It’s something he couldn’t have imagined he would stumble across: skeletal remains.
  “Oh God, it’s like somebody just died here,” said the man who discovered the body in a live Facebook post.
  Police were called to investigate the find on the 2000 block of Brushy Creek Road Tuesday afternoon, which is just southeast of U.S. Highway 79 and Red Bud Lane. The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office is still trying to identify the
  
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• Construction costs throughout the state expected to increase after Hurricane Harvey

  21-09-2017 01:43 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) – The price to finish a construction project may increase in the coming months as resources head to the Texas coast to rebuild after Hurricane Harvey.  Architects are already warning one school district about the potential increase before it even starts construction on a new elementary school.
  Central Texas may not be recovering from Hurricane Harvey like those who live along the coast, but experts say locals will soon start to feel its impacts.
  “Early n
  
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• Fall allergens are already out in full force

  21-09-2017 00:55 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The first day of fall, also known as the “Fall Equinox,” is on Friday, September 22nd. With our change in seasons, comes a change of allergens in the air. The culprits this fall season? Ragweed and fall elm.
  Dr. Doug Barstow, Owner and Physician at Allergy-Free Austin, says this year’s fall allergies could be pretty awful as fall elm and ragweed return in full force. When the wettest August on record is followed by a bone dry September, all that pollen can
  
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