Austin news

• Topo Chico sells out to Coca-Cola for $220 million

  02-10-2017 23:59 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — We get it, Topo Chico is popular. So popular in fact that Coca-Cola bought the company to continue growing its sparkling water portfolio.
  The deal was finalized on Monday at a cost of $220 million, according to Fobes. The drink mega-company says the effervescent water won’t change and will continue to be imported from the water source in Cerro del Topo Chico in northern Mexico where it has been bottled since 1895.
  The company’s vice president of emerging br
  
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• Texas offense sputtering into Big 12 play

  02-10-2017 23:52 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Touchdowns are rare, the running game is going nowhere and a patchwork offensive line has the quarterback on the run when he’s not wearing a protective boot on his sprained ankle.The Texas offense is in a serious funk. And in a touchdown-crazy league like the Big 12, that could lead to some serious trouble for the Longhorns.
  “The way our defense has played the last few weeks, they have played at a level we can win with,” Longhorns coach Tom Herman sai
  
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• 20-month-old boy hit, killed by truck in front of Taylor home

  02-10-2017 23:13 via kxan.com
  TAYLOR, Texas (KXAN) — A 20-month-old boy who ran out into the road in front of his Taylor home Sunday afternoon died when a neighbor hit him with his truck.
  The 50-year-old neighbor was driving on East Pecan Street at around 4:39 p.m. Sunday when the boy, Henry Campos, Jr., ran into the road, according to Taylor police.
  Campos was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say Campos and the driver live across the street from one another.
  Officers say the driver stopped and was cooperative with
  
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• Two killed in crash on SH 29 in Burnet County

  02-10-2017 23:11 via kxan.com
  BURNET COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Two people are dead after a multi-vehicle collision in Burnet County Monday morning.
  The Texas Department of Public Safety says the crash happened around 7:45 a.m. on State Highway 29 near County Road 305, which is just a few miles east of the city of Burnet. One person died at the scene and a second person died at the hospital. A third person is in in the hospital with critical injuries.
  In July, a woman was killed in a crash on SH 29, just a couple miles wes
  
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• SWAT responds to suicidal person at Leander apartment complex

  02-10-2017 22:48 via kxan.com
  LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) — Some residents at the Park at Crystal Falls Apartments in Leander were evacuated from their units due to police activity involving a suicidal person.
  Leander police said they were called to the apartment at 7740 US 183A around 2 p.m.
  When authorities arrived, they believed the person was barricaded in their unit. A SWAT team was called in to assist.
  The situation ended when officers made entry into the apartment unit around 3:30 p.m. A body was found inside.
  SWAT si
  
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• Power outage hits UT Austin, closing LBJ Library for the day

  02-10-2017 22:46 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A power outage hit the University of Texas at Austin campus Monday afternoon, affecting 12 buildings.
  The university said their Utilities and Management department is investigating the cause and would have the buildings’ power restored using backup generators.
  At 4:10 p.m., university police said power was restored to all but one building on campus.
  The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum said on their Facebook page the library has closed for the day due to the p
  
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• Tom Petty not dead despite initial reports

  02-10-2017 22:25 via kxan.com
  LOS ANGELES (KXAN) — Musician Tom Petty is still alive after CBS News initially reported that he died Monday, after he was found unconscious and not breathing at his home in Malibu, California.
  TMZ reports Petty, 66, the lead singer of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, was found Sunday night and taken to UCLA Santa Monica Hospital. An hour after reports of his death were published, TMZ said that at 10:30 a.m. Monday a chaplain was called to Petty’s hospital room.
  TMZ says their s
  
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• Seguin deputy chief injured in Las Vegas shooting that ‘sounded like a war zone’

  02-10-2017 22:25 via kxan.com
  SEGUIN, Texas (KXAN) — The deputy chief of the Seguin Police Department was among the more than 500 injured in the mass shooting in Las Vegas, Sunday night.
  In a post on the department’s Facebook page, police say Deputy Chief Bruce Ure was at the concert when the crowd became the target of a shooter in a casino across the street.
  The department says Ure is safe and suffered a minor wound on his hand. “He is safe and making arrangements to come back home to Texas,” the pos
  
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• Erroneous reports about Tom Petty’s death cause confusion

  02-10-2017 22:25 via kxan.com
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — For several hours Monday, music lovers believed Tom Petty was dead.
  Courtney Love, Talib Kweli, Kid Rock, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Stanley and Lin-Manuel Miranda were among scores of fans posting remembrances on Twitter, where Petty was the top worldwide trending topic Monday afternoon. A memorial was scheduled for his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
  But the 66-year-old entertainer is still alive, and news outlets that announced his death Monday retracted their stories lat
  
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• Houston man accused of decapitating mother, stabbing father

  02-10-2017 21:15 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (AP) — Investigators say a 27-year-old Houston man is accused of decapitating his mother and wounding his father in a stabbing attack.
  Harris County court records show Kyriakos Savvas Georghiou is being held without bond Monday on charges of murder and aggravated assault of a family member in the Friday night attack.
  Houston police say the suspect came out of the home carrying two knives and surrendered to officers who were responding to a domestic disturbance call.
  The Houston Chr
  
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• Mueller adds new mixed-used building near former airport tower

  02-10-2017 20:58 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The empty lot that currently sits across from the former Mueller airport control tower will be turned into a mixed-use development.
  On Monday, Catellus Development Corp. announced it selected Austin Modern Lofts to build Mueller’s next edition, which will start construction in early 2018. The new residential and retail development at the northwest corner of Berkamn Drive and Tom Miller Street will have 91 for-sale residential units comprised of 35 condos and 56 townho
  
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• Las Vegas gunman was retired and had no criminal record

  02-10-2017 20:10 via kxan.com
  MESQUITE, Nev. (AP) — Stephen Paddock lived in a tidy Nevada retirement community where the amenities include golf, tennis and bocce. He owned rental properties, held a private pilot’s license and liked to travel to Las Vegas to play high-stakes video poker.
  But nothing in his background suggests why he would have been on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino with at least 10 guns on Sunday night, raining an unparalleled slaughter upon an outdoor country music festival
  
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• Las Vegas gunman accused of killing 59 was wealthy real-estate investor

  02-10-2017 20:10 via kxan.com
  MESQUITE, Nev. (AP) — Stephen Paddock lived in a tidy Nevada retirement community where the amenities include golf, tennis and bocce. He was a multimillionaire real-estate investor, recently shipped his 90-year-old mother a walker and liked to travel to Las Vegas to play high-stakes video poker.
  Nothing in his background suggests why he would have been on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino with at least 17 guns on Sunday night, raining an unparalleled slaughter upon an out
  
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• Brother: Las Vegas gunman was wealthy real-estate investor

  02-10-2017 20:10 via kxan.com
  MESQUITE, Nev. (AP) — Stephen Paddock lived in a tidy Nevada retirement community where the amenities include golf, tennis and bocce. He was a multimillionaire real-estate investor, recently shipped his 90-year-old mother a walker and liked to travel to Las Vegas to play high-stakes video poker.
  Nothing in his background suggests why he would have been on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino with at least 17 guns on Sunday night, raining an unparalleled slaughter upon an out
  
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• Brother: Las Vegas gunman accused of killing 59 was ‘multimillionaire’

  02-10-2017 20:10 via kxan.com
  MESQUITE, Nev. (AP) — Stephen Paddock lived in a tidy Nevada retirement community where the amenities include golf, tennis and bocce. He was a wealthy real-estate investor, recently shipped his 90-year-old mother a walker and liked to play high-stakes video poker in Las Vegas.
  Nothing in his background suggests why he would have been on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino with at least 17 guns on Sunday night, raining an unparalleled slaughter upon an outdoor country music
  
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• Austin Fire Department promotes first female battalion chief

  02-10-2017 19:51 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Fire Department recently promoted the first woman ever to battalion chief.
  Rebecca “Becky” Ackerman is one of 73 female firefighters at AFD, which has a total staff of 1,007 people. She has worked there for 24 years, and before that was in the U.S. Army. Most recently, Ackerman led AFD’s Communications section. She was promoted to captain in 2014.
  Ackerman’s family has a long history with the Austin Fire Department. Her father was an assis
  
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• Cedar Park woman injured in Vegas shooting

  02-10-2017 19:21 via kxan.com
  CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) — A Cedar Park woman and recent Texas Tech graduate was one of the hundreds injured in the Las Vegas shooting.
  Friends and family members of Danae Gibbs, 23, were posting on social media Monday morning that she just got out of surgery and was resting. In a Facebook post around 9 a.m., Gibbs’ father posted, “She’s an amazing daughter. Your prayers have been felt,” along with a family photograph.
  A GoFundMe page that was started to help with h
  
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• Biological clock discoveries by 3 Americans earn Nobel prize

  02-10-2017 18:39 via kxan.com
  STOCKHOLM (AP) — Three Americans won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on Monday for their discoveries about the body’s biological clock, opening up whole new fields of research and raising awareness about the importance of getting enough sleep.
  Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young won the 9-million-kronor ($1.1 million) prize for their work on finding genetic mechanisms behind circadian rhythms, which adapt the workings of the body to different phases of the
  
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• How to get a free ride from Capital Metro

  02-10-2017 17:23 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Starting Tuesday, Capital Metro is expanding its ride-hailing service in northeast Austin to six days a week.
  The pilot program, Pickup, will run until May 2018. People can get free rides Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. They need to first download an app or call 512-369-6200 and select a pickup point, time they want to leave and where they want to go. A vehicle will be there within 15 minutes, carrying other travelers heading in the same direction.
  Pickup adde
  
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• Prescribed burn happening at Reimers Ranch Park today

  02-10-2017 17:22 via kxan.com
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Firefighters will be conducting a prescribed burn at Reimers Ranch Park in the Dripping Springs area on Monday.
  The burn will take place between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. and will take two to four hours to complete. The park will remain open during the burn, but the entrance might experience delays because of it.
  People in the area will likely see smoke but Travis County officials said it should be relatively light.
  Crews conduct prescribed burns to reduce hazardous
  
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• Trump sticks to somber script, refuses to join guns debate

  02-10-2017 16:49 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump stuck to a somber script Monday after at least 58 people were shot dead in Las Vegas, condemning the largest mass shooting in modern U.S. history as an “act of pure evil” and declaring the nation would unite behind the survivors. He refused to get into a new debate over gun control.
  Faced with the sad and familiar ritual of a president offering consolation after horrific violence, Trump spoke slowly and carefully from the White House Dip
  
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• Trump condemns ‘act of pure evil’ in Las Vegas

  02-10-2017 16:49 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday condemned the largest mass shooting in modern U.S. history as an “act of pure evil” and said the nation was “joined together in sadness, shock and grief” after more than 50 people were gunned down in Las Vegas.
  Speaking slowly and somberly from the White House, Trump declared that the nation would rally together in the face of the latest act of senseless violence.
  “Our unity cannot be shattered by evil, our bo
  
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• Country music stars at Harvest Festival respond to shooting

  02-10-2017 16:47 via kxan.com
  LAS VEGAS, Nev. (KXAN) — The Route 91 Harvest Festival brought together dozens of country musicians to perform to thousands of country music fans over the span of three days. When Sunday’s mass shooting happened, Jason Aldean was closing out the show. Jake Owen performed before Jason Aldean took the main stage. He has given interviews saying he was less than 50 feet away from Aldean when the shots rang out.
  These were the artists who performed on the main stage on Sunday:
  Praying for
  
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• VIDEOS: Aftermath of shooting at Las Vegas concert

  02-10-2017 15:58 via kxan.com
  LAS VEGAS (KXAN) — A Las Vegas concert shooting is the most deadly mass shooting in modern U.S. history. There were about 22,000 people at the Jason Aldean concert, and a number of them captured the moments during and immediately after the gunfire. Authorities say at least 50 people are dead and more than 400 hurt.
  The crowd runs as shots are fired
  Audio recording of police response to the shooting
  A person captures gunshots in the background as they run away
  Gunshots can be heard on camer
  
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• APD will review ACL plans after Las Vegas shooting

  02-10-2017 15:17 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In the hours following the deadliest mass shooting in America, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley told KXAN the event is prompting his department to review security plans heading into the Austin City Limits music festival this weekend.
  The chief was interviewed on KXAN News Today where anchor Sally Hernandez asked if the Las Vegas shooting would change APD’s plans for ACL.
  “It’s not that it’s a threat that we are not aware of but whenever you have an i
  
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• PHOTOS: Las Vegas concert shooting

  02-10-2017 15:12 via kxan.com
  LAS VEGAS (KXAN) — At least 50 are dead and 400 injured after a gunman opened fire at a Jason Aldean concert in Las Vegas. There were thousands of people at the venue and many ran to get away from the shooting. PHOTOS: Las Vegas concert shooting LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 01: (EDITORS NOTE: Image contains graphic content.) People carry a peson at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after apparent gun fire was heard on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. There are reports of an activ
  
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• Supreme Court term begins with case of workers’ rights

  02-10-2017 14:10 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court opened a high-profile term Monday with a case about employees’ rights that could affect an estimated 25 million workers.
  Justice Neil Gorsuch, in his first full term on the bench, was silent during an otherwise lively argument in which the justices seemed closely divided.
  The case is of considerable importance to employers and their workers because it involves how employees can complain about pay and conditions in the workplace.
  The issue is whethe
  
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• First Monday in October: New Supreme Court term begins

  02-10-2017 14:10 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is starting its new year, with Justice Neil Gorsuch on board for his first full term.
  The nine justices are taking up several high-profile, difficult cases. This follows a term in which they were mostly shorthanded after Justice Antonin Scalia’s death, and avoided controversial issues.
  President Donald Trump tapped Gorsuch for Scalia’s seat. The new justice joined the court in April.
  The term’s first argument Monday is a major clash bet
  
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• Two taken to the hospital after SH 21 rollover crash

  02-10-2017 12:51 via kxan.com
  UHLAND, Texas (KXAN) — State Highway 21 has reopened near High Road after a rollover crash. It happened near Uhland, Texas, south of Austin.
  Officials say only one vehicle was involved in the crash. Two people were taken to Seton Medical Center Hays with serious injuries.
  SH 21 was shut down in both directions as of 5:32 a.m. and was closed until 6:04 a.m.
  The crash happened in the same area on SH 21 that was closed in September to repair a culvert that collapsed when rain from Hurric
  
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• Shooting on Las Vegas Strip kills 50, wounds more than 400

  02-10-2017 12:06 via kxan.com
  LAS VEGAS (AP/NBC) — The man police say opened fire in Las Vegas lived in North Texas. The gunman on the 32nd floor of a casino fired shots on an outdoor music festival, killing at least 50 people — including two off-duty police officers — and wounding more than 400, officials said early Monday. It’s the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
  Country music star Jason Aldean was performing when the shots began ringing out Sunday night at the Route 91 Harvest Festi
  
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• Shooting on Las Vegas Strip kills 20, wounds more than 100

  02-10-2017 12:06 via kxan.com
  LAS VEGAS (AP) — A gunman on the 32nd floor of a Las Vegas Strip casino opened fire on an outdoor music festival, killing at least 20 people — including two off-duty police officers — and wounding more than 100, officials said early Monday.
  Country music star Jason Aldean was performing when the shots began ringing out Sunday night at the Route 91 Harvest Festival.
  Officers confronted the suspect on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino across the street from the
  
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• Las Vegas shooter who killed 58, injured 515 had ties to Texas

  02-10-2017 12:06 via kxan.com
  LAS VEGAS (AP/NBC/KXAN) — The man police say opened fire in Las Vegas lived in North Texas. The gunman on the 32nd floor of a casino fired shots on an outdoor music festival, killing at least 58 people — including two off-duty police officers — and wounding more than 515, officials said early Monday. It’s the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
  Country music star Jason Aldean was performing when the shots began ringing out before 11 p.m. Sunday at the Route 91
  
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• Neighbors brace for traffic, crowds ahead of ACL

  02-10-2017 06:19 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Just a few days ahead of the 2017 Austin City Limits Festival, the people living near Zilker Park anticipate extra crowds and some hassle getting in and out of their neighborhoods.
  The changes due to the festival are especially notable for James Frey, who has lived in the house he built on Lund Street near Robert E Lee Road for 50 years. When he moved in, his was one of only a few houses in the area. Now there are blocks upon blocks of houses woven in the neighborhoods behi
  
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• Runners say improvements needed to increase trail safety after attacks

  02-10-2017 05:28 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Runners using Lady Bird Hike and Bike Trail say safety improvements need to be made, especially after three different attacks in just the past month.
  Sunday afternoon, there was no shortage of people along the trail, but when the sun sets the trail is off limits for many.  “I look around, and if it’s to dark, I’ll wait for other runners to show up so there’s a group of us,” said runner Andy Gallegos.  He hopes lighting is considered a
  
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• Bike ride, concert support SRV music scholarship fund

  02-10-2017 04:36 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Bikers revved their engines in a special kind of melody as they rode along Austin highways to raise money for the next generation of musicians.
  They were taking part in the 23rd Remembrance Ride and Concert to support the Stevie Ray Vaughan Scholarship. Funds raised at Sunday’s event will go towards music scholarships for students at Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy in Dallas’ Oak Cliff neighborhood, where famous guitarist Vaughan grew up.
  “It’s prov
  
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• Trump scoffs at ‘politically motivated ingrates’ after Maria

  02-10-2017 04:02 via kxan.com
  JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday scoffed at “politically motivated ingrates” who had questioned his administration’s commitment to rebuilding Puerto Rico after a pulverizing hurricane and said the federal government had done “a great job with the almost impossible situation.”
  Trump’s latest tweets sought to defend Washington’s attentiveness to recovery efforts on a U.S. territory in dire straits almost two weeks after Hurri
  
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• Trump attends golf tournament, defends hurricane response.

  02-10-2017 04:02 via kxan.com
  JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — President Donald Trump spent Sunday afternoon attending a high-profile golf tournament, signaling that he will not be cowed by critics of his response to Hurricane Maria.
  Earlier Sunday, Trump had scoffed at “politically motivated ingrates” who had questioned his administration’s commitment to rebuilding Puerto Rico after the pulverizing storm and assured Americans there had been “tremendous progress.”
  The remarks, in tweets and from t
  
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• Protests muted week after NFL responds to Trump criticism

  02-10-2017 03:46 via kxan.com
  GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers played on Thursday last week, before President Donald Trump lashed out at NFL players for not standing during the national anthem.
  So as teams across the league kneeled, sat and raised fists in protest, the team once at the epicenter of anthem protests was home watching it on TV.
  With a week to think about it, the 49ers came up with their own demonstration of unity.
  Just before Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco&r
  
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• Rams come from behind, beat Cowboys, 35-30

  02-10-2017 02:05 via kxan.com
  ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Todd Gurley can help make Jared Goff’s second go-round in the NFL much more enjoyable than the first.
  What better way for the Los Angeles Rams running back to show it than to lead a win over last year’s dynamic rookie duo of Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott and 2016 NFL rushing leader Ezekiel Elliott?
  Gurley scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 53-yard catch-and-run while generating 215 total yards, Greg Zuerlein kicked a career-high seven fi
  
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• Free self-defense class keeps women running safely on trails

  02-10-2017 01:58 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – More than a dozen Austin runners showed up to a free self-defense class Sunday all sharing a similar fear — not being able to protect themselves against sexual assault.
  Lizette Melendez organized the event after hearing that three women were attacked at different times and spots along the Lady Bird Hike and Bike Trail in the past month. Her goal was to help fellow runners build confidence.
  “It definitely gives you a boost up because without that, you’re he
  
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• HS football coach kicks 2 players off team near Houston for anthem protest

  02-10-2017 00:35 via kxan.com
  CROSBY, Texas (AP) — The football coach of a private high school near Houston has thrown two players off the team after one knelt and another raised a fist during the national anthem prior to a game.
  Head coach Ronnie Mitchem told the Houston Chronicle that he had an understanding with his players at Victory and Praise Christian Academy in Crosby that they would not protest during the anthem.
  Mitchem, a former Marine, says he doesn’t oppose acts of protest but says doing so during th
  
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• Masked robber strikes at third Austin 7-Eleven this week

  02-10-2017 00:14 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Another 7-Eleven has been robbed by a suspect holding a roman candle firework in his hand and wearing a Halloween mask early Sunday morning in north Austin, said the Austin Police Department.
  It happened at about 3:16 a.m. at the gas station in the 9200 block of Burnet Road just north of Research Boulevard, police said.
  Two similar robberies happened last week — one along MoPac between Spicewood Springs and Far West, and the second at 38 1/2 Street and Airport Bouleva
  
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• Another Austin 7-Eleven robbed by suspect holding roman candle

  02-10-2017 00:14 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Another 7-Eleven has been robbed by a suspect holding a roman candle firework in his hand and wearing a Halloween mask early Sunday morning in north Austin, said the Austin Police Department.
  It happened at about 3:16 a.m. at the gas station in the 9200 block of Burnet Road just north of Research Boulevard, police said.
  Two similar robberies happened last week — one along MoPac between Spicewood Springs and Far West, and the second at 38 1/2 Street and Airport Bouleva
  
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