Austin news

• Amber Alert issued for 3-year-old Richardson girl

  07-10-2017 22:37 via kxan.com
  RICHARDSON, Texas (KXAN) — Richardson Police said they are looking for 3-year-old Sherin Mathews, who was last seen in Richardson at 3 a.m. Saturday.
  Police said she is Asian with black hair, brown eyes and weighs 22 pounds. They said she was last seen wearing a pink top and black pajama bottoms.
  If you have any information about her, please call the Richardson Police Department at 972-744-4801.
  
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• Police arrest mom, say she abandoned young children in hotel room

  07-10-2017 22:11 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Police arrested a woman who they said left her children, ages three and four, alone in a hotel room for nearly five hours.
  Police said neighbors called to report that a little girl had been left alone all night and had been crying. When police arrived at the Holiday Inn hotel, they found the girl and her younger brother, according to an arrest affidavit.
  The mother, 29-year-old Katie Connaker, was arguing with the children’s father before she left the children.
  
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• Rapper Nelly arrested on rape accusation

  07-10-2017 20:01 via kxan.com
  AUBURN, Wash. (AP) – Police have arrested rapper Nelly after a woman said he raped her in a town outside Seattle, an accusation the Grammy winner’s attorney staunchly denies.
  Auburn police spokesman Commander Steve Stocker said officers arrested Nelly, whose real name is Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., early Saturday morning in his tour bus at a Walmart.
  Nelly is scheduled to perform in Ridgefield, Washington, on Saturday night.
  Nelly’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, said the allegation w
  
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• Weekend Gardener: Piper Sanctum – the plant that smells like root beer

  07-10-2017 19:55 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN)– Of course root beer doesn’t grow on trees, but this plant comes pretty close. Piper Sanctum is part of the Holy plant family. It is a tropical plant from Mexico where it doesn’t freeze.
  In some parts of Mexico, it is used in cooking and serving dishes. If you plan on growing Piper Sanctum, remember that it requires more water and it’ll grow in the shade.
  What stands out most about it, is its smell. the plant has been dubbed “the root beer plant”
  
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• Piper Sanctum- the plant that smells like Root Beer

  07-10-2017 19:55 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN)– Of course root beer doesn’t grow on trees, but this plant comes pretty close. Piper Sanctum is part of the Holy plant family. It is a tropical plant from Mexico where it doesn’t freeze.
  In some parts of Mexico, it is used in cooking and serving dishes. If you plan on growing Piper Sanctum, remember that it requires more water and it’ll grow in the shade.
  What stands out most about it, is its smell. the plant has been dubbed “the root beer plant”
  
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• Child sex assault suspect found, arrested

  07-10-2017 19:48 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Police say the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force has arrested a man charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child in east Austin.
  Martin Michael Flores, Jr., 26, was arrested Saturday and faces a felony charge, according to the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force.
  He allegedly sexually assaulted a 7-year-old girl at a home on Calmar Cove on Sept. 23, according to an arrest warrant. He’s also accused of having three video clips of the assault on his cell phone.
  The wa
  
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• Man jumps over Congress Bridge into Lady Bird Lake

  07-10-2017 18:44 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN)– Austin police responded to the Ann Richards Congress Avenue Bridge to search for a man who witnesses say jumped from the bridge into Lady Bird Lake Saturday morning.
  Austin Fire Department and EMS responded to the scene at 10:15 a.m. Witnesses said the man jumped over but had not surfaced. After minutes of searching the area, additional witnesses said the man had already gotten out of the water. The rescue units were called off.
  Swimming in Lady Bird Lake is banned due to po
  
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• The Latest: Oil platforms shut as storm churns through Gulf

  07-10-2017 17:23 via kxan.com
  NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Latest on Hurricane Nate (all times local):
  1:45 p.m.
  More than 40 percent of manned oil- and gas-producing platforms in the Gulf of Mexico have been evacuated, according to an update from the Interior Department, as Hurricane Nate churns toward the U.S. mainland.
  The Department said Saturday that workers were evacuated from 312 of the 737 manned platforms in the Gulf.
  Crews also have been taken off 13 of 20 manned drilling rigs and other rigs have been moved out of
  
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• The Latest: Oil and gas platforms

  07-10-2017 17:23 via kxan.com
  NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Latest on Hurricane Nate (all times local):
  11:45 a.m.
  Some oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico are being shut down as Hurricane Nate churns toward the U.S. mainland.
  Federal officials said Friday that workers were evacuated from 66 oil- and gas-producing platforms in the Gulf, about 9 percent of the total of manned facilities.
  The Interior Department says crews also have been taken off five drilling rigs and other rigs have been moved out of the storm’
  
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• The Latest: Nate makes landfall near mouth of Mississippi

  07-10-2017 17:23 via kxan.com
  NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Latest on Hurricane Nate (all times local):
  7 p.m.
  Hurricane Nate has made landfall at the mouth of the Mississippi River as a Category 1 storm with winds of 85 mph (74 kph).
  The National Hurricane Center said Saturday night that Nate is expected to make a second landfall along the coast of Mississippi on Saturday night and then pass over parts of Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee.
  The storm has weakened slightly and is moving north a little slower at 20 mph (32 kph
  
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• The Latest: Hurricane Nate heads to mouth of Mississippi

  07-10-2017 17:23 via kxan.com
  NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Latest on Hurricane Nate (all times local):
  4:30 p.m.
  The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Hurricane Nate is about 50 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River at Louisiana’s southeastern tip. The storm is moving north-northwest toward the Gulf Coast at an unusually fast 23 mph (37 kph).
  With maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 kph), Nate had not gained strength as of the center’s 4 p.m. advisory. But forecasters said it might still reac
  
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• Hurricane Nate makes landfall as Category 1 storm

  07-10-2017 17:23 via kxan.com
  NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Latest on Hurricane Nate (all times local):
  8:45 p.m.
  New Orleans’ mayor is lifting a curfew as Hurricane Nate passes by and appears to spare the city known for its all-night partying.
  Mayor Mitch Landrieu said Saturday night that he lifted the curfew because the National Weather Service cancelled a hurricane warning for city.
  He still recommends people shelter in place because of the tropical storm-force winds. Some of the watering holes along the well-known b
  
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• Texas Teen Book Festival underway in Austin

  07-10-2017 16:42 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN)– The Texas Teen Book Festival is underway as more than 40 authors make their way to the St. Edward’s University campus for the annual book Festival.
  For the first time ever, the festival is partnering with We Need Diverse Books to highlight the need for more diversity in young adult literature. This year, festival goers will have access to a variety of workshops and several author panels featuring established authors such as Keynote Speaker Marie Lu, and Jason Reynolds
  
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• Fans celebrate young adult literature at Texas Teen Book Festival

  07-10-2017 16:42 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Hundreds of young book lovers and more than 40 authors descended on St. Edward’s University Saturday for the Texas Teen Book Festival.
  And several award winning authors were also in attendance, including actress and author Mayim Bialik, Anna-Marie McLemore, Jason Reynolds and MacKenzie Lee.
  “It’s a big celebration for people who like to read books written for teens, and anyone who reads ‘YA’ literature,” said author Mackenzie Lee. “
  
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• Police: Car crash in London is traffic accident, not terror

  07-10-2017 16:28 via kxan.com
  LONDON (AP) — A car crash that injured 11 people Saturday outside London’s popular Natural History Museum was a traffic accident, not a terrorist attack, London police said.
  The accident had sparked fears of an attack because it involved a car hitting pedestrians at a crowded site favored by tourists to the British capital.
  A massive police presence descended on the museum district minutes after the accident at 2:20 p.m. as police tried to determine if there was a threat to public sa
  
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• Car hits pedestrians outside London museum; some injured

  07-10-2017 16:28 via kxan.com
  LONDON (AP) — British emergency services raced to London’s Natural History Museum after a car struck pedestrians Saturday outside the building. Police said a number of people were injured and one person was detained at the scene.
  The crash happened at 2:20 p.m. on a day when the central London museum is usually teeming with pedestrians, including international tourists.
  Photographs showed a dented silver car and a man being pinned to the ground outside the museum. Witness Katie Crain
  
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• US Gulf Coast races to ready for fast-moving Hurricane Nate

  07-10-2017 16:01 via kxan.com
  NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Gulf Coast residents scrambled to finalize storm preparations as Hurricane Nate raced swiftly over the central Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, gaining added strength as forecasters said it would smash into the U.S. coast during the night.
  Louisiana’s governor urged his state’s residents to take Nate seriously, saying the storm “has the potential to do a lot of damage.”
  “No one should take this storm lightly. It has already claimed the lives of a
  
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• US Gulf Coast braces for fast-approaching Hurricane Nate

  07-10-2017 15:33 via kxan.com
  NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Hurricane Nate raced swiftly over the central Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, gaining added strength as forecasters said it would smash into the U.S. Gulf Coast in coming nighttime hours.
  Louisiana’s governor urged his state’s residents to take Nate seriously even before New Orleans and much of his state’s fragile coast was placed under a hurricane warning, saying the storm “has the potential to do a lot of damage.”
  “No one should take thi
  
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• Hurricane Nate makes landfall at mouth of Mississippi River

  07-10-2017 15:33 via kxan.com
  NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Hurricane Nate came ashore at the mouth of the Mississippi River on Saturday and pelted the central Gulf Coast with wind and rain as the fast-moving storm steamed toward the Mississippi coast, where it was expected to make another landfall and threatened to inundate homes and businesses in vulnerable low-lying areas.
  Nate was expected to pass to the east of New Orleans, sparing the city its most ferocious winds and storm surge. And its quick speed decreased the likelihoo
  
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• Hurricane Nate closes in on Mississippi, eyes 2nd landfall

  07-10-2017 15:33 via kxan.com
  NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Hurricane Nate came ashore on a sparsely populated area at the mouth of the Mississippi River on Saturday and closed in on Mississippi, pelting the central Gulf Coast region with strong winds and heavy rains.
  Nate was forecast to make its second landfall near Biloxi, Mississippi, and threatened to inundate homes and businesses.
  The center of the storm passed to the east of New Orleans, sparing the city its most ferocious winds and storm surge. And its quick speed lessene
  
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• Mopac northbound Express Lane now open

  07-10-2017 15:19 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN, (KXAN) After five years of construction and numerous delays, MoPac’s northbound Express Lane is now open as of 8 a.m. Saturday.
  It stretches from Cesar Chavez Street downtown to RM 2222 in northwest Austin. Drivers can get on and off at those locations, as well as near Parmer Lane.
  The toll for that section of road will be 25 cents this weekend, according to the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority. Tolls will be collected using TxTag, TollTag or EZ-Tag, although drivers
  
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• High School Football Week 6: Pflugerville vs. Stony Point

  07-10-2017 05:43 via kxan.com
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — Stony Point beat Pflugerville, 49-13 in district 13-6A play.
  The Tigers improve to 3-3 this season, 2-0 in district play. They’ll play Cedar Ridge next week.
  The Panthers fall to 1-1 in 13-6A, 2-4 on the year. They’ll play Round Rock on Thursday night on KBVO.
  
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• CUTE ALERT: Denver Zoo welcomes two red panda cubs

  07-10-2017 05:15 via kxan.com
  DENVER (WFLA/NBC) – The Denver Zoo welcomed the birth of two male red panda cubs over the summer.
  The brothers won’t be visible to the public for another few weeks, but the zoo’s animal care staff shared a video of the cubs’ exams.
  Staff says the babies and their mother are thriving. The brothers are pretty feisty and have been wrestling each other.
  Red pandas are native to Asia and are listed as an endangered species.
  This is the panda parents’ second litter and th
  
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• Taylor High School crowns last homecoming queen on historic field

  07-10-2017 05:11 via kxan.com
  TAYLOR, Texas (KXAN) — It’s a historic night out at what fans call “Duck Pond.” Friday night marked the last homecoming game on Taylor High School’s Memorial Field, purchased more than 100 years ago, before the Ducks make their move to a new football stadium.
  KXAN took a step back in time with Taylor’s first homecoming queen before she crowned the 2017 queen on the same field — for the last time. We met her inside the “Duck Room.” Think of it
  
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• Will employers drop birth control coverage after rule change?

  07-10-2017 04:43 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A decision from the Trump administration is making a major change to initiatives under the Affordable Care Act, and it could have a big impact on women.
  A change in federal regulations will allow any company to stop providing free birth control to women if they have religious or moral objections.
  The Department of Health and Human Services says no one “should be forced to violate” their conscience to follow health care laws.
  “A lot of people do agree that
  
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• Mold discovered at San Marcos CISD admin office

  07-10-2017 03:25 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) – After conducting two air quality tests, the San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District confirms there is a “presence of mold” in the Central Office building.
  The district says the building located at 501 S. LBJ Dr. recently suffered water damage due to recent rain. In 2016, the Human Resource office flooded from a plumbing issue and the superintendent’s office also had water damage from a plumbing issue, according to an air report. Seve
  
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• Deep Eddy Pool delays opening after city has problem filling it

  07-10-2017 03:17 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — If you planned on waking up bright and early for the Deep Eddy Pool opening, you might want to reschedule or look into another local swimming hole.
  The pool is currently experiencing a failure with its well system used to fill the pool with water, causing it to fill slower than usual.
  The city is still going ahead with the opening celebration, although it will be delayed until the pool is full.
  Staff are on-hand to answer any questions or concerns. The Austin Parks and Recr
  
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• On day 1 of ACL, festival-goers pack into Zilker Park with Vegas in mind

  07-10-2017 02:15 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — As the Austin City Limits music festival begins, the Central Texas staple is the first large-scale concert series in the state since the deadly attack in Las Vegas.
  The Nevada shooting that took the lives of almost 60 people and injured hundreds more, was on the minds of many ACL attendees.
  “At the end of the day, we are always just ‘be aware of where we are at,'” said ACL regular Alberto Garcia.
  He and thousands of others passed through gates that beha
  
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• Austin may extend Red River Street noise curfew pilot

  07-10-2017 01:39 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An experiment letting bands play later in the Red River Cultural District in downtown Austin is paying off, city leaders say.
  The local music industry is pushing to extend the city’s six-month pilot program aimed at helping local musicians and live music venues. It allows bars on Red River Street to extend live music by an hour.
  On Thursdays, the area’s noise curfew was pushed from 11 p.m. to midnight. And, thanks to the program, artists can currently
  
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• Dripping Springs ISD first district to offer real estate course

  07-10-2017 01:36 via kxan.com
  DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas (KXAN) – Many local schools are providing students the chance to graduate high school with the skills needed to start working in a high demand career without going to college.
  In Dripping Springs, the district is now the first school in the state to offer a real estate class where students can graduate and earn their license soon after.
  “At the end of this school year if they are 18, they will have satisfied their education requirement and immediately sit for
  
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• Serial thief linked to more than 100 cases across Texas, other states

  07-10-2017 00:30 via kxan.com
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — A mystery man has been going on shopping sprees for about a year, and not paying, says the Georgetown police.
  “This individual has been linked to about 130 other cases from Texas to Colorado, California, Washington,” explains Cpt. Roland Waits with the Georgetown Police Department.
  Williamson County is the scene of the latest crime. Investigators say the suspect bought electronics from the Best Buy in Georgetown in August, after stealing credit cards
  
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• SWAT situation that shut down SH 71 ends peacefully

  07-10-2017 00:22 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A SWAT situation following a crash shut down State Highway 71 Friday afternoon and has ended peacefully.
  The Travis County Sheriff’s Office says there were no serious injuries in the crash at Ross Road, but one person involved refused to get out of the vehicle. Police closed SH 71 between SH 130 and Wolf Lane for more than an hour.
  Deputies were called to the scene at 4:15 p.m. and have the suspect in custody. Initially there was a concern the suspect could be armed.
  
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