Austin news

• Gov. Abbott meets with lawmaker who wants Confederate plaque removed

  27-10-2017 23:32 via kxan.com
  DALLAS (KXAN) — The future of monuments in Texas that honor the Confederacy remains undecided, following a meeting between Gov. Greg Abbott and State Rep. Eric Johnson, D-Dallas.
  The pair met on Friday in Dallas where they had a “productive meeting,” an Abbott staffer said.
  “They talked about ways to increase employment opportunities, increase educational opportunities and improve the lives of African-Americans in Dallas and across the state of Texas,” Abbott&r
  
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• Whacky World Series: Homers fly, Dodgers-Astros even at 1

  27-10-2017 23:12 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (AP) — As a couple of Astros loosened up in the outfield, the retractable roof at Minute Maid Park made its slow crawl Thursday, turning the bright sun into shade.
  That might be the only way to keep balls from flying completely out of the yard at this power-packed World Series.
  A day after Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and Houston combined with the Los Angeles Dodgers for a Series-record eight home runs in the Astros’ 7-6, 11-inning win, the baseball world was still marveling ov
  
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• VIDEO: 10-year-old boy leads police on 100 mph chase

  27-10-2017 23:05 via kxan.com
  CLEVELAND, Ohio (WCMH) – A 10-year-old boy from the Cleveland area is accused of leading police on a 100 mph chase Thursday.
  Police say this isn’t the first time the boy has taken the family car for a joyride.
  According to police, the boy was reported missing around 9 a.m. Thursday, WEWS reported.
  A short time later, a driver called police to report a child being chased in a car by someone who the caller assumed was the boy’s mother.
  Police said the boy led police on a cha
  
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• Mosquito sample in Georgetown tests positive for West Nile Virus

  27-10-2017 22:55 via kxan.com
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — Lab results received Thursday have confirmed a mosquito trap sample in Georgetown has tested positive for West Nile Virus.
  The trap sample, in the north side of downtown Georgetown, was collected Tuesday, according to the city of Georgetown.
  The species of mosquito that tested positive for the virus was the Southern house mosquito, which has a flight range of about one mile.
  The city says, because of colder temperatures and windy weather for the next few days, sp
  
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• How renting furniture in Texas can land you in jail

  27-10-2017 22:31 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (Texas Tribune) — When Melinda Sandlin walked out of Discount Furniture in Austin in late 2014, she was sure the store had put her on a payment plan to buy a new bedroom suite worth $2,750.
  A year later, after realizing she had sent in more than $3,000 for her seven-piece set, she figured she was done. So Sandlin told the store clerk she wasn’t going to be making any more monthly payments.
  “I already bought it out,” she recalls telling them. “And they’r
  
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• Walmart releases list of most popular Halloween costumes this year

  27-10-2017 22:29 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — If you’re debating on which Halloween costume to go with, don’t get the T-Rex because everybody got that costume, apparently.
  Walmart.com shared its list of top selling adult and kid costumes Friday. For adults it’s the Jurassic Park T-Rex Inflatable costume and a Spiderman Muscle Chest costume for the kiddos. The T-Rex, with a price tag of $34.99, has been a hit among older trick-or-treaters in 43 states while the Spiderman Muscle Chest costume beat out o
  
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• More relief in sight for Austin Water customers with unexplained high bills

  27-10-2017 21:40 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Relief could be coming to more Austinites who receive unusually high water bills for no apparent reason.
  City Council Member Ellen Troxclair will propose a resolution to refund 100 percent of unexplained overages in bills that are three times higher than property owners’ or leasees’ normal rates.
  “We’ve seen an outpouring of complaints about unusually high water bills yet again this year,” Troxclair said.
  Troxclair originally pushed for 70 perc
  
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• Austin Water’s meter readings undergoes audit

  27-10-2017 21:40 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin City Council Member Ellen Troxclair says she’s still receiving complaints from constituents about abnormally high Austin Water bills. Earlier this week, she requested an audit of the accuracy of the city’s water meter reading. She says the audit will give the city a better idea of how many of the unexplained high rates might be coming from inaccurate readings. Troxclair says it could take be a couple of months before the city receives the audit results.
  T
  
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• Tiger Woods pleads guilty to reckless driving, avoids jail

  27-10-2017 20:37 via kxan.com
  PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Superstar golfer Tiger Woods pleaded guilty to reckless driving and agreed to enter a diversion program Friday, five months after he was found passed out in his Mercedes with prescription drugs and marijuana in his system.
  Woods, 41, spoke only briefly during a hearing at a Palm Beach County courthouse, answering questions from a judge about his plea agreement. Prosecutors dropped his driving under the influence charge, and the judge warned him to stay out o
  
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• 30th annual AIDS Walk Austin Sunday

  27-10-2017 20:20 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — People will be taking to the streets for the 30th annual AIDS Walk Austin to raise money for advocacy organizations.
  “We’re helping people live independent lives, and our goal is to help people live healthier lives with better futures free from stigma,” said Taylor Stockett, the communications coordinator for the AIDS Services of Austin.
  The walk is 2.5 miles long and starts at Republic Square at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. There will also be food, music and f
  
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• WATCH: NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. becomes a weatherman

  27-10-2017 19:52 via kxan.com
  CHARLOTTE, N.C. (KXAN) — NASCAR’s most popular driver is getting himself prepared for his next job.
  Dale Earnhardt Jr. delivered the weekend forecast at the NBC affiliate in Charlotte, N.C. alongside his favorite weatherman, Larry Sprinkle.  Earnhardt Jr. says he grew up watching Sprinkle (what a great name for a meteorologist).
  Earnhardt is retiring after the 2017 season and says he’s looking forward to life off the race track. And even though he did a good job on the gre
  
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• Sixth Street shooter gets 65 years in prison

  27-10-2017 19:41 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – On Friday afternoon, a Travis County Jury decided to send Endicott McCray to prison for 65 years in the deadly shooting of a woman on Sixth Street last summer.
  During the second day of sentencing on Friday, several witnesses were called to testify. One was San Marcos Police Department officer Kevin Blackwood. Blackwood encountered McCray June 3, 2016 after he stopped him on Interstate 35 South in San Marcos. Blackwood says McCray was driving erratically and tailgating cars.
  
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• Sentencing continues in McCray murder trial

  27-10-2017 19:41 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – On Thursday afternoon a Travis County jury found Endicott McCray guilty of murder after shooting and killing a woman on Sixth Street last summer. Before a jury decides how long a prison sentence McCray will serve, prosecution called three witnesses to the stand.
  The first witness on the stand Friday morning was San Marcos Police Department officer Kevin Blackwood. Blackwood encountered McCray June 3, 2016 after he stopped him on Interstate 35 South in San Marcos. Blackwood
  
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• Drop off your prescriptions Saturday for Drug Take Back Day

  27-10-2017 19:13 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the country grapples with an opioid epidemic that President Trump has now declared a public health emergency, people can take concrete steps now to reduce the amount of prescription drugs that end up with people who shouldn’t have them.
  Saturday is National Drug Take Back Day. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. people can drop off their old prescriptions at designated sites.
  Here are those places in Austin, but people can look up other drop off locations on the Drug Enforcemen
  
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• Man locked inside beer cooler stays, consumes several beverages

  27-10-2017 18:50 via kxan.com
  MARSHFIELD, Wi. (Nexstar/KXAN) — A Wisconsin man who accidentally got locked inside a beer cooler at a gas station stayed inside and helped himself to beer overnight.
  The Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune reports the 38-year-old man told police he entered the cooler at the Kwik Trip to buy some beer but ended up getting locked inside around 11:50 p.m. Tuesday. Instead of alerting the employee, the man said he decided to stay in the cooler all night and drink beer.
  It was only when another cus
  
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• Zilker Park’s Great Lawn will reopen Saturday

  27-10-2017 18:35 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Now that the crowd and foot traffic from ACL Music Festival is over, Zilker Park’s Great Lawn will reopen to the public just in time for some gorgeous fall weather.
  The full 46 acres of the Great Lawn will be open from Saturday, Oct. 28 through Nov. 15. After Nov. 15, that section of the park will close again to get it prepared for Trail of Lights.
  Every year, the group that organizes ACL, C3, says they try to leave the park in better condition than they found it. Ove
  
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• Old Settlers bridge at I-35 to close for 10 months

  27-10-2017 18:19 via kxan.com
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — Getting through Round Rock on Interstate 35 will be tricky this weekend as the Texas Department of Transportation starts a major overhaul of the intersection at Old Settlers Boulevard.
  Starting Friday, Oct. 27 at 8 p.m., the main lanes of Interstate 35 will close at Old Settlers Boulevard for bridge demolition until 10 a.m. Saturday, and close at the same time again Saturday night. Traffic will be detoured to the frontage roads.
  The closure is part of a project t
  
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• No Refusal in effect for Halloween night in Austin

  27-10-2017 18:10 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As revelers get ready for Halloween parties this weekend, the Austin Police Department wants to remind everyone that a No Refusal DWI initiative will be in effect for Halloween night.
  No Refusal will run on Tuesday, Oct. 31. from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
  During last year’s Halloween DWI initiative, which lasted all weekend, Austin police arrested 54 drivers for DWI. Seven of those drivers had a breath sample over .15, which is nearly twice the legal limit. Four of the suspect
  
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• Man uses 22,000 square feet of yarn to create giant spiderweb

  27-10-2017 17:29 via kxan.com
  WEBB CITY, Mo. (KXAN/KSNF) — A man from Webb City, Mo., took the name to heart this Halloween season, and transformed his home into the perfect place for a spider to spend some time.
  J.D. Harper spent 60 hours to create a massive spiderweb in front of his house. It’s a tradition he does every year.
  This time around, the decoration is made up of 22,000 square feet of yarn, some of which was donated by a stranger whose grandmother was an avid knitter and recently passed away.
  “I
  
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• MoPac southbound Express Lane to open Saturday

  27-10-2017 16:42 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As of Saturday, all of the MoPac Express lanes will officially be open. Drivers can begin using the southbound lane at 8 a.m.
  The project began five years ago and encountered numerous delays. It now stretches in both directions from Parmer Lane in north Austin to Cesar Chavez Street in downtown Austin. The last section of the northbound lane opened Oct. 7.
  With the lanes open, drivers should be aware of people merging into and out of the Express Lanes.
  Signs will display pr
  
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• MoPac southbound Express Lane now open

  27-10-2017 16:42 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As of 8 a.m. on Saturday, all of the MoPac Express lanes are officially open for drivers to use.
  The project began five years ago and encountered numerous delays. It now stretches in both directions from Parmer Lane in north Austin to Cesar Chavez Street in downtown Austin. The last section of the northbound lane opened Oct. 7.
  With the lanes open, drivers should be aware of people merging into and out of the Express Lanes.
  Signs will display prices for the toll for those u
  
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• Vehicle hits Round Rock high school student

  27-10-2017 16:01 via kxan.com
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — An 11th grade student was hit by a vehicle in south Round Rock, Texas, Friday morning.
  The girl is a Round Rock High School student and was taken to the hospital, according to Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. Her parents were nearby at the time.
  A vehicle hit her around 8:33 a.m. at the intersection of Malaga Hills Drive and O’Connor Drive.
  The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office tweeted that people should expect delays but had no details on l
  
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• Caregiver of Indian girl found dead in Texas wants answers

  27-10-2017 15:21 via kxan.com
  NEW DELHI (AP) — A toddler whose body was recently found in a drain in suburban Dallas was cheerful, healthy and eating well a year ago when she met her new parents, according to the manager of the Indian orphanage from where Sherin Mathews was adopted.
  Babita Kumari said she wants to know what happened to the 3-year-old girl, whose father has been jailed after telling police that Sherin had choked to death while drinking milk in the middle of the night. Wesley Mathews has told police Sher
  
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• Caregiver of Indian girl found dead in Richardson wants answers

  27-10-2017 15:21 via kxan.com
  NEW DELHI (AP) — A toddler whose body was recently found in a drain in suburban Dallas was cheerful, healthy and eating well a year ago when she met her new parents, according to the manager of the Indian orphanage from where Sherin Mathews was adopted.
  Babita Kumari said she wants to know what happened to the 3-year-old girl, whose father has been jailed after telling police that Sherin had choked to death while drinking milk in the middle of the night. Wesley Mathews has told police Sher
  
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• Trump tweets happy birthday wishes to wrong Lee Greenwood

  27-10-2017 15:06 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — A “happy birthday” tweet from President Donald Trump to “God Bless the USA” singer Lee Greenwood went off course early Friday after Trump mentioned the wrong Twitter user.
  Trump tweeted: “Happy birthday to the great @leegreenwood83. You and your beautiful song have made such a difference. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” The singer’s Twitter name is @TheLeeGreenwood, but the president directed his message to a Lee Greenwood who describe
  
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• J.J. Watt will throw out first pitch in World Series game 3

  27-10-2017 14:39 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (KXAN) — Houston Texans star J.J. Watt is trading the football field for the baseball diamond Friday night — he’ll throw out the first pitch of Game 3 of the World Series.
  The Houston Astros announced Watt as their pick Thursday, in part to honor him for helping to raise more than $37 million for Hurricane Harvey relief.
  Watt posted a Twitter video Thursday explaining where the money will go — $30.15 million will be divided between Americares, Feeding America, SBP
  
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• Women rescued after voyage went from bad to worse

  27-10-2017 13:34 via kxan.com
  HONOLULU (AP) — A planned voyage from Hawaii to Tahiti aboard a small sailboat didn’t start off well for two Honolulu women. One of their cellphones washed overboard and sank into the deep blue water on their first day at sea.
  From there, things got worse. Much worse. About a month into their trip, bad weather caused their engine to lose power. Their mast was damaged. And then, as they drifted across thousands of miles of open ocean, their water purifier stopped working.
  But the two
  
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• Women lost months at sea credit dogs for keeping spirits up

  27-10-2017 13:34 via kxan.com
  HONOLULU (AP) — A planned voyage from Hawaii to Tahiti aboard a small sailboat didn’t start off well for two Honolulu women. One of their cellphones washed overboard and sank into the deep blue water on their first day at sea.
  From there, things got worse. Much worse. About a month into their trip, bad weather caused their engine to lose power. Their mast was damaged. And then, as they drifted across thousands of miles of open ocean, their water purifier stopped working.
  But the two
  
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• Sharks and lost hope: 2 women rescued after 5 months at sea

  27-10-2017 13:34 via kxan.com
  HONOLULU (AP) — The planned voyage from Hawaii to Tahiti aboard a 50-foot sailboat didn’t start off well for two Honolulu women. One of their cellphones was washed overboard and sank to the bottom on their first day at sea.
  From there, things got worse. Much worse.
  About a month into their trip, flooding from a storm crippled their engine. The 57-foot mast was damaged. And then, as they drifted thousands of miles in what turned out to be a five-month ordeal out in the middle of Pacif
  
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• UT professor who wrote pro-Trump op-ed says campus political discourse improving

  27-10-2017 13:26 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) —  About a year after a professor in Austin wrote that supporting then-candidate Donald Trump wasn’t winning him many friends on campus, Texas lawmakers will study whether free speech is being stifled on college campuses. KXAN’s media partners at the Texas Tribune reported this week it will happen before the next legislative session.
  Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asked legislators to look into the issue after protesters disrupted a conservative state represe
  
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• Will Austin’s homeless use new Central Library like they did at Faulk?

  27-10-2017 12:30 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Years late and tens of millions of dollars over budget, the new Central Library in downtown Austin is set to open its doors Saturday morning. While it is expecting huge crowds — there’s a big question about some of the most frequent users of the previous downtown library. The Faulk Central Library was known as a place where Austin’s homeless would go to use the various resources, but a library spokeswoman says they don’t expect it to be the same at t
  
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• Why fewer homeless people may spend time at the new Central Library

  27-10-2017 12:30 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Years late and tens of millions of dollars over budget, the new Central Library in downtown Austin is set to open its doors Saturday morning. While it is expecting huge crowds — there’s a big question about some of the most frequent users of the previous downtown library. The Faulk Central Library was known as a place where Austin’s homeless would go to use the various resources, but a library spokeswoman says they don’t expect it to be the same at t
  
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• VIDEO: Suspect steals 28 Nike flip flops from Pflugerville store

  27-10-2017 05:14 via kxan.com
  PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — A woman was caught on surveillance camera stuffing 28 pairs of Nike flip flops into her purse and a plastic bag before leaving a Pflugerville store without paying.
  Police say the theft happened on Tuesday Oct. 3 at the Rack Room Shoes at 18700 Limestone Commercial Dr., near the State Highway 130 and State Highway 45 interchange.
  The video shows the woman — who was wearing a black shirt with “LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE’ in white letters — wal
  
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• 2nd woman accuses George H.W. Bush of grabbing her backside

  27-10-2017 04:37 via kxan.com
  OGUNQUIT, Maine (AP) — A second actress is accusing former President George H.W. Bush of inappropriate touching.
  Jordana Grolnick says Bush grabbed her buttocks during a group photo last year at the Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine.
  She told Deadspin that Bush quipped that his favorite magician is “David Cop-a-Feel” and grabbed her. She said Barbara Bush responded, “He’s going to get himself put in jail.”
  Grolnick couldn’t be reached immediately by The Associ
  
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• Corrected flyers to be sent after inaccurate mailer about senior tax protections

  27-10-2017 04:24 via kxan.com
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A political action group is now sending corrected versions of a flyer campaigning for Travis County bonds after they realized their initial flyers were inaccurate.
  The PAC, “Travis Forward,” which is advocating for the passage of propositions A and B, told KXAN in an email statement Thursday, “Regrettably, our information was inaccurate and we apologize to the community.”
  KXAN learned of the flyers after multiple residents who questione
  
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• Pins of Diplomacy: Madeleine Albright shares stories behind legendary collection

  27-10-2017 01:54 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A dazzling, historic pin collection has made its way to the Lone Star State, and it belongs to the nation’s former chief diplomat.
  Former United States Secretary of State and United Nations Ambassador Madeleine Albright’s stunning collection of more than 200 jewels is on display at the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library in Austin.
  Albright, 80, cut the ribbon on the exhibit on Thursday. She provided a tour for members of the media to share the stories behind
  
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• Hundreds gathering to protest proposed rock quarry in Marble Falls

  27-10-2017 01:18 via kxan.com
  MARBLE FALLS, Texas (KXAN) — Hundreds are expected to protest ahead of an informational meeting about a proposed rock crushing plant near Marble Falls Thursday evening.
  The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is holding the meeting regarding a permit application for a rock crushing plant off of US 281 near Flat Rock Road. The proposed plant would also include a rock quarry, according to representatives with Asphalt Inc., the company that applied for the permit.
  The permit application
  
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• Hundreds gather to protest proposed rock quarry in Marble Falls

  27-10-2017 01:18 via kxan.com
  MARBLE FALLS, Texas (KXAN) — Hundreds of protesters attended an informational meeting about a proposed rock crushing plant near Marble Falls Thursday evening.
  The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality held the meeting regarding a permit application for a rock crushing plant off of US 281 near Flat Rock Road. The proposed plant would also include a rock quarry, according to representatives with Asphalt Inc., the company that applied for the permit.
  The permit application has garnered a
  
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• History expert weighs in on significance of JFK assassination records release

  27-10-2017 01:06 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — U.S. officials announced Thursday evening how some records in relation to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy would be released, while other files would be held pending review.
  Dr. Jeremi Suri, professor of public affairs and history at the University of Texas at Austin, says it’s much-needed insight on what happened in 1963.
  “This reminds us that even though we’re a democracy, we have to work harder on transparency,” he said.
  Suri also sa
  
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• UT student attacked in West Campus, police searching for suspect

  27-10-2017 00:59 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Officers are searching for a man who attacked a University of Texas at Austin student in West Campus this week.
  At around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, a 911 call was made reporting a disturbance at the 26 West Apartments, located at 600 W. 26th St.
  The caller said a man attacked a woman and left on foot toward the 7-Eleven convenience store on the Drag.
  A witness followed the suspect to the 7-Eleven where he lost sight of the man. Arriving officers then met with the victim, who was b
  
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• Suspect in attack on UT student caught by police

  27-10-2017 00:59 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Officers are no longer searching for a man who attacked a University of Texas at Austin student in West Campus this week, after he was arrested Thursday.
  At around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, a 911 call was made reporting a disturbance at the 26 West Apartments, located at 600 W. 26th St.
  The caller said a man attacked a woman and left on foot toward the 7-Eleven convenience store on the Drag.
  A witness followed the suspect to the 7-Eleven where he lost sight of the man. Arriving of
  
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• Man tried to abduct 7-year-old girl outside Bastrop County home

  27-10-2017 00:05 via kxan.com
  BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A 7-year-old returning to her home with family on Monday was grabbed by a man who tried to take her away, before being scared off by family searching for the girl.
  The Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office says it happened around 10 p.m. on Oct. 23 near the Travis-Bastrop County line on Farm to Market 812, not far from Mesa Drive.
  The girl’s family entered the home and, as the 7-year-old approached the front porch, deputies say the man grabbed her.
  He w
  
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