Austin news

• Neighbors recount moments surrounding deadly San Marcos officer shooting

  05-12-2017 23:39 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — For people who live in the El Camino Real subdivision in San Marcos, Monday afternoon was met with a slew of of sirens and crime scene tape.
  San Marcos Police Chief Chase Stapp says Officer Kenneth Copeland along with a “small contingent of officers” went to 177 Valero Dr. at 2:23 p.m. to serve a warrant. Shortly after the officers arrive, the male suspect began firing at the officers, “much like in an ambush type of situation,” Stapp
  
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• Credit card skimmers found at Bee Cave Exxon station

  05-12-2017 23:08 via kxan.com
  BEE CAVE, Texas (KXAN) — Police are warning drivers who bought gasoline using their credit card at the Exxon next to the Hill Country Galleria in Bee Cave to immediately check their credit card statement for any unauthorized purchases.
  The Bee Cave Police Department posted a photo of the two skimmers found at the gas station, located at 13006 West State Highway 71 near Ranch to Market 620, at 1:16 p.m. Tuesday.
  Officers are encouraging customers who bought gas at the station within the las
  
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• What we know about the man accused of killing San Marcos officer

  05-12-2017 23:05 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — The San Marcos Police Department has identified the man accused of shooting and killing Officer Kenneth Copeland as Stewart Thomas Mettz.
  Mettz, 51, owns the home at 177 Valero Dr., which is in the El Camino Real subdivision in southern San Marcos, off of Old Bastrop Road, according to the Hays County Appraisal District. The home listing shows Mettz is a disabled veteran.
  An arrest warrant filed on Dec. 4 accused Mettz of injury to an elderly person–family
  
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• Man accused of killing San Marcos officer faces capital murder charge

  05-12-2017 23:05 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — The San Marcos Police Department has identified the man accused of shooting and killing Officer Kenneth Copeland as Stewart Thomas Mettz. He faces a Capital Murder charge in the case.
  Mettz, 51, owns the home at 177 Valero Dr., which is in the El Camino Real subdivision in southern San Marcos, off of Old Bastrop Road, according to the Hays County Appraisal District. The home listing shows Mettz is a disabled veteran.
  Officers went to that home at 2:23 p.m. Monday
  
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• TRAFFIC ALERT: Escort will transport fallen officer’s body back to San Marcos

  05-12-2017 21:28 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Drivers along Interstate 35 from Austin to San Marcos will notice a large presence of first responders Tuesday afternoon as they move fallen Officer Kenneth Copeland’s body from the morgue to the funeral home.
  The city of San Marcos says Copeland’s body will be escorted from the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office at 7723 Springdale Rd. to Thomason Funeral Home, located at 2001 Old Ranch Road 12 in San Marcos, Tuesday afternoon.
  The escort will leave A
  
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• Escort transported fallen officer’s body back to San Marcos

  05-12-2017 21:28 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Drivers along Interstate 35 from Austin to San Marcos will notice a large presence of first responders Tuesday afternoon as they move fallen Officer Kenneth Copeland’s body from the morgue to the funeral home.
  The city of San Marcos says Copeland’s body will be escorted from the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office in downtown Austin to Thomason Funeral Home, located at 2001 Old Ranch Road 12 in San Marcos, Tuesday afternoon.
  The escort will leave Austi
  
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• Florida man accused of stealing coral

  05-12-2017 21:14 via kxan.com
  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) – With a bag in hand, arrest paperwork identifies this coral kleptomaniac as 39-year-old Teng Lin.
  Over and over again, from several cameras at A&R Aquarium on Bay Pines Boulevard in unincorporated St. Petersburg, Lin is seen plunging his hand into fish tanks to steal coral.
  “To see how often he got in our tanks without us noticing was awful,” said co-owner Lisa Martin.
  Martin and her husband Adam Lewis opened the store three months ago. They&rsq
  
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• Texas officer fatally shoots man after woman threatened

  05-12-2017 20:50 via kxan.com
  LA MARQUE, Texas (AP) — Authorities near Galveston say a police officer has shot and killed a man who threatened a woman with a sword and later attacked the officer.
  La Marque police said in a statement that officers responded Sunday night to a home burglary report and the resident said an intruder threatened her with the sword.
  Police Chief Kirk Jackson told The Galveston County Daily News that 62-year-old Gregory Ray Ham barricaded the woman in a room but then fled to a nearby building.
  
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• San Marcos police staffing comes into question after deadly shooting

  05-12-2017 20:22 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — One day after Kenneth Copeland became the first officer in the San Marcos Police Department’s history to be shot and killed in the line of duty, questions are coming up about the department’s staffing. Copeland was serving an arrest warrant for a violent crime on what would have been his day off.
  San Marcos police say they do have some vacancies, due to retirement and other factors. KXAN is working to learn exactly how many openings there are. Current
  
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• Pizza Hut testing beer and wine delivery

  05-12-2017 20:11 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN/CNN) — Pizza Hut is thinking outside of the pizza box in an effort to boost sales.
  On Tuesday, the chain said it will start testing beer and wine delivery in certain cities. The service will debut in Phoenix, Ariz. with six packs of Anheuser-Busch beer brands, such as Budweiser and Shock Top.
  All options will cost customers a flat $10.99 for the six-pack. Wine delivery will roll out in Phoenix in January, but the details regarding what types of wine or size have not been deter
  
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• Detentions spike, border arrests fall in Trump’s first year

  05-12-2017 20:09 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown has produced a spike in detentions by deportation officers across the country during his first months in office. At the same time, arrests along the Mexican border have fallen sharply, apparently as fewer people have tried to sneak into the U.S.
  Figures released by the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday show Trump is delivering on his pledge to more strictly control immigration and suggest that would-be immigran
  
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• Border arrests fall, deportations soar in Trump’s first year

  05-12-2017 20:09 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Border Patrol arrests plunged to a 45-year low, but detentions by deportation officers away from the U.S.-Mexico border soared during President Donald Trump’s first months in office, as his efforts to overhaul the nation’s immigration system took effect.
  In all, the Border Patrol made 310,531 arrests during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, a decline of 25 percent from a year earlier and the lowest level since 1971. But U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcem
  
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• The Latest: Russian Olympic head apologized to IOC

  05-12-2017 19:52 via kxan.com
  LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The Latest on Russian doping (all times local):
  ___
  10:40 p.m.
  Russia’s top Olympic official apologized to the International Olympic Committee board for doping violations ahead of its ruling that Russian athletes must compete under a neutral flag in Pyeongchang.
  “I as president of the Russian Olympic Committee, apologize for breaches of anti-doping rules which were committed in our country,” ROC president Alexander Zhukov said, according to a
  
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• The Latest: Pyeongchang organizers respect IOC decision

  05-12-2017 19:52 via kxan.com
  LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The Latest on Russian doping (all times local):
  ___
  3:30 a.m.
  Organizers of the Pyeongchang Olympics have issued a statement saying they accept and respect the International Olympic Committee’s decision to allow Russian athletes to compete under a neutral flag at the Winter Games in February.
  “We will work with the IOC and all other relevant stakeholders accordingly to ensure that all the athletes and officials attending the games as part of this te
  
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• The Latest: Australia Olympic official supports IOC decision

  05-12-2017 19:52 via kxan.com
  LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The Latest on Russian doping (all times local):
  ___
  10:10 p.m.
  Ian Chesterman, chef de mission for Australia’s Olympic team at Pyeongchang, said the IOC’s decision was an “appropriate and considered response … punishing those involved in the blatant cheating, the systematic manipulation that took place during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games while allowing clean athletes to compete in Pyeongchang.”
  In an Australian Olympic statement W
  
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• WATCH: 17-foot python largest caught in Florida program

  05-12-2017 19:35 via kxan.com
  HOMESTEAD, Fla. (WFLA/WTVJ) – Python hunters made a monster catch in the Everglades over the weekend.
  The 17-foot long python they captured has broken a record. It’s the largest python ever caught during Florida’s python elimination program.
  The python weighed in at 132 pounds. It was caught at the Big Cypress National Preserve.
  The hunters will receive $375 for catching the snake.
  
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• Texas looks for cheaper ways to keep juveniles out of jail

  05-12-2017 19:33 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Is there a cheaper way to tackle the juvenile justice system? Tuesday, the Texas Senate Finance Committee is holding a hearing on several issues, including an interim charge from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to look into the price tag.
  The following is listed on the agenda for the committee hearing:
  “Develop recommendations to ensure the Texas Juvenile Justice Department budget does not dis-incentivize the use of cost-effective best practices such as diverting youth from the
  
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• UT Austin wants to raise tuition rates by 2 percent

  05-12-2017 19:16 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Students at the University of Texas at Austin could pay more to attend the school if the board of regents approve a tuition increase the president recommended Monday.
  UT Austin President Greg Fenves sent the proposal recommending a 2 percent tuition increase for 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, calling it a “necessary investment” in the university. Resident undergraduate tuition is about $5,200 per semester. Those students would pay $104 more per semester next school ye
  
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• UT Austin proposes 2 percent tuition increase

  05-12-2017 19:16 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Students at the University of Texas at Austin could pay more to attend the school if the board of regents approve a tuition increase the president recommended Monday.
  UT Austin President Greg Fenves sent the proposal recommending a 2 percent tuition increase for 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, calling it a “necessary investment” in the university. Resident undergraduate tuition is about $5,200 per semester. Those students would pay $104 more per semester next school ye
  
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• Conyers resigns from Congress amid harassment allegations

  05-12-2017 17:50 via kxan.com
  DETROIT (AP) — Besieged by allegations of sexual harassment, Democratic Rep. John Conyers resigned from Congress on Tuesday, bringing an abrupt end to the Detroit liberal’s nearly 53-year career in the House.
  The 88-year-old civil rights leader becomes the highest-ranking figure on Capitol Hill to be brought down by the sexual misconduct allegations that have toppled powerful men in Hollywood, the media and politics in recent weeks.
  Conyers announced what he referred to as his &ldquo
  
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• Robots on stage: Young women’s school combines art and science in the classroom

  05-12-2017 17:13 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A school for young women in Austin is adding art to its STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) curriculum, completing the first semester of the STEAM-based classes with a public performance Tuesday evening.
  With help over the course of several weeks from acting and choreography coaches from the Paramount Theatre, as well as the organization Science in a Suitcase, 7th grade students at the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders will present several short plays
  
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• Video of Randy Travis’ DUI arrest released

  05-12-2017 16:35 via kxan.com
  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP/CNN) — A federal judge has denied a request by country singer Randy Travis to stop the state of Texas from releasing footage of him naked and ranting during a 2012 DUI arrest.
  The ruling on a request for an injunction issued Thursday paves the way for the Texas Department of Public Safety to release the footage, which was requested through an open records request.
  Travis crashed his Trans Am near Tioga, and troopers say his blood alcohol content was more than twice the
  
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• Southern California fire forces thousands to flee homes

  05-12-2017 15:24 via kxan.com
  SANTA PAULA, Calif. (AP) — Ferocious winds in Southern California whipped up an explosive wildfire that prompted evacuation orders for nearly 8,000 homes, authorities said.
  The blaze broke out Monday and grew wildly to more than 48 square miles (124 sq. kilometers) in the hours that followed, consuming vegetation that hasn’t burned in decades, Ventura County Fire Sgt. Eric Buschow said.
  At least 150 structures have burned so far, fire officials said. There was no immediate word wheth
  
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• ‘Senseless’: Friends, support group offer help and remembrances after officer’s death

  05-12-2017 15:09 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — A group that provides financial and emotional support to families of first responders killed in the line of duty was in Hays County early Tuesday morning, planning to meet with the family of Officer Kenneth Copeland. It’s an even more difficult task for Tami Baker with the 100 Club of Central Texas, because of the personal connection she had with Copeland.
  “I met him the night that I met my husband 29 years ago,” Baker said. “So to deal wi
  
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• How groups are helping fallen Officer Kenneth Copeland’s family

  05-12-2017 15:09 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — A group that provides financial and emotional support to families of first responders killed in the line of duty was in Hays County early Tuesday morning, planning to meet with the family of Officer Kenneth Copeland. It’s an even more difficult task for Tami Baker with the 100 Club of Central Texas, because of the personal connection she had with Copeland.
  “I met him the night that I met my husband 29 years ago,” Baker said. “So to deal wi
  
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• Flight diverted to Austin from Dallas due to turbulence

  05-12-2017 14:33 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An American Airlines jet landed safely Monday evening after being diverted from its scheduled Charlotte to Dallas flight due to turbulence.
  An Austin-Bergstrom International Airport spokesperson says the plane involved was American Airlines Flight 1966, which was originally scheduled to land in Charlotte, North Carolina 9:50 p.m.
  Instead, the flight landed in Austin at 10:17 p.m. An “Alert 2 Heavy” — signifying an aircraft emergency involving a large plane
  
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• Q&A: Tax bill impacts on health law coverage and Medicare

  05-12-2017 14:18 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The tax overhaul Republicans are pushing toward final votes in Congress could undermine the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance markets and add to the financial squeeze on Medicare over time.
  Lawmakers will meet this week to resolve differences between the House- and Senate-passed bills in hopes of getting a finished product to President Donald Trump’s desk around Christmas. Also in play are the tax deduction for people with high medical expenses, and a tax
  
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• Watt and Altuve share SI’s Sportsperson of the Year award

  05-12-2017 13:08 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (AP) — J.J. Watt raised more than $37 million for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts and Jose Altuve led the Houston Astros to their first World Series title, both giving hope to the city as it picked up the pieces from the devastating storm.
  On Monday night the two were honored by Sports Illustrated when they were given the magazine’s prestigious Sportsperson of the Year award. Sports Illustrated executive editor Steve Cannella said they chose the pair because Watt and Altuve p
  
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• Motorcyclist killed in overnight crash on Cesar Chavez Street

  05-12-2017 09:54 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police are investigating a deadly crash that killed a motorcyclist Tuesday morning in downtown Austin.
  According to Austin police, the man was heading west on West Cesar Chavez Street at around 12:45 a.m. when he lost control and crashed near the intersection with Walter Seaholm Drive. That’s near the Seaholm Development and the new Central Library.
  According to Austin Travis County EMS, the man in his 20s was pronounced dead at the scene. Austin police say Ces
  
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• Motorcyclist killed in overnight crash on Cesar Chavez

  05-12-2017 09:54 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police are investigating a deadly crash that killed a motorcyclist Tuesday morning in Downtown Austin. According to Austin police, the man was heading west on West Cesar Chavez Street at around 12:45 a.m. when he lost control and crashed near the intersection with Walter Seaholm Drive. That’s near the Seaholm Development and the new Central Library.
  According to Austin Travis County EMS, the cyclist, a man in his 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene. Austin Po
  
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• Motorcyclist killed in overnight crash in downtown Austin

  05-12-2017 09:54 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police are investigating a deadly crash that killed a motorcyclist Tuesday morning in downtown Austin.
  According to Austin police, the man was heading west on West Cesar Chavez Street at around 12:45 a.m. when he lost control and crashed near the intersection with Walter Seaholm Drive. That’s near the Seaholm Development and the new Central Library.
  According to Austin-Travis County EMS, the man in his 20s was pronounced dead at the scene. Austin police say Ces
  
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• Cyclist killed in overnight crash on Cesar Chavez

  05-12-2017 09:54 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police are investigating a deadly crash that killed a cyclist Tuesday morning in Downtown Austin. According to Austin police, the crash happened in the 800 block of West Cesar Chavez Street around 12:45 a.m. That’s near the Seaholm Development and the new Central Library.
  According to Austin Travis County EMS, the cyclist, a man in his 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene. Austin Police are expected to brief the media shortly.
  This is a developing story. More
  
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• Health professionals urge flu shots despite concerns in Australia

  05-12-2017 06:00 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — While a report about the flu this season in Australia is sparking concern on the internet, health professionals in Austin say it doesn’t necessarily mean bad news for this flu season and vaccines in the U.S.
  The article published in the New England Journal of Medicine last week looked at data from this year’s flu season in Australia which has already experienced its winter in the Southern Hemisphere to track down possible clues to how flu season will play out in
  
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• Boys & Girls Club kids get sneak peek of this year’s Trail of Lights

  05-12-2017 05:28 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Just days away from the Trail of Lights grand opening on Saturday, 75 kids got a sneak peek at this year’s trail thanks to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin area.
  The STARS at the Trail program gives non-profit groups, like the Boys & Girls Club, an opportunity to enjoy the trail before it’s opened up to the general public. Up to 1,600 deserving children, families, seniors, first responders and veterans will get to enjoy the trail during the program&r
  
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• President: Racist flyers contradict Texas school’s values

  05-12-2017 05:15 via kxan.com
  DALLAS (AP) — The president of a Methodist university in Dallas says racist banners and flyers posted around campus don’t reflect the school’s values.
  One flyer found at Southern Methodist University reads: “Reclaim America. No more tolerance, no more diversity.”
  Another says gays and lesbians have “misplaced pride.”
  The white supremacist group named on the flyers also posted photos online of masked men giving the Nazi salute while standing in front of o
  
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• Texas State issues trespass warnings to 5 men posting fliers, banners on campus

  05-12-2017 04:29 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — Five men were issued criminal trespass warnings Sunday after having posted dozens of unauthorized fliers and banners on the Texas State University campus.
  Campus police said none of the men attended the university and were detained at the San Jacinto parking garage where they had gathered after posting several handbills near the Music Building and along the Quad.
  When police confronted them, the men acknowledged they posted the fliers and had some with them while
  
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• FBI doubles reward in Texas border patrol agent’s death

  05-12-2017 04:28 via kxan.com
  EL PASO, Texas (AP) — The FBI has doubled its reward for information in the death of a border patrol agent that could lead to resolving the case.
  Agent Rogelio Martinez died after he was found Nov. 18 with severe head injuries and broken bones. The reward for information increased from $25,000 to $50,000 Monday.
  Investigators have said Martinez’s partner, who radioed for help and has not been named, is recovering from similar injuries but does not remember what happened.
  Several elec
  
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• Justices deny city of Houston’s appeal over benefits for same-sex couples

  05-12-2017 03:58 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The United States Supreme Court will not get involved in a case addressing whether or not gay spouses of government entities are entitled to government-subsidized workplace benefits.
  This stems from a case involving the city of Houston. In Turner v Pidgeon, the city’s policy allowing same-sex spouses of city employees was called into question by two residents who argued that the taxpayers should not pay for benefits that are not required by law.
  The U.S. Supreme Court
  
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• PHOTOS: Scenes following deadly shooting of San Marcos officer

  05-12-2017 02:06 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — A San Marcos police officer was shot and killed in the line of duty the afternoon of Monday, Dec. 4.
  Photos from the scene showed law enforcement descend upon Valero Drive in the El Camino Real neighborhood in San Marcos, about two miles from downtown, where the shooting happened.
  The suspect was also shot following a standoff with the San Marcos-Hays County SWAT team.
  The deceased officer, Kenneth Copeland, 58, has been called a hero by the police chief. Deadly
  
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• VIDEO: Boar rampage continues in Japanese city

  05-12-2017 01:51 via kxan.com
  KYOTO, Japan (KXAN) — For the second time in two weeks, boars have been filmed going on a wild rampage through the Japanese city of Kyoto, according to NBC News.
  A pair of wild boars charged into a Kyoto school Monday morning, trying to break through glass doors to get inside. Cell phone video showed at least one boar was able to enter the school, before running upstairs toward a crowd of students as screams filled the school.
  Students were evacuated from the school and officials say the b
  
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• Fate of Austin Curling Center frozen in Sunset Valley

  05-12-2017 01:48 via kxan.com
  SUNSET VALLEY, Texas (KXAN) – Developers of the unbuilt Austin Curling Center, who recently opened a bar on the center site, say the city of Sunset Valley froze their plans to create a sporting center that could have hosted Olympic trials, according to the developers and a federal lawsuit.
  The developers, Anita Dunn and her husband Dennis, say they’ve been wrestling with Sunset Valley for seven years over building the curling center on their 1.7 acres at 6218 Brodie Ln. The Dunns say
  
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• Shaka Smart returning to VCU, but on the visitors’ bench

  05-12-2017 01:06 via kxan.com
  RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — VCU coach Mike Rhoades is looking forward to seeing old friend Shaka Smart on Tuesday night, perhaps more than he is looking forward to being on opposing benches when the former VCU coach brings his long and athletic Texas Longhorns to the Seigel Center.The matchup — and a VCU visit to Texas next season — were mandated in Smart’s contract when he left the Rams three years ago.
  It’s a game, Rhoades admitted Monday, he will be happy to have in the
  
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• Olympics Superfan gearing up for the games in South Korea

  05-12-2017 00:00 via kxan.com
  ARLINGTON, Texas (KXAN) — It’s safe to say Rob Isbell is one of biggest Olympic fans you’ll ever meet.
  At his mom’s house in Arlington, Texas he set up a table covered in Olympics swag he’s collected over the years — both online and in person — while watching the best athletes in the world compete in person.
  The collection includes colorful hats, valuable pins, jackets, stuffed mascots, and even the Olympic torch he ran with around the Ballpark in Arling
  
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