Austin news

• Recent UT grad found dead in San Francisco Bay

  11-12-2017 23:50 via kxan.com
  SUNNYVALE, Calif. (KXAN) — A 23-year-old woman who was found dead in the water along a hiking trail in Sunnyvale, California last week was a recent graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.
  Sunnyvale police said a bicyclist spotted Chuchu Ma’s body in the water along the Bay Trail Thursday morning. The Google software engineer was reported missing in Mountain View that same day.
  According to Ma’s LinkedIn page, she graduated with a Bachelor’s in Computer Sc
  
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• Missing 14-year-old girl last seen Friday in San Marcos

  11-12-2017 23:33 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — The San Marcos Police Department is asking for your help in its search for a missing 14-year-old girl last seen on Friday.
  Kara Ryan left her home in the 200 block of Horseshoe Bend Road, located just off of Interstate 35 in the Saddlebrook subdivision — a few miles northeast of downtown San Marcos — on Dec. 8 after 11 a.m., according to police.
  Her parents reported Ryan to police as a runaway and asked for help finding her. The girl was reported to h
  
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• Surrounded by scandal, Globes turn to old favs & fresh faces

  11-12-2017 23:21 via kxan.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — Guillermo del Toro’s Cold War-era fairytale “The Shape of Water” swam away with a leading seven Golden Globes nominations on Monday and the HBO drama “Big Little Lies” came away with six nods. But nobody made landing a Globe nomination look easier than Christopher Plummer.
  Just two weeks after shooting his scenes in Ridley Scott’s “All the Money in the World,” Plummer was nominated for best supporting actor — a nod that
  
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• #MeToo spotlight increasingly pointed at past Trump conduct

  11-12-2017 23:15 via kxan.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump sailed past a raft of allegations of sexual misconduct in last year’s presidential election.
  Now the national #MeToo spotlight is turning back to Trump and his past conduct. Several of his accusers are urging Congress to investigate his behavior, and a number of Democratic lawmakers are demanding his resignation.
  With each day seeming to bring new headlines that force men from positions of power, the movement to expose sexual harassment has forced an unwe
  
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• Military fails to disclose criminal convictions to FBI

  11-12-2017 23:03 via kxan.com
  DALLAS (AP) — A recent lapse by the U.S. Army to disclose a Texas veteran’s criminal record to the FBI is the latest example of the military failing to document criminal convictions. The Dallas Morning News reports that former Army 1st Sgt. Gregory McQueen pleaded guilty two years ago to more than a dozen military charges for attempting to run a prostitution ring in Fort Hood. But the conviction didn’t show up in a state background check when a foster-care agency hired McQueen
  
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• Backpage ad leads to sexual assault in north Austin

  11-12-2017 22:10 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A woman who met up with a man who contacted her via an ad on Backpage.com was sexually assaulted as the suspect held a knife to her throat, according to an arrest affidavit.
  The victim told police that around 11:30  p.m. on Dec. 1, the suspect, identified as 42-year-old William Fred Black Jr., called her after he saw her ad and photograph on the website. The two spoke for a few minutes and agreed to a price he would pay in exchange for her services.
  The two origin
  
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• San Marcos man wins $1 million in scratch off

  11-12-2017 21:21 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — The year is ending well for a San Marcos man who won $1 million after playing a scratch ticket game.
  Glenn Johnson won playing the Texas Lottery Gold scratch off, which he bought at 123 Kwik Stop in San Antonio. It’s one of the more expensive games you can buy, at $20 a sheet. Johnson claimed the second of five top prizes worth $1 million available in the game — which means there are three $1 million tickets left.
  The store that sold the winning ticke
  
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• Pentagon to allow transgender people to enlist in military

  11-12-2017 20:53 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is allowing transgender people to enlist in the military beginning Jan. 1, despite President Donald Trump’s opposition.
  The new policy reflects growing legal pressure on the issue, and the difficult hurdles the federal government would have to cross to enforce Trump’s demand to ban transgender individuals from the military. Two federal courts already have ruled against the ban. Potential transgender recruits will have to overcome a lengthy and str
  
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• Female firefighters say AFD failed to investigate misconduct complaints

  11-12-2017 20:44 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Firefighters Association says the fire department failed to thoroughly investigate complaints made against a former lieutenant, which led to an unsafe work environment and potentially put the public at risk.
  James William Baker II (Austin Police Department Photo)Now-retired AFD Lt. James Baker is accused of secretly recording video of women in a fire station locker room and has an apparent history of complaints that he would inappropriately touch female pati
  
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• Mario Batali steps down after sexual misconduct allegations

  11-12-2017 20:20 via kxan.com
  Celebrity chef Mario Batali stepped away from his restaurant empire and cooking show “The Chew” on Monday as he said that reports of sexual misconduct “match up” to his behavior.
  Food news website Eater New York published an article Monday that said four women accused the chef of inappropriate touching. One of the women said that Batali groped her chest after wine spilled on her shirt. Another said he grabbed her from behind and held her tightly against his body. Eater sa
  
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• Nearby burglary forces Lehman High into lock out mode for several hours

  11-12-2017 20:07 via kxan.com
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — A burglary investigation near Lehman High School had the campus under a lock out for a couple of hours.
  A spokesperson for Hays Consolidated Independent School District says everything in the school operated as normal during the lock out Monday afternoon. When a school is on lockout, the doors are locked but everything inside operates as usual.
  Kyle police say the burglary happened on Hiver Street in the Four Seasons Farms neighborhood. When officers arrived, two men r
  
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• Lehman High placed on lock out due to nearby burglary

  11-12-2017 20:07 via kxan.com
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — A burglary investigation near Lehman High School has the campus under a lockout.
  A spokesperson for Hays Consolidated Independent School District says everything in the school is operating as normal but the school was placed on lockout Monday afternoon as a precaution. When a school is on lockout, the doors are locked but everything inside operates as usual.
  Kyle police say the burglary happened on Hiver Street in the Meadows of Kyle neighborhood. When officers arrived
  
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• Seniors make bears for first responders to give to children

  11-12-2017 19:39 via kxan.com
  WEST CHESTER, Penn. (KXAN/WLWT) — It’s a craft project that goes from the hardworking hands of elders in a nursing home, to the open arms of kids in dire need. The seniors work together in Pennsylvania to create teddy bears that first responders can use in emergency situations involving children.
  “I sew the bear together, and then they take them and somebody stuffs them and does the eyes and the rest of it,” said Mary Lou Benson, who volunteers on the project that’s
  
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• Toddler signs for help while sitting with Santa

  11-12-2017 18:52 via kxan.com
  (WKRG) — A young boy sitting with Santa is going viral on social media for his silent message to his mom.
  Kerry Spencer posted a photo of her little boy sitting with Santa on her twitter, @Swilua. She writes, “We taught our baby sign language. This is the sign for “help.” You’re welcome.”
  People tweeted back to Kerry saying her son was ‘mispronouncing’ the word. Kerry responded back acknowledging his sign wasn’t perfect, but it is t
  
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• Louisiana man admits misusing Trump’s Social Security number

  11-12-2017 18:32 via kxan.com
  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A Louisiana private investigator pleaded guilty on Monday to misusing Donald Trump’s Social Security number in repeated attempts to access the president’s federal tax information before his election last year.
  Jordan Hamlett, 32, faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine following his guilty plea in federal court.
  Authorities have said Hamlett failed in his attempts to get Trump’s tax information through a U.S. Department
  
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• Disney releases details on gondolas that will connect parks

  11-12-2017 18:27 via kxan.com
  ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – Disney has released new details and visuals on the gondolas that will connect some of its theme parks and hotels at Disney World.
  The Orlando Sentinel reports information on the gondola system, called the Disney Skyliner, was released on the Disney parks blog.
  One station will be at the International Gateway at Epcot. Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort will be the station that serves as a hub for the system where guests can transfer.
  The blog did not say w
  
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• Soon you can watch the NFL free on your phone on Yahoo

  11-12-2017 18:07 via kxan.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — Watching NFL football games on your phone used to be mainly limited to Verizon customers. Soon anyone will be able to watch football games on the go for free on Yahoo’s app, now that Verizon owns Yahoo.
  But people who want to watch football through online-TV services like Sling or YouTube TV will have more problems. An NFL game on ESPN will still be blocked on the app on a phone — and starting next season, on tablets as well, for some games, said Brian Angiolet,
  
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• UT announces new athletic director Chris Del Conte

  11-12-2017 17:58 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The University of Texas at Austin’s new athletic director, Chris Del Conte, says as he takes on the new role, he plans to support coaches and students — all while racking up wins.
  “When you’re at the University of Texas, your opportunity to win a championship is no greater than here — and that’s why I’m here,” Del Conte said at a press conference Monday.
  UT announced the new hire Saturday. Conte replaces Mike Perrin, who took
  
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• San Marcos man accused of breaking into apartment, watching woman sleep

  11-12-2017 17:38 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — San Marcos police say a man who was recently arrested and charged with breaking into a woman’s apartment and watching her sleep could be linked to other burglaries across town.
  On Sunday, Dec. 3, a woman said she was asleep at her apartment at the Treehouse Apartments when she woke up around 5:30 a.m. and found a man watching her. The victim said the suspect, identified as 24-year-old Chaitanya Cherukuri, was crouched at the foot of her bed. According to an
  
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• Man, child found shot to death in southwest Travis County

  11-12-2017 16:12 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Travis County Sheriff’s office is investigating the deaths of a man and a child in an area southwest of Austin.
  Officials called the situation an “incident” in a tweet and said it happened at a home in the 8000 block of El Dorado Drive, in a neighborhood southwest of where Farm to Market Road 1826 and US Highway 290 meet. Authorities were called for a check welfare at the home around 5:44 a.m. Monday.
  When deputies made entry into the home, they f
  
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• Man and child found shot to death in southwest Travis County

  11-12-2017 16:12 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Travis County Sheriff’s office is investigating the deaths of a man and a child in an area southwest of Austin.
  Officials called the situation an “incident” in a tweet and said it happened at a home in the 8000 block of El Dorado Drive, in a neighborhood southwest of where Farm to Market Road 1826 and US Highway 290 meet. Authorities were called for a check welfare at the home around 5:44 a.m. Monday.
  When deputies entered the home, they found the
  
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• High schooler helps Dallas Marathon winner across the finish line

  11-12-2017 15:57 via kxan.com
  DALLAS (KXAN/KXAS) — The winner of the women’s division of the Dallas marathon had some help across the finish line Sunday in a dramatic finish.
  For the last mile, Chandler Self struggled to stay on her feet as her body began to succumb to exhaustion. That’s when a high school student who was running the race as a relay stepped beside her.
  “‘You got it — come on, girl. The finish line’s right there. We can see it. Come on, you got it.'” Self recall
  
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• Saudi Arabia to allow movie theaters after decades of ban

  11-12-2017 14:49 via kxan.com
  RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia announced on Monday it will allow movie theaters to open in the conservative kingdom next year, for the first time in more than 35 years, in the latest social push by the country’s young crown prince.
  It’s a stark reversal in a county where movie theaters were shut down in the 1980’s during a wave of ultraconservatism in the country. Many of Saudi Arabia’s clerics view Western movies and even Arabic films made in Egypt and Le
  
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• Pipe bomb strapped to man explodes in NYC subway, injuring 4

  11-12-2017 14:05 via kxan.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — A man with a pipe bomb strapped to him set off the crude device in the subway near Times Square on Monday, injuring the suspect and three other people at the height of the morning rush hour.
  The man and three others were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries in what the mayor and police labeled an attempted terror attack.
  The explosion happened in an underground passageway under 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. The 7:30 a.m. blast caused smoke to fill the
  
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• ‘One of my nightmares’: Pipe bomb attack hits in NYC subway

  11-12-2017 14:05 via kxan.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — A man inspired by Islamic State extremists strapped on a crude pipe bomb, slipped unnoticed into the nation’s busiest subway system and set the device off at rush hour Monday in a scenario that New York has dreaded for years, authorities said.
  In the end, the only serious wounds were to the suspect, Akayed Ullah, a 27-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant and former cab driver, authorities said. But the attack sent terrified commuters fleeing through a smoky passageway, and
  
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• Official: Device explodes on NYC subway platform

  11-12-2017 14:05 via kxan.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — A law enforcement official says what is believed to be an explosive device has been set off on Manhattan subway platform.
  The explosion happened around 7:30 a.m. Monday. Details were still developing.
  A person was arrested and has non-life-threatening injuries.
  There was no immediate word of any other injuries.
  The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the incident.
  Passengers were evacuated
  
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• Man sets off pipe bomb strapped to his body in NYC subway

  11-12-2017 14:05 via kxan.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — A man inspired by the Islamic State group set off a crude pipe bomb strapped to his body Monday in a crowded subway corridor near Times Square, injuring the man, slightly wounding three others and sending New York commuters fleeing in terror through the smoky passageway.
  Surveillance cameras captured the man walking casually through the crowded passage when the bomb went off at 7:20 a.m. amid a plume of white smoke, which cleared to show the man sprawled on the ground and c
  
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• 3 hurt when bomb strapped to man explodes in NY subway

  11-12-2017 14:05 via kxan.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — A man inspired by the Islamic State group set off a crude pipe bomb strapped to his body Monday in a crowded subway corridor near Times Square, injuring the man, slightly wounding three others and sending New York commuters fleeing in terror through the smoky passageway.
  Surveillance cameras captured the man walking casually through the crowded passage when the bomb went off at 7:20 a.m. amid a plume of white smoke, which cleared to show the man sprawled on the ground and c
  
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• Celebrity support pours in for bullied Tennessee boy

  11-12-2017 13:38 via kxan.com
  KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – A video on Facebook has gone viral for the message an East Tennessee boy has about bullying.
  In the since-removed video Kimberly Jones posted on Friday, you see Keaton tearfully begin by asking, “why do they bully?” That video has been viewed more than 22 million times.
  Keaton questions how bullies can find joy by picking on others.
  He goes on to describe his experience from the day, including how other students poured milk on him and put foo
  
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• Trail users worry about safety on popular stretch with malfunctioning lights

  11-12-2017 13:03 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — People who use a pedestrian walkway over Lady Bird Lake early in the morning and after dark say they worry for their safety when the overhead lights that line the path go out for weeks at a time, especially after several high-profile assaults on Austin trails in recent months.
  Two viewers contacted KXAN about the problem last week after the lights turned off once again. Since the beginning of last year, at least 11 people have reported the issue on Austin’s 311 app, w
  
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• Texas man sentenced for illegally making guns sent to Mexico

  11-12-2017 12:39 via kxan.com
  DALLAS (AP) — A North Texas man has been sentenced to 6½ years in federal prison for illegally making hundreds of firearms — some of which ended up in Mexico.
  Gary Busby was sentenced Friday during a federal court hearing in Dallas.
  He had been convicted in March on one count of conspiracy to manufacture firearms without a license and four counts of structuring financial transactions to evade reporting requirements.
  Prosecutors say that between 2010 and 2011, the 65-year-old B
  
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• East Austin neighborhood using social media to catch package thieves in the act

  11-12-2017 12:29 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The holidays are drawing package thieves to an east Austin neighborhood. Residents in the Mueller subdivision are reporting on Facebook an unusually high number of packages being taken off porches, sometimes in the middle of the afternoon. Residents have formed a neighborhood watch through social media and are fighting back.
  On Thursday, Zeke Martinez was at the HEB in Mueller filling up his car when he noticed on the Mueller Facebook page someone posting about a suspi
  
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• TxDOT studying Parmer Lane, but relief years away

  11-12-2017 05:52 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Improvements could be years away on Parmer Lane between RM 1431 and State Highway 45.
  The road stretches from North Austin into Cedar Park and Leander.  Drivers are worried because they said the area has outgrown the road with new schools opening and neighborhoods … along with addtional businesses being built.
  Joel Alson said he doesn’t deal with the traffic nightmare anymore.
  “With some back roads that have opened up I’ll try to avoid Parmer l
  
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• Hobbyists’ tribute to fallen San Marcos officer brings out emotions

  11-12-2017 04:28 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — Jeep clubs from San Marcos, New Braunfels, and San Antonio are gathering in San Marcos Sunday to honor the life of slain San Marcos Police Department officer Ken Copeland. Copeland was killed while serving a warrant in San Marcos on Dec. 4.
  He was the first San Marcos police officer killed in the line of duty. He had worked in the department for 19 years.
  A member of the Hays County Jeep Club, Mike Marshall, told KXAN that the Jeep communities and local law
  
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• Florence man dies when car he’s working on crushes him

  11-12-2017 04:20 via kxan.com
  FLORENCE, Texas (KXAN) – A man was crushed to death in Florence on Sunday after a mishap with a vehicle he was working on, said Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody in a tweet.
  Sheriff Chody said that a lift jack failed while the man was underneath the vehicle, pinning him and causing fatal injuries.
  The death is being investigated and Chody said there were no other details available at this time.
  Lift jack fails while Florence man is under vehicle causing fatal injuries. Death is being
  
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• Texas State University Police seek suspect in aggravated robbery

  11-12-2017 04:12 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) – Texas State University Police said they are seeking a suspect after they received a report Sunday of an aggravated robbery that took place Friday night at a campus housing complex.
  They said they were told the robbery took place at about 9:30 p.m. near the breezeway at the Bobcat Village Apartments in the 1300 block of Aquarena Springs Drive.
  The suspect is described as a black man, about 6-feet two-inches tall, wearing a dark hoodie pullover, dark jeans and an e
  
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• Prescott throws 3 TDs as Cowboys spoil Eli’s return

  11-12-2017 02:38 via kxan.com
  EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys needed a big win to stay in the playoff hunt and they got it with the big play in spoiling Steve Spagnuolo’s debut as New York interim coach and the return of quarterback Eli Manning to the Giants’ starting lineup.Dak Prescott threw two of his three touchdown passes, including a go-ahead 20-yarder to Giants’ nemesis Jason Witten, and linebacker Sean Lee set up a touchdown run by Rod Smith as the Cowboys scored thre
  
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• Austinites at The W hotel this weekend. What are ‘Jeopardy’ hopefuls?

  11-12-2017 01:56 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Dozens of extremely smart Austinites gathered in one place today in hopes of getting a shot at making it on “Jeopardy!”
  It’s a lifelong dream for many.
  Auditions were held at The W hotel in downtown Austin Sunday morning and afternoon.
  Getting to that point was not easy. They had to pass a difficult test online, and then there’s a random selection to decide to gets invited to show up in person.
  They had to pass another test Sunday to make it to a roo
  
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• San Marcos church remembers fallen officer’s contribution

  11-12-2017 01:52 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — It was a somber Sunday morning at a San Marcos church after Officer Ken Copeland, who worked security at the church, was killed a week ago tomorrow.
  “Officer Copeland was a big part of our church,” said Pastor Robin Steele, Promiseland Church. “He would come here on Sundays and offer security. He would go above and beyond the call of duty.”
  Pastor Steele said Officer Copeland had a big impact on the church and would greet people as they go
  
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