Austin news

• Houston baby still missing after mom found stabbed to death

  20-12-2017 23:40 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (AP/KXAN) — Houston police suspect the individual who abducted a 6-week-old girl after her mother was fatally stabbed likely knew the child’s family.
  Police Chief Art Acevedo said Wednesday one theory of investigators is the possibility Shamali Flores may have been abducted by a woman who might present the child as her own.
  Carolina Miranda Flores, Shamali’s mother, was stabbed to death in Houston. (Houston Police Department)Authorities began looking for the baby after
  
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• New Austin police officers focus on job rather than city politics

  20-12-2017 23:27 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department confirms 17 officers have retired and six are in the process of retiring as 93 cadets get ready to be sworn in later this week.
  Last Wednesday, the Austin City Council unanimously voted to reject an $82 million police contract that some say cost too much and provide too little civilian oversight. After polling its officers, the Austin Police Association decided not to go back to the negotiating table with city staff until next year.
  Th
  
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• Rates to increase on most Austin-area tolls in the new year

  20-12-2017 23:06 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Rates on toll roads managed by the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority are increasing by 2.2 percent at the start of the new year.
  If you drive the full length of 183A Toll in northwest Austin, it’ll now cost you 6 cents more with an electronic tag. However, the price varies at each toll plaza. The Lakeline Mainline will see an increase from 55 cents to 56 cents whereas the Park Street Mainline will see an increase from $1.48 to $1.51.
  The increase will add an e
  
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• Track Santa’s flight with NORAD’s Santa Tracker

  20-12-2017 23:00 via kxan.com
   
  
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• Iconic building in New Mexico tourist town devoured by flames

  20-12-2017 22:29 via kxan.com
  RUIDOSO, N.M. (KRQE) – The oldest building in Ruidoso, New Mexico may have seen its last days. A gas leak at The Old Mill quickly turned into an explosion and fire that led to road closures and power outages in the popular tourist town.
  What started out as a call about a gas leak Tuesday morning in Ruidoso ended with flames devouring one of the village’s most iconic buildings.
  “I was just sleeping and I heard this really loud boom so I came out here and I saw the smoke and
  
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• Dozens of stolen Amazon packages found at Boston home

  20-12-2017 22:14 via kxan.com
  BOSTON (AP) — Law enforcement officials in Massachusetts say they have recovered dozens of stolen Amazon packages and hope to get them to their rightful recipients in time for Christmas.
  Attorney General Maura Healey’s office says the packages were discovered while police were searching the home of a person who works as a subcontractor making deliveries for Amazon. The packages were addressed to residents of the greater Boston area.
  Authorities say they were investigating a separate
  
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• Victim drives to San Marcos police station to escape kidnapping

  20-12-2017 21:49 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — A 36-year-old man faces kidnapping and attempted capital murder charges after his victim drove to the San Marco Police Department seeking protection.
  According to an arrest affidavit, on Tuesday, Cameron Mitchell Moore was following his common-law wife when she called police and began driving toward the police station. She made it to the parking lot next door and began screaming, prompting officers inside the police department to run outside.
  “Officers
  
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• Final major recovery project from Hays Co. Memorial Day floods wraps up

  20-12-2017 21:37 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) – Ahead of schedule and on budget, the Post Road Bridge over the Blanco River is back open to traffic. The bridge was decimated by the 2015 Memorial Weekend flood.
  A temporary one-lane bridge was installed for residents to use while officials worked to build a permanent one. In July, two years after the flood, Hays County closed the bridge and began permanent repairs.
  The new bridge is two lanes wide and has 4-foot shoulders, and built within a $900,000 budget.
  &ld
  
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• Fireworks sales start for Christmas, New Year’s celebrations

  20-12-2017 21:28 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — If you’re looking to pop your own fireworks for New Year’s Eve, you can start purchasing them Wednesday, Dec. 20.
  Retailers expect a busy season since the area has seen rainfall and there currently aren’t any county restrictions on certain types of fireworks.
  Fireworks sales run from Dec. 20 through Jan. 1. Just a reminder that it is illegal to possess fireworks within Austin city limits — as it is for many cities.
  On Tuesday, Dec. 19, Travis Co
  
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• Texas Democrats sue to keep Rep. Blake Farenthold’s name on the ballot

  20-12-2017 20:29 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The same day the Texas Republican Party announced it would remove Rep. Blake Farenthold’s name from the March primary ballot, Texas Democrats sued to keep it there.
  Farenthold, R-27 Corpus Christi, has been accused of verbal and sexual harassment in his office. He denies the allegations but announced Dec. 14 he would not run for reelection. However, he did not remove his name before a withdrawal deadline, so Texas Republicans worried it could still appear on the ballo
  
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• Texas Democrats drop lawsuit over Rep. Blake Farenthold’s name on the ballot

  20-12-2017 20:29 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The same day the Texas Republican Party announced it would remove Rep. Blake Farenthold’s name from the March primary ballot, Texas Democrats sued to keep it there but then decided to drop the lawsuit a few hours later.
  Farenthold, R-27 Corpus Christi, has been accused of verbal and sexual harassment in his office. He denies the allegations but announced Dec. 14 he would not run for reelection. However, he did not remove his name before a withdrawal deadline, so Texas
  
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• Westlake’s Nakia Watson and Braden Cassity sign scholarships

  20-12-2017 19:48 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Westlake running back Nakia Watson made his commitment to Wisconsin official Wednesday morning with the Badgers. Defensive end Braden Cassity signed with Oklahoma State after receiving a full offer on Tuesday afternoon.
  
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• Woman finishes college final, then gives birth to baby boy

  20-12-2017 19:47 via kxan.com
  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WFLA/WKYC) — A college student was determined to finish her college finals on time, even if that meant going through labor when the exam was due.
  Nayzia Thomas, a sophomore at a Missouri Community College, continued her studies of psychology for 39 weeks, until her son decided it was time to arrive.
  my mom took this pic & it's the perfect explanation of my life. yes i'm about to have a baby, but final SZN ain't over yet pic.twitter.com/7LyrDBE9iN
  — nayzia' (@nay
  
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• Manor’s Ochaun Mathis signs with TCU

  20-12-2017 19:14 via kxan.com
  MANOR (KXAN) — Manor defensive end Ochaun Mathis signs his football scholarship to TCU Wednesday morning at Manor High School. Mathis held offers from seven schools including Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and TCU.
  
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• Trump celebrates after Congress wraps up massive tax package

  20-12-2017 19:11 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump cheered a massive overhaul of U.S. tax laws Wednesday, saying “we broke every record.”
  Flanked by Republican lawmakers, the president took a bow outside the White House shortly after the House finished its last-minute re-vote to pass the $1.5 trillion bill that provides generous tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans while providing smaller cuts for middle- and low-income families.
  Democrats call the legislation a boon to
  
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• Triumphant Trump celebrates tax win _ but some fear backlash

  20-12-2017 19:11 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — A triumphant President Donald Trump and jubilant fellow Republicans celebrated the passage of their $1.5 trillion tax overhaul Wednesday as a “historic victory for the American people.” The American people, however, will need some convincing.
  As Trump and GOP lawmakers gathered at the White House to cheer their first major legislative achievement — and the biggest tax changes in a generation — some Republicans warned that the party could face a pai
  
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• It’s a done deal: Congress wraps up massive tax package

  20-12-2017 19:11 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional Republicans delivered an epic overhaul of U.S. tax laws to President Donald Trump on Wednesday, bringing generous tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans while providing smaller cuts for middle- and low-income families.
  In a re-vote due to a last-minute hiccup, the House passed the massive $1.5 trillion tax package that affects everyone’s taxes but is dominated by breaks for business and higher earners. Democrats call the legislation a b
  
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• The Latest: Trump thanks Congress for big beautiful tax cut

  20-12-2017 19:10 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Congress and sweeping tax cut legislation (all times local):
  1:25 p.m.
  President Donald Trump is praising the final passage of the tax overhaul, saying “we are now pouring rocket fuel into the engine of our economy.”
  In a statement released Wednesday after the House passed the $1.5 trillion package in a re-vote, Trump said that he promised the public “a big, beautiful tax cut for Christmas” and “that is exactly what they are get
  
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• The Latest: Republicans use glowing terms to praise Trump

  20-12-2017 19:10 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Congress and sweeping tax cut legislation (all times local):
  3:45 p.m.
  House and Senate Republicans are speaking about President Donald Trump in glowing terms after final House passage of a bill to cut taxes.
  After some opening remarks at a “bill passage event” at the White House, Trump turned the microphone over to lawmakers to comment on the bill.
  Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate leader, says the bill’s passage caps a year of &ldquo
  
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• The Latest: GOP struggling to embrace stopgap funding plan

  20-12-2017 19:10 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Congress and sweeping tax cut legislation (all times local):
  7 p.m.
  House Republican leaders are struggling to unite the GOP rank and file behind a temporary funding measure that’s needed to prevent the government from shutting down at midnight Friday.
  Republicans leaving a closed-door meeting in the Capitol on Wednesday say the plan faces opposition from some defense hawks, as well as lawmakers worrying that an $81 billion disaster aid bill might get
  
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• Court intervenes with stakes high in prosecution of Texas AG

  20-12-2017 19:02 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas’ top criminal court is taking a case that could decide whether the prosecution of Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton on securities fraud charges continues.
  The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals agreed Wednesday to consider whether special prosecutors are owed more than $200,000 for trying to bring Paxton to trial on felony charges of misleading investors.
  Prosecutors have threatened to quit unless they’re paid.
  Paxton has pleaded not guilty. His tri
  
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• Potty-mouthed ex-NBA star rants about stolen toilet

  20-12-2017 18:48 via kxan.com
  DALLAS (AP) — A former NBA player has taken to Twitter to complain that a toilet was among the items stolen from his Dallas home during a burglary.
  Thirty-three-year-old Charlie Villanueva, a former first-round pick who most recently played with the Dallas Mavericks, posted a photo of the space in his bathroom where his toilet once stood.
  In a series of sometimes potty-mouthed tweets , Villanueva says his home appliances also were taken during the burglary Tuesday.
  The former Detroit Pisto
  
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• Republicans: Rep. Blake Fahrenthold’s name will not be on the ballot

  20-12-2017 18:30 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Republican Party of Texas has decided to remove Rep. Blake Farenthold’s name from the list of candidates vying for the nomination for Congressional District 27. Farenthold requested it be taken off after he announced he would not run for reelection following allegations of verbal and sexual harassment in his office.
  Because Fahrenthold didn’t withdraw his name before the Dec. 12 filing deadline, party members were concerned it could have still appeared on th
  
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• Rep. Blake Fahrenthold’s name will not be on the ballot

  20-12-2017 18:30 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Republican Party of Texas has decided to remove Rep. Blake Farenthold’s name from the list of candidates vying for the nomination for Congressional District 27. Farenthold requested it be taken off after he announced he would not run for reelection following allegations of verbal and sexual harassment in his office.
  Because Fahrenthold didn’t withdraw his name before the Dec. 12 filing deadline, party members were concerned it could have still appeared on th
  
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• London cafe prints selfies on its cappuccino foam

  20-12-2017 18:11 via kxan.com
  LONDON (KXAN) — A cafe in London is taking food photography (and custom orders) to the next level with a menu item it’s dubbing a “selfieccino.”
  Customers at the Tea Terrace take a selfie on their phone, then order a special drink where their faces are printed on the foam.
  “I mean the outcome is really like it looks — exactly what it was in the picture, so it is really great,” customer Safirah Safari said.
  After making the drink, the baristas use th
  
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• Trail of Lights will be open Wednesday night

  20-12-2017 18:05 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin’s quintessential Christmas tradition, the Trail of Lights, will be open Wednesday after soggy weather forced its cancellation Tuesday.
  Zilker Park got approximately 1.6 inches of rain Tuesday, leading to puddles, ponding and soggy weather.
  The trail was closed last weekend due to soggy weather as well. Organizers say in some spots, there were six inches of standing water that had to be vacuumed out by pump trucks.
  Ticket buyers who purchased shuttle, GA and ZIP
  
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• Salvation Army bell ringer finds gold bar in red kettle

  20-12-2017 17:30 via kxan.com
  CALDWELL, Idaho (KXAN/KTVB) — A Salvation Army bell ringer in Idaho collected more than just a few dollars on Monday. When he opened up the red kettle, he discovered someone had dropped in a gold bar, along with the coins and cash.
  The one-ounce bar of solid gold is worth more than $1,200. The Salvation Army in Caldwell, Idaho, plans to get it appraised and then trade it in for cash that can go toward their charity.
  “This really was a shot in the arm for us here in Caldwell to get th
  
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• Court: Sorbet can be called ‘Champagne’ if it tastes like it

  20-12-2017 16:57 via kxan.com
  BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s top court has ruled that if a sorbet really tastes like Champagne, it can be called that.
  Just in time for the festive season, the European Court of Justice ruled on a case involving France’s august and protective CIPV committee of Champagne producers, which sought a ban on the German Aldi chain selling “Champagne Sorbet” in its supermarkets.
  Even though the court left the ultimate decision to a German court, it did say that the
  
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• VIDEO: Ice skating rink turned into bumper car arena

  20-12-2017 15:45 via kxan.com
  PROVIDENCE (WFLA) — An ice skating rink in New England is putting a winter twist on a classic carnival ride.
  The rink in Providence, Rhode Island decided to take bumper cars and put them on ice.
  Riders sit in a round inner tube-shaped car with wheels and bump into other riders. The shape of the car also lets riders spin 360 degrees as they bump their friends.
  The rink debuted the cars at a media event on Tuesday. They will be available to the public starting Wednesday.
  Providence is o
  
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• Father who admitted to beating 2-month-old given 6 months in prison

  20-12-2017 15:29 via kxan.com
  OSHKOSH, Wisc. (WCMH)  — A man who pleaded no contest to causing more than 20 broken bones and brain bleeding to his two-month-old daughter will spend six months in prison.
  Richard Root was sentenced to six months in prison and seven years of probation, WGBA reported.
  “My daughter means everything to me,” Root said in court. “I’m her father and I’m supposed to be her protector, but I let her down. I let myself down, my family down, my wife
  
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• Sea turtle entangled in drug bundles freed by Coast Guard

  20-12-2017 15:13 via kxan.com
  KEY WEST, Fla. (KXAN) — A sea turtle floating off the coast of Florida found itself caught in some very unique marine debris — blocks of cocaine and marijuana.
  The U.S. Coast Guard was conducting a 68-day drug patrol in the eastern Pacific Ocean when officials stumbled upon the marine animal on Nov. 19. It was tangled in rope holding together dozens of gray bales of drugs.
  A man gently cut it free and it swam away.
  During Operation Martillo — which is an international effort in
  
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• East Austin home a ‘total loss’ after fire displaces family of six

  20-12-2017 14:49 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A family and their pets are staying with family after a fire destroyed their east Austin home Thursday night.
  The first fire crews arrived to the 1200 block of Begonia Terrace — northwest of the intersection of Montopolis Drive and E. Riverside Drive — to find it in flames around 7:30 p.m.
  Update 1212 Begonia Terrace. Fire is out. Home significantly damaged. No injuries but 3 adults and 3 children and 4 dogs will be displaced. Red Cross assisting @CenTexRedCross
  
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• New Braunfels couple who found new love late in life prepare to tie the knot

  20-12-2017 13:26 via kxan.com
  NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas (KXAN) — Wednesday marks the start of a new chapter for two people who weren’t sure what the coming pages of their stories would bring them.
  Ann Hoover was preparing Tuesday, packing up the belongings in her small living space. “We’ve got work to do,” she said. With her daughter’s help, Hoover was getting ready to move into a bigger unit at Brookdale Senior Living in New Braunfels.
  Although it might be more space, she realized she couldn&r
  
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• How having no contract with the city affects APD recruitment

  20-12-2017 12:54 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin Police Chief Brian Manley remains confident recruiting new officers to the department will remain strong despite the Austin Police Association deciding Tuesday not to renegotiate a new contract before the current one expires Dec. 29.
  Manley points to Monday as a big one for the department — it was the first day it had ever accepted applications online instead of the handwritten form.
  “We already have over 500 applicants in a day, so I think that shows the
  
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• Amtrak didn’t wait for system that could’ve prevented wreck

  20-12-2017 12:49 via kxan.com
  The rush to launch service on a new, faster Amtrak route near Seattle came at a deadly cost — critical speed-control technology that could have prevented a derailment was not active before the train set off on its maiden voyage.
  Work to install the sophisticated, GPS-based technology known as positive train control isn’t expected to be completed until next spring on the newly opened 15-mile (24-kilometer) span where the train derailed, according to Sound Transit, the public agency th
  
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• UT record label looks to connect talented Longhorns with opportunity

  20-12-2017 05:19 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — On the University of Texas at Austin campus this semester, there’s a new resource for students who are looking to pursue careers in music. UTalent Records is a new UT record label — for students by students — looking to connect Longhorns with music opportunities.
  The group was founded by UT sophomore Maria Tangarova, who’s been a singer her entire life, but in college she’s pursued a degree in business. UTalent Records began this fall semester,
  
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• Austin alumni of ‘The Voice’ reunite for Saxon Pub show

  20-12-2017 04:25 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin alumni of NBC’s “The Voice” will perform in a special show next month.
  It’s being called “Voices in the Round.” Several people who have participated in the show over the years will perform at 9 p.m. on Jan. 26 at Austin’s legendary Saxon Pub, located at 1320 S. Lamar Blvd.
  Nakia, who was featured on the very first season with Team CeeLo, will be among those performing. Brian Pounds from season 5, Suzanna Choffel from sea
  
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• Greg Kelley gets engaged in Cabo day after judge says he’s innocent

  20-12-2017 03:23 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — It’s been a whirlwind two days for Greg Kelley, who proposed to his girlfriend Tuesday, a day after a Williamson County judge ruled his conviction should be thrown out.
  Kelley was convicted in 2014 and sent to prison on charges he sexually assaulted a 4-year-old boy. Kelley has been out on bond since August when Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick reopened the case.
  In a Facebook Live from the GRK Foundation’s page at 6:42 p.m., Kelley is seen ge
  
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• Amber Alert issued for Houston infant after mom’s stabbing

  20-12-2017 02:34 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (AP) — Authorities have issued an Amber Alert for an infant girl in Houston who was reported missing after her mother was found fatally stabbed.
  Houston police began searching for Shanally Flores after officers found her mother’s body in her north Houston apartment around noon on Tuesday.
  Police believe the infant girl is with her father, Thomas Bernardez, who is considered by investigators as a possible suspect in the death of Shanally’s mother.
  Bernardez, from Hondura
  
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• How can schools promote voting? State lawmaker requests AG’s opinion

  20-12-2017 02:18 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – An effort by a group of education organizations to encourage more voting is being called into question by a state lawmaker.
  Texas Educators Vote, a website with materials promoting voting and civic engagement, was formed by various educator groups. One of the resources provided by Texas Educators Vote is a “Culture of Voting Resolution” that school districts can adopt word-for-word.
  Districts can also craft their own versions. The website also provides a form fo
  
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• Council member suggests APD retired weapons could be melted rather than sold

  20-12-2017 01:46 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Texas Standard investigation revealed how a 2003 law passed by Congress conceals how used guns sold by Austin police and other major police departments in the state end up being used in crimes.
  The investigation caught the attention of Austin City Council Member Alison Alter, who spoke with KXAN’s John Dabkovich about her objections to the sales.
  “I’m interested in us having proper gun control in our city, in our state and in our country,” said Alt
  
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• APD to hire retired investigators to help with sexual assault cases

  20-12-2017 01:34 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department says it’s on track to clear the hundreds of sexual assault cases backlogged waiting for DNA testing. The city expects to have all Sexual Assault Kits (SAK) tested by the middle of 2018.
  Sources within the agency tell KXAN’s Sally Hernandez APD plans to bring in retired police investigators to help close some of the cases.
  Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore says her office is working closely with APD to make sure cases are
  
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• Texas football expected to lock in majority of recruiting class

  20-12-2017 01:22 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The hustle and rush of college football’s signing day is changing and it starts Wednesday morning. For the first time, high school seniors are able to take advantage of an early signing period for football—a three-day period that used to be only for junior college prospects.
  Texas coach Tom Herman and his 2018 recruiting class have taken full advantage of the new rule.
  “I’m not sure we all realized the percentage of kids that would sign on the early
  
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• Senate Russia probe looking into 2016 candidate Jill Stein

  20-12-2017 00:56 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate intelligence committee has asked for documents from Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein as part of its probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, adding another new thread to the panel’s investigation as it heads into next year.
  Stein said Tuesday that she was cooperating with the probe and providing documents to the committee. She has captured the interest of investigators partly because she attended a 2015 dinner in Moscow sponsored
  
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• Aging facilities push West Lake leaders to think about bonds

  20-12-2017 00:49 via kxan.com
  WEST LAKE HILLS, Texas (KXAN) – Several Central Texas cities are asking voters for bonds to upgrade municipal facilities, and West Lake Hills may add its name to the list.
  The municipal offices in West Lake Hills were built in the 70’s. They function as the police department along with city offices, almost 50 years of weather and wear is starting to take a toll.
  “You can see there’s rotting wood; you can see if you went inside damage from rains, there’s mold,”
  
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• Brothers separated as boys find each other at the same college

  20-12-2017 00:47 via kxan.com
  KENNESAW, Ga. (WXIA) — Two Georgia college students who attend the same university just found out they are biological brothers who had been searching for each other for years.
  Shawn Ghant made the tough decision to give up her young son, Kieron Graham, for adoption when he was just 3 months old.
  “At the time I felt like I could not give him what he needed,” Ghant said.
  Growing up Kieron always wondered about his birth mom and brother, so his adoptive mother gave him a DNA test
  
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• Driver avoiding a crash slammed into motorcyclist, sending him off US 183

  20-12-2017 00:29 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A driver in a pickup truck who hit a motorcyclist from behind, which sent him flying off the freeway, told police they were trying to avoid a collision with another vehicle when the crash happened.
  Austin police say on Tuesday, Dec. 12, the driver of the truck was traveling southbound on US 183 in the left lane when they swerved to avoid crashing into another vehicle. The pickup truck driver then entered the right lane, hitting, Robert Lance Trewitt, 62, as he was ridi
  
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