Austin news

• Therapy dogs wear their holiday best to cheer up rehab patients

  21-12-2017 23:29 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Little dogs with antlers made of candy canes and big dogs with elf hats and reindeer bells made their way down the halls of St. David’s Rehabilitation Hospital in central Austin, spreading love and affection to patients in recovery.
  The holiday dog parade at the hospital Thursday morning gave the dogs from Divine Canines a chance to strut their stuff — in this case Christmas lights hanging from their necks — and then mix and mingle with the patients.
  Divin
  
  Read more

• House backs temporary spending bill to avert shutdown

  21-12-2017 23:03 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican-led House narrowly passed a temporary spending bill to avert a government shutdown Thursday, doing the bare minimum in a sprint toward the holidays and punting disputes on immigration, health care and national security to next year.
  The vote was 231-188 with Democrats criticizing Republicans’ inability to complete the dozen spending bills for the current fiscal year and relying on a third stopgap bill since the year’s Oct. 1 start. The Senate wa
  
  Read more

• Congress clears temporary spending bill to avert shutdown

  21-12-2017 23:03 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican-led Congress narrowly passed a temporary spending bill to avert a government shutdown Thursday, doing the bare minimum in a sprint toward the holidays and punting disputes on immigration, health care and the budget to next year.
  The measure passed the House on a 231-188 vote over Democratic opposition and then cleared the Senate, 66-32, with Democrats from Republican-leaning states providing just enough votes. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the
  
  Read more

• Wisconsin girl convicted in Slender Man stabbing sentenced

  21-12-2017 23:01 via kxan.com
  MADISON, Wis. (AP) — One of two Wisconsin girls who tried to kill a classmate to win favor with a fictional horror character named Slender Man was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in a mental hospital, the maximum punishment possible.
  Anissa Weier, 16, pleaded guilty in August to being a party to attempted second-degree intentional homicide, but she claimed she wasn’t responsible for her actions because she was mentally ill. In September, a jury agreed.
  Waukesha County Circuit Judge Mi
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Hunters in South Carolina can win lifetime hunting license for bagging tagged coyote

  21-12-2017 22:54 via kxan.com
  SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) — The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources says it will give a complimentary lifetime hunting license to the hunter who kills one of 24 tagged coyotes in the state.
  The reward is part of the state’s Coyote Harvest Incentive Program.
  DNR officials announced Wednesday that 16 tagged coyotes have been released across the state, including eight in the game zone areas encompassing the Upstate.
  Sixteen tagged coyotes were also released last year–the
  
  Read more

• Flower delivery man helps stop Bee Cave burglary suspects

  21-12-2017 22:31 via kxan.com
  BEE CAVE, Texas (KXAN) — Bee Cave police say a flower delivery man is to thank for catching thieves stealing from a neighborhood on Tuesday.
  The delivery man was dropping off a bouquet of flowers at a home in the Falconhead subdivision when he noticed someone running out of the back of the house. The delivery driver said at around the same time, a car began honking behind him, and he realized the driver was likely trying to pick up the men he saw running.
  The delivery man, who is a retired
  
  Read more

• Delivery man helps stop real-life Grinches accused of burglarizing neighborhood

  21-12-2017 22:31 via kxan.com
  BEE CAVE, Texas (KXAN) — Bee Cave police say a flower delivery man is to thank for catching thieves stealing from a neighborhood on Tuesday.
  The delivery man was dropping off a bouquet of flowers at a home in the Falconhead subdivision when he noticed someone running out of the back of the house. The delivery driver said at around the same time, a car began honking behind him, and he realized the driver was likely trying to pick up the men he saw running.
  The delivery man, who is a retired
  
  Read more

• VIDEO: Christmas caroling cop surprises crowd with incredible voice

  21-12-2017 22:24 via kxan.com
  PORTLAND, Maine (WCSH) — A police officer in Maine has become an overnight internet sensation for a video showcasing his angelic voice in uniform.
  When Portland Police Officer Jeremy Turner’s partner cracked a joke about singing while out on foot patrol in the Old Port, he never knew what was coming.
  Turner stood in Tommy’s Park and sang a chilling rendition of “O Holy Night.”
  A crowd started to form, with people videotaping Turner’s performance. At the end, t
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Despite appearances, work on Austin’s most dangerous intersection not delayed

  21-12-2017 21:55 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Our viewers reached out to KXAN expressing concern that work at Austin’s most dangerous intersection, Slaughter Lane and Manchaca Road, is behind schedule — mainly because it seems no crews have been in the work zone for weeks.
  Bridget Pinkard lives near the intersection. “I haven’t seen a lot of activity, but I haven’t seen zero,” she said. City of Austin spokesperson Amica Bose says that just because drivers haven’t seen
  
  Read more

• Texas company recalls nearly 4 tons of ground beef products

  21-12-2017 21:38 via kxan.com
  FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — A Fort Worth meatpacker is recalling nearly 4 tons of ground beef products that contain soy but the allergen is not listed on the labels.
  The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday announced the recall by PFP Enterprises, also operating as Texas Meat Packers.
  The recall includes 40-pound cases containing four 10-pound bags of “85/15 Ground Beef Bulk” with item code 4013 and labeled Patterson Food Processors. The recall also includes 10-pound cases c
  
  Read more

• A look at how Amazon offers last-minute perks for procrastinators

  21-12-2017 20:41 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texans looking for last-minute gifts or household items could be in luck, thanks to one major online retailer.
  Amazon looks to provide a holiday miracle, by delivering items in an hour or less, with its Prime Now service. Items can be delivered until 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 24 for Amazon Prime members.
  “Those folks that wait until the last minute to buy their holiday gifts, Prime Now has you covered,” Amazon spokesperson Angie Newman said. “We have tens an
  
  Read more

• Firefighters fight 6 acre grass fire in Del Valle

  21-12-2017 20:31 via kxan.com
  DEL VALLE, Texas (KXAN) — The Austin Fire Department has brought a 6 acre grass fire under control in Del Valle.
  It started around 12:25 p.m. near Ross Road and Pearce Lane. Firefighters from AFD and Travis County Fire Rescue contained a section that was approaching about 20 homes before it moved toward the roadway, but by about 1:27 p.m. had it under control.
  Officials shared a photo of a cigarette butt on Twitter and said they found “multiple improperly discarded smoking materials&
  
  Read more

• Convicted killer hears victim’s family on prison ride

  21-12-2017 20:07 via kxan.com
  MUSKEGON, Mich. (AP) — Sheriff’s deputies in Michigan repeatedly played the comments of a murder victim’s anguished family while they drove a convicted killer to prison.
  Jeffrey Willis was granted a request to skip his sentencing Monday so he didn’t hear the statements by relatives of Rebekah Bletsch. But Muskegon County Sheriff Michael Poulin had a CD made.
  Poulin says the 25-minute CD was played five times as deputies drove Willis 145 miles (230 kilometers) to prison We
  
  Read more

• AG Paxton issues opinion clarifying guns in Texas churches

  21-12-2017 19:38 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In an effort to clarify a new law that went into effect Sept. 1 regarding security teams in Texas churches, Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a legal opinion stating licensed handgun owners can legally carry loaded weapons into a church as long as the church does not have signs posted banning weapons.
  Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asked Paxton for the response after the Sutherland Springs church massacre “so that churches may know what legal options they have to improve secur
  
  Read more

• Driver shot in the shoulder on RM 620 in Williamson County

  21-12-2017 18:52 via kxan.com
  WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A person was shot in the shoulder while driving along Ranch to Market 620 near Pearson Ranch Road in southern Williamson County Thursday morning.
  Sheriff Robert Chody tweeted the victim was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries after he was shot around 10:20 a.m. Authorities say the incident started in Austin’s jurisdiction but then moved into Williamson County.
  A spokeswoman on scene said there were a couple bullet holes in the vi
  
  Read more

• Police set trap for thieves with tracking device inside package

  21-12-2017 18:43 via kxan.com
  HAYWARD, Calif. (KRON) — Dozens of neighbors in Hayward, Calif., had packages stolen from their front porch. Despite dozens having surveillance cameras set up, it didn’t stop the thieves. So they teamed up with the police to catch the thief.
  Hayward police used a decoy Amazon package on one of those porches – and it worked.
  There are two people in custody as of Wednesday.
  “We put it down at 11 this morning, and by 2 o’ clock it was gone,” resident Hayward Poli
  
  Read more

• Man had 166 live cats and 55 dead ones in his home

  21-12-2017 18:14 via kxan.com
  GAHANNA, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio man who had 166 cats and 55 dead ones at his home has been charged with animal cruelty.
  The Columbus Dispatch reports 60-year-old Daniel Slyby, of Gahanna, must post a $64,000 bond by Dec. 30 or his cats will be permanently forfeited to a Columbus animal welfare organization.
  Slyby was charged with 11 counts of animal cruelty Wednesday in Franklin County Municipal Court.
  Columbus Humane, which conducts animal cruelty investigations, says the cats were found liv
  
  Read more

• Trailer stolen from nonprofit pet adoption group in south Austin

  21-12-2017 17:55 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A nonprofit group that helps adopt out animals had their trailer stolen earlier this week.
  A member of SAFE Refuge of Central Texas says the agency’s black trailer was parked behind the Tomlinson’s Feed store at 4211 South Lamar Blvd. when it was stolen Monday night into Tuesday morning.
  The 12-foot trailer was full of new supplies, fundraising items and rescue t-shirts used for their adoption events. The agency says it took them two years of fundraising to get
  
  Read more

• Police find 108 pounds of marijuana in car, arrest 3 men

  21-12-2017 16:56 via kxan.com
  JOHNSON CITY, Texas (KXAN) — Three men from California were arrested Wednesday after police found 108 pounds of marijuana in their car.
  The Johnson City Police Department says two officers stopped a truck at 11:49 p.m. with the three men inside after seeing its license plate lights were out. One officer smelled marijuana, and they conducted a probable cause search.
  Officers found three large duffel bags of marijuana, worth about $500,000, in the trunk and behind the rear passenger seat. Th
  
  Read more

• Prince Harry and Meghan Markle engagement photos released

  21-12-2017 16:35 via kxan.com
  LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Kensington Palace has released two official photos of Prince Harry and his fiancee, Meghan Markle, to mark the couple’s engagement.
  One of the photos is an intimate black-and-white portrait of the couple embracing, while the other is a more formal picture of the two sitting together holding hands. Both show off Markle’s engagement ring.
  Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle, December 2017. pic.twitter.com/HrAc9FeN51
  — Kensington Palace (@Kensing
  
  Read more

• Apple reportedly slows down older iPhones to reduce battery issues

  21-12-2017 16:15 via kxan.com
  CUPERTINO, Calif. (WIVB) — Apple users have long suspected it, and now they know they’re right.
  The company has confirmed it slows the performance of older iPhones to help reduce power demands and battery issues.
  In a statement, the tech company said lithium-ion batteries become less capable of providing peak current demands in cold conditions when they have a low charge, or as they age over time. That means the device will unexpectedly shut down to protect its electronic compon
  
  Read more

• North Texas teen to be tried as an adult in girl’s death

  21-12-2017 15:51 via kxan.com
  FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — A judge has ruled a 16-year-old boy arrested in the death of a 14-year-old girl whose body was found in a North Texas landfill will be tried as an adult.
  The decision came after a nearly four-hour court hearing Wednesday in Fort Worth.
  Frank Alder, the teenager’s attorney, told state District Judge Tim Menikos the teen would be held more accountable in a juvenile facility if he was found guilty.
  Police in Bedford allege the teen used a hammer to kill Kaytlynn
  
  Read more

• Carriers take action against scam calls, spoof numbers

  21-12-2017 15:10 via kxan.com
  HONOLULU (KHON) — If your cell phone has been ringing off the hook with numbers you don’t recognize, you’ve got plenty of company.
  Spoof calls or robo calls are an ongoing problem according to wireless carriers, a problem they’re working to address. “We here at AT&T know how annoying they are. Obviously we get them ourselves. It’s been one of our big commitments to try to give customers more control over those unwanted calls.”
  AT&T says it has a
  
  Read more

• Texas Retailers seeing a boom in holiday sales

  21-12-2017 13:46 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — With four shopping days left before Christmas — Texans have been shopping in force this holiday season. The Texas Retailers Association reports sales are up 11 percent compared to this time last year — and that means seasonal jobs are also strong.
  “Everything related to the holiday season, whether it’s shopping, seasonal part time work, is exceeding expectations and looking really good,” says George Kelemen, President and CEO of the Texas Retai
  
  Read more

• Christmas flurries removed from the forecast

  21-12-2017 13:35 via kxan.com
  Bad news for those of us hoping for a few snowflakes as Santa flies into town…
  We are now seeing consistent signals of a dry — but still cold — Christmas Eve in Central Texas.
  The reason for the change is that instead of a large upper-level disturbance approaching Texas from the west following the Arctic front, all reliable computer models are now pointing to a flat “zonal” flow with dry air through all levels of the atmosphere.
  If things change, we will let you kn
  
  Read more

• Suspect arrested, Amber Alert canceled after baby found safe

  21-12-2017 13:24 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (KXAN/AP) — A baby girl has been found safe at an apartment in southwest Houston, two days after her mother was found stabbed to death.
  The Amber alert for 6-week-old Shamali Flores has been canceled, Houston police said Thursday in a tweet. She “appears unharmed and is being checked at an area hospital as a precaution.” The agency also said a suspect has been arrested, but it did not immediately release a name.
  Carolina Miranda Flores, Shamali’s mother, was stab
  
  Read more

• Suspect allegedly killed Houston woman, took her baby as her own

  21-12-2017 13:24 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (KXAN/AP) — A woman allegedly killed a Houston mother, took her baby girl and pretended it was her own, Houston police announced Thursday.
  The Amber alert for 6-week-old Shamali Flores was canceled Thursday morning after she was found safe at an apartment in southwest Houston, two days after her mother was found stabbed to death. Houston police tweeted the baby “appears unharmed and is being checked at an area hospital as a precaution.” The agency also said Erika Jisela
  
  Read more

• Amber Alert canceled after baby found safe

  21-12-2017 13:24 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (KXAN/AP) — A baby girl has been found safe at an apartment in southwest Houston, two days after her mother was found stabbed to death.
  The Amber alert for 6-week-old Shamali Flores has been canceled, Houston police said Thursday in a tweet. She “appears unharmed and is being checked at an area hospital as a precaution.”
  Officers found Shamali’s mother’s body in her north Houston apartment Tuesday around noon.  Police had initially believed the infant g
  
  Read more

• Hays Co. deputies pull over law-abiding drivers to give them a holiday treat

  21-12-2017 13:03 via kxan.com
  DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas (KXAN) — It’s the last thing you want when you’re driving — getting pulled over or flagged down by an officer, even if you know you’re not doing anything wrong.
  With major travel days coming up around Central Texas, law enforcement will be looking for law-breakers on the roads. But, in Hays County, sheriff’s deputies are spending a couple days looking for something else.
  Wednesday morning, the members of the Hays County Sheriff’s
  
  Read more

• Semi-truck caught fire on I-35 in Pflugerville

  21-12-2017 12:24 via kxan.com
  PFLUGERVILLE (KXAN) — Lanes of Interstate 35 northbound are reopened after a semi-truck caught fire early Thursday morning. No one was hurt.
  It happened around 2:27 a.m. on the interstate near the Waukesha Drive ramp in Pflugerville, which is north of Wells Branch Parkway. Two of the three northbound lanes of I-35 are open and the service road is also open. The truck and emergency vehicles are on the right-hand shoulder of the road.
  Officials say the truck’s tires caught fire fi
  
  Read more

• Driver killed in overnight crash in southeast Austin

  21-12-2017 09:32 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin-Travis County EMS says one man in his 20s is dead following a car crash in the 2000 block of Burton Drive in southeast Austin Thursday morning.
  According to Austin Police, the driver was speeding south on Burton when he crashed into a electrical box just after 1:30 a.m. No one else was in the car. Burton Drive is shut down in both directions until 4:30 a.m. as police investigate the scene.
  
  Read more

• Driver killed in overnight crash

  21-12-2017 09:32 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin-Travis County EMS says one man in his 20s is dead following a car crash in the 2000 block of Burton Drive Thursday morning.
  According to Austin Police, the driver was speeding when he crashed into a barrier just after 1:30 a.m. No one else was in the car. Burton Drive is shut down in both directions as police investigate the scene. Police could not say when the road will reopen.
  
  Read more

• Confederate statue removed after Memphis sells public park

  21-12-2017 05:27 via kxan.com
  MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A crew removed a Confederate statue from a Memphis park Wednesday night after the city sold it to a private entity.
  The City Council had voted unanimously earlier to sell two parks where Confederate statues were located and crews began working right away to remove one of Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest at Health Sciences Park.
  The parks were sold to Greenspace Inc. for $1,000 each, The Commercial Appeal reported. Memphis Chief Legal Officer Bruce McMullen said Greenspace
  
  Read more

• Small town police department’s K-9 hit, killed by a car

  21-12-2017 05:19 via kxan.com
  GREENCASTLE, Pa. (WDVM) — Rony, the only K-9 at the Greencastle Police Department in Pennsylvania, passed away Tuesday night.
  “Apparently, his handler had left him out to go to the bathroom as he normally does. Unfortunately, the way the traffic is out there, especially this time of the evening, most likely, he came to probably an instant demise,” explained Frank Webster, Greencastle Council, President.
  Rony will be remembered for his eight years on the force making Greencastle
  
  Read more

• Deputy foils plan to get 93-year-old to send $15,000 to scammer

  21-12-2017 04:31 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An elderly woman is thanking the Travis County Sheriff’s Office after she fell victim to a phone scheme and was nearly scammed out of $15,000.
  Renata Collins, 93, said she got a frantic call from whom she thought was her granddaughter on Monday.
  “The phone rang at 10 in the morning with a girl crying. It sounded a lot like my granddaughter,” she explained. “She was crying and sniffing. ‘Don’t tell my mother, but I need your help,'”
  
  Read more

• 93-year-old sends $15,000 to scammer but realizes her mistake just in time

  21-12-2017 04:31 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An elderly woman is thanking the Travis County Sheriff’s Office after she fell victim to a phone scheme and was nearly scammed out of $15,000.
  Renata Collins, 93, said she got a frantic call from whom she thought was her granddaughter on Monday.
  “The phone rang at 10 in the morning with a girl crying. It sounded a lot like my granddaughter,” she explained. “She was crying and sniffing. ‘Don’t tell my mother, but I need your help,'”
  
  Read more

• Air tests positive for alcohol after police shut down Maryland frat party

  21-12-2017 03:49 via kxan.com
  BETHESDA, Md. (WCMH) – Police say that so much alcohol was consumed at a college party that the air inside the building tested positive for alcohol.
  Around 70 people attended the party at a Maryland split-level home, WJLA reported. It was advertised on Facebook as “Tequila Tuesday Hoy a las 22:00.”
  Three officers knocked on the door after neighbors complained about noise. Three of the hosts let them inside.
  Police say they observed windows covered with insulation and
  
  Read more

• Major US companies say workers will see some of tax windfall

  21-12-2017 03:42 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Hours after landing a massive tax windfall, AT&T, Comcast, Wells Fargo and Boeing — among other major companies — announced plans Wednesday to share a fraction of their bounty with workers.
  The moves pleased President Donald Trump, who has claimed his $1.5 trillion in tax cuts that largely favor the wealthy and businesses would ultimately help the middle class.
  But Democratic lawmakers and corporate watchdogs say the move is a public relations stunt that p
  
  Read more

• WATCH: Homeowner shows love for Houston hip-hop, Astros in dope light display

  21-12-2017 03:36 via kxan.com
  SPRING, Texas (KXAN) — How do you show your love for all things Houston during Christmastime? You put it in a holiday light display synced up to music by H-town’s finest, obviously.
  That’s what Spring resident Frankie To-ong did, and now the video of his Christmas lights is getting love from everyone in the Bayou City, even from Houston rapper Paul Wall, whose music was featured in the display.
  To-ong posted the video to his Facebook on Dec. 14, and since then it&rsq
  
  Read more

• Low-level marijuana offenders can now avoid charges with Travis County class

  21-12-2017 02:46 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Beginning in January, it will be easier to avoid criminal charges if caught with a small amount of marijuana in Travis County.
  The Travis County Commissioners Court approved a proposal Tuesday to allow low-level offenders to take a four-hour marijuana class rather than going through the court system.
  First-time offenders who are cited with 2 ounces or less of the drug, they’ll have the option to either go through the criminal justice system the traditional way or
  
  Read more

• Sante Fe mom accused of driving drunk while topless had child in the car

  21-12-2017 02:28 via kxan.com
  SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – A Santa Fe mom found herself behind bars after police say she crashed in a fast food parking lot. When police found her she was topless, appeared drunk and had her little girl freezing in the backseat.
  Santa Fe police say when they arrived at the McDonald’s last week, they also found Jennifer Jensen covered in blood.
  According to the criminal complaint, employees at the McDonald’s called police at 3:30 a.m. because they believed Jensen crashed into
  
  Read more

• Al Franken to officially leave US Senate seat on Jan. 2

  21-12-2017 02:15 via kxan.com
  ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Sen. Al Franken plans to officially leave the U.S. Senate on Jan. 2.
  The announcement Wednesday from a Franken spokesman should put to rest questions surrounding the timing of the Minnesota Democrat’s departure and concern that he might reverse his planned resignation.
  Franken announced earlier this month that he would leave “in the coming weeks” amid several sexual misconduct allegations. His office later indicated it would come sometime in early J
  
  Read more

• Khloe Kardashian confirms pregnancy with Instagram post

  21-12-2017 02:09 via kxan.com
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Khloe Kardashian is pregnant.
  The reality star confirmed Wednesday on Instagram that she is expecting her first child with boyfriend Tristan Thompson. She included a photo of her pregnant belly with the post.
  The 33-year-old Kardashian said she is “thankful, excited, nervous, eager, overjoyed and scared all in one” and called the pregnancy “my greatest dream realized.”
  Kardashian is the younger sister of Kim Kardashian West. Thompson plays center-
  
  Read more

• Major League Soccer: Nashville granted latest expansion team

  21-12-2017 02:01 via kxan.com
  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Major League Soccer is expanding its presence in the southeast, awarding Nashville the first of its newest expansion franchises as MLS’ 24th team .
  Commissioner Don Garber made the announcement Wednesday at a news conference with Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry and John R. Ingram, head of the group that will own the team.
  “This is a town that really surprised us with 46,000 at the Gold Cup US-Panama match and over 50,000 for the M
  
  Read more

• Rockdale Tigers want a state championship win after 41 years

  21-12-2017 01:26 via kxan.com
  ROCKDALE, Texas (KXAN) – Jeff Miller doesn’t know what will happen after Thursday’s state championship football game.
  “Hopefully it’s not another 41 years,” Miller said with a chuckle.
  Miller, the head coach of the Rockdale Tigers, is looking forward to seeing his team play against the Brock Eagles at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Forty-one years is how long it’s been since Rockdale’s football team has advanced this far. The last time they bec
  
  Read more

• Man allegedly high on K2 tries to set gas pumps on fire

  21-12-2017 01:22 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man who tried to set pumps at a southeast Austin gas station on fire might have been under the influence of K2, police say.
  The Austin Fire Department said they were called out to the Shell gas station at 6301 East Riverside Drive around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. The caller originally said the suspect was trying to start a fire but when crews arrived, there wasn’t a fire.
  The suspect, identified as Christopher Kempf, 45, was arrested and charged with deadly conduct.
  Over
  
  Read more

• Holiday stress and booze spark uptick in heart conditions, doctors say

  21-12-2017 00:33 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Stress from last-minute shopping, drinking too much at a holiday party and overeating Christmas cookies. Doctors say all of those factors combined could lead to a condition called Holiday Heart.
  It starts with a rapid, irregular heartbeat and spirals out of control. Doctors at the Heart Hospital of Austin say they may see more patients leading into 2018 because of it.
  Dr. Paul Pagley is a cardiologist at the hospital. He says Holiday Heart could lead to cardiac arrest.
  
  Read more

Follow @Austin_News_US on Twitter!