Austin news

• Missouri tries for world’s largest Christmas stocking record

  23-12-2017 23:46 via kxan.com
  SEDALIA, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri city has unveiled a Christmas stocking it hopes will make the cut for the world’s largest.
  Sedalia’s red-and-white stocking was officially measured Tuesday as 177 feet (53.95 meters) tall for entry to Guinness World Records, the Sedalia Democrat reported. The city is trying to beat a record set by the Italian city of Carrara in 2011.
  The Missouri city’s stocking is almost 10 feet (3.05 meters) longer. It’s so large that with a few more
  
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• Las Vegas woman charged with gunning down 3 roommates

  23-12-2017 23:35 via kxan.com
  LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Las Vegas woman is facing multiple murder charges Saturday in the shooting deaths of her three roommates, who lived in what authorities described as a “problem house.”
  Christine Sanchez, 47, is currently being held in a county jail on three counts of open murder with a deadly weapon. According to Las Vegas police, she had been in an ongoing dispute with her roommates. When the victims returned to the home Friday afternoon, all four got into an altercation.
  It
  
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• Trump reacts to reports of FBI deputy director’s retirement

  23-12-2017 23:19 via kxan.com
  WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump reacted to reports Saturday about the coming retirement of FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who has been buffeted by attacks from the president and his Republican allies over alleged anti-Trump bias in the agency, by repeating falsehoods about McCabe’s wife.
  “How can FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, the man in charge, along with leakin’ James Comey, of the Phony Hillary Clinton investigation (including her 33,000 ill
  
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• Trump criticizes FBI deputy director as he plans retirement

  23-12-2017 23:19 via kxan.com
  WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump again questioned the impartiality of the deputy director of the FBI, Andrew McCabe, who is planning to retire from the bureau in the months ahead after being buffeted by attacks over alleged anti-Trump bias in the agency.
  In a tweet Saturday, the president wrote: “How can FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, the man in charge, along with leakin’ James Comey, of the Phony Hillary Clinton investigation (including her 33,000 illega
  
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• California wildfire now largest in state history

  23-12-2017 23:04 via kxan.com
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California wildfire that has killed two people and seared its way through cities, towns and wilderness northwest of Los Angeles became the largest blaze ever officially recorded in California on Friday, authorities said.
  The Thomas fire took only 2 ½ weeks to burn its way into history books as unrelenting winds and parched weather turned everything in its path to tinder — including more than 700 homes.
  The fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties had sco
  
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• Fire damages east Austin house

  23-12-2017 22:21 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Firefighters put out a fire at an east Austin house Saturday afternoon, said the Austin Fire Department.
  It happened at about 2:33 p.m. in the 1100 block of East 3rd Street about three blocks east of Interstate 35, AFD said.
  The fire burned a bathroom and a laundry room and caused smoke damage in the rest of the house.
  Firefighters said no one was injured but that the two residents of the house will now be staying with friends.
  Investigators have not yet determined what cau
  
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• APNewsBreak: Pageant official apologizes to ex-Miss America

  23-12-2017 21:50 via kxan.com
  ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The top leadership of the Miss America Organization, implicated in an email scandal that targeted past pageant winners for abuse based on their appearance, intellect and sex lives, resigned on Saturday, with the outgoing president apologizing to a winner whose weight he ridiculed.
  The president, Josh Randle, told The Associated Press his comment responding to an email to his private account about the physical appearance of 2013 winner Mallory Hagan came months be
  
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• 3 Miss America officials resign, 1 apologizes to ex-winner

  23-12-2017 21:50 via kxan.com
  ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The top leadership of the Miss America Organization, implicated in an email scandal that targeted past pageant winners for abuse based on their appearance, intellect and sex lives, resigned on Saturday, with the outgoing president apologizing to a winner whose weight he ridiculed.
  The president, Josh Randle, told The Associated Press his comment responding to an email to his private account about the physical appearance of 2013 winner Mallory Hagan came months be
  
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• Longhorns notch second road win of season over Alabama

  23-12-2017 20:38 via kxan.com
  BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Texas coach Shaka Smart wanted both his team and star freshman Mohamed Bamba to ratchet up their play heading into conference play.
  He got his wish on both counts. Bamba had 17 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots to lead the Longhornsto a 66-50 victory over Alabama Friday night.
  Texas (9-3) scored 12 straight points to pull away down the stretch at Legacy Arena, about an hour from campus for the Crimson Tide (8-4).
  “It’s big for us just from
  
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• Weekend Gardener: Protecting your citrus plants

  23-12-2017 20:37 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As temperatures drop this holiday season it Is important to protect your animals from the brutally cold temperatures but don’t forget about your plants as well- especially your citrus.
  Citrus have become very popular plants for people to have in their yards. But the low temperatures during the winter months can be dangerous for budding fruit. The Weekend Gardener advises that you use old Christmas lights with non- LED bulbs to drape around the plant. The warmth of the
  
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• NASA astronaut, 1st to fly untethered in space, dies at 80

  23-12-2017 19:12 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (AP) — NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless, the first person to fly freely and untethered in space, has died. He was 80.
  He was famously photographed in 1984 flying with a hefty spacewalker’s jetpack, alone in the cosmic blackness above a blue Earth. He traveled more than 300 feet away from the space shuttle Challenger during the spacewalk.
  “The iconic photo of Bruce soaring effortlessly in space has inspired generations of Americans to believe that there is no limit to the
  
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• Trail of Lights to open Saturday for final day

  23-12-2017 18:51 via kxan.com
  Austin (KXAN) — Austin’s Christmas tradition, the Trail of Lights, will be open for it’s final day on Saturday after rain caused it to close on Friday.
  Since it opened this year on December 9, the Trail of lights has closed for four days due to rain and muddy grounds at Zilker Park.
  The Trail of Lights team worked Friday and Saturday morning to remove enough water from the park grounds. Organizers say after many closures this season, they are expecting a busy last day.
  On Satur
  
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• 33 killed as bus falls into river in western India

  23-12-2017 18:31 via kxan.com
  NEW DELHI (AP) — At least 33 people were killed on Saturday after a passenger bus veered off a bridge and plunged into a river in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, police said.
  Seven injured passengers were hospitalized in Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan state, 375 kilometers (235 miles) south of New Delhi, said police officer Narain Singh.
  The speeding bus was trying to overtake another vehicle when it rammed through the bridge railing, said B.L. Soni, another police officer. It
  
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• Firefighter injured in shed fire now in good condition

  23-12-2017 16:21 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Fire Department says one of their firefighters in good condition after he suffered a cut to the head while responding to a shed fire in South Austin.
  Austin Fire said they responded to the fire in a shed at the back of a single family home on Cedar Elm Trail around 6 a.m. The fire was knocked down but not before completely destroying the shed and minor damages to the home. AFD later determined the cause of the fire to be electrical.
  They estimate that the fire caused
  
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• Firefighter injured in shed fire in good condition

  23-12-2017 16:21 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Fire Department said one of its firefighters is in good condition after he suffered a cut to the head while battling a shed fire in west Austin Saturday morning.
  Firefighters responded to the fire in a shed at the back of a single family home in the 8300 block of Cedar Elm Trail west of the Y at Oak Hill at about 6 a.m. The fire completely destroyed the shed for a total loss of about $3,000. The house also had some minor damage.
  Investigators said an electrical s
  
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• Rocket lights sky as it carries satellites from California

  23-12-2017 05:30 via kxan.com
  VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) — A reused SpaceX rocket carried 10 satellites into orbit from California on Friday, leaving behind a trail of mystery and wonder as it soared into space.
  The Falcon 9 booster lifted off from coastal Vandenberg Air Force Base, carrying the latest batch of satellites for Iridium Communications.
  The launch in the setting sun created a shining, billowing streak that was widely seen throughout Southern California and as far away as Phoenix.
  Calls came in
  
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• Groom in rare cross-border wedding is a drug smuggler

  23-12-2017 04:53 via kxan.com
  SAN DIEGO (AP) — It was a heartwarming scene: A U.S. citizen, forbidden to enter Mexico, wed the love of his life in a brief moment when the gate separating the two countries was opened.
  Now a newspaper says the groom is a convicted drug smuggler and border agents are furious that he passed a federal background check and was approved for the “Door of Hope” event last month.
  “The agents are upset, feel like they were taken advantage of, feel like they were duped,” Jo
  
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• Federal dollars will keep paying for emergency health care for uninsured Texans

  23-12-2017 04:37 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In a last minute deal, your federal tax dollars will continue to help 4.5 million Texans without health insurance get emergency care at hospitals.
  The federal government has agreed to send $25 billion to Texas hospitals over the next five years.
  Gov. Greg Abbott made the announcement Thursday.
  “I committed to the people of Texas that we would focus on preserving access to care without expanding a broken Medicaid system under Obamacare,” said Gov. Abbott, thankin
  
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• Trail of Lights offers refunds options after unprecedented closures

  23-12-2017 03:34 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the Trail of Lights continues to remove standing water from the trail ahead of the event’s final night Saturday, refund options have been made available for those unable to exchange their tickets.
  Ticket holders from canceled nights on Dec. 16, 17, 19 and 22 who could not exchange tickets and have requested a refund will be able to get a refund of their net ticket purchase — meaning the Trail of Lights will not be refunding fees (for every $3 ticket sold, a $
  
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• Trail of Lights offers refund options after unprecedented closures

  23-12-2017 03:34 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the Trail of Lights continues to remove standing water from the trail ahead of the event’s final night Saturday, refund options have been made available for those unable to exchange their tickets.
  Ticket holders from canceled nights on Dec. 16, 17, 19 and 22 who could not exchange tickets and have requested a refund will be able to get a refund of their net ticket purchase — meaning the Trail of Lights will not be refunding fees (for every $3 ticket sold, a $
  
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• Multi-million dollar lifetime study of golden retrievers may unlock cancer cure

  23-12-2017 01:57 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A multi-million dollar, long-term study designed to give researchers a deeper look into the lives of golden retrievers could also reveal more about certain cancers and the life-saving drugs patients use. A handful of Austin-area dogs are already in the massive study.
  One of them is 4-year-old Winnie, who lives in Austin.
  “She is wild and playful and sweet,” said Holly Deshields, Winnie’s owner. “The tennis ball is her absolute best friend.&
  
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• 97 new highway patrol troopers join Texas DPS amid planned cuts

  23-12-2017 01:49 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Ninety-seven new highway patrol troopers graduated from the Texas Department of Public Safety’s 24-week recruit school Friday and will be stationed across the state.
  “I learned a lot about myself and what I’m able to push myself through,” Natalie Prybyla, a trooper from Round Rock, said.
  Prybyla is among the 18 women in this graduating class. The agency says that’s the most within one group they’re aware of. Ofelia Flores, who is from El
  
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• IBC Bank in west Austin robbed at gunpoint

  23-12-2017 00:49 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police are investigating the robbery of an IBC Bank in west Austin Friday afternoon.
  The bank robbery happened around 1:30 p.m. at the bank located at 10405 Ranch to Market 2222. The male suspect brandished a weapon and demanded money from the teller.
  Police say the suspect took off in a gray Chevy Silverado.
  
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• Parking at Austin airport filling up fast for Christmas holiday

  23-12-2017 00:40 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin-Bergstrom International Airport officials are warning travelers to arrive at the airport early over the next few days.
  Security lines are not long, with the average wait time for security being around 10 minutes.
  Anyone planning to park at the airport, however, may need to allow some extra time. ABIA’s regular economy parking lots are full.
  TSA line on Friday before Christmas on Dec. 22, 2017. (KXAN Photo/Jacqulyn Powell)“There’s a very high likelih
  
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• Beyond Batten: Teen sets $1M goal to fight sister’s fatal disease

  23-12-2017 00:18 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As teenagers, the Benson siblings have been through experiences many kids their age never face. Christiane, 15, and Garland, 13, go skiing, play sports and run around the backyard with the two family dogs. Their family time is a little different.
  Christiane has battled Batten Disease for nearly 10 years. Roughly three out of 100,000 people in the United States face the fatal neurological disorder. It causes blindness, seizures, and increased cognitive impairment, according
  
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• FBI: Man planned to target San Francisco in Christmas day terror attack

  23-12-2017 00:04 via kxan.com
  SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Authorities have stopped a terror attack that was planned for Christmas day in San Francisco.
  The FBI arrested Everitt Aaron Jameson, of Modesto, who was allegedly planning an attack targeting Pier 39, according to FBI documents.
  The 26-year-old tow truck driver specially named Pier 39 as his target because “he has been there before and knew that it was a heavily crowded area,” the documents said.
  The FBI says he wanted to use explosives to “fu
  
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