• Immigration agents descend on 7-Eleven stores in 17 states

    LOS ANGELES (AP) — Seven immigration agents filed into a 7-Eleven store before dawn Wednesday, waited for people to go through the checkout line and told arriving customers and a driver delivering beer to wait outside. A federal inspection was underway, they said.
    Within 20 minutes, they verified that the cashier had a valid green card and served notice on the owner to produce hiring records in three days that deal with employees’ immigration status.
    The well-rehearsed scene, execute
  • All clear given after gunshots heard near Johnson Wildflower Center

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in southwest Austin reported gunshots nearby Wednesday afternoon. The all clear was given around 4:45 p.m.
    The University of Texas Police Department and Austin Police Department were both working the 911 call. Austin police say the shots possibly came from someone who is doing target practice, but they’re still investigating.
    UT police initially said staff were evacuating, but corrected their tweet minutes later to say that
  • Two children killed in Cedar Park crash on W. Whitestone Blvd.

    CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) — Police in Cedar Park are working a two-vehicle crash that killed two children Wednesday afternoon.
    Police say the crash involving an SUV and a truck happened just before 4 p.m. at the corner of West Whitestone Boulevard (FM 1431) and Walton Way. The area where the crash happened is in front of the Walmart.
    Both of the children who died were in the red SUV. The female driver of the SUV was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Police did not indicate if any
  • W Hotel in downtown Austin evacuated due to fire

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — Firefighters put out a second-alarm fire inside the W Hotel in downtown Austin, Wednesday afternoon.
    Crews responded at 2:45 p.m. to the hotel and residential building at 200 Lavaca St. and reported the fire was out at 3:08 p.m.
    Fire was found in an eighth floor room after an initial call said there was smoke coming from cleaning machines. The city of Austin says Third Street is closed from Guadalupe to Colorado streets and two lanes of Lavaca are blocked from Second to Fou
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  • Accidental fire led to evacuation of downtown Austin’s W Hotel

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — Firefighters put out a second-alarm fire inside the W Hotel in downtown Austin, Wednesday afternoon. People evacuated from the building were allowed back in a short time later.
    Crews responded at 2:45 p.m. to the hotel and residential building at 200 Lavaca St. and reported the fire was out at 3:08 p.m.
    Fire was found in an eighth floor room after an initial call said there was smoke coming from cleaning machines. The accidental fire was caused by an electrical short i
  • Police search for Austin man who scammed woman out of an RV

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man who cashed a cashier’s check for the sale of an RV in Austin never actually gave the buyer the RV she bought.
    The Austin Police Department released surveillance photos of the suspect with the hopes of identifying him. Police say on Oct. 28, 2017, the victim saw an ad on Craiglist listing an RV for sale. The victim said she corresponded with the “owner” and he asked her to send him a cashier’s check.
    The suspect then proceeded to cash the check
  • Death toll hits 15 in California mudslides; 24 missing

    MONTECITO, Calif. (AP) — Anxious family members awaited word on loved ones Wednesday as rescue crews searched for two dozen people missing after mudslides in Southern California destroyed an estimated 100 houses, swept away cars and left at least 15 victims dead.
    “It’s just waiting and not knowing, and the more I haven’t heard from them — we have to find them,” said Kelly Weimer, whose elderly parents’ home was wrecked by the torrent of mud, trees and bo
  • 17 dead in California mudslides, more than a dozen missing

    MONTECITO, Calif. (AP) — Anxious family members awaited word on loved ones Wednesday as rescue crews searched grimy debris and ruins for more than a dozen people missing after mudslides in Southern California destroyed an estimated 100 houses, swept cars to the beach and left at least 17 victims dead.
    “It’s just waiting and not knowing, and the more I haven’t heard from them — we have to find them,” said Kelly Weimer, whose elderly parents’ home was wrec
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  • Youngest Sutherland Springs shooting survivor to go home Thursday

    SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, Texas (KXAN) — A little boy who’s been in the hospital since a devastating November shooting is going home. Ryland Ward, 5, will be discharged from a San Antonio facility Thursday.
    Ward was shot five times in a rampage during a Sunday service at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. His stepmother and two sisters, along with 23 other people, were killed.
    While he was in the hospital, the only thing Ward wanted was holiday cards. The family told th
  • Dog meet dog: American Kennel Club adds 2 breeds to roster

    NEW YORK (AP) — A spirited Dutch duck-luring dog and a friendly French rabbit hound are now running with the American Kennel Club’s pack.
    The club announced Wednesday that it’s recognizing the Nederlandse kooikerhondje and the grand basset griffon Vendeen. They’re the first breeds added to the roster since 2016.
    They’re eligible for many dog shows this year but can’t compete at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club show until next year.
    The Nederlandse kooik
  • Arthur Miller archive going to University of Texas library

    AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The archives of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Arthur Miller, which shed light on seven decades of his works, will be going on display at the University of Texas.
    A university spokesman said Wednesday that the Harry Ransom Center humanities library paid $2.7 million for records beginning with 1936’s “No Villain,” which Miller wrote while at the University of Michigan, to “Finishing the Picture,” produced months before his 2005 death.
    Mi
  • Texas guard Andrew Jones battling leukemia

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — The University of Texas at Austin athletics department confirms sophomore Andrew Jones has been diagnosed with leukemia.
    The Texas guard from Irving, Texas recently returned to Texas but he’s been playing sparingly. At the time, Coach Shaka Smart indicated Jones had been lacking energy. 
    According to a press release by the university, in the past few weeks, Jones has been undergoing tests and evaluations and has begun treatments
    “Speaking for our entire tea
  • WATCH: Lemurs mob BBC reporter

    BANHAM, England (KXAN/NBC News) — A British news reporter had to do multiple takes after he was mobbed by a pack of lemurs at an English zoo.
    BBC reporter Alex Dunlop was trying to tape a report at the Banham Zoo in Norfolk but some of the zoo’s lemurs took it upon themselves to steal the show. The lemurs jumped onto his shoulders and some even started chewing on his fingers, which didn’t sound like fun.
    “And I’m at one of the region’s zoos where they’re
  • Man rescued after construction crane overturns

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two people were evaluated for injuries after a crane toppled at a construction site in southeast Austin. One of those people was pinned beneath it before being freed.
    The incident happened at 2301 E. St. Elmo Road at 8:57 a.m. Austin Travis County EMS said one of the men was taken to St. David’s South Austin hospital with injuries that were not expected to be life-threatening. The other man refused transport.
    The red crane was on its side near what appears to be a par
  • Falling construction crane captured on video

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two people were evaluated for injuries after a crane toppled at a construction site in southeast Austin. One of those people was pinned beneath it before being freed.
    The incident happened at 2301 E. St. Elmo Road at 8:57 a.m. Austin Travis County EMS said one of the men was taken to St. David’s South Austin hospital with injuries that were not expected to be life-threatening. The other man refused transport.
    The red crane was on its side near what appears to be a par
  • SH 29 in Georgetown back open after 5-vehicle crash

    GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — A collision involving a semi-truck and two cars shut down part of State Highway 29 west of Georgetown Wednesday morning.
    The crash happened just after 9a.m. and involved five vehicles. Two people were taken to the hospital, one of whom is in critical condition.
    Georgetown Police Department says all lanes of SH 29 were back open to traffic around 1 p.m.
  • Collision involving semi shuts down part of SH 29 in Georgetown

    GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — A collision involving a semi-truck and two cars shut down part of State Highway 29 west of Georgetown Wednesday morning.
    One person was reportedly pinned in and Georgetown fire crews were working to get that person out. It is not known the extend of that person’s injuries or if anyone else was injured.
    Georgetown Police Department says both eastbound lanes of the highway are closed, while only one lane is open westbound. The collision happened past Wood Ran
  • California woman returns ‘dead’ Christmas tree to Costco

    SANTA CLARITA, Calf. (WFLA) — While the rest of us were debating where to abandon our trees after Christmas, one woman decided to take hers back for a refund because it was now “dead.”Customers at a Costco in the suburbs of Los Angeles were blown away, and one man couldn’t help but post the details on Facebook.
    “I can’t make this stuff up,” he wrote. “Woman in line at Costco, totally nonchalant, to return her Christmas tree ‘because it i
  • Man celebrates 100th Whataburger visit with hilarious video

    SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KXAN) — When you love Whataburger, you’re not afraid to show it. A San Antonio man did just that to celebrate a milestone for meals bought from the restaurant, commemorating the moment with a video.
    Tommy Guitron posted the video about two months ago. In it, he can be seen wearing a makeshift crown, sash and scepter crafted from Whataburger meal wrappers and bags. The video is accompanied by very royal-sounding music.In the post, he says he celebrated joining the
  • Where to see Houston Astros players (and the trophy) in Austin Wednesday

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — Astros fans can hang out with some of their favorite players and grab pictures of the World Series trophy in Austin Wednesday.
    Here’s a timeline of three events where third baseman J.D. Davis, pitcher James Hoyt and pitcher Brad Peacock will be:
    3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.Pluckers Wing Bar on 3909 S. Lamar Blvd.
    While not an autograph session, players will interact with fans and play trivia, where prizes will be awarded5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Academy Sports and Outdoors on 5
  • VIDEO: Dozens of bats fly around shoppers inside Texas Walmart

    ALVIN, Texas (KXAN) — It’s a sight people expect from the Congress Ave. bridge in Austin, not a Walmart outside Houston: dozens of bats flying around.
    A shopper captured video of the small bats flitting through the store in Alvin, Texas, on Monday. She said store employees tried to shoo the bats out an exit door.
    “They’re everywhere,” a woman says in the video.
    A Walmart spokesperson says the company is aware of the problem and working to safely remove the bats.
    &nb
  • Man accused of stealing KISS, Star Wars memorabilia arrested

    SAN ANGELO, Texas (KLST) — A San Angelo man faces burglary and possession charges in an active investigation of missing music memorabilia.
    The investigation began on Dec. 29, when San Angelo police received a report of a burglary that occurred at Southland Storage on 4940 Southland Boulevard. The victim said his extensive collection of KISS memorabilia, which included shirts, records, action figures and magazines, had been stolen from his storage unit.  A Star Wars action figure colle
  • Rachel Cooke remembered on 16th anniversary of disappearance

    GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — Sixteen years ago Wednesday, Rachel Cooke went for her usual four-mile run while visiting her parents’ house in Georgetown. She was never seen again, and while there have been numerous tips over the years, none have helped the sheriff’s office or her family find her. That doesn’t mean they’ve stopped looking, or stopped remembering.
    Cooke’s family and the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office are holding a ceremony at 5 p.m. Wedne
  • Bastrop State Park tree planting an effort to regrow forest after fire

    BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) — A group of volunteers will plant seedlings at Bastrop State Park Wednesday and Thursday, the latest step in the long-term efforts to regrow the pine forest destroyed in the wildfire that swept through the area in 2011.
    About 96 percent of the park burned to varying degrees during the fire, and since then regrowth has come in stages. Dead trees still litter the ground, natural growth has sprung up in places where trees survived, and volunteers and park staff have pla
  • After 96 percent of Bastrop State Park burned, efforts are regrowing the forest

    BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) — A group of volunteers will plant seedlings at Bastrop State Park Wednesday and Thursday, the latest step in the long-term efforts to regrow the pine forest destroyed in the wildfire that swept through the area in 2011.
    About 96 percent of the park burned to varying degrees during the fire, and since then regrowth has come in stages. Dead trees still litter the ground, natural growth has sprung up in places where trees survived, and volunteers and park staff have pla
  • Judge blocks Trump decision to end young immigrant program

    SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday night temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s decision to end a program protecting young immigrants from deportation.
    U.S. District Judge William Alsup granted a request by California and other plaintiffs to prevent President Donald Trump from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program while their lawsuits play out in court.
    Alsup said lawyers in favor of DACA clearly demonstrated that the young immigrants “w
  • New Austin-based cryptocurrency encourages investment in local businesses

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — As cryptocurrencies create more and more buzz worldwide, one tech startup is looking to cash in on the Austin market.
    DigitalTown has launched a new, hyperlocal cryptocurrency called CityShares, that encourages Austinites to invest in local businesses to help boost the city’s economy.
    “It’s much like having shares of a company,” DigitalTown VP of Global Operations Frank Robles explained. Except in this case, shareholders will invest in the local busi
  • Tsunami dangers in the Caribbean after 7.6 magnitude quake

    MEXICO CITY (AP) — A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck in the Caribbean Sea between the coast of Honduras and the Cayman Islands on Tuesday night.
    There were no early reports of damage on land. Tsunami warning centers said no tsunami waves had been confirmed but stress that people in Puerto Rico, other Caribbean islands and the coast of Central America should be alert to the danger of possible tsunami.
    The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at a preliminary magnitude of 7.6. The tremo
  • Little damage as mag 7.6 quake hits Caribbean

    TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — One of the strongest earthquakes to hit the Caribbean in modern times struck off the coast of Honduras on Tuesday night, shaking the mainland and setting off tsunami warnings that were canceled about an hour later.
    There were no early reports of serious damage or casualties on land after the quake struck shortly before 10 p.m. EST. Officials in Honduras said shaking was registered across much of the nation and there were some reports of cracks in homes in Colon
  • Cigar shop says homelessness, other downtown problems forced it to close

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — After 21 years of operating their location on East Sixth Street off of Neches Street, Bobalu Cigar Co. has decided to shut its doors, moving everything to their north Austin location on Burnet Road.
    While there were a number of factors– increasing rent, lack of parking, lack of sanitation– that drove Bobalu president Jeff Lipton to this decision, he said the main reason he left comes down to one major issue.
    “The problem is that you have the massive amount
  • Cigar shop cites downtown problems including homelessness for closure

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — After 21 years of operating their location on East Sixth Street off of Neches Street, Bobalu Cigar Co. has decided to shut its doors, moving everything to their north Austin location on Burnet Road.
    While there were a number of factors– increasing rent, lack of parking, lack of sanitation– that drove Bobalu president Jeff Lipton to this decision, he said the main reason he left comes down to one major issue.
    “The problem is that you have the massive amount
  • Director of Austin church accused of telling sex assault victim to stay quiet

    MEMPHIS, Tenn. (KXAN) — A pastor at a Memphis megachurch admitted on Sunday to a “sexual incident” involving a high school senior 20 years ago near Houston.
    An Austin church leader has now been accused of covering up the incident. Larry Cotton, a director of the Austin Stone Community Church, allegedly told the girl to stay quiet when she reported the assault while he was an associate pastor at The Woodlands Parkway Baptist Church in The Woodlands in 1998, the New York Tim
  • Austin church director accused of telling sex assault victim to stay quiet

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — A pastor at a Memphis megachurch admitted on Sunday to a “sexual incident” involving a high school senior 20 years ago near Houston.
    An Austin church leader has now been accused of covering up the incident. Larry Cotton, a director of the Austin Stone Community Church, allegedly told the girl to stay quiet when she reported the assault while he was an associate pastor at The Woodlands Parkway Baptist Church in The Woodlands in 1998, the New York Times repor
  • State leaders mum on colleagues’ sexual harassment allegations

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — A group of current and former lawmakers and journalists participated in a frank conversation about sexual harassment in the Texas Capitol.
    In the discussion, hosted by the Texas Tribune in Austin on Tuesday, the five women addressed the “Me Too” movement and renewed efforts to protect lawmakers and staff members.
    The participants included former State Sen. Wendy Davis, State Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, State Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, State Rep. Ina Minjarez
  • Woman rejects claim she did $300K in damage to Houston lawyer’s art

    HOUSTON (AP) — A Dallas woman is challenging allegations that she caused at least $300,000 in damage to a prominent Houston attorney’s art collection at the end of their first date.
    Lindy Lou Layman appeared in a Houston courtroom Tuesday after being charged with felony criminal mischief for the Dec. 23 incident in the home of attorney Tony Buzbee.
    Prosecutors say Buzbee told investigators the 29-year-old Layman became intoxicated and belligerent and that she shattered two $20,000 sc
  • Bannon to exit Breitbart News Network after break with Trump

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is stepping down as chairman of Breitbart News Network after a public break with President Donald Trump.
    Breitbart announced Tuesday that Bannon would step down as executive chairman of the conservative news site, less than a week after Bannon’s explosive criticisms of Trump and his family were published in a new book.
    A report on the Breitbart website quotes Bannon saying, “I’m proud of what the Breitbart
  • New effort to solve deadly shooting on South Congress Ave. last year

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — Detectives have released a new suspect description in the deadly shooting of a 51-year-old man in a South Congress Avenue parking lot last year.
    The shooting happened around 7:09 a.m. on Friday, May 19, 2017, in the parking lot next to the Congress Square II office building at 611 S. Congress Ave.
    A suspect, described as a Caucasian or Hispanic male with short, dark hair and with an average build, shot and killed Van Kevin White. The suspect vehicle is believed to be an ora
  • Astros fans form long lines inside State Capitol to see World Series trophy

    AUSTIN (KXAN) — Houston Astros fans formed long lines inside the Texas State Capitol Tuesday afternoon for a chance to take a picture with the team’s championship trophy.
    Gov. Greg Abbott hosted the trophy inside his public reception room and it was open to the public from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Academy Sports and Outdoors at 5400 Brodie Ln. in Sunset Valley will get the trophy on Wednesday, Jan. 10, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. It’s part of a statewide tour with more than 100 stops pla
  • Texas guard Andrew Jones remains out with illness

    AUSTIN (AP) —Texas guard Andrew Jones remains sidelined with an undisclosed illness and will not play Wednesday night against No. 16 TCU.
    Coach Shaka Smart declined Tuesday to detail what is ailing Jones out of “respect for the family” but hopes to be able to release more information soon. Smart said the team is focused on the player and is not thinking about whether he can return this season.
    Jones opted to return to Texas after his freshman season instead of entering the NBA
  • Jones remains out with illness

    AUSTIN, Texas (AP) —Texas guard Andrew Jones remains sidelined with an undisclosed illness and will not play Wednesday night against No. 16 TCU.
    Coach Shaka Smart declined Tuesday to detail what is ailing Jones out of “respect for the family” but hopes to be able to release more information soon. Smart said the team is focused on the player and is not thinking about whether he can return this season.
    Jones opted to return to Texas after his freshman season instead of entering t
  • Possible deadly crash shuts down SH 21 west of Bastrop

    BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Authorities in Bastrop County are working a possible deadly crash on State Highway 21 near Farm to Market 535 in the Cedar Creek area.
    The crash happened around 5 p.m. but law enforcement agencies have not indicated the number of vehicles involved. A medical helicopter is en route.
    SH 21 is blocked in both directions until further notice.
  • Motorcyclist killed after crashing into tree west of Bastrop

    BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Authorities in Bastrop County responded to a deadly motorcycle crash on State Highway 21 at Farm to Market 535 in Cedar Creek, Tuesday.
    The crash happened around 5 p.m. and the Department of Public Safety says only the motorcycle was involved in the crash. DPS says two or three motorcyclists were riding at a high speed when there was a bike or rider malfunction.
    The man killed in the crash, who has not been identified, was launched 40 yards into a ditch after
  • Deadly motorcycle crash closed SH 21 west of Bastrop

    BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Authorities in Bastrop County responded to a deadly motorcycle crash on State Highway 21 at Farm to Market 535 in Cedar Creek, Tuesday.
    The crash happened around 5 p.m. and the Department of Public Safety says only the motorcycle was involved in the crash. DPS says two or three motorcyclists were riding at a high speed when there was a bike or rider malfunction.
    The man killed in the crash, who has not been identified, was launched 40 feet into a ditch. He di
  • One person killed after car falls 60 feet from I-35 in Georgetown

    GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — A 34-year-old man was killed in a single-vehicle crash into Berry Creek near the northbound Interstate 35 exit to State Highway 195.
    Capt. Roland Waits with Georgetown police says the crash happened in the 3200 block of North I-35, north of Georgetown, just after 4 p.m. Investigators say a Toyota Camry was in the northbound outside lane of I-35 driving at normal speed when it appeared to miss the exit.
    The vehicle was then seen driving off the road into the media
  • One dead in Georgetown crash at I-35 exit for SH 195

    GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — One person was killed in a single-vehicle crash that is blocking the northbound Interstate 35 exit to State Highway 195.
    Capt. Roland Waits with Georgetown police says the crash happened in the 3200 block of North I-35, north of Georgetown, around 4:08 p.m.
    Of the three people in the vehicle, one was pronounced dead at the scene and two others were taken to Seton Medical Center Williamson with CPR in progress.
    Police say the car landed upside down in Berry Creek.
  • Car flew into creek below during deadly Georgetown crash in I-35 median

    GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — A 34-year-old man was killed in a single-vehicle crash into Berry Creek near the northbound Interstate 35 exit to State Highway 195.
    Capt. Roland Waits with Georgetown police says the crash happened in the 3200 block of North I-35, north of Georgetown, just after 4 p.m. Investigators say a Toyota Camry was in the northbound outside lane of I-35 driving at normal speed when it appeared to miss the exit.
    The vehicle was then seen driving off the road into the media

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