Austin news

• Tip leads to student with gun at west Austin middle school, ending in arrest

  29-01-2018 23:46 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A student with an unloaded handgun was arrested Monday at O. Henry Middle School in west Austin.
  The Austin Independent School District says no ammunition was found with the weapon. A student tip around 3 p.m. led police and staff to the student, who was taken to Gardner-Betts Detention Center on the charge of having a weapon in a prohibited location.
  “We are thankful to the student who notified staff, and value the trusted bond our students and staff feel to ensure t
  
  Read more

• New Marriott in downtown Austin will add another 613 rooms

  29-01-2018 23:40 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Another hotel is set to break ground in downtown Austin Tuesday. The Austin Marriott Downtown, across from the Austin Convention Center, will add more than 600 new rooms to the market.
  It’s another piece in what Mayor Steve Adler is calling the “Downtown Puzzle,” a plan that hinges on expanding the convention center and using hotel taxes to help the homeless community and make other downtown improvements.
  The hotel, which will have a massive pool deck
  
  Read more

• Omni Barton Creek Resort will close for a year starting this May

  29-01-2018 22:57 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Omni Barton Creek Resort will be closed to guests for a year starting on April 30 as the hotel undergoes a $150 million renovation.
  Omni Hotels & Resorts announced the closure on Monday afternoon after “it became apparent that the guest experience at Omni Barton Creek would become more impacted starting in May,” according to a press release. The renovation process started a few months ago, which required the closure of the tennis center and various dinin
  
  Read more

• 8-year-old North Texas boy battling brain infection caused by flu

  29-01-2018 22:49 via kxan.com
  CARROLLTON, Texas (WFLA/KXAS) — An 8-year-old Texas boy is battling a brain infection that doctors say was caused by the flu.
  Witten Ramirez is an 8-year old boy with autism who is typically full of life, according to his mom Desiree Buckingham-Ramirez.
  “He’s a rock star. Everyone at school knows him. Everyone calls for him,” she said.
  He came down with the flu and so did the rest of his family. However, Witten’s mom said in an interview with Dallas NBC affiliate KX
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Short-term rentals becoming popular in small cities as Austin grows

  29-01-2018 22:47 via kxan.com
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) – As cities like Austin and San Marcos continue to grow, the smaller cities caught in the middle are beginning to experience new problems they hadn’t in the past. In Kyle, city leaders are beginning to hear complaints of people renting out a room in their home on sites like Airbnb as a short-term rental.
  Currently, Kyle doesn’t have a short-term rental ordinance. Without an ordinance, it means no one living in a single-family home or in an area zoned as resid
  
  Read more

• Tickets still available for Super Bowl LII, but it’ll cost you

  29-01-2018 22:24 via kxan.com
  MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (KXAN) — With six days until the Philadelphia Eagles face-off against reigning champs the New England Patriots, tickets are still available for the big game in Minneapolis.
  According to online ticket retailer StubHub, the least expensive tickets sold this past weekend were for $2,350 for an Upper Corner seat. According to the company’s data, ticket prices have dropped 10 percent since last week as the market has settled into place but overall ticket sales this year
  
  Read more

• Houston boy, 6, dies after accidentally shooting self

  29-01-2018 21:48 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (AP) — Houston police say a 6-year-old boy has died after locating an unsecured gun in a bedroom and accidentally shooting himself.
  Police say the shooting happened Sunday morning at an apartment in northwest Houston as the boy’s mother ran errands and he was being watched by a teenage sibling. Other siblings were also home.
  Sgt. Anthony Turner says a teenage sister heard what sounded like a firecracker and discovered the victim, who died at a Houston hospital. Turner says an
  
  Read more

• FBI’s McCabe, a frequent Trump target, abruptly leaves post

  29-01-2018 21:40 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, a frequent target of aggressive criticism from President Donald Trump, has stepped down from his position ahead of his planned retirement this spring, people familiar with the decision said Monday.
  A 22-year veteran of the FBI, McCabe has held a number of leadership roles and has been heavily involved in investigations into major crimes including the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. But he’s been publicly and repeatedly lambasted over
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Body of fisherman found after Lake Austin boat crash identified

  29-01-2018 21:26 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The man whose body was found in Lake Austin near the Pennybacker bridge Friday morning has been identified as 40-year-old Mark Anthony Cerrillo. Austin police say Cerrillo’s body was found three days after he was involved in a boat crash the night of Tuesday, Jan. 23.
  When the two fishing boats collided, people living along the Lake Austin shoreline heard screaming and called 911, leading to a multi-agency search for a missing person.
  After hours of searchin
  
  Read more

• High fire danger for Austin area Monday

  29-01-2018 20:35 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — While it’s a beautiful Monday, the area’s low relative humidity and dry conditions have pushed the fire danger to high.
  The Austin Fire Department said it’s monitoring conditions in case any grass fires pop up throughout the day. Most of the counties in Central Texas are under a burn ban.
  On Monday afternoon, the Lake Travis Fire Department responded to a brush fire off of Hamilton Pool Road. The fire, which burned less than 1 acre, was quickly put out.
  On
  
  Read more

• Man died in self-defense shootout in north Austin

  29-01-2018 20:11 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A concealed handgun license owner shot and killed a man who fired at him in an apartment parking lot in north Austin Saturday.
  Austin police identified the man who died as Darwin Jimenez, 21. They say he died around 5:20 p.m. at the scene of the shooting at 1070 Mearns Meadow Blvd., despite Austin-Travis County EMS’ efforts to resuscitate him.
  Austin Police Department homicide investigators say it appears a verbal altercation that turned into a shootout began when a m
  
  Read more

• Licensed handgun owner killed man in self-defense, Austin police say

  29-01-2018 20:11 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A license to carry handgun owner shot and killed a man who fired at him in an apartment parking lot in north Austin Saturday.
  Austin police identified the man who died as Darwin Jimenez, 21. They say he died around 5:20 p.m. at the scene of the shooting at 1070 Mearns Meadow Blvd., despite Austin-Travis County EMS’ efforts to resuscitate him.
  Austin Police Department homicide investigators say it appears a verbal altercation that turned into a shootout began when a ma
  
  Read more

• Concealed handgun owner killed man in self-defense, Austin police say

  29-01-2018 20:11 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A concealed handgun license owner shot and killed a man who fired at him in an apartment parking lot in north Austin Saturday.
  Austin police identified the man who died as Darwin Jimenez, 21. They say he died around 5:20 p.m. at the scene of the shooting at 1070 Mearns Meadow Blvd., despite Austin-Travis County EMS’ efforts to resuscitate him.
  Austin Police Department homicide investigators say it appears a verbal altercation that turned into a shootout began when a m
  
  Read more

• H-E-B Super Bowl commercial kicks off 2018 Quest for Texas Best

  29-01-2018 19:52 via kxan.com
  SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KXAN) — As companies vie to have the most memorable commercial during the Super Bowl, grocery store chain H-E-B is throwing its hat in the ring, while simultaneously announcing its search to find the best of Texas.
  H-E-B’s full commercial will play during halftime in San Antonio and between the game’s third and fourth quarter in other parts of Texas. It features artist Cowboy Troy highlighting various areas of Texas as H-E-B representatives search for unique
  
  Read more

• France sees worst rains in 50 years, floods peak in Paris

  29-01-2018 19:35 via kxan.com
  PARIS (AP) — Floodwaters reached a peak in Paris on Monday and were threatening towns downstream along the rain-engorged Seine River as it winds through Normandy toward the English Channel.
  Rivers swollen by France’s heaviest rains in 50 years have engulfed romantic quays in Paris, swallowed up gardens and roads, halted riverboat cruises — and raised concerns about climate change.
  The national weather service Meteo France said Monday that January has seen nearly double normal r
  
  Read more

• VIDEO: Sea lion roaming the streets of Astoria, Oregon

  29-01-2018 19:00 via kxan.com
  PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Simon Caron was heading for coffee on Sunday morning when he saw a police officer meeting with an unfamiliar visitor to the streets of Astoria, Oregon.
  Somehow, a sea lion had made it off the coast and into the town, hanging out in front of Astoria’s Video Horizon rental store. Caron immediately started rolling on Facebook Live, broadcasting the strange scene.
  The docks are located behind the building.
  As of Monday morning, the Facebook video had been vie
  
  Read more

• One week left to register to vote in the March primary election

  29-01-2018 18:46 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — If Texans want to vote in the March primary elections, they have one week to register. The deadline is Monday, Feb. 5.
  Where to go
  Many DPS driver license offices, tax offices, businesses, libraries and postal locations have voter registration forms for people to fill out and then send themselves. People can also print out an online form and mail it to their county’s voting registrar. Below are a few places in Travis County that will have voter registration avail
  
  Read more

• Indians removing Chief Wahoo logo from uniforms

  29-01-2018 18:44 via kxan.com
  CLEVELAND (AP) — Divisive and hotly debated, the Chief Wahoo logo is being removed from the Cleveland Indians’ uniform next year.
  The polarizing mascot is coming off the team’s jersey sleeves and caps starting in the 2019 season, a move that will end Chief Wahoo’s presence on the field but may not completely silence those who deem it racist.
  The Associated Press was informed of the decision before an official announcement was planned for Monday by Major League Baseball.
  A
  
  Read more

• KXAN anchors list their favorite childhood books

  29-01-2018 18:02 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – BookSpring’s annual Readathon is in full swing.
  It’s a great time for students to get their nose into books for a good cause! Students collect donations for every minute of reading they do.
  We asked the KXAN team what were their favorite books to read growing up. Here are their some of theirs:Sydney Benter: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
  Amanda Dugan: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst; The True Story of the T
  
  Read more

• Family of missing elderly Panhandle couple remain hopeful

  29-01-2018 17:40 via kxan.com
  BOVINA, Texas (KAMR) — Even though it has been more than a week since a Silver Alert went out for an elderly couple from the Texas Panhandle, their family is still hopeful they’ll be found safe.
  After a Silver Alert was sent out on Jan. 20 for a Rosendo Lara, 81, it was soon discovered that his wife, Hortencia Aguillon Lara, 84, was missing as well. It is believed that the couple left their Bovina home for Clovis, New Mexico, and haven’t been seen since.
  The couple’s six
  
  Read more

• Sam’s Club frozen meatballs recalled over Listeria concern

  29-01-2018 17:14 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KTSM) — If you’re a Sam’s Club shopper, the USDA is urging you to check your freezer.
  The New Jersey-based Rich Products Corporation is recalling more than 3,400 pounds of Member’s Mark Italian Style Beef Meatballs over Listeria concerns.
  When consumed, the bacteria can cause a serious infection with side effects including fever, muscle aches, convulsions, diarrhea, and even death.
  According to the USDA, the recall applies to all bags with a “Best if Used By
  
  Read more

• Super Bowl ads aim for the heart – and sometimes lower

  29-01-2018 16:48 via kxan.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — After a year of political and cultural upheaval, Super Bowl advertisers appear to be pulling back from themes of unity in favor of in-game stunts and ads that aim for the heart — and in some cases even lower.
  The stakes are high since a 30-second spot costs more than $5 million for airtime alone. The goal is to capture the attention of the more than 110 million viewers expected to tune in to the big game on Feb. 4 — ideally by striking an emotional chord with th
  
  Read more

• Can Trump stick to a script beyond the State of the Union?

  29-01-2018 16:45 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — No natural orator, President Donald Trump has nonetheless shown at times that he can deliver a powerful speech that effectively outlines his vision, strikes an emotional chord and moves commentators to declare that he, at last, looks presidential. And then the teleprompter gets turned off.
  Time and again, Trump has followed up a well-received, stuck-to-the-script address with moments of wild indiscipline, quickly losing any momentum in a controversy of his own making. His
  
  Read more

• Super Bowl organizers embrace Minnesota’s frigid temps

  29-01-2018 16:42 via kxan.com
  MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (Nexstar) – Minnesota in the winter can be home to some of the coldest temperatures on the planet.
  Brian McCollor, a Minneapolis skier says, “This is 16 degrees. I have a couple of layers on and I’m not cold at all. It’s beautiful out.”
  For Super Bowl 52, they’ll be putting the “Bold North” as they’re calling it, on full display. To help do so, they’re using the 200 foot long American Birkebeiner International Bridge.
  
  Read more

• More caffeine, please: Keurig is buying Dr Pepper Snapple

  29-01-2018 16:28 via kxan.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — Keurig is buying Dr Pepper Snapple Group, bringing together the make-at-home coffee brand with the company behind Dr Pepper soda, Mott’s apple juice and Snapple iced teas.
  The combination lets the company offer “hot and cold beverages to satisfy every consumer throughout the day,” said Larry Young, chief executive of Dr Pepper Snapple.
  Keurig Dr Pepper, the combined company, will have about $11 billion in annual sales. That’s still far smaller than P
  
  Read more

• Teenage girl shot in east Austin Sunday night

  29-01-2018 16:12 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A teen is in the hospital after being shot late Sunday night in east Austin.
  The girl was taken from the scene on the 900 block of Bedford Street to Dell Seton Medical Center with serious, potentially life-threatening injuries, according to Austin-Travis County EMS. She is in her mid-teens. An Austin police officer on scene said she had multiple gunshot wounds to her “lower region.” When police arrived around 11:43 p.m., they found her on the ground with people
  
  Read more

• Teen shot during internet challenge

  29-01-2018 16:01 via kxan.com
  MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WCMH) – Police say a teen is in critical condition after a stunt for a YouTube challenge gets him shot in the head.
  The shooting occurred when three individuals in a cafe performed the “No Lackin Challenge,” where two individuals pull guns on each other without firing a shot, according to WMC-TV.Tide Pod Challenge has dangerous resultsBut an affidavit says 21-year-old Sherman Lackland accidentally fired his weapon, hitting the 17-year-old teen across from h
  
  Read more

• German police hunt thieves who stole 44 tons of chocolate

  29-01-2018 15:17 via kxan.com
  BERLIN (AP) — Police say two truck trailers loaded with 44 tons (48.5 U.S. tons) of chocolate were stolen in southern Germany and there’s no sign of the sticky-fingered perpetrators.
  Police said Monday the trailers packed with 400,000 euros ($496,100) worth of chocolate were stolen from an industrial park in Freiburg on Friday night.
  One was found Saturday hauled by a Polish truck that had stopped at a rest area near the German-French border. The driver fled on foot and the trailer w
  
  Read more

• Petition wants to let people use food stamps to buy pet food

  29-01-2018 14:38 via kxan.com
  MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — A new petition for pet food is trending across social media.
  The online petition from Care2 was created in hopes of allowing those who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps, to be able to purchase pet food.
  Currently, food stamps are only used to buy food for individuals or families.
  The Care2 petition is hoping to help families provide everyone in the household, including their pets.
  The petition
  
  Read more

• Fitness devices can provide locations of soldiers

  29-01-2018 13:57 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — An interactive map found online can show the locations and activities of people who use fitness devices such as Fitbit, raising security concerns about soldiers and other people who are at U.S. military bases in sensitive areas.
  The Global Heat Map, published by the GPS tracking company Strava, uses satellite information to map the locations and movements of subscribers to the company’s fitness service over a two-year period, by illuminating areas of activity, The W
  
  Read more

• Bruno Mars crashes rap’s big party at the Grammys

  29-01-2018 13:33 via kxan.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — The Grammy Awards seemed poised to make this a triumphant year for rap at music’s showcase event — until Bruno Mars crashed the party.
  The song-and-dance man from Hawaii won all six awards he was nominated for on Sunday night, including the three most prestigious Grammys for song (“That’s What I Like”), record (“24K Magic”) and album of the year. His music also dominated the rhythm and blues categories.
  The Grammys on Sunday also sa
  
  Read more

• Austin high-schoolers get compost bins after two years of trying

  29-01-2018 13:01 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A group of high school students, frustrated by the slow implementation of compost bins in Austin ISD schools, succeeded last week in getting the receptacles installed next to the trash and recycling bins in their cafeteria.
  It capped off two years of work for the Austin High School students, from planning the project, to tracking down district personnel and making their case for composting. Now, one of the three landfill dumpsters behind the cafeteria has been replaced with
  
  Read more

• Florida police: 7-year-old arrested for punching teacher

  29-01-2018 12:26 via kxan.com
  MIAMI (AP) — Miami police have arrested a 7-year-old boy accused of hitting his teacher.
  The Miami Herald cites a police report stating Mercy Álvarez’s son was handcuffed last Thursday for hitting the teacher. The first-grader was then hospitalized under the Florida Mental Health Act for a psychiatric evaluation and later discharged. WSVN-TV quotes a police report as stating the child was taken out of the cafeteria for playing with his food. It says he then “attacked the
  
  Read more

• Hill Country girl home after snake bite

  29-01-2018 05:02 via kxan.com
  GRANITE SHOALS, Texas (KXAN) — Emily Rose Oehler smiles shyly. She sits in her wheelchair near Granite Shoals City Hall and softly says, “I’m good.”
  The five-year-old is home and recovering from a western diamondback rattlesnake bite at Longhorn Cavern State Park in Burnet County. Her small foot is still swollen after the bite a week later.
  “We were terrified for a long time, ” said her father Wes Oehler. “But to have her home already, it was hard to kee
  
  Read more

• 5-year-old home after snakebite, but parents now searching for signs of ‘serum sickness’

  29-01-2018 05:02 via kxan.com
  GRANITE SHOALS, Texas (KXAN) — Emily Rose Oehler smiles shyly. She sits in her wheelchair near Granite Shoals City Hall and softly says, “I’m good.”
  The 5-year-old is home and recovering from a western diamondback rattlesnake bite at Longhorn Cavern State Park in Burnet County. Her small foot is still swollen after the bite a week later.
  “We were terrified for a long time, ” said her father Wes Oehler. “But to have her home already, it was hard to keep i
  
  Read more

• GOP senators: Trump needs to show restraint in Russia probe

  29-01-2018 03:37 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Two Republican senators said Sunday that President Donald Trump would be wise to keep a public silence on an independent investigation into his 2016 campaign’s contacts with Russia in the wake of news reports that he sought to fire the special counsel.
  The senators, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine, also urged special counsel Robert Mueller to review whether Trump tried to fire him last June, an accusation the president has labeled “
  
  Read more

• Donors, volunteers want hospitalized kids to have a ‘beary’ good Valentine’s Day

  29-01-2018 01:49 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A special event was held Sunday in hopes of giving sick kids something extra to get them through and feel loved on Valentine’s Day.
  The 10th Annual Build a Bear event is meant to help families and children getting help by the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas.
  Families turned out to Barton Creek Square Mall and made stuffed animals that will become part of a “bear mountain” at the Ronald McDonald House where families and sick children can cl
  
  Read more

• Artists show off skills at tattoo festival

  29-01-2018 01:45 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Almost 300 artists from around the world turned out to show off their skills Sunday for the last day of the 16th Annual Star of Texas Tattoo Art Revival.
  From traditional and watercolor to portraits and realistic, it’s the variety of styles and artists that attendees say they love to see.
  “Designing the piece and bringing the client’s image to life — I think it’s pretty cool to translate it into skin,” said tattoo artist Angel Reynosa.
  In
  
  Read more

• Descendants gather at Capitol to mark 100th anniversary of Porvenir Massacre

  29-01-2018 01:33 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN ) — Sunday marked 100 years since the Porvenir Massacre, and hundreds of people turned out to the State Capitol today to honor the lives lost.
  On this day in 1918, a group of 15 unarmed men and boys living in the Big Bend Area of Texas were massacred in the middle of the night by a group of Texas Rangers, US Army Cavalry soldiers and local ranchers.
  Family members of those killed say the story shouldn’t be forgotten.
  “It is a story that needs to be told because som
  
  Read more

• Partial list of winners in top categories at the Grammys

  29-01-2018 01:12 via kxan.com
  A partial list of winners in the top categories at the Grammy Awards , announced Sunday by The Recording Academy.
  — Best rap album: “DAMN.,” Kendrick Lamar.
  — Best rap performance: Kendrick Lamar.
  — Best R&B album: “24K Magic,” Bruno Mars.
  — Best R&B performance: Bruno Mars.
  — Best R&B song: “That’s What I Like,” Bruno Mars.
  — Best dance/electronic album: “3-D The Catalogue.”
  — Best jazz v
  
  Read more

• Juvenile charged with murder in fatal Lubbock shooting

  29-01-2018 01:10 via kxan.com
  LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Lubbock police say a juvenile is in custody and is charged with murder for the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old.
  Police say a vehicle pulled up to a Lubbock hospital just before 2:30 a.m. Saturday, dropped off gunshot victim Brenden McGuire, 17, and then left.
  McGuire later was pronounced dead.
  Investigators say they were able to find the juvenile and arrest him. Also under arrest is an 18-year-old charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
  Police say the case r
  
  Read more

• Grass fire scorches median on SH 130 in Manor

  29-01-2018 00:31 via kxan.com
  MANOR, Texas (KXAN) — Several fire agencies, including Austin, Pflugerville and Manor, joined forces to control a grass fire Sunday afternoon.
  It happened on SH 130 near Parmer Lane at about 4 p.m.
  Crews prevented it from jumping out of the median.
  It burned at least 20 acres, and a cause remains under investigation.
  
  Read more

Follow @Austin_News_US on Twitter!