Austin news

• License plate scanners coming to downtown San Marcos to help parking enforcement

  05-02-2018 23:57 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — An automated license plate recognition system will be put to work in downtown San Marcos sometime before March 1 to help parking enforcement officers, the city announced Monday.
  Cedar Park, Texas-based NuPark will provide the cloud-based parking management system, which will be mounted on San Marcos police parking enforcement vehicles. The mobile license plate recognition takes two photos of vehicles, one a context photo of the car and its surroundings and anothe
  
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• Before the NFL: Take a look at the players when they were Chaps

  05-02-2018 23:54 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Westlake Chaparrals dominate when it comes to Friday Night Lights. Over the past two decades, the school has produced several players who end up going pro.
  Drew Brees, Nick Foles and Justin Tucker are all famous alumni. Take a stroll through memory lane with their high school football team photos. Westlake High Chaparrals NFL starsWestlake alums Drew Brees and Nick Foles 1996 Westlake Chaparrals team that included Drew Brees. (KXAN Photo) Nick Foles in 2006 Westlake Cha
  
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• Faulty vehicle emissions system likely caused Wimberley fire that threatened 100 homes

  05-02-2018 23:19 via kxan.com
  WIMBERLEY, Texas (KXAN) — A fast-moving brush fire that burned hundreds of acres near Wimberley last week was likely caused by a vehicle’s faulty emissions system, the Hays County fire marshal said Monday, following multiple interviews and an investigation. Officials say roughly 100 homes were threatened during the fire on Tuesday, Jan. 30.
  The 350-acre fire, revised down from an initial total of 750 acres, was ignited at 19 areas — at least — along a 5-mile stretch of Fa
  
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• Kevin Hart: I wasn’t the only drunk one at the Super Bowl

  05-02-2018 22:29 via kxan.com
  MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (KXAN) — As a Philadelphia native, comedian Kevin Hart had a such a good time at the Super Bowl that he even tried to storm the stage following the Eagles 41-33 win over the New England Patriots. Of course, the security stopped him from even stepping on the stage.
  Comedian and Philidelphia native Kevin Hart attempts to get onto the stage following the Eagles 41-33 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018, in Minneapolis
  
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• Students come to the rescue when their bus driver has medical emergency

  05-02-2018 22:22 via kxan.com
  LA GRANGE, Texas (KXAN) — Two La Grange ISD students jumped into action last Thursday when their school bus driver had a medical emergency while driving on a bridge over the Colorado River.
  La Grange Middle School seventh-grader Karson Vega jumped into the driver’s seat when he saw the driver could no longer control the bus and steered the students to safety, as first reported by The Fayette County Record.
  Superintendent Bill Wagner says La Grange High School sophomore Kyler Buzek ke
  
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• Student takes the wheel when bus driver has medical emergency

  05-02-2018 22:22 via kxan.com
  LA GRANGE, Texas (KXAN) — Two La Grange ISD students jumped into action last Thursday when their school bus driver had a medical emergency while driving on a bridge over the Colorado River.
  La Grange Middle School seventh-grader Karson Vega jumped into the driver’s seat when he saw the driver could no longer control the bus and steered the students to safety, as first reported by The Fayette County Record.
  “He was going off in the ditch almost every turn, and then he started dr
  
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• AISD’s bus stop-arm cameras catch more drivers in 2017 than in 2016

  05-02-2018 21:53 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Independent School District’s stop-arm cameras on buses have caught approximately 33 percent more drivers running the stop signs in 2017 compared to 2016.
  While the district says 98 percent of those ticketed do not re-offend, the number of overall citations are on the rise. When AISD implemented the cameras in February 2016, the district issued 12,936 citations. Whereas, in 2017, 17,244 citations were given.
  According to the data, 62 percent of the violatio
  
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• Stocks go on a wild ride, briefly sending Dow down 1,600

  05-02-2018 21:13 via kxan.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — The Dow Jones industrial average briefly plunged nearly 1,600 points Monday as two days of steep losses for U.S. stocks brought an end to a period of record-setting calm in the market.
  The Dow recouped about half that loss within minutes, but its gains for the year were still gone as of late afternoon.
  The slump began on Friday as investors worried that creeping signs of higher inflation and interest rates could derail the U.S. economy along with the market’s record-
  
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• Annexed Lost Creek neighborhood trash bills now five times more expensive for some

  05-02-2018 20:43 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Phil Howry has lived in the Lost Creek neighborhood since 1981. A little over a year ago, the neighborhood in southwest Travis County was annexed by the city of Austin, meaning his family now has to go through the city for its trash collection.
  The reality is, he says his trash bill through Austin Resource Recovery is five times as expensive as it was paying a private company. That’s comparing apples to apples — if he were to continue having two 96-gallon trash
  
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• Annexed Lost Creek neighborhood trash bills now five times more expensive

  05-02-2018 20:43 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Phil Howry has lived in the Lost Creek neighborhood since 1981. A little over a year ago, the neighborhood in southwest Travis County was annexed by the city of Austin, meaning his family now has to go through the city for its trash collection.
  The reality is, he says his trash bill, through Austin Resource Recovery (ARR), is five times as expensive as it was paying a private company. That’s comparing apples to apples, if he were to continue having two 96-gallon trash
  
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• CapMetro will implement biggest service change in its history

  05-02-2018 20:35 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Starting in June, Capital Metro will make changes to one-half of its current 82 routes. Capital Metro Program Manager Sam Sargent said that the changes were based off what the community told the agency they’d like to see.
  “We spoke to neighborhood groups, our customers and we are trying to implement the plan that we think will be a great benefit for folks, but we’re doing it in stages,” Sargent said. “This just happens to be the largest and fir
  
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• Driver claims tailgating caused chain reaction crash on I-35

  05-02-2018 19:53 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man was arrested on charges of failing to stop and render aid following a four-car collision on Interstate 35 in the early hours of Sunday morning.
  Around 2:39 a.m. officers showed up to the scene to find all four cars “totaled” near the 2000 block of I-35 in downtown Austin, near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, according to an affidavit. All drivers, except one, later identified as 23-year-old Juan Martin Ochoa, stayed on scene and cooperated with poli
  
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• Driver charged after 4-vehicle collision on I-35

  05-02-2018 19:53 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man was arrested on charges of failing to stop and render aid following a four-car collision on Interstate 35 in the early hours of Sunday morning.
  Around 2:39 a.m. officers showed up to the scene to find all four cars “totaled” near the 2000 block of I-35 in downtown Austin, near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, according to an affidavit. All drivers, except one, later identified as 23-year-old Juan Martin Ochoa, stayed on scene and cooperated with poli
  
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• Loyola Lane closed at US 183 for a year

  05-02-2018 19:03 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Starting Monday, Loyola Lane in east Austin is shutting down where it crosses US Highway 183, so construction crews can build a bridge in the area.
  The closure should last about a year, according to the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority. Crews will also close Loyola Lane west of US 183 for about two months while they work on new lanes. There will also not be any bicycle or pedestrian access across US 183 at Loyola Lane.
  Ultimately, Loyola Lane will become a bri
  
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• Texas man sentenced to life after filming rape of infant

  05-02-2018 18:38 via kxan.com
  CONROE, Texas (AP) — A Texas man was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences after being convicted of filming the rape of a 3-month-old child.
  David Vincent Akins was convicted last week of four counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child. The 38-year-old opted to let a judge, rather than a jury, render his punishment.
  Akins was arrested in 2016 after his former landlord reported finding child pornography on his computer. Investigators determined Akins made images and videos of sex
  
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• Austin police searching for 4-door sedan in officer hit-and-run

  05-02-2018 18:27 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police are searching for a driver who struck an officer while he was working another crash Saturday night. 
  The crash happened at around 9:40 p.m. on Farm to Market 973 just south of State Highway 71. The officer had his patrol vehicle stopped along the southbound lanes to work a separate crash–although police could not elaborate on whether or not the officer was parked in the shoulder or in the main lanes.
  The driver who struck the officer did stop but th
  
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• Winter cold snaps leading to higher gas, electric bills

  05-02-2018 17:51 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As customers open their gas and electric bills this month, they might be caught off guard by the higher bill.
  Utility companies are reminding customers this winter season has brought several arctic blasts to Central Texas which dropped temperatures into the teens in January–the coldest air to hit the area in several years. According to ERCOT, on Wednesday, Jan. 17 between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., Texans used the most energy ever in the state at 65,731 MW.
  Blueb
  
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• ‘UT harbors abusers’ tagged on school’s Pharmacy Building

  05-02-2018 17:06 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Maintenance crews at the University of Texas at Austin are working on getting rid of graffiti that was spray-painted on and around the Pharmacy Building sometime Sunday night into Monday morning.
  On the left side of the doors, someone spraypainted in red letters: “UT harbors abusers.” On the sidewalk, another photograph shows the message: “Watch your back Richard” along with what looks like a sickle and hammer symbol.
  The message appears to be in res
  
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• PHOTOS: Eagle players’ children steal the show during Super Bowl celebrations

  05-02-2018 17:04 via kxan.com
  MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (KXAN) — Eagles fans ecstatically celebrated Sunday’s history-making Super Bowl, but none were more emotional than the team who brought home its first championship win.
  Quarterback Nick Foles, a former Westlake High School football star, held his daughter close. Other players celebrated with their families and congratulated their teammates.
  The Philadelphia Eagles bested the New England Patriots 41-33. Eagles celebrate first Super Bowl winMINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY
  
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• Talking PyeongChang Winter Olympics with KXAN’s Erin Cargile

  05-02-2018 16:43 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — When KXAN’s Erin Cargile found out last summer she was one of a handful of Nexstar reporters going to South Korea to cover the Winter Olympics, her first reaction was excitement, followed by the question: “Where and when the Winter Olympics was happening?”
  Of course, she learned it was happening in PyeongChang, South Korea, in February 2018. From that June day, Erin has spent the past six months retraining on how to shoot and edit her own video as well as
  
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• Ram truck ad using MLK speech draws backlash

  05-02-2018 16:31 via kxan.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — A Ram truck ad that used a speech by Martin Luther King, Jr., is drawing a backlash.
  The ad shows people doing service-oriented tasks set against audio of King’s speech, which urges people to be “great” by serving the greater good rather than being successful. It was supposed to highlight the volunteer program Ram Nation.
  But it was criticized by viewers and ad experts alike for forging too tenuous a connection with the civil rights hero.
  On Twitter, most
  
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• WATCH: Package thieves in north Austin

  05-02-2018 16:20 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A family in north Austin is hoping police can track down a package thief who sprinted to their door and then ran away with the items under his arms.
  Video from a Nest Cam captured the moments on Friday around 1:50 p.m. in the Ridge at Scofield Farms neighborhood. The homeowner, who asked not to be named, said the boxes were full of kids ski boots, a kids snowsuit and a spice rack. In the video, you can see a second suspect running to grab something from the home next door.
  
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• Video shows package theft in north Austin

  05-02-2018 16:20 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A family in north Austin is hoping police can track down a package thief who sprinted to their door and then ran away with the items under his arms.
  Video from a Nest Cam captured the moments on Friday around 1:50 p.m. in the Ridge at Scofield Farms neighborhood. The homeowner, who asked not to be named, said the boxes were full of kids ski boots, a kids snowsuit and a spice rack. In the video, you can see a second suspect running to grab something from the home next door.
  
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• Philadelphians take to the streets to celebrate Super Bowl

  05-02-2018 15:46 via kxan.com
  PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl victory set off a celebration that has been 58 years in the making.
  Just as Nick Foles and the Eagles clinched a surprising 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots in Minneapolis for the team’s first Super Bowl title Sunday night, the scene more than 1,000 miles away in Philly was jubilation and pandemonium.
  As time expired, crowds across the city spilled out of sports bars, apartments and houses.
  There were fireworks
  
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• Philadelphia cleaning up after some celebrations turn unruly

  05-02-2018 15:46 via kxan.com
  PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia was cleaning up Monday after pockets of Super Bowl victory celebrations turned unruly overnight, with rowdy Eagles fans smashing department store windows, looting a gas station convenience store and toppling a number of the city’s famously greased light poles.
  The vast majority of revelers celebrated peacefully, and only three arrests were made, said Ajeenah Amir, a spokeswoman for Mayor Jim Kenney.
  “Tens of thousands came out and celebrated thi
  
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• Eagles get hero’s welcome after winning 1st Super Bowl title

  05-02-2018 15:46 via kxan.com
  PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Fresh off their first Super Bowl title, the Philadelphia Eagles arrived home to a hero’s welcome Monday afternoon, hours after overjoyed fans mobbed the streets in a sometimes unruly victory celebration nearly 60 years in the making.
  Hundreds of fans greeted the team’s plane at Philadelphia International Airport, cheering wildly and singing “Fly Eagles Fly” as Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie emerged with the Lombardi Trophy.
  After getting off the plan
  
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• Obituary: Cowboys fan died so he wouldn’t have to watch Patriots, Eagles play

  05-02-2018 15:22 via kxan.com
  WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KXAN) — Robert Clyde Drew was a huge Cowboys fan, someone who family said was the “life of the party.” He died at the end of January, but it’s obituary showing his team pride that’s drawing attention in the wake of the Super Bowl.
  “Robert Clyde Drew, beloved husband, father, and Papa, drew his last breath January 25, 2018, mainly, we suspect, to prevent himself from having to watch the Patriots and Eagles in the Superbowl,” the obit
  
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• Crew members ready WW2 bomber for first flight of the year

  05-02-2018 12:51 via kxan.com
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — After months of work to replace an engine on a historic plane, crew members on Monday prepared to take the World War II bomber out for its first flight of the year.
  The mechanics and pilot are part of the Devil Dog Squadron of the Commemorative Air Force, the Texas-based organization committed to restoring fighters, bombers and other planes from the war. Over the years they’ve put in countless hours and around $350,000 in donations to keep the B-25/PBJ-1 Mi
  
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• Reaction to Westlake grad Nick Foles’ helping bring Eagles a win

  05-02-2018 12:42 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) —  Westlake High School graduate Nick Foles made history helping the Philadelphia Eagles win their first Super Bowl and becoming this year’s Super Bowl MVP.
  “I don’t know many quarterbacks that threw two touchdowns and caught them in the Super Bowl, so he’s doing some stuff that hasn’t been done before,” says LeGarrette Blount, Philadelphia Eagles running back.
  “He deserves everything that came to him because everybody doubted hi
  
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• ‘This is my baby’s car seat smoking,’ says voice in Facebook video shared by Cedar Park mom

  05-02-2018 04:37 via kxan.com
  CEDAR PARK (KXAN) — The video shows a car seat with smoke coming from it in the back seat. A Cedar Park mother posted it on Facebook on Jan. 23 trying to warn other parents.
  “This is my baby’s car seat smoking, because there is a mirror on the back of the seat so I can see her,” said the mom. “I just took her out of the seat and smelled smoke and saw the smoke coming up. And this is caused by the sun’s reflection into the car seat.”
  In pictures you can s
  
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• ‘This is my baby’s car seat smoking,’ says Cedar Park mom in Facebook video

  05-02-2018 04:37 via kxan.com
  CEDAR PARK (KXAN) — The video shows a car seat with smoke coming from it in the back seat. A Cedar Park mother posted it on Facebook on Jan. 23 trying to warn other parents.
  “This is my baby’s car seat smoking because there is a mirror on the back of the seat so I can see her,” said the mom. “I just took her out of the seat and smelled smoke and saw the smoke coming up. And this is caused by the sun’s reflection into the car seat.”
  In pictures, you can s
  
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• Foles’ late TD pass leads Eagles to 1st Super Bowl title

  05-02-2018 04:25 via kxan.com
  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nick Foles threw the go-ahead 5-yard touchdown pass to Zach Ertz with 2:21 to go and the Philadelphia Eagles won their first Super Bowl by outscoring Tom Brady and the New England Patriots 41-33 on Sunday night.
  The most prolific playoff game in terms of combined yardage in NFL history was then decided on a defensive play when Brandon Graham stripped Tom Brady and rookie Derek Barnett recovered with 2:09 to play to set up a field goal by Jake Elliott and prevent another
  
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• Number of Austin flu-related death grows; rapid flu test in short supply

  05-02-2018 04:07 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – In the last month, Austin doctors saw a distribution shortage of the drug that eases flu symptoms. Now, health workers nationwide are running out of rapid flu tests.
  This comes as the Austin-Travis County Health Authority released a new numbers of flu-related deaths in the area.
  So far, 28 people have died in Travis County, said Dr. Phil Huang, the authority’s medical director. All of the victims are in their 30s and older. Of those, 19 were 80 years old and older, he
  
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• City’s first black fire inspector tells young firefighters: ‘Stay positive’

  05-02-2018 04:03 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Being the first of anything is a triumph. One former Austin firefighter knows that well. He was the city’s first black fire inspector.
  91-year-old Marvin Douglas remembers his first day in the fire department. He has documented much of his 32-year career in several photo books. He still remembers names, faces and fires.
  “When you come out of the station and you see that,” he said, pointing to a picture of a fully-involved fire, “you want to
  
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• J.J. Watt’s hurricane relief efforts help earn him NFL Man of the Year

  05-02-2018 03:43 via kxan.com
  MINNEAPOLIS (KXAN) — The Texans didn’t make it to the Super Bowl, but one of their own was recognized that night in Minneapolis. Defensive end J.J. Watt earned the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.
  “Truly humbled and honored. Thank you,” Watt tweeted.
  The award was established in 1970, and recognizes players’ excellence on and off the field. Winning the award means that the NFL Foundation, Nationwide and United Way Worldwide will donate $500,000 in Watt&rsquo
  
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• The 5 best moments of Justin Timberlake’s Super Bowl LII Halftime Show

  05-02-2018 03:23 via kxan.com
  MINNEAPOLIS (KXAN) — Super Bowl LII may have taken place at night, but Justin Timberlake kept some sunshine in his pocket that he shared with everyone at Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium. Timberlake hasn’t performed in the Super Bowl since 2004, which ended with an infamous “wardrobe malfunction” with Janet Jackson. While this performance didn’t involve any nudity, it did have some memorable moments. Here are the top 5:
  1. There was no *NSYNC, but that didn
  
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• With the flu, Pink powers through pre-Super Bowl concert

  05-02-2018 02:09 via kxan.com
  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Battling the flu, pop star Pink powered through a pre-Super Bowl concert, still hitting high notes, flying in the air and dancing onstage days before she will sing the national anthem at the big game.
  Pink skipped some of the words during the songs, relying on her backup singers Friday at Nomadic Live at the Armory in Minneapolis. But she was still energetic and spirited, ending the set with her signature high-flying athleticism while singing the pounding hit, “So
  
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• Man with sledgehammer pounds dozen parked Dallas police cars

  05-02-2018 01:46 via kxan.com
  DALLAS (AP) — Authorities say a man took a sledgehammer to about a dozen squad cars in a Dallas police station parking lot.
  Police say the man walked into the Dallas Central Patrol parking lot at the city’s marshal’s office detention center before dawn Sunday and started hitting the cars. The center holds people arrested for public intoxication and other low-level misdemeanors.
  His name hasn’t been released and other details of the incident haven’t been disclosed.
  A
  
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• Kylie Jenner announces birth of ‘healthy,’ ‘beautiful’ girl

  05-02-2018 01:43 via kxan.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — After months of speculation that she was pregnant with her first child, Kylie Jenner has announced the birth of a baby girl.
  In an Instagram post Sunday, Jenner says the baby was born Thursday. It’s the first child for the 20-year-old reality TV star and 25-year-old rapper Travis Scott.In her post, Jenner apologizes for keeping fans “in the dark through all the assumptions.” She says she chose to keep her pregnancy private and “not to do in front of
  
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• Caught on Camera: TxDOT dumping roadkill, waste and more

  05-02-2018 01:30 via kxan.com
  DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas (KXAN) -- Jimi Lovejoy had no idea what he would ultimately find when he saw dozens of vultures swarming along US 290 and decided to pull his car over to investigate.
  Just outside the Dripping Springs city limits, Lovejoy steered through an opening in a concrete barrier and onto an old public right-of-way hidden by a grove of Ashe juniper trees. Just 50 yards from the highway, beneath a looming water tower bearing the inscription “Dripping Springs Gateway to the Hi
  
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• Trump: Service members make Super Bowl Sunday possible

  05-02-2018 01:00 via kxan.com
  WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump expressed appreciation for U.S. service members on Super Bowl Sunday, saying their bravery and sacrifice help make occasions like the year’s most-watched football game possible and renewing his criticism of NFL players who kneel during the national anthem.
  “Though many of our Nation’s service members are unable to be home with family and friends to enjoy this evening’s American tradition, they are always in our tho
  
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• The Latest: Foles, Eagles on the move, leading Pats 9-3

  05-02-2018 00:27 via kxan.com
  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Latest from the Super Bowl (all times local):
  6:08 p.m.
  Nick Foles isn’t having any trouble moving the Philadelphia offense against the defending champion New England Patriots. Foles threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to a leaping Alshon Jeffery in the back of the end zone to give the Eagles a 9-3 lead in the first quarter.
  Jake Elliott missed his fifth PAT kick of the season, going wide right.
  Foles was 8 of 11 for 102 yards on the first two Philadelphia possessio
  
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• The Latest: Eagles score again, regain 10-point lead on Pats

  05-02-2018 00:27 via kxan.com
  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Latest from the Super Bowl (all times local):
  8:10 p.m.
  The high-scoring Philadelphia Eagles have answered the New England Patriots again in the Super Bowl.
  Nick Foles threw 22-yard touchdown pass to Corey Clement, and the Eagles restored their 10-point halftime lead, going up 29-19 on the Patriots.
  Clement held the ball in his left arm as he took two steps, and a third step appeared to be just out of bounds. The scoring play stood after a video review.
  Foles now has
  
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• The Latest: Defense helps Eagles win 1,000-yard Super Bowl

  05-02-2018 00:27 via kxan.com
  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Latest from the Super Bowl (all times local):
  9:20 p.m.
  A defensive play helped clinched Philadelphia’s first title in the Super Bowl era in the first 1,000-yard Super Bowl.
  Brandon Graham forced a fumble by Tom Brady and Derek Barnett recovered with just more than two minutes remaining, and the Eagles beat the defending champion New England Patriots 41-33.
  It was just the sixth defensive stop in 19 possessions at that point. The game’s only sack came aft
  
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