Austin news

• TxTag mobile app in the works

  16-02-2018 23:44 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — TxTag toll users may soon be able to keep up with their toll accounts via the touch of an app, according to an announcement by Kansas City-based cloud-platform provider PayIt.
  No timeline for the app has been publicized and, as of Friday afternoon, the Texas Department of Transportation did not respond to KXAN’s inquiries regarding PayIt’s announcement.
  PayIt, which partners with government agencies across the U.S., says they plan to deliver a mobile solution to
  
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• Man killed in Georgetown after driving off I-35 frontage, hitting 3 trees

  16-02-2018 23:44 via kxan.com
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — A man was killed while driving north on the Interstate 35 frontage road in Georgetown last weekend when he left the road and crashed into three trees.
  Georgetown police spokesperson Cpt. Roland Waits says their investigation showed the driver of a Chrysler PT Cruiser was northbound on the east frontage road around 3:32 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10, when — for an unknown reason — he left the road and slid sideways on the grass just south of Farm to M
  
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• Survey: Lake Travis ISD students more likely to consider suicide than national peers

  16-02-2018 23:33 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A survey administered to students in seventh, ninth and 11th grades across Lake Travis Independent School District showed they feel more stressed and contemplate suicide and self-harm more than other students nationally.
  Lake Travis ISD administered the Centers for Disease Control’s Youth Risk Behaviors Survey to more than 1,400 students last year.
  Results were recently presented to the school board, pointing out that 773 of the students surveyed said they feel the st
  
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• HMart opens first Austin grocery store, debuting new food hall concept

  16-02-2018 22:56 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Stacey Kwon should have known she’d go into the family business.
  In first grade, she asked her dad for chocolate to bring into class for Valentine’s Day, but he forgot. She vividly remembers sitting at her desk, sadly looking at the cards she had, when all of a sudden he showed up, carrying giant Hmart bags stuffed with treats. The class went wild — and she remembers being so happy.
  Stacey Kwon, creator of Hmart’s Market Eatery (KXAN Photo)
  “Th
  
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• Barefoot Texas woman chases down man stealing grill

  16-02-2018 22:40 via kxan.com
  LUBBOCK, Texas (KLBK) — A woman chased a man down the street after he attempted to steal her family’s grill off their front porch.
  The entire incident was caught on Prisci Gallegos’ doorbell camera. In the video, you see a man approach her home off East 10th Street in Lubbock. He grabs the grill and begins to walk away. Then, he struggles with the tank for a moment.
  In the meantime, Gallegos said her mother checked their doorbell camera from an app and alerted the mother of fiv
  
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• Meet Woody, Buzz Lightyear this summer at Toy Story Land

  16-02-2018 22:39 via kxan.com
  LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (WFLA) – Walt Disney World Resort’s new Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios has an official opening date, the Disney Parks Blog announced on Friday.
  The land will open to guests on June 30.
  Visiting guests will “shrink” to the size of a toy and join in on the fun with Woody, Jessie, Buzz and Andy’s other beloved toys.
  The new section of the park includes roller coaster Slinky Dog Dash, Alien Swirling Saucers and a new track of Toy St
  
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• Hundreds of toll users receive $0 bills in system error

  16-02-2018 22:02 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Scott Jennings didn’t exactly understand what he was being charged for when he opened up a toll bill from the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority.
  The $16 bill, which has a due date of March 2, shows he owes $0 in tolls. The rest was all fees; a $1 processing fee and a $15 fee for non-payment.
  “Part of me was, okay it’s $16, pay it, get it out of the way,” said Jennings, who uses the toll road twice daily to cut down his commute to Austin. &ldq
  
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• New Austin Marathon course will impact roads Sunday

  16-02-2018 21:12 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Whether you’ll be lacing the sneakers or screaming loud and proud from the sidelines, there’s a good chance road closures for the Austin Marathon will impact your commute on Sunday morning. The Austin Marathon uses a rolling course closure to minimize the impact on traffic.
  The city will shut down all roads along the course by 6 a.m. on race day to ensure the course is ready for runners. The marathon this year will also debut a new course.
  The event will st
  
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• Competition for a Cause

  16-02-2018 20:33 via kxan.com
  If you are inspired to train like a champion in this season of athletic competition, Orangetheory Fitness could have just the right regimen. Orangetheory Fitness offers 60-minute workout sessions split into intervals of cardiovascular and strength training with heart rate monitors to track intensity and maximize metabolic burn. Increase energy, get visible results and burn more calories, even after leaving the studio. That’s the Orange Effect! Backed by the science of Excess Post-Exer
  
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• Blending Art and Science to Look Your Best

  16-02-2018 20:33 via kxan.com
  Looking your best is actually a blend of art and science! Image and makeover expert Eve Michaels joined us in the studio to explain. You can book an appointment with Eve Michaels for styling, empowerment and shopping advice by calling 512-766-7467 or go to ImageEmpowermentByEveMichaels.com.
   
   
   
  Sponsored by Eve Michaels. Opinions expressed by guests on this program are solely those of the guest(s) and are not endorsed by this television station.
  
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• Every school in Hays County receives emergency training from task force

  16-02-2018 20:21 via kxan.com
  HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – Hays County leaders say every school in the county and most government offices are all operating with the same protocol when it comes to responding to dangerous situations.
  Since 2013, Hays County Emergency Services has been working with area schools to make sure everyone reacts the same when there’s an active shooter, fire or weather emergency.
  “We wanted to make sure everyone is on the same page with what the terms lockdown, lockout, shelter and ev
  
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• Flu causing lower blood donor turnout in Austin, across Texas

  16-02-2018 20:13 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Blood donor turnout has dipped in Texas, and experts blame the flu.
  At Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene, blood banks and blood drives are drying up.
  “There are just a lot of sick donors right now,” said Frances Baker, donor recruiter at Abilene’s Meek Blood Center, which serves 17 area hospitals within a roughly 150-mile radius.
  “We’re in critical need right now,” she said. “Our blood inventory is extremely low and we’v
  
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• Free active shooter training scheduled for Sunday in north Austin

  16-02-2018 19:59 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Knowing what to do when an active shooter situation arises is nothing someone can mentally prepare for, but a free training course hopes to give people information on the best way to respond.
  On Sunday, Feb. 18, an Austin police offier will present a presentation as part of the Civilian Response in Active Shooter Events (CRASE). The presentation goes over the causes of acts of violence in public places and how citizens and prepare and respond.
  The class runs from 5:30 p.m.-
  
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• Russians charged with meddling in 2016 presidential race

  16-02-2018 19:44 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Thirteen Russians, including a businessman close to Vladimir Putin, were charged Friday in an elaborate plot to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election through social media propaganda, aimed in part at helping Republican Donald Trump and harming the prospects of his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.
  The federal indictment, brought by the office of special counsel Robert Mueller, represents the most direct allegation to date of illegal Russian meddling during
  
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• 13 Russians charged with meddling to help Trump in election

  16-02-2018 19:44 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Thirteen Russians and three Russian companies were charged Friday with an elaborate plot to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election through social media propaganda aimed at helping Republican Donald Trump and harming the prospects of his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, prosecutors announced Friday.
  The indictment, brought by the office of special counsel Robert Mueller, represents the most direct allegation to date of illegal Russian meddling during the ele
  
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• Written threat at Del Valle Middle School deemed not credible

  16-02-2018 19:38 via kxan.com
  DEL VALLE, Texas (KXAN) — A threat found written at Del Valle Middle School on Thursday was deemed not credible.
  In a letter, the Del Valle Independent School District said out an abundance of caution, additional measures were taken Friday and the campus was searched by a K-9 unit. Classes at the school have continued as planned.
  The district did not indicate where the threat was written or what was included in the threat.
   
  
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• Minneapolis day care owner pleads guilty to trying to kill toddler

  16-02-2018 19:14 via kxan.com
  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minneapolis day care owner has pleaded guilty to trying to kill a toddler in her home.
  Forty-three-year-old Nataliia Karia entered the plea to attempted murder and third-degree assault. She also pleaded guilty to criminal vehicular operation of a vehicle for hitting a pedestrian, a bicyclist and another driver as she fled from her home in a minivan.
  The criminal complaint says a father was dropping off his son at the home in November 2016 when Karia led him toward the
  
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• What to watch tonight in PyeongChang: Lindsey Vonn in Primetime, USA vs. OAR men’s hockey

  16-02-2018 19:12 via kxan.com
  There is a plethora of events for you to feast your eyes on in PyeongChang tonight.
  Curling continues round-robin play for both the men’s and women’s teams. Medals will be presented in the women’s 4x5km relay of cross-country skiing. Maama Biney looks to bounce back in the women’s 1500m, and medals will be presented for the men’s 1000m in short track. There are also a variety of freestyle skiing events ranging from aerials to ski jumping.
  The United States
  
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• APD bicycle officers outfitted with new protective gear

  16-02-2018 19:09 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — All of the Austin Police Department’s 50 bicycle officers are now outfitted with new protective gear thanks to a donation by Parsley Energy.
  Om Friday, the agency showed off the new gear that is specifically tailored to each officer. Officers now have helmets measured and fitted for their heads; the helmets also have protective front facial pieces that are removable.
  The additional body gear is the same ones used in BMX racing to protect riders from falls and wrecks.
  
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• Did the FBI miss a warning before Florida school shooting?

  16-02-2018 18:56 via kxan.com
  The massacre at a Florida high school is again raising concerns about whether the FBI missed signs that might have stopped a mass shooting.
  Last fall, a Mississippi bail bondsman and video blogger noticed a comment on one of his YouTube videos that said, “I’m going to be a professional school shooter.” He immediately reported it to YouTube and the FBI and the next day two agents came to his office to take a printout of the comment and ask him whether he knew anything about the
  
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• ‘Black Panther’ scores mighty $25.2 million Thursday debut

  16-02-2018 18:47 via kxan.com
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Black Panther” is well on its way to a record-making weekend at the North American box office.
  The Walt Disney Co. estimates Friday that the superhero movie earned $25.2 million from its Thursday preview screenings. It’s the second biggest for a Marvel Studios film behind “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” which earned $27.6 million in previews, and the best for the month of February.
  Preview screenings typically begin with 7pm Thursday showings.
  &
  
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• San Marcos man indicted on capital murder in death of Officer Copeland

  16-02-2018 18:18 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — The San Marcos man accused of shooting and killing Officer Ken Copeland last year has been indicted on his capital murder charge.
  A Hays County grand jury issued the indictment on Thursday against Stewart Mettz, 51. On Dec. 4, 2017, San Marcos police officers went to Mettz’s home at 177 Valero Dr. to serve a warrant on charges of assault and injury to an elderly person.
  When officers knocked on his door, police said Mettz opened the door and immediately beg
  
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• VIDEO: How a Corgi rides a pony

  16-02-2018 17:33 via kxan.com
  BOLIVAR, Mo. (KXAN) — Corgis have all the fun! One particular Pembroke Welsh Corgi in Bolivar, Missouri, likes to ride ponies.
  A few weeks ago, Callie Schenker filmed her neighbor’s Corgi sitting on her one-eyed pony, Cricket. She recorded a 15-second video of the pony trotting away into the darkness as the canine sits atop, looking at the camera.
  Schenker posted the video on Facebook with the message, “I can’t make this stuff up!!! So we pull back in our driveway t
  
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• Flu season shows signs of leveling off

  16-02-2018 17:27 via kxan.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — This nasty flu season, which has been worsening for months, may finally be leveling off.
  Health officials on Friday said about 1 of every 13 visits to the doctor last week was for fever, cough and other symptoms of the flu. That’s no reason for health officials to celebrate yet: That level is among the highest in a decade. But it’s no worse than last week, and flu activity had been increasing each week since November.
  The Centers for Disease Control and Preventi
  
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• Dog food is withdrawn over concerns about euthanasia drug

  16-02-2018 16:48 via kxan.com
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The J.M. Smucker Co. is withdrawing some shipments of dog food amid reports that it could be tainted with traces of a drug used to euthanize animals.
  The company said Thursday it is pulling back shipments of several varieties of wet canned Gravy Train , Kibble ‘N Bits , Skippy and Ol’ Roy brands. It said it is investigating how the euthanasia drug pentobarbital got into its supply chain and is focusing on a single supplier of a minor ingredient used at one
  
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• Budget undercuts Trump focus on mental health, school safety

  16-02-2018 15:53 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is calling for a focus on mental health and school safety in response to shootings like the one that took 17 lives in Florida, but his budget would cut funding in both areas.
  Trump’s latest budget would slash the major source of public funds for mental health treatment, the Medicaid program serving more than 70 million low-income and disabled people. The budget also calls for a 36 percent cut to an Education Department grant program that suppo
  
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• No bomb found after threat at Manor day care forced 53 kids to evacuate

  16-02-2018 15:32 via kxan.com
  MANOR, Texas (KXAN) — Fifty-three children and eight staff members were evacuated Friday morning after a bomb threat against their day care. The children were between 2 months and 5 years old. Officials did not find any evidence of a bomb in the area, according to Manor police.
  The Travis County Sheriff’s Office is on scene at Creative World Learning Center in the 11400 block of US Highway 290 in Manor, Texas. Officials say someone called in the threat to the daycare at 7:44 a.m
  
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• Romney makes it official: He’s running for Utah Senate seat

  16-02-2018 15:13 via kxan.com
  SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Republican Mitt Romney is trying for a political comeback as he launches a Senate campaign in Utah.
  The former presidential nominee confirmed his widely anticipated plans Friday in an online video. The announcement features his leadership of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and says the conservative state and its residents can show Washington how to govern respectfully.
  I am running for United States Senate to serve the people of Utah and bring Utah's values
  
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• Most workers in Austin can earn at least 8 days of sick pay

  16-02-2018 14:49 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin City Council is going forward with its sick pay ordinance, becoming the first city in Texas as well as the South to have mandatory sick pay. It passed early Friday morning around 12:40 a.m. Council members Ora Houston and Ellen Troxclair voted against it. The ordinance takes effect Oct. 1.
  The vote came after four hours of public feedback, and about an hour of debate over amendments. The ordinance says that denying earned sick time to employees “is unjust,&
  
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• 6 inseparable friends support each other in school shooting

  16-02-2018 14:04 via kxan.com
  PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) — It was the final period of the day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High and Jonathan Blank was in history class, learning about the Holocaust. Across campus, five of his friends, pals since grade school, sat in different classrooms watching the clock. In 19 minutes, school would be out and the buddies had plans this Valentine’s Day: a little basketball and boys’ time.
  Inside classroom 1214, the clock hit 2:21 p.m. Then: POP! POP! POP!
  Instinctively, 16-year-ol
  
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• Two dead in crash on I-10 near Luling

  16-02-2018 13:40 via kxan.com
  LULING, Texas (KXAN) — Interstate 10 shut down Friday morning following a fatal collision in the area near the San Marcos River bridge.
  The eastbound lanes were detoured at Highway 80, and that direction of I-10 could be shut down until 10 a.m., according to the Caldwell County Office of Emergency Management.
  The Texas Department of Public Safety said two people died after three cars and an 18-wheeler collided late Thursday night. One of the vehicles caught fire. The bridge was damage
  
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• Vet-owned business conference pairs new entrepreneurs with experienced mentors

  16-02-2018 13:16 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Military veterans who start businesses when they leave the service have a chance this weekend to network with other entrepreneurs and possibly win grant money at a convention happening in Austin.
  The Veteran EDGE conference, hosted by the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University, brings together new veteran business owners from across the country and connects them with mentors to help them grow their companies.
  Brendan Mullen, an Army vet and foun
  
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• Texas police mistakenly shoot man who took gun from suspect

  16-02-2018 12:56 via kxan.com
  AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A Texas Panhandle shelter worker who wrestled a gun away from a man holding hostages was then shot by a police officer who mistook him as the suspect.
  Amarillo police say they received a report Wednesday of a man holding dozens hostage in the chapel of Faith City Mission, a shelter serving the indigent and others.
  An officer confronted a man inside holding a gun and shot him. Police say the investigation revealed the man who was mistakenly shot had moments earlier fo
  
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• What you missed in PyeongChang last night: A night full of surprises

  16-02-2018 12:12 via kxan.com
  Primetime spotlight
  It was a night full of surprises, with many feel-good storylines ending in disarray.
  Mikaela Shiffrin was attempting to win back-to-back golds on back-to-back nights. She came up short on a night she didn’t feel or look like herself. She finished fourth, just off the podium in the women’s slalom.WATCH: Mikaela Shiffrin disappointed in slalom finishNathan Chen was seeking redemption in the men’s short program. He came up short, faltering on every one of
  
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• Adam Rippon is ‘the most fun’ skater, might be a witch

  16-02-2018 07:02 via kxan.com
  Adam Rippon had his second skate on Olympic ice, scoring an 87.95 in the men’s short program (which was good enough to land him in 7th going into tomorrow’s free skate). Before heading in, he admitted that, although he isn’t considered a favorite for gold, his short program is “the most fun.”
  “Andie,” he said in a heartfelt message to NBC’s Andrea Joyce. “We’re ready. We can do this.”
  Just days after winning bronze in the tea
  
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• South Austin HOA suing former employees for misusing organization funds

  16-02-2018 06:16 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Shady Hollow Neighborhood Association filed a lawsuit last week against two of its former employees. The lawsuit alleges that the former general manager used money from the HOA account to pay off his own credit card balance.
  The president of the HOA Board told KXAN they first became aware of the problem at the end of December. They’re now working to determine exactly how much of the HOA money was used for the general manager’s personal purchases.
  Michael Cai
  
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• Hays County voters meet dozens of political candidates at public forum

  16-02-2018 05:25 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — Hays County voters gathered in San Marcos Thursday evening to hear from candidates running for district and state positions before the primary election. The forum was held at the San Marcos Activity center and was hosted by the League of Women Voters of Hays County.
  More than a dozen candidates showed up for the public forum representing districts surrounding the Austin area. Each of the candidates were given five minutes to speak and lay out the reasons they are
  
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• Police: 17-year-old brought loaded gun to southeast Austin school

  16-02-2018 04:57 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A teenager is in jail after allegedly bringing a loaded gun to a southeast Austin charter school this week.
  Officers were called to American YouthWorks at 1901 E. Ben White Blvd. service road, near Interstate 35, at 2:14 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 13 for the report of a suspicious person.
  Police officers were told that a 17-year-old student was driving wildly through the parking lot. A school administrator said Richard Alaniz was seen coming from the restroom with three fri
  
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• New lockboxes coming to Austin buildings after burglar got master key

  16-02-2018 03:46 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Thursday, Austin City Council approved a new contract with Knox Associates Inc. for no more than $300,000 to bring in new lockboxes, keys and related equipment and services.
  This all comes after the city released a memo in January, revealing that a burglary suspect was found with the master key to the Knox boxes at thousands of Austin buildings.
  The Knox lock boxes are located on many public and private buildings around Austin — from City Hall to apartment complexes &
  
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• Move over: Austin firefighter who escaped serious injury has message for drivers

  16-02-2018 03:02 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — It was a close call for Austin Fire Station 20’s firefighters on Saturday, Feb.10, when the crew responded to an early morning call in the 2200 block of E. Stassney Lane in southeast Austin, near Interstate 35.
  A driver in a Jeep Cherokee ran into the back of the fire truck causing the fire truck’s bumper to fall off and a firefighter on the back ladder to injure her arm.
  The Austin Police Department responded to the accident around 3:30 a.m.
  Firefight
  
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• Round Rock ISD tracks social media accounts for threats

  16-02-2018 02:18 via kxan.com
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — Students who knew Nikolas Cruz, the teenager who opened fire on a Florida high school, recall his Instagram posts about killing animals and posing with a gun. Those are the kinds of posts Round Rock Independent School District administrators are looking for on the internet.
  The district partners with Social Sentinel, a company that searches for threatening words on social media. If the threat mentions a Round Rock school or if the person making the thre
  
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• How Round Rock ISD tracks threats from social media

  16-02-2018 02:18 via kxan.com
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — Students who knew Nikolas Cruz, the teenager who opened fire on a Florida high school, recall his Instagram posts about killing animals and posing with a gun. Those are the kinds of posts Round Rock Independent School District administrators are looking for on the internet.
  The district partners with Social Sentinel, a company that searches for threatening words on social media. If the threat mentions a Round Rock school or if the person making the thre
  
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• Texas emergency departments given guidelines for opioid prescriptions

  16-02-2018 02:03 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Texas physicians now have voluntary guidelines to follow when working with opioids in the emergency department.
  “There’s been kind of a long-standing history of emergency departments both over treating and undertreating pain,” Dr. Christopher Ziebell, emergency department medical director at Dell Seton Medical Center, said.
  “It helps to have guidelines to make sure we get that right, because obviously, if you’re a person who is susceptible to a
  
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• Prolonged investigations of doctors in Texas leave patients in the dark

  16-02-2018 01:30 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – It took nearly 27 years, but Caitlin Duvall finally had it all figured out. After traveling the world, studying the culinary trade at one of France’s premier schools, Duvall had found her career target: healthcare administration.
  Duvall was headed off to Texas State University for her master’s degree. “She was very proud, very excited of her accomplishments, had a big party planned,” Duvall’s mother, Laura Duvall, told KXAN. “The doors we
  
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• Mother of baby left in Austin dumpster appears in court for first time

  16-02-2018 01:30 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The mother accused of leaving her baby in a north Austin dumpster last October made her first appearance in court Thursday.
  Althea Johnson, 27, had her bond cut in half from $60,000 to $30,000, but she will remain in jail for now. No date has been set for her next court hearing.
  Johnson was arrested and identified by police two weeks after her newborn girl was found in a dumpster at the Mira Vista Apartments at 9601 Middle Fiskville Rd., near Rundberg Lane, on Oct. 25.
  She
  
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• More patients using over-the-counter blocking devices to avoid painkillers

  16-02-2018 01:22 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Pain blocking devices may be replacing prescription painkillers. Doctors report more patients are turning to over-the-counter units to treat pain and avoid opioids.
  “On the first day, you don’t even want to get out of bed,” said Maria Angelica Blesa, a freshman at the University of Texas at Austin. The problem: menstrual pain that calls for a pill.
  “Sometimes, medication doesn’t even work for me,” said Alice Li, a freshman. “It
  
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• Pin Trading: The unofficial sport of the Olympics

  16-02-2018 00:40 via kxan.com
  [WATCH VIDEO: Tap or click here to watch the pin traders in action]
  PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (Nexstar) – You know about curling, bobsledding, skating, snowboarding and luge but there’s one popular Olympic event that isn’t televised.“They call it the unofficial sport of the Olympics,” explains Pam Litz.
  Every two years, the world turns to a sporting event, of course for folks watching at home, the excitement is irresistible, but for those who come to the games, they
  
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• Police: New Mexico man who fired at Austin officer committed suicide

  16-02-2018 00:39 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Albuquerque man who police say drove 11 hours from his home in New Mexico to Austin to target a tech couple with popular YouTube channels died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
  The Austin Police Department says while its officers did exchange gunfire with Christopher Giles, 23, the medical examiner preliminarily determined his manner of death to be a suicide.
  The incident on Jan. 26 started as a home invasion at a home in the 4500 block of Avenue G near 45th Str
  
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• Men’s skeleton riders have the coolest helmets in Pyeongchang

  16-02-2018 00:37 via kxan.com
  In the skeleton sport, helmets are a must.  Athletes go racing down a track at speeds upwards of 80 mph. head first, just inches away from the ice. But, that doesn’t mean the helmet can’t look cool while doing its job.
  For some of the athletes the artistry on their helmets tells a story. For others, it’s a just a way to express their personalities.
  Here are our top 4 men’s skeleton helmets.
  Akwasi Frimpong of Ghana
  Frimpong says his helmet design is a metaphor for hi
  
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• 18-wheeler slams into Johnson City Visitors Center

  16-02-2018 00:18 via kxan.com
  JOHNSON CITY, Texas (KXAN) — An 18-wheeler slammed into the Johnson City Visitors Center Thursday morning causing some minor damage.
  The Johnson City Police Department says the crash happened around 6:30 a.m. when an 18-wheeler jackknifed on the wet road and crashed into a curb. The crash caused damage to the sidewalk and the visitors center’s porch.
  The visitors center is located right on Main Street, which is on US 290.
  The driver was cited for faulty evasive action.
  
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