Austin news

• The biggest election news in Texas this week

  29-10-2020 23:36 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — We are just five days out from the November election.
  KXAN News Today Anchor Sally Hernandez sat down with the Texas Tribune's Alana Rocha Thursday to talk about last-minute campaign efforts by vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris in Texas and how to make sure your mail-in ballot is counted.
  Hernandez and Rocha also recapped Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's comments on the Texas oil and gas industry during the second presidential debate.
  
  Read more

• Republicans confident for higher voter turnout on Election Day

  29-10-2020 23:22 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (Nexstar) — President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden are hitting the campaign trail for the final stretch to Election Day."It is going to be a tighter election, so as a party chair, I can't say I don't have nerves heading into Tuesday," Chair of the Republican National Committee Ronna McDaniel said.According to the U.S. Elections Project, more than 80 million Americans have voted early. McDaniel admits most of those ballots were cast by registered Democrats."Early
  
  Read more

• State protective order registry created in honor of slain Texan now fully operational

  29-10-2020 23:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The Texas Protective Order Registry, created by a state law in the last legislative session, is operational in all of the state's 254 counties.The registry lists protective orders issued by courts in the state relating to domestic violence, stalking, human trafficking, dating violence and abuse. The public-facing website protects victim privacy, but shares court information, cause numbers and the person whom the order is against. Each entry includes that person's full na
  
  Read more

• Austin Public Health to remember COVID-19 victims with candle light display

  29-10-2020 21:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Public Health and students of Dell Medical School will work together Thursday evening to set up a candle light display to remember those who've died due to COVID-19.
  The display will be lit with 449 candles in remembrance of each life lost in Austin and Travis County. As of Thursday afternoon, more than 31,000 confirmed cases have been reported in the county.
  FULL COVERAGE: The latest coronavirus news in Austin, Texas, the United States and the world
  The candles will
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Austin Public Health remembers COVID-19 victims with candle light display

  29-10-2020 21:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Public Health and students of Dell Medical School worked together Thursday evening to set up a candle light display to remember those who've died due to COVID-19.
  The display was lit with 450 candles in remembrance of each life lost in Austin and Travis County. As of Thursday afternoon, more than 31,000 confirmed cases have been reported in the county.
  FULL COVERAGE: The latest coronavirus news in Austin, Texas, the United States and the world
  The candles will be on
  
  Read more

• Austin Public Health remembers 450 COVID-19 victims with candlelight vigil

  29-10-2020 21:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — More than 400 candles are shining brightly outside of the Long Center for Performing Arts on West Riverside Drive. Austin Public Health and students of Dell Medical School set up a candle light display Thursday night, to remember the lives taken by COVID-19.
  The display is lit with 450 candles in remembrance of each life lost in Austin and Travis County. As of Thursday afternoon, more than 31,000 confirmed cases have been reported in the county.
  Each candle symbolizes the l
  
  Read more

• Texas teachers saw 'significant pay raises' in the 2019-20 school year, governor's office says

  29-10-2020 21:04 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Teachers across Texas saw pay raises last year as a result of House Bill 3, according to Gov. Greg Abbott's office.
  Abbott and the Texas Education Agency announced Thursday that teachers in the state got "significant pay raises" for the 2019-20 academic year and released a report documenting the gains.
  The governor's office said Texas teachers with more than five years of experienced got an average pay raise of more than $5,200. Teachers who have five or less years of exper
  
  Read more

• Gov. Abbott says National Guard will 'play no role whatsoever' in election process

  29-10-2020 20:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Governor Greg Abbott said the Texas Army National Guard will be on standby to respond to any protests after Election Day, but they will not be at any polling places.
  He told reporters at an event on Wednesday, "our job is to make sure that cities are going to be safe."In order to do that, he said they will have "adequate protocols" in place to address any "protests that could turn into riots."His comments come in response to reports that 1,000 troops were being deployed to
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Austin Regional Clinic now enrolling kids 12-17 in COVID-19 vaccine trials

  29-10-2020 20:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Medical Research Department of Austin Regional Clinic is actively looking to enroll juvenile patients to participate in the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial.Children aged 12 to 17 will be selected for the series consisting of two shots and several months of follow up. According to ARC, Pfizer is the first COVID-19 vaccine trial to include children.Participants will be compensated for their time and contributions to the study.“Making sure we study the va
  
  Read more

• LIVE: First-time voters help shatter records for turnout in Travis County

  29-10-2020 20:37 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Voters in Travis County are making their voices heard at the ballot box at levels not previously seen, driven in part by people voting for the very first time.
  Travis County set a record Wednesday when the cumulative vote count during the early voting period reached 494,704, which represents more than 57% of registered voters. The county clerk's office celebrated in a tweet that turnout has now surpassed the overall vote total during the 2016 general election.
  
  Read more

• First-time voters help shatter records for turnout in Travis County

  29-10-2020 20:37 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Voters in Travis County are making their voices heard at the ballot box at levels not previously seen, driven in part by people voting for the very first time.
  Travis County set a record Wednesday when the cumulative vote count during the early voting period reached 494,704, which represents more than 57% of registered voters. The county clerk's office celebrated in a tweet that turnout has now surpassed the overall vote total during the 2016 general election.
  
  Read more

• 2 Georgetown kids dress as 'hero' TDS drivers for Halloween

  29-10-2020 20:09 via kxan.com
  
  WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — "Everybody should have a Warren in their life."For the past two years, Thursday mornings in Georgetown, Texas have been a playdate for mom Sabrina Hildebrant and her two children, Hendrik and Alarik. But it's not other parents and children they're playing with."It’s not like an acquaintance. It’s someone they have a real connection with," Hildebrant said.Rather, the two boys patiently wait and listen for a certain Texas Disposal Systems (TDS) t
  
  Read more

• Travis County health experts say local hospitals are prepared to handle spike in COVID-19 cases

  29-10-2020 18:58 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As COVID-19 cases rise in central Texas, five Travis County health experts gathered Thursday to discuss the local outbreak and encourage people to keep up their safety practices.
  Representatives from several local health organizations, such as the University of Texas at Austin's Dell Medical School and St. David's Medical Center, explained how COVID-19 has changed since earlier in the summer and how the community can help flatten the curve in the winter.
  Nearly 450 people i
  
  Read more

• Most Wimberley students won't have asynchronous virtual learning option after Thanksgiving

  29-10-2020 18:53 via kxan.com
  
  WIMBERLEY, Texas (KXAN) — After Thanksgiving break, Wimberley Independent School District students in third through 12th grades will not have an asynchronous learning option.
  That means those students won't be able to learn virtually on their own time through recorded videos, unless they meet specific exceptions.
  The school board voted in favor of the move at a special meeting on Monday.
  "Administrators reviewed teacher survey responses, failure and absence rates that are significantly hig
  
  Read more

• Juliet Italian Kitchen's Wine Director Helps Us Pair Wine With Halloween Candy

  29-10-2020 18:25 via kxan.com
  
  Unless we all collectively decide to dress up as Ghostbusters for Halloween, it’s safe to say, we’ll be adapting our favorite Halloween traditions for the health and safety of our community. Parents are planning safe celebrations for their kids, friend groups are coordinating their Zoom-friendly costumes and others will be... well, on their couch drinking wine and eating copious amounts of Halloween candy.Gina Scott, Wine Director at Juliet Italian Kitchen, is helping us adapt to a s
  
  Read more

• All Round Rock students will receive free meals through 2020-2021 school year

  29-10-2020 17:40 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — Beginning on Nov. 2, every student in the Round Rock Independent School District will receive breakfast and lunch at no charge for the rest of the school year.
  Round Rock ISD applied for a waiver issued nationwide by the U.S Department of Agriculture. The waiver lets summer meal options continue throughout the 2020-2021 school year.
  Free meals will be offered to all on-campus and virtual learning students. Additionally, any child age 18 and under may also pick up
  
  Read more

• How to Trick-or-Treat, celebrate Halloween amid the coronavirus pandemic in Central Texas

  29-10-2020 17:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Long before the COVID-19 pandemic made us second-guess nearly every aspect of our lives, the 2020 calendar looked like tons of fun since every holiday seemingly fell on weekends.
  Take Halloween, for example. It was perfect: families wouldn't have to worry about trick-or-treating on a school night since it fell on a Saturday, and they'd get an extra hour of sleep the following day because of Daylight Saving Time.
  However, the pandemic threw a wrench into everything, includin
  
  Read more

• APD investigates 9 incidents of force, places 2 more officers on desk duty related to May protests

  29-10-2020 17:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department placed two more officers on administrative duty after their involvement in "protest-related critical incidents" earlier this year. Police also said Thursday that they determined there were nine total incidents between May 30 and 31, and five happened on Interstate 35 or the frontage road.
  Police identified those nine incidents happening on the following dates, times and locations:
  May 30, approximately 4:30 p.m., 800 block of N. I-35 SB Proper.M
  
  Read more

• News Notes: 10 Texas counties surpass their overall vote totals from 2016, other stories to know

  29-10-2020 16:44 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Travis, Hays and Williamson Counties are among the 10 counties in Texas that have now surpassed their overall vote totals from the last general election in 2016.
  Voters in Travis County set an all-time record Wednesday for the number of votes cast in an election, and it's only expected to increase since early voting lasts through Friday.
  In a video lasting less than five minutes, Will DuPree provides an update on the numbers as well as highlights these other stories in the
  
  Read more

• Austin council members call on APD chief to share safety plans for election demonstrations

  29-10-2020 16:04 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Four Austin City Council members sent an open letter to Austin Police Department Chief Brian Manley on Thursday, calling on him to publicly share his department's plan to protect both safety and freedom of expression in any demonstrations that may unfold in Austin following the election results. The council members also expressed concern in the letter about a repeat of tactics used by the department in recent months during demonstrations in protest of policy brutality.(Pict
  
  Read more

• Austin Council members call on APD chief to share safety for election demonstrations

  29-10-2020 16:04 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- Four Austin City Council members sent an open letter to Austin Police Department Chief Brian Manley on Thursday, calling on him to publicly share his department's plan to protect both safety and freedom of expression in any demonstrations that may unfold in Austin following the election results. The council members also expressed concern in the letter about a repeat of tactics used by the department in recent months during demonstrations in protest of policy brutality.The lette
  
  Read more

• Austin City Council members call on APD chief to present safety plan around Election Day

  29-10-2020 16:04 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- Four Austin City Council members sent an open letter to Austin Police Department Chief Brian Manley on Thursday calling on him to present a public safety plan around Election Day, while expressing concern about a repeat of tactics used during police brutality protests by the department last spring.The letter --- penned by Mayor Pro Tem Delia Garza and Council Members Greg Casar, Jimmy Flannigan, and Natasha Harper-Madison --- asked for clarity on Manley's plan to ensure safety
  
  Read more

• Pflugerville rivals meet in the KBVO Big Game of the Week

  29-10-2020 15:47 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) -- Hendrickson and Weiss will quickly become rivals as they battle for a potential playoff spot in the KBVO Game of the Week on Thursday night.Kickoff from The Pfield in Pflugerville is at 7 p.m. on Thursday. You can watch the game live on KBVO-TV or on KXAN.com. COVERAGE: High School FootballHendrickson is in need of a district win to keep its playoff goals on track after two early setbacks buried the Hawks in the standings. Hendrickson (0-2, 2-2) lost difficult games
  
  Read more

• LIVE: Pflugerville rivals meet in the KBVO Big Game of the Week

  29-10-2020 15:47 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) -- Hendrickson and Weiss will quickly become rivals as they battle for a potential playoff spot in the KBVO Game of the Week on Thursday night.Kickoff from The Pfield in Pflugerville is at 7 p.m. on Thursday. You can watch the game live on KBVO-TV or on KXAN.com. COVERAGE: High School FootballHendrickson is in need of a district win to keep its playoff goals on track after two early setbacks buried the Hawks in the standings. Hendrickson (0-2, 2-2) lost difficult games
  
  Read more

• FBI warns ransomware assault threatens US healthcare system

  29-10-2020 15:19 via kxan.com
  
  BOSTON (AP) — Federal agencies warned that cybercriminals are unleashing a major ransomware assault against the U.S. healthcare system. Independent security experts say it has already hobbled at least four U.S. hospitals this month, and could potentially impact hundreds more.In a joint alert Wednesday, the FBI and two federal agencies warned that they had “credible information of an increased and imminent cybercrime threat to U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers.”
  
  Read more

• Panera adds one of America's favorite foods to its menu

  29-10-2020 15:12 via kxan.com
  
  DALLAS (NEXSTAR) -- When you think Panera, soup, salad and sandwiches likely come to mind.But the company hopes to change that -- at least in some circles -- by offering one of America's favorite foods: pizza.The popular restaurant is offering up pizza as flatbread fare. Its new pizzas include cheese, Margherita and chipotle chicken and bacon.Panera says the flatbreads will be big enough to share and should travel well.The chain says it's making the move in response to more people taking its foo
  
  Read more

• 3 dead in knife attack in French church; terrorism suspected

  29-10-2020 15:05 via kxan.com
  
  PARIS (AP) — An attacker armed with a knife killed three people at a church Thursday in the Mediterranean city of Nice, authorities said. It was the third attack in two months in France.The assailant was wounded by police and hospitalized after the killings at the Notre Dame Church, less than a kilometer (half-mile) from the site in 2016 where another attacker plowed a truck into a Bastille Day crowd, killing dozens.Thursday's attacker was believed to be acting alone and police are not sea
  
  Read more

• US weekly jobless rate drops to 751,000

  29-10-2020 14:39 via kxan.com
  
  CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — The number of Americans filing for unemployment fell last week to 751,000, as the U.S. nears its eighth month of the coronavirus pandemic.The latest figures released by the Labor Department Thursday show that the number of people filing for jobless benefits dropped by 40,000 from the previous week. Last week's total marks the lowest since March.The labor agency’s report also said that the number of people continuing to receive unemployment benefits dec
  
  Read more

• Dog who went missing minutes before owners’ wedding has been reunited with family

  29-10-2020 13:50 via kxan.com
  
  ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — A dog that went missing just minutes before his owners’ wedding has been found in upstate New York.Stephanie Woodward and her now-husband tied the knot on Friday — just minuted before Rocky's disappearance.Immediately, the couple began putting up fliers and offering a $500 reward for Rocky’s safe return.How to watch NewsNation: WGNA Channel Finder
  ROCKY IS SAFE ♡ We can't thank Rescued Treasures enough for helping to track his location and s
  
  Read more

• Why an Irish blacksmith is the reason we carve pumpkins for Halloween

  29-10-2020 13:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - What is the first thing that gets you excited for the fall season? The shorter days? That first whiff of cinnamon and nutmeg coming from your coworker's cup? Or is it carving pumpkins?
  What is the history of a Jack-o'-lantern and why do we carve pumpkins for Halloween?It all starts with an Irish myth about a guy named Stingy Jack who was a blacksmith that tricked the devil on multiple occasions. When he died, God didn't let him into heaven, and the devil didn't let him in to hell
  
  Read more

• TxDOT considers restricted-crossing U-turn at SH 71 intersection, asks public for feedback

  29-10-2020 12:55 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Stretching over 250 miles across Texas, State Highway 71 runs from just south of Brady right through Central Texas with its final stop near Blessing. Thursday, TxDOT is taking a closer look at an intersection along the highway in Bastrop County.
  PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Bye, stoplights! More overpasses coming to Austin-Houston commuteTransportation officials will host its first virtual public meeting for an intersection study at SH 71 at McAllister Road. The inters
  
  Read more

• Quinn Ewers, nation's top 2022 QB recruit, decommits from Texas

  29-10-2020 12:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — One of the Texas Longhorns' top football recruits announced his decommitment on social media Wednesday.Quinn Ewers, a quarterback from Southlake Carroll and the nation's top-rated recruit in the class of 2022, said via Twitter he's reopening his recruitment.
  pic.twitter.com/q0aBYAKhLT— Quinn Ewers (@QuinnEwers) October 29, 2020
  "The more I've considered, the more I've come to realize I didn't explore all options as thoroughly as I would have liked," he wrote.Ewers ann
  
  Read more

• Nation's top 2022 QB recruit decommits from Texas

  29-10-2020 12:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — One of the Texas Longhorns' top football recruits announced his decommitment on social media Wednesday.Quinn Ewers, a quarterback from Southlake Carroll and the nation's top-rated recruit in the class of 2022, said via Twitter he's reopening his recruitment.
  pic.twitter.com/q0aBYAKhLT— Quinn Ewers (@QuinnEwers) October 29, 2020
  "The more I've considered, the more I've come to realize I didn't explore all options as thoroughly as I would have liked," he wrote.Ewers ann
  
  Read more

• Khloe Kardashian tested positive for coronavirus

  29-10-2020 12:25 via kxan.com
  
  LOS ANGELES (AP) - Khloe Kardashian says she had tested positive for the coronavirus.The reality star confirmed her previous diagnosis in a Wednesday sneak peek clip of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” The bedridden Kardashian spoke in the video with a hoarse voice.
  Khloé had been stuck in her room quarantining before she got her results. Now, hear her reaction when she first realized she had COVID-19 earlier this year. A new episode of #KUWTK is Thursday at 8|7c o
  
  Read more

• Here's what to expect this week at Austin City Council

  29-10-2020 11:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Here are a few agenda items to note ahead of Thursday's Austin City Council meeting.Shoal Creek parklandCouncil will vote on whether to purchase parkland near Shoal Creek for $1.1 million. The property is located at 702 Wood Street and is north of West 6th Street in the downtown area.The land served as part of the historic Wood Street settlement, which, according to the Texas Historical Commission, was "a distinct enclave of African American and later Mexican American resid
  
  Read more

• Texas man who groomed child into relationship, produced child pornography, sentenced to prison

  29-10-2020 04:20 via kxan.com
  
  CORPUS CHRISTI (KVEO) -- A man from Corpus Christi will serve 50 years in prison after a court case revealed he groomed a child into a sexual relationship, produced child pornography, and planned to marry the child.Stephen Scott Meals, 39, was sentenced to 600 months, or 50 years, in prison on Wednesday eight months after he initially pleaded guilty for the child pornography charges.During Wednesday's hearing, Meals revealed that he groomed the victim child for years as he became a friend to her
  
  Read more

• Texas voters won't be required to wear masks while voting after appeals court temporarily lets Abbott order stand

  29-10-2020 03:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Texas Tribune) — A requirement that Texans wear face masks when casting ballots during the pandemic lasted less than a day after a federal appeals court halted an order that would have compelled voters to don the coverings.On Wednesday, the three-judge appellate panel stopped, at least for now, a district judge's Tuesday ruling that invalidated an exemption for polling places included in Gov. Greg Abbott's statewide mask mandate. The panel granted what's known as an administrative
  
  Read more

• Cactus moth could devastate Texas' native prickly pear cacti, UT researchers say

  29-10-2020 02:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An invasive insect with a wingspan of only an inch or so has the potential to wreak havoc on Texas' native prickly pear cacti.
  Researchers with the University of Texas at Austin say the cactus moth will eat four types of prickly pear cacti native to the state, which could cause "largescale agricultural and ecological devastation."In a study, researchers looked at the four species, including one that's used for nopales in Latin-American cuisine. They found they were not much
  
  Read more

• How much has been spent to support and oppose the Prop A rapid transit measure so far

  29-10-2020 01:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — While there is no shortage of high-interest items before Austin voters on this November ballot, the campaigns for and against the rapid transit measure in Proposition A have been spending significantly to make sure voters don't miss their message in all the noise.The campaign finance reports required eight days before the election show that groups that support Proposition A have raised—and spent—more than double their opposition.
  Prop A, if passed, would approve
  
  Read more

• Bastrop police search for gun thief

  29-10-2020 00:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Bastrop Police Department is searching for a suspect accused of stealing several guns from a business Monday morning.Police said on Oct. 26, officers were sent to a burglary call in the 1100 block of College Street around 7:05 a.m. That's near Hill Street.
  Officers started an investigation and found no one was injured, but that several guns were stolen from a business, Bastrop police said.The Criminal Investigation Division is now asking for help in gathering informatio
  
  Read more

• Mother allegedly straps 13-year-old son with meth, fentanyl in failed smuggling attempt

  29-10-2020 00:54 via kxan.com
  
  EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) -- A mother "used" her 13-year-old son to smuggle meth and fentanyl across the border, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a news release.Officials said the 31-year-old woman was traveling into the U.S. from Mexico with her 13-, 12- and 5-year-old.CBP officers at the Ysleta Port of Entry in El Paso referred the family vehicle to a secondary inspection when a drug-sniffing dog alerted officers to the presence of narcotics in the front-passenger seat, where th
  
  Read more

• It's a hoax: Facebook post offers free Chick-fil-A gift basket

  29-10-2020 00:51 via kxan.com
  
  SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) - Free Chick-fil-A gift basket? It's a hoax!Chick-fil-A is currently working to remove a Facebook post advertising a gift-basket to celebrate the company's 61st Anniversary, according to spokesperson Tiffany Simmons.A post that was circulating on Facebook stated that the company is "giving EVERYONE who shares & then comments by 7 pm SUNDAY one of these gift baskets."Inside the gift-basket was 'a $35 gift card, "plus surprises that will make your heart flutter."Tr
  
  Read more

• Is Trump or Biden more of a patriot? Here's what 1,100 voters said

  29-10-2020 00:47 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- Former Vice President Joe Biden is viewed as being more of a patriot than President Donald Trump, according to a new poll from Emerson College and NewsNation.The national poll of 1,121 likely voters found 52% view Biden as the more patriotic candidate to Trump's 48% of support.
  The results were somewhat in line with who those surveyed planned to vote for in the presidential race: 50% said Biden, 45% said Trump, 2% said someone else, and 2% remain undecided. The poll&rsquo
  
  Read more

• Police: Woman covered care-dependent husband with kitty litter after accident

  29-10-2020 00:43 via kxan.com
  
  WARNING: The following article contains graphic descriptions of physical injuries and neglect. Reader discretion is advised.CARBONDALE TOWNSHIP, Pa. – (WBRE/WYOU-TV) — Pennsylvania State Police say a woman left her 53-year-old dependent husband, who was suffering from open sores and other injuries, covered in cat litter because he was "ruining the house."Police say David Maijala had multiple broken bones when he arrived at an area hospital in September covered in feces, urine and lit
  
  Read more

• Gov. Greg Abbott's political machine spends big against Central Texas Democrats

  29-10-2020 00:04 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Gov. Greg Abbott's campaign, the most well-funded political operation in the state, is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in competitive Central Texas races as Republicans fight to hold onto a majority in the state House.Abbott's campaign spent more money in two Austin-area state House races—districts 45 and 47—than any others over the past month, according to a list compiled by the Texas Tribune.Reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission for the peri
  
  Read more

Follow @Austin_News_US on Twitter!