Austin news

• Trust, dedication and grit: Texas figure skating pair glides toward Winter Olympics dream

  20-12-2021 23:24 via kxan.com
  
  EULESS, Texas (KXAN) — Trust, dedication and grit. These are just a few things a figure skating pair just outside of Dallas have as they leave it all on the ice, hoping to make the U.S. Winter Olympics team heading to Beijing. Away we go: Delta to charter U.S. Olympians to BeijingIf two people were ever in sync, physically, emotionally and spiritually, it’d be Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc of Euless, Texas.“It’s pretty amazing to have a partner that you can feel c
  
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• KXAN's top 10 stories of 2021

  20-12-2021 23:05 via kxan.com
  
  CENTRAL TEXAS (KXAN) — The tragic loss of a Texas Longhorns linebacker, the deadly February winter freeze and COVID-19 vaccine waitlists were all some of the most-read stories of 2021 on KXAN.com. See the full list below.1) ‘Absolute loss for words’: Longhorns linebacker Jake Ehlinger found dead off campusIn late May, University of Texas student and Longhorns linebacker Jake Ehlinger was found dead off-campus. Ehlinger is the younger brother of former Texas quarterback Sam Ehli
  
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• Top 10 KXAN videos of 2021

  20-12-2021 22:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The February winter freeze, an unruly airline passenger traveling to Austin and a singing substitute teacher were all a part of the most-watched videos for KXAN in 2021. Check out the top 10 below. 1) ‘Absolute loss for words’: Longhorns linebacker Jake Ehlinger found dead off campusOn May 6, University of Texas student and Longhorns linebacker Jake Ehlinger, 20, was found dead off campus. He was the younger brother of former Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger, who
  
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• Family: Man dies after being hit by San Marcos night lounge bouncer, smacking head on concrete

  20-12-2021 22:24 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN)--After about a week in the hospital fighting for his life in a coma, the family of a 24-year-old man says he died after being attacked by a night lounge bouncer.
  Emmett Worsham's family said he was trying to get into the Red Room Lounge, when he was denied entry by the bouncer at the door, Milton Heyliger.
  According to Emmet's brother, McLean Worsham--Emmett knew the owner of the lounge and called him once Heyliger wouldn't let him in.
  Worsham said that's when Heyliger a
  
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• TCSO discovers dangerous speeding on FM 812, FM 1826

  20-12-2021 22:07 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A Travis County Sheriff's Office traffic initiative revealed some people driving faster than 90 mph on FM 812, where the speed limit is either 55 or 60 mph within TCSO's patrol jurisdiction.
  Deputies also took a closer look at FM 1826. The sheriff's office launched the initiative after concerns from neighbors about explosive growth, construction traffic, speeding and aggressive driving. Rural road among Austin’s deadliest"Realized a lot of people were ge
  
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• Former President Donald Trump downplays Jan. 6 insurrection, doubles down on false election claims on Texas trip

  20-12-2021 21:53 via kxan.com
  
  DALLAS (Texas Tribune) — Former President Donald Trump downplayed the seriousness of the Jan. 6 insurrection — an attack that led to five deaths and cost millions of dollars in damages to the U.S. Capitol — during stops in Houston and Dallas this weekend.“W​hat happened on Jan. 6 was a protest against a rigged election, that's what it was,” Trump said to cheers Sunday at American Airlines Center in Dallas. “This wasn't an insurrection.”During a fou
  
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• POLL: Baylor stays atop college basketball, Texas ranked No. 16

  20-12-2021 21:45 via kxan.com
  
  (KXAN/AP) -- Baylor basketball remains at the top of the college basketball polls after defeating Oregon Sunday in its lone contest of the week. The Bears (10-0) are at No. 1 in the Associated Press top 25 poll for the second straight week.Baylor will close out the non-conference schedule with two games before opening Big 12 play against No. 9 Iowa State. The Cyclones are the surprise team of the season, starting the year undefeated with wins against No. 25 Xavier, No. 9 Memphis and Iowa. Report
  
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• Musk teases huge job number at Austin-area Tesla factory

  20-12-2021 21:28 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN/Austin Business Journal) — Travis County's Tesla gigafactory, which is expected to start production any day now, could have a bigger economic impact on the Austin area than originally thought, Austin Business Journal reports.Tesla headquarters officially move to AustinABJ reported CEO Elon Musk wrote on Twitter last week the factory will be a $10 billion-plus investment "over time" and will create at least 20,000 direct jobs and 100,000 indirect jobs.Giga Texas is a $10B+ inve
  
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• NYE party crackdown: Airbnb tightens booking restrictions

  20-12-2021 20:38 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Airbnb says it's taking moves to make sure its short-term renters aren't Auld Lang Syne-ing their way into COVID-19 super spreader events. Here's how Airbnb plans to prevent 'disruptive parties' for New Year's EveBack in November, the San Francisco-based rental giant announced it would limit begin enforcing restrictions on certain bookings for certain customers through New Year's Eve. These include prohibiting customers without a history of positive reviews from making sing
  
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• SIGNING: Austin FC adds veteran MLS midfielder on free agent deal

  20-12-2021 19:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin FC is adding an MLS veteran to strengthen its 2022 roster, announcing the signing of former Minnesota United midfielder Ethan Finlay Monday.
  Finlay, 31, agreed to a two-year guaranteed deal with the Verde and Black. The 10-year professional is well-versed in MLS competition with 245 appearances, recording 49 goals and 42 assists. Austin FC to play 8 teams for the first time ever as MLS drops 2022 schedule“My family and I are excited to be joining Austin FC and exper
  
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• Major crashes on Austin's high-injury roads are decreasing — here's why

  20-12-2021 19:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Will traffic fatalities continue to trend upward both locally and nationally, roadways undergoing improvements through Austin's Vision Zero initiative are noting reductions in the number of severe crashes around the city.Data released by the Austin Transportation Department Monday reported a 17% reduction in severe crashes on high-injury roadways that have undergone recent enhancements. High-injury roadways are those areas with some of the largest concentrations of roadway
  
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• 'Get here earlier than you ever thought': How busy is Austin's airport?

  20-12-2021 19:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is in the middle of peak holiday travel season.It was a recording-breaking Thanksgiving travel season at AUS, but an airport spokesperson says the Christmas and New Year’s travel season is not typically as busy. Here’s what to expect if you’re flying through AUS this holiday seasonTravelers should still plan for delays, especially if you're traveling before 9 a.m."I was shocked,” Missi Giesenschlag said after seeing
  
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• Williamson County confirms first case of omicron COVID-19 variant

  20-12-2021 18:56 via kxan.com
  
  WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Someone living in Williamson County caught the omicron variant of COVID-19, health experts confirmed Monday.
  The Williamson County and Cities Health District reported that lab testing officially confirmed the first case. The department did not share any further information about the patient, including whether the person traveled recently or had been vaccinated.COVID cases by state: Weekly numbers show jump for some, dip for others
  Instead, the county's hea
  
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• Two injured after shots fired in Lubbock mall

  20-12-2021 18:50 via kxan.com
  
  LUBBOCK, Texas -- The Lubbock Police Department confirmed that officers responded to a shots-fired call at the South Plains Mall Sunday early evening.
  Two people sustained minor injuries, LPD Lieutenant Leath McClure said. One victim was grazed by a bullet and the other was injured while fleeing the scene.Police say smashed jewelry cases mistaken for gunshots at Barton Creek MallThere was no suspect in custody, per LPD. Police called the situation an isolated incident and not an active shooter.
  
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• Here's how one Texas Uber driver is spreading holiday cheer

  20-12-2021 18:16 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (KIAH) — Meghan Perino is an Uber driver with a goal: to make every Uber ride memorable. She’s been driving for Uber for four years and every month honors a different holiday by decorating her entire car. Each light and ornament she hand-picked in the hopes of bringing just a little joy to each passenger. "I was having a long hard day at work, I was kind of tired and a little stressed out and you know I get in here and its all festive. It just makes you feel good br
  
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• Moderna says booster shot increases antibodies against omicron variant

  20-12-2021 18:06 via kxan.com
  
  Moderna said Monday that a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine should offer protection against the rapidly spreading omicron variant.Moderna said lab tests showed the half-dose booster shot increased by 37 times the level of so-called neutralizing antibodies able to fight omicron.And a full-dose booster was even stronger, triggering an 83-fold jump in antibody levels, although with an increase in the usual side effects, the company said. While half-dose shots are being used for most Moderna boo
  
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• COVID cases by state: Weekly numbers show jump for some, dip for others

  20-12-2021 17:48 via kxan.com
  
  DENVER (KDVR) — Christmas is days away and cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19 are rising. So, where does every state in the United States stand with the coronavirus?According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cases and deaths are up for the U.S. over the last 30 days.The blue bar shows daily cases. The red line is the 7-day moving average of cases, per CDC.
  Here’s where the positivity rate and case totals are for every state in the U.S. for the last 7-days
  
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• Tips: Prepping your home for winter weather

  20-12-2021 17:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - This Wednesday, winter finally arrives. While temperatures this week are staying on the warmer side, that doesn't mean it is going to remaining that way for the next few months. After last year's winter storm, you may be thinking about ways to protect your home if the cold weather returns.Meteorologist Kristen Currie spoke with Sean Burgess with the insurance company Sage Advisory to learn some basic tips you can use to keep your home safe from the cold. Watch the video above to
  
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• Push to ban books in Texas schools spreads to public libraries

  20-12-2021 17:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — When the Llano County Library shuts down for three days this week, starting Tuesday, it won’t be for the holidays.Instead, a group of six librarians in this small Central Texas county will be conducting a “thorough review” of every children’s book in the library, at the behest of the Llano County Commissioners Court. Their mission will be to make sure all of the reading material for younger readers includes subjects that are age-appropriate. A new &l
  
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• Staffer placed on leave after third graders reportedly reenact Holocaust scenes

  20-12-2021 16:35 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (The Hill) - A staff member from D.C. Public Schools is on leave after reportedly making third graders participate in a Holocaust re-enactment. The Washington Post reported that a Watkins Elementary School staff member had students pretend to dig their classmates’ mass graves and act out shooting the victims.DCPS said in a statement provided to The Hill that it was investigating the reports. 
  “DC Public Schools is committed to creating a welco
  
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• Blog: Miles for Marcia, hospital staff logs 2,300 miles to honor 'Mama Bear'

  20-12-2021 15:09 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Mama Bear, genuine, a high caliber of caring, that was my takeaway after hearing about Marcia Talbert, a longtime nurse at Saint David’s Rehabilitation Hospital.“Everybody knew Marcia,” Diane Jones recalls when asked about her friend and co-worker. “She just had a huge character, and everybody loved her. And if I had a loved one in the hospital, I would want Marcia to be their nurse, for sure.” Blog: Austin man says cancer diagnosis was the wor
  
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• Is 'Love Actually' a 'bad' movie? Holiday favorite still under debate

  20-12-2021 14:38 via kxan.com
  
  (KXAN) — It's that time of year again: the season when social media users resume the age-old question about whether the much beloved and also much hated modern Christmas classic "Love Actually" is "good" or "bad."Released during the holiday season in 2003, rom-com writer Richard Curtis' directorial debut "Love Actually" was a box office smash, grossing over $246 million globally against a $40-45 million budget. Worst Christmas songs ever? Here are some of the internet’s most hatedAno
  
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• Texas teachers required to complete reading training, but AISD won't pay teachers for training

  20-12-2021 13:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) —Reading Academies are a new requirement from the Texas Legislature, which now mandates all Kindergarten through third grade teachers and principals complete the training by fall 2023.This includes special education teachers and literacy specialists who serve Kindergarten through third grade students in small groups and teachers who only teach specific subjects to K-3 students, like math or science."Thirty-five percent of our fourth grade students are reading at a proficiency
  
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• Austin ISD won't pay teachers for required reading training

  20-12-2021 13:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) —Reading Academies are a new requirement from the Texas Legislature, which now mandates all Kindergarten through third grade teachers and principals complete the training by fall 2023.This includes special education teachers and literacy specialists who serve Kindergarten through third grade students in small groups and teachers who only teach specific subjects to K-3 students, like math or science."Thirty-five percent of our fourth grade students are reading at a proficiency
  
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• Warm-up gains speed as we head toward the 2nd hottest Christmas in Austin history

  20-12-2021 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — That sunshine sure felt good today, even with temperatures staying a little below average.We're in for one last cold night in the 30s, before we stay goodbye to anymore near freezing temperatures. We're forecasting lows in Austin in the upper 30s tonight, but some patchy freezes are possible away from the city.Tonight's forecastSince Austin is unlikely to see a first freeze in the next week and warmer than normal weather is likely in week two of our forecast, we may not see
  
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• Unseasonably warm holiday week

  20-12-2021 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — If we can't have that 'Hallmark holiday' weather this Christmas... (you know what we're talking about, the snow that doesn't get icy, temps cold enough to wear a cute scarf but not cold enough to dress like you're hiking the Arctic tundra, that kind of weather)... we might as well have weather we can enjoy, and that's exactly what we have on tap here in Central Texas this week.Today will be the coolest day of the next 7 with afternoon highs warming to the low 60s under a ma
  
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• Texas basketball scrambles to find opponent, defeats San Diego in last-minute matchup

  20-12-2021 05:25 via kxan.com
  
  LAS VEGAS (AP) — Aliyah Matharu scored 22 points and DeYona Gaston notched her first double-double of the season to lead No. 11 Texas to a 74-59 victory over San Diego on Sunday in a match-up that was put together late Saturday night.Texas (8-1) was supposed to play No. 4 Arizona (10-0) as part of the Coast-to-Coast Challenge, but the Wildcats were forced to pull out due to COVID-19 protocols and contact tracing within the Wildcats’ program. San Diego volunteered to step in and play
  
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• Reports: Texas receivers coach Andre Coleman won't return to Longhorns

  20-12-2021 05:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Longhorns wide receivers coach Andre Coleman's tenure at Texas is over after three seasons in Austin, according to The Football Brainiacs and Chip Brown of 247 Sports.Coleman was an analyst on Tom Herman's 2019 staff before taking over as receivers coach before the 2020 season. The former Kansas State receiver came to the Longhorns after six seasons at his alma mater. National Signing Day recap: Texas football lands top-five class; Austin-area players make it official
  
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• Omicron may sideline two leading drugs against COVID-19

  20-12-2021 04:48 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — As strained U.S. hospitals brace for a new surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the fast-spreading omicron variant, doctors are warning of yet another challenge: the two standard drugs they’ve used to fight infections are unlikely to work against the new strain.For more than a year antibody drugs from Regeneron and Eli Lilly have been the go-to treatments for early COVID-19, thanks to their ability to head off severe disease and keep patients out of the hospital.But bo
  
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• Families displaced from homes after fourplex catches fire in northeast Austin

  20-12-2021 03:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Twelve people including six children have been displaced from their homes following a fire in northeast Austin.Firefighters were called to the fourplex on Creekside Drive at about 4:15 p.m. on Sunday.One of the firefighters sustained minor injuries as crews tackled the blaze, the Austin Fire Department said, but no one living in the building was hurt.AFD said the fire started in a kitchen while someone was cooking. The cost of the damage is estimated at $250,000 structure a
  
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• Houston Texans end 3-game skid with win at lowly Jaguars

  20-12-2021 02:33 via kxan.com
  
  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Tremon Smith is planning to do something nice for his blockers. He doesn’t know what. He doesn’t know when. He just knows he needs 10 of whatever he decides to buy in the next few weeks.Smith returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, ending the longest drought in the NFL, and the undermanned Houston Texans beat woeful Jacksonville 30-16 on Sunday to end a three-game skid and extend their dominance in the series.Smith somehow escaped five defend
  
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• Austin duplex fire displaces 6 children, 12 people total

  20-12-2021 02:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A fire, likely caused by cooking, at a northeast Austin duplex displaced six adults and six children Sunday, according to the Austin Fire Department.The fire caused an estimated $250,000 in structure damage and $75,000 worth of damage to contents, AFD says.AFD says four units in the duplex at 7200 Creekside Drive will remain unoccupied as of Sunday night. Red Cross will help with displaced tenants.
  
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• FOUND: 14-year-old girl last seen in North Texas located

  20-12-2021 02:00 via kxan.com
  
  FAIRVIEW, Texas (KXAN) — After an Amber Alert was issued for a 14-year-old girl on Sunday, the Texas Department of Public Safety reports she was found Monday.
  That Amber Alert has since been discontinued.
  Police were looking for a suspect in connection with the girl's abduction, but did not know the identity of the suspect or the vehicle they were driving.The girl was last seen at 6 p.m. on Saturday in Fairview, Texas. That’s just north of Dallas.Anyone with information about the inc
  
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• ABDUCTED: Amber Alert issued for girl, 14, last seen in North Texas

  20-12-2021 02:00 via kxan.com
  
  FAIRVIEW, Texas (KXAN) — An Amber Alert has been issued for a 14-year-old girl who police fear has been abducted.Hayley Giandoni is described as white, 5’4” and 170 lbs, with brown hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a gray sweatshirt and camouflage leggings when she was last seen.Police are looking for a suspect in connection with her abduction, but do not know the identity of the suspect or the vehicle they are driving.Giandoni was last seen at 6 p.m. on Saturday in the 100
  
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• How long cold rain sticks around

  20-12-2021 00:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Following some sunshine earlier today, high temperatures remained locked in the 50s in Austin through the afternoon -- our coldest day in three weeks. Another storm system is moving into the area tonight, thickening clouds and bringing the return of chilly, light rain showers.Rain this evening through the overnight will generally be light as the system battles dry air in the low-levels, but a couple of lightning strikes and the sounds of rolling thunder cannot be ruled out.
  
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• Chilly night with light rain showers

  20-12-2021 00:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Following some sunshine earlier today, high temperatures remained locked in the 50s in Austin through the afternoon -- our coldest day in three weeks. Another storm system is moving into the area tonight, thickening clouds and bringing the return of chilly, light rain showers.Rain this evening through the overnight will generally be light as the system battles dry air in the low-levels, but a couple of lightning strikes and the sounds of rolling thunder cannot be ruled out.
  
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