Austin news

• New mass testing site for COVID-19 launches in Austin amid omicron surge

  07-01-2022 23:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new mass testing site for COVID-19 in Austin opened for the first time Saturday as cases of the virus continue to hit record highs.Nomi Health began operating its new testing location on Saturday morning at the Toney Burger Activity Center and Stadium.The health care company spent eight days testing people at the Long Center - which saw enormous demand amid the rocketing number of cases.Clinic extended to entire week after huge demand creates long linesBut Nomi Health sai
  
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• Austin COVID-19 pop-up testing extended again in new location

  07-01-2022 23:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)-- Nomi Health, a healthcare company administering COVID-19 tests in Austin, says they will be moving locations.
  The vendor had been testing people at the Long Center for eight days but will open at the Toney Burger Activity Center & Stadium starting Saturday at 8 a.m.
  The group said due to the Long Center's events schedule, the facility could no longer accommodate another extension of Nomi Health's pop-up testing site, which was initially supposed to last two days.Clinic extend
  
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• Rep. McCaul tests positive for COVID-19 in latest congressional breakthrough

  07-01-2022 22:29 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) – Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) disclosed Friday that he tested positive for COVID-19 this week, becoming the latest member of Congress to contract a breakthrough case of the virus amid the current nationwide surge in cases due to the omicron variant.McCaul confirmed that he is fully vaccinated and boosted and is "recovering each day." In the meantime, McCaul said he will cast votes by proxy next week "for my health and the safety of others," in accordance with public
  
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• Nearby residents evacuate after gas leak in Kyle

  07-01-2022 21:44 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — A gas leak in Kyle caused nearby residents to be voluntarily evacuated Friday afternoon.
  The City of Kyle said a construction company hit a six-inch commercial gas line on Schlemmer Street just east of Burleson Street.
  Crews with the Kyle Fire and Police Departments responded to the leak, and CenterPoint Energy is on scene, the city said.
  The city is advising people to stay away from the area until it's been cleared.
  This is a developing story that will be updated once
  
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• Kyle gas leak stopped after nearby residents evacuate

  07-01-2022 21:44 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — A gas leak in Kyle caused nearby residents to be voluntarily evacuated Friday afternoon. By 4:40 p.m., the leak was stopped.
  The City of Kyle said a construction company hit a six-inch commercial gas line on Schlemmer Street just east of Burleson Street. The city said 12 to 14 homes were "voluntarily evacuated," and Schlemmer was closed for about 1.5 blocks east of Burleson.
  Crews with the Kyle Fire and Police Departments responded to the leak, and CenterPoint Energy w
  
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• Don't go to the ER for COVID-19 testing, Austin hospitals beg

  07-01-2022 21:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As many struggle to find COVID-19 testing in Austin, local hospitals are asking people not to go to the emergency room for a test.
  "We urge the public to reserve our emergency rooms for medical emergencies," St. David's Healthcare wrote in an Instagram post. It comes as one in three COVID-19 tests in Travis County are coming back positive and as case counts skyrocket.Testing positive for COVID-19 in the hospital: Does it count toward hospitalization numbers?Hospitals and local l
  
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• Supreme Court skeptical of Biden’s workplace vaccine rule

  07-01-2022 21:19 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court’s conservative majority appeared skeptical Friday of the Biden administration’s authority to impose a vaccine-or-testing requirement on the nation’s large employers. The court seemed more open to a separate vaccine mandate for most health care workers.The arguments in the two cases come at a time of spiking coronavirus cases because of the omicron variant, and the decision Friday by seven justices to wear masks for the first t
  
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• Ahmaud Arbery's killers get life in prison; no parole for father, son

  07-01-2022 21:16 via kxan.com
  
  BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — Three white men who chased and killed Ahmaud Arbery were sentenced Friday to life in prison, with a judge denying any chance of parole for the father and son who armed themselves and initiated the deadly pursuit of the 25-year-old Black man.Greg and Travis McMichael grabbed guns and chased Arbery in a pickup truck after spotting him running in their neighborhood outside the Georgia port city of Brunswick. Neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan joined the pursuit
  
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• Coldest day since February; drizzle/fog develop shortly

  07-01-2022 21:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Today is the coldest day of the week with temperatures struggling to recover after yesterday's cold front. A persistent deck of clouds that pulled in early this morning has locked the cold air in place.As moisture overruns the cold air at the surface, the atmosphere is moistening from the top-down. Cloud ceilings are lowering, and drizzle/fog develop during your Friday evening plans. Light rain showers continue on a very chilly overnight tonight. BLOG: What is frostweed? Un
  
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• Cold air locked in; drizzle and fog develop this evening

  07-01-2022 21:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Today will likely be the coldest day of the week with temperatures struggling to recover after yesterday's cold front.Subfreezing temperatures this morning will only warm to the 40s this afternoon due to the quick arrival of clouds, making for a chilly winter day across Central Texas.
  Friday's forecast BLOG: What is frostweed? Unique ice formations seen in Central Texas Friday morningScattered rain showers and even an isolated thunderstorm are possible Saturday, especially
  
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• Suspect in 2018 Austin murder arrested Thursday

  07-01-2022 19:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Authorities tracked down and arrested a man Thursday wanted on a capital murder charge stemming from a 2018 incident in Austin.The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force led by the U.S. Marshals arrested Deandre Eric Conner, 25, in the 1800 block of Rundberg Lane. That's just north of U.S. Highway 183 between Metric and Lamar boulevards. MAP: Where have Austin’s homicides occurred in 2021?
  Conner is accused of shooting and killing Johnathan David Rogers in the 1600 block of Me
  
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• 3 arrested in connection with 2018 Austin murder

  07-01-2022 19:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — At least three people were arrested stemming from a deadly 2018 shooting in Austin.
  The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force led by the U.S. Marshals arrested Deandre Eric Conner, 25, in the 1800 block of Rundberg Lane. That's just north of U.S. Highway 183 between Metric and Lamar boulevards. He was wanted on a capital murder by threat charge.MAP: Where have Austin’s homicides occurred in 2021?Deandre is accused of shooting at Johnathan Rogers in the 1600 block of Mear
  
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• What is frostweed? Unique ice formations seen in Central Texas

  07-01-2022 19:34 via kxan.com
  
  (KXAN) -- KXAN viewer Seth Willis sent in multiple photos of a strange ice formation that occurred this Friday morning. This plant is called frostweed and is native to Central Texas.
  Also known as Verbesina virginica, this plant is capable of producing strange ice sculptures under the right conditions.Also called frost flowers or iceweed, frostweed forms when air temperatures are below freezing but the ground still is warm enough for the plant’s root system to be active. Frostweed als
  
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• FDA reduces waiting period for Moderna recipients to get booster to 5 months

  07-01-2022 18:51 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) -- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shortened the amount of time Moderna recipients need to wait to get a booster dose from six months to five months on Friday, aligning the timeline with Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine. The agency announced it amended its emergency use authorization for the Moderna vaccine to allow adults to get a booster dose a month earlier than previously. Officials, including Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and R
  
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• Austin saw a record number of homicides in 2021. How many did police solve?

  07-01-2022 18:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department said it continues to solve nearly 90% of homicide cases a year, even with 2021’s record number of murders.“I think the national average runs between 50 to 60 percent,” said Lt. Brett Bailey with APD’s Homicide and Aggravated Assault Unit. “We are doing remarkably well.” MAP: Where have Austin’s homicides occurred in 2021?This year Austin experienced 89 homicides and surpassed the total homicides for all
  
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• There were no Freeze Warnings despite freezing cold temps — Here's why

  07-01-2022 18:27 via kxan.com
  
  (KXAN) — Our first freeze of the season marks the end of our growing season.
  When this first freeze is in the forecast, our local National Weather Service office will issue a Freeze Warning. This occurred back in mid-December for us in central Texas. Meteorologist Sean Kelly spoke with Warning Coordination Meteorologist Paul Yura for the National Weather Service in New Braunfels, Texas about this freeze.Chilly weather makes quick turn to warmer, wetter weekend"This is not a big agricultura
  
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• Suspect slashed tires, made threats with knife at COVID-19 testing site, Austin police say

  07-01-2022 18:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man is accused of slashing tires and threatening people with a knife at a drive-through COVID-19 test site in north Austin earlier this week, according to an arrest affidavit.Officers were called to investigate a man with a knife in a parking lot in the 12000 block of Interstate 35 service road on Wednesday just before 5 p.m. where COVID-19 testing was taking place. They later identified the man as Nicolas Guzman, 30. He does not have an attorney listed online as of Frida
  
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• UT omicron projections: COVID-19 cases will peak in the next few days

  07-01-2022 17:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The University of Texas at Austin COVID-19 modeling consortium has run updated omicron projections which show the United States will likely hit its peak number of cases in the next few days, but that we could see a healthcare surge well beyond what we've seen previously in the pandemic.
  The consortium put out 16 projections last month that showed how the U.S. might fare against the omicron variant, but at the time much of the information about omicrons characteristics were
  
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• 'We are in crisis mode': With COVID-19 sick calls on the rise, shelter needs help placing pets in homes

  07-01-2022 17:36 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) —Some businesses are having to close down because of so many people calling out with COVID-19, and it's also causing problems at local animal shelters.Austin Pets Alive! is making an urgent plea to get as many of their dogs and puppies adopted or fostered by Friday.The shelter is dealing with sick calls because of COVID-19, and that means there are fewer people to take care of the animals."We are in crisis mode," said Suzie Chase, Austin Pets Alive! spokesperson. "Right now,
  
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• Ted Cruz goes on Fox News, says people misunderstood 'terrorist attack' comment about Jan. 6 riots

  07-01-2022 17:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In an interview Thursday on Fox News, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, walked back a statement he made Wednesday after he referred to the Jan. 6 Capitol riots as a "violent terrorist attack."Cruz told Fox News' Tucker Carlson that people misunderstood and misrepresented what he said.Ted Cruz slammed for calling Jan. 6 ‘violent terrorist attack’"The snippet from (Wednesday) didn’t include my passionate & repeated defense of the patriots and peaceful protestors s
  
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• Austin couple responsible for $3,973 after COVID tests

  07-01-2022 17:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Before flying to Peru to hike the Inca trail, Suli Luque and her husband went to get tested for COVID-19. They needed to show proof of negative test results to be let into the country.The couple made an appointment at the Austin Emergency Center in Riverside – one of the many freestanding private emergency rooms in Texas.Their tests came back negative, clearing the way for a trip to Machu Pichu filled with Llama sightings and mountain views — but a letter from t
  
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• Austin couple charged $3,973 after COVID-19 tests

  07-01-2022 17:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Before flying to Peru to hike the Inca trail, Suli Luque and her husband went to get tested for COVID-19. They needed to show proof of negative test results to be let into the country.The couple made an appointment at the Austin Emergency Center in Riverside – one of the many freestanding private emergency rooms in Texas.Their tests came back negative, clearing the way for a trip to Machu Pichu filled with Llama sightings and mountain views — but a letter from t
  
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• Oscar-winning actor Sidney Poitier dead at 94

  07-01-2022 16:49 via kxan.com
  
  (NewsNation Now) — Sidney Poitier, the first Black man to ever win a Best Actor Oscar and a major star from the Golden Age of Hollywood,has died, an official from the Bahamian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday. He was 94.Eugene Torchon-Newry, acting director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed Poitier's death to Reuters.The Bahamian-American actor was known for films including In the Heat of the Night and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. Poitier won his
  
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• Biden COVID-19 vaccine rules get first test in the U.S. Supreme Court

  07-01-2022 15:32 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nexstar) — As the omicron variant ravages across Texas and the nation, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to review two challenges to President Joe Biden's COVID-19 vaccine policies in a special session Friday morning.
  The high court will hear arguments in cases related to the Biden administration's vaccine-or-test rule for large businesses and a vaccine mandate for healthcare facilities, covering nearly 100 million Americans. In both cases, justices will evaluate whether the
  
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• Austin Public Health now offering Pfizer boosters to ages 12 and older

  07-01-2022 14:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Those aged 12 and older now have the chance to get the Pfizer COVID-19 booster dose through Austin Public Health, the agency announced Thursday night.
  This comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the shot for youth ages 12 to 17 years old Wednesday, saying the booster dose should be received five months after their initial Pfizer vaccination series. Austin-Travis County moves to Stage 5 COVID-19 risk-based guidelinesAPH is also adopting othe
  
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• Cloudy and cold Friday ahead of a milder and occasionally damp Saturday

  07-01-2022 12:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Today will likely be the coldest day of the week with temperatures struggling to recover after yesterday's cold front.Subfreezing temperatures this morning will only warm to the 40s this afternoon due to the quick arrival of clouds, making for a chilly winter day across Central Texas.
  Friday's forecast BLOG: What is frostweed? Unique ice formations seen in Central Texas Friday morningScattered rain showers and even an isolated thunderstorm are possible Saturday, especially
  
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• Chilly weather makes quick turn to warmer, wetter weekend

  07-01-2022 12:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Today will likely be the coldest day of the week with temperatures struggling to recover after yesterday's cold front.Subfreezing temperatures this morning will only warm to the upper 40s and low 50s late this afternoon, making for a chilly winter day across Central Texas. Clear skies this morning will increase by this afternoon as moisture overruns the cold air at the surface, leading to overcast skies late in the day with drizzle and light rain showers developing by eveni
  
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• People left in the cold after apartment fire in North Austin

  07-01-2022 11:59 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - Austin Fire Department and Austin-Travis EMS respond to apartment fire early Friday morning.
  ATCEMS says at least 5 ambulances responded to the Ventura Apartments at Northgate Blvd between W. Rundberg Lane and 183. At least 3 patients are being treated on scene.
  (KXAN Map)According to paramedics, the call came in around 4 a.m. and within 30 minutes the call escalated with a need for more help.A man we talked to on scene says he was having a dream about a fire and the dream turned
  
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• At least 4 taken to hospital after apartment fire in north Austin

  07-01-2022 11:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Fire Department and Austin-Travis County EMS responded to a three-alarm apartment fire early Friday morning.
  ATCEMS said six ambulances responded to the Ventura Apartments at 9133 Northgate Blvd. between West Rundberg Lane and U.S. Highway 183.Elderly woman, 2 cats found dead in north Austin fire, officials sayUpon arrival, AFD said the top portion of the complex was engulfed in flames. More than 100 AFD firefighters responded to the scene, and AFD Assistant Chief Br
  
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• At least 4 people taken to hospital after apartment fire in north Austin

  07-01-2022 11:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Fire Department and Austin-Travis County EMS responded to a three-alarm apartment fire early Friday morning.
  (KXAN Map)ATCEMS said six ambulances responded to the Ventura Apartments at Northgate Boulevard between West Rundberg Lane and U.S. Highway 183. More than 30 residents have been displaced due to the fire.As of ATCEMS' update via Twitter at 5:15 a.m., at least four people have been taken to hospitals for treatment. Two of the people have critical, life-threaten
  
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• COVID-19 precautions during Red River Cultural District's 'Free Week'

  07-01-2022 05:28 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The goal of the Red River Cultural District's "Free Week" is to help businesses and performers out during the winter slump — something, thanks to the pandemic, they need more than ever."It's important for the musicians, because they have a place to play. It's important for the venues, because they're all still recovering from being closed a year and a half," said Jeannette Gregor, founder of service and entertainment worker advocacy group The Amplified Sound Coalition
  
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• Cowboys, Eagles gear up for playoffs with little at stake

  07-01-2022 05:24 via kxan.com
  
  PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Not much gets the competitive juices flowing in Philadelphia like the Eagles hosting the Dallas Cowboys.Eagles wideout Greg Ward called it “the biggest rivalry in football,” but rivalry talk has been muted for the final week of the regular season with both teams headed to the playoffs.The NFC East champion Cowboys (11-5) need a win and help to climb from the No. 4 seed to No. 2. The Eagles (9-7) can’t finish any higher than the sixth seed.It’s un
  
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• More than 60 ATCEMS sworn staff members out due to COVID-19

  07-01-2022 04:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin-Travis County EMS is still working to boost its staffing levels, as 66 sworn staff members are out due to COVID-19, the department said Thursday.
  Of those 66 staffers, 43 have tested positive for the virus, and 23 are awaiting test results. The department said it's sustained 20% or more of medics not being able to report for duty daily over the past week.PAST COVERAGE: ATCEMS faces ‘crippling shortage’ as COVID-19 cases spike among medicsBecause of these
  
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• Freezing cold Friday morning; rain returns late in the day

  07-01-2022 03:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A strong cold front blew through the area under mostly sunny skies on Thursday, setting the stage for a widespread freeze Friday morning.When will cedar allergies get better?Under clear skies, temperatures drop quickly through sunrise. We are predicting low temperatures in the 20s across the area -- even in Austin -- with upper teens in the coldest rural valleys, especially west of I-35. Protect pets, pipes, plants and people during tonight's cold.Forecast low temperatures
  
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• Central Texas beekeeper to star in television show premiering Saturday

  07-01-2022 03:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A beekeeper from right here in Central Texas is set to star in a new reality television show premiering this weekend.
  "Charlie Bee Company" will hit the Texas airwaves starting Saturday, Jan. 8 at 4:30 p.m. on Austin PBS. In eight hour-long episodes, the show aims to teach the audience about bees in the Hill Country, the removal process and the importance of these pollinators. Stream it or Skip it: Austin reacts to Netflix’s ‘Twentysomethings: Austin’"Char
  
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• Central Texas businesses struggling to operate with spike in COVID-sick calls

  07-01-2022 01:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) — The rapid spread of the latest COVID variant is sidelining more than just individual lives at this point, it's disrupting business owners who can't get enough healthy employees to show up to work.From canceled flights here at the airport, to supply shortage issues here at businesses. It all stems from staffing issues because of COVID-19, and now these are consequences we're all having to live with.  As Austin moves to Stage 5, health leaders explain what busines
  
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• How the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol influenced Texas politics in 2021

  07-01-2022 00:36 via kxan.com
  
  (Nexstar) — Thursday marks one year since the insurrection at our nation’s Capitol. The attack, fueled by claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election, set the stage for some major Texas political moves throughout 2021."Going back by the places that were scarred and desecrated in the Capitol and hearing the stories of my colleagues who were there who felt their lives were very much at stake was something I hope I never go through again,” U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a Democrat repres
  
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• RRISD board places Superintendent Azaiez on leave

  07-01-2022 00:12 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — Just days into the spring semester, the Round Rock Independent School District's Board of Trustees decided in a Thursday night meeting to place Superintendent Hafedh Azaiez on paid administrative leave.
  In addition to placing Azaiez on leave, the board also chose Daniel Presley to serve as acting superintendent for the district and approved engaging an external investigator to look at allegations of misconduct against Azaiez.
  The decision comes after a recommenda
  
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• RRISD board meets again to consider placing superintendent on leave

  07-01-2022 00:12 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — Just days into the spring semester, the Round Rock Independent School District's Board of Trustees will dedicate its Thursday meeting to discuss placing Superintendent Hafedh Azaiez on paid administrative leave.This stems from a recommendation from a monitor appointed by the Texas Education Agency. The monitor is David Faltys, a former superintendent of the Carroll Independent School District, which is about 30 miles from Dallas. He's been assigned several duties
  
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• Masking urged regardless of vaccine status, COVID history

  07-01-2022 00:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The recent explosion of COVID-19 infections fueled by the omicron variant means people should once again wear a mask as part of their arsenal to defend themselves against the more easily spread virus, local leaders advised Thursday.
  One official after another sounded the alarm about the urgency to mask when they announced during a virtual news conference that the Austin-Travis County area would return to Stage 5, the highest level of the COVID-19 risk-based guidelines.
  "Rig
  
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