Austin news

• 555 lifeguards needed for Austin's public pools to operate this summer

  23-02-2022 23:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — There's 100 days until the Austin summer swim season begins, and Austin Parks and Recreation’s Aquatic Division is in need of lifeguards.There are currently 95 lifeguards on staff. In order for summer pools to open on June 3, they need to have 650 lifeguards.
  The Aquatic Division operates 45 public facilities. This includes Barton Springs Pool, 22 neighborhood pools, seven regional pools, 11 splash pads, three community pools and one wading pool.Austin 911 answer time
  
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• Texas Gov. Abbott 'bullying children' with trans care directive, Beto O'Rourke says

  23-02-2022 23:39 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is facing harsh online criticism in the wake of his Tuesday letter to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services directing the agency to criminally investigate parents in the state who help their transgender children get gender-affirming care.In the letter, Abbott asks that any "reported instances of Texas children being subjected to abusive gender-transitioning procedures" be investigated by the Texas DFPS. Last week, Texas Attorney General Ken Pax
  
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• Icing on elevated roadways, freezing drizzle possible through midday

  23-02-2022 23:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect through noon today as light freezing drizzle continues to develop on and off through midday. Bridges and overpasses are likely icy in spots - use extreme caution if having to travel today. 10 vehicles stuck on overpass due to icy conditions Wednesday nightRecent temperatures in the 80s kept ice from accumulating through much of Wednesday evening, but roadway temperatures are now below freezing in the Austin Metro area allowing slick sp
  
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• Icing begins this evening on some bridges/overpasses as temperatures drop

  23-02-2022 23:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Winter Weather Advisory has been expanded to include most of Central Texas through noon Thursday. As light drizzle and freezing drizzle continue, bridges and overpasses may develop slick spots this evening, and more will become icy overnight.Winter Weather Advisory in effect through 12 p.m. Thursday (except Milam County, where it continues until 6 p.m. Thursday)Summary of potential impactsHill Country: Bridges/overpasses may be icy now through 10 a.m. Friday. While this w
  
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• Ice beginning to stick to roadways; conditions worsen overnight

  23-02-2022 23:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Winter Weather Advisory has been expanded to include all of Central Texas through noon Thursday. As light drizzle and freezing drizzle continue, bridges and overpasses may develop slick spots this evening, and more will become icy overnight. 10 vehicles stuck on overpass due to icy conditionsWinter Weather Advisory in effect through 12 p.m. Thursday (except Milam County, where it continues until 6 p.m. Thursday)Summary of potential impactsHill Country: Bridges/overpasses
  
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• Ice beginning to form on roadways; conditions worsen overnight

  23-02-2022 23:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Winter Weather Advisory has been expanded to include all of Central Texas through noon Thursday. As light drizzle and freezing drizzle continue, bridges and overpasses are developing slick spots this evening, and more will become icy overnight. 10 vehicles stuck on overpass due to icy conditionsFreezing drizzle and mist continue overnight, picking up in coverage and intensity.Winter Weather Advisory in effect through 12 p.m. Thursday (except Milam County, where it continu
  
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• RRISD schools delayed 2 hours Thursday due to weather

  23-02-2022 22:59 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — The Round Rock Independent School District will have a delayed start for all schools Thursday due to inclement weather.
  A Winter Weather Advisory was expanded Wednesday to include several Austin metro counties, including Travis and Williamson. The advisory goes until noon Thursday for most in Central Texas.Winter Weather Advisory expanded; Now includes Austin Metro countiesClasses and bus routes will begin two hours late, an announcement from the district said. R
  
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• LIST: Central Texas schools issue delayed starts due to weather

  23-02-2022 22:59 via kxan.com
  
  CENTRAL TEXAS (KXAN) — Several area school districts have issued delayed starts for schools on Thursday due to inclement weather.
  A Winter Weather Advisory was expanded Wednesday to include several Austin metro counties. The advisory goes until noon Thursday for most in Central Texas.Winter Weather Advisory expanded; Now includes Austin Metro countiesThe following districts have announced changes to their normal schedule on Thursday:Burnet CISD: Two-hour delay.
  Doss CCSD: 10 a.m. start.Lib
  
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• Local artist pens love letter to soccer fans through Austin FC mural

  23-02-2022 22:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — When Austin artist Fabian Rey reflects on Austin FC's inaugural season opener last June at Q2 Stadium, he said the electricity in the air is what stuck with him the most. It was a lightning in a bottle kind of energy he strove to encapsulate when creating Q2 Stadium's newest Austin FC mural, set to unveil to the public on Friday.Rey previously collaborated with Austin FC on designs for the club's match day poster and drum kit. When it came to this season's mural, he said hi
  
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• Texas Democratic AG candidate profiles: Trial attorney Joe Jaworski

  23-02-2022 22:41 via kxan.com
  
  This report is part of a series of profile stories Nexstar is doing on the Republican and Democratic candidates for Texas Attorney General. Tune in Wednesday evening for the report on Democratic candidate Joe Jaworski.GALVESTON, Texas (Nexstar) — Former Galveston mayor Joe Jaworski said his three decades of experience as a trial lawyer makes him the most qualified in the crowded field of Democrats vying for the position of Texas' attorney general.Recent polling shows him trailing behi
  
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• Austin FC to launch new pregame show for every match on The CW Austin, KBVO this season

  23-02-2022 22:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — With Austin FC's return to The CW Austin and KBVO in its second season, the club is now "going to have a party" 30 minutes before every match.The club announced it will produce and air a 30-minute pregame show for every regionally-televised match, and the club's broadcaster said it's going to be a fun one. Austin FC releases 2022 TV schedule"Having a 30-minute pre-match show gives us even more time to show off the incredible matchday atmosphere at Q2 Stadium," said Adrian H
  
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• Audit: Austin Energy didn’t check eligibility for some in bill discount program

  23-02-2022 21:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – City auditors found Austin Energy did not ensure more than two dozen customers were eligible to receive utility discounts through the city’s Customer Assistance Program, which is meant to serve low-income residents, according to a recently released special report.The auditor’s office examined a sample of 124 customer accounts that received Assistance Program discounts in past three years. Auditors found Austin Energy didn’t do a secondary check to determin
  
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• Texas Democratic AG candidate profiles: civil rights attorney Lee Merritt

  23-02-2022 20:35 via kxan.com
  This report is part of a series of profile stories Nexstar is doing on the Republican and Democratic candidates for Texas Attorney General. Tune in Wednesday evening for the report on Democratic candidate Joe Jaworski.DALLAS (Nexstar) — With the March primary less than a week away, civil rights attorney Lee Merritt is hoping his national profile will help earn him the Democratic nomination in the race for attorney general.The Dallas-based attorney defends victims from corporate discri
  
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• Austin FC signs 35th-overall draft pick, Charlie Asensio, to contract

  23-02-2022 20:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin FC signed its second-round overall pick of the 2022 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, defender Charlie Asensio, the club announced Wednesday.Asensio, 22, signed a one-year contract with three years of club options after he was selected 35th overall in the January draft. Austin FC releases 2022 TV scheduleAsensio is a four-year player at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C., and helped the Tigers win the 2021 NCAA Men's College Cup with a 2-0 win over the Washington Husk
  
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• 21-year-old woman killed in north Austin crash identified

  23-02-2022 19:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A 21-year-old woman died after a Feb. 16 crash on Interstate 35 in north Austin.
  Austin Police said the crash happened just after 5:30 a.m. in the 9200 block of North I-35 northbound. Police said Ruth Quintero-Wences was driving northbound when she collided with another car, lost control and rolled down an embankment.
  Quintero-Wences was taken to an area hospital where she died from her injuries, police said.
  Anyone with information about this crash is asked to contact Aust
  
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• Gov. Abbott hints at pardons for Austin officers if needed

  23-02-2022 19:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Gov. Greg Abbott suggested he may end up using his pardon powers for Austin police officers indicted after protests two years ago.
  Abbott released a statement Wednesday morning extending his support to the Austin Police Department after the Travis County district attorney charged 19 officers for their response during the May 2020 racial justice protests. The indictment documents reviewed by KXAN showed they're accused of harming a total of 10 people during the chaos of the
  
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• Homeless count scheduled in Williamson County after more than a decade

  23-02-2022 19:01 via kxan.com
  
  WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — For the first time in 10 years, an organization recognized for helping people in crisis is leading a point-in-time count in Williamson County.
  The Point-in-Time count organized by Endeavors surveys the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night.
  PIT data provides insights into the community's homeless population and service gaps.
  The count includes individuals and families in unsheltered locations such as cars, pa
  
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• Need a warm place to go? Austin reopens cold weather shelters tonight

  23-02-2022 18:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — After temperatures plummeted dramatically behind an arctic cold front, people needing a warm place to go overnight in Austin now have options.
  The City of Austin's Homeland Security and Emergency Management office announced on social media that it would reopen cold weather shelters Wednesday night.IN-DEPTH: How you can monitor Texas’ power grid online
  Anyone in need of shelter can go to One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs Road, from 6-8 p.m. Once there, people will r
  
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• Why your photos and reports are more valuable during winter weather events

  23-02-2022 18:24 via kxan.com
  
  KXAN (AUSTIN) — The First Warning Weather team uses many different resources for forecasting winter weather events. But perhaps one of the most important tools in our toolbelt ... is you.With freezing rain in the forecast through the day Wednesday and Thursday, the trickiness of trying to pin down "who" is seeing "what" gets complicated.
  There are a couple of reasons why your backyard reports/photos help us tell the weather story:Winter weather can be finicky: The difference between liquid
  
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• Why Central Texas will see freezing rain again instead of snow - despite frigid temps

  23-02-2022 18:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- While it might feel cold enough for snow outside, several factors mean that our precipitation type this week will be rain and freezing rain, rather than snow. FIRST WARNING: Another winter storm possible as sharply colder air blows inIt all has to do with the temperature profile of the atmosphere. Temperatures Wednesday morning were frigid, with some areas dropping into the 20s.Wednesday temperatures at 10:30am.Temperatures overnight into Thursday morning will get even colder wi
  
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• LIVE: Why Central Texas will see freezing rain again instead of snow - despite frigid temps

  23-02-2022 18:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — While it might feel cold enough for snow outside, several factors mean that our precipitation type this week will be rain and freezing rain, rather than snow. FIRST WARNING: Another winter storm possible as sharply colder air blows inIt all has to do with the temperature profile of the atmosphere. Temperatures Wednesday morning were frigid, with some areas dropping into the 20s.Wednesday temperatures at 10:30 a.m.Temperatures overnight into Thursday morning will get even co
  
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• Georgetown City Council approves 'oversight' in fire code for pet facilities

  23-02-2022 16:49 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — The Georgetown City Council unanimously approved amendments to the fire code Tuesday night, creating stricter fire precautions for pet care facilities.
  This comes after deadly fire in September 2021 where 75 animals were killed at Ponderosa Pet Resort. There was no staffing at the facility at the time, and the building didn’t have a fire suppression system. RELATED: Dog owners suing Ponderosa Pet Resort after fire that killed 75 animalsAll pet care faciliti
  
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• Looking for work? City of Austin hosts virtual job fair Wednesday

  23-02-2022 16:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Want to work for the City of Austin? You can explore job opportunities there Wednesday.The city is hosting a virtual job fair from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. "to showcase a wide variety of City job opportunities available to people who are ready, willing, and able to work." City removes homeless camp near Lady Bird Lake, body found nearbyCity officials said in a press release that the city "has many open positions that provide for growth opp
  
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• New AISD proposal aimed to give more planning time to elementary teachers

  23-02-2022 14:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In an effort to give elementary school teachers in the Austin Independent School District more planning time, a proposal to increase physical education time is being floated.AISD published the idea on its website Monday, saying it's essential that teachers at that level have "time to plan and collaborate with colleagues will help teachers address gaps by personalizing learning for every student." AISD transportation employees left out of district’s paid day off"Studen
  
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• Loud and Fast: NW Austin neighbors say motorcycles on 2222 are a nuisance

  23-02-2022 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — People in northwest Austin are fed up with motorcycles riding up and down Ranch to Market Road 2222. They say not only is the noise unbearable, but many of these motorcycle riders are speeding and they worry about safety.
  Mayor Pro-Tem Alison Alter is aware of the issue. Northwest Austin is part of her district and she said this has been going on there for years. However, neighbors like Matthew Wheeler said in the last year and a half the problem has gotten worse.TxDOT to c
  
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• RECORD: Austin's temperatures have never dropped this far, this fast

  23-02-2022 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Well, it's here. The highly-anticipated (more like dreaded?) Arctic cold front has passed through all of Central Texas as of this morning, marking the start of a very cold stretch of weather expected to last through the start of the upcoming weekend.Morning temperatures in the 40s will only get colder through the day with majority of us in the 30s for the next 36 hours. Scattered drizzle will develop through the day, attempting to mix with freezing drizzle late this afterno
  
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• No warm up Wednesday, freezing drizzle possible

  23-02-2022 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Well, it's here. The highly-anticipated (more like, dreaded?) Arctic cold front has passed through all of Central Texas marking the start of a very cold stretch of weather.Morning temperatures in the 40s will only get colder through the day with majority of us in the 30s for the next 36 hours. Scattered drizzle will develop through the day, attempting to mix with freezing drizzle late this afternoon into the evening.Forecast temperatures - 4PM today (WED)Recent temperatures
  
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• NEW: Winter Weather Advisory EXPANDED; Now includes Austin Metro Counties

  23-02-2022 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Well, it's here. The highly-anticipated (more like dreaded?) Arctic cold front has passed through all of Central Texas marking the start of a very cold stretch of weather expected to last through the start of the upcoming weekend.NEW: A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for most of Central Texas (now including the Austin Metro Counties) until noon Thursday.
  Winter Weather AdvisoryTemperatures will stay in the 30s (and some 20s) for the next 36 hours. Scattered drizzle mi
  
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• LIVE: RECORD: Austin's temperatures have never dropped this far, this fast

  23-02-2022 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Well, it's here. The highly-anticipated (more like dreaded?) Arctic cold front has passed through all of Central Texas as of this morning, marking the start of a very cold stretch of weather expected to last through the start of the upcoming weekend.Morning temperatures in the 40s will only get colder through the day with majority of us in the 30s for the next 36 hours. Scattered drizzle will develop through the day, attempting to mix with freezing drizzle late this afterno
  
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• Austin likely to see biggest 24-hour temperature swing on record

  23-02-2022 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Well, it's here. The highly-anticipated (more like dreaded?) Arctic cold front has passed through all of Central Texas as of this morning, marking the start of a very cold stretch of weather expected to last through the start of the upcoming weekend.Morning temperatures in the 40s will only get colder through the day with majority of us in the 30s for the next 36 hours. Scattered drizzle will develop through the day, attempting to mix with freezing drizzle late this afterno
  
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• What local business owners are hoping to see as Austin Convention Center ramps up events

  23-02-2022 04:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — For months at a time over the last two years, you would see cots and makeshift rooms for COVID-19 patients at the Austin Convention Center.
  It was designated as an alternate care site, if local hospitals needed help taking care of COVID-19 patients. But now, convention officials said it's time to move forward, getting back to hosting events.There have been more than a dozen events planned this month, and leaders said they know they're critical to bring in revenue for local
  
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• Newborns across Austin will have a birthday that's easy to remember

  23-02-2022 04:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Tuesday marks a special day now being called "Twosday," especially to parents across Austin who welcomed their new babies, with one family welcoming two.
  Tuesday, 2/22/22, is a palindrome, meaning it reads the same forwards as it does backwards. Some numerologists say this date is a lucky day. ‘Twosday’ baby born at 2:22 a.m. on 2/22/22 at North Carolina hospitalThat couldn't be more true for parents Amanda and Cory Sorrells, who gave birth to two baby girls on
  
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• Drizzle developing, transitioning to freezing drizzle on Wednesday

  23-02-2022 04:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Temperatures have surged well into the 80s Tuesday afternoon, and to the warmest readings of the year so far in Austin. But a drastic cold front is creeping down I-35 into our area this evening, set to kick off a several-day cold snap along with the threat of freezing rain.The powerful cold front arrives in the Austin Metro area this evening, dropping temperatures into the 30s by sunrise Wednesday. While temperatures Wednesday in the Austin area should remain above freezing
  
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• Update: Man with cognitive impairment found safe, APD says

  23-02-2022 03:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department located a missing man with a cognitive impairment Tuesday night after he was last seen that afternoon in central Austin.
  Police said the 40-year-old man was last seen at 3:45 p.m. near 7800 North Lamar Boulevard. That's near U.S. Highway 183 and West Anderson Lane.
  APD said in addition to having a cognitive impairment, the man requires daily medication for "significant medical issues." He also has limited speaking capabilities.
  
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• Missing: Man with cognitive impairment last seen in central Austin

  23-02-2022 03:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department is searching for a man with a cognitive impairment last seen Tuesday afternoon in central Austin.
  Police said Bradley Lemming, 40, was last seen at 3:45 p.m. near 7800 North Lamar Boulevard. That's near U.S. Highway 183 and West Anderson Lane.
  APD said in addition to Lemming having a cognitive impairment, he requires daily medication for "significant medical issues." He also has limited speaking capabilities.
  He's described as a white man who's
  
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• City of Austin scraps sex-ed camp set to pay teens $100 to attend — for now

  23-02-2022 02:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A sex education workshop set to pay local high schoolers $100 to attend has been postponed, Austin Public Health (APH) confirmed to KXAN on Tuesday.
  "Spring Break Sex-Ed Camp" was set to take place in March at a handful of Austin Public Library locations and Del Valle libraries, or virtually, depending on pandemic conditions.An online advertisement posted to Austin Public Library's social media last weekend stated teen attendees could "get $100 (plus lunch!)" for their part
  
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• FBI searching for victims after man accused of exploiting girls for 10 years

  23-02-2022 02:30 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (WVLA) – The FBI is hoping to speak with victims across the country who may have been contacted online by a 37-year-old Texas man accused of exploiting young girls for years.
  Patrick Tran, of Cypress, has been charged with sexual exploitation of children, possession of child pornography, and coercion and enticement. He was awaiting trial Tuesday, according to a news release from the Department of Justice's Houston office.Authorities say Tran may have used the alias "Reggie Smith" o
  
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• Former Texas Ranger Josh Hamilton pleads to misdemeanor in daughter-assault case

  23-02-2022 02:21 via kxan.com
  
  (AP) — One-time Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton pleaded guilty Tuesday to a misdemeanor in a case arising from an altercation with his teenage daughter, officials said.Hamilton, 40, pleaded guilty in Fort Worth, Texas, on Tuesday to unlawful restraint under a plea deal that dismisses a 2020 felony indictment for injury to a child, the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office said in social media postings.State District Judge Mike Thomas sentenced Hamilton
  
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• Former Rangers player Josh Hamilton pleads to misdemeanor in daughter-assault case

  23-02-2022 02:21 via kxan.com
  
  (AP) — One-time Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton pleaded guilty Tuesday to a misdemeanor in a case arising from an altercation with his teenage daughter, officials said.Hamilton, 40, pleaded guilty in Fort Worth, Texas, on Tuesday to unlawful restraint under a plea deal that dismisses a 2020 felony indictment for injury to a child, the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office said in social media postings.State District Judge Mike Thomas sentenced Hamilton
  
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• Marijuana gummies: Highest dosage now available for Texas medical users

  23-02-2022 02:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — On Tuesday the state's largest medical marijuana company expanded its gummy products to now include the highest dosage legally available, 20 mg, after Texas lawmakers approved changes to the state's program in 2021.
  During last year's legislative session, state lawmakers approved slight increases into the percentage of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, allowed in medical marijuana products. THC is the psychoactive compound of cannabis that gets users high.
  Morris Denton is t
  
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• Vigil held for good Samaritan killed by vehicle while helping at north Austin crash

  23-02-2022 01:49 via kxan.com
  
  MANOR, Texas (KXAN) — Zelly Sean stopped to help a driver who had been involved in a single-vehicle crash early Sunday morning in north Austin when a third vehicle hit and killed him.Julia Sean held a vigil at their church from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday to honor and remember her late husband. The vigil was at St. Raguel at 19000 St. Raguel in Manor. RELATED: Good Samaritan hit and killed by vehicle while helping at north Austin crash"I now understand what LMM (Lin-Manuel Miranda) meant when he w
  
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• 19 APD officers indicted accused of harming a total of 10 during May 2020 protests

  23-02-2022 01:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Documents obtained by KXAN reveal more details about the 19 Austin police officers who were indicted over the May 2020 racial justice protests.
  Official indictment documents for all 19 officers show that they are accused of harming a total of 10 people during the chaos of the protests. Each of the officers faces two counts of aggravated assault by a public servant.APD officers released on bond after indictments
  The indictments were announced last Thursday. Travis Count
  
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• Phil Mickelson apologizes for Saudi and super league comments

  23-02-2022 01:03 via kxan.com
  
  (AP) — Phil Mickelson apologized Tuesday for comments about the Saudis and a proposed super league, damaging words he claims were off the record and not meant to be shared publicly.“It was reckless, I offended people, and I am deeply sorry for my choice of words,” he said.The same time as Mickelson's statement, KPMG became the first of his corporate sponsors to announce an immediate end to their partnership, a decision KPMG said was mutual.“We wish him the best,” KP
  
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• More than 80 Blanco County voters sent incorrect ballots

  23-02-2022 00:07 via kxan.com
  
  BLANCO COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – In early February, the Blanco County Elections Office said it was alerted a third party vendor, which prints and mails the county's mail-in ballots, accidently sent republican ballots to registered voters who had asked for democratic ballots and democratic ballots to registered voters who had requested a republican ballot.   Follow KXAN's election coverage hereThis mistake impacted at least 88 registered voters, according to the elections office.
  The
  
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