Austin news

• Ukraine in fierce fight against advancing Russian forces

  26-02-2022 23:06
  
  KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian defense forces put up fierce resistance Saturday, slowing the advance of the larger and better-armed Russian military closing in on Kyiv, the capital. European nations and the U.S. rushed assistance to the country, including more ammunition and weapons, and announced another round of powerful sanctions aimed at further isolating Russia from the global financial system.Terrified men, women and children sought safety inside and underground, and the government m
  
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• Russian troops zero in on Kyiv as 150,000 Ukrainians flee

  26-02-2022 23:06
  
  KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian troops closed in on Kyiv and skirmishes flared on its outskirts Saturday as Ukraine’s leader vowed to continue battling an invasion by a much better-armed adversary. Terrified men, women and children sought safety inside and underground amid a 39-hour curfew the government imposed to keep people off the streets.The United Nations said more than 150,000 Ukrainians had fled for Poland, Moldova and other neighboring countries and warned the number could grow
  
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• Russia hits Ukraine fuel supplies, airfields in new attacks

  26-02-2022 23:06
  
  KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia unleashed a wave of attacks on Ukraine targeting airfields and fuel facilities in what appeared to be the next phase of an invasion that has been slowed by fierce resistance. The U.S. and EU responded with weapons and ammunition for the outnumbered Ukrainians and powerful sanctions intended to further isolate Moscow.
  Huge explosions lit up the sky early Sunday south of the capital, Kyiv, where people hunkered down in homes, underground garages and subway station
  
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• Headed to the Austin FC game? Prepare for the coldest home game to date

  26-02-2022 23:01
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin FC hasn't had a long history, but Saturday evening temperatures around 40° are going to make Saturday's game the coldest home game ever.You're also going to see more of the same dreary mist and rain that we've seen throughout the day. Thankfully, rain totals will be very light, with 0.1″-0.5″ of rain possible Saturday.A spokesperson for Austin FC said wet fields will make the game faster because the ball moves more quickly on the grass.
  These colder temper
  
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• 'Sorry we're not there with you': Ukrainians in Austin rally again Saturday

  26-02-2022 22:39
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Ukrainians who live in Austin while their home country is attacked by Russia gathered again at the Texas State Capital Saturday to protest the war."We are here supporting our friends and family who are currently fighting and hiding," Inna Merryweather, a woman originally from Kyiv, said. "Trying to call them every hour make sure their status...that they're safe."
  Merryweather's brother is from Kyiv. He's now stuck in Austin after visiting, she said.
  "There is no way to go back,
  
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• MAP: Here's how much weddings cost in Texas

  26-02-2022 21:32
  
  (NEXSTAR) – How much does it cost to have a wedding? While some general rules apply — weddings in larger cities will likely be more costly — it turns out cost varies greatly between states.Wedding site The Knot recently released its 2021 Real Weddings Study to determine the average cost of a wedding in each U.S. state. The results also indicated that wedding expenses are back on the rise after plummeting in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the average wedding now cos
  
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• Gov. Abbott asks Texas businesses to remove Russian products from shelves, many are

  26-02-2022 21:07
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted Saturday afternoon that he is asking members of the Texas Restaurant Association, Texas Package Stores Association and Texas retailers to "voluntarily remove all Russian products from their shelves."Some Austin business owners are already doing just that.Russian House of Austin told KXAN they will be taking "Russian" out of their business name. Owners plan to take the name down Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
  Thomas Gohring, owner of Kick Butt Coffee
  
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• Gov. Abbott asks Texas businesses to remove Russian products from shelves

  26-02-2022 21:07
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted Saturday afternoon that he is asking members of the Texas Restaurant Association, Texas Package Stores Association and Texas retailers to "voluntarily remove all Russian products from their shelves."The tweet goes on to say, "Texas stands with Ukraine."
  It's the latest in a series of comments the governor has made on the war Russia is waging with its border country; including sharing a photo of the Dallas skyline lit up in blue and yellow, Ukraine's
  
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• APD launches program to double patrol officers' overtime pay amid staffing shortage

  26-02-2022 17:34
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In an effort to get more personnel to volunteer for overnight shifts, Austin Police is debuting a new pilot program that would double officers' overtime pay.The program, described in a memo from Chief Joseph Chacon obtained by KXAN, would double the regular rate of compensation for certain patrol overtime shifts.Attorneys for 8 indicted APD officers say beanbag rounds used during protests were ‘unknowingly defective’The rate would be for officers who volunteer t
  
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• PD: 2 arrested crashing, fleeing into Leander neighborhood prompting shelter-in-place alert

  26-02-2022 16:59
  
  WILLIAMSON COUNTY (KXAN) — An emergency "shelter in place" message sent to some Leander-area neighborhoods early Saturday morning was out of an abundance of caution following police activity in the area.
  Leander police said officers responded to the 2800 block of S. Bagdad Road to investigate a report of a suspicious individual that was possibly casing a business for robbery.
  The caller told officials that the individual was seen carrying a rifle and getting in and out of a vehicle in the
  
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• Affidavit: Man left children alone in bathtub prior to one child's death

  26-02-2022 15:03
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An arrest affidavit obtained by KXAN reveals new details regarding the death of a child in late January in east Austin.
  According to documents, a woman called police on Jan. 28, believing her child had drowned. The woman wasn't at the scene, but police said her boyfriend, identified as Charlie Yanez, was.Previous coverage: APD: Suspicious death of a child under investigation in east AustinWhen police arrived at the home, an apartment on Manor Road, officers performed CPR on
  
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• EMS: 2 taken to hospital following crash in southeast Austin

  26-02-2022 14:15
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two people were taken to an area hospital after a crash in southeast Austin Saturday morning.
  According to Austin Travis County EMS, a two-vehicle crash was reported just before 7 a.m. near S. U.S. Highway 183 southbound and E. Riverside Drive.
  Officials say one vehicle ran into a ditch and one driver was unconscious and pinned in their vehicle. The person was rescued.
  One person was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and the other with non-life-threatenin
  
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• EMS: 1 taken to hospital following crash in southeast Austin

  26-02-2022 14:15
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — One person was taken to an area hospital after a vehicle rescue in southeast Austin Saturday morning.
  According to Austin Travis County EMS, a two-vehicle crash was reported just before 7 a.m. near S. U.S. Highway 183 southbound and E. Riverside Drive.
  Officials say one vehicle ran into a ditch and one driver was unconscious and pinned in their vehicle. The person was rescued.
  One person was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, EMS said.
  No other details we
  
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• EMS: 1 person pinned in car following crash in southeast Austin

  26-02-2022 14:15
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — First responders are on the scene of a vehicle rescue in southeast Austin Saturday morning.
  According to Austin Travis County EMS, a two-vehicle crash was reported just before 7 a.m. near S. U.S. Highway 183 southbound and E. Riverside Drive.
  Officials say one vehicle ran into a ditch and one driver was unconscious and pinned in their vehicle.
  The pinned person was rescued and life-saving efforts were underway, EMS tweeted.
  No other details were released. Expect delays if t
  
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• Your neighbors might have family in Ukraine — how you can help

  26-02-2022 05:23
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Kateryna Voinova, who moved to Austin from Kyiv three years ago, said she's in constant contact with her mother who's in Ukraine."My mama is spending already her second night today in the subway," she said. "The Kyiv government opened the subway to use as a shelter in case of the bombing of the city." ‘There’s some people walking the streets crying’: How you can help displaced UkrainiansThis past week, she's made it a point to not spend any time alone."Som
  
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• Attorneys for 8 indicted APD officers say beanbag rounds used during protests were 'unknowingly defective'

  26-02-2022 05:00
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The attorneys representing eight of the 19 Austin Police Department officers who were indicted related to use-of-force incidents during the 2020 protests released a statement Friday night, saying the beanbag rounds officers used for crowd control didn't work as intended.Travis County District Attorney José Garza announced the indictments against the 19 officers last week tied to racial injustice protests spurred by the deaths of George Floyd and Mike Ramos. All were
  
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• Drizzle slowly dries tonight ahead of a sunnier and milder Sunday

  26-02-2022 03:30
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Drizzle will continue to keep damp conditions across much of Central Texas through the evening. Slowly drying weather will take over, but we don't be completely turn drizzle free until after midnight.If you're heading to the Austin F.C. season opener at Q2 Stadium, it'll be damp and chilly as temperatures drop out of the lower 40s into the upper 30s. A north wind 5-10 mph will make it feel raw outside.Austin F.C. forecastTomorrow's weather looks hugely improved over the las
  
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• Drizzle, light rain and cold weather through Saturday

  26-02-2022 03:30
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The late-February cold snap continues as Austin's temperature has been below 40° since 6 a.m. Wednesday. Drizzle and light rain are increasing as yet another storm system approaches Texas.With temperatures in most areas tonight hovering in the middle and upper 30s, we do not have any widespread icing concerns. The coldest Hill Country communities may see a brief ice threat on bridges/overpasses early Saturday morning, but impacts should remain isolated to a few rural va
  
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• Cold, dreary, rainy weather expected all day Saturday, but nicer Sunday

  26-02-2022 03:30
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The late-February cold snap continues as Austin's temperature has been below 40° since 6 a.m. Wednesday.
  Cloud ceilings lowered, and mist, drizzle, and light rain increased early Saturday and will continue intermittently all day as yet another storm system approaches Texas.
  While it will be a very chilly, damp, gloomy Saturday, much better weather will follow Sunday.Rain totals will be very light, with 0.1"-0.5" of rain possible. With Saturday evening temperatures aroun
  
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• Cold, dreary, rainy weather expected all day, but nicer Sunday

  26-02-2022 03:30
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The late-February cold snap continues as Austin's temperature has been below 40° since 6 a.m. Wednesday. Drizzle and light rain are increasing as yet another storm system approaches Texas.While it will be a very chilly, damp, gloomy Saturday, much better weather will follow Sunday.The coldest Hill Country communities may see a brief ice threat on bridges/overpasses early this morning, but impacts should remain isolated to a few rural valleys.Lowering clouds ceilings, li
  
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• Is ERCOT immune from winter storm lawsuits? Dallas appeals court says no

  26-02-2022 01:30
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two more lawsuits were filed against the Electric Reliability Council of Texas this week, according to Travis County District Court records.
  Since the February 2021 storm, dozens of lawsuits have been filed against the power grid operator, but so far, there have been questions about whether ERCOT could be immune from the challenges in court.BACKGROUND: ERCOT could be immune from winter storm lawsuitsHowever, on Wednesday, a Dallas appellate court issued a ruling indicating
  
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• How low voter turnout during Texas primary will affect who's on the ballot in November

  26-02-2022 01:12
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Friday is the last day of early voting for the Texas March primary, and as of Feb. 24, 2022, only 1.2 million out of 17.2 million registered voters in Texas have cast their ballot.
  That's just 7.3% of eligible Texans so far.
  Jim Henson with the Texas Politics Project explained voter turnout for primaries is typically low, especially in a non-presidential election year, pointing to data that shows primary turnout in Texas has remained below 13% for the past two decades."P
  
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• El Pasoan living in Ukraine, Stuck in Turkey as attack continues

  26-02-2022 00:54
  
  EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) --El Paso native Valentina Cavazos, who has been living in Ukraine for the past three years studying nursing, finds herself stuck in Turkey.
  Cavazos said she left to visit her boyfriend in Turkey over Valentine's Day weekend and wasn't able to return even before Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday.Thinking she would only be gone a few days, she left everything else she owns -- including her cat -- at her apartment in Odesa, Ukraine.
  "The day after I left, the U.S. Embassy is
  
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