Austin news

• What happened to Athena, LBJ Wildflower Center's 11-year mascot?

  28-02-2022 23:38 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — For 11 years, the great horned owl Athena has made her presence known at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, serving as an unofficial "mascot," Executive Director Lee Clippard said.But Athena has not returned this year, leaving many speculating what might have led to her disappearance. SXSW 2022: Addressing rumors about ‘Sunday Service’ eventThe great horned owl is a non-migratory bird, meaning they are a resident species and don't travel away during the wi
  
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• Texas vs. Baylor significant to NCAA Tournament seed — what to know before tipoff

  28-02-2022 23:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN/AP) — The No. 21 Texas Longhorns dropped a spot in this week's Associated Press poll despite a 2-0 week with wins against TCU and West Virginia.At this point in the season, the voters' rankings don't mean all that much — especially with the week of games ahead for the Longhorns. Texas will close out the regular season this week against the best teams in the Big 12. Chris Beard, Matthew McConaughey chat by the fire on Erwin Center’s roofThe Longhorns host No. 3 Bayl
  
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• Texas-Baylor game important to NCAA Tournament seed — what to know

  28-02-2022 23:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN/AP) — The No. 21 Texas Longhorns dropped a spot in this week's Associated Press poll despite a 2-0 week with wins against TCU and West Virginia.At this point in the season, the voters' rankings don't mean all that much — especially with the week of games ahead for the Longhorns. Texas will close out the regular season this week against the best teams in the Big 12. Chris Beard, Matthew McConaughey chat by the fire on Erwin Center’s roofThe Longhorns host No. 3 Bayl
  
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• New Dell Medical School program aims to bring music to hospital halls

  28-02-2022 22:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new music program formed by Dell Medical School, UT Health Austin and Ascension Seton was launched Monday.
  It's called the Red River Ensemble — an orchestra that aims to fill hospital halls with music. The orchestra will practice and perform at Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas at Austin.
  Violinist David Bernat and Pianist Elias Dagher currently make up the ensemble, which was established by Mark Bernat, who recently joined Dell Medical School as
  
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• Austin ISD resumes repurposing process for six sites

  28-02-2022 21:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Independent School District is picking its repurposing process back up, after a hiatus because of the pandemic.
  Repurposing is when AISD identifies "the future use of district properties that are underutilized or no longer in use." The district said it recognizes schools are community assets, so it wants to explore options that will fit the affected communities' needs. AISD is also prioritizing maintaining ownership of the buildings as a result.RELATED: Austin IS
  
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• Weiss, Anderson battle for region semifinal spot — watch live on KBVO

  28-02-2022 21:43 via kxan.com
  
  LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) — Weiss and Anderson High School will meet Monday night for a spot in the UIL 5A boys basketball region semifinals. You can watch the game live on KBVO and KXAN.com.The district champions from District 17-5A and District 18-5A will meet on a neutral court at Rouse High School. You can watch High School Basketball Live on KBVO and KXAN.com at 7 p.m. NEXT: Black state football champs from original Anderson HS honored, given rings decades laterAnderson defeated
  
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• Weiss advances to 5A region semifinal with win over Anderson

  28-02-2022 21:43 via kxan.com
  
  LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) — Weiss and Anderson High School will meet Monday night for a spot in the UIL 5A boys basketball region semifinals. You can watch the game live on KBVO and KXAN.com.The district champions from District 17-5A and District 18-5A will meet on a neutral court at Rouse High School. You can watch High School Basketball Live on KBVO and KXAN.com at 7 p.m. NEXT: Black state football champs from original Anderson HS honored, given rings decades laterAnderson defeated
  
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• 'Email bombing' targets APD Chief, detective; threat suspect identified

  28-02-2022 20:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two weeks after KXAN’s initial investigative report, an unsealed search warrant reveals new details surrounding recent threatening communications sent to Travis County judicial candidates ahead of Tuesday's primary election. The search warrant outlines more targets — including Austin's police chief — and identifies a suspect: Michael David Johnson.
  KXAN reached out to Johnson’s defense attorney and requested a comment on the allegations detailed in t
  
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• SXSW 2022: Addressing rumors about 'Sunday Service' event

  28-02-2022 20:22 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Could 'Ye' log off Instagram and head to Austin for a surprise performance at the South by Southwest Conference & Festivals?Rumors have been swirling on Twitter and Reddit that Kanye West could bring his Sunday Service performance to the conference. It wouldn't be the first time we've seen an artist do a surprise performance. It's also not the first time Kanye has stopped by SXSW.
  Here's what we found about the possibility of a Ye concert.PermitThe rumors started after
  
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• Meet the Austin team designing food for NASA's deep space exploration

  28-02-2022 20:22 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the National Aeronautics and Space Administration sets its sights on longer duration trips into space, NASA officials have turned their attention to how best advance food technology to provide safe, nutritious energy sources for astronauts. One team here in Austin thinks it might have the solution.Austin-based Team Bistromathic is one of 18 teams to win Phase 1 of NASA's Deep Space Food Challenge, a competition centered around creating "game-changing food technologies or
  
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• Propaganda, fake videos of Ukraine invasion bombard users

  28-02-2022 19:39 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The messages, videos and photos flying across Twitter, Facebook and Telegram far outnumber the airstrikes raining down on Ukraine.They claim to show Russian fighter jets being shot down or Ukrainians dodging for cover in their own homes. ‘Sorry we’re not there with you’: Ukrainians in Austin rally again SaturdaySome are real, horrifying images of this war. Others had been lurking on the internet for years before Russia launched the largest attack on a Eu
  
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• FIFA, UEFA ban Russian clubs, national team from competition amid invasion

  28-02-2022 19:27 via kxan.com
  
  (KXAN) — The world's governing body for soccer and the largest domestic federation are both suspending Russian-based teams from their competitions "until further notice."FIFA and UEFA made a joint announcement Monday that any Russian team, whether it's a club based in Russia or the Russian National Team, can no longer compete in any of the federations' sanctioned tournaments due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Takeaways from Q2 Stadium as Austin FC beats FC Cincinnati 5-0 in season opener
  
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• Pleasantly warm weather this week

  28-02-2022 19:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A warming trend is underway with spring-like temps in the forecast for most of the upcoming week.Today will feature sunshine, high clouds and dry conditions areawide with afternoon highs climbing well into the 60s. Although temperatures will drop to the 30s again overnight, most of us look to stay above freezing (the exception: coldest rural valleys in the Hill Country will likely see another light freeze).Monday afternoon forecast high temperatures
  A bit more cloud cover o
  
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• Pleasant, warmer weather this week

  28-02-2022 19:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Following a record low temperature Monday morning of 21° at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and a low of 33° at Camp Mabry, a steady warming trend is underway.Light southeasterly winds and increasing mid/high-level clouds overnight tonight will warm overnight lows above freezing in most areas. Depending on how thick and widespread the clouds get tonight, we expect Austin's low temperature to hover near 40°. While it appears Central Austin is done with fre
  
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• Cockatiel 'smoke alarm,' otter in pond among unique Austin Fire Department calls

  28-02-2022 18:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Rescuing cats stuck in a tree definitely still happens for Austin firefighters (in fact, the latest one happened last week), but the department also highlighted on Monday a couple more unusual calls involving animals.Cockatiel, or smoke alarm?The Austin Fire Department called this animal encounter "perhaps the most interesting call of them all" in a Facebook post.Earlier this month, a man called saying he had put out a heater fire early in the morning. The Ladder 36 A-shift
  
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• Ukrainian brewery joins war effort, switches from beer to Molotov cocktails

  28-02-2022 18:24 via kxan.com
  
  TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A brewery in Ukraine has gone from making beer to producing Molotov cocktails to help its city defend itself against Russian aggression.Ukraine has been urging citizens who are ready to defend the country to take up arms and fight against Russian forces.President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the government would hand out weapons to those willing to take up arms, and Ukranian TV posted instructions for how to make Molotov cocktails, incendiary weapons made by pouring a flam
  
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• How can parents protect their kids from fentanyl? Monday panel explores topic

  28-02-2022 18:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Cedar Park mother whose son died from a pill laced with fentanyl organized an event Monday night to answer other parents' questions about the deadly drug.
  Becky Stewart and her husband Dwayne started "A Change for Cam," named after their son, after he died in March 2021. Their goal is to educate families and students about the dangers of fake pills, including a panel Monday from 6-7:30 p.m. The event is at Hill Country Bible Church at 12124 Ranch Road 620 North and will a
  
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• Chris Beard, Matthew McConaughey chat by the fire on Erwin Center's roof

  28-02-2022 17:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In the latest installment of his "Fireside Chat" series on Youtube, Texas Longhorns head men's basketball coach Chris Beard went straight to the top — of the Frank Erwin Center.While up high on The Drum, who did he find? The UT Minister of Culture himself, of course, Matthew McConaughey. The two did the interview ahead of the final UT men's basketball game in the iconic arena Monday against Baylor. Good luck getting a ticket to the game, however. It's sold out. Frank
  
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• Frank Erwin Center: Memories from a place 'more than concrete and steel'

  28-02-2022 15:22 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Frank C. Erwin Jr. Special Events Center will soon close after 45 years. The center has served as the home court for the University of Texas at Austin Texas Longhorns men's and women's basketball.Jimmy Earl and Liz Land remember when they first arrived at the Erwin Center. Earl went there just a couple of weeks before the center was set to open in November of 1977. Land landed at the center as an intern while at UT in the 80s.No. 1 Texas baseball sweeps Alabama to stay
  
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• Examining sediment in Lady Bird Lake may be key to understanding toxic algae blooms

  28-02-2022 15:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The uncharted depths of Lady Bird Lake are a little less mysterious now.Since the early 2000s, scientists at UT have been testing underwater surveying instruments and sediment sampling apparatus in the lake, using SONAR equipment that studied the terrain. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: What is Phoslock? City of Austin uses new method to rid Lady Bird Lake of toxic algae"It's very powerful at giving us an image of the topography or the shape of the bottom of the lakebed, so we can see a
  
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• Aligning with Texas law, Hays County forms adult sexual assault response team

  28-02-2022 14:24 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — Hays County has formed its adult sexual assault response team as required by a new Texas law, county officials announced Saturday morning.Senate Bill 476, passed during the 87th Texas Legislative session, requires counties to form such teams. Hays County's team is led by Precinct 4 Commissioner Walt Smith and also includes law enforcement, the criminal prosecutor's office, a sexual assault nurse examiner and a mental health provider, a county news release said. &
  
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• Spring-like temps return for the start of March

  28-02-2022 12:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A warming trend is underway with spring-like temps in the forecast for most of the upcoming week.Today will feature sunshine, high clouds and dry conditions areawide with afternoon highs climbing well into the 60s. Although temperatures will drop to the 30s again overnight, most of us look to stay above freezing (the exception: coldest rural valleys in the Hill Country will likely see another light freeze).A bit more cloud cover on Tuesday won't hurt the warm-up as afternoo
  
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• 'I wanted to cry': Leander student worried about Ukrainian teen she teaches English

  28-02-2022 05:08 via kxan.com
  
  LEANDER (KXAN) — Sai Sriya Duggirala volunteers for ENGin, a non-profit that connects English speakers to students in Ukraine for one-on-one virtual language practice.She got a text from one of the teens she works with during physics class this week.9 ways to help Ukrainians amid Russia crisis"She was just telling me 'Oh my God there are tanks near my house, I can hear shelling and it's literally so crazy.' And she was telling me how scared she was," Duggirala said.
  She had been keepi
  
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• Austin ISD to discuss mask-optional protocol this week

  28-02-2022 04:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Independent School District will hold a special board meeting Wednesday to discuss a "mask-optional" protocol for its schools.A Sunday night release said district leaders "are working with the City of Austin, Austin Public Health and Travis County" ahead of Wednesday's meeting "to evaluate how and what to communicate when a mask-optional protocol is implemented." CDC loosens mask guidance — will Austin Public Health, AISD follow?Masks will still be required
  
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• Bubble Watch: TCU's tournament hopes rising with Texas Tech win

  28-02-2022 02:33 via kxan.com
  
  (AP) -- Oregon has spent February trying to overcome shaky losses on its NCAA Tournament resume and bolster its chances of securing a bid.Coach Dana Altman and the Ducks missed a big chance to help themselves significantly in the past week, too.Oregon (18-11, 11-7 Pac-12) beat No. 12 UCLA on Thursday but couldn’t follow that with another ranked win in Saturday’s 70-69 loss to No. 16 Southern California. Those marked the last two headlining games on the regular-season s
  
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• Where's my refund? Tax returns may see delays

  28-02-2022 00:24 via kxan.com
  
  ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) — The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been warning of refund delays in what they anticipated would be a "frustrating" filing season for not just American taxpayers but professional filers as well.If that sounds familiar, you're not wrong.Last year taxpayers heard similar warnings, with some who had their 2020 tax returns filed in February still asking, "Where is my refund?" four months later, multiple preparers told Nexstar's WTEN. IRS talks handling child tax credit
  
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• No. 1 Texas baseball sweeps Alabama to stay undefeated

  28-02-2022 00:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Texas baseball is undefeated after another weekend sweep to start the season. The No. 1-ranked Longhorns finished off Alabama with a 6-1 win Sunday. Texas (8-0) scratched together just enough offense to win the first two games of the series 1-0 and 2-0.This is Texas' second 8-0 start to a season in three years. The Longhorns opened with a 9-0 start to the 2020 season before losing to LSU in a season that was canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic.The Texas pitching staff will rig
  
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