Austin news

• Documentary debuting at SXSW focuses on mothers accepting their LGBTQ+ kids

  14-03-2022 23:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A documentary debuting at South by Southwest features a Texas mother whose political beliefs changed because of her transgender child.The film "Mama Bears" borrows the name from a Facebook group that began in 2014 and grew to now include more than 32,000 mothers with kids in the LGBTQ+ community.In a clip from the film, Kimberly Shappley of Austin talked about what being part of that group did for her.Travis County judge blocks child abuse investigations into families of tr
  
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• City of Austin offering $500 bonus for new lifeguards, camp counselors

  14-03-2022 23:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — To combat its local staffing shortage, the City of Austin Parks and Recreation is offering a summer completion bonus for lifeguards and camp counselors.
  Parks and Rec said it would offer $500 summer completion bonuses for all temporary lifeguards and temporary summer camp counselors who meet the criteria.Lifeguard shortage will cause Barton Springs Pool to close Mondays & WednesdaysThe $500 bonus qualifications vary by position.
  According to the Parks and Rec, lifeguard
  
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• NCAA Tournament: Here's the TV schedule for the 1st round

  14-03-2022 22:59 via kxan.com
  
  (KXAN) — March Madness is back in full force this week.
  The 2022 NCAA Tournament is a return to the tournament that we experienced prior to the COVID-19 pandemic with full fan attendance and host sites spread out across the country.The field of 68 is set. The "First Four" games from Dayton, Ohio will kick off the three-week tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday.The NCAA Tournament is made up of 68 teams. Thirty-two of those teams are automatic qualifiers, earning a spot by winning its confer
  
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• Kyle PD: Woman arrested after deadly hit-and-run involving bicyclist

  14-03-2022 22:31 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE (KXAN) — A woman was arrested following a deadly hit-and-run accident involving a bicyclist that happened late on March 13, according to Kyle Police.
  Police said the crash happened just after 10 p.m. Sunday on the southbound Interstate 35 access Road near Martinez Loop.
  The bicyclist, a 26-year-old Giddings man identified as Bret Steinmann, died at the Ascension Seton Hays emergency room from his injuries.
  A witness told police about the suspect's vehicle, with one witness following i
  
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• How did COVID-19 impact mass, micro-transit options?

  14-03-2022 22:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — "How did COVID-19 impact public transit options?"That was a key focus of a transit equity panel during South by Southwest Conference & Festivals Monday. As national transportation leaders home in on how to increase transit equity and accessibility for all users, public and private transit leaders discussed the impact COVID-19 has had on transit usage and how to converge legacy transit systems with new technology.The panel, "New Mobility Should Mean Equitable Mobility,"
  
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• SXSW: How one attendee is helping those in Ukraine

  14-03-2022 22:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Many in Austin are still continuing to help those in Ukraine.
  A South by Southwest attendee is helping others support Ukrainians. Yurij Riphyak with Save the Life of a Ukrainian Soldier runs a business out of California now, but still has family and friends back home fighting for their lives and country.Support for Texas-based Ukrainian vodka company swells during warRiphyak made a banner with a QR code directing people to donate to the country's civil defense fund.
  "How mu
  
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• Child dies in Fayette County fire over weekend

  14-03-2022 21:46 via kxan.com
  
  FAYETTE COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A child died in a fire in Fayette County over the weekend, the Fayette County Sheriff's Office said Monday.The fire happened just after midnight Saturday north of La Grange near U.S. Highway 77 and Racetrack Road. The structure was "fully engulfed" in flames when responders arrived at the scene, the release said.The release said the La Grange Fire Department responded, along with assistance from the Winchester Fire Department, FCSO and the Texas Department of
  
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• Lyft to add fuel surcharge citing 'rapid rise in gas prices'

  14-03-2022 20:46 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – Days after Uber announced that it would be implementing a surcharge to help drivers with the crushing cost of gas, rival rideshare company Lyft told Nexstar Monday the company will take similar measures."Driver earnings overall remain elevated compared to last year, but given the rapid rise in gas prices we'll be asking riders to pay a temporary fuel surcharge, all of which will go to drivers," senior communications manager CJ Macklin said in a statement. Here’s who stand
  
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• Severe Thunderstorm Watch northeast of Austin this evening

  14-03-2022 20:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Warm, windy weather rules your Monday afternoon forecast with high temperatures near 80 degrees and more humidity racing into the area.
  This change in the weather precedes a small but potent storm system set to clip our area late this evening with the threat of severe thunderstorms. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for Williamson, Lee and Milam counties through 10 p.m.While the risk of severe storms in Austin and the Hill Country is very low, areas east of I-35 -- a
  
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• Texas-Oklahoma moving baseball series to Globe Life Field

  14-03-2022 20:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Red River Rivalry baseball series is moving to Arlington this spring.No. 2 Texas will play Oklahoma at Globe Life Field, home to the Texas Rangers, for the three-game conference series on April 1-3. This will be the first-ever regular season, off-campus site for the series.The series was originally scheduled to be played in Norman, so Oklahoma will remain the home team. Friday's game will start at 6:30 p.m. with Saturday and Sunday at 12 p.m.Globe Life Field will serve
  
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• Isolated severe storms possible late this evening

  14-03-2022 19:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Weather looks to be fairly cooperative for those enjoying spring break this week.Today will feature mainly sunny skies, dry conditions and comfortably warm temperatures with afternoon highs warming into the upper 70s and low 80s. Breezy conditions out of the south/southwest will reach speeds of 10-20 mph while gusts top 25-30 mph. Low moisture and elevated winds will result in increased fire danger across most of our area - please hold off on any outdoor burns or open flame
  
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• SXSW 2022: Art display hopes to spark change in how people look at oceans

  14-03-2022 19:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — At the European Union House on Fourth Street in Austin for SXSW, an interactive art display is begging people to start talking about the world's oceans and pollution.It's a giant doodle wall where everyone can contribute to the conversation about the human disregard for the environment, specifically the oceans. SXSW 2022: Here are Monday’s can’t-miss conferences, keynote speakersCourtney Applequist, a Washington D.C.-based artist, said interactive displays like
  
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• Texas A&M receives NIT invite after NCAA Tournament snub

  14-03-2022 18:50 via kxan.com
  
  (AP/KXAN) — Texas A&M believed it did enough to slide into the NCAA Tournament after beating Florida, Auburn and Arkansas in consecutive days at the SEC Tournament.The Aggies didn't have enough left in the tank to seal the deal Sunday, losing the conference title game to Tennessee. The loss prevented A&M from the automatic qualifier spot and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The selection committee decided the Aggies didn't have enough on its resume for an at-large bid. Bracket time:
  
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• Texas House Speaker appoints members to defunct criminal justice committee, but will it be reactivated?

  14-03-2022 18:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan appointed three state representatives to the state's Criminal Justice Legislative Oversight Committee on Feb. 23, a defunct body that exists only on paper and hasn’t worked in more than a decade.KXAN reported on the idle committee in November, when several criminal justice advocates said it should be funded and used, and Texas lacks criminal justice oversight.Phelan appointed the following three members to the committee:Rep. Andrew Murr
  
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• Neighbors express concern of 'dangerous' RM 1826 in Travis, Hays counties

  14-03-2022 18:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A busy road in Austin is becoming more dangerous. Neighbors want to see improvements to RM 1826. It runs from U.S. 290 in southwest Austin to Driftwood.
  Back in October, state and local leaders discussed what could be done to fix RM 1826 on the Travis County side. Now, residents in Hays County want to see the same change. ‘We’ve suffered long enough’: Families fed up after repeated floods; relief years away"It's getting worse," said Trish Dew, a concerned
  
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• Support for Texas-based Ukrainian vodka company swells during war

  14-03-2022 16:50 via kxan.com
  
  FRISCO, Texas (KXAN) -- As people around the United States and Europe began dumping out their Russian vodka following the country's invasion of Ukraine, a Ukrainian vodka with headquarters in Texas saw a boom.Kruto Vodka President and CEO Roman Talis, 63, said more than 50 new customers, including some significant suppliers, reached out offering support and purchases. Kruto is based in Frisco, just north of Dallas-Fort Worth."Our numbers at least doubled, if not more, compared to months before o
  
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• SXSW 2022: Here are Monday's can't-miss conferences, keynote speakers

  14-03-2022 16:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The first weekend of South by Southwest has come and gone, but there are still plenty of conferences and interactive exhibits to attend Monday.Celine Tricart, the head of Lucid Dreams Productions, is "an acclaimed storyteller who has developed a unique style involving highly emotional stories and strong visual artistry," according to the SXSW website. She's Monday's keynote speaker.Tricart co-directed and produced the virtual reality experience "Sun Ladies," which followed
  
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• Fayette County deputy makes meth bust worth nearly $4 million

  14-03-2022 15:18 via kxan.com
  
  FAYETTE COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A traffic stop resulted in a deputy and his K9 partner finding nearly $4 million in meth in the truck's gas tank.
  Sgt. Randy Thumann pulled over a silver Ford F-150 on Interstate 10 and noticed "many indicators of narcotics trafficking" after talking to the driver, according to a news release. The sheriff stated Sgt. Thumann then got approval to search the truck and used his K9 partner Kolt to sweep it.Bastrop Co. deputy shot, multiple agencies searching for
  
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• Elon Musk tries to pick fight with Vladimir Putin on Twitter

  14-03-2022 14:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Tesla founder and billionaire Elon Musk wants to fight Russian president Vladimir Putin for Ukraine.At least, that's what Musk said on his Twitter account.Musk challenged Putin "to single combat," in a tweet at 6:09 a.m. Monday.
  "I hereby challenge Владимир Путин to single combat," the tweet said. The Russian words in the tweet translate directly to Vladimir Putin, according to Google Translate.Mu
  
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• Round Rock high school students could help astronauts reach Mars

  14-03-2022 14:25 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, TX (KXAN) - McNeil High School students will soon get to send their work to space. Last semester, students from McNeil entered into NASA's Tech Rise Student Challenge, a national competition where students of all ages would get the opportunity to place an experiment they built onto a rocket that will launch next year.Students from McNeil High School in Round Rock, TX were one of the winners of NASA's Tech Rise Challenge. (Courtesy: KXAN/Tim Holcomb)McNeil High School is one of the 57
  
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• Warm and breezy with a low end risk of storms

  14-03-2022 11:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Weather looks to be fairly cooperative for those enjoying spring break this week.Today will feature mainly sunny skies, dry conditions and comfortably warm temperatures with afternoon highs warming into the upper 70s and low 80s. Breezy conditions out of the south/southwest will reach speeds of 10-20 mph while gusts top 25-30 mph. Low moisture and elevated winds will result in increasing fire danger across most of our area - please hold off on any outdoor burns or open flam
  
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• Man accused of shooting Bastrop County deputy arrested

  14-03-2022 08:10 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A man accused of shooting a Bastrop County Sheriff's Office deputy Sunday night at a gas station on State Highway 95 has been arrested.Michael Stark, 33, was found and taken into custody on Cool Water Drive in Bastrop Monday.Bastrop County Sheriff Maurice Cook said Deputy Sawyer Wilson's vital signs are stable after taking two gunshots to the chest and one to the right forearm, shattering it. Cook said the deputy's protective vest stopped the shots to the che
  
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• LIVE: Man accused of shooting Bastrop County deputy arrested

  14-03-2022 08:10 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A man accused of shooting a Bastrop County Sheriff's Office deputy Sunday night at a gas station on State Highway 95 has been arrested.Michael Stark, 33, was found and taken into custody on Cool Water Drive in Bastrop just before noon Monday after a deputy recognized him walking in the area. The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office said he faces a parole violation and is currently being held without bond. Additional charges will be forthcoming, the agency said.
  Ba
  
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• Bastrop Co. deputy shot; search for suspect underway

  14-03-2022 08:10 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- A Bastrop County Sheriff's deputy was shot overnight Sunday into Monday, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. It told KXAN Monday morning that the search is underway for a suspect.
  Austin Police told KXAN that Bastrop County Sheriff's Office requested its helicopter for use.KXAN has a crew in Bastrop working to learn more details.This is a breaking story. Stay with KXAN Today at 4:30 a.m. and KXAN.com for the latest.
  
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• Bastrop Co. deputy shot, multiple agencies searching for suspect

  14-03-2022 08:10 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A Bastrop County Sheriff's deputy was shot Sunday night at a gas station on State Highway 95, and multiple law enforcement agencies are looking for the suspect, the county sheriff said Monday morning.Bastrop County Sheriff Maurice Cook said Deputy Sawyer Wilson's vital signs are stable after taking two gunshots to the chest and one to the right forearm, shattering it. Cook said the deputy's protective vest stopped the shots to the chest."The vest did what it
  
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• Cowboys lock in WR Michael Gallup to big contract

  14-03-2022 05:06 via kxan.com
  
  (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys agreed on a long-term contract with receiver Michael Gallup a day after agreeing to trade Amari Cooper to Cleveland.Gallup is returning on a $62.5 million, five-year contract, two people with knowledge of the agreement said Sunday. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal can't be official until the start of the new league year.The Cowboys are sending Cooper to the Browns to save about $16 million in salary cap space. Wit
  
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• Local groups, big-name celebrities use SXSW to talk about trans children and gender-affirming care

  14-03-2022 04:44 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An ongoing debate in Texas takes center stage during one of the busiest weekends in Austin: trans children and gender-affirming care."Come and take it!" a group of trans-rights supporters chanted Sunday. You could hear the chant from blocks away in downtown Austin.Trans-rights supporters, protesting outside of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's mansion, are terrified a directive will change life as they know it."I found out pretty close when I was around first grade that I was gay an
  
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• Buddy Fire in Blanco County now 80% contained, 1,000 acres burned

  14-03-2022 04:32 via kxan.com
  
  BLANCO COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — An update Monday from the Texas A&M Forest Service said a wildfire in Blanco County grew about 300 acres, but crews have significantly increased containment.The Buddy Fire is estimated at 1,000 acres, burning west of Johnson City near Ranch Road 2721, and is now 80% contained. Officials said crews worked overnight to build lines around the fire, and a "tactical firing operation" did its job in securing the edges of the fire.On Sunday, officials said the fi
  
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• Buddy Fire in Blanco County now 75% contained, 1,000 acres burned

  14-03-2022 04:32 via kxan.com
  
  BLANCO COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — An update Monday morning from the Texas A&M Forest Service said a wildfire in Blanco County grew about 300 acres, but crews have significantly increased containment.The Buddy Fire is estimated at 1,000 acres, burning west of Johnson City near Ranch Road 2721, and is now 75% contained. Officials said crews worked overnight to build lines around the fire, and a "tactical firing operation" did its job in securing the edges of the fire.On Sunday, officials sai
  
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• Buddy Fire in Blanco County now 70% contained, 1,000 acres burned

  14-03-2022 04:32 via kxan.com
  
  BLANCO COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — An update Monday morning from the Texas A&M Forest Service said a wildfire in Blanco County grew about 300 acres, but crews have significantly increased containment.The Buddy Fire is estimated at 1,000 acres, burning west of Johnson City near Ranch Road 2721, and is now 70% contained. Officials said crews worked overnight to build lines around the fire, and a "tactical firing operation" did its job in securing the edges of the fire.On Sunday, officials sai
  
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• Blanco County 700-acre fire 15% contained

  14-03-2022 04:32 via kxan.com
  
  BLANCO COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Crews are working to contain a fire in Blanco County that has grown to an estimated 700 acres on Sunday, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.At last check, a tweet from the agency said the fire was 15% contained. Texas A&M officials put out word that they were called on to assist with the Buddy Fire around 3 p.m.It's burning west of Johnson City, near Ranch Road 2721.Air resources have been tapped to help with slowing and stopping the spread of t
  
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• Texas Longhorns earn No. 2 seed after Big 12 title

  14-03-2022 01:44 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Just hours after winning the Big 12 women's tournament championship, the Texas Longhorns earned the No. 2 seed in the Spokane Region for the NCAA Tournament.
  No. 2 Texas will tip off against No. 15 Fairfield on Friday in a first-round game in Austin. No. 7-seed Utah and No. 10 Arkansas are also coming to Austin for a first round game. The winners will meet at the Frank Erwin Center for a second-round matchup to decide a Sweet 16 spot. CHAMPS: Texas claims Big 12 tournament
  
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• Round Rock police asking for help finding 70-year-old woman with dementia

  14-03-2022 01:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Round Rock police are asking for help finding a 70-year-old woman with dementia on Sunday.
  A Tweet from police says Florine Ponce was last seen around 5 p.m. in the 300 block of Hesters Crossing Road, which is west of Interstate 35 near La Frontera.
  Ponce is described as 5'6" tall, weighing 130 pounds and wearing a pink turtleneck, blue jeans, pink tennis and a black and gray jacket with a hood.Anyone with information about where Ponce might be is asked to call 512-218-5500
  
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• 70-year-old woman with dementia found safe, RRPD says

  14-03-2022 01:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A 70-year-old woman with dementia has been found Sunday after Round Rock police asked the public for help finding her.A Tweet from Round Rock police earlier Sunday said she was last seen around 5 p.m. in the 300 block of Hesters Crossing Road, which is west of Interstate 35 near La Frontera.
  Almost two hours later, a tweet from police said she was found.
  
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• Tom Brady is not retiring after all

  14-03-2022 00:37 via kxan.com
  
  (KXAN) — Two months of retirement was enough for seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady.Brady announced on social media Sunday that he will return for a 23rd NFL season, ending his retirement after six weeks. The 44-year-old wrote that he will play next season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers."These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands. That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive fam
  
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