Austin news

• Storms possible late Monday before record heat

  04-04-2022 23:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Mostly cloudy, humid weather is in place with a few spotty showers. Our chances for thunderstorms increase late this evening, but should remain mostly north of the Austin Metro area where the threat of severe storms is higher. April Outlook: What to expect in Central TexasStorm threatWe are still tracking a threat of severe thunderstorms late Monday evening. It appears the greatest severe weather threat will be in northeast Texas, but our northern counties north of the Aust
  
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• Round Rock residents with tornado damage can apply for funds online

  04-04-2022 23:01 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — Two weeks after a damaging tornado outbreak in Central Texas, an organization is now taking applications from Round Rock property owners who need funds to make repairs.
  Round Rock Cares was launched by Mayor Craig Morgan and Greater Round Rock Community Foundation Chair Nyle Maxwell on March 25 to help residents affected by the March 21 tornado. The initiative has raised more than $346,000 since then, according to the city.NWS: 16 injuries, mostly minor
  
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• Police investigate multiple Georgetown middle schoolers in off-campus incident

  04-04-2022 22:32 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) – Multiple students at a Georgetown middle school are being investigated over an incident that happened at a home off-campus in late March, according to school officials.The allegations prompted protests from parents this week who say the school district has not properly handled the incident – and has allowed students who are being criminally investigated back on campus. Parents showed up before and after school Monday.The school district did not confirm to K
  
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• Poll: Some Texans favor Paxton in Republican primary AG runoff election

  04-04-2022 22:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar)— A conservative, pro-Ken Paxton runoff poll found Texans it surveyed favor Paxton as the state's Attorney General.
  Defend Texas Liberty PAC surveyed Texans from March 29 through April 2.
  According to its results, 678 people—who were randomly selected from a group of people who are likely to vote in the primary runoff— responded to the survey. The research concluded that the survey is 95% accurate.
  95% of the survey's respondents said they were very likely to vo
  
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• Texas teacher reportedly plays ringing noise to discipline students

  04-04-2022 22:16 via kxan.com
  
  NEVADA, Texas (KXAN) — A north Texas school district said it's investigating one of its teachers after it was reported the teacher used a ringing noise to discipline her students.
  Affiliate NBC5 in Dallas-Fort Worth reported on Friday it was a teacher at Edge Middle School in the Community Independent School District, which is a little less than an hour northeast of Dallas.
  A student told NBC5 the teacher "put on the ringing noise; everyone was covering their ears." She said one student wa
  
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• Williamson County shelter has 19 adoptable pets left from animal cruelty case

  04-04-2022 21:23 via kxan.com
  
  WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter has 17 dogs and two cats up for "Name Your Price" adoption following an animal cruelty case ruling that relinquished over 40 animals to the shelter, according to a release from the county.In March, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release the dogs were removed from a Liberty Hill home due to “a possible animal cruelty situation” and said the owner helped impound the dogs.
  
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• Is it too late to get a flu shot? Austin clinics see higher demand as cases rise

  04-04-2022 20:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — While flu season typically peaks between December and February, area clinics are seeing heightened demand for flu shots in recent weeks due to late season case increases.Despite this uptick in cases and flu shot demand, the presence of influenza in the state of Texas is still significantly lower than previous seasons. The latest analysis from the Department of State Health Services, published Friday, reported 924 cases statewide, with a positivity rate of 17.31%.It's a tren
  
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• Leander ISD sues feds over Endangered Species Act permit to build road

  04-04-2022 20:40 via kxan.com
  
  LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) — Leander Independent School District has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over permitting issues involving a road proposed six years ago in northwest Austin.LISD said it has been trying to get an Endangered Species Act permit to build a road between Vandegrift High School and Four Points Middle School since 2016 in order to address safety concerns. LISD said the road is needed to provide another way in and out of the area, especially for eme
  
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• Texas traffic deaths in construction zones increase by a third in 2021

  04-04-2022 20:26 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The number of people killed in traffic crashes in road construction zones increased by a third in 2021 over the previous year, data from the Texas Department of Transportation shows.A total of 244 people were killed last year, up 33% over 2020. In total, more than 26,000 crashes were reported in construction and maintenance areas statewide.The majority of those killed were either vehicle drivers or passengers, making up 195 of the 244 fatalities. A further 38 pedestrians we
  
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• Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick releases top legislative priorities for 2023

  04-04-2022 18:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (Nexstar) — Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is giving Texans an idea of his top legislative priorities Monday, after releasing his interim charges for lawmakers to work on during the off session year.From border security and the criminal justice system, to the COVID-19 impact on educators and books in school libraries are just a few of several topics the Texas Senate will likely prioritize for the 2023 Legislative Session. Speaker of House gives Texans a preview of top legislative prior
  
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• Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick releases top 2023 legislative priorities

  04-04-2022 18:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (Nexstar) — Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is giving Texans an idea of his top legislative priorities Monday, after releasing his interim charges for lawmakers to work on during the off session year.From border security and the criminal justice system, to the COVID-19 impact on educators and books in school libraries are just a few of several topics the Texas Senate will likely prioritize for the 2023 Legislative Session. Speaker of House gives Texans a preview of top legislative prior
  
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• 47 US states have laws requiring students recite Pledge of Allegiance

  04-04-2022 18:29 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) -- A Texas teacher agreed to pay a $90,000 settlement last week after he was sued by a student on First Amendment grounds for requiring a class to write out the Pledge of Allegiance.The incident occurred in 2017 when teacher Benjie Arnold asked his class to write out the Pledge of Allegiance or receive a failing grade. The student, Mari Oliver, wrote a squiggly line on the paper, and failed the assignment as a result.Oliver, who is Black, refused to write out the pledge over religious
  
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• Williamson County Farm Bureau sets up rural tornado relief fund

  04-04-2022 18:20 via kxan.com
  
  WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Tornado victims living in the rural areas of Williamson County now have a new source of financial help to tap into while they recover from the damage.
  The Williamson County Farm Bureau announced Monday it set up a relief fund specifically for rural residents impacted by the March 21 tornadoes. The bureau's board already set aside $25,000 to start the fund, and it's now encouraging others to give donations if they'd like to help storm victims.
  Checks writte
  
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• Texas man was driving 157 mph before crash that killed teen

  04-04-2022 17:54 via kxan.com
  
  FORT WORTH, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Fort Worth police arrested a man who was driving over 150 mph when he collided with another vehicle, killing a teenager and injuring two others.Bryce Abernathy, 22, was arrested by FWPD on two counts of aggravated assault and one count of manslaughter, according to a press release by FWPD. Suspected drunk driver charged in crash that kills deputyAt 11 p.m. on March 15, a white Camaro was traveling on westbound Interstate 20 near McCart Avenue when it col
  
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• Study: Austin 2nd most overpriced housing market in US

  04-04-2022 17:09 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — With mortgage rates rising and housing prices continuing to climb, a new study finds Austin has the second most overpriced housing market.
  The study by researchers at Florida Atlantic University looked at housing data from the top 100 housing markets and compared it to historical pricing information.Austin housing market sets another record for median home priceIt found that based on historical trends, the average price of a home in Travis County in February should have bee
  
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• Drones sail into hurricanes giving scientists new look at storms

  04-04-2022 16:35 via kxan.com
  
  SailDrones allow scientists to sail into the heart of hurricanes (Courtesy: SailDrone)AUSTIN (KXAN) - Scientists are getting creative to study hurricanes, using remote-operated sailboat drones to journey into the heart of some of the most powerful storms on Earth.
  SailDrone operates unmanned drones for a variety of missions, including conducting research for NOAA. In 2021, the company sent several of their drones into several tropical storms and hurricanes, including Hurricane Sam.SailDrone has
  
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• Man arrested following southeast Austin SWAT response

  04-04-2022 16:33 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Law enforcement took a man into custody after a SWAT standoff Monday morning in southeast Austin.The Austin Police Department said officers responded to the 4500 block of E. St. Elmo Road for a "disturbance" at a home at 4:30 a.m. A woman, along with a 4-month-old child, was able to get out of the home, APD said, but the man remained in the apartment and didn't respond to police commands. The woman told police there was a 4-year-old child in the home, but police said the ch
  
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• Copper joins the fight against zebra mussels in Lake Georgetown

  04-04-2022 14:07 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) —  Zebra mussels have entrenched themselves in Central Texas, and the invasive species continue to spread across the state.In 2017, zebra mussels were found in Lake Georgetown, most likely brought to the lake by a boat that had been in nearby infested waters. Get off my mat! Zebra mussels take over family’s float on Lake LBJ"They came in from Russia and Ukraine they made their way into the Great Lakes in the 80s and made their way down," said Shean Dalto
  
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• Texas artists recognized at 2022 Grammy Awards

  04-04-2022 13:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — After a two-month delay, the music finally got to play at the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards.The Grammys were scheduled on Jan. 31 but because of the pandemic, the event was postponed. The biggest names in the music industry are nominated for hit records from the last year. Among the big names were Texas favorites Willie Nelson, Miranda Lambert and Megan Thee Stallion. Eric Church plans free show after canceling San Antonio concert for UNC-Duke gameWinners:- St. Vincent took hom
  
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• Hours-long Cedar Park SWAT standoff ends with arrest Monday

  04-04-2022 13:32 via kxan.com
  
  CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) — A SWAT team took a suspect into custody in Cedar Park early Monday morning.Cedar Park police say authorities responded to a report of a disturbance in the 900 block of Elmwood Trail,near the street's intersection with Rambling Trail, just east of Nelson Ranch Park, at 10:40 p.m. Sunday. When officers arrived, they determined it was a family violence incident involving a weapon, and the suspect refused to come out of the home.Eric Church plans free show after canc
  
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• Texas Longhorns score 11 unanswered runs for series win over OU

  04-04-2022 06:18 via kxan.com
  
  ARLINGTON, Texas (KXAN) — The Texas Longhorns were staring another Big 12 series loss straight in the face before the seventh inning swung the momentum at Globe Life Field Sunday.Down 7-1 to rival Oklahoma, Texas used a pair of three-run homers to tie the game in the seventh. Dylan Campbell and Murphy Stehly delivered the blasts as Texas (21-9, 3-3) earned a 12-8 win over Oklahoma with 11 unanswered runs. The Longhorns claimed the series, winning two out of three against the Sooners.Stehly
  
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• Eric Church plans free show after canceling San Antonio concert for UNC-Duke game

  04-04-2022 05:37 via kxan.com
  
  NEW ORLEANS (KXAN) — Country music star and North Carolina basketball fan Eric Church watched his Tar Heels knock off rival Duke and end coach Mike Krzyzewski's career Saturday night. Now, he's hoping to make up for the concert he canceled to attend the NCAA Final Four.Church, an Appalachian State graduate, was scheduled to perform at San Antonio's AT&T Center on Saturday night before he canceled the show for a trip to New Orleans to watch basketball with his family.He will attempt to
  
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• Champs! South Carolina rolls UConn for national championship

  04-04-2022 04:30 via kxan.com
  
  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Dawn Staley and South Carolina buttoned up on defense and won their second national championship, stifling UConn for a 64-49 victory Sunday night that ended the Huskies’ undefeated streak in title games.Destanni Henderson scored a career-high 26 points, Aliyah Boston added 11 points and 16 rebounds, and the Gamecocks handed Geno Auriemma’s Huskies their first loss in 12 NCAA title games.With Staley calling the shots in a $5,000 letterman jacket, South Carolin
  
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• Could more Texans be traveling now than before the pandemic, as COVID numbers fall to all-time low?

  04-04-2022 03:27 via kxan.com
  
  TEXAS (Nexstar) — The COVID-19 situation in Texas just keeps getting better.The latest state data shows hospitalizations nearing their lowest levels since the beginning of the pandemic. With the worst of COVID-19 seemingly behind us, airports are busier.
  "This is chaotic," said Charlotte Newman, a traveler. "And a little bit nerve wracking."Newman feels that airports are busier now than they were pre-pandemic. 2021 travel Texas data shows that toward the end of last year, 9 in 10 people ha
  
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• ABC Kite Fest celebrates its high-flying return to Austin Sunday

  04-04-2022 02:08 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — More than a thousand Austinites gathered Sunday to fly kites and celebrate the return of the ABC Kite Fest at Zilker Park.The annual springtime event near downtown Austin has been missing for the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 and 2021 editions were canceled."The fact that we're all able to gather again after these several years of not doing it, it's not that it feels good to see the kites it's just good to be together. I think it means we're back and
  
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• LIVE: Austin storm risk: Timing, severe threat & impacts Monday

  04-04-2022 00:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — For several days the First Warning Weather Team has been highlighting the potential for some storms on Monday and the risk continues, even though the threat has been lowering.In no way do we expect a repeat of the tornado outbreak from two weeks ago.TimingDaytime Monday: We only expect areas of drizzle and a few spotty, streamer showers during the daylight hours of Monday. Some sun may break out during the afternoon.Monday evening: The chance for storms gradually goes up, e
  
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• Austin storm risk: Timing, severe threat & impacts Monday

  04-04-2022 00:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — For several days the First Warning Weather Team has been highlighting the potential for some storms on Monday and the risk continues, even though the threat has been lowering.In no way do we expect a repeat of the tornado outbreak from two weeks ago.TimingDaytime Monday: We only expect areas of drizzle and a few spotty, streamer showers during the daylight hours of Monday.Monday evening: The chance for storms gradually goes up, especially in parts of the Hill Country.Late M
  
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• 11 shot at Dallas-area concert venue Saturday night

  04-04-2022 00:11 via kxan.com
  
  DALLAS (KXAN) — One person died and multiple others were injured after a shooting at a Dallas-area concert venue Saturday night, according to KXAS (NBC) in Dallas.KXAS reports one person fired a gunshot into the air and another shot into a crowd of people. Eleven people were shot, according to Dallas police.Police told KXAS that 26-year-old Kealon Dejuane Gilmore died at the venue. He was found near the stage with a gunshot wound.The investigation is ongoing, police said.Also, six people d
  
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• 1 killed, 16 injured at Dallas concert shooting

  04-04-2022 00:11 via kxan.com
  
  DALLAS (Nexstar) — A Saturday concert that served as the backdrop for a deadly shooting in the Dallas area "shouldn't have been allowed," according to Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia.Garcia said this promoted event didn't have a permit. The shooting killed one person and injured 16 others in an area southeast of Dallas."This crime is a prime example that non-permitted and promoted events can lead to violence," he said at a Monday press conference.Officials said one person fired a gunshot
  
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