Austin news

• Roads reopen after 'large grass fire' near Wimberley school

  07-04-2022 23:55 via kxan.com
  
  WIMBERLEY, Texas (KXAN) — Crews responded to a large grass fire near an elementary school in Wimberley Thursday afternoon, according to the Hays County Sheriff's Office.
  The fire was located near FM 2325 and Jacobs Well Elementary.
  As a result of the fire, the Wimberley Independent School District canceled Friday classes for Jacobs Well. "The air quality is just too bad and we can't envision it improving enough overnight for our students," the school district wrote.
  Wimberley ISD said the
  
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• 'Large grass fire' near Wimberley elementary school

  07-04-2022 23:55 via kxan.com
  
  WIMBERLEY, Texas (KXAN) — First responders are working to control a large grass fire near an elementary school in Wimberley, according to the Hays County Sheriff's Office.
  The fire is located near FM 2325 and Jacobs Well Elementary.
  HCSO said to avoid the area and find alternate routes if you need to travel through that area.
  This is a developing story; stick with KXAN for updates.
  
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• Senators Ted Cruz, John Cornyn vote no on Ketanji Brown Jackson to U.S. Supreme Court

  07-04-2022 23:40 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nexstar/AP) — The U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the United States Supreme Court on Thursday, securing her place as the court’s first Black female justice. As expected, Texas’ Republican U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz voted against her nomination, in what was a near-party-line vote of 53-47.Jackson, a 51-year-old appeals court judge with nine years of experience on the federal bench. In her confirmation, Jackson made history by
  
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• Senators Ted Cruz, John Cornyn vote no on Kentanji Brown Jackson to U.S. Supreme Court

  07-04-2022 23:40 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nexstar/AP) — The U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the United States Supreme Court on Thursday, securing her place as the court’s first Black female justice. As expected, Texas’ Republican U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz voted against her nomination, in what was a near-party-line vote of 53-47.Jackson, a 51-year-old appeals court judge with nine years of experience on the federal bench. In her confirmation, Jackson made history by
  
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• Psaki: Gov. Abbott's migrant busing plan a 'publicity stunt'

  07-04-2022 23:37 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON, D.C. (KXAN) — White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reacted to the Texas governor's plan to begin busing migrants released from federal custody to the nation's capital if they agreed to take the trip, calling it a "publicity stunt."
  During Thursday's White House press briefing, Psaki also questioned whether Gov. Greg Abbott's plan is legal. He announced the busing plan Wednesday as part of two new actions that he said would counter the Biden administration's decision to end the
  
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• Police still searching for car caught on video hitting cyclist near Long Center

  07-04-2022 22:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police released additional photos Thursday of the car caught on camera hitting a cyclist near the Long Center and speeding off the evening of March 30. Officers are still searching for the driver.KXAN spoke to the cyclist, Nick Gardiner, last week, who said he believes the driver hit him out of road rage. Video from the GoPro of a bystander shows Gardiner riding on W. Riverside Drive, when a car appearing to change lanes hits Gardiner and drives off.
  Gardiner told us
  
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• The 'Tesla effect': Electric vehicle enthusiasts predict impact on Central Texas

  07-04-2022 21:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin resident Aaron Choate has been an electric vehicle enthusiast for decades. As president of the Austin Area Electric Vehicle Association, he and fellow EV fans focus efforts on how to expand EV's blueprint in Central Texas, as well as educating residents on the technology's sustainability.With Tesla's Austin gigafactory coming online this spring, that interest has only grown, Choate said. Who is invited to the ‘Cyber Rodeo’ at Texas Tesla Gigafactory?"Ther
  
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• 'Super Kooper': Jarrell boy gets emotional send-off before wheelchair basketball tournament

  07-04-2022 21:31 via kxan.com
  
  JARRELL, Texas (KXAN) — A Jarrell family has spent the better part of a decade turning a dire situation into one of inspiration through adaptive sports.At 5 years old, Kooper Hernandez broke his left leg, a fairly typical injury for an active kid at such a young age. What the family wasn't expecting was what ultimately caused the injury: bone cancer.Kooper Herndanez lost his left leg to bone cancer when he was 5 years old, but that hasn't stopped him from playing basketball. He recently we
  
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• Texas at higher risk for hurricanes this year

  07-04-2022 19:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - Dr. Phil Klotzbach and Colorado State University released their 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast on Thursday.Once again, you can expect a busier than average hurricane season for named storms in the Atlantic and landfalling storms in the United States.Tropical storm and hurricane forecastThe forecast calls for 19 named storms compared to the 30-year average of 14.4.Of those named storms 9 are expected to be hurricanes compared to the 30-year average of 7.2 hurricanes.Of th
  
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• Don't want to sit in 'Cyber Rodeo' traffic? Avoid this area Thursday

  07-04-2022 19:33 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- It's going to be a big, big party, and it's going to cause some traffic.
  Elon Musk and 15,000 others will celebrate his new gigafactory Thursday just outside Austin in Del Valle. To put that into perspective, the entire population of Del Valle was about 17,000 people in 2019, before that factory was built.As Travis County commissioners were discussing the company's safety plan, county staff reported that Tesla will be offering shuttles to try and alleviate some of that traffic.
  
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• Watch: Senate confirms Ketanji Brown Jackson to Supreme Court

  07-04-2022 19:32 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — The Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court nomination on Thursday, securing her place as the court’s first Black female justice.In a 53 - 46 vote, with Republicans Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney supporting her in the 50-50 split Senate, Jackson made history by becoming the third Black justice and only the sixth woman in the court's more than 200-year history.
  NewsNation will live stream the vote followed by remarks from Sena
  
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• Watch: Ketanji Brown Jackson SCOTUS vote

  07-04-2022 19:32 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — The Senate is expected to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's Supreme Court nomination Thursday, securing her place as the court's first Black female justice.
  With three Republicans supporting her in the 50-50 split Senate, Jackson is on a glide path to confirmation and on the brink of making history as the third Black justice and only the sixth woman in the court's more than 200-year history. Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney said Monday they woul
  
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• Senate confirms Ketanji Brown Jackson to Supreme Court

  07-04-2022 19:32 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — The Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court nomination on Thursday, securing her place as the court’s first Black female justice.In a 53 to 47 vote, with Republicans Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney supporting her in the 50-50 split Senate, Jackson made history by becoming the third Black justice and only the sixth woman in the court's more than 200-year history.
  Brown Jackson joined President Joe Biden and other White House se
  
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• Ketanji Brown Jackson poised to be confirmed to Supreme Court

  07-04-2022 19:32 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — The Senate is expected to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's Supreme Court nomination Thursday, securing her place as the court's first Black female justice.
  With three Republicans supporting her in the 50-50 split Senate, Jackson is on a glide path to confirmation and on the brink of making history as the third Black justice and only the sixth woman in the court's more than 200-year history. Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney said Monday they woul
  
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• Officer hit on I-35, northbound lanes closed in Central Austin

  07-04-2022 18:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A crash involving a Mustang Ridge police officer has shut down Interstate 35 northbound lanes near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Thursday. That area is near the University of Texas at Austin campus.The officer was hit and has been taken to the hospital, according to the Austin Police Department.The initial call came in at 11:05 a.m., APD said. KXAN's Austonian camera shows one northbound lane is open, but many people are taking the MLK Jr. Boulevard exit.The Texas Depart
  
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• Mustang Ridge officer hit on I-35 during funeral procession undergoes surgery

  07-04-2022 18:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Interstate 35 northbound lanes reopened after a crash involving a Mustang Ridge police officer escorting a funeral procession Thursday, according to the Austin Police Department.
  The officer, identified by Mustang Ridge Police Department as Jason Payne, was hit near I-35 and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard around 11:05 a.m., APD said. Mustang Ridge Police Chief Leonard Cantu said Payne broke his femur, shoulder, arm and hand.
  "Once I started getting information ... you st
  
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• Mustang Ridge officer hit on I-35 during funeral procession in Central Austin

  07-04-2022 18:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A crash involving a Mustang Ridge police officer escorting a funeral procession has shut down Interstate 35 northbound lanes near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Thursday, according to the Austin Police Department. That area is near the University of Texas at Austin campus.The officer was hit and has been taken to the hospital, APD said. There is a police motorcycle on the ground in between the two right-most lanes. Officers have the area blocked off.The initial call came
  
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• Crash shuts down I-35 northbound lanes near MLK Jr. Boulevard in Central Austin

  07-04-2022 18:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A crash has shut down Interstate 35 northbound near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Thursday.That area is near the upper/lower deck split near the University of Texas at Austin campus.It happened around 11:22 a.m., according to TxDOT.This is a developing story and will be updated when more information becomes available.
  
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• How to watch the 'Cyber Rodeo' Giga Texas event live

  07-04-2022 18:44 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Elon Musk announced overnight that he will indeed be speaking at the 'Cyber Rodeo' event happening at the Gigafactory near Austin Thursday. That event will be the first time the public has seen the massive factory.Musk's remarks, according to a tweet, will start at 9 p.m. That's also when the 'Cyber Rodeo' live stream will start on Tesla's YouTube. Live blog: Here’s what’s happening at the ‘Cyber Rodeo’ in TexasYou can find the live stream here. It is alr
  
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• Texas man killed outside Miami luxury high-rise apartment

  07-04-2022 18:18 via kxan.com
  
  MIAMI (KXAN) — A former Austin resident was stabbed to death outside a high-rise apartment Sunday in Miami, according to local reports.According to NBC6 in Miami, police said a domestic dispute outside a luxury apartment building led to the death of a 27-year-old man, whom friends later identified as Christian Obumseli. Miami police had previously not released the victim's name.Police said a woman was detained at the scene and was "later taken for a mental health evaluation." WPLG Local 10
  
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• What happened at 'Cyber Rodeo' party in Tesla's gigafactory

  07-04-2022 18:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- It's an event Elon Musk says is going to be “the biggest party on Earth" and it's happening right in our backyard.The 'Cyber Rodeo' will be the public's first look inside Tesla's massive Gigafactory located near Austin. If you weren't on the guestlist for the invite-only event, we're going to be tracking what's happening for you.
  More coverage
  VIDEO: Inside ‘Cyber Rodeo’ opening party at Giga TexasDon’t want to sit in ‘Cyber Rodeo’ traffic? Av
  
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• Live blog: Here's what's happening at the 'Cyber Rodeo' in Texas

  07-04-2022 18:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- It's an event Elon Musk says is going to be “the biggest party on Earth" and it's happening right in our backyard.The 'Cyber Rodeo' will be the public's first look inside Tesla's massive Gigafactory located near Austin. If you weren't on the guestlist for the invite-only event, we're going to be tracking what's happening for you.
  More coverage
  A crash course on Tesla’s history with Texas on the eve of its Giga grand openingWhile Tesla was building its factory, local
  
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• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tests positive for COVID-19 hours after White House event

  07-04-2022 17:33 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON, D.C. (KXAN) — A staff member for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced she tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing no symptoms.
  Drew Hammill, Pelosi's deputy chief of staff, posted on Twitter Thursday morning that she tested negative earlier this week, but then her positive result came back. He said Pelosi is vaccinated and boosted.
  President Joe Biden signs the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, April
  
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• Who is invited to the 'Cyber Rodeo' at Texas Tesla Gigafactory?

  07-04-2022 16:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Thousands are preparing to attend "the biggest party on Earth." Those are words from Tesla's CEO Elon Musk.Musk and 15,000 others will celebrate his new factory Thursday just outside Austin in Del Valle That's bigger than most parties. To give you an idea, in 2019, the entire population of Del Valle was about 17,000 people.The party is being called "Cyber Rodeo." According to Musk on Twitter, doors will open at 4 p.m., festivities at 8 p.m. and then remarks from Musk at 9 p
  
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• How this Texas vet is growing his military startup via $100K Austin FC funding

  07-04-2022 15:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The last year has been a momentous one for Anthony Gantt, an Austin-based entrepreneur who's retired from the Marine Corps after 22 years of service. But his military retirement doesn't mean he's done working. Instead, he's turning 100% of his attention to At Ease Rentals Corporation, a business he's launched and expanded with a little help from Austin FC.Last June, Gantt became the inaugural recipient of $100,000 in funding through the Austin FC Dream Starter Competition.
  
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• Weather forecasts impacted by global helium shortage, Russian invasion

  07-04-2022 14:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Twice a day, every day of the year, hundreds of weather balloons are launched across the country by the National Weather Service. The recent helium shortage, exacerbated by the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, has caused some of these weather balloon launches to be cancelled.
  KXAN has spent the last month investigating the impact these cancellations could have on our forecasts and what is causing the shortage.According to Matthew Brady, a meteorologist with the National Wea
  
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• Fire burns vacant south Austin senior living facility

  07-04-2022 13:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — No injuries were reported after a vacant senior living facility in south Austin burned Thursday morning.A vacant senior living facility in south Austin caught fire Thrusday morning, AFD said. It went to two alarms, but no injuries were reported. (AFD photo)A vacant senior living facility in south Austin caught fire Thursday morning, AFD said. It went to two alarms, but no injuries were reported. (KXAN photo/Christian Marcelli)A vacant senior living facility in south Austin
  
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• Austin City Council to vote on airport jet fuel facility

  07-04-2022 13:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Here's what we're watching at the Austin City Council meeting Thursday.Jet Fuel FacilityCouncilmembers will vote on a resolution that would ask airport leaders to find at least three other potential locations for the jet fuel facility and restart the environmental approval process.The new jet fuel storage facility for the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport was approved by city council in 2018. Austin might delay airport fuel project — here’s whyCouncilmember
  
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• Extreme fire danger as desert-like air blows in

  07-04-2022 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A stretch of sunshine and warm temperatures will settle in for the remainder of the work week. The problem? Fire danger.Gusty winds, in combination with dry air and ongoing drought, will result in another day of critical fire danger across the region. A RED FLAG WARNING is in effect 10AM to 8PM for all of Central Texas.FIRE DANGER: Red Flag Warning in effect 10AM to 8PM today due to critical fire danger.HUMIDITY: bone-dry air blows in along north/northwest winds today. Rela
  
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• Statesman PUD stirs up controversy between Austin councilmembers

  07-04-2022 05:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The much-anticipated redevelopment of the former Austin American-Statesman site will be put to a vote by city council on Thursday.Preliminary plans for the nearly 19-acre planned unit development include high-rise hotels, offices and residential units spread throughout six towers.Under the current agreement, the developer would also have to include affordable housing."We can actually get those affordable units mixed in with what, in this case, will very likely be luxury uni
  
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• Austin Police Department pushes for more diversity in latest cadet class

  07-04-2022 03:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department said its latest class of cadets is the most diverse yet. The 145th APD cadet class was available Wednesday night for a community meet and greet in east Austin.Women make up 17% of the 84-person class, while Hispanics make up 48% of APD's class. Austin Police joins 30 by 30 Initiative to increase sworn women officers on forceTwo cadets KXAN spoke to said they know representation matters. They said the department is focusing on reforms after natio
  
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• San Antonio Spurs clinch playoff spot after Lakers loss

  07-04-2022 02:24 via kxan.com
  
  DENVER (AP) — Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson each scored 20 points to help the San Antonio Spurs secure a spot in the play-in tournament Tuesday night following a 116-97 victory over the Denver Nuggets.A little while after San Antonio won, the Spurs locked up at least the 10th seed in the Western Conference when the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from the playoff race with a loss at Phoenix.Not that the Spurs were really thinking about it. Or at least coach Gregg Popovich wasn’
  
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• American Airlines hiring for 70 positions at Austin airport

  07-04-2022 01:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Americans Airlines is looking to hire 70 people at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport this month, the airline announced Wednesday.The positions are in fleet service and passenger service. Additionally, American said it plans to continue hiring for all positions throughout the year on top of the 60 new employees already added since the start of 2022. Austin airport executive director pleaded for more federal staff amid ‘unprecedented growth’American currently
  
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• Texas Education Agency aims to improve teacher retention coming out of pandemic

  07-04-2022 01:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Wednesday, Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath presented the 2021 Annual Report to the State Board of Education, showing just how much student learning was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  The state has been aware of the 'COVID slide' for a while now, but with this report, the state is able to compare STAAR testing scores from the year before the pandemic (2018-19 school year) to the year coming out of the pandemic (2020-21). STAAR testing was not issued du
  
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• Storage unit fire causes $600K in damage, man arrested

  07-04-2022 00:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A storage unit fire in north Austin caused an estimated $600,000 worth of damage, according to an Austin Police arrest affidavit.Austin Fire investigators believe David Jeffrey Nutt, 32, "intentionally" started the fire during the morning hours on Sunday. He was arrested and charged with arson, a second-degree felony, the affidavit said. Storage facility fire extinguished in north Austin SundaySeven storage units were damaged as part of the fire in the 6100 block of Powell
  
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• Large Ukrainian flag flying at Austin car dealership

  07-04-2022 00:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — It's hard to miss what a central Austin business is doing to show its support for Ukraine.
  A large Ukrainian flag now flies above the First Texas Honda dealership at 3400 Steck Ave. Drivers will notice the billowing blue and yellow flag on the east side of North MoPac Expressway.
  KXAN requested information Wednesday from the owners of First Texas Honda about their flag, when it went on display and how long it will remain on the flagpole. However, no one responded to share t
  
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