Austin news

• Police name 5 officers involved in deadly Round Rock shootout

  09-05-2022 23:51 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK (KXAN) — Police shared the names of the five officers who are currently on administrative leave after firing their guns during a deadly weekend shootout in Round Rock.
  Police said the involved officers are:
  Sgt. Kasheala May (11 years with Round Rock Police Department). Sgt. Brian Quick (21 years).Det. Andrew Rivera (9 years). Officer Dillon Rizzo (4 years). Officer Marcus Vasquez (3 years).
  The shooting in question happened Saturday afternoon. Police said Henry Tolentino, a 31-
  
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• LIVE: APD releases video of MoPac road rage crash in March, still looking for driver

  09-05-2022 23:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department is looking for a driver it said is responsible for causing severe injuries to another driver March 23 on MoPac in north Austin.APD sent out a video taken from a patrol car's dashcam that shows a white Lexus IS 300 swerving off MoPac onto the exit ramp for U.S. Highway 183 and slamming into the side of a Dodge pickup. Which Austin area has had the largest rent increase?APD said the driver of the Lexus "drove recklessly to cause a confrontation wi
  
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• APD releases video of MoPac road rage crash in March, still looking for driver

  09-05-2022 23:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department is looking for a driver it said is responsible for causing severe injuries to another driver March 23 on MoPac in north Austin.APD sent out a video taken from a patrol car's dashcam that shows a white Lexus IS 300 swerving off MoPac onto the exit ramp for U.S. Highway 183 and slamming into the side of a Dodge pickup.Video of the incident provided by APDAPD said the driver of the Lexus "drove recklessly to cause a confrontation with other drivers
  
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• Austin child care providers shut down for Capitol rally

  09-05-2022 23:08 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin child care providers planned to shut down Monday for a rally at the Texas Capitol as part of the "A Day Without Child Care: National Day of Action."Child care educators, parents and community advocates across the country were slated to demonstrate in a push for more government help and funding. The advocates said many providers are still struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and to pay competitive wages to recruit and keep staff.ALSO: City of Austin lookin
  
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• Austin child care providers rally for better pay

  09-05-2022 23:08 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin child care providers shut down Monday for a rally at the Texas Capitol as part of the "A Day Without Child Care: National Day of Action."Child care educators, parents and community advocates called for more funding from both the state and federal governments.
  The advocates said many providers are still struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and to pay competitive wages to recruit and keep staff.ALSO: City of Austin looking to address ‘child care deser
  
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• May temperatures have been hottest on record to this point

  09-05-2022 23:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The unseasonable heat continues this week with little in the way of relief as rain stays out of the forecast.Today will look and feel similar to what we felt over the weekend as morning clouds clear to afternoon sun and high temperatures soar well above average into the upper 90s.
  Our weather will remain relatively unchanged through midweek with afternoon highs in the 90s under a mix of sun and clouds. Slightly more sunshine and less humidity can be expected Thursday and Fr
  
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• TxDOT replacing misspelled exit sign on SH 45 in Pflugerville

  09-05-2022 22:49 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — If you think you saw a spelling error on an exit sign above State Highway 45 on Monday, you did.Texas Department of Transportation officials posted a tweet at 12:41 p.m. that said crews were on the eastbound side of SH 45 in Pflugerville to replace the sign with a typo. Instead of saying "Heatherwilde Blvd," the sign said "Healthwide Blvd."It's supposed to say "Heatherwilde Blvd.," but this road sign posted above the exit on State Highway 45 said "Healthwide Bl
  
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• TxDOT replaced misspelled exit sign on SH 45 in Pflugerville

  09-05-2022 22:49 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — If you think you saw a spelling error on an exit sign above State Highway 45 on Monday, you did.Texas Department of Transportation officials posted a tweet at 12:41 p.m. that said crews were on the eastbound side of SH 45 in Pflugerville to replace the sign with a typo. Instead of saying "Heatherwilde Blvd," the sign said "Healthwide Blvd."TxDOT attributed the spelling error to the sign contractor. It said the contractor will have to pay the $4,000 replacement
  
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• Lake discovered frozen in time beneath Antarctica ice sheet, UT researchers say

  09-05-2022 22:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A frozen lake in Antarctica has been discovered by a team from the University of Texas at Austin and it could be vital for climate change researchers. The study was published Monday in the science journal Geology.
  Satellite imagery revealed the lake, highlighted in yellow here. (Courtesy: RARARSAT/European Space Agency)The lake is about 100 miles from the coast. It was discovered beneath the East Antarctica Ice Sheet and is believed to be at least 34 million years old. Lake
  
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• Austin voters ban no-knock warrants, how they could still happen

  09-05-2022 21:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- State law enforcement officials say the passing of Proposition A, which includes banning no-knock warrants, will make things more dangerous for police and community members."It's going to make Austinites less safe," said Kevin Lawrence, executive director of the Texas Metropolitan Police Association (TMPA).Low-level marijuana, no-knock measures passed by Austin votersJulie Oliver with Ground Game Texas, the group that pushed to put this issue to a vote, believes the contrary."Sa
  
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• Only one county voted against both Texas propositions in May 7 election

  09-05-2022 21:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas voters overwhelmingly supported two amendments to the state constitution on Saturday. Propositions 1 and 2 both passed with more than 80% support.Proposition 1 freezes school property tax bills for the elderly and Texans with disabilities starting in 2023. It will also lower their school property tax bills year after year.
  Proposition 2 increases the homestead exemption Texans can take on their school district property taxes from $25,000 to $40,000. That begins on Jan
  
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• MAPS: Where did Texas Props 1 and 2 get the most support?

  09-05-2022 21:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas voters overwhelmingly supported two amendments to the state constitution on Saturday. Propositions 1 and 2 both passed with more than 80% support.Proposition 1 freezes school property tax bills for the elderly and Texans with disabilities starting in 2023. It will also lower their school property tax bills year after year.
  Proposition 2 increases the homestead exemption Texans can take on their school district property taxes from $25,000 to $40,000. That begins on Jan
  
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• Donor pays off debt for entire class at Texas HBCU

  09-05-2022 21:36 via kxan.com
  
  MARSHALL, Texas (KXAN) — Students graduating from an historically Black college in east Texas learned about a generous gift before they got their diplomas this weekend: they are now debt free.
  At Saturday's graduation ceremony, Wiley College in Marshall, Texas surprised its graduates by announcing that an anonymous donor paid off each of their student loan balances — an amount exceeding $300,000. The college posted a video on social media showing its president and CEO, Herman J. Felt
  
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• Assault trial of Texas special education director begins Monday

  09-05-2022 21:31 via kxan.com
  
  HUTTO, Texas (KXAN) – The trial of a Texas special education director is set to begin Monday afternoon.Dr. Stacie Koerth, a special education director for Hutto Independent School District, is accused of assaulting and unlawfully restraining a non-verbal student with autism in 2018.Koerth, along with another special education teacher Karen Perez and Hutto High School Principal Roy Christian, were charged two years after the incident happened.Christian is charged with failing to report the
  
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• MAP: Here's where Austin's Prop A got the most support from voters

  09-05-2022 21:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin voters overwhelmingly passed a proposition to stop arrests for low-level marijuana offenses and ban the use of no-knock warrants by police.Proposition A passed Saturday with 85.49% of the vote. The proposition formalizes a city policy that has been in place in 2020, when then-APD Chief Brian Manley announced officers would no longer cite or arrest people accused of misdemeanor marijuana offenses.In total, 57,967 votes were cast in favor of Prop A across Hays, Travis
  
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• Texans vote to lower property taxes, but how much will you actually save?

  09-05-2022 20:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Over the weekend, Texas voters overwhelmingly passed two constitutional amendments that will lower property taxes.
  Proposition 1 will lower property taxes for certain disabled and elderly citizens, while Proposition 2 will increase homestead tax exemptions.RELATED: Texans vote for property tax relief by wide margin in May election"This proposition increases the homestead exemption amount from $25,000 to $40,000. What that means for the average voter is that you should re
  
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• Austin Animal Center seeking fosters during heat wave

  09-05-2022 19:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Animal Center is seeking fosters for at least 20 medium and large dogs due to both overcrowding and Central Texas' current heatwave, officials said in a news release Monday.While May has been unseasonably warm compared to typical temperatures, the shelter added it has been struggling with overcapacity for larger dogs and lacks places to put them. KXAN First Warning Weather forecast“Besides every normal dog kennel being filled, we also have 13 dogs in crates
  
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• Mavericks fan removed after incident with Chris Paul's family during playoff game

  09-05-2022 19:22 via kxan.com
  
  DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks said they are aware of an incident between a fan and the family of Chris Paul of the Phoenix Suns during Sunday's Western Conference semifinal round playoff game at American Airlines Center.ESPN reported that members of Paul's family had been harassed by fans and that some in the crowd made physical contact with them.“It was unacceptable behavior and will not be tolerated," the Mavericks said in a statement. "The Mavericks, along with American
  
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• Travis County judge argued over parking before DWI arrest, police say

  09-05-2022 18:09 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Travis County judge who oversees driving while intoxicated cases was arrested early Saturday and charged with a DWI after an argument over parking, according to a Travis County court affidavit.Around 12:30 a.m. Saturday, APD officers responded to a call in the 10900 block of Stonelake Boulevard, located in northwest Austin. The caller said the man, later identified as 65-year-old Judge John Lipscombe, had tried to back his pickup into a parking space and would've hit the
  
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• Picture this: Texas selfie museum opens in downtown Austin

  09-05-2022 18:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Do you have an Instagram? What about Facebook? How about Twitter?If you answered yes to any of the previous questions, then a new attraction in downtown Austin might be for you.
  Though it calls itself a museum, the Texas Selfie Museum on Neches Street is really a playground of selfie sets waiting for people to come and take pictures.A model poses for a photo at the Texas Selfie Museum. (Courtesy: Kovex Media)Co-owner Margaryta Schwery took over the lease of the historic two-stor
  
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• Lake Travis missing swimmer's body found

  09-05-2022 17:50 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Travis County responders found the body of a swimmer one day after he disappeared in Lake Travis.Around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, 911 calls came in about a man in his 20s who hadn't resurfaced near Devil's Cove. Travis County Sheriff's Office Lake Patrol deputies and others responded and used sonar to search, but after an hour switched from rescue to recovery operations.The search resumed Sunday, and when sonar indicated they may have found something, TCSO's dive te
  
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• Why 3,600 Austin Energy customers were without power Saturday

  09-05-2022 16:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Approximately 3,600 Austin Energy customers in south Austin were left without power Saturday, AE confirmed in an email.AE attributed the outage to "heat-related demand surge and ongoing construction on a new substation." The outage was not the result of a mandate issued by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, AE added. KXAN WEATHER FORECAST: Summer-like heat here to stay"The circuits serving this area were experiencing high energy use and this action was taken to addr
  
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• Sinkhole develops near Georgetown elementary school

  09-05-2022 15:17 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — Ford Elementary School officials are working with city and transportation leaders after a sinkhole developed near the campus.A portion of Woodlake Drive is closed while city leaders evaluate a "void" in the roadway, according to a campus email. The sinkhole has closed Woodlake Drive from Williams Drive to Ford Elementary.The following intersections still lead to campus:Cedar Lake Boulevard at Williams DriveLakeside Ranch Road at Williams DriveThe sinkhole is not
  
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• Texas researchers discover 'tiny' solution to global plastic crisis

  09-05-2022 15:09 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Plastic has become a giant environmental problem since it first began being mass produced in the 1950s. In 2018, American manufacturers generated nearly 36-million tons of plastic according to the Environmental Protection Agency.Now, researchers with the University of Texas at Austin may have discovered a solution for this crisis: an enzyme capable of eating plastic."There's a microorganism that was found in a bottle recycling facility that was able to colonize on and start
  
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• 1 dead following 'apparent scooter collision' in east Austin

  09-05-2022 13:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — One person is dead following an "apparent scooter collision" along East 13th Street in east Austin Sunday morning, Austin-Travis County EMS officials said in a tweet.The call came in just before 2:30 a.m. at 2706 E. 13th St., near the intersection of Walnut Avenue, ATCEMS officials said. A man was found with unknown injuries next to a scooter, Austin Police told KXAN.The man died at the scene, and APD said they couldn't confirm whether the man had been riding or was struck
  
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• State looking into San Antonio school district's messaging about bond election

  09-05-2022 12:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Over the weekend, Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted that the state is investigating messaging sent out to the staff of a San Antonio school district about a May 7 bond.
  "I have spoken with Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath about this. He confirms that IF these posts are verified, then it is likely a crime," Abbott said in the tweet. "The Education Commissioner with work with the Attorney General's Office to investigate and, if appropriate, prosecute this matter."The messages
  
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• Austin ISD to offer staff a chance at affordable housing

  09-05-2022 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin ISD is working to make it easier for district staff to buy a home they can afford.
  The district is working with Austin Habitat for Humanity and Taylor Morrison on the Park at 51st East and 5301 Loyola Lane properties in Northwest Austin.Homes start in the $200,000 range and extend into the low $300,000, per a district announcement.Through June 30, Austin ISD staff have first dibs on a quarter of the homes built on district land. Then, the public can bid on the proper
  
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• Kendra Scott makes Monday a paid employee holiday

  09-05-2022 12:09 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Monday is a paid holiday for everyone who works for Austin-area jeweler Kendra Scott.The jeweler implemented a company holiday for the day after Mother's Day for its “Take the Time” initiative.
  “Over the past year, parents have continued to feel the pandemic effects of balancing full-time jobs and caring for their families…recognizing that a mother can be defined in various ways, the corporate holiday aims to celebrate any supporting parental role a
  
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• Summer-like heat here to stay

  09-05-2022 12:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The unseasonable heat continues this week with little in the way of relief as rain stays out of the forecast.Today will look and feel similar to what we felt over the weekend as morning clouds clear to afternoon sun and high temperatures soar well above average into the upper 90s.
  Dry conditions will stretch areawide through the afternoon... but storms firing to our north and west could hold together long enough to reach our Hill Country overnight (after midnight). It's unl
  
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• Two in hospital following downtown scooter crash

  09-05-2022 11:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Police say two scooter riders are in the hospital Monday morning after they crashed with a vehicle on East Eighth Street in downtown Austin.
  According to APD, the crash happened at 1:25 a.m. at the intersection of Eighth and San Jacinto Streets. The driver did stay at the scene.
  Austin Travis County-EMS says both adult patients have serious, potentially life-threatening injuries.
  This is the second crash involving a scooter in Austin in the last month.Scooter rider killed
  
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• Huge upset at AVP Austin Open on Sunday

  09-05-2022 05:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The No. 6 seed upset the tournament's top seed in the women's championship at the AVP Austin Open beach volleyball tournament Sunday at Krieg Fields.In the first tour stop of the season, Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss beat No. 1 Melissa Humana-Paredes and Sarah Pavan in straight sets, 21-18, 21-13. It was the second career tournament title for the pair. The AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour returns to Austin this weekendKloth and Nuss beat the No. 2-seeded Kelly Cheng and Besti F
  
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• Austin FC falls for 1st time in 2 months 1-0 to LA Galaxy

  09-05-2022 04:28 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin FC fell for the first time since March 12 in a 1-0 loss to LA Galaxy at Q2 Stadium on Sunday.The Galaxy scored early on a goal by Mark Delgado in the sixth minute and withstood a frantic rally by Austin FC near the end of the match. Austin FC releases 2022 TV scheduleIt's the first time Austin FC has lost since the Portland Timbers beat them 1-0 in Portland. Coming into the match, Austin FC had been Major League Soccer's highest-scoring team.Austin FC head coach Josh
  
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• New app 'Fostershare' works to end high foster care turnover rates in Texas

  09-05-2022 03:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — A nonprofit in Austin just launched a new app that sets out to improve the high turnover rates among foster parents and caseworkers across the state.As we've previously reported, there are a lot of problems within the foster care system here in Texas, that puts a lot of stress on everyone involved. RRPD IDs man found dead after ‘actively shooting’ at policeDestiny Bowers and her family took in a foster baby a little over a year ago. Keeping up with all the pa
  
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• Texas softball beats Baylor, earns No. 3 seed in Big 12 tournament

  09-05-2022 02:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Longhorns softball team closed its Big 12 Conference regular season with a 6-0 win over the Baylor Bears on Sunday at Red and Charlene McCombs Field.With a 12-6 Big 12 record, the Longhorns have the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament and will take on Texas Tech in the first round Thursday in Oklahoma City. Texas swept a three-game series against the Red Raiders in Lubbock on April 29-30. The Longhorns are ranked No. 14 in the country by D1Softball.com and fin
  
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• Longhorns baseball takes 2 in West Virginia, readies for final homestand

  09-05-2022 01:16 via kxan.com
  
  MORGANTOWN, West Virginia (KXAN) — The Texas Longhorns baseball team couldn't get the sweep Sunday against West Virginia, losing 8-6, but won the series behind two wins Saturday in a doubleheader.It was the first time in school history the Horns have won a Big 12 Conference series in Morgantown, but a sweep would have been better in terms of making a case to host an NCAA regional tournament. With the two wins, Texas moves to 11-10 in the Big 12 Conference and 34-17 overall, but is projecte
  
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• Which Austin neighborhood has had the largest rent increase?

  09-05-2022 00:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two Austin neighborhoods have had a more than 100% increase in average one-bedroom rent prices in the past year, according to new data released by rent.com.The report found south Austin's Travis Heights neighborhood took the crown for the largest annual spike in one-bedroom rent costs, with an increase of 138%. The average one-bedroom rate is listed at $1,910 in the neighborhood, per rent.com. Austin ISD to offer staff a chance at affordable housingCentral Austin followed i
  
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