Austin news

• ERCOT clarifies Friday's conservation request was not an emergency alert; was 'proactive' ask

  17-05-2022 23:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — On Tuesday, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, alongside the Public Utility Commission of Texas, gave an overview of how the state's power grid is projecting to fare this summer, in addition to updating the public on current grid conditions after asking Texans to conserve power over the weekend.
  Both PUC Commissioner Peter Lake and ERCOT CEO Brad Jones stated they are confident with how our grid is faring heading into the summer, even with new record demand expec
  
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• In first UFO hearing in 50 years, defense experts confirm sightings

  17-05-2022 23:42 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – On Capitol Hill, lawmakers held a hearing on unidentified flying objects, during which defense officials said they have some 400 reports from military personnel of UFOs, and while they can explain some, they can't explain others.In the first hearing of its kind in 50 years, defense officials confirmed sightings of unidentified flying objects, or as the military calls them “UAPs”.However, Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence, Scott Bray, explained “
  
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• Tied vote causes $91M Texas school bond to fail

  17-05-2022 23:33 via kxan.com
  
  COUPLAND, Texas (KXAN) — What happens when a $91.6 million school bond election ends in a tied vote? That’s what the Coupland Independent School District is figuring out after its May bond election ended in a 68-68 vote, according to unofficial results.Because the measure did not receive more “for” votes than “against” votes, the Texas Secretary of State’s Office said the bond failed following the canvassing, or approval, of results. The school boar
  
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• Cedar Park police find powdered fentanyl, arrest made

  17-05-2022 23:24 via kxan.com
  
  CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) —A Central Texas man was arrested and charged after Cedar Park police said they found him to have roughly nine ounces of powder fentanyl. Police also said they believe he was going to sell it.
  CPPD said in a release that members of the organized crime unit and the Central Texas Regional SWAT team conducted a search as a part of a fentanyl distribution investigation into Christopher Michael Allred, 37, Monday.Left, photos of fentanyl found during a CPPD investigatio
  
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• International High School may move from east Austin campus

  17-05-2022 23:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin ISD may move its International High School next school year from the Eastside Early College High School to Northeast Early College High School. The change follows increased enrollment at International High this year, which puts Eastside ECHS at 25% over its campus capacity. The school has converted some common areas into classrooms to accommodate the extra students. Though the current school year is wrapping up, the move is still under consideration. The di
  
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• Hottest May on record underway; but scattered rain and cooler weather on the horizon

  17-05-2022 22:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Camp Mabry has reached record high temperatures three of the last four afternoons, and the record hot weather continues much of the work week. Highs on Tuesday soared to 99 degrees -- smashing the May 17 record of 96 set in 2018.A pattern change takes shape this weekend as a Pacific storm system brings us a chance of rain and a cold front. A few scattered storms may fire Friday evening, with additional scattered rain along a Saturday evening cold front. This front is expect
  
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• Report: Austin falls from top 10 of 'best places to live' rankings

  17-05-2022 22:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — According to the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings, Austin isn't nearly as good of a place to live as it was last year.While it's still at the top of the Texas list in the rankings, Austin took a tumble in the national rankings, falling out of the top 10 to No. 13. Austin's ranking fell eight spots from No. 5 last year, and even before that it dropped two spots from No. 3 in 2020. Realtor report: Austin area sees gain in housing inventory in AprilAustin had been in
  
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• Austin falls from top 10 of 'best places to live' rankings

  17-05-2022 22:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — According to the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings, Austin isn't nearly as good of a place to live as it was last year.While it's still at the top of the Texas list in the rankings, Austin took a tumble in the national rankings, falling out of the top 10 to No. 13. Austin's ranking fell eight spots from No. 5 last year, and even before that it dropped two spots from No. 3 in 2020. Realtor report: Austin area sees gain in housing inventory in AprilAustin had been in
  
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• Texas Health and Human Services director charged with insurance fraud

  17-05-2022 21:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Texas Health and Human Services director is accused of insurance fraud related to a car fire in March, according to an arrest warrant.The Travis County arrest warrant for Jerrod Wytez Holton was issued May 13, and it said Holton knowingly provided false or misleading information about the fire.HHS told KXAN it is looking into the matter and confirmed it has an employee named Jerrod W. Holton who serves as a Director II for the Texas HHS Access and Eligibility services div
  
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• Realtor report: Austin area sees gain in housing inventory in April

  17-05-2022 20:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — April home sales in the Austin area decreased for the second month in a row, according to a new report from the Austin Board of Realtors.
  The April 2022 showed across a five-county area, home sales declined 6.2% year over year to 3,280 closed sales as the median price rose 19.6% to a new record of $550,000.Active listings jumped 52.5% year over year to 2,763, causing housing inventory to increase by 0.3 months for a total of 0.8 months of inventory, marking the biggest gain
  
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• Power restored after brief outage at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

  17-05-2022 20:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Power was restored to the gates and ticket counters impacted by a brief outage Tuesday afternoon, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport said.
  The airport posted on Twitter that the outage had only impacted gates 16, 17, 18 19 and 21.
  Ticketing operations are also no longer affected after crews restored power to ticket counters on the east side of the airport.The airport said the outage was caused by a tripped circuit. No flights were affected.
  
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• Power outage affecting parts of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

  17-05-2022 20:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — One gate remains without power Tuesday afternoon after Austin-Bergstrom International Airport reported an outage.
  The airport posted on Twitter the outage is only impacting gate 19 now. It shared the other gates that previously had no power — 16, 17, 18 and 21 — are running normally again.
  Ticketing operations are also no longer impacted after crews restored power to ticket counters on the east side of the airport."Thank you for your patience as we work to get o
  
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• Travis County public health declaration to address drug overdoses delayed

  17-05-2022 18:41 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Travis County commissioners pushed a discussion about a public health crisis declaration tied to drug overdoses and overdose deaths until next week.
  Travis County leaders are working to address the drug overdose problem after receiving a startling Travis County Medical Examiner’s 2021 report that showed for the first time in a decade drug overdoses were the leading cause of accidental death in Travis County. Fentanyl was found in more than a third of tho
  
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• Suspect at large, accused of shooting another man in the face after argument

  17-05-2022 18:06 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A man was charged with murder after being accused of shooting another man in the face during an argument Monday evening. The Travis County Sheriff's Office said the suspect is still on the run.A Travis County arrest affidavit shows Michael Arendt, 50, of California, is being charged in the shooting, which occurred around 7:38 p.m. in the 4000 block of Lower Dr. That's near the Bud Dryden Airport.In the affidavit, deputies said they were familiar with the area
  
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• Saharan dust expected to return to Central Texas next week

  17-05-2022 18:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — It's that time of the year again when Saharan dust makes the long 5,000-mile trek all the way from the Saharan desert in Africa and across the Atlantic Ocean. You can see the Saharan dust Tuesday morning is already being carried by the easterly trade winds as far westward as the Caribbean Sea.
  We expect winds to carry moderate concentrations of Saharan dust into Central Texas by next Monday, May 23. This will be our first dust plume of the season. Lower air quality and vibr
  
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• Salado Fire Department warning about rattlesnakes in pool noodles

  17-05-2022 16:26 via kxan.com
  
  SALADO, Texas (KXAN) -- A central Texas volunteer fire department is asking people to keep an eye out for rattlesnakes in pool toys.
  "When someone picked up one of their pool noodles, a large rattlesnake fell out. And they realized later that several baby snakes were still inside," a post from the Salado Volunteer Fire Department originally said. After KXAN reached out, the post was altered to be less specific."There could be snakes in your pool noodles," they changed the post to say.
  The depart
  
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• Salado Fire Department: Family found rattlesnakes in pool noodle

  17-05-2022 16:26 via kxan.com
  
  SALADO, Texas (KXAN) -- A central Texas volunteer fire department is asking people to keep an eye out for rattlesnakes after they say a family found several in a pool noodle.
  "When someone picked up one of their pool noodles, a large rattlesnake fell out. And they realized later that several baby snakes were still inside," a post from the Salado Volunteer Fire Department said.
  The department noted that with temperatures rising, it is common for snakes to look for dark and cool spaces to hide dur
  
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• Texas DPS remembers 3 men who died in line of duty

  17-05-2022 16:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) will remember three men Tuesday who died while in the line of duty.
  The law enforcement agency will hold its 2022 Peace Officers Memorial Service at the DPS headquarters in Austin to honor Texas Highway Patrol Sgt. Paul Mooney, Special Agent Dustin Slovacek and Special Agent Anthony Carlos "AC" Salas.
  According to DPS, Mooney served as a trooper in El Paso County and died in June last year after battling cancer and being hospitali
  
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• LIVE: Texas DPS remembers 3 men who died in line of duty

  17-05-2022 16:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) will remember three men Tuesday who died while in the line of duty.
  The law enforcement agency will hold its 2022 Peace Officers Memorial Service at the DPS headquarters in Austin to honor Texas Highway Patrol Sgt. Paul Mooney, Special Agent Dustin Slovacek and Special Agent Anthony Carlos "AC" Salas.
  According to DPS, Mooney served as a trooper in El Paso County and died in June last year after battling cancer and being hospitali
  
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• Why a Harvard-trained psychologist says parents need to talk to their kids about their mental health

  17-05-2022 16:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The American Academy of Pediatrics declared a national state of emergency in children’s mental health. A study found:More than half of adults (53%) with children under 18 in their household say they are concerned about the mental state of their children.Almost half (48%) say the pandemic has caused mental health problems for one or more of their children, including minor problems for 29% and major problems for 19%.More than a quarter (26%) of parents say they have sou
  
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• Lee County deputy hurt in shootout expected to make full recovery

  17-05-2022 14:35 via kxan.com
  
  LEE COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — The Lee County Sheriff's deputy wounded in a shootout with a suspect last week is expected to make a complete recovery.
  The sheriff's office identified the deputy who was hurt as Criminal Investigations Lieutenant Jordan Mastronardi, saying he's seen "significant improvement in his condition" since the May 10 shooting that took place in Dime Box.ORIGINAL STORY: Lee County deputy shot; suspect killed had prior convictionsLCSO said on Monday, he was moved from the
  
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• Deadly Hutto crash involved current, former grads of Georgetown ISD

  17-05-2022 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  HUTTO, Texas (KXAN) — Three people died Friday night after a collision between a pickup truck and a semi-trailer carrying fuel.
  The City of Hutto said the crash occurred just after 10 p.m. at the intersection of FM 1660 at Chandler Road.When officers arrived, they determined a pickup truck and a semi-trailer truck with a fuel container were involved in the crash. The fuel had spilled onto the roadway as a result, the City of Hutto said.
  Three people died, and another four people were treat
  
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• CTRMA not billing TxTag customers over lack of 'confidence' in data

  17-05-2022 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority has not billed TxTag customers for the past six months because it doesn't "have confidence in the [billing] data," according to CTRMA's top official.The revelation comes following a series of technical problems that continue to plague the Texas Department of Transportation, which operates TxTag. In recent weeks and months, KXAN has heard from dozens of viewers who have complained about issues with TxTag's billing. It's an issue we ha
  
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• Have you seen robots rolling around Austin? If so, they're probably making a delivery

  17-05-2022 13:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Have you seen robots rolling around your neighborhood?If it says "Coco" on the side, it's making a delivery.The company, which started in California, has opened a location in Austin and has brought hundreds of robots to the capital city.Jeremy Shirk, co-owner of Conan's Pizza in south Austin, is one of about 25 companies that is utilizing the new technology."It is new tech, and people are ordering pizza just to get the robot delivery out of here, and it is just exciting for
  
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• TxDOT plans to smooth the ‘dip’ along NB US 183 flyover at NB I-35

  17-05-2022 13:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Sometime next month, the Texas Department of Transportation will shut down the northbound Interstate 35 to northbound U.S. 183 flyover for seven days, so crews can work to smooth out the dip along the flyover.
  TxDOT crews plan to deal with it by removing the concrete, adjusting the bridge joint and then repaving.The dip has been an issue for some drivers who worry it could cause their vehicle issues in the long run. Drivers who travel along the flyover usually slow down in
  
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• Matthew McConaughey believes a word should be removed from dictionary

  17-05-2022 13:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — "Believe it" or not but Matthew McConaughey wants you to stop using a word.The Texas star posted a video on Twitter Monday to voice his dislike for the word "unbelievable" and thinks it should be wiped from the dictionary."We shouldn’t think that the most beautiful sunset or the greatest play or the greatest love of our life or the greatest moment of euphoria is unbelievable. Believe it!" said McConaughey in the video. Emmanuel Acho, Matthew McConaughey host publ
  
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• Ice cream for good behavior? Williamson County considers rewarding kids this summer

  17-05-2022 12:56 via kxan.com
  
  WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — The Williamson County Sheriff's Office could ticket kids this summer for doing the right thing.
  The "Cool Sightation" program rewards kids with free Blue Bell Ice Cream coupons for being safe during the summer.Williamson County to consider ice cream vouchers to reward kids with good behavior (Poster/Wilco)WCSO's Community Affairs Unit will carry the tickets to give out to kids they see wearing helmets, looking both ways before crossing the street, showing
  
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• 21st century road could cover 19th century graves in Jarrell

  17-05-2022 12:46 via kxan.com
  
  JARRELL, Texas (KXAN) — Williamson County commissioners on Tuesday will take up grave digging for the sake of road construction.
  They plan to talk about the Bud Stockton Loop Extension. It would connect County Road 305 to FM 487 next to Jarrell High School.
  According to county documents, a cemetery on this proposed stretch of land has been there since 1886.
  The county is concerned unmarked graves are on the cemetery's east side, so commissioners are expected to approve the mechanical scrap
  
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• Lockhart ISD approves major pay raises

  17-05-2022 12:39 via kxan.com
  
  LOCKHART, Texas (KXAN) — Lockhart ISD trustees passed what they called a historic pay raise for teachers and staff at Monday night’s board meeting.Starting in 2022-23 school year, teachers will get up to 8% in pay raises. Lockhart ISD said it is now one of the highest-paying Central Texas districts for veteran teachers with years of service from any school district. Clerical paraprofessional staff will get up to a 37% increase. Auxiliary staff will get up to a 28% increase. 
  
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• Homeless Strategy Officer apologizes for break-in at Candlewood Suites

  17-05-2022 12:33 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The woman in charge of Austin’s homeless strategy is apologizing after vandals broke into a city-owned hotel that will be converted into transitional housing for the homeless.Dianna Gray, the city’s Homeless Strategy Officer, spoke Monday night during a virtual meeting about the May 5 break-in at the former Candlewood Suites in northwest Austin.“The intent had been to have security on site previous to this event. It had been requested, and there was a dela
  
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• Record heat leading up to late week pattern change

  17-05-2022 12:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Record-rivaling heat continues for the next few days... but a pattern shift brings a welcome change to our forecast late week.Today through Thursday will look and feel very similar - hot and dry with a mix of sun and clouds overhead. Afternoon highs will soar well into the 90s, rivaling daily records.A pattern change takes shape this weekend as a Pacific storm system brings us a chance of rain and a cold front. Of higher certainty at this point are milder high temperatures
  
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• On hold with 911, new pay scale may make problem worse

  17-05-2022 04:58 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Some Austinites are already getting put on hold when dialing 911, data shows, and a manager inside the emergency communications center says the problem could quickly get worse."Our calls are holding a lot longer on 911 and a lot of that has to do with the pay," said Assistant Manager Mayra Toro.Austin 911 answer times slowing amid staffing shortageAccording to call-center data she shared with us, on May 15 between 10 and 11 p.m., 33 people were on hold for at least two minutes.
  
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• Are they out there? House subcommittee to live stream hearing Tuesday on UFOs

  17-05-2022 04:09 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Want to hear what the government knows about the unexplained in our skies? Listen to this Tuesday.At 8 a.m. CDT, a House subcommittee is having an open hearing on "unidentified aerial phenomena," better known as unidentified flying objects, to discuss a matter the U.S. Department of Defense feels is a potential threat to national security. ‘We’re closing in on them’ says UFO expert on Pentagon findingsThe hearing will be streamed live on the House Intellig
  
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• Texas runoff face-off: GOP, Democratic Attorney General candidates vie for Paxton's seat

  17-05-2022 02:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Monday marks the first day of early voting for the May 24 runoff, where Texas voters will choose respective nominees for their party in several key races, including the Attorney General.Voters were split enough in both the Democratic and Republican primaries for Attorney General to force candidates into a runoff. Not a single Republican or Democratic candidate got more than 50% of the vote.Incumbent Ken Paxton faces a challenge from Land Commissioner George P. Bush for t
  
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• Does ERCOT think it will have enough power this summer? Here's what its own report says

  17-05-2022 02:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Following a weekend of hot spring weather and a suggestion that Texans conserve energy, the state's power grid operator, the Energy Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), on Monday released its outlook for the summer.
  ERCOT said according to its Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy (SARA) for summer 2022, the region "is expected to have sufficient installed generating capacity" to serve peak power demands from June through September.The council said due to growth across
  
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• Texas tornado survivor joins TXDOT seatbelt campaign

  17-05-2022 02:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KTAl/KSHV) – The Texas Department of Transportation has enlisted the help of a teen whose truck was caught in a tornado in March to demonstrate the importance of safety belts.‘I survived that’: Meet the Texas teen hit by a tornado in his red truckTxDOT's "Click it or Ticket" campaign will feature Riley Leon, the 16-year-old who gained some viral fame when his pickup truck was tossed around by a tornado in March as he was driving home from a job interview.Red pickup truc
  
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• Neighbors demand more retail at Windsor Park development project

  17-05-2022 02:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — For decades, the Windsor Village Shopping Center in east Austin drew in neighbors such as Rick Krivoniak and Larry Abraham."Windsor Village has been the commercial heart of the Windsor Park neighborhood since 1960,” Krivoniak said."This was the shopping place, and it was nice that you didn't have to get on the freeway and you could walk or bike here,” Abraham added.Now it’s become a ghost town since Houston-based commercial real estate firm Transwestern De
  
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• 'You're behind the curve': Consultant questions Texas CPS' lack of improvement

  17-05-2022 01:09 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar)— A Senate special committee is digging deeper into ways to improve the state's foster care system.Lawmakers were briefed on previous recommendations made in reports several years ago that have not been implemented into the system.Third-party consulting firm, The Stephen Group, issued a report with more than 150 recommendations in 2014.One key suggestion was to give more control at the local level to CPS staff, in order to make it easier for them to do their jobs.John Steph
  
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• Summer forecast: Dropping lake levels could mean water restrictions soon

  17-05-2022 00:45 via kxan.com
  
  (KXAN) — As Austin's hottest May in record-keeping history continues and an unusually dry weather pattern refuses to loosen its grip, Lake Travis is losing more than 600 million gallons of water a day and has now dropped to its lowest level since May 2015.Austin restaurant veteran Greg Winborn put his chef coat back on a month ago to help open Vincent’s On the Lake — a new restaurant at Emerald Point Marina.“They got me out of retirement," Winborn said. "Man, I couldn&rsq
  
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• A Texas-Bama early kick? Looks likely as Fox Sports announces broadcast plans

  17-05-2022 00:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The biggest nonconference game on the Texas Longhorns football schedule next season is probably going to be at the time few will like.Fox Sports announced that it will broadcast the game Sept. 10 against the Alabama Crimson Tide, which means it very well could be the network's "Big Noon Kickoff" featured game and the dreaded early kickoff time at 11 a.m. Takeaways from the Texas Longhorns’ Orange-White gameMatt Leinert, now an analyst for Fox Sports and part of the sh
  
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