Austin news

• Things To Do: Adventuring in Austin with kids

  07-07-2022 23:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Looking for something different to do with your kids this weekend? Here are three unique, kid-friendly adventures in the Austin-area.
  Austin Duck AdventuresYou've probably seen the Austin Duck Adventures tours around town. If you're lucky enough to be standing on the side of the road when one passes, you're likely to get "quacked at,' meaning the folks on board blow into whistle-like duck bills at you.The tours also draw eyes when the bus, which doubles as a large pontoon boat,
  
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• What different bike safety upgrades does Austin use?

  07-07-2022 22:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the Austin Transportation Department's Corridor Program Office continues work on the $720 million 2016 mobility bond, the program is homing in on bike infrastructure upgrades to better connect the city's cycling network.But how does the city decide which corridors receive which updates? The decision is threefold and based on available resources, project timelines and safety, said Laura Dierenfield, division manager with ATD. South Austin neighbor says bike lane curb to b
  
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• Austin airport sets another new record: 2 million passengers in May alone

  07-07-2022 22:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has shattered its record for most passengers ever recorded in a single month, with more than 2 million boarding a plane in May 2022.It marks the first time that passenger totals have topped 2 million. May is also the third month in a row that the airport has reported a new record.A total of 2,021,747 passengers boarded a plane in May, more than 150,000 more than the previous record set in April.May's total is an increase of 83% compare
  
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• Record heat expected this weekend as we bake in Austin's hottest summer on record

  07-07-2022 22:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Another day of triple digit heat expected as Central Texas remains under the influence of a stubborn heat ridge.IN-DEPTH: Day and night temperatures are running the highest fever we have ever observed to date, and we have recorded more 100-degree days to date than ever before at Camp Mabry. Wednesday was Austin's 27th 100-degree day so far this year -- close to Austin's typical total for an entire year.July is also off to its hottest start ever. Even though we've only had six fu
  
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• No devices found on Austin Community College campuses after bomb threat

  07-07-2022 21:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two Austin Community College campuses previously evacuated after a bomb threat have been cleared by police, ACC said on social media Thursday afternoon.Police didn't find devices at either the Round Rock or south Austin campuses, the post read.Classes and activities at the Round Rock campus are canceled for the remainder of Thursday. All other campuses are operating on normal schedules, ACC said.People evacuated from Austin Community College's south campus July 7, 2022 (KXA
  
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• Austin Community College campuses evacuated after threat

  07-07-2022 21:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two Austin Community College campuses have been evacuated Thursday afternoon after a reported threat to the campuses, a campus spokesperson told KXAN.The Round Rock and south Austin campuses were evacuated following reports of a bomb threat at each location. ACC Police are investigating.The Round Rock campus is located near University Boulevard and North A.W. Grimes Boulevard. The south Austin campus is located at Stassney Lane and Menchaca Road.This story will be updated a
  
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• ACC campuses, other Texas colleges evacuated after threat

  07-07-2022 21:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two Austin Community College campuses have been evacuated Thursday afternoon after a reported threat to the campuses, a campus spokesperson told KXAN.The Round Rock and south Austin campuses were evacuated following reports of a bomb threat at each location. ACC Police are investigating.People evacuated from Austin Community College's south campus July 7, 2022 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bynum)People evacuated from Austin Community College's south campus July 7, 2022 (KXAN Photo/Todd
  
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• July 8, 11:15UTC - Will 99% of humans see daylight at the same time?

  07-07-2022 21:32 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- July 8th marks a special day each year. It is the day when the most people on Earth will see daylight at the same time. The event occurs at 11:15 Universal Time (UTC). This is at 6:15am in Austin, which is located in the Central Time zone.The event occurs because of both the Earth's orbit and because of where people live. A widely circulated tweet and reddit post originally reported that 99% of the Earth's population will see daylight at this time last year.According to Time and
  
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• Abbott directs DPS, National Guard to return detained migrants to border

  07-07-2022 21:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Thursday that directs the Texas National Guard and the Texas Department of Public Safety to return detained undocumented immigrants to the border.In a news release, the governor said in a statement, "I have authorized the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety to begin returning illegal immigrants to the border to stop this criminal enterprise endangering our communities. As the challenges on the borde
  
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• State juvenile department pauses intake, says staff shortages hurting 'basic' supervision

  07-07-2022 21:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The Texas Juvenile Justice Department is temporarily halting the intake of committed youth, saying ongoing staffing shortages at its five secure facilities could threaten youth safety.
  In a June 29 letter, TJJD Interim Executive Director Shandra Carter told the Texas Juvenile Probation Chiefs there are concerns about being able to provide adequate supervision for youths and prevent suicidal behaviors."The current risk is that the ongoing secure facility staffing issue wi
  
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• Nearly 400 lawsuits filed against delinquent Travis County property owners

  07-07-2022 20:26 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Travis County Tax Office asked the county attorney to file almost 400 delinquent property tax lawsuits in May.
  Among the lawsuits are 181 personal property, 164 real estate and a few mobile home accounts totaling
  about $6 million in delinquent taxes. Williamson, Hays Counties reveal top 10 list of delinquent taxpayersMore than 19,000 delinquent property tax accounts, totaling about $52 million, were sent to the county attorney to start the foreclosure process.On May 18,
  
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• APH: New subvariants could open door to more long COVID cases

  07-07-2022 20:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — New research out of Britain has reported a higher concentration of long COVID cases linked to last summer's delta wave than this past winter's omicron variant. However, local health officials say the latest subvariants open up the possibility of increased long COVID cases in the future.Research published in The Lancet journal studied more than 56,000 adults in the United Kingdom who contracted the omicron variant as well as more than 41,000 adults in the U.K. who tested pos
  
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• 1 teen killed in Williamson County shooting, another injured

  07-07-2022 19:52 via kxan.com
  
  WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Williamson County deputies are investigating after two teens were found shot Wednesday night, and one of them died.
  The Williamson County Sheriff's Office said around 10:30 p.m., there was a 911 call about a shooting in the southeastern portion of the county, outside of Pflugerville.
  When deputies arrived on scene, they found a 15-year-old boy who was shot. His injuries were not threatening his life, WCSO said.
  About 10 minutes later, deputies got informat
  
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• Austin airport to get $15 million from Biden's infrastructure law for expansion

  07-07-2022 19:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is set to receive an additional $15 million for phase two of its much-needed expansion.
  It's part of the Biden administration's $1 billion bipartisan infrastructure law. The money will funnel to 85 airports in the country, including the Austin airport, to modernize and expand terminals and increase energy efficiency, among other projects.MAPS: Austin airport restaurants with brick-and-mortar locations in the cityFor AUS specifically, t
  
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• Texas Politics Poll: Abbott leading race against Beto by narrow 6 points

  07-07-2022 18:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) — Previously leading by 15 points, Governor Greg Abbott's lead over Beto O'Rourke in the race for governor gets smaller.
  This is according to the latest poll results from the University of Texas Austin, Texas Politics Project.45 percent of Texans surveyed favor Abbott over O'Rourke. 39 percent said they're likely to vote for O'Rourke. 10 percent said they haven't thought about it enough to have an opinion.
  Looking more in-depth to polling results, 77 percent lead more
  
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• Did you know? There's a go-kart track at COTA and you can go

  07-07-2022 16:34 via kxan.com
  
  COTA Go-Karts9201 Circuit of the Americas Blvd.
  $35 and up
  M & T 5-10 p.m. | W-Sun. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.AUSTIN (KXAN) — If you enter Circuit of the Americas from the Austin-side, you may not immediately see the go-kart track nestled into the complex. Turns out, it's not just the pros racing at COTA."Our carts do go up to 55 mph, so they go pretty fast," Itzel Lopez, the karting manager at COTA, said as she explained how the track just underwent some changes, which make the straightaway one
  
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• Travis County jury finds man guilty of sexual assault of a child

  07-07-2022 16:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man was found guilty for two counts of sexual assault of a child on Tuesday, the Travis County District Attorney's Office said.
  Arthur Davis, 44, was arrested back in March 2020 in connection with the incident, which took place in August 2019, according to the DA's office.Man pleads guilty to 2020 deadly drive-by shooting in southeast AustinDavis' trial began with jury selection on June 27. Testimonies began on June 29, and jury deliberations started on July 1. The jury t
  
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• Man pleads guilty to 2020 deadly drive-by shooting in southeast Austin

  07-07-2022 16:09 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Late last month, a man pleaded guilty to a deadly drive-by shooting that happened in southeast Austin in March 2020.The Travis County District Attorney's Office said Francisco Javier Llanas, 20, will be sentenced in August.
  He shot and killed Oscar Manuel San Juan Jaimes, 19, in the 2200 block of East Stassney Lane on March 13, 2020. Llanas was 17 years old at the time.PAST STORY: 17-year-old arrested in connection with fatal south Austin drive-by shootin
  
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• Record-breaking heat may break your phone

  07-07-2022 15:26 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Your cell phone may be in danger thanks to what may turn out to be the hottest summer on record. The extreme heat can cause damage to your phone, drain your battery or maybe even brick it. Meteorologist Nick Bannin spoke with Luis Silva from AT&T about why the heat is so bad for your phone and what to do if it overheats (hint: don't put it in the freezer).
  NICK BANNIN, METEROLOGIST: It's the time of year where people get that somewhat annoying alert on their phone that
  
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• U.S. Marshals to provide more details on Kaitlin Armstrong's capture

  07-07-2022 14:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — U.S. Marshals will give more details Thursday afternoon on how they caught murder suspect Kaitlin Armstrong after she fled the country.
  Armstrong, 34, is accused of shooting and killing world class cyclist Moriah "Mo" Wilson in mid-May in east Austin. Investigators discovered Armstrong used a fraudulent passport to fly from Newark, New Jersey to Costa Rica just one week after the murder. That's where she was found on June 29, U.S. Marshals said.MORE: Kaitlin Armstrong captu
  
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• LIVE: US Marshals to provide more details on Kaitlin Armstrong's capture

  07-07-2022 14:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — U.S. Marshals will give more details Thursday afternoon on how they caught murder suspect Kaitlin Armstrong after she fled the country.
  Armstrong, 34, is accused of shooting and killing world class cyclist Moriah "Mo" Wilson in mid-May in east Austin. Investigators discovered Armstrong used a fraudulent passport to fly from Newark, New Jersey to Costa Rica just one week after the murder. That's where she was found on June 29, U.S. Marshals said.MORE: Kaitlin Armstrong captu
  
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• How Austin murder suspect Kaitlin Armstrong tried to hide from authorities

  07-07-2022 14:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Murder suspect Kaitlin Armstrong fled the country using the passport of someone "closely associated" to her on May 18. Armstrong attempted to hide her identity with fake names and by changing her appearance, the U.S. Marshals said Thursday at a press conference.U.S. Marshals provided more details Thursday afternoon on how they caught Armstrong, ending a 43-day search for the woman connected to the deadly shooting of a professional cyclist in east Austin. MORE: Kaitlin Armst
  
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• Staying at a Vrbo or Airbnb? What to know about security cameras

  07-07-2022 13:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Travis County couple is suing two homeowners, alleging they were spying on the couple through an undisclosed camera in the bedroom of their vacation rental.
  A civil lawsuit was filed Tuesday. The couple rented the vacation property in Comfort, Texas in August 2020.Lawsuit: Camera found inside Texas Vrbo rental property bedroom, homeowners suedThe lawsuit alleges the camera recorded them undressing and in other "intimate and private moments." Last November, Kendall County
  
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• Police: Man shot, injured in downtown Austin

  07-07-2022 12:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department said no one is in custody after a man was shot in downtown Austin Thursday morning.
  Police said the shooting took place at a parking lot in the 400 block of East Seventh Street.Officers heard gunfire in the area at 2:10 a.m., and when they tried to track down the location of the shots, they were flagged down by the occupants of a car, APD said.
  Austin Police said the man was in the car when he was shot. He was a passenger. Austin-Travis County EMS to
  
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• Power outage in Lago Vista

  07-07-2022 12:16 via kxan.com
  
  LAGO VISTA, Texas (KXAN) — Lago Vista Police said power is out Thursday morning for some Pedernales Electric Cooperative customers near the Highland Lakes area.
  Police tweeted at 2:17 a.m. the power was out for customers living near Boggy Ford Road and Highland Lake Drive.
  They asked if you lost power to not call 911 to report the outage.
  According to PEC's website, the outage impacted 26 meters and should be restored by 4:45 a.m.
  
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• Dangerous heat expected late week into weekend

  07-07-2022 12:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Another day of triple digit heat expected as Central Texas remains under the influence of a stubborn heat ridge.IN-DEPTH: Day and night temperatures are running the highest fever we have ever observed to date, and we have recorded more 100-degree days to date than ever before at Camp Mabry. Wednesday was Austin's 27th 100-degree day so far this year -- close to Austin's typical total for an entire year.Hot, dry and mainly sunny conditions continue areawide today through the week
  
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• 125 pets adopted at 'Keep Austin Dogs Weird' event

  07-07-2022 05:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- In anticipation of the Fourth of July holiday, five animal shelters in Central Texas hosted a joint adoption event Saturday. A total of 125 animals were adopted.The initiative was called “Keep Austin Dogs Weird”  and included Austin Pets Alive!, Austin Animal Center, Austin Humane Society, Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter and Georgetown Animal Shelter.Concerns were raised since overcrowded shelters and record-breaking temperatures were creatin
  
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• Family files lawsuit against City of Austin after 2021 deadly police shooting

  07-07-2022 04:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On Wednesday, the parents of Alex Gonzales, Jr., a man shot and killed by two Austin Police Department officers in January 2021, filed a lawsuit against the City of Austin.Records showed the lawsuit was about Austin police officers Luis Serrato and Gabriel Gutierrez and the policies and practices of the City of Austin that causedGonzales' death. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ‘Don’t reach! Don’t reach!’ Austin police release video showing officer shooting, killing ma
  
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• Austin Community College District proposes employee pay raise

  07-07-2022 03:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Community College District proposed a plan to increase its employees’ salaries for the 2023 fiscal year Wednesday. It said the plan was meant to help its workers with rising living costs in Austin.The proposal came soon after ACC staff members urged the board of trustees to increase their pay at a board meeting in June.While some staff members were hoping for at least a 10% increase for everyone, the new budget will give at least half of the empl
  
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• ACC proposes employee pay raise

  07-07-2022 03:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Community College District proposed a plan to increase their employees’ salaries for the 2023 fiscal year Wednesday. It said the plan was meant to help their employees with the rising living costs in Austin.The proposal came soon after ACC staff members urged the board of trustees to increase their pay at a board meeting in June.While some staff members were hoping for at least a 10% increase for everyone, the new budget will give at least half o
  
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• Hotel Ella to quadruple in size, add high-end amenities in $100M-plus renovation plan

  07-07-2022 00:36 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (ABJ) -- Rex LLC plans a massive expansion of the historic Hotel Ella in Central Austin that will quadruple the number of guest rooms and add a flurry of amenities.The real estate and technology company plans to add an anchor fine dining restaurant of "Paris-level quality," a cigar and scotch bar and a basement wine bar, according to founder and CEO Peter Rex. He aims to deliver a high-end environment where Austinites can "scratch a different kind of itch."A rooftop garden and substa
  
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• Is COVID-19 impacting staffing for our first responders?

  07-07-2022 00:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — With COVID-19 cases rising around Central Texas, KXAN wanted to know how it's impacting our local first responders.When there's an emergency, we depend on our first responders, but with COVID-19 cases rising, some departments are seeing a rise in people calling out."Our paramedics are part of the community, so we are seeing more cases among our staff also," said Mike Knipstein, director of Williamson County EMS.Currently, Williamson County EMS has six people out with COVID-
  
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