Austin news

• Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer District hits critical drought level for the 1st time since 2013

  20-10-2022 23:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer District hit a critical drought, or stage three, level for the first time in nine years.
  The critical drought declaration was made on Thursday after one of the District's drought triggers, Lovelady Monitory Well, passed below its Critical Drought trigger Monday. Salamanders in Pedernales River may be put on federal endangered species listOnly one of the District's two drought triggers, which are Lovelady Monitor Well and Barton Springs, needs t
  
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• How police tracked down mother, daughter suspected of robbing 4 victims in Austin

  20-10-2022 23:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Stopping to buy something at a popular Bastrop rest stop ultimately helped police track down a woman and her daughter wanted for a series of Austin robberies, according to newly-obtained court records.
  Arrest warrant affidavits filed in September detailed the lengthy investigations into why Sharon Jacobs and her daughter Tamiya Jacobs are each facing charges in Austin of robbery and credit card or debit card abuse. The two are currently in custody out of state, though: Shar
  
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• Central Texas school districts begin receiving, distributing DNA identification kits

  20-10-2022 23:29 via kxan.com
  
  CENTRAL TEXAS (KXAN) – Many school districts in Central Texas have begun receiving and distributing DNA identification kits from the Texas Education Agency.The kits are meant to help parents identify their kids “in case of an emergency.” RELATED: Texas school DNA kits for students not sent in response to Uvalde shootingLake Travis ISD said the DNA test kits were picked up by a district administrator in late September. The district said the kits were then delivered to each eleme
  
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• Formula 1 Austin: Which music artists are performing race weekend?

  20-10-2022 23:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Formula 1 fans are revving their engines as they head into Austin this weekend, but the excitement isn't just limited to the race track. As the United States Grand Prix returns to the Circuit of The Americas, here's a look at all the artists performing in Austin to commemorate the 3-day event.Headliners: Green Day, Ed SheeranGrammy Award-winning artists Green Day and Ed Sheeran will perform at the Circuit of The America's Germania Insurance Super Stage as part of a 20+band
  
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• Warming trend accelerates this weekend as humidity and gusty winds return

  20-10-2022 22:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Our period of cooler than normal fall weather is ending as gusty south winds transport humidity and near-record heat into our area for Formula 1 weekend.Sunshine and low humidity sticks around for one more day Friday, then gusty south winds transport muggy air into Central Texas this weekend. High temperatures reach or top 90 degrees Saturday and Sunday in the Austin area, leading to a sweaty Formula 1 race and Austin FC playoff game.Strong winds will be noticeable during your o
  
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• How to get to Formula 1 Grand Prix this weekend

  20-10-2022 22:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Formula 1 United States Grand Prix returns to Austin's Circuit of the Americas this weekend, and hundreds of thousands of motor racing enthusiasts are expected to travel in for the races. A record-breaking 400,000 fans attended last year's race weekend.Here's a breakdown on how to get to and from COTA this weekend.Shuttle services to COTACOTA will operate shuttle services to the races this weekend, with pickup and drop off services at three locations throughout Austin.
  
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• Thousands of dollars stolen in north Austin jugging incident

  20-10-2022 19:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An arrest warrant was filed Tuesday for a man accused of participating in a north Austin jugging incident, according to the Austin Police Department.Davonte Ward, 28, was charged with engaging in organized criminal activity—a first-degree felony.According to the arrest warrant, a man withdrew “several thousand dollars cash” from a bank in the 8600 block of Research Boulevard on Sept. 9.After leaving the bank, the man went to his apartment in the 7200 block
  
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• More than 14K TCAD property tax exemption applications not processed in 'timely' manner

  20-10-2022 19:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Travis Central Appraisal District normally says the process to get an exemption on your property taxes can take up to 90 days. Data obtained by KXAN shows nearly half of the applications for reduced property taxes took longer to be processed.Peggy McArthur, who has lived in the same north Austin home for 42 years, had her exemptions removed when she took her recently deceased husband's name off her deed. It is a common practice in Texas appraisal districts when a deed i
  
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• 'I really wanted to kill her.' Anonymous phone calls from tipsters who knew Armstrong played in court

  20-10-2022 19:32 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — At a pretrial hearing on Wednesday for Kaitlin Armstrong, 34, phone call recordings from the investigation of Moriah Wilson’s murder were played, revealing new information about the case. The hearing Wednesday was procedural and focused on the arrest warrant filed by Richard Spitler, the lead homicide detective on Wilson’s murder case. But to examine whether any foul play occurred while writing the document, conversations between detectives investigating Wi
  
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• Cedar Park Police to roll out mental health unit

  20-10-2022 19:18 via kxan.com
  
  CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) — The Cedar Park Police Department and Bluebonnet Trails Community Services are partnering to form the department’s own mental health unit. This is to better assist an increased number of mental health calls. Chief of Police Michael Harmon said since 2018 the department has seen an increase in calls from people experiencing a mental health crisis. Harmon said finding resources for those callers will now fall to a dedicated unit of officers and two m
  
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• Cuomo, Ye discuss star's antisemitic remarks: Full interview

  20-10-2022 18:35 via kxan.com
  
  (NewsNation) — Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, doubled down on his recent controversial comments during a Monday appearance on “CUOMO,” saying he doesn't “believe in” the term antisemitic and that the music industry today is “modern day slavery.”Twitter and Instagram previously suspended Ye after he posted threatening comments about Jewish people on the social media platforms. Cuomo questioned Ye if it's possible that his words violated the apps' guide
  
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• Winter forecast released by NOAA: What to expect in Central Texas

  20-10-2022 17:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Thursday morning NOAA released their Winter 2022-2023 forecast and it paints a familiar picture for Central Texas.The influence of La Niña is expected to continue for the third winter (December-February) in a row resulting in a higher likelihood of a warmer and drier period ahead during our coldest months of the year. As we dive into later, not all La Niña winters have followed the warmer and drier than normal pattern.La Niña winter now 75% likely: Here's wh
  
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• 'Redend Point': Sherwin-Williams names Color of the Year for 2023

  20-10-2022 17:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Minimal, calming, intriguing.That's how popular paint retailer Sherwin-Williams describes its Color of the Year for 2023.Redend Point "creates a comforting backdrop for the everyday moments that matter," according to the Sherwin-Williams website. The color is referred to as "minimal yet cozy.""It is a heartening hue that invites compassion and connection into any space," said Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams. "The color is a natural choice for tho
  
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• Uvalde school officials approve superintendent’s retirement, name interim leader

  20-10-2022 16:53 via kxan.com
  
  UVALDE, Texas (Texas Tribune) — The Uvalde school board approved the terms of Superintendent Hal Harrell’s retirement Wednesday, but did not disclose any details of his exit as leader of a school district still reeling from the worst school shooting in Texas history.When voting on the retirement terms, trustees referred to discussions that happened behind closed doors during an executive session that lasted hours. Trustees then quickly announced that Gary Patterson would be the inter
  
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• NOAA releases winter weather outlook: How La Niña will impact Texas

  20-10-2022 16:09 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – The Climate Prediction Center's official winter forecast has been released, and it splits the country in two: hot and dry down south, and a mystery up north.
  The 90-day-outlook was published Thursday morning by the Climate Prediction Center, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Weather Service. It gives people a rough idea of what November, December and January will look like across the country.Why a triple-dip La Niña could be ba
  
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• Take a photo with this Red Bull F1 racecar at the Austin airport

  20-10-2022 15:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — With the U.S. Grand Prix in town this weekend at the Circuit of Americas, Red Bull Racing and the Austin airport teamed up to welcome attendees flying into the city in style.
  A Red Bull Formula One racecar is being displayed in full glory at baggage claim.
  "Come take a photo with the car before it zooms off," the airport wrote on social media Wednesday. AUS didn't specify how long the car will be there.UT students try out mock pit stop to win F1 ticketsAUS said it's providi
  
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• UT students try out mock pit stop to win F1 tickets

  20-10-2022 15:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Excitement is building for this weekend's U.S. Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas. Red Bull paid a visit to the University of Texas at Austin's campus Wednesday to give students a chance to win Formula 1 tickets.
  The company hosted "The Red Bull Pit Stop Challenge" at GLT Plaza where students tried to perform an adapted "pit stop" for the tickets as well as Red Bull Racing gear.COTA holds student competition for free F1 tickets"It's basically how fast you can change
  
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• Austin area to have 2nd-fastest growing economy in US this year

  20-10-2022 15:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin area is expected to have the second-fastest growing economy in the U.S. in 2022, trailing only San Francisco.Central Texas is projected to see economic growth of 4.3% this year, according to a new report from the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School. After San Francisco and Austin, Seattle, Raleigh and Dallas round out the top five in terms of what the report calls GDP growth but others
  
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• Motorcyclist dead after crash on south Austin flyover

  20-10-2022 13:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A motorcyclist is dead after a crash at Interstate 35 and East Ben White Boulevard in south Austin early Thursday morning.
  Austin-Travis County EMS said the crash happened on the I-35 northbound to E. Ben White eastbound ramp just before 1:15 a.m.
  The motorcyclist was ejected off the flyover, according to ATCEMS. The Austin Police Department also confirmed the man fell over the edge.EMS: Person hit, killed in hit-and-run on East Oltorf near I-35The motorcyclist was pronounc
  
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• SH 71 at Pope Bend Road in Bastrop County closed in both directions due to crash

  20-10-2022 12:55 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — State Highway 71 just east of Pope Bend Road is closed in both directions due to a crash, the Texas Department of Transportation tweeted Thursday morning.
  That area is near Cedar Creek High School.
  Westbound traffic is being allowed to drive on the eastbound lanes of the highway, while eastbound traffic is being directed to use Union Chapel Road.
  The TxDOT closure map expects the highway to open back up at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.This is a developing story; stick
  
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• Uncomfortable autumn heat, wind and humidity into weekend

  20-10-2022 12:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After a brief taste of fall this week, we're back to warmer temperatures and rising humidity heading into the weekend.Dry skies, sunshine and southerly winds will bring a noticeable change in weather today with afternoon highs warming well into the 80s. The warm up continues into the weekend with low 90s expected Saturday and Sunday.The winds will also be a factor with breezy to windy conditions expected Friday through Monday. South winds will reach sustained speeds of 10-20 MPH
  
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• Too warm and too dry

  20-10-2022 12:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The day dawned sunny with lows in the 40s and 50s. Austin-Camp Mabry's low was 50°. One of the coldest lows was 41° at Llano.After Tuesday and Wednesday saw highs below normal it's back to business as normal with highs above the normal of 81°.No autumn feel this afternoonStrong winds will affect the area Friday through Sunday so if you are going to any or all of the F1 US Grand Prix, you should plan for that in addition to the warm temperatures.
  Winds will be strong
  
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• Austin 911 problems persist, what's working in other cities?

  20-10-2022 05:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin City Council members plan to discuss 911 staffing issues during a work session next week. In the meantime, KXAN looked at 911 operations in other areas.San Antonio police added about 100 new call-takers between 2017 and 2018 following a study commissioned by the city that confirmed more staff members were needed.
  That move helped improve call-answer times from eight seconds to one second. Today, police tell us those 100 positions still exist, though there has been turnove
  
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• Victim of hit-and-run on East Oltorf near I-35 identified

  20-10-2022 04:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Police identified the victim of a fatal auto-pedestrian hit-and-run collision near the intersection of South I-35 service road and East Oltorf Street.Austin-Travis County EMS and the Austin Fire Department responded to the scene Wednesday night, shortly before 9:30 p.m., in the 1600 block of E. Oltorf St., right near the I-35 service road.The victim was identified as Doris Pitsenberger, 76. Preliminary investigation from the Austin Police Department showed that Pitsenberg
  
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• EMS: Person hit, killed in hit-and-run on East Oltorf near I-35

  20-10-2022 04:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- First responders are on the scene of a fatal auto-pedestrian hit-and-run collision near the intersection of South I-35 Service Road and East Oltorf Street.Austin-Travis County EMS and the Austin Fire Department responded to the scene, in the 1600 block of E. Oltorf St., right near the I-35 Service Road.ATCEMS tweeted that the person who was hit was pronounced dead on the scene. In an earlier tweet, ATCEMS said that the person who was unconscious and CPR was in progress.The Austi
  
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• EMS: Person hit, killed by car at I-35 Service Road, E. Oltorf

  20-10-2022 04:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- First-responders are on the scene of a fatal auto-pedestrian collision at the intersection of South I-35 Service Road and East Oltorf Street.Austin-Travis County EMS and the Austin Fire Department responded to the scene. ATCEMS tweeted that the person who was hit was pronounced dead on the scene.
  In an earlier tweet, ATCEMS said that the person who was unconscious and CPR was in progress.Drivers should expect traffic delays in the area and choose alternate routes if possible.
  KX
  
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• Surf park development planned for southeast Austin

  20-10-2022 04:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Developers are planning to bring a 400-acre surf park to Austin, near the airport, relatively soon. They say groundbreaking could happen as soon as next year.
  Surf Lakes signed a territory agreement with Austin for the park, and has also secured zoning, water, and wastewater entitlements, according to a press release. The release says groundbreaking could be as early as mid-2023.
  The website calls the project the biggest surf park development on the planet. It'll be a 400-acre c
  
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• Florence ISD students released early after threat

  20-10-2022 02:59 via kxan.com
  
  FLORENCE, Texas (KXAN) — Florence ISD students were released from school early Wednesday afternoon after a threat was made to students and staff, a district release states.District administration said in the release it "immediately engaged in a coordinated investigation with [the] Florence Police Department to determine the credibility of the threat." Florida mother, daughter arrested after downtown Austin druggings, robberiesThe district wrote there is "no indication" that students or sta
  
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• Texas school DNA kits for students not sent in response to Uvalde shooting

  20-10-2022 01:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) —  Students across Texas this week are starting to bring home DNA identification kits for helping parents identify their kids "in case of an emergency."
  In 2021, Texas lawmakers passed Senate Bill 2158, which requires the Texas Education Agency to “provide identification kits to school districts and open-enrollment charter schools for distribution to the parent or legal custodian of certain students.”The Texas Education Agency is providing ink-free fi
  
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• Marijuana cases, cite and release numbers low in Williamson County

  20-10-2022 01:37 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — Since its breakout in 2017, only 230 cite and release citations have been given in Williamson County. The number of local marijuana arrests filed with the county has also nearly vanished, with that number for 2022 trickling in at only 3.Corby Holcomb, the first attorney for the Williamson County Attorney's Office, said 'cite and release' legislation was passed in Texas back in 2007, but the county wouldn't be approached by a police department about issuing citati
  
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• America's newest national park designated for Blackwell School site in West Texas

  20-10-2022 01:37 via kxan.com
  
  MARFA, Texas (KXAN) — Another part of Texas has been added to the National Park System.
  President Biden on Tuesday signed an act designating the Blackwell School site in Marfa, Texas as the newest national park. The designation will permanently protect the site for future generations and help keep its history alive. Script to Screen: Matthew McConaughey UT class to study commercialsBlackwell School tells the story of Texas school districts that established separate elementary schools
  
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• Austin woman charged with murder in cyclist's death appears in court

  20-10-2022 01:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin woman, accused of shooting and killing professional cyclist Moriah Wilson at an east Austin home in May, appeared in court Wednesday during a pre-trial hearing.Police said Kaitlin Armstrong, 34, shot Wilson in May and left the country shortly after the incident. Authorities spent 43 days searching for the woman they believed was connected to the deadly shooting. Kaitlin Armstrong pleads not guilty; attorneys request speedy trialOn May 14, Armstrong flew from
  
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• Warrants issued for Florida mother, daughter after downtown Austin druggings, robberies

  20-10-2022 01:03 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: This story has been updated to clarify the suspects were arrested out of state.
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Two women from Florida are wanted in Austin after robbing more than $55,000 from multiple victims in downtown Austin, according to the Austin Police Department Robbery Unit. They were arrested outside of Texas.
  Image of Sharon Jacobs Booking photo: Bay County Florida Sheriff’s Office/Austin PoliceAPD said Sharon Jacobs, 44, and her daughter, Tamiya Jacobs, 23, posed as fake
  
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• Warrants issued for 2 women after downtown Austin druggings, robberies

  20-10-2022 01:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Two women from Florida are wanted in Austin after robbing more than $55,000 from multiple victims in downtown Austin, according to the Austin Police Department Robbery Unit.Image of Sharon Jacobs (APD photo)APD said Sharon Jacobs, 44, and her daughter, Tamiya Jacobs, 23, posed as fake rideshare drivers and targeted the victims in the downtown Austin area.According to a release, the victims were drugged with over-the-counter sleep medication, and their credit cards and cell
  
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• Florida mother, daughter arrested after downtown Austin druggings, robberies

  20-10-2022 01:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Two women from Florida are wanted in Austin after robbing more than $55,000 from multiple victims in downtown Austin, according to the Austin Police Department Robbery Unit.Image of Sharon Jacobs (APD photo)APD said Sharon Jacobs, 44, and her daughter, Tamiya Jacobs, 23, posed as fake rideshare drivers and targeted the victims in the downtown Austin area.According to a release, the victims were drugged with over-the-counter sleep medication, and their credit cards and cell
  
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• Hays County fire department severely understaffed, average of 3 firefighters per shift

  20-10-2022 00:49 via kxan.com
  
  HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — South Hays Fire & Rescue, the last 100% volunteer department left in Hays County, is struggling right now due to fewer volunteer firefighters, with two of its stations currently left unstaffed.
  Austin Williams has volunteered with South Hays for 9 months now. He said, on average, there are only two to three firefighters per day, leaving some stations out of service."As a whole, South Hays Fire Department is uncovered 82% of the time with less than a three ma
  
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• Austin ISD, Austin Public Health and Ascension Seton warn of worse than normal flu season

  20-10-2022 00:36 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — This year's flu season is expected to hit harder than previous years, and Austin ISD confirms that the virus is already in area schools. Austin pharmacist says prescriptions reflect an earlier flu seasonAlana Bejarano, AISD's director of health services, says that the district lacks exact numbers for the flu, as guardians don't always provide the schools with diagnosis information."We've only had a couple confirmed because parents bring us a doctor's diagnosis. We try to te
  
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• Austin ISD: Meet the Board of Trustees candidates

  20-10-2022 00:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees is made up of seven single-member districts with two at-large positions. This year, districts one, four, six, and seven and the trustee at-large for position nine are open. District seven only has one candidate running.If elected, board members will be in charge of choosing the next superintendent, setting district policies and voting on a budget; they may call for a bond or tax rate election.AISD has provided a map o
  
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• AISD: Meet the Board of Trustees candidates

  20-10-2022 00:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Independent School District board of trustees is made up of seven single-member districts with two at large positions. This year, districts 1, 4, 6, and 7 and the trustee at-large for position 9 are open. District 7 only has one candidate running.If elected, board members will be in charge of choosing the next superintendent, setting district policies, and voting on a budget and they may call for a bond or tax rate election.AISD has provided a map of each district on
  
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• Deputy shot in Milam County, suspect killed

  20-10-2022 00:07 via kxan.com
  
  ROCKDALE, Texas (KXAN) -- A deputy with the Milam County Sheriff's Office is being treated after he was shot Wednesday afternoon in Rockdale, according to authorities in the county.
  The sheriff's office said the deputy was shot several times, and the suspect who shot him is dead. It's unclear how the suspect died.The Rockdale Police Chief, Jerry Meadows, said the deputy is in stable condition.Rockdale is located northeast of Williamson County.KXAN will update this story when more information is
  
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• Deputy shot in Milam County during mental health call, suspect killed

  20-10-2022 00:07 via kxan.com
  
  ROCKDALE, Texas (KXAN) — A deputy with the Milam County Sheriff's Office is being treated after he was shot several times Wednesday afternoon while conducting a mental health assessment, according to authorities in the county.
  Samuel Ferguson IV, a mental health deputy, was working with the Central Counties Services’ Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (MCOT) to conduct a mental health assessment on a person who was experiencing a mental health crisis, according to a press release from the s
  
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