Austin news

• Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick prioritizing grid reliability, property tax relief, border security for 88th legislative session

  30-11-2022 23:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick talked Wednesday at a press conference about the upcoming Legislative Session, and what Texans can expect of the next four years after the midterm elections.
  Patrick held the press conference Wednesday afternoon at the State Capitol in Austin. He did not say what the topic of the press conference was beforehand, but he said at the conference he called it to talk about Wednesday's vote at the Legislative Budget Board Meeting and lay out a vis
  
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• What is the white paper revolution?

  30-11-2022 23:27 via kxan.com
  
  Chinese protesters have turned to a uniquely plain everyday object in their demonstrations against the strict “zero COVID” strategy — a blank sheet of paper.As mass demonstrations first erupted in major cities across China last weekend, protesters could be seen holding up the blank sheets of white paper, leading some to dub the protests the “white paper revolution” or the “A4 revolution” for the size of the standard sheet.The so-called “white paper
  
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• 911 caller: Man banged on windshield with knife after east Austin hit-and-run

  30-11-2022 23:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – An Austin man was arrested and charged Monday in connection to an east Austin incident after a 911 caller said the man was on the hood of the caller’s car and banging on the windshield with a knife.When officers arrived at the scene in the 3400 block of Ed Bluestein Boulevard, theyr said 42-year-old James Lawrence Palmer was standing next to his vehicle, which had crashed into a tree.KXAN reached out to Palmer’s attorney. This article will be updated when we rec
  
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• Celia Israel refutes PAC ads targeting her history with housing, victim compensation bill

  30-11-2022 22:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Celia Israel is calling on Kirk Watson to denounce the Stand Together Austin Political Action Committee after two campaign ads were released the week prior to early voting. How to watch the Austin mayoral debate on KXANThe ads look at Israel's history with housing and opposition to a 2021 victim compensation bill that never made the floor. The ads are being scrutinized, even by people who helped pay for them.
  House Bill 4471One of the ads references Israel's remarks on HB-4471.
  
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• Austin man devotes his life to helping the unhoused and their pups

  30-11-2022 22:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Through a program he started at the Austin Animal Center (AAC), Brendan Gemmell has made contact with thousands of people experiencing homelessness in the area and distributed over 20,000 basic pet supplies for their animals. Roughly three years ago, Gemmell realized the AAC was having trouble connecting with Austin’s unhoused community.  Austin Animal Center restricts animal intake due to overcapacity issues“Typically, people unhoused and experiencing home
  
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• No bomb found after Sycamore Springs Elementary, Middle School evacuations

  30-11-2022 21:39 via kxan.com
  
  DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas (KXAN) – No threat was found after law enforcement descended upon Dripping Spring schools to investigate a bomb threat reported Wednesday. Sycamore Springs Elementary and Middle School students in Dripping Springs ISD were evacuated.The district said in an initial message the students were safe but asked parents not to come to the schools. At 3:05 p.m. it confirmed law enforcement had given an "All-Clear."
  According to a statement to parents from DSISD’s super
  
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• Bomb threat leads to Sycamore Springs Elementary, Middle School evacuations

  30-11-2022 21:39 via kxan.com
  
  DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas (KXAN) – Sycamore Springs Elementary and Middle School students in Dripping Springs ISD were evacuated after a bomb threat was reported Wednesday.The district said the students were safe but asked parents not to come to the schools.According to a statement to parents from DSISD’s superintendent, a written message was discovered on a bathroom stall on the elementary side indicating there was a bomb on campus.“Law enforcement was immediately called, and ou
  
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• Catalytic converters stolen from El Paso school buses, other vehicles during break

  30-11-2022 21:11 via kxan.com
  
  EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) -- The Monday after the Thanksgiving break, bus drivers for the Region 19 Head Start Program came to work only to find their buses making some strange noises.
  Buses with stolen catalytic convertersIt was later they discovered that 28 catalytic converters had been stolen from buses and other Region 19 vehicles during the holiday break out of the Northeast El Paso lot.
  Surveillance video shows two men walking on the property, and holes could be seen where a back fence of the
  
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• Girl abandoned at Mojave Desert gas station after dad allegedly beat mom to death, sheriff says

  30-11-2022 20:55 via kxan.com
  
  SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. (KTLA) - A 12-year-old girl was abandoned at a Shell gas station the Mojave National Preserve Friday night after her father fatally beat her mother, then hurt himself, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department announced.The girl walked into the store on Cima Road at about 11:45 p.m. and told employees that she needed help. When deputies arrived, she informed them that her father, Jesus Jaimes-Rosas, beat her mother, Sonia Flores, and left her on the side of the
  
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• How likely is it to win a lawsuit against a gun seller or manufacturer after a mass shooting?

  30-11-2022 20:32 via kxan.com
  
  UVALDE, Texas (Nexstar) — Uvalde families who are enduring the trauma of surviving the Robb Elementary School shooting filed a $27 billion class action lawsuit on Wednesday.
  According to Charles Bonner, who is representing the families, they're seeking damages for the psychological trauma the shooting has caused.
  "Surviving children report nightmares of the shooting, seeing bodies, threatening suicide, feeling like they are having heart attacks, severe anxiety to leave the house or be out
  
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• Adler: Next mayor should 'laser focus' on housing, affordability

  30-11-2022 19:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A day before the Austin mayoral candidates debate, Mayor Steve Adler is not sharing which person he thinks should succeed him in office. However, he said either Celia Israel or Kirk Watson should "laser focus" on addressing housing and affordability concerns.
  "We can't lose the people, the diversity that creates the friction, that creates the innovation in our community," Adler said during an interview Wednesday with KXAN. "We have to preserve all kinds of people, or we'll
  
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• Texas Diaper Bank demands have soared. How 1 state bill could provide relief

  30-11-2022 19:46 via kxan.com
  
  CENTRAL TEXAS (KXAN) — A new bill filed by State. Rep Donna Howard earlier this month could remove sales taxes on both child and adult diapers — a measure, one state diaper bank said, that could have significant impacts on their customers as well as their day-to-day operations.Jorge Medina serves as CEO of the Texas Diaper Bank, based out of San Antonio. As of mid-2022, the organization had distributed 873,000 diapers, nearly 103,000 incontinence products and more than 41,000 menstru
  
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• Inside the future of NIL and how Longhorns stack up

  30-11-2022 18:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In June 2021, the NCAA adopted rules that allows student-athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness which has sent shockwaves around the collegiate landscape. The rule, which went into effect on July 1, 2021 is broadly referred to now as the acronym, "NIL."Athletes from any sport and any university are allowed to benefit from their name, image and likeness. At the University of Texas, there has been a number of big-name NIL deals.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to
  
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• Texas drag show draws protestors, counter-protestors

  30-11-2022 17:58 via kxan.com
  
  AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The show "A Drag Queen Christmas" went on as planned on Tuesday, while also drawing protestors and counter-protestors.The show had an increased police presence along with protestors and counter-protestors who were asked to move further away from the venue at times.As was previously reported by KAMR/KCIT, Amarillo Mayor Ginger Nelson commented on the show, after church groups expressed concern, earlier in November that outlined the way events are hosted at publ
  
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• Texas drag show draws protesters, counter-protesters

  30-11-2022 17:58 via kxan.com
  
  AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The show "A Drag Queen Christmas" went on as planned on Tuesday, while also drawing protesters and counter-protesters.The show had an increased police presence along with protesters and counter-protesters who were asked to move further away from the venue at times.As was previously reported by KAMR/KCIT, Amarillo Mayor Ginger Nelson commented on the show, after church groups expressed concern, earlier in November that outlined the way events are hosted at publ
  
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• 'It's a Wonderful Life' celebrates 75th anniversary with return to big screen

  30-11-2022 17:46 via kxan.com
  
  CLEVELAND (WJW) — For decades, one holiday classic has gotten people to laugh, weep and most of all, remember that "no man is a failure who has friends."Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" is coming back to theaters across the country, including multiple local cinemas, in celebration of its 75th anniversary.(Getty Images)(Getty Images)(Getty Images)(Getty Images)
  For those not up on their Christmas masterpieces, the film centers around George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart), a man with big dreams
  
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• Dripping Springs, Vandegrift set for heavyweight playoff rematch

  30-11-2022 16:45 via kxan.com
  
  To make it to round four of the high school football playoffs is special. For Vandegrift and Dripping Springs, they're making sure to soak it in ahead of their state quarterfinal bout in Class 6A Division II."This means everything," noted Dripping Springs Senior Wide Receiver Garon Duncan. "It's a blessing to be able to be out here playing this late. It's only good teams that are out here.""It's amazing," said Vandegrift Junior Wide Receiver Miles Coleman. "We're just taking it week by week. Sti
  
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• Power restored to AISD schools, most Austin Energy customers after outage

  30-11-2022 16:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin ISD said power had been restored after several schools and the district's Central Office were without power Wednesday morning. However, school operations carried on as usual during the outage, per AISD.
  "Power has now been restored to all campuses that were affected by this morning’s outages. Thank you for your patience as we worked with our partners at Austin Energy," AISD tweeted at 10:59 a.m.As of 9:30 a.m., the Austin Energy outage map showed over 18,000 cu
  
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• Over 18K Austin Energy customers without power; some schools affected

  30-11-2022 16:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — At least six Austin ISD schools and the district's Central Office are without power Wednesday morning, but school operations are carrying on.
  As of 9:30 a.m., the Austin Energy outage map shows over 18,000 customers without power, with the estimated time of restoration to be around 10:23 a.m.Most outages are occurring just south of U.S. Highway 290 in south Austin along William Cannon Drive, Stassney Lane, South Congress Avenue and South First Street, according to the map.
  
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• Meet the candidates for Austin City Council District 5

  30-11-2022 16:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — None of the candidates in the Austin City Council races without an incumbent secured more than 50% of the vote in their race, triggering a runoff in three seats. Austin voters will be asked to head back to the polls this December to pick between the top two candidates in those races.District 5: Stephanie BazanBazan was born and raised in south Austin, in the district she is hoping to represent. She graduated from the Women’s Campaign School at the University of Texas&
  
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• Austin mayoral candidates running on experience, but the dais is different now

  30-11-2022 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Starting Thursday, Austin voters will have their chance to elect the city's next mayor in a runoff race between Sen. Kirk Watson and Rep. Celia Israel.While both have served several terms at the state level, neither is unfamiliar with Austin politics. Watson previously served as mayor from 1997-2001, while Israel's previous city leadership roles included positions on Austin's Environmental Board, Police Monitor Board, 2011 Bond Advisory Commission and the Robert Mueller Adv
  
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• AFD: Car crashes into condos in north Austin

  30-11-2022 14:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — No one was hurt after a car crashed into a condominium building near Burnet Road early Wednesday morning.
  It happened at the Allandale Condos at 7685 North Cross Dr.
  The Austin Fire Department said crews responded to the call around 2:15 a.m. When first responders arrived, they found a car crashed into the side of a building.
  No one was inside the car. Once the car was removed, crews turned their attention to shoring up the side of the building, AFD said.
  There were people
  
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• How to watch the Austin mayoral debate on KXAN

  30-11-2022 13:04 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Thursday night, the two candidates vying to become Austin's next mayor will meet in a televised debate hosted by KXAN.The hour-long debate between Celia Israel and Kirk Watson takes place at 9 p.m. on KXAN, The CW Austin and KXAN.com. What Austin voters need to know about the December runoff electionOn Election Day, Israel and Watson received the most votes out of six candidates looking to replace Mayor Steve Adler. Neither candidate received the necessary 50% of the vot
  
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• 1 dead in shooting near East Riverside, Pleasant Valley Road in east Austin

  30-11-2022 05:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — One person is dead after a shooting in east Austin late Tuesday.
  It happened near the intersection of East Riverside Drive and South Plesant Valley Road. Austin Police said they responded to a shots fired call at 10:17 p.m.
  Austin-Travis County EMS said one adult with a gunshot wound was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:31 p.m.This is a developing story. This article will be updated as information becomes available.
  
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• 1 dead in shooting near East Riverside Drive, Pleasant Valley Road

  30-11-2022 05:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Police say one man is dead after a shooting in southeast Austin Tuesday night.
  Police found the man in a car in the parking lot near the intersection of East Riverside Drive and South Pleasant Valley Road. According to APD, officers responded to a shots fired call at 10:17 p.m.
  Police are investigating the death as a homicide and did not have any information on a suspect.Austin-Travis County EMS said one adult with a gunshot wound was pronounced dead at the scene at
  
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• Why a possible railroad strike has Central Texas truckers worried

  30-11-2022 03:43 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) -- "The ramifications are massive," said Eldon Featherston, operations manager at Community Truck Driving School in Round Rock and Pflugerville.
  He's been keeping an eye on contract negotiations between railroad companies and workers' unions that are threatening to shut down railroad service.
  Discussions have been ongoing for months, and if the parties don’t reach an agreement by Dec. 9, it could mean a strike."A single [rail] car can haul three to five semi traile
  
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• Mother of 10-year-old Uvalde shooting victim sues school district, police and gun manufacturer

  30-11-2022 03:18 via kxan.com
  
  UVALDE, Texas (The Texas Tribune) -- The mother of a 10-year-old killed in the Uvalde school shooting has filed a federal lawsuit against the gun-maker and seller, the city of Uvalde, its school district and several law enforcement officers.Sandra Torres’ daughter Eliahna was one of 19 students and 2 teachers killed by an 18-year-old gunman at Robb Elementary in May.“I miss her every moment of every day,” Torres said in a joint press release with her lawyers
  
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• San Francisco debates letting police deploy robots that kill

  30-11-2022 03:16 via kxan.com
  
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Supervisors in San Francisco held a heated debate Tuesday over whether to give city police the ability to use potentially lethal, remote-controlled robots in emergency situations, with both sides accusing the other of reckless fearmongering.Police oversight groups are urging the 11-member Board of Supervisors to reject the idea, saying it would lead to further militarization of a police force already too aggressive with poor and minority communities. They said the para
  
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• New senior leadership announced for Texas Dept. of Family and Protective Services

  30-11-2022 03:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Monday that new senior leaders were appointed for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
  DFPS Associate Commissioner for Adult Protective Services Kezeli "Kez" Wold took over as interim DFPS commissioner, with Stephanie Muth assuming the role of commissioner effective Jan. 2, 2023. Additionally, Anne Heiligenstein will return to DFPS in a senior adviser role to lead a number of key projects at the agency.Children and families a
  
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• What Austin voters need to know about the December runoff election

  30-11-2022 02:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin voters will head to the polls for a second time in a month as three city council seats and the mayoral race head to a runoff election. Here's what you need to know about where and when to vote, what to bring and who's all on the ballot.When does early voting begin, and when is Election Day?Early voting for the runoff election begins on Thursday and runs through Dec. 9, with Election Day slated for Dec. 13. Monday, Nov. 14 was the last day for residents to register to
  
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• 'Expect the lights to stay on': ERCOT predicting power grid reliability, watching for extreme conditions

  30-11-2022 01:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Texas utility leaders said they feel confident the state's power grid will be able to withstand winter weather this year, but they are still keeping an eye on certain extreme conditions outlined in two new reports about power availability and reliability.
  In a press conference Tuesday, the Chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas Peter Lake said he "absolutely" expects the lights to stay on, given the changes implemented over the last two years.
  At least 246 people die
  
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• Some 911 calls sent to wrong dispatch centers in parts of Central Texas

  30-11-2022 01:25 via kxan.com
  
  HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) - Depending on where you are in Central Texas, your 911 call could be sent to the wrong dispatch center.These problems with emergency calls can happen to people who are near a county line. It doesn't happen often, but it happened twice already to TyAnn Osborn.One of the times was two years ago during a luncheon in Dripping Springs."I was on that side, and she was on this side when she fainted. Her chair tipped back and she hit her head," Osborn said.Osborn sprung into a
  
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• Jarrell community upset after historic 1916 building demolished

  30-11-2022 01:17 via kxan.com
  
  JARRELL, Texas (KXAN) — The Jarrell Independent School District said structure problems lead to the tearing down of its '1916 Building' which once served as the city's high school.Renovation and preservation of the building was approved by voters in a May 2021 bond election, but now that the building is gone some say they would have voted differently if they knew demolition was a possibility.Citizens took to social media to share their outrage at finding out the building had been torn down
  
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• Study shows COVID-related stress reduces sexual desire in romantic relationships

  30-11-2022 01:02 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) -- Well, if you didn't think the COVID-19 pandemic was bad enough, you can add this to the list of misfortunes. A new study from an international research team -- led by a Texas State University researcher, Rhonda Balzarini -- found that stressors from the pandemic adversely affected people's sex lives.
  The researchers found a link between specific stressors brought out by the pandemic, such as financial concerns, loneliness and worry, and lower levels of sexual desire.
  
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• Herschel Walker, running for U.S. Senate in Georgia, still gets tax break on $3 million Texas residence

  30-11-2022 00:49 via kxan.com
  
  (Texas Tribune) — Herschel Walker, the former Dallas Cowboys running back and Republican candidate running for a U.S. Senate seat in Georgia, is slated to get a tax break on his $3 million residence in a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb — potentially running afoul of Texas tax law.According to Tarrant County property and tax records, Walker claimed a homestead exemption on his four-bedroom home in Westlake in 2021 and is expected to do so again this year— even after he registered
  
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• Senate passes landmark protections for same-sex marriage

  30-11-2022 00:23 via kxan.com
  
  Senators on Tuesday passed legislation cementing federal protections for same-sex marriage, a historic step that follows months of bipartisan negotiations and puts the landmark bill just steps away from becoming law.The Senate passed the Respect for Marriage Act in a 61-36 vote, with 12 Republicans joining forces with all Democrats present to advance the bill across the Capitol complex. The measure required 60 votes to pass.The proposal would put into law protections for same-sex
  
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• Texas lawmaker proposes putting abortion referendum on ballot

  30-11-2022 00:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas voters could decide the future of abortion access in the state if a bill filed Tuesday defies the steepest of odds and advances through the Republican-controlled legislature next year.
  State Rep. James Talarico, an Austin Democrat, announced he filed House Joint Resolution 56, which would put a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November next year to limit what laws the legislature can pass prohibiting abortion. After the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wad
  
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• Endangered sea turtles rescued and released by Texas State Aquarium

  30-11-2022 00:12 via kxan.com
  
  CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (KXAN) — On Saturday, nine endangered sea turtles were released back into the ocean after being found stranded on Texas beaches earlier this year.Between July and September, the 200-pound loggerhead sea turtles were rescued and rehabilitated by the Texas State Aquarium after exhibiting signs of illness or injury.Williamson County animal shelter at unsustainable capacityLoggerhead sea turtles are native to the Gulf of Mexico, but they are federally recognized as an end
  
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• Austin-based 3D construction company still looking to the stars after recent fire

  30-11-2022 00:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin 3D printing construction company is looking to the stars for it's next big project, even after a recent fire caused damage to its building in Austin.
  On Tuesday, ICON received a nearly $60 million contract from NASA to research and develop space based construction systems.The contract builds upon previous NASA and Department of Defense funding for ICON's Project Olympus to research and develop space-based construction systems. These systems will support exploratio
  
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