Austin news

• At least one death confirmed following St. Charles Parish tornado

  14-12-2022 23:55 via kxan.com
  
  KILLONA, La. (WGNO) — Emergency responders are on the scene of what officials say is heavy damage caused by Wednesday's severe weather in St. Charles Parish.Around 3 p.m., Chief Meteorologist Hank Allen confirmed a tornado touched down in the parish. Video shot by WGNO photographer Cole Walker shows a large funnel cloud forming near I-310 on the Luling Bridge. This was later confirmed to be the storm that developed into the tornado. WEDNESDAY FORECAST: Multiple Southeast Louisiana parishes
  
  Read more

• Colder weather pattern arrives with rural freezes overnight

  14-12-2022 23:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As winds relax and clear skies hold strong overnight, prepare for a rural light freeze in some areas Thursday morning.Forecast low temperatures Thursday morningWe'll enjoy more mild sunshine on Thursday with light winds before our next storm system approaches. Clouds increase Friday, then we expect a chance of light rain showers early Saturday. While air temperatures at ground level will be well above freezing, some sleet pellets may mix in with rain showers early Saturday. Ther
  
  Read more

• San Marcos City Council voting on juvenile curfew ordinance

  14-12-2022 23:12 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) - Tonight, San Marcos City Council will talk about if kids should be allowed to roam the streets at all hours.
  The city's juvenile curfew ordinance expired recently and members are voting on if it should come back. It impacts 10-17-year-old's.Curfew hours:
  Sunday through Thursday from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.Friday and Saturday from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m.
  Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
  San Marcos parent Sarah Teale would not like it reinstated. Her two sons are homes
  
  Read more

• Why a Texas lawmaker is proposing a social media ban for those under 18

  14-12-2022 23:09 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A North Texas lawmaker is proposing a ban on social media access for those under the age of 18, filing a bill to be considered in the 88th Texas Legislative Session come January.House Bill 896 proposes "an individual between 13 and 18 years of age may not use a social media platform." The bill calls for ramped up verification processes for platform uses, including requiring an account holder to provide a copy of their driver's license along with a second photo displaying "b
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• DPS looking for suspect of fatal hit-and-run near Tesla Gigafactory

  14-12-2022 22:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas Department of Public Safety is asking for the public's help locating the suspect of a fatal hit-and-run near the Tesla Gigafactory earlier this month.
  DPS said on Dec. 6, between 9:45 p.m. and 11 p.m., troopers responded to a report of a fatal hit-and-run on Farm to Market Road 973 near Tesla Road after a passerby saw the victim's body and alerted law enforcement.
  Evidence at the scene suggests that the suspect's vehicle is possibly a 2016-2018 model Dodge Ram pickup t
  
  Read more

• Texas Attorney General releases update in Jason Landry disappearance

  14-12-2022 22:44 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Office of the Attorney General released an update Wednesday on its investigation into the December 2020 disappearance of Texas State University student Jason Landry. The OAG's Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit launched an investigation in February, at the request of the Caldwell County District Attorney's Office and the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office.The OAG's update Wednesday reaffirmed conclusions released by the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office that Landry w
  
  Read more

• Police working to identify suspect of armed robbery at south Austin Walmart gas station

  14-12-2022 21:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department is asking for the community's help identifying the suspect of an armed robbery at a south Austin Murphy gas station.
  It happened Dec. 11 at the Murphy gas station at the Walmart located at 710 E. Ben White Blvd. APD posted a video of the incident on YouTube.
  APD said the suspect walked into the gas station, threatened the employees with a handgun, and stole money from the store.
  He is described as a white or Hispanic man who is 40-50 years old,
  
  Read more

• Kirk Watson lost Travis County, but won tightest Austin mayoral race in decades

  14-12-2022 21:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Though Representative Celia Israel garnered the most votes in November, she fell to Senator Kirk Watson Tuesday night in the runoff election by just 886 votes. It's the slimmest margin in an Austin mayoral race in decades.
  "People will always say my vote doesn't matter. But last night, it proved that your vote certainly matters because the gap between the candidates was so close," Brian Smith, a political science professor at St. Edward's University, said.
  In the runoff, Watson
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Adam Sandler to perform in Austin, 2 other Texas cities in 2023

  14-12-2022 21:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – American actor and comedian Adam Sandler is making his way to Austin and two other Texas cities in February 2023.Sandler is set to perform live at the Moody Center Feb. 14, 2023, with a surprise guest, according to a Moody Center announcement made Wednesday.The event page said the venue presale is set for Thursday from noon until 10 p.m., and tickets are on sale starting Friday at noon.The comedian will be in Houston for another show Feb. 13 at the Houston Toyota Center and
  
  Read more

• South Austin toy shop to close on Christmas Eve after nearly 30 years

  14-12-2022 20:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)— It's just time. That's the short answer if you ask Anna Barr, the owner of Anna's Toy Depot, why she's closing it down after nearly 30 years in business.
  Anna Barr has lived in the Austin area her entire life and has owned and managed her toy shop at five different locations along South Lamar. She opened her second to last toy shop across from Matt's El Rancho in the early 2000s. Barr said she was there for 19 years.Counter Culture announces it will be closing by end of the
  
  Read more

• South Austin toy shop to close on Christmas Eve after more than30 years

  14-12-2022 20:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)— It's just time. That's the short answer if you ask Anna Barr, the owner of Anna's Toy Depot, why she's closing it down after more than years in business.
  Anna Barr has lived in the Austin area her entire life and has owned and managed her toy shop at five different locations along South Lamar. She opened her second to last toy shop across from Matt's El Rancho in the early 2000s. Barr said she was there for 19 years.Counter Culture announces it will be closing by end of the
  
  Read more

• South Austin toy shop to close on Christmas Eve after more than 30 years

  14-12-2022 20:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)— It's just time. That's the short answer if you ask Anna Barr, the owner of Anna's Toy Depot, why she's closing it down after more than years in business.
  Anna Barr has lived in the Austin area her entire life and has owned and managed her toy shop at five different locations along South Lamar. She opened her second-to-last toy shop across from Matt's El Rancho in the early 2000s. Barr said she was there for 19 years.Counter Culture announces it will be closing by end of the
  
  Read more

• South Austin toy shop to close on Christmas Eve after more than 20 years

  14-12-2022 20:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)— It's just time. That's the short answer if you ask Anna Barr, the owner of Anna's Toy Depot, why she's closing it down after more than 20 years in business.
  Anna Barr has lived in the Austin area her entire life. She opened her first toy shop on South Lamar across from Matt's El Rancho in the early 2000s. Counter Culture announces it will be closing by end of the yearWith commercial rent prices rising, coupled with intense struggles during the pandemic, Barr decided to reloc
  
  Read more

• Water cycle facing changes amid climate crisis; new NASA satellite to detect how

  14-12-2022 20:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - Water is facing an uncertain future amid the global climate crisis. In Central Texas, extreme droughts and rapid development have placed the fate of our water supply in doubt. Similar problems are occurring, not just across Texas, but around the world.NASA is attempting to track these changes. The space administration is launching a new mission, SWOT, to do just that. The Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite is expected to launch Dec. 15."SWOT is a mission that will measu
  
  Read more

• Photos: Santa, Mrs. Claus visit babies at Ascension Seton NICU

  14-12-2022 19:33 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Babies who are spending their first holiday season in the hospital got a special surprise this week.
  Santa and Mrs. Claus stopped by Ascension Seton Medical Center in Austin to bring holiday cheer to babies and families of babies who are spending Christmas in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
  Premature babies were dressed in holiday outfits and got to take their very first photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus.Santa, Mrs. Claus visit babies at Ascension Seton NICU (Photo
  
  Read more

• APD searching for suspect in November Home Depot robbery

  14-12-2022 19:22 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department is asking for the public's help in identifying a man who robbed a south Austin Home Depot.
  The robbery took place on Nov. 19 at about 5:41 p.m. at the Home Depot located near Interstate 35 and E. Ben White Boulevard.APD searching for suspect in east Austin bank robberyAPD said when the man entered the business, he was recognized by staff members as a regular shoplifter. During a confrontation with an employee, the suspect made threats and "indic
  
  Read more

• SZA to perform at Austin's Moody Center in March after headlining ACL Fest

  14-12-2022 18:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Alternative R&B singer SZA will return to Austin in March as part of her newly announced S.O.S. North American Tour.
  The GRAMMY Award-winning artist just headlined the Austin City Limits Music Festival in October of this year.
  Her tour announcement came on the heels of her new "SOS" album release, which happened last Friday. "SOS" is SZA's second album in addition to 2017's "Ctrl".Austin's Moody Center is one of 17 dates announced for the tour so far, with Dallas being
  
  Read more

• Police recover food trailer stolen from north Austin restaurant

  14-12-2022 17:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Police recovered a food trailer stolen early Sunday morning from a north Austin restaurant, according to the owner.
  Trinh Nguyen, the co-owner of Le Bleu restaurant on Research Boulevard, said officers now have the bright green food trailer that someone took from a parking spot in front of her business. Details are not available yet about how police located the trailer or where they found it in Austin.PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Thief steals hopes for north Austin restaurant expansi
  
  Read more

• Austin FC, H-E-B surprise families with free groceries

  14-12-2022 17:33 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin FC and H-E-B on Tuesday hosted a "Surprise and Delight" at the H-E-B store on North Lamar Boulevard in Austin.
  Austin FC players and H-E-B employees surprised customers by purchasing their entire cart of groceries. The event is aimed at supporting families by alleviating the financial stresses the holiday can have on families, a press release about the event said.
  This is the third time Austin FC teamed up with H-E-B to help pay for groceries for Austin shoppers.Coac
  
  Read more

• Trader Joe's Christmas Must-Haves

  14-12-2022 17:22 via kxan.com
  
  (WSYR-TV) -- It's the Holiday season, which means Christmas is right around the corner! Spend it with the people you love all while enjoying Christmas must-haves from Trader Joe's!
  Gingerbread Coffee
  Start the morning off in your favorite cozy sweater while sipping cinnamon goodness with Trader Joe's Gingerbread coffee!Made of 100% Arabica beans from South America, roasted to a medium-dark Vienna roast, the Trader Joe’s Gingerbread Coffee tastes of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and gi
  
  Read more

• Deadline soon for Texans to qualify for $10/month healthcare in federal plans

  14-12-2022 17:12 via kxan.com
  
  LUBBOCK, Texas – The deadline for open enrollment in Healthcare.gov is Thursday, Dec. 15 for plans that begin coverage on Jan, 1, 2023.Dr. LaShawn McIver, Director of the Office of Minority Health at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, took questions on Tuesday. She said plans can sometimes be $10 or less because of recent new legislation.“The Inflation Reduction Act has lowered premiums for most people who currently have Marketplace health plans and expanded access to
  
  Read more

• Tito's Vodka for Dog People Exhibit Now Open

  14-12-2022 16:50 via kxan.com
  
  Inspired by the 120+ distillery dogs rescued over the years, Tito's Vodka for Dog People has recently unveiled its newest project "Impressions of Tito's Distillery Dogs Over 25 Years", a one-of-a-kind, 25-piece art collection featuring vibrant dog artwork created by renowned local and national artists. Housed at the Long Center for Performing Arts, the exhibit is free and open to the public through January 4, 2023.
  Each portrait depicts a dog's unique story and legacy of resilience, with feature
  
  Read more

• LIST: 5 new Austin bars fusing '70s flare with Texas touches

  14-12-2022 15:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin's bar scene is having a "disco cowboy" moment and people are living for it. It's definitely a "vibe," as some would say and something new for the capital city.Skinny's Off Track
  1806 E. 12th St. (east Austin)Skinny's Off Track Bar in east Austin. (Courtesy NoCo Hospitality)Skinny's Off Track Bar in east Austin. (Courtesy NoCo Hospitality)Skinny's Off Track Bar in east Austin. (Courtesy NoCo Hospitality)This 1970s-themed sports bar gives fans whatever sport they want
  
  Read more

• Why should you care about this week's nuclear fusion breakthrough?

  14-12-2022 14:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — This week, the Department of Energy announced a major breakthrough in nuclear science: fusion. Occurring on Dec. 5 at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, it was the first successful fusion experiment using lasers. Why should you care?"If we are able to develop this technology and get it into the form of say, a power plant, then we could have large amounts of very low cost, clean energy that has the has one thing that wind and solar don't have, it has a
  
  Read more

• Suspect back in Austin to face murder charge after missing man's body found

  14-12-2022 14:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man facing charges in connection with the death of an Austin man in November is back in Travis County.
  According to the Travis County Inmate Search, Gavin Roberts, 26, was booked into the Travis County Jail on Tuesday evening. He is charged with murder and tampering with a corpse.An attorney for Roberts was not listed online at the time this article was published.
  Roberts was arrested on Nov. 23 in Colorado. Man arrested, charged with corpse tampering in Austin man’
  
  Read more

• Affidavit details interview with suspect facing murder charge after missing man's body found

  14-12-2022 14:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man facing charges in connection with the death of an Austin man in November is back in Travis County. An affidavit details why he was charged with murder after he was initially only charged with tampering with a corpse.
  According to the Travis County Inmate Search, Gavin Roberts, 26, was booked into the Travis County Jail on Tuesday evening.
  An attorney for Roberts was not listed online at the time this article was published.
  Roberts was arrested on Nov. 23 in Colorado.
  
  Read more

• Texas State course helps first-gen students succeed

  14-12-2022 13:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Getting accepted into college is tough. Yet, it can be an even taller task for first-generation students.Throughout the fall semester at Texas State University, over 2,000 first-generation college students enrolled in a university seminar that helps with their transition to the college experience and environment.Of these, 19 students are from Breakthrough Central Texas — an Austin-area nonprofit creating a path to and through college for folks who are the first in the
  
  Read more

• Bertram issues boil water notice after major water main break

  14-12-2022 12:42 via kxan.com
  
  BERTRAM, Texas (KXAN) — The City of Bertram issued a boil water notice Tuesday after a major water main break.
  The city said the break caused a loss of pressure in the water main along CR 330.
  According to a Facebook post at 3:30 p.m., a city crew was repairing the line.
  The city said the boil water notice was required by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality due to the low water pressure and water outages.According to the notice, water for drinking, cooking and ice-making should b
  
  Read more

• Sunny, windy and cooler before another cold push

  14-12-2022 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Skies have cleared, rain has ended and now we're just sunny and windy.Wind gusts will range from 20-30 mph out of the northwest this afternoon as highs head for the middle and upper 60s.Gusty winds expected Wednesday afternoon
  Tomorrow will look and feel similar (60s) ahead of a dry overnight cold front that will drop weekend temperatures even further (50s).
  A storm system moving through the state is expected to bring mainly gray skies and a few spots of light rain on Saturday.
  
  Read more

• Morning rain clears to breezy sunshine

  14-12-2022 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Most of this month has trended warmer than what December typically feels like in Central Texas... but a turn to colder weather takes hold in the 7-day (and doesn't look to let up anytime soon!)We start today with scattered rain and a few isolated thunderstorms. Although we do not anticipate severe weather, small hail and frequent lightning are possible out of any developed thunderstorm.Showers and storms are expected to clear by 9AM leaving behind a full sky of sunshine for all
  
  Read more

• LIVE: Morning rain clears to breezy sunshine

  14-12-2022 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Most of this month has trended warmer than what December typically feels like in Central Texas... but a turn to colder weather takes hold in the 7-day (and doesn't look to let up anytime soon!)We start today with scattered rain and a few isolated thunderstorms. Although we do not anticipate severe weather, small hail and frequent lightning are possible out of any developed thunderstorm.Showers and storms are expected to clear by 9AM leaving behind a full sky of sunshine for all
  
  Read more

• APD: Driver flees after hitting man in south Austin

  14-12-2022 10:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Police say a man is in the hospital with life-threatening injuries after being hit by a vehicle early Wednesday morning in south Austin.
  Police say the driver drove off after the crash on the eastbound lanes of Ben White Boulevard at James Casey Street just after 2 a.m.Austin-Travis County EMS says the adult patient was given CPR before being taken to the hospital with critical, life-threatening injuries.Police have the eastbound lanes of Ben White Boulevard closed betwee
  
  Read more

• Staff member fired after recording device found in Del Valle school bathroom

  14-12-2022 10:12 via kxan.com
  
  DEL VALLE, Texas (KXAN) — A "non-teaching" staff member was fired from a Del Valle ISD school after a recording device was found in a faculty bathroom, a district spokesperson told KXAN.Austin runoff election: Kirk Watson elected mayorThe incident happened at the Del Valle Opportunity Center, which is a high school in the district. All recordings were turned over to authorities, the spokesperson said."As soon as this information was reported to Del Valle ISD officials, the Del Valle ISD Po
  
  Read more

• City of Kyle runoff election expected to cost around $12K

  14-12-2022 04:35 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) - Runoff elections tend to have significantly lower voter turnout than the general election. Still, despite fewer people showing up, the city still has to pay a pretty penny to conduct them.According to the City of Kyle, it costs them thousands of dollars.Previous cost of runoff elections:December 2020: $ 21,544.91December 2021: $ 12,963.41
  Hays County Elections Administrator Jennifer Doinoff said the cost can go up or down depending on early voting.She said the more early vot
  
  Read more

• Austin Public Health reports first human West Nile case of the year

  14-12-2022 03:28 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Public Health has confirmed Travis County's first human case of West Nile so far in 2022.
  According to APH, the person who tested positive for the virus is not a traveler, so it's assumed that they contracted it locally.
  Routine testing performed by APH identified the first positive mosquito pool in July in the 78721 zip code. A total of six positive mosquito pools were identified consisting of the following zip codes: 78759, 78754, 78723, 78721, 78704, and 78744.&nb
  
  Read more

• APD searching for suspect in east Austin bank robbery

  14-12-2022 03:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Police are looking for a man who robbed a bank in east Austin in late November. Previous coverage: Police search for man who robbed east Austin bankPolice said the man left the IBC Bank on East Cesar Chavez Street with money on Nov. 28 after passing a note to a teller that indicated a robbery was happening. The man said he had a weapon.Photo: Austin Police DepartmentThe man left the bank on foot, heading south, APD said.APD released video of the incident on social me
  
  Read more

• What's causing the influx of migrants in El Paso?

  14-12-2022 02:38 via kxan.com
  
  EL PASO, Texas (Nexstar/BorderReport) — As El Paso continues to experience a massive influx of migrants crossing the border into the city, local officials brace for more with Title 42 expected to officially lift next week.El Paso officials are trying to ensure federal funding to avoid a major humanitarian crisis in the region once Title 42 migrant expulsions stop on December 21. Title 42 is a pandemic-era public health policy that allowed the United States to send migrants — includin
  
  Read more

• Texas election results: Dec. 13 runoff

  14-12-2022 02:00 via kxan.com
  
  App users, view full election results by tapping here.
  
  Read more

• First-of-its-kind 'Gift Guide': What you probably never knew you should get for your disabled family members, friends

  14-12-2022 01:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As you finish your holiday shopping within the next couple weeks, have you ever stopped to think about the types of gifts you're buying for disabled family members or close friends?For the first time, there's a gift giving guide with dozens of items that come most recommended by people who are living with disabilities.Mindy Henderson has been in a wheelchair because of spinal muscular atrophy her entire life and is an outspoken advocate in the disability community.So, it's
  
  Read more

• First-of-its-kind 'gift guide' for disabled family members, friends

  14-12-2022 01:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As you finish your holiday shopping within the next couple weeks, have you ever stopped to think about the types of gifts you're buying for disabled family members or close friends?For the first time, there's a gift giving guide with dozens of items that come most recommended by people who are living with disabilities.Mindy Henderson has been in a wheelchair because of spinal muscular atrophy her entire life and is an outspoken advocate in the disability community.So, it's
  
  Read more

Follow @Austin_News_US on Twitter!