Austin news

• Texas scientist awarded $4 million to continue research on 'promising' HIV vaccine

  16-02-2023 23:17 via kxan.com
  
  SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KXAN) -- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded nearly $4 million to the Texas Biomedical Research Institute to further develop a "promising" HIV vaccine candidate.HIV continues to be a large public health threat -- the virus affected nearly 40 million people worldwide in 2021. HIV is elusive and ever-changing, which makes it challenging for researchers to develop an effective vaccine with the current technology, according to Johns Hopkins University.Marie-Claire Gau
  
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• Lawmakers push for higher pay for federal employees

  16-02-2023 22:53 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - Lawmakers are pushing for higher pay for federal and dc government employees."The government workers must have 8.7%," Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said.Tuesday, Booker joined other lawmakers and activists to demand better pay for federal employees across the country."When we are united we are strong," Booker said.Together they are backing the Fair Act, to give federal employees an 8.7% pay increase."We've got to stop calling, by the way what I just did, which is a pay increas
  
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• Sex doll mistaken for human remains in Pennsylvania

  16-02-2023 22:51 via kxan.com
  
  OVERFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. (WBRE/WYOU) — A father and child in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, found what they thought to be human remains in a local creek — but police later determined they had merely discovered a discarded sex doll.On Sunday, authorities were dispatched to the creek in Overfield Township following reports that two people found possible human remains in a bag while walking down to retrieve a ball from the water, according to Tunkhannock Township Police.A black plastic ba
  
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• Leaked recording: High-ranking TEA official admits vouchers pose public school funding pitfalls

  16-02-2023 22:26 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – A high-ranking Texas Education Agency official was recorded on a phone call with a parent, advocating for Gov. Greg Abbott's effort to bring a school voucher system to Texas — and admitting that if passed, public schools across the state stand to lose funding.The audio was recorded last Thursday, during a call between a parent and the Deputy Commissioner of Governance Steve Lecholop, and was published on YouTube by education commentator Lynn Davenport Saturday. The au
  
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• Why your vote on Austin police oversight measures will matter

  16-02-2023 22:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Voters will choose "yes" or "no" on two separate measures related to police oversight in May.Those ballot items were the sticking point for City Council's 9-2 vote Wednesday to opt for a one-year extension of the Austin Police Department's contract instead of adopting the tentative four-year deal agreed upon last week. That deal took about one year to negotiate.
  Council members in support of the one-year deal want to wait and see how the public votes before agreeing upon a long-
  
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• Chris Beard shares statement following dismissal of domestic violence charges

  16-02-2023 21:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- In a statement sent Thursday, former Texas Longhorns head men's basketball coach Chris Beard said he was "pleased" Travis County District Attorney José Garza dismissed the domestic violence case against him.MORE: Assault case against former UT basketball coach Chris Beard dismissed by Travis County DA“I am pleased with the announcement that the charges against me have been dismissed. While I always had faith and confidence in the truth and this outcome, it has
  
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• Scientists may be closer to predicting extreme earthquakes

  16-02-2023 21:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- With more than 500,000 earthquakes each year, scientists are hard at work trying to predict them and their intensity. A new study published this week in the journal Science may help us do just that.Demian Saffer and Srisharan Shreedharan with the University of Texas were taking a closer look at a basic physics problem: Why does it take more effort to move a heavy box when it is still than it does to keep it moving?According to the researchers, they discovered fault lines that ar
  
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• Median home prices in Travis County drop to lowest level in two years

  16-02-2023 20:58 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Home prices in Travis County have fallen to their lowest level in two years, according to the latest market report by the Austin Board of Realtors.The median home price in the county in January was $499,274, the lowest since March 2021. January's median is a 24% decrease from the peak of $659,000 recorded in May 2022.In the Austin metro as a whole — which covers Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays and Williamson counties in addition to Travis — prices dropped by roughly 5%
  
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• Depeche Mode coming to Moody Center this fall

  16-02-2023 20:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Depeche Mode is making a stop in Austin on their world tour this fall.
  The English rock band will play at the Moody Center on Sept. 29. Tickets go on sale Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. The opening act has yet to be announced.
  Depeche Mode is taking their Memento Mori tour around North America and Europe starting in March. The tour goes through December.Fans born to run to Moody Center for Bruce Springsteen concert ThursdayThe band formed in the 80s and is known for their electronic, s
  
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• 'Big dreamer' developer pursues $10 billion airport plan, plus Vegas-like resort near Tesla factory

  16-02-2023 20:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) -- For more than a decade, thousands of acres along a wooded stretch of the Colorado River east of Austin have been eyed for a project that could bring thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue to Bastrop County — but thus far have remained untouched.It's here where a developer once announced plans to create a private airport and business campus. The site has since become a magnet for development rumors that have spread through this tigh
  
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• How conservative has the Texas legislature become over the last decade?

  16-02-2023 20:19 via kxan.com
  
  (KXAN) — As Gov. Greg Abbott prepares to lay out his priorities for the new legislative session, other Republican state leaders have already vowed to make this session a big one for conservatives."We're gearing up to advance one of the most conservative sessions in Texas History," said Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) announced at January's inauguration ceremony.Conservative-led bills filed so far include proposing using the state's record budget surplus for property tax relief.
  There are
  
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• 11 year old who collapsed during soccer game meets first responders who saved her life

  16-02-2023 19:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin middle-school athlete got the chance to say "thank you" to the first responders who saved her life after she collapsed during a soccer game in January.
  Sabine Barrett, 11, was playing soccer on Jan. 19 when she suddenly collapsed on the field. Medics said she suffered a cardiac arrest due to a rare congenital heart disease called coronary artery anomaly, a congenital heart defect, which is the second leading cause of death in young athletes.
  Lone Star Soccer Club
  
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• Dad arrested after kindergartener brings fireworks to Texas school

  16-02-2023 19:30 via kxan.com
  
  MORAN, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) - A father was arrested after a kindergartener brought fireworks to a Moran ISD school Tuesday morning. Moran ISD is about 45 minutes east of Abilene.Tate Tabor was booked into the Shackelford County Jail on a Prohibited Weapon charge. Additional charges are pending.
  Moran ISD was placed on lockdown for hours after the kindergartener brought a "suspicious package" to school.
  Superintendent Dr. John Denson and Sheriff Edward Miller held a press conference to address the s
  
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• WATCH: Officials update Rio Grande Valley on possible meteor heard by hundreds

  16-02-2023 19:27 via kxan.com
  
  HIDALGO COUNTY, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Multiple agencies are looking into calls of a loud blast in the Mission area.Rio Grande Valley officials held a press conference Thursday morning in Mission to provide an update on the possible meteor heard and felt in the area.Mission Police Chief Cesar Torres said at the conference that the police department became inundated with calls beginning at 5:28 p.m. Wednesday. Torres said that houses were shaken and there was a panic throughout the city.Hi
  
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• Central Texas Food Bank opens new onsite food pantry in south Austin

  16-02-2023 18:28 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Central Texas Food Bank just launched a new initiative at its south Austin location to make fresh produce and shelf-stable food easily accessible to Central Texans experiencing food insecurity.
  The onsite emergency food pantry is available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.The food bank held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday morning. City Council Member Vanessa Fuentes attended.
  Central Texas Food Bank Ribbon Cutting ceremony for new pantry. (KXAN Photo/Jake Syk
  
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• March forecast: Here's how severe weather season begins in Central Texas

  16-02-2023 16:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Severe weather season begins in March and lasts through early June in Central Texas. By severe weather, we don't mean winter weather and ice, we mean the frequency of hail, tornadoes and straight line wind events increase week by week until peaking in May.On Thursday, the Climate Prediction Center released its outlook for March weather in Central Texas.Coming on the heels of our third consecutive La Nina winter, we're expecting a continuation of the warmer than normal and, to so
  
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• McNeil High senior earns female flag football scholarship

  16-02-2023 15:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports in America.So much so that several colleges across the country are offering scholarships for female flag football teams.Currently, there are 19 NAIA colleges with female flag football programs.In Austin, one girl has made history as the first female flag football athlete to participate in a signing day ceremony.McNeil High senior Trinity Hutchins recently put pen to paper, signing her letter of intent to play for Life Unive
  
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• Texas state park to close and be turned into multi-million dollar development

  16-02-2023 14:45 via kxan.com
  
  FAIRFIELD, Texas (KXAN) — A Texas state park is set to permanently close later this month to be turned into a multi-million dollar development. Now, a state representative is trying to prevent that, filing a bill to allow the state to acquire the land through eminent domain.Fairfield Lake State Park, located in Freestone County about 70 miles east of Waco, will close permanently on Feb. 28, after more than 50 years of public access.Vistra Energy owns the land and leases it to the state at
  
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• LIVE: Texas state park to close and be turned into multi-million dollar development

  16-02-2023 14:45 via kxan.com
  
  FAIRFIELD, Texas (KXAN) — A Texas state park is set to permanently close later this month to be turned into a multi-million dollar development. Now, a state representative is trying to prevent that, filing a bill to allow the state to acquire the land through eminent domain.Fairfield Lake State Park, located in Freestone County about 70 miles east of Waco, will close permanently on Feb. 28, after more than 50 years of public access.Vistra Energy owns the land and leases it to the state at
  
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• ACC Round Rock campus closed due to power outage

  16-02-2023 14:32 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) -- Austin Community College (ACC) says its Round Rock campus is closed Thursday morning because of a power outage.
  ACC says all other campuses are open as normal. ACC Round Rock is located at 4400 College Park Dr.ACC will provide an update on the status of the Round Rock campus at 10 a.m. on the district's homepage.
  
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• Silver Alert issued for New Braunfels man last seen Wednesday evening

  16-02-2023 14:02 via kxan.com
  
   NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas (KXAN) -- A Silver Alert was issued for a missing man from New Braunfels who has a cognitive impairment.
  Mark Schon, 70, was last seen at 5 p.m. on Feb. 15 wearing a dark brown jacket, plaid shirt, and jeans. He is a white man, described as 5'7", 170 lbs, and is partially bald and has blonde hair.
  The New Braunfels Police department issued the alert Wednesday night. Police said he was last seen on foot in the 2000 block of Heaton Hall Drive in New Braunfels.
  Law enforc
  
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• Silver Alert discontinued for New Braunfels man

  16-02-2023 14:02 via kxan.com
  
   NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas (KXAN) -- A Silver Alert that was issued Wednesday night for a New Braunfels man was discontinued Thursday morning.
  The alert was issued several hours after he had last been seen at 5 p.m. Wednesday. Police said he had a cognitive impairment and his disappearance posed a threat to his health and safety.
  The alert was discontinued Thursday morning around 9:35 a.m. after the man was found.
  
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• 'Dangerous to be old:' How can Texas prevent abuse in long-term care facilities?

  16-02-2023 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  Investigative Summary:Advocates are calling for more transparency and accountability from the industry caring for older and often vulnerable Texans who live in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. After KXAN investigators discovered the state has not cited facilities in the majority of cases where there was evidence of abuse over the last few years — and fined far fewer of them — at least one lawmaker agrees, saying we need to prioritize safety and quality of long-term care
  
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• Legendary Austin voice to help people cross streets safely

  16-02-2023 13:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The city of Austin says the voice of Ray Benson helps blind and visually impaired people cross Lamar at 5th Street and will soon help others at intersections along Lamar Boulevard.The city plans to showcase the new Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) on Thursday in part as a thank-you to the legendary singer. The city announcement says the event will also educate the public about how APS makes crossings safer.Benson, lead singer for Asleep at the Wheel, recorded messages for 18
  
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• Watch live Thursday: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's State of the State address

  16-02-2023 13:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- On Thursday night, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to unveil his priorities for the 88th Legislative Session at his State of the State address.The address, which will be seen on 16 Nexstar stations in 14 television markets served by Nexstar, starts at 7 p.m. You can watch on your local Nexstar station or in a livestream in this story. How to watch Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s State of the State addressAbbott is expected to discuss property tax cuts, school safety, educat
  
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• WATCH: Full State of the State as Abbott announces 7 'emergency priorities'

  16-02-2023 13:14 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (Nexstar) — Gov. Greg Abbott announced seven "emergency items" in his biannual "State of the State" address on Thursday, paving the way for the legislature to give early momentum to bills relating to his priorities.These "emergency items" are now exempt from constitutional delays in the legislature. Normally, lawmakers are not allowed to hear or pass bills until March 10 — 60 days into the 140-day legislative session. But bills relating to the governor's "emergency"
  
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• Texas Gov. Greg Abbott delivers State of the State address Thursday

  16-02-2023 13:14 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (Nexstar) — Gov. Greg Abbott announced seven "emergency items" in his biannual "State of the State" address on Thursday, paving the way for the legislature to give early momentum to bills relating to his priorities.These "emergency items" are now exempt from constitutional delays in the legislature. Normally, lawmakers are not allowed to hear or pass bills until March 10 — 60 days into the 140-day legislative session. But bills relating to the governor's "emergency"
  
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• Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced 7 'emergency' priorities for legislative session

  16-02-2023 13:14 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (Nexstar) — Gov. Greg Abbott announced seven "emergency items" in his biannual "State of the State" address on Thursday, paving the way for the legislature to give early momentum to bills relating to his priorities.These "emergency items" are now exempt from constitutional delays in the legislature. Normally, lawmakers are not allowed to hear or pass bills until March 10 — 60 days into the 140-day legislative session. But bills relating to the governor's "emergency"
  
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• Construction on Round Rock trail to resume after 2-year hiatus

  16-02-2023 13:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Round Rock city council members unanimously approved a new contractor to finish a one-mile trail that has been on pause for two years.
  The city approved the Heritage Trail West project in October of 2020. The project is a one-mile long, 10-foot wide, paved trail that runs through Chisholm Trail park and Memorial park. This one-mile stretch will have a total of five bridges that go over Brushy Creek and run parallel to round rock where the city gets its name, according to the cit
  
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• Burgled drive-in theater to host fundraiser movie night

  16-02-2023 13:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Following a theft in January, Austin’s Blue Starlite Drive-In Theater is hosting a fundraising event this Sunday, February 19 at 6:30 PM.The Big Blue Starlite "Heist Fun-D-Raiser" will happen at the theater’s downtown location on the rooftop of the San Antonio Garage. Attendees can choose to watch either Rogue One or Tron as both will be on simultaneously.Prices for car slots range from $40 - $100 and a slot is good for two people. A $15 passenger ticket will be
  
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• Round Rock PD looking for suspects who robbed H-E-B

  16-02-2023 12:30 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) -- Round Rock Police are looking for three women who police suspect are involved in an aggravated robbery at a supermarket last November.According to a Round Rock PD tweet posted Wednesday, the crime happened on Nov. 23 at the H-E-B Plus at 1700 E. Palm Valley Blvd.Police are looking for a dark gray 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee in connection with the robbery.
  Round Rock Police ask anyone with questions or information about the case to email or call Detective Laura Baxter at
  
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• How I-35's expansion proposal could impact Austin congestion, displaced properties

  16-02-2023 12:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- In late December, the Texas Department of Transportation released the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the I-35 Capital Express Central Project. The EIS is a federally-required step that outlines the preferred project scope, key features and related displacements due to right-of-way acquisition. PREVIOUS REPORTING: More than 100 businesses, residences at risk of displacement under TxDOT I-35 proposalUnder the $4.5 billion plan, TxDOT aims to combat congestion throu
  
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• Oncor reports 1,000+ customers without power in Williamson County

  16-02-2023 10:08 via kxan.com
  
  WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Oncor on Thursday morning reported 1,007 customers in Williamson County were without power as of 2:50 a.m.
  693 customers were in the Jarrell area.
  The power company did not give a time of when power would be restored.
  According to the Oncor website, the company serves 121,691 customers in Williamson County which means .83% of the county's customer base was impacted.
  KXAN asked Oncor what caused the outage and when the power would be restored. We will update thi
  
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• 1,000+ Oncor customers lose power overnight in Williamson County

  16-02-2023 10:08 via kxan.com
  
  WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Oncor said power was restored to all but 24 customers as of 6 a.m. Thursday after reporting 1,007 Williamson County customers were without power as of 2:50 a.m. Thursday.693 customers were in the Jarrell area.
  The power company told KXAN the power outage was due to equipment repair.According to the Oncor website, the company serves 121,691 customers in Williamson County.
  
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• Possible repercussions after Chris Beard case, domestic violence expert says

  16-02-2023 05:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)-- The Hays-Caldwell Women's Center worries the outcome of former Texas Longhorns coach Chris Beard's high profile domestic violence case could discourage other survivors from reporting their own cases.Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza dismissed the domestic violence case against Beard Wednesday, stating that, “after a careful and thorough review of the evidence, recent public statements, and considering Ms. [Randi] Trew’s wishes, our office has determined that
  
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• Austin City Council wants to hear from voters in May before agreeing on long-term police contract

  16-02-2023 04:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Police oversight is once again at the center of a disagreement in the City of Austin.The long-term future of the Austin Police Department's contract is in flux after City Council voted 9-to-2 to tops for a one year extension of the current contract instead of the tentative four-year deal now former City Manager Spencer Cronk announced last week. Negotiations for that contract took about one year.
  Council Member Cheto Vela introduced the motion calling for the one-year extension.
  
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• Longhorns softball wins home opener 8-2 over Lamar

  16-02-2023 04:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The No. 9 Texas Longhorns softball team notched an 8-2 win over Lamar in the squad's home opener Wednesday at Red and Charline McCombs Field.Texas hit .379 as a team with 11 hits in 29 at-bats including a two-run home run by Courtney Day in the bottom of the first inning. Day crushed her first homer of the season over the left-centerfield fence with two outs to plate herself and catcher Katie Cimusz.
  MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sig
  
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• Liberty Hill: Father of man shot, killed by police officer wants answers and body cam footage

  16-02-2023 04:30 via kxan.com
  
  The father of a man shot and killed by a Liberty Hill Police Officer says he's been left in the dark and wants answers."You took my son…Why? " said Matt Lieber, who's son was shot and killed in Liberty Hill on January 18."I come here today again to ask for answers about how and why my son Jackson Lieber was shot twice by Liberty Hill police officer Estebon Gomez Sanchez," said Lieber.The Texas Department of Public Safety said Lieber got into a crash on Ranch Road 1869, wandered onto priva
  
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• 1 killed, 3 hurt in shooting at El Paso, Texas shopping mall

  16-02-2023 02:59 via kxan.com
  
  EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Police in El Paso, Texas, say one person was killed and three other people were wounded in a shooting Wednesday in a shopping mall.One person has been taken into custody, El Paso police spokesperson Sgt. Robert Gomez said. No immediate information was given about that person.“It’s too early to speculate on motive,” Gomez said.The three who were wounded were hospitalized, Gomez said. Their conditions were not known.Gomez said police believe the scene
  
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• Suspect at large after shooting in Cielo Vista Mall

  16-02-2023 01:46 via kxan.com
  
  EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – A shooting was reported this afternoon close to 5:10 p.m. at Cielo Vista Mall's food court.A large police presence was seen pulling up to the parking lot as well as ambulances.Unconfirmed reports of at least one fatality in the incident and four people injured.Courtesy: Preston LonghurstCourtesy: Preston LonghurstCourtesy: Preston LonghurstCourtesy: Preston LonghurstWe’re working to confirm all details.
  Courtesy: Shelby Kapp - KTSMCourtesy: Shelby Kapp - KTSM
  
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• Gunman at large after shooting in El Paso shopping mall

  16-02-2023 01:46 via kxan.com
  
  EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – A shooting was reported shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday in the vicinity of the food court and Dillard's at Cielo Vista Mall in East El Paso.
  A large police presence, as well as ambulances, was seen pulling up to the parking lot Thurday afternoon.
  Reports of at least one fatality in the incident and four people injured are unconfirmed.
  In a text alert at 5:49 p.m. MST, the El Paso Police Department said the scene was "still active."
  Courtesy: Preston LonghurstCourtesy:
  
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• 1 dead, 3 injured at El Paso Mall shooting; 2 suspects in custody

  16-02-2023 01:46 via kxan.com
  
  Update at 9:00 pm: According to the Interim Police Chef Peter Pacillas, two people are in custody now and there’s no threat to the public. This is an active investigation and in its preliminary stages.The Cielo Vista Mall will remain locked down for security purposes and to allow investigators to conduct the appropriate procedures. El Paso Police Department will lead the investigation.EPPD spokesman Sgt. Javier Zambrano said the initial call came at 5:03 p.m. local time at 5:08 p.m., one o
  
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• HCSO deputy will not be indicted in Nov. 2022 deadly shooting, DA says

  16-02-2023 01:25 via kxan.com
  
  HAYS COUNTY, TEXAS (KXAN) -- A Hays County grand jury cleared a HCSO deputy in a November 2022 deadly shooting, according to a news release from Hays County Criminal District Attorney Kelly Higgins.According to the release, the grand jury did not return an indictment in the matter.On Nov 5, 2022, two HCSO deputies responded to the 100 block of Victoria Court, which is located in north Hays County, between Dripping Springs and Austin, the release said. The deputies were investigating a report of
  
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• Survey: Roads, infrastructure among top areas of improvement for Kyle residents

  16-02-2023 00:45 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) - The City of Kyle is planning for the future. It's developing a comprehensive plan for 2030 to help navigate its continued growth. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: City of Kyle seeks feedback from residents on 2030 Comprehensive PlanThe city is asking people who live there for their input.
  What is a comprehensive plan?The city's director of planning William Atkinson said a comprehensive plan is the city's guide to growth.
  "Any development that happens inside a city needs a foundation of a
  
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