Austin news

• 'It's not fair': Some in south Austin upset over new Project Connect options

  22-03-2023 23:09 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — When transportation leaders presented Project Connect to voters, it showed a number of different rail lines which connected large sections of Austin. On Tuesday, the plan, revealed by Austin Transit Partnership, showed five scaled-down options instead.At a public meeting, where the new scaled-down plans were presented, some people questioned why some areas of Austin would not be serviced in these new plans. Residents deliver first reviews of Project Connect’s 5 light
  
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• When will Austin decide on its official light rail design?

  22-03-2023 22:32 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austinites have a little more than a month to weigh in on Project Connect's initial light rail options before work happens to finalize the official design.The Austin Transit Partnership debuted five scaled down options for the city's upcoming light rail system at an open house Tuesday evening. Greg Canally, ATP's executive director, referred to it as the program's initial investment in light rail, with options featuring between 6-mile and 10-mile-long routes that are projected t
  
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• Texas committee to take up drag performance, story time restrictions

  22-03-2023 22:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A couple of bills that would restrict drag-related events and even criminalize performers in Texas will come up Thursday for discussion for the first time during this legislative session. This debate follows a statehouse rally earlier this week that brought out hundreds to defend drag and call for more LGBTQ protections.
  Members of the Texas Senate state affairs committee will start discussions on Senate Bill 12 and Senate Bill 1601, both filed by Republican State Sen. Brya
  
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• UT professor awarded 'Nobel Prize of Computing' for developing Ethernet 50 years ago

  22-03-2023 22:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — University of Texas at Austin Professor Robert Metcalfe has been awarded the 2022 Association for Computing Machinery A.M. Turing Award – referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Computing” – for the invention, standardization and commercialization of Ethernet.Metcalfe is a professor emeritus in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UT Austin. The award is named after Alan M. Turing – famous for his role in developing the modern co
  
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• Windy, humid weather ahead of storm potential on Friday

  22-03-2023 21:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Gusty south winds are bringing warm, humid air into the region as a western storm slowly approaches.Thursday will look and feel similar to Wednesday with morning clouds and a bit of drizzle, clearing into break of afternoon sun. Southerly wind gusts are expected to reach 25-35 mph, potentially affecting the Dell Match Play golf tournament on Lake Austin.The western storm drags a front through our area early Friday morning, bringing a broken line of strong to severe storms into t
  
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• Grants being offered to Austin music professionals

  22-03-2023 21:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Grants of $5,000 and $10,000 will soon be available for local music professionals after the City of Austin announced $3.5 million in support through the Live Music Event Program.
  According to a release from the city, the program will offer grants for local professional musicians, bands, and independent promoters to produce and publicize awarded projects.
  Grant funds may be used to cover expenses for music events, studio and video production, staffing and professional servic
  
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• Austin is a leader in air quality attainment

  22-03-2023 21:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Air quality is just one part of what people pay attention to when watching the weather, especially those who have respiratory illnesses like asthma. It is part of why the Clear Air Force of Central Texas watches our air quality — to make sure our levels of pollutants like ozone and fine particulate matter remain at levels better than what is accepted.Ozone is a colorless toxic gas. It is formed by oxygen through electrical discharges or ultraviolet light.Fine particul
  
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• Austin a leader in air quality attainment

  22-03-2023 21:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Air quality is just one part of what people pay attention to when watching the weather, especially those who have respiratory illnesses like asthma. It is part of why the Clear Air Force of Central Texas watches our air quality — to make sure our levels of pollutants like ozone and fine particulate matter remain at levels better than what is accepted.Ozone is a colorless toxic gas. It is formed by oxygen through electrical discharges or ultraviolet light.Fine particul
  
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• Texas lawmaker uses ChatGPT to deliver remarks on AI bill

  22-03-2023 21:38 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Texas lawmaker said he utilized an artificial intelligence tool to craft remarks Wednesday when he discussed a piece of legislation that would look further into the emerging technology's influence in the state.
  State Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, had a chance to talk in support of House Bill 2060 during Wednesday afternoon's hearing of the House state affairs committee. The legislation would create a new, seven-person advisory council tasked with evaluating AI p
  
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• In the thick of a housing crisis, is Austin's real estate market racially equitable?

  22-03-2023 21:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)— According to researchers, there are systemic factors that affect racial equality in real estate.
  On Wednesday, the Urban Land Institute, or ULI, in Austin led a discussion, its panelists discussing 10 guiding principles ULI compiled for developers, investors and others. These principles set out to make living more equitable for Black and brown communities.
  "The 10 Principles for Embedding Racial Equity in Real Estate Development reflect ULI’s response to member calls f
  
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• UT basketball player cements Dunkin' NIL deal in latest student-athlete partnership

  22-03-2023 20:54 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for March 22, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — America runs on Dunkin' and so, too, does Dillon Mitchell, a University of Texas at Austin basketball player.Mitchell is one of 38 student-athletes collaborating with the national coffee chain via its Team Dunkin name, image and likeness (NIL) partnership. Dylan Disu peaking at the right time for Longhorns during March Madness runAs part of the deal, Mitchell will participate
  
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• Indeed laying off 15% of staff, around 2,200 people

  22-03-2023 19:36 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for March 22, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Indeed, an employment company co-headquartered in Austin, is letting go of roughly 15% of its staff, according to a letter from CEO Chris Hyams.
  The cuts come from nearly every team, function, level and region at Indeed and Indeed Flex, according to the letter, which was sent to employees Wednesday. Despite uptick in tech layoffs, Austin hasn’t yet seen job carnageThe reason
  
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• Xylazine, a sometimes deadly animal tranquilizer, detected in Texas supply

  22-03-2023 19:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) –  The Texas Department of State and Health Services (DSHS) said that xylazine, an animal tranquilizer increasingly showing up Nationally in illicit drug supplies, has been found in Texas. Texas law enforcement discovered a batch of illicit fentanyl in West Texas and detected xylazine in the supply. DSHS said that xylazine, commonly referred to as “tranq,” was combined with other benzodiazepines and has led to four reported xylazine-related deaths. DSHS
  
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• How many light rail riders does Project Connect anticipate under each new option?

  22-03-2023 19:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — After unveiling five new options on the table for the future of light rail transit in Austin, Project Connect leaders have released new projections for anticipated ridership under each version.Austin Transit Partnership — the entity created to oversee the construction of the Project Connect light rail system — displayed the newest designs during an in-person and virtual open house Tuesday evening.ICYMI: Project Connect debuts 5 scaled down light rail optionsThe
  
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• 90-year-old critically endangered Houston Zoo turtle becomes first-time dad

  22-03-2023 18:10 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (KIAH) -- At 90 years young, Mr. Pickles is the oldest animal at the Houston Zoo and the newest father after three radiated tortoise eggs hatched. These little Pickles are a big deal (big dill?) for radiated tortoise genetics as their father, Mr. Pickles, is the most genetically valuable radiated tortoise in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP).Mr. Pickles has been at our local zoo for 36 years and has been with his companion, Mrs. Pickles, since
  
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• Suspect who shot 2 faculty members at Denver East High School identified

  22-03-2023 17:52 via kxan.com
  
  DENVER (KDVR) — The shooting suspect who injured two faculty members at Denver East High School has been identified. He is still not in police custody.
  Two faculty members were shot at Denver East High School on Wednesday morning, Denver Public Schools said. The two victims, who are deans at the school, were transported to local hospitals.According to the Denver Police Department, the suspect is 17-year-old Austin Lyle. Lyle is a student at the school and was under a safety plan to be patt
  
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• Student wanted after 2 faculty members shot at Denver East High School

  22-03-2023 17:52 via kxan.com
  
  DENVER (KDVR) — The shooting suspect who injured two faculty members at Denver East High School has been identified. He is still not in police custody.
  Two faculty members were shot at Denver East High School on Wednesday morning, Denver Public Schools said. The two victims, who are deans at the school, were transported to local hospitals.According to the Denver Police Department, the suspect is 17-year-old Austin Lyle. Lyle is a student at the school and was under a safety plan to be patt
  
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• Body found near East High shooting suspect's car in Park County

  22-03-2023 17:52 via kxan.com
  
  DENVER (KDVR) — The Park County Sheriff's Office said a body was found near the vehicle of the East High School suspect accused of shooting two administrators on Wednesday.Austin Lyle, 17, was identified as the suspect by Denver police and was under a safety plan to be patted down each day before entering the school. During that search on Wednesday, Lyle got hold of a weapon and shot the staff members. He then fled the scene.A vehicle that police believed was connected to Lyle was found in
  
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• 2 faculty members shot at Denver East High School

  22-03-2023 17:52 via kxan.com
  
  DENVER (KDVR) — Two faculty members were shot at Denver East High School on Wednesday morning, Denver Public Schools said. The two victims, who are deans at the school, were transported to local hospitals.According to Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas, the suspect is a male student that was under a safety plan to be patted down each day before entering the school. During that search, the student got hold of a weapon and shot the two faculty members.Thomas said the student then fled the scene,
  
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• 2 adult faculty members shot at Denver East High

  22-03-2023 17:52 via kxan.com
  
  DENVER (KDVR) — Two adult faculty members were shot at Denver East High School on Wednesday morning, Denver Public Schools said. Denver Police said the two victims were transported to local hospitals.There is a large police presence at East High School while police investigate the shooting.Denver Police believe that the suspect is no longer on scene and are working to develop information.
  The Denver Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is on scene assisting.
  Denver Public Sc
  
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• Charges dropped against former Texas Longhorns defensive back

  22-03-2023 17:37 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's note: The video above is from KXAN's coverage of Texas basketball's run in the 2023 NCAA TournamentAUSTIN (KXAN) — Charges against former Texas Longhorns defensive back Ishmael Ibraheem have been dropped, according to court documents.Ibraheem was a redshirt freshman and was suspended from the football team in September after he was charged with assault causing bodily injury – family violence and interference with emergency request for assistance. The charges were misdemeanor
  
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• What you need to know about the drug-resistant Candida auris fungus

  22-03-2023 16:49 via kxan.com
  
  BestReviews is reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission. Details.The world is facing a new global health threatOn Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a press release. The announcement identified Candida auris as “an urgent antimicrobial resistance threat.” Unfortunately, like the beginning of the pandemic, scientists do not yet fully understand why C. auris is resistant to antifungal medicines or why it has appeared in many region
  
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• TCEQ holds meeting on Boring Co.’s wastewater dumping request in Bastrop County

  22-03-2023 16:37 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — People in Bastrop County are concerned about Elon Musk's Boring Company’s request to dump thousands of gallons of treated wastewater into the Colorado River.
  Tuesday night, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality held a meeting with neighbors about the future of their drinking water supply.Previous story: Neighbors upset with Boring Co.’s wastewater dumping requestA representative from the Boring Co. was there to answer questions and explain
  
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• Willie Nelson to be honored with prestigious Texas award and new endowment

  22-03-2023 15:26 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Willie Nelson will soon add another award to his trophy case.The LBJ Foundation will present its most prestigious honor, the LBJ Liberty & Justice for All Award, to Willie Nelson in May."A lifelong advocate for farmers, alleviating food insecurity, and support of rural communities, Nelson embodies President Lyndon Baines Johnson's commitment to public service, particularly in the areas of farming and food security," the foundation said about Nelson in a media
  
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• Austin-based startup helps hire retail workers

  22-03-2023 15:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- There's a good chance you or someone you know has worked in retail.But one of the industry's biggest issues is an ongoing labor shortage.Here in Austin, one startup is trying to fill that gap and give workers full control over their time.
  Reflex allows people to pick up a shifts where they want and when they want.As Austin springs forward toward a busy tourist season, the retail industry has struggled with staffing."You have to work tough hours, you have to work on weekends, you
  
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• Caroline Rose talks about Austin music scene, locally shot short film 'The Art of Forgetting'

  22-03-2023 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Caroline Rose, an Austin-based musician, has been garnering attention for their upcoming album 'The Art of Forgetting.'The album comes out Friday, and Rose is busy preparing for tour. They talked over a Zoom interview Monday - literally on the way to a tour rehearsal - about Austin and the community they've found in its music scene, the album, and its accompanying short film, which shares the same name as the album.A few songs from the album are already out, plus two music video
  
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• Austin Transit Partnership unveils 5 light rail designs to public

  22-03-2023 13:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Transit Partnership, the entity responsible for delivering Austin's mass transit program known as Project Connect, unveiled five design options for the next light rail to the public.
  The light rail designs are scaled down in scope to what was advertised when Austin voters decided to approve the billion-dollar project. The five designs all connect some portions of Austin both north and south of the lake, but did not go as far as originally planned. Only one of the opti
  
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• Unidentified pedestrian hit, killed on Decker Lane

  22-03-2023 13:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A person died over the weekend after they were hit by an SUV in east Austin.
  Austin Police Department officers responded to a crash between an SUV and a pedestrian just before 9:50 p.m. Saturday in the 7700 block of Decker Lane.Related: ATCEMS: 2 auto-pedestrian accidents reported overnight, 1 deadAustin-Travis County EMS originally said the crash was in the 7900 block.
  The victim was pronounced dead on the scene. APD is still working to identify them.
  The driver remained on the
  
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• ‘This is a crisis.’ Lawmaker seeks transfer deadline for state hospital waitlist

  22-03-2023 13:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – House lawmakers heard testimony Tuesday on a bill that would require mentally ill defendants in county jails to be transferred to a facility for competency restoration within three weeks of a court order, according to testimony at a House Corrections Committee hearing Tuesday.State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, filed the bill – HB 479. Her legislation comes as the state hospital system’s waitlist and wait times near record highs. In some cases, mentally ill indi
  
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• Longtime Austin activist, AISD school board member giving back to her community for 30 years

  22-03-2023 12:00 via kxan.com
  
  We asked you to tell us about inspiring women in your life. We went through hundreds of nominations in our Remarkable Women contest. Now, we’re sharing our finalists’ stories.AUSTIN (KXAN) — In the usually quiet library at Perez Elementary school in southeast Austin, red heart-shaped decorations hang from the ceiling as a woman belts out the song “Put a little love in your heart."At the microphone is long-time activist Ofelia Zapata, the District 12 represe
  
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• Mix of clouds and sun as warming trend continues

  22-03-2023 11:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A little less rain and little more warmth expected today compared to the gray weather that took hold of most of the area yesterday.Morning clouds and pockets of drizzle will thin some by midday allowing for a little more sunshine to peek through this afternoon. High temperatures will return to the 80s with noticeable winds gusting 20-25 mph.Tomorrow will look and feel about the same - morning clouds with a few pockets of drizzle, afternoon sunshine and 80s.Timing of our next col
  
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• 80s make a return ahead of isolated severe risk

  22-03-2023 11:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Less rain and more warmth expected today compared to the gray weather that took hold of most of the area yesterday.Cloudy skies to start the afternoon will gave way to increasing sun late in the afternoon.High temperatures will return to the 80s with noticeable winds gusting 20-25 mph, both of which will combine to bring the warmth.Tomorrow will look and feel about the same - morning clouds with a few pockets of drizzle followed by some afternoon sunshine and 80s.Timing of our n
  
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• Hays County considers proposal to share cost of roads, infrastructure with developers

  22-03-2023 03:33 via kxan.com
  
  HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) - Hays County Commissioners are looking for ways to share the cost of growth with developers coming to the area.They are considering a resolution that would require developers to pitch in for needed road and infrastructure upgrades.
  As it currently stands, commissioners said they do not have the authority to ask for that.
  Dripping Springs resident Carrie Napiorkowski said she does have safety concerns for different roadways in the area.
  "I would say these roads are crum
  
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• Residents deliver first reviews of Project Connect's 5 light rail options

  22-03-2023 02:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As Austin unveils a first look at the future of light rail services in the city, residents sharing their thoughts on the designs on the table — as well as considerations they hope project heads consider moving forward.The Austin Transit Partnership debuted the light rail designs for Project Connect, the multi-billion-dollar mass transit system city voters approved in November 2020. At the core of that system is the promise of light rail, a first for the Texas capital.
  
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• How much has Austin's future light rail project already cost?

  22-03-2023 02:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Nearly two-and-a-half years after they approved a massive transportation plan called Project Connect, Austin voters got their first look at five design options for the city's future light rail system. Before these new designs were unveiled, however, millions of taxpayer dollars had been funneled to the project.
  In 2020, voters opted to increase the city's property tax rate, dedicating 8.75 cents per $100 of property valuation to Project Connect. The vote also created Austin
  
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• Teen taken to hospital after vehicle-pedestrian crash in north Austin, ATCEMS says

  22-03-2023 01:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin-Travis County EMS responded Tuesday to a crash with a pedestrian in north Austin shortly after 5 p.m, ATCEMS said in a tweet.A teenager was taken to Dell Children's Medical Center with potentially serious injuries after the crash, ATCEMS said.ATCEMS said the crash happened on the 1000 block of East Rundberg Lane, which is just east of Interstate 35.According to the tweet, no other information is available and ATCEMS is no longer on scene. The crash remained under inv
  
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• City of Austin collecting second round of storm debris March 31

  22-03-2023 00:36 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Resource Recovery (ARR), a department of the City of Austin, has started its second pass through the city to collect storm debris from customers, according to a news release from the city. This latest collection should be completed later this week.ARR is also on the schedule to finish the final pass by the end of April, the release said.According to the city, ARR is collecting an unprecedented amount of debris from the winter storm. So far, crews have collected more t
  
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