Austin news

• McDonald's fans can get this popular menu item at Wendy's

  23-03-2023 22:47 via kxan.com
  
  (KTLA) — It's been seven years since McDonald’s removed snack wraps from menus nationwide and while die-hard fans are still waiting for the fast food company to announce its return, they will soon be able to get a version of the snack wrap from Wendy’s.Starting March 28, the Grilled Chicken Ranch Wrap will be available at various Wendy’s locations.
  "It's no secret that at Wendy's, we know Ranch," John Li, vice president of culinary innovation for the Wendy's Company, said
  
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• PHOTOS: Dogs enjoying the bluebonnets in Central Texas

  23-03-2023 22:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — National Puppy Day, recognized on March 23, just so happens to fall near the beginning of spring.To celebrate the day here in Central Texas, we asked our audience to submit photos of their pups enjoying the bluebonnets and spring weather.
  Here's a compilation of just a fraction of those photos.And — just for clarification — to us, any dog of any age qualifies as a puppy.Ozzy in the bluebonnets in Round Rock, Texas (Courtesy: Jennifer Camacho)Ozzy in the bluebonn
  
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• Anonymous donor offers $5K reward for December burglary suspects

  23-03-2023 22:19 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for March 23, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — An "anonymous donor" is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of burglary suspects, on top of a $1,000 Crime Stoppers award, according to the Austin Police Department.APD is searching for three people who it believes stole "several valuable items" and credit cards which were later used.The burglary happened sometime between 10:45 p.m. and 5 a.m. Dec.
  
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• Man gets 15-year prison sentence in connection with May 2021 fatal shooting

  23-03-2023 22:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man in Travis County was found guilty of manslaughter March 16 after the death of a 23-year-old in May 2021.According to Travis County officials, 57-year-old Blake Charles Washington was convicted in connection with Christopher Bowser Jr.'s death on May 2, 2021. RELATED: Man faces murder charge after 23-year-old victim dies one day after downtown shootingTravis County court records showed Washington was sentenced to serve 15 years in a state prison.Washington was original
  
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• Severe storm threat in the Hill Country overnight

  23-03-2023 21:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- We are watching the Hill Country between 3-6 a.m. for the potential of severe thunderstorms with wind and hail damage. The rest of us can expect mainly rain showers with an isolated non-severe thunderstorm early Friday.Gusty winds are funneling into the area ahead of the storm threat overnight. There is a marginal threat of severe storms overnight in the Hill Country, and the same minor threat northeast of Austin during the daytime Friday.Severe storm risk overnightSevere storm
  
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• Lawmakers drop eminent domain, try new approach to save Texas state park

  23-03-2023 21:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Lawmakers are changing their approach in an effort to save a Texas state park from permanent closure and development into a multi-million dollar private community.Fairfield Lake State Park, about 70 miles east of Waco, was closed to the public at the end of February, after almost 50 years in operation. It has since temporarily reopened but is slated for permanent closure later this summer. ‘Not constitutional’: How negotiations for the state to buy the park brok
  
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• Trial delayed for Austin man connected to 2020 murder-for-hire plot

  23-03-2023 20:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — It could be a while before an Austin man arrested in a murder-for-hire plot gets a trial.Erik Charles Maund, 47, a former partner of an Austin-based auto group Maund Automotive, was accused of paying three men to kidnap and kill his former girlfriend Holly Williams and her boyfriend William Lanway in March 2020, according to federal documents.Indictment records said Maund was married. Lanway reportedly demanded money from Maund and said he would expose Maund’s relatio
  
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• Austin Public Library eyes new branches as part of expansion plan

  23-03-2023 19:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin City Council voted to adopt the Austin Public Library's strategic plan Thursday, which includes proposals to both expand existing library branches while building four new locations within the system.The APL Comprehensive Library Strategic and Facilities Plan cited Austin's rapid population growth as cause behind calls for "increasing the footprint of library spaces in the city," per a city news release.Austin City Council eyes changes after winter stormIn addition to
  
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• Austin Police made 131 arrests, seized 61 firearms during SXSW time period

  23-03-2023 19:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- To curb violent crimes in Austin, the police department launched a Violent Crimes Initiative, which ran concurrently with the South by Southwest Festival.
  The operation, which was a collaboration with state and federal law enforcement agencies, was active from March 8 through March 18.
  APD seized a total of 61 firearms and made 131 arrests. During this initiative, officers were able to seize the following narcotics:
  3.5 Kg of cocaine/crack cocaine26.6 Kg of m
  
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• Texas moves to consolidate border authority

  23-03-2023 18:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- The Texas Senate Committee on Border Security is set to hear a bill that would create a state crime for illegally crossing the federal border. It's the latest legislative effort to consolidate border enforcement authority at a time when Texas officials accuse the Biden Administration of ignoring the strain on border communities.SB 2424 by State Sen. Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury) would create a Class A misdemeanor for noncitizens who attempt to cross the Texas-Mexico border ille
  
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• Texas border bills aim to challenge federal law and consolidate state power

  23-03-2023 18:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- The Texas Senate Committee on Border Security on Thursday heard a bill that would create a state crime for illegally crossing the federal border. It's the latest legislative effort to consolidate border enforcement authority at a time when Texas officials accuse the Biden Administration of ignoring the strain on border communities.SB 2424 by State Sen. Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury) would create a Class A misdemeanor for noncitizens who attempt to cross the Texas-Mexico border i
  
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• US Highway 183 in southeast Austin back on the radar for improvements

  23-03-2023 18:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Sidelined… by the pandemic… the process of helping ease congestion on U.S. Highway 183 in southeast Travis County is getting back on track.More cars are driving the stretch of road each day, but the road hasn't been improved to keep up. Traffic anchor Erica Brennes reports, that will soon change."This morning, I'm sailing through, right and I'm thinking why is there no traffic? It's a Wednesday--a lot of people go to the office on Wednesdays, right? And then boom,
  
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• Hwy 183 in Southeast Austin back on the radar for improvements

  23-03-2023 18:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Sidelined… by the pandemic… the process of helping ease congestion on Highway 183 in southeast Travis County is getting back on track.More cars are driving the stretch of road each day, but the road hasn't been improved to keep up. Traffic anchor Erica Brennes reports, that will soon change."This morning, I'm sailing through, right and I'm thinking why is there no traffic? It's a Wednesday--a lot of people go to the office on Wednesdays, right? And then boom, I hit
  
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• FOUND: Amber Alert discontinued for teen last seen near Fort Worth

  23-03-2023 17:51 via kxan.com
  
  AZLE, Texas (KXAN) -- A 13-year-old at the center of a Thursday Amber Alert was found, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.The teen was last seen Wednesday night in Azle, Texas, which is about 17 miles northwest of Fort Worth.
  
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• Amber Alert issued for 13-year-old last seen in Azle, near Fort Worth

  23-03-2023 17:51 via kxan.com
  
  AZLE, Texas (KXAN) -- An Amber Alert was issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety Thursday for a 13-year-old last seen in a town near the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
  Aubree Trainer was last seen Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. in the 1000 block of Boyd Road in Azle, Texas, which is about 17 miles northwest of Fort Worth.
  Trainer is described as:
  5'4"103 lbsBrown hairGreen eyesLast seen wearing glasses, a black t-shirt with 'Tupac' written in print, tie-dye pants, white slide shoes, and her hair in a b
  
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• Austin Public Health says deadly fungus spreading in US is a ‘top threat’

  23-03-2023 17:41 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for March 23, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) –  Austin Public Health said that Candida auris (C. auris) — the often multidrug-resistant and deadly fungus — is “very concerning” and a “top threat” for the agency, though there are currently no known cases in Austin. C. auris is a fungus that first appeared in Japan in 2009. After the initial case, the fungus showed up in several
  
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• Austin Public Health says deadly fungus spreading in the U.S. is a ‘top threat’

  23-03-2023 17:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) –  Austin Public Health said that Candida auris (C. auris) — the often multidrug-resistant and deadly fungus — is “very concerning” and a “top threat” for the agency, though there are currently no known cases in Austin. C. auris is a fungus that first appeared in Japan in 2009. After the initial case, the fungus showed up in several locations across the globe simultaneously, said Betsy Kirkpatrick, a disease investigator with APH.
  
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• The top barbecue joint in Texas is in Austin, according to Yelp

  23-03-2023 17:23 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – Make no bones about it: Barbecue is one of America’s favorite cuisines.Barbecue, however, is also the subject of some of the most heated debates among foodies. What qualifies as “barbecue” in one region of the country might not pass in another, seeing as some folks might prefer baby-back ribs over St. Louis-style, or the flavors of mesquite over hickory. And don’t even get started on the sauces.The best barbecue, therefore, is truly in the taste buds of
  
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• Austin evictions back up to pre-pandemic levels, according to data

  23-03-2023 17:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Evictions in Austin are back up to pre-pandemic levels, according to a research center based at Princeton University called the Eviction Lab. RELATED COVERAGE: Travis County approves funding for program that will help people facing eviction, talks minimum wageAccording to their data, there were 262 eviction filings in Austin from February 26 to March 4. In one week of March 2020, there were 129 filings.
  The Eviction Lab reported numbers were up 180% from the average as of earlie
  
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• Man charged with sexual assault, accused of attack near downtown Austin

  23-03-2023 17:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man has been charged with aggravated sexual assault after he was accused of attacking a woman riding a scooter near downtown Austin.
  Court documents report police responded to a call near Interstate 35 and 14th Street around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. Police found a victim "visibly injured" with a split lower jaw, bodily bruises and evidence of a sexual assault, per the affidavit.The victim told police a man "made contact with her" while she was riding a scooter and trav
  
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• Affidavit: Man allegedly assaulted, raped woman scootering downtown

  23-03-2023 17:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man has been charged with aggravated sexual assault after he was accused of attacking a woman riding a scooter near downtown Austin.
  Court documents report police responded to a call near Interstate 35 and 14th Street around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. Police found a victim "visibly injured" with a split lower jaw, bodily bruises and evidence of a sexual assault, according to the affidavit.The victim told police a man "made contact with her" while she was riding a scooter
  
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• Hays County Sheriff's Office looking for suspects who stole construction equipment

  23-03-2023 16:12 via kxan.com
  
  HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Hays County authorities asked for the public's help identifying two suspects who stole construction equipment from a Kyle business.
  During the early morning hours of Feb. 13, two men entered a business on Rhode Road in Kyle and stole construction equipment, including a 2021 JLGT500 Boom Lift, along with a generator, according to the Hays County Sheriff's Office.
  The suspect vehicle was a white Ford F250 or 350, four-door, long bed work truck. Surveillance captured it
  
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• NASA explores brain training tech for future astronauts living on Moon, Mars

  23-03-2023 15:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - A new study is taking a closer look at the role brain training could play on future space missions. Published in January, the NASA-commissioned pilot study used a brain training app called BrainHQ to test five high performing Johnson Spaceflight Center employees.The pilot study used not only the base BrainHQ tests, but also tests designed by NASA that specifically target people like astronauts.The study found that four of the five participants saw 78% improvement in performance o
  
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• Texas football getting key pieces back healthy

  23-03-2023 15:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As Texas students set off for spring break last week, Texas football head coach Steve Sarkisian made sure to warn his players to be responsible during their week off.And as they returned for the first spring practice after the break on Tuesday, Sarkisian was proud to report that there had been no incidents during his players' time away."It went well. Proud of our guys," Sarkisian said. "They're in college. They need to be able to enjoy their spring break. Being a Division I foot
  
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• Is Elon Musk planning town east of Austin? The answer's complicated

  23-03-2023 13:44 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (Austin Business Journal) -- The Wall Street Journal caused a stir earlier this month when it reported that Elon Musk — the billionaire CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Co. and other businesses — is planning to create his own town east of Austin. But things don't appear to be so clear cut. Report: Elon Musk plans to build his own town in TexasCiting anonymous sources "familiar with the project," the WSJ reported March 9 that Musk aimed to cre
  
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• March 23 is World Meteorological Day

  23-03-2023 13:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- We rely on them for information to handle everything from long-term climate change to immediate life-saving decisions.
  March 23 is a day set aside to honor the world's meteorologists.
  According to NationalToday.com, March 23 marks the anniversary of the day the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), which became the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
  2023 marks the 150th year for the WMO and its predessor.
  
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• Neighbors worry about abandoned dogs outside Austin city limits

  23-03-2023 13:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On Kevin Garinger's roughly four-acre property, just southeast of the Austin City Limits, his two rescue dogs have free rein of about an acre of fenced-in land. Outside the fence line, he said he often finds other dogs looking for food or a friendly face.“That usually ends up being me,” he said.He reached out to KXAN after seeing what feels to him like a spike in the number of animals running loose. He described seeing Nextdoor or Facebook posts from h
  
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• TxDOT to cut ribbon on Hays County realignment project

  23-03-2023 12:49 via kxan.com
  
  HAYS COUNTY (KXAN) -- TxDOT officials will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony on the first of three projects to widen and realign a roadway between Interstate 35 and Texas Highway 21.Officials with TxDOT and Hays County will gather Thursday morning at 10:30 for the Farm to Market Road 2001 West realignment project.
  According to TxDOT, the FM 2001 West project realigned the road along White Wing Trail from the curve east of County Road 118 to I-35, widening the roadway from two lanes to a f
  
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• City of Austin to discuss regulations for e-scooters in downtown

  23-03-2023 12:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- E-scooters are one of the most popular forms of transportation for people trying to get around Austin's busy downtown, but how the scooters are being used is a cause for concern for some city council members.
  City council member Mackenzie Kelly, district 6, placed an item on Thursday's agenda that would direct the city manager to explore possible regulations for the organization and management of the micro-mobility devices.
  "We use them everyday"Kaylin Pyles and Caitlin Horvath
  
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• City of Austin postpones discussion on e-scooter regulation downtown

  23-03-2023 12:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- E-scooters are one of the most popular forms of transportation for people trying to get around Austin's busy downtown, but how the scooters are being used is a cause for concern for some city council members.
  City council member Mackenzie Kelly, district 6, placed an item on Thursday's agenda that would direct the city manager to explore possible regulations for the organization and management of the micro-mobility devices. However, council opted to postpone the item until its A
  
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• Bijan Robinson teaches swim lessons

  23-03-2023 12:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A former Longhorn football star is making sure children learn the importance of safety in the water.
  Austin Parks and Recreation said Wednesday, former UT running back Bijan Robinson taught a swim lesson at Bartholomew Pool last week.
  According to Parks and Rec, Robinson worked with the department's Aquatic Division and Tankproof, a non-profit that provides free swim lessons in the Austin area.The announcement from Parks and Rec says Robinson learned about the importance of wate
  
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• Warm and windy ahead of Friday morning rain/storms

  23-03-2023 11:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Humidity and warmth will continue to pool over Central Texas ahead of our next cold front expected to arrive early tomorrow morning.Today will look and feel similar to what we felt yesterday - warm (80s) and humid under a mostly to partly cloudy sky. Southerly winds will get a touch stronger this afternoon with sustained speeds ranging between 15-25 mph and gusts up to 30 mph.Overnight into the pre-dawn hours Friday, a broken line of storms and showers will move into the Hill Co
  
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• City says most have left downtown Salvation Army shelter

  23-03-2023 11:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin says only 26 people remained at the Salvation Army downtown shelter on March 17, just one month after the shelter announced it would close.
  According to a memo released Wednesday from the City of Austin Homeless Strategy Division, 71 people left the downtown shelter since Feb. 17.The city memo says the Salvation Army reports that clients have gone to a variety of locations, including the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH), the Austin Shelter for Wo
  
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• Woman dies in northeast Austin shooting

  23-03-2023 10:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Police say a woman is dead after she called 911 Wednesday night to say she was shot at her northeast Austin apartment complex.According to police, the woman called 911 around 9 p.m. from the Fort Branch Apartments on Techni Center Drive.
  APD says the woman gave officers enough information for them to find her location.When officers found her, police say she appeared to have suffered multiple gunshot wounds.Both APD officers and Austin-Travis County EMS paramedics tried to
  
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• Uvalde parents get rendering photos of new school replacing Robb Elementary after mass shooting

  23-03-2023 04:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Parents in Uvalde are now getting a look at what the new elementary school replacing Robb Elementary will look like after the May 24 mass shooting killed 19 children and two teachers.The new campus is expected to accommodate 800 students. That is nearly twice as big as Robb Elementary.The new campus will have a lot of new security measures, including fencing around the play fields, keyless entry points and privacy gates that are 9 feet tall, officials said. Additionally, there w
  
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• 'It's an honor': Texas Longhorns savor first trip to Sweet 16 in 15 years

  23-03-2023 01:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Longhorns junior Dylan Disu was 7 years old the last time Texas went to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.He's witnessed a great deal of that 15-year drought up close, graduating from Hendrickson High School in Pflugerville before spending two seasons at Vanderbilt. Disu has been on a tear averaging 18 points per game in Texas' five post season games, including 28 in Saturday's win over Penn State."It's cool and it's an honor to be part of the team that puts Texas b
  
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• DPS patrols Texas School for the Deaf after 'threatening' call

  23-03-2023 01:13 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for March 22, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Department of Public Safety patrolled the Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) in south Austin Wednesday after a "threatening call" from a 1-800 number, TSD told KXAN.TSD said DPS was "immediately" called and the patrols were done as a precaution.An "alert was then sent through the Texas DPS mass notification app prior to officers arriving on campus to assess the situati
  
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• Texas family of 4 waits over 2 hours for Austin police after crash

  23-03-2023 00:37 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for March 22, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — On a Saturday afternoon, the Pulcifur family was on the way home to Killeen from a trip to the aquarium when they said a car hit them head-on on Jollyville road.“The kids were screaming. The smoke. The airbag. Everything," Lacey Purciful said.
  The 911 call came in at 4:18 p.m., according to the Austin Police Department (APD), and officers arrived at 6:35 p.m.
  “APD
  
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• Gambling in Texas: House considers profits and pitfalls

  23-03-2023 00:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- The Texas House Committee on State Affairs heard testimony on two bills which would legalize sports betting and casino gambling in Texas on Wednesday, fielding condemnations from concerned religious groups and eye-popping profit estimates from sportsbooks eager to cash in.HB 1942 by Plano Republican Jeff Leach would allow online sports wagering websites to operate in Texas. His legislation is limited to online platforms and makes no provisions for "brick and mortar" sportsboo
  
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