Austin news

• These features can help your home sell faster — and for more — according to Zillow

  07-04-2023 23:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Homes in the Austin area are taking a lot longer to sell these days. Back in May 2022, the average home for sale in the metro area spent just 15 days on the market.In February 2023, that figure had jumped to 84 days, according to the latest housing report from the Austin Board of Realtors. That's the longest average in 11 years.But new insight from Zillow might be able to help some homeowners find a buyer faster. The property website looked at features in homes nationwide t
  
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• Where to hunt for Easter eggs this weekend

  07-04-2023 23:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Spring has sprung! And though Friday was dreary, KXAN meteorologists are forecasting a mild, partly cloudy Easter – perfect for hunting down colorful treat-filled eggs left, in theory, by a large, cartoonish rabbit. If you’ve got kiddos who are keen to hunt down some eggs – or you’re an adult who still likes to partake in the celebration (I’m not here to judge!) – here is a list of some egg-celent Easter egg hunt opportunities around
  
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• Daniel Perry found guilty of murder in protester's death

  07-04-2023 23:34 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for April 6, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — The trial for Daniel Perry ended Friday, and after jury deliberation, he was found guilty of murder for the death of a man during a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest.Perry faced one count of murder and another count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after the deadly shooting of Garrett Foster in the streets of downtown Austin on July 25, 2020. While he was found guilty
  
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• Some city council members make micro-mobility a priority for Austinites

  07-04-2023 22:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — City of Austin Council member Mackenzie Kelly of District 6 was set to address an agenda item related to micro-mobility in the city during the April 20 council meeting, but the agenda was changed after a “desired outcome” was achieved.Kelly expressed her gratitude toward Mayor Kirk Watson and council members Zohaib Qadri, José Vela and Leslie Pool for their collaboration on the resolution.“I'm grateful to share that we were able to achieve the desir
  
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• Spurs' Keldon Johnson still loyal to Buc-ee's even though he's 'not supposed to' eat there

  07-04-2023 22:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A road trip up Interstate 35 usually results in a stop at Buc-ee's. For Spurs small forward Keldon Johnson, a stop at the iconic Texas gas station was "mandatory," before heading to Austin to play the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moody Center Thursday.The stop was not his first and will not be his last, but Johnson might not make the stop right before a game again. In a post-game press conference, Johnson said he got an upset stomach after the visit. San Antonio Spurs help
  
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• MAP: AutoPed deaths endemic along I-35, US-183, Ben White Blvd.

  07-04-2023 22:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A vehicle colliding with a pedestrian (AutoPed) at any speed can injure or even kill. KXAN looked at such collisions over 2022 and into 2023 to determine where they occur.According to data from the Austin Police Department (APD), the majority of AutoPeds appear to occur near I-35, US-183 and Ben White Blvd. AutoPeds also were reported in outlier areas in east Austin. These locations roughly line up with where fatal car collisions also occur in the city. MAP: Where have Austin&rs
  
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• Border Patrol seeks public's help naming its four new horses

  07-04-2023 22:00 via kxan.com
  
  MCALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — ValleyCentral is teaming up with U.S. Border Patrol to help name their four new horses.Viewers will have the chance to participate and nominate the most fitting names for each horse. Each horse is a male.The photos below show each horse's unique personalities and traits that may help pick out a name.
  Instagram: @BorderPatrol (Source: Border Patrol press release) Instagram: @BorderPatrol (Source: Border Patrol press release) Instagram: @BorderPatrol (Source:
  
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• Easter Bunny pays early visit to NICU babies at St. David's

  07-04-2023 21:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Babies in the neonatal intensive care unit at St. David's Women's Center of Texas got a special visit this week.
  The Easter Bunny made an early appearance at St. David's NICU, giving families the chance to take their first Easter photos with their newborns.
  Baby in the NICU at St. David's is dressed up for Easter (Photo credit: St. David's Women's Center of Texas)Easter Bunny visits triplets in the St. David's NICU (Photo credit: St. David's Women's Center of Texas)Easter B
  
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• Texas bill could require Ten Commandments in classrooms

  07-04-2023 20:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (NewsNation) — A Texas Senate bill that would require displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools is renewing the debate on the separation of church and state.Supporters of the bill say the Ten Commandments are part of the United States' history, while opponents say it would violate religious freedoms.Moses, Ten Commandments back in Texas school curriculum debateThe bill would require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in each classroom on a poster or frame that is at
  
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• Daniel Perry trial: 24 hours into deliberations, no verdict yet on murder trial

  07-04-2023 19:56 via kxan.com
  
  (AUSTIN)—  It’s now up to 12 jurors to decide the fate of an Army sergeant accused of murder in the fatal shooting of a Black Lives Matter protester in 2020.The jury deliberated from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday.Closing arguments for the Daniel Perry murder trial wrapped up just before 1 p.m. on Thursday. Perry's defense has maintained the fatal shooting of Garrett Foster was in self-defense. The state argues Perry instigated the crowd, driving into the crowd and causing prote
  
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• City to focus on safety near Rainey Street after recent deaths

  07-04-2023 18:47 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for April 7, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — The City of Austin said there would be increased safety measures at Rainey Street and the nearby Rainey Street Trailhead at the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail this weekend.The city said Austin Police would be patrolling the area, as well as having additional park rangers stationed along the trail. RELATED: Family of man found dead in Lady Bird Lake in 2018 responds to
  
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• Texas Gov. Abbott announces new initiatives to combat fentanyl crisis

  07-04-2023 18:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Gov. Greg Abbott made addressing the state's "growing fentanyl crisis" one of his key legislative priorities this session. On Thursday, he announced additional steps the state is taking to curb deaths from a drug that took the lives of 2,012 Texas last year.
  Speaking at a summit with state leaders, stakeholders and families of Texans who died from fentanyl poisoning, Abbott announced the state will be doling out millions of dollars to take immediate action while the legi
  
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• 'Puppies in Bloom': Free dog adoptions during Easter weekend at Williamson County shelter

  07-04-2023 17:58 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for April 7, 2023.WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Need a puppy? The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter has you covered.
  The shelter is offering free dog adoptions April 7 and 8 because it has had a "more than normal amount" of puppies brought into the shelter in the last few days, WCRAS said in a release.
  Interested adopters can preview all adoptable dogs online before heading to the shelter. The shelter h
  
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• Report: Tesla's Giga Texas factory has swollen to more than 12K employees

  07-04-2023 17:57 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (Austin Business Journal) -- Tesla Inc. said its Giga Texas factory had grown to 12,277 employees by the end of 2022, according to an annual report shared with Travis County’s Economic Development Program as a part of its 2020 incentives package. That's up from a bit more than 10,000 employees reported to the ABJ last fall by sources familiar with the matter.About a month ago, Dell Technologies Inc. — which has handily held the title as larges
  
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• SWAT called to scene in southeast Austin; Part of Nuckols Crossing closed

  07-04-2023 17:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department's SWAT team was called to a scene in southeast Austin Friday morning.
  APD tweeted at 10:05 a.m. that officers are on the scene of the call in the 4600 block of Nuckols Crossing Road.
  Nuckols Crossing is shut down in both directions between Maufrais Lane and Viewpoint Drive.
  Avoid the area.
  Police said a media briefing is planned for 11 a.m.
  This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
  
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• Suspect in custody after SWAT call in southeast Austin

  07-04-2023 17:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department's SWAT team was called to a scene in southeast Austin Friday morning for a disturbance. The disturbance call came in at 7:11 a.m., according to police.APD tweeted at 10:05 a.m. that officers were on the scene of the call in the 4600 block of Nuckols Crossing Road.
  According to Austin Police, when officers arrived, a disturbance between a man and woman could be heard inside an apartment unit. APD said officers also heard objects breaking.When officers
  
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• Bates-Diop leads Spurs past Blazers in inaugural Austin game

  07-04-2023 16:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Keita Bates-Diop had 25 points, Julian Champagnie and Keldon Johnson added 24 points each and the San Antonio Spurs beat the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers 129-127 on Thursday night in the first NBA game in Texas' capital city.The victory ensured San Antonio (21-59) will not finish with the franchise's worst record. The Spurs finished 20-62 in 1997, the season prior to drafting Tim Duncan with the No. 1 pick.Bates-Diop and Johnson made a triumphant return to the c
  
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• Lotto Texas jackpot tops over $63 million for Saturday's drawing

  07-04-2023 15:57 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (KIAH) -- The jackpot for the Texas Lottery's Lotto Texas game is an estimated $63.25 million for its next drawing Saturday night.There were no tickets sold for Wednesday's drawing matching all six numbers which were 27, 28, 30, 36, 46 and 51.The Saturday jackpot has an estimated cash value of $39.2 million.Tickets for the next drawing can be purchased until 10:02 p.m. Saturday with the drawing taking place at 10:12 p.m.
  
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• Hays County corrections officer indicted in deadly shooting of inmate

  07-04-2023 15:51 via kxan.com
  
  HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- A Hays County corrections officer was indicted in a deadly shooting of an inmate at a Kyle hospital in December.
  According to a press release from the Hays County Sheriff's Office, a Hays County grand jury indicted the officer involved in the shooting of Joshua Wright, who was being held pre-trial at the time of the shooting.
  The officer was identified by Hays County District Attorney Kelly Higgins as Isaiah Garcia, 27. Garcia had worked as a corrections officer for
  
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• Texas Hill Country prepares for thousands of visitors ahead of total solar eclipse

  07-04-2023 15:24 via kxan.com
  
  DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas (KXAN) -- Hotel rooms are booking up or already sold out ahead of next April's total solar eclipse, according to officials with the City of Dripping Springs. The total solar eclipse, which will occur on April 8, 2024, is one of two that's path will move across Central Texas.The second eclipse will occur on Oct. 14 of this year. That eclipse is an annular eclipse, which according to NASA, occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun during the furthest point o
  
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• Police identify victim, search for suspect of south Austin December hit-and-run

  07-04-2023 15:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department has identified a man who was killed in a south Austin hit-and-run in December and is asking for the public's help identifying the suspect involved.
  It happened just after 2 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14 in the eastbound lanes of the 900 block of West Ben White service road. Previous story: Police investigating fatal hit-and-run on Ben White service roadThe victim, identified by APD as Nelson Anderson, 20, was hit by a vehicle, and the driver of the vehicle
  
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• This little-known rule causes speed limits to go up in Texas

  07-04-2023 14:47 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – When the signs changed on State Highway 130 in 2012, and the posted speed limit rose to 85 mph, the 90-mile stretch of road officially earned the title of fastest highway in the nation. But Highway 130 is far from the only Texas route where cars have been going faster over time — and are doing so legally.
  Texas, like many other states around the country, sets speed limits on state roadways using the "85% rule." Basically, the Department of Transportation comes o
  
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• Austin's first Muslim city council member celebrates Ramadan, talks about challenges, rewards

  07-04-2023 14:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The holy month of Ramadan is officially underway, as Muslims from all over the world fast from dawn to dusk for an entire month.In Austin, district 9 council member Zohaib “Zo” Qadri — the first Muslim elected to Austin City Council — has been fasting for over two weeks."Fasting means no food intake, no water intake, I can't even chew gum,” he said. “So, it's absolutely nothingness for about 12-13 hours each day."While it’s been tou
  
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• Austin City Council studying solutions for childcare affordability

  07-04-2023 13:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Childcare affordability is on the mind of councilmember Vanessa Fuentes. She and her colleagues on the Austin City Council passed a resolution earlier this year that makes opening a childcare facility easier and cheaper, and she says more needs to be done.
  Finding adequate childcare has become a timely and expensive issue for parents around the country and here in Travis County. Brightwheel, a childcare management software, estimates the average cost of childcare in Austin is $1
  
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• Ascension nurses protest staffing, patient safety

  07-04-2023 12:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A large group of nurses with National Nurses United gathered outside Ascension Seton Medical Center on Thursday.Nurses told KXAN they are frustrated with how the hospital is addressing some of their biggest concerns.Nurses claim there is chronic short-staffing, which can impact patient care.The nurses are also disappointed with how contract negotiations are going with the hospital."Staffing is what is lacking, we are having issues retaining the nurses we have, and recruitin
  
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• Thousands without power, APD responds to vehicle hitting pole in southeast Austin

  07-04-2023 05:09 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- More than 3,000+ customers were without power in southeast Austin, andthe Austin Police Department confirmed a vehicle ran into a pole Thursday.APD said the crash happened at Willow Creek Drive and East Riverside Drive shortly after 9 p.m. How to check for Central Texas power outagesDue to the pole being down, officers closed the lane. Additionally, APD confirmed Austin Energy also responded to the scene to repair the outages.To take a look at the Austin Energy outage map, go to
  
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• Data: Texas gamers ranked No.1 in 'rage quitting,' proof is in controller demand

  07-04-2023 04:37 via kxan.com
  
  HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A recent study revealed Texans are more likely to "rage quit" a video game after throwing their controllers in frustration. RGV’s Raquel Rodriguez makes comeback after WrestleMania lossThe data collected by online casino expert Datslots analyzed Google data on searches for Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo controllers in each state, to see where new devices are in the highest demand and where people might be rage quitting the most.Texas ranke
  
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• KFC releases official statement over ‘appalling’ sign at Texas location

  07-04-2023 04:26 via kxan.com
  
  LUBBOCK, Texas -- A Texas location of fast-food chain KFC released an official statement on Wednesday morning in regards to a sign that some people referred to as racist.Suspect in fatal West Lubbock hit-and-run told officers he hit hogA spokesperson for KFC said the location at 1208 50th Street in Lubbock was "vandalized with an appalling message." The sign featured a racial slur about people getting sold for two cents.
  According to KFC, the sign was discovered by employees when they arrived to
  
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• Heaviest rain since August, and rain continues Friday

  07-04-2023 04:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin tallied its heaviest one-day rainfall event since Aug. 22, with 1.97" of rain on Thursday. A daily rainfall record of 1.85" fell at the Austin-Bergstrom airport. Occasional rain and thunderstorms continue overnight and through the day Friday.
  Live radarLive traffic conditionsCentral Texas rainfall totals
  Dry, thirsty soil is soaking up much of the lighter rainfall totals in the Hill Country, so the Highland Lakes are not expected to benefit much from this rain event.Addit
  
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• Project Connect leaders break down 5 light rail options, future buildout opportunities

  07-04-2023 03:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After Project Connect leaders debuted five reduced light rail scope options last month, officials spoke Thursday on how the system will be built out in the future.The two-hour community meeting featured engagement opportunities between the public and program leadership. Some questions from the public highlighted concerns with the narrowed vision behind the light rail scope -- initially presented to voters as two light rail lines, the Blue and Orange lines.Thursday evening, offic
  
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• Austin Police seeking help solving 2019 cold case murder

  07-04-2023 02:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Thursday, Austin Police asked for help solving a cold case murder that happened in 2019. APD said investigators have followed up on all available information during the ongoing investigation. According to police, on April 9, 2019, at approximately 10:44 p.m., APD officers responded to a shooting at Givens Park in east Austin.APD said when officers arrived, 47-year-old Andre Lanier Davis Jr. was found face down in the parking lot. Police said Davis had been shot, and
  
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• APD searching for man who pulled knife, threatened store employee

  07-04-2023 01:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department is seeking the public's help in identifying a suspect wanted in a February aggravated assault incident in north Austin, according to an APD news release.At approximately 7:40 p.m., Feb. 25, the suspect walked into a convenience store, located at 11800 Metric Blvd., the release said.The suspect then "became combative" after a store employee asked him to leave, according to police. During the altercation, the suspect pulled out a large knife and tried
  
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• 'I got justice': More domestic violence victim support coming to Hays County

  07-04-2023 00:39 via kxan.com
  
  HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Along with an increasing population in Hays County, there's an increase in the number of people filing for protective orders.
  Commissioners recently took steps to help protect domestic violence victims by approving the addition of a Victim Assistance Coordinator. The idea was brought to them by Hays County District Attorney Kelly Higgins.
  "Help them find resources, provide resources. Provide, in many cases, emotional support, and just do everything that a DA's office
  
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• APH says STI rates in Travis County are rising, encourages testing

  07-04-2023 00:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) –  The CDC reported last year that sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the U.S. surged in 2021 with no indication of slowing. Austin Public Health released Thursday data showing a similar pattern in Travis County.They found that during the 2022 fiscal year, visits to APH’s Sexual Health Clinic increased by 38% from the 2021 fiscal year. MORE: CDC is reporting rising STD rates, Austin Public Health weighs in"It is important to highlight this issue during Natio
  
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