Austin news

• Taco Bell bringing back fan-favorite item with a spicy twist this week

  11-04-2023 23:39 via kxan.com
  
  (KTLA) — Taco Bell is bringing back its fan-favorite, limited-time menu item again, the chain announced Tuesday.
  Nacho Fries will be available nationwide starting on Thursday, April 13.The return of the fan-favorite item marks the ninth time Taco Bell has offered the food item.
  Nacho Fries will also be available in the Deluxe Cravings Box alongside the Chicken Chalupa Supreme, Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, Doritos Locos Taco and a medium drink for $8.49.Customers can also try a new variation of t
  
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• Texas Southern's cheer team takes home national championship

  11-04-2023 23:26 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (KIAH) -- It's a moment in history that has sent cheers around Texas Southern University and has put the spotlight on its incredible cheerleaders.For the first time ever, an Historically Black College and University has won a NCA (National Cheerleaders Association) college national championship title.The Tigers won in the Cheer Spirit Rally, winning in the final round with a 96.1 raw score and a 95.5875 event score, good enough to win first place and a national title, a first for an
  
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• UT spring football: QBs 'need to be clean' for Saturday's Orange and White game

  11-04-2023 23:22 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the Texas Longhorns gear up for the Orange and White football game and the end of spring practices, head coach Steve Sarkisian had the players, "back in the lab," Tuesday,He said the scrimmage April 7 was "fast and physical," and they "got a lot of situational work done," and Tuesday was more of an attention-to-detail session and fine-tuning aspects of the game before another practice Thursday and the end of spring with Saturday's showcase. Texas sets date for Orange-Whi
  
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• Q&A: UT lecturer shares how students are preparing for art careers with AI

  11-04-2023 22:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As artificial intelligence becomes more and more prevalent, one University of Texas at Austin lecturer is preparing his fine arts students for a changing art industry after graduation.
  Tyler Coleman, an adjunct lecturer in UT's College of Fine Arts and a gaming developer, shared with KXAN more about how he is teaching his students about AI use and the future of AI in art.RELATED: Texas universities, colleges respond to rise of ChatGPT use on campusesColeman said he is part
  
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• Pleasant spring weather continues with cool mornings and valley fog

  11-04-2023 22:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Tuesday afternoon was Austin's 7th-consecutive cooler than normal day with high temperatures in the 70s under partly cloudy skies.The forecast remains pleasant and spring-like through the work week with cool mornings and areas of valley fog, then dry, mild afternoons.A slow and steady warming trend begins Wednesday afternoon as high temperatures return to near 80 degrees. Warmth and humidity slowly build through Saturday afternoon as the next storm to impact our area approaches.
  
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• Daniel Perry's attorney files motion for new trial, court documents say

  11-04-2023 21:58 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for April 11, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Court documents reveal Daniel Perry's attorney filed a motion Tuesday for a new trial for Perry after a jury found him guilty of murder last week. Perry shot and killed protester Garrett Foster in July 2020 in downtown Austin. Perry and his attorney said the shooting was in self-defense.Perry's attorney requested the new trial based upon grounds of excluded evidence, court documen
  
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• Texas STAAR Test is being redesigned — what you need to know

  11-04-2023 21:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Say goodbye to scantrons and bubbling in your answers as this year's STAAR Test is moving online.The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness test is being redesigned to better align with what students are learning in the classroom. STAAR testing returns with slight change to school rating system"Hopefully these items look more like kids see day-to-day in a grade classroom," Lily Laux, deputy commissioner of school programs at the Texas Education Agency, said. "So s
  
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• Fentanyl testing strip legalization overwhelmingly approved by Texas House

  11-04-2023 21:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted Tuesday to legalize fentanyl testing strips. The bill will now head to the Senate.The test strips cost roughly a dollar and can be used to test drugs, powders and pills for the presence of fentanyl, which is significantly more powerful than other drugs and can be fatal. But under the Texas Controlled Substances Act, drug testing equipment is classified as drug paraphernalia, which currently makes it illegal for people
  
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• 30-story, all-glass student housing high-rise coming to West Campus

  11-04-2023 20:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- West Campus is getting a new high-rise, and this one will be an all-glass, 30-story student housing tower.
  Birmingham-based Hoar Construction on Tuesday announced the groundbreaking of construction on the tower, named Icon. It's expected to be complete by the summer of 2025, in time for students to move in before the 2025-26 school year starts. Hoar Construction is serving as the general contractor on the construction of the building, alongside New York-based developer The MDL G
  
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• 2 arrested after Georgetown student's fentanyl-related death

  11-04-2023 19:54 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for April 11, 2023.WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Two people have been arrested after a Georgetown High School student died in January, the Williamson County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post. Father of Georgetown teen killed by suspected fentanyl poisoning shares storyWCSO said, on Jan. 22, the student had fentanyl poisoning and died.The Williamson County Organized Crime Unit, with the help of surro
  
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• Austin airport adds program to aid people with 'hidden' disabilities

  11-04-2023 19:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) announced Tuesday that it launched a new accessibility service aimed at assisting passengers with “hidden,” or non-visible, disabilities. AUS joins 201 airports across 29 countries that have implemented the Hidden (or non-visible) Disabilities (HD) Sunflower Program, which allows folks with conditions that may not be immediately apparent – such as autism or being hard of hearing – to subtly disclose t
  
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• Daniel Perry case: Travis County DA requests appointment with Texas Board of Pardon and Paroles

  11-04-2023 19:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Travis County District Attorney José Garza on Tuesday requested an appointment with the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles over the review process of a pardon for Daniel Perry.According to a release from his office, Garza requested an appointment to present evidence considered by jurors in the case, and for the board to hear from family of Garrett Foster, who Perry was convicted of murdering.Daniel Perry: How long could the Texas Board of Pardon and Paroles take to r
  
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• Cedar Park Police: Bank jugging victim went after, shot suspect

  11-04-2023 18:36 via kxan.com
  
   Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for April 11, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Cedar Park police said a man who had money stolen in a "jugging" situation took it upon himself to follow the suspect and it led to a shooting.Jugging, according to previous KXAN reporting, happens when a suspect watches a victim withdraw money, then follows them to another location and steals it from them. What is ‘jugging’? Austin police see uptick in case
  
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• School choice center stage in Texas House

  11-04-2023 18:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Just four days after the Texas House voted to prohibit state funding for education savings accounts, the House Committee on Public Education is considering a bill to establish just that.House Bill 4340, by Rep. James Frank, R-Wichita Falls, is the lower chamber's proposal to use state dollars to subsidize educational costs for families looking for alternatives to public education.
  "The entire discussion around school choice... comes down to perspective in my opinion. Should p
  
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• Are nutria dangerous? Tips on how to interact, keep pets safe

  11-04-2023 17:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A mysterious animal swimming in Lady Bird Lake was recently identified by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as a nutria, which is a common rodent, often compared to beavers.Nutria spotted in Lady Bird Lake — what is it?But they're not always great neighbors. TPWD said in a post titled “Texas’ most unwanted plants and animals” that nutria eat aquatic vegetation and burrow, “which can lead to erosion and damage roads.”Nutria can
  
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• Report: Austin, Georgetown rank as highest rents in metro area

  11-04-2023 17:34 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for April 11, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin rent remains the highest in the metro area, according to new data released Tuesday. But one Williamson County suburb is trailing narrowly behind.
  Austin ranked as the most expensive rent with $1,600 on average for a one-bedroom apartment, according to rental real estate company Zumper.PREVIOUS REPORT: Austin rent prices slowly decreasingGeorgetown narrowly followed behind w
  
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• Austin 311 working to expand multilingual reach

  11-04-2023 16:44 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin's non-emergency information hotline is working to be more accessible to residents who don't speak English.
  According to a new memo to the city council, effective beginning last month, all Austin 311 social media posts and videos are in English and Spanish, and the service is working to have live chat options available in multiple languages by the end of this year.
  Right now, more than 15% of Austin 311 staff members are bilingual in English and Spanish, accord
  
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• How to get free tax help

  11-04-2023 15:42 via kxan.com
  
  (KXAN) -- Tax Day is April 18, and if you are among the many taxpayers yet to file, there is help waiting for you.AARP’s Tax-Aide service offers free in-person and virtual tax assistance now through April 18 in every state.“They sit down with one of our volunteers complete an intake sheet and by the time they leave, they have a completed return in their hand and we electronically file it later on with the IRS,” said Lynnette Lee-Villanueva, the Vice President of Tax and Cr
  
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• Austin ISD looking to fill over 200 vacancies for 2023-24 year, holding career fair Saturday

  11-04-2023 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Independent School District is holding a teacher career fair Saturday, April 15 to fill some of its nearly 225 openings for the 2023-24 school year.The career fair will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Austin Convention Center. Those interested can RSVP online and are encouraged to apply for a teacher position before the career fair.
  Arnoldo Gutiérrez, Assistant Superintendent of Human Capital for Austin ISD, told KXAN that the school district doe
  
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• Soccer fields destroyed in act of vandalism at southwest Austin park

  11-04-2023 13:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- J. Bouldin started his Monday morning walking out onto a muddy, unlevel field to survey the damage that had been done over the weekend. The mangled piece of land used to be lush with grass and hold four soccer fields for the Lonestar Soccer Club, a local youth soccer organization. Now, the field is unusable for the rest of the season.
  "It's a tragedy," Bouldin, the field manager for the soccer club, said while looking out at the mud.
  The soccer fields at Circle C Ranch Metro par
  
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• In front of record crowd at Bobcat Ballpark, No. 19 Texas tops Texas State 5-2

  11-04-2023 05:36 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — No. 19 Texas scored three runs in the third inning to roll in a 5-2 win over Texas State on Monday at Bobcat Ballpark.Longhorns second baseman Jack O'Dowd drove in two runs with a single through the left side of the infield to score Porter Brown and Rylan Galvan in the third inning. He had two hits in both of his official at-bats with a walk.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newslette
  
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• 'I've almost used the restroom on myself': Hays CISD students, parents frustrated about locked restrooms

  11-04-2023 04:48 via kxan.com
  
  HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) - Students at Lehman High School with Hays CISD said they do not have enough access to restrooms.
  "I've almost used the restroom on myself a couple of times," said one student who wanted to remain anonymous.
  They said there are only two restrooms for each gender available most of the day.
  "They're like, 'Oh, it's unlocked, go ahead and go to it.' And I try it, it's locked," they said.
  Parent Katelyn Shephard said her daughter has shared similar experiences.
  "It's been a
  
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• Texas freshman Arterio Morris to enter transfer portal

  11-04-2023 04:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — After helping the Texas Longhorns make a run to the Elite Eight this past season, freshman guard Arterio Morris said he'll enter the transfer portal.He told the website On3 about his transfer plans Monday, saying he wants to, "find a new home that will allow me to grow as a basketball player, maximize my ability to support my teammates and help my team win games." Liberty Hill’s Sedona Prince transfers to TCU from Oregon"I want to thank everyone who has supported me a
  
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• Liberty Hill's Sedona Prince transfers to TCU from Oregon

  11-04-2023 04:04 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Liberty Hill native Sedona Prince is coming back to Texas to finish her college basketball career, just not to Austin.After three years with the Oregon Ducks, and playing in two of them, Prince announced on social media that she's transferring to TCU. The 6-foot-7 forward was fourth in the Pac-12 Conference in shooting this season, making 54.2% of her shots while scoring 9.3 points per game and pulling down 4.9 rebounds per game She also blocked 1.3 shots per game for the D
  
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• Warming temperatures ahead of weekend cold front

  11-04-2023 03:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Comfortable spring temperatures are expected for your Tuesday. Morning clouds and fog should lead to plenty of afternoon sunshine.A northerly component to the breeze keeps high temperatures in the 70s Tuesday and Wednesday, with cool mornings in the 50s.
  Temperatures Tuesday afternoon will again be in the 70sFollowing a quiet weather week, we are tracking a western storm set to move into Texas on Saturday. Heat and humidity increase ahead of the system, causing high temperatures
  
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• Brighter skies ahead of a little rain

  11-04-2023 03:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The day dawned mostly sunny with areas of dense fog mainly in the Hill Country and from eastern Williamson into Milam Counties. Fair-weather cumulus clouds increased during the morning from an area of low pressure in northwest Gulf. Morning lows were in the mid/upper 40s to low 50s including 53° at Camp Mabry.Winds will come out of the northeast to east this afternoon keeping most highs in the middle to a few upper 70s.
  A little "cooler" than today's normal of 80°This qu
  
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• APD: Weekend Rainey St. patrols helped find missing man

  11-04-2023 02:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department (APD) upped patrols on Rainey Street over the weekend - and we sat down with one of the department's assistant chiefs to see how it went.
  The increased safety measures were prompted by two drowning deaths that occurred this year, according to a press release about the initiative. Both cases are still under investigation, but police said there is currently no evidence of foul play. Jason John’s death prompts Council committee meeting on Rainey S
  
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• Gregg Popovich calls out politicians for 'cowardice and selfishness' regarding gun control laws, names Texas lawmaker

  11-04-2023 02:04 via kxan.com
  
  DALLAS (KXAN) — San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has used his platform to talk about politics and social issues throughout his coaching career, and before Sunday's game against the Dallas Mavericks, he used the time to call out Tennessee and Texas lawmakers following another school shooting.Popovich referenced what police said was, "an elaborately planned" shooting March 27 at a private school in Nashville where three children and three adults were killed. He said, among other t
  
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• Llano County to discuss future of public library in special meeting

  11-04-2023 01:58 via kxan.com
  
  LLANO COUNTY, Texas -- In a special meeting Thursday, the Llano County Commissioners Court will discuss plans to "continue or cease operations of the current physical Llano County Library System," according to the agenda. Llano County ordered to return removed books to its library system by federal courtIn a civil court case against Llano County, a federal court partially granted a preliminary injunction, ordering the return of books previously removed from the county’s library system in M
  
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• Llano County library will stay open, commissioners decide

  11-04-2023 01:58 via kxan.com
  
  LLANO COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Llano County will keep its library after a commissioner vote to remove an item about its future from their agenda.In a special meeting Thursday, the Llano County Commissioners Court planned to discuss whether to "continue or cease operations of the current physical Llano County Library System," according to the agenda.Llano County ordered to return removed books to its library system by federal court"The library will remain open. We will try this in the courts, not
  
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• LIVE: Llano County to discuss future of public library in special meeting

  11-04-2023 01:58 via kxan.com
  
  LLANO COUNTY, Texas -- In a special meeting Thursday, the Llano County Commissioners Court will discuss plans to "continue or cease operations of the current physical Llano County Library System," according to the agenda. Llano County ordered to return removed books to its library system by federal courtIn a civil court case against Llano County, a federal court partially granted a preliminary injunction, ordering the return of books previously removed from the county’s library system in M
  
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• Rural school leaders criticize business incentive bill

  11-04-2023 01:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Superintendents of rural Texas schools on Monday criticized legislation that would incentivize corporate investment with property tax privileges, citing concerns the bill's exclusion of renewable energy projects would hurt their areas.House Bill 5 by Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, aims to attract large manufacturing and energy operations to Texas by facilitating agreements between them and local school districts regarding property tax breaks.The bill is intended as an an
  
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• How the Texas abortion pill ruling could affect FDA's authority

  11-04-2023 00:57 via kxan.com
  
  AMARILLO, Texas (Nexstar) — Nationwide usage of a pill commonly used for abortions is up in the air after a Texas federal judge ruled last Friday that the Food and Drug Administration improperly authorized the usage of mifepristone more than 20 years ago.
  If U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk's decision is upheld, it would restrict access to the abortion medication as soon as this Friday. The Department of Justice appealed the Amarillo judge's order on Monday, calling the decision &ldqu
  
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