Austin news

• Texas A&M researcher finds link between father's drinking and alcohol-related birth defects

  22-04-2023 22:22 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Texas A&M researcher has found a connection between alcohol-related birth defects and a father’s drinking habits before conception. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is the most severe condition of a spectrum of fetal alcohol disorders associated with drinking during pregnancy. Medical professionals have for awhile thought that these conditions were solely a result of a mother’s drinking habits during pregnancy; however, Texas A&M Associate Professor M
  
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• Atwood's clutch 3-run homer lifts No. 7 Longhorns over No. 3 Cowgirls; Texas sweeps series

  22-04-2023 21:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Take a bow, Reese Atwood.The Texas catcher blasted a 3-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to power the Longhorns past Oklahoma State 3-2 in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader at McCombs Field.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersUntil the seventh, Oklahoma State left-handed pitcher Kelly Maxwell was mowing through the Texas lineup. Maxwell carr
  
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• Atwood's clutch 3-run homer lifts No. 7 Longhorns over No. 3 Cowgirls

  22-04-2023 21:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Take a bow, Reese Atwood.The Texas catcher blasted a 3-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to power the Longhorns past Oklahoma State 3-2 in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader at McCombs Field.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersUntil the seventh, Oklahoma State left-handed pitcher Kelly Maxwell was mowing through the Texas lineup. Maxwell carr
  
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• 2 multi-car pileups causing traffic delays, first responders arriving on scene

  22-04-2023 20:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Fire Department said there were two multi-car pileups Saturday afternoon on opposite sides of Austin.
  AFD said the first was at the 12000 block of South Interstate 35 heading northbound in south Austin.
  The second was at the 12100 block of Research Boulevard heading northbound in northwest Austin.Crews with Austin Fire, as well as Austin-Travis-County EMS personnel, were responding to both incidents, according to AFD.ATCEMS is evaluating patients for transport to
  
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• Man accused of Travis County murder found to be incompetent to stand trial

  22-04-2023 20:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man that faced a murder charge out of Travis County was found to be incompetent to stand trial in February after a competency evaluation was performed.Records showed that 34-year-old Jose Fernando Martinez-Ruiz would be committed to a mental health facility or residential care facility for inpatient observation and treatment for a period not to exceed 120 days. PAST COVERAGE: 32-year-old arrested in stabbing death of man in northern Travis CountyThe court said that commit
  
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• Motion for new trial filed days after man sentenced to 99 years for 2021 murder

  22-04-2023 19:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Motions for a new trial and an appeal were filed days after a man was sentenced to 99 years in prison following his conviction of a 2021 murder.John Paul Rangel was convicted by a jury April 3 on a December 2021 murder charge.On April 6, a motion for a new trial was filed, and on April 18, a notice of appeal was also filed, according to records.Williamson County court records showed he was sentenced to serve 99 years in state prison. Toward his sentence, Rangel received a j
  
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• Man's charge lessened from capital murder after guilty plea

  22-04-2023 19:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man was convicted and sentenced in February after pleading guilty to a murder charge out of Williamson County related to a January 2021 fatal shooting in Round Rock.According to Williamson County records, Gage Christian Johnston pleaded guilty Feb. 17 to murder, a lesser charge than the capital murder charge he previously faced.On the same day of his guilty plea, Johnston was sentenced to serve 40 years in state prison for the death of 27-year-old Jerrionn Burleson. PAST
  
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• Man pleads guilty to April 2019 fatal hit-and-run in Round Rock

  22-04-2023 18:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Kyle man was sentenced in Williamson County for failing to stop and render aid in an accident involving death from an April 2019 incident in Round Rock.According to records, Cory Wayne Ferguson was sentenced Feb. 6 to serve 35 years in state prison after pleading guilty to the charge.Records showed Ferguson had a jail credit of 472 days—roughly a year and four months—at the time of his sentencing. PAST COVERAGE: Hit-and-run suspect found as Round Rock Police t
  
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• Austin man arrested on murder charge for north Austin shooting

  22-04-2023 17:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – U.S. Marshalls arrested an Austin man in connection with a north Austin shooting Tuesday that left another man dead. The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force arrested Stacey Easley, 52, for allegedly shooting and killing Johnny Edmondson, 29, at a north Austin apartment complex located in the 8300 block of north Interstate 35 Service Road. Easley has been charged with murder.  PREVIOUS: APD investigating deadly shooting at north Austin apartment complexAustin-Travis Coun
  
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• Traffic alert: I-35 main lanes to close for Williams Drive bridge demolition in Georgetown

  22-04-2023 17:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Late-night drivers should plan for Interstate 35 main lane closures in Georgetown overnight Saturday into Sunday morning.
  The Texas Department of Transportation said the overnight closure is for the demolition and partial removal of the original Williams Drive bridge over I-35.PREVIOUS: Demolition starts on Georgetown bridge, I-35 to closeThis is part of a $61.7 million project to build a new bridge over I-35 with a diverging diamond intersection, according to TxDOT. Constr
  
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• Austin Energy sends crews to Arizona for Navajo Nation electric grid project

  22-04-2023 15:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Soon, many families in the Navajo Nation will be able to turn on the lights in their homes for the first time.A group of utility companies, including Austin Energy and the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, are partnering to make this possible.
  On Friday, Austin Energy sent 11 crew members and 10 trucks to Leupp, Arizona, where they will spend two weeks working on the Light Up Navajo project. The goal is to connect Navajo families to the electric grid.
  Last year, Austin Energ
  
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• Austin Energy send crews to Arizona for Navajo Nation electric grid project

  22-04-2023 15:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Soon, many families in the Navajo Nation will be able to turn on the lights in their homes for the first time.A group of utility companies, including Austin Energy and the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, are partnering to make this possible.
  On Friday, Austin Energy sent 11 crew members and 10 trucks to Leupp, Arizona, where they will spend two weeks working on the Light Up Navajo project. The goal is to connect Navajo families to the electric grid.
  Last year, Austin Energ
  
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• Where Texas stands on math and reading proficiency amid 20-year lows

  22-04-2023 15:53 via kxan.com
  
  (Stacker) – Several studies within the past year have shown just how detrimental remote learning has been to academic progress during the coronavirus pandemic, especially for students already disadvantaged by racial and economic achievement gaps.Harvard University's Center for Education Policy Research, for example, looked at testing data from fall 2019 through fall 2021 of 2 million students in 10,000 schools across 49 states, including Washington D.C. Compared to
  
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• Willie Nelson's Fourth of July Picnic returns to Q2 Stadium for 50th anniversary

  22-04-2023 15:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Willie Nelson's 4th of July Picnic will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year at Q2 Stadium in Austin.This is the second year Q2 is hosting Willie Nelson's annual concert. The new tradition started in 2022 after the event was virtual in 2020 and 2021.
  Willie Nelson & Family will perform with special guests Tyler Childers, Dwight Yoakum, Shakey Graves, Shane Smith & The Saints, Sierra Ferrell, Asleep At The Wheel and Particle Kid, according to a Thursday announcem
  
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• New COVID vaccine guidance explained: Are you due for a shot?

  22-04-2023 14:59 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday released updated guidance on COVID-19 vaccinations, in what the agency described as a move to “simplify” future immunizations.Much of the FDA’s simplification involves recommending only a single dose of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccines created by Pfizer and Moderna for most people. These are the vaccines that target the original Wuhan strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus along with the BA.4 and BA.5 strains of th
  
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• Austin Energy to get $2.86M payout from ERCOT for 2021 winter storm damages: memo

  22-04-2023 14:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Over two years after the deadly February 2021 winter storm, Austin Energy will get a $2.86 million payout from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas for financial damages.
  Austin Energy interim general manager Stuart Reilly said the money "will directly benefit Austin Energy customers" in a Friday memo to city council and the city manager outlining the settlement.Texas grid operator ERCOT told Austin Energy to reduce output on the Fayette power project on Feb. 14 throug
  
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• Severe Thunderstorm Watch for the Hill Country

  22-04-2023 14:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The rest of the afternoon will be mostly sunny with highs in the low 80s, but after 4 or 5pm isolated severe storms could start developing in the Hill Country.A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for the entire Hill Country until 10 pm with large hail, damaging winds and an isolated tornado threat.Severe thunderstorm watch until 10pmWhile storms may start in the Hill Country, it'll possible they may drift closer to the Austin Metro after 8 or 9pm. Most of the Austin Metro
  
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• Severe Thunderstorm Watch for parts of Austin Metro

  22-04-2023 14:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Scattered strong to severe storms continue to move through the Hill Country. These storms have produced up to tennis ball size hail northwest of our area as well as wind gusts to 75mph. These storms have struggled to get closer to I-35, but as the night goes on we'll see gradually increasing rain chances in the Austin Metro.A new Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for Gillespie, Blanco, Hays and Caldwell Counties until 5 a.m. as the risk for large hail, damaging winds and
  
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• Risk of severe storms, flooding Saturday night

  22-04-2023 14:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Quiet weather returned following Thursday night's severe thunderstorms and flash flooding.Our cool and clear morning will give way to a mostly sunny and warm afternoon with high temperatures returning to the upper 70s and low 80s. Most of the day will be quiet, but conditions change this evening as our next disturbance and incoming cold front approaches.Isolated storms will favor the Hill Country late evening then become more scattered tonight into the overnight hours. There is
  
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• Cooler with periods of rain and storms for Sunday

  22-04-2023 14:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Isolated strong to severe storms continue to move through the Hill Country. These storms have produced up to tennis ball size hail northwest of our area as well as wind gusts to 75mph. These storms have struggled to get closer to I-35, but as the night goes on we'll see gradually increasing rain chances in the Austin Metro as a cold front slides south through the area.A new Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for Gillespie, Blanco, Hays and Caldwell Counties until 5 a.m. a
  
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• Pentagon shares newly released video of unidentified aerial phenomenon

  22-04-2023 05:02 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (Nexstar) – This week, lawmakers heard from the head of the Pentagon office tasked with investigating UFO sightings, which the government now calls UAPS -- or unidentified aerial phenomenon.Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick runs the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office, known as AARO, a unit within the Pentagon tasked with investigating unidentified aerial phenomenon.This week, Kirkpatrick shared newly released video with a Senate committee, saying an object spotted over the Middle East
  
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• Have It Your Way! McDonald's first fully automated restaurant —with no human contact in Fort Worth

  22-04-2023 04:47 via kxan.com
  
  DALLAS (KDAF)— Electric cars, remote work, and even electric homes are all examples of how technology is transforming the world.
  McDonald's has now taken the initiative to make the lives of their customers easier and more convenient by introducing technology-driven solutions.
  The business opened its first fully functional-based technology restaurant, making it possible for North Texas residents to access their meals without having to interact with a person - only with a robot.Several video
  
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• Police ID man in east Austin homicide

  22-04-2023 04:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On Friday, the Austin Police Department identified a man killed in an east Austin homicide that occurred Tuesday, according to a APD news release.At approximately 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, APD officers and Austin-Travis County EMS responded to a call of a break-in at a residence in the 7600 block of Bethune Ave., police said. APD: East Austin resident shot man in self-defense after he broke into homeThe caller reported the man, Samuel Wolf, 61, was banging on the door and tried knockin
  
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• Eanes ISD voters to decide $131M bond

  22-04-2023 03:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Eanes ISD school district voters will have an opportunity to decide on a $131 million bond program when early voting begins Monday."We have 10 campuses all together," said Eanes ISD Superintendent Jeff Arnett. "That is about 7,500 students across the district "Arnett says if passed, every campus would receive work from the bond."A lot of people don't know that our newest school in Eanes ISD is 25 years old," said Arnett.Proposed bond projects include safety and security upg
  
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• Texas schools explore safety solutions as lawmakers iron out bills and funding

  22-04-2023 01:43 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS (Nexstar) — The Texas House is poised for a Monday vote on its omnibus school safety bill after the Senate passed another sweeping package, in an effort to harden school campuses and create more accountability in the aftermath of the nation's second worst school shooting in Uvalde.Meanwhile, school districts with the ability have been exploring safety systems from the private sector — whether it's silent panic alert systems or bullet-resistance glass windows.
  On Friday, a
  
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• 8 arrested at Moody Center accused of selling balloons with laughing gas, APD says

  22-04-2023 01:08 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Eight people were arrested at Moody Center Thursday after reports of them selling balloons filled with Nitrous Oxide, also known as laughing gas, according to a news release from the Austin Police Department.At approximately 11:40 p.m., APD officers responded to reports of illegal activity near the ACL Live Moody Theater, 310 W. Second St., the release said.
  Officers found a group of suspects who arrived in two separate vehicles, who were parked at the intersection of Third Stre
  
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• 8 arrested, accused of selling balloons with laughing gas, APD says

  22-04-2023 01:08 via kxan.com
  
  Correction: The arrests were made outside ACL Live at Moody Theater.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Eight people were arrested Thursday in downtown Austin after reports of them selling balloons filled with Nitrous Oxide, also known as laughing gas, according to a news release from the Austin Police Department.At approximately 11:40 p.m., APD officers responded to reports of illegal activity near ACL Live at Moody Theater, 310 W. Second St., the release said.
  Officers found a group of suspects who arrived in tw
  
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• Over 2,000 volunteers clean up Lady Bird Lake for Earth Day

  22-04-2023 00:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Earth Day weekend kicked off with a massive volunteer effort to pick up litter in Lady Bird Lake and on the land nearby.The Rowing Dock, Epic SUP and Sand Beach Park came together for the cleanup's second year, with more than 2,300 volunteers attending. The event is also a fundraiser for The Trail Conservancy. 2022: Earth Day cleanup crews remove tons of trash from Lady Bird LakeVolunteers worked during three time slots: 9:30 a.m., Noon and 2:30 p.m. The docks provided kayaks, c
  
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• Austin program helps people repair items so they don’t end up in the landfill 

  22-04-2023 00:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The City of Austin has an ambitious zero-waste goal to reduce the amount of trash sent to landfills by 90% by 2040. One program helping the City reach that goal is Fix-It Austin, which aims to educate Austinites about the value of repairing and reusing. “We've just been so immersed in this culture of like, ‘We need to have new [and] we need to have it now,’” Maddie Morgan, a program manager with Austin Resource Recovery said. “We just kind
  
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