Austin news

• WATCH: Here's everything we found investigating your TxTag Troubles

  17-05-2023 22:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A steady stream of ReportIt tips about TxTag troubles over the past few years inspired KXAN investigators — who had previously investigated the tollway in 2018 — to see what's been done to fix issues and which problems persist.More than two dozen journalists investigated some of the most common driver dilemmas, efforts to hold vendors accountable as well as solutions being explored at the Texas Capitol and in other states.
  Not only did these stories air througho
  
  Read more

• House debates bill requiring transgender college athletes to compete against biological sex

  17-05-2023 21:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- The Texas House on Wednesday is debating a bill that would require transgender college athletes to compete based on their biological sex, barring them from competing among athletes matching the gender with which they identify."It is not fair that young women are watching their records get broken, accolades taken and scholarships awarded, not to other women, but to biological man," State Rep. Valoree Swanson, R-Spring, said. "This bill is about fairness."Senate Bill 15 by woul
  
  Read more

• Dr. Pepper ice cream? Blue Bell teases new flavor, hints at collab with soda company

  17-05-2023 19:32 via kxan.com
  
  (KXAN) -- What do Texas, noted author John Green and Blue Bell have in common? An affinity for Dr. Pepper, it seems.
  Blue Bell teased a new flavor in a video posted on Twitter Tuesday, leading to speculation that it has something to do with Dr. Pepper.
  While the ice cream company didn't overtly say it has anything to do with the soda, the video's caption, which depicted a Dr. Pepper-colored deep red can of soda being poured, did say, "The sound of 23 flavors."Dr. Pepper, John Green's favorite so
  
  Read more

• Which Austin roads are scheduled for improvements this summer?

  17-05-2023 18:53 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for May 17, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austinites could see plenty of activity on their neighborhood roads this summer, as the city's Transportation and Public Works Department gears up for a series of local roadway improvements.A slew of city roads will undergo preventive street maintenance to "improve the roadway surface and lifespan of roads," per a Public Works Street Maintenance Map.
  Depending on the weather, improv
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• TCSO reports in-custody death after multi-vehicle collision

  17-05-2023 18:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Wednesday, the Travis County Sheriff’s Office provided details surrounding a death in custody Sunday following a multi-vehicle collision on Farm-to-Market 969.TCSO reported deputies responded to the area of 10100-10506 FM 969 Road at approximately 4 p.m.“When deputies arrived, citizens were attempting to gain control of, and assist a male driver identified as 26-year-old Jose Jacobo Melgar-Menjivar, who appeared to be in an altered mental state
  
  Read more

• City of Austin audit reveals Animal Services employee misused family medical leave

  17-05-2023 17:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin revealed Monday that an employee of the Animal Services Office misused family medical leave.
  According to a report, the employee applied for a job with a Texas county in late 2021 and started working for that county in December.At the same time, the employee went on family medical leave, or FMLA, from the Austin Animal Services Office. The leave ran through February 2022.
  There were 13 city work days in which the employee worked for the county while taking lea
  
  Read more

• Kennel safety bill filed after Ponderosa Pet Resort fire passes, heads to Governor Abbott's desk

  17-05-2023 16:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A bill filed in response to a fire that took the lives of 75 dogs at a Georgetown pet resort in 2021 passed both chambers of the Texas Legislature this week.
  House Bill 2063 is aimed at increasing safety requirements in Texas kennels. It now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk, where it could be signed into law.
  In September 2021, a fire broke out at the Ponderosa Pet Resort, killing 75 dogs belonging to 59 families. None of the facility's staff members were on site at the time, an
  
  Read more

• Texas passes bill stripping authority from cities

  17-05-2023 15:14 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) -- A sweeping Texas bill stripping authority from cities passed the state Senate on Tuesday and is now headed to the governor’s desk.House Bill 2127 takes large domains of municipal governing — from payday lending laws to regulations on rest breaks for construction workers to laws determining whether women can be discriminated against based on their hair — out of the hands of the state's largely Democra
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Texas Department of State Health Services issues meningitis warning tied to surgeries performed in Mexico

  17-05-2023 14:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas Department of State Health Services said Tuesday one person has died and four others were hospitalized for suspected cases of fungal meningitis after getting surgery in Matamoros, Mexico.
  According to TDSHS, all five traveled from Texas to Matamoros to get surgical procedures that involved an epidural, which is anesthetic injected into the area around the spinal column.
  Health authorities in the United States and Mexico are investigating what caused the infections
  
  Read more

• Neighbors concerned about illegal activity on unpaved roads near highway 620

  17-05-2023 14:31 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – Just feet away from a “No Dumping” sign sits an abandoned couch and recliner chair that was left behind by someone. It’s right next to Hannah Milford’s property on Pyramid drive, and it leaves her frustrated."Oh my goodness. It's nonstop. It's happening faster than I can clean it up,” Milford explained.Milford said Pyramid and O’Reilly drives have become a hotspot for illegal activity, such as dumping and squatters. She&rsqu
  
  Read more

• Major bills impacting nursing homes, resident rights inch toward passage

  17-05-2023 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — After the last legislative session, Mary Nichols thought she was done driving 200 miles from the Dallas-area town of Forney to the Texas State Capitol to advocate for residents in nursing and assisted living facilities.After the doors of her mother’s nursing home closed in 2020 and the state suspended visitation to prevent the spread of COVID-19, she formed the group Texas Caregivers for Compromise. She worked with lawmakers to help pass a law giving Texans the consti
  
  Read more

• Texas AG sues Hyatt over unadvertised room fees

  17-05-2023 13:44 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas Attorney General's Office sued Hyatt Hotels Corporation Monday accusing the company of violating Texas law by "marketing hotel rooms at prices that were not available to the public as advertised."According to the Attorney General's announcement, Hyatt charges customers mandatory and unavoidable fees in addition to daily room rates.
  The AG's office said "resort fees charged by hotels do not necessarily align with “resort-like” experiences." For example,
  
  Read more

• Texas School for the Blind students create touchable, inclusive art show

  17-05-2023 13:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A group of Austin artists opened their first fine art show this weekend—all while still in school.
  This show is special as all art is touchable, removing the no-touch rule at most fine art galleries.
  Students from Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired worked with Austin art organization Almost Real Things to curate the show.
  "I want them to learn that you can always create anything that you want when you put your mind to it," said senior art student Larry,
  
  Read more

• Texas AG: Marriott agrees to disclose fees and rates to guests

  17-05-2023 13:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas Attorney General's Office said Tuesday it entered a settlement with Marriott International to make sure the company discloses fees and rates consumers would pay in advertisements and during the room booking process.
  According to the Attorney General's Office, the settlement would prohibit Marriott from taking part in "unlawful, unfair, and deceptive trade practices in violation of Texas law with respect to the advertising of hotel room prices".The office said the
  
  Read more

• Austin falls in ranking of best places to live

  17-05-2023 12:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The City of Austin found itself in the unusual spot of being outside of the top ten in a national ranking this week.
  The U.S. News and World Report 2023-24 survey of Best Places To Live ranks Austin as No. 40 in the nation.
  The survey ranked Austin No. 13 in 2022, no. 5 in 2021, no. 3 in 2020.According to Austin Business Journal, U.S. News ranked Austin No. 1 in the nation 2017, 2018 and 2019 and No. 2 in the nation in 2016.
  The good news for Austin is that the city still r
  
  Read more

• Final Dell Match Play in Austin raises $1.1 million

  17-05-2023 12:11 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's note: The video above originally aired on Mar. 25, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) – Officials with World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play tournament said Tuesday the tournament's final play at Austin Country Club in March raised more than $1.1 million.
  As KXAN reported in March, the tournament has benefitted First Tee, a golf-based leadership program for kids, for the last eight years and Dell Children’s HERE Campaign, which helps families pay for treatments at
  
  Read more

• Warming trend leading up to late week severe risk

  17-05-2023 12:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After dodging downpours the last several days, drier skies and sunshine will take over the next couple of afternoons.Mainly sunny skies will stretch areawide today with rain chances less than 10%. Afternoon highs will warm near to above average today and tomorrow, with most areas in the upper 80s to low 90s.Wednesday afternoon forecast high temperaturesFriday looks to be the hottest day of the week ahead our next cold front. This front will spark scattered storms and showers, so
  
  Read more

• San Marcos approves new contract with police union

  17-05-2023 04:45 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) - The San Marcos Police Department will soon work under a new contract. Tuesday night, the San Marcos City Council voted to pass the new agreement.PREVIOUS COVERAGE: San Marcos to redraw contract with police unionThis comes after three months of negotiations after the former agreement was repealed by local activist group Mano Amiga.
  The group was pushing for the following to be included in the new agreement:End the 180-day rule: Expand timeline for investigating officers
  
  Read more

• Wanted Ohio man tells police to be 'quicker' looking for him on Facebook post

  17-05-2023 04:03 via kxan.com
  
  NEWARK, Ohio (WCMH) – A convicted felon in Ohio was in a humorous mood Tuesday when local police asked for help catching him.The Newark Division of Police posted on Facebook that Tanner Rhinehart, 20, had a warrant out for his arrest after failing to appear at his sentencing hearing for a probation violation. However, Rhinehart didn't shy away from responding to the Newark police post from his own account, which saw laugh reactions from over a hundred other users."Y'all almost had (me) the
  
  Read more

• Drier, warmer weather returns for a couple of days

  17-05-2023 04:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- We are now enjoying above-normal May rainfall after more than a week of on-and-off showers and thunderstorms.Drier, hotter weather comingA ridge of high pressure and drier northwesterly flow kicks in Wednesday and Thursday, removing rain chances from the forecast. Seasonably hot afternoons return with highs in the upper 80s to near 90 degrees.Temperatures warm Wednesday and ThursdayNext severe thunderstorm riskA cold front moves southeast across our area late Friday night into S
  
  Read more

• Indiana high school student drowns in pool during PE class

  17-05-2023 03:59 via kxan.com
  
  WHITELAND, Ind. (WXIN) — A female 15-year-old high school student in Indiana has died after drowning in a swimming pool during physical education class on Tuesday.
  Clark-Pleasant Community School Corporation originally referred to the student's death as the result of a medical emergency. It was the Johnson County Coroner who later confirmed that the student was pulled from the Whiteland Community High School swimming pool.
  Clark-Pleasant Community School Corporation clarified on Tuesday ev
  
  Read more

• Willie Nelson's 90th birthday concerts getting a theatrical release

  17-05-2023 03:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- If you missed out on Willie Nelson's 90th birthday concerts last month in Los Angeles, you can see all the special performances honoring the 12-time Grammy winner in a limited theatrical run.“Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90” will be shown in theaters on June 11, with an encore presentation on June 13 and 14. Recorded at the Hollywood Bowl over two nights in April, the concert film will include performances by Nelson, Keith Richards, Neil Young, George Strait, Mira
  
  Read more

• San Antonio Spurs win top pick, chance at French star in highly-anticipated NBA Draft

  17-05-2023 03:02 via kxan.com
  
  (KTLA) - The San Antonio Spurs have won the No. 1 pick in the NBA's Draft Lottery, clearing the way for them to select French phenom Victor Wembanyama in June's draft.The Spurs were tied for the best odds to win the top prize in Tuesday's Draft Lottery, beating out the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons, each having a 14% chance to win the top pick. Odds were not in the favor of Detroit, who had the worst record in the league but fell out of the top four picks.The NBA "flattened" lottery odds i
  
  Read more

• TMPA: Texas Peace Officers' Memorial runs out of room for more names

  17-05-2023 02:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas Peace Officers' memorial stands on the Texas Capitol grounds. It honors officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
  Since its establishment in 1999, more than 2,000 names have been engraved."From what I understand, there's no more room for that to happen for the 2023 names. It's sad"Tyler Owen with the Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA) said. "So moving forward for next year, and moving forward after that, we don't have any room."Cameron officer, sus
  
  Read more

• Some in Austin concerned over Zilker Park vision plan, poll shows

  17-05-2023 01:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Some people in Austin are worried about proposed changes that could be coming to Zilker Park.For the last two years, the city has discussed the Zilker Park vision plan which, city officials say, would improve access and make improvements to the park."It really is supposed to provide a framework and a guide for us," Gregory Montes with the Austin Parks and Recreation Department said. "A roadmap, if you will, on how to restore and enhance the park so citizens can continu
  
  Read more

• Vandegrift wins 6A girls golf crown, medalist races goes to playoff holes

  17-05-2023 01:10 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — The final round of the Class 6A girls golf championships was a wild one Tuesday at Legacy Hills Golf Club.Katy Seven Lakes senior Maelynn Kim emerged from a three-person playoff to win the individual state championship, beating defending champion Sydney Givens from Vandegrift and Kate Pickrell from Lake Travis on the first extra hole. Givens won runner-up honors with a win on the second playoff hole against Pickrell. All three players ended the two-round tourname
  
  Read more

• Vandegrift wins 6A girls golf crown, medalist race goes to playoff holes

  17-05-2023 01:10 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — The final round of the Class 6A girls golf championships was a wild one Tuesday at Legacy Hills Golf Club.Katy Seven Lakes senior Maelynn Kim emerged from a three-person playoff to win the individual state championship, beating defending champion Sydney Givens from Vandegrift and Kate Pickrell from Lake Travis on the first extra hole. Givens won runner-up honors with a win on the second playoff hole against Pickrell. All three players ended the two-round tourname
  
  Read more

• Matthew McConaughey, Glen Powell, others call on lawmakers to make Texas more film friendly

  17-05-2023 00:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- In a video posted to Austin native and actor Glen Powell's Instagram Tuesday, several Texas-based actors called on lawmakers to pass legislation that would make the state more film-friendly.
  The caption on Powell's video reads, "I’m a proud Texan and even more proud of Texas artists. My pals and I are here to tell you why film is good For Texas. And the rest of the world, I guess…but mostly Texas."Actors Powell, Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Ow
  
  Read more

• Texas Legislature passes bill to make kratom safer for consumers

  17-05-2023 00:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas legislature passed a bill to regulate the sale of kratom in the state with the goal of protecting consumers from unsafe products.Kratom products are derived from the leaves of a tropical tree grown in the South Pacific. It has two psychoactive alkaloids – mitragynine and 7-hydroxymytragynine. To feel the effects, the leaves are chewed; dried and smoked; or powdered and put into capsules to be taken orally – how it is commonly sold in Texas.Kratom has b
  
  Read more

Follow @Austin_News_US on Twitter!