Austin news

• Ascension Seton nurses in Austin to have one-day strike

  15-06-2023 23:26 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Registered nurses with Ascension Seton Medical Center in Austin are set to hold a one-day strike June 27 for “strong contracts to combat health care giant’s unsafe staffing practices,” according to the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU). What could Texas’ largest nurse strike mean for Austin patients?A release said 2,000 Ascension nurses would strike to protest the health care giant’s refusal to address its e
  
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• Austin toy store to celebrate anniversary with new location

  15-06-2023 22:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin’s iconic toy retailer Toy Joy will celebrate its 36th anniversary this summer with a new location in the Brentwood/Allendale neighborhood. They plan to open on Saturday, July 1.The store will take the place of the building formerly occupied by Karavel Shoes. Juice Consulting said it’s 50% larger than the previous north central location on Airport Boulevard, which was its home for five years.Toy Joy’s sister business, Yummi Joy, will be co-located at
  
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• Virtual summit tackles future of home energy storage, tracking

  15-06-2023 22:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Market research company Parks Associates held their first of three virtual 'Smart Energy Summit' sessions at midday Thursday. Parks Associates specializes in emerging consumer technology products and services.
  Thursday's session titled 'Solar Power: Transformation of Home Energy' focused on the changes and challenges within the solar power market, including battery storage technology, devices & equipment as well as the electrical system as a whole.
  As energy costs rise
  
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• Virtual summit tackles future of home energy storage & tracking

  15-06-2023 22:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Market research company Parks Associates held their first of three virtual 'Smart Energy Summit' sessions at midday Thursday. Parks Associates specializes in emerging consumer technology products and services.
  Thursday's session titled 'Solar Power: Transformation of Home Energy' focused on the changes and challenges within the solar power market, including battery storage technology, devices & equipment as well as the electrical system as a whole.
  As energy costs rise
  
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• If June is this hot, what comes in July?

  15-06-2023 22:33 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — We're halfway through June and temperatures have already been warmer than normal with at least two triple-digit highs (so far) and no end in sight to above-average temperatures. FIRST WARNING FORECASTWith our extended forecast only featuring triple-digit highs, what could this possibly mean for July?On Thursday, the Climate Prediction Center released its preliminary July forecast; it will issue its final outlook on June 30. This latest forecast is a mix of good news and bad
  
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• CTRMA to give MoPac South expansion project update Thursday

  15-06-2023 22:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority is expected to give a long-awaited update on its MoPac South expansion project Thursday before Travis County commissioners.
  The proposed project would add as many as two express lanes in both directions on MoPac between Cesar Chavez and Slaughter Lane, which is roughly eight miles.Latest on the Barton Skyway ramp project aimed at improving MoPac traffic. What to expect nextMoPac South project map (courtesy Travis County)
  Right n
  
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• CTRMA gives MoPac South expansion project update

  15-06-2023 22:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority gave a short update on its MoPac South expansion project Thursday before Travis County commissioners.
  The proposed project could add as many as two express lanes in both directions on MoPac between Cesar Chavez and Slaughter Lane, which is roughly eight miles. Though there are several other options on the table still.Latest on the Barton Skyway ramp project aimed at improving MoPac traffic. What to expect nextMoPac South project
  
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• New mobile app aims to reduce foster parent, case worker turnover

  15-06-2023 22:04 via kxan.com
  
  Austin (KXAN) — A Central-Texas-based nonprofit has launched a mobile app aimed to reduce the volume of paperwork and documentation required for foster parents to keep up. This is in an effort to reduce the rate at which foster parents and case workers leave the system.The Miracle Foundation officially launched its FosterShare app this month. Leslie Beasley, the CEO, said research and development on the app started two years ago but was already being used by more than 100 Texas foster-care
  
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• One year on from record highs, how much have gas prices fallen in Texas?

  15-06-2023 21:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Gas prices in Texas have dropped more than $1.50 since record highs set a year ago today.On June 15, 2022, a gallon of regular unleaded gas in Texas cost an average of $4.70. Today, the statewide average is $3.14, a drop of $1.56, according to AAA data. That's a decrease of 33%. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Texas sets new statewide record for gas pricesDrivers in El Paso are paying the most at the pump, with an average of $3.39 per gallon. San Angelo has the cheapest gas currently, a
  
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• Airlines required to install secondary cockpit barriers on new planes but not existing ones

  15-06-2023 21:32 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Nearly 22 years after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, the Federal Aviation Administration announced a new rule Wednesday requiring commercial airlines to install secondary cockpit barriers on all new planes, but not existing ones."Every day, pilots and flight crews transport millions of Americans safely -- and today we are taking another important step to make sure they have the physical protections they deserve," said US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
  In 2018, Cong
  
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• Austin 'very underserved' with shelter beds, City details plans to fix the problem

  15-06-2023 20:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin has the lowest number of beds compared to people experiencing homelessness out of all other big cities in Texas - as well as, Philadelphia, Nashville and Seattle, according to the city's Homeless Strategy Division.The department presented these findings to the Downtown Austin Alliance (DAA) in the alliance's monthly safety forum Thursday morning. Los Angeles was the only city on the list with a lower ratio than Austin.According to that presentation, Austin has 39 beds per
  
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• 5/10K race will honor Maxwell firefighters killed in crash

  15-06-2023 20:29 via kxan.com
  
  MAXWELL, Texas (KXAN) -- June 20 marks one year since two Maxwell Community Volunteer Fire Department firefighters died in a crash while returning home from fighting a wildfire.
  Brothers Hunter Coco, 21, and Jonathon Coco, 25, were returning to Maxwell from fighting a wildfire outside of Lockhart when the crash occurred, according to a post on the Maxwell Community Volunteer Fire Department’s Facebook page. PREVIOUS: Maxwell firefighters — brothers — killed in Lockhart cra
  
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• Man suspected of shooting at Taylor police taken into custody

  15-06-2023 20:21 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for June 15, 2023.TAYLOR, Texas (KXAN) — A man was taken into custody early Thursday in connection with a SWAT situation in Taylor, according to officials. The man was later identified as 25-year-old Jorge Luis Serna Jr., of Taylor.KXAN is working to find attorney information for Serna. This story will be updated if we receive that information.At approximately 10:45 p.m. Wednesday, officers with the Taylor Pol
  
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• Gov. Abbott signs bill restricting college sports teams transgender athletes can join

  15-06-2023 18:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Governor Greg Abbott held a bill signing ceremony Thursday afternoon to sign legislation designed to "protect women's sports," according to an office press release.
  While it does not specify which legislation, it is highly likely one of those bills is Senate Bill 15 — which bans collegiate-level transgender athletes from competing on sports teams that do not align with their biological sex assigned at birth.
  SB 15 would expand similar restrictions that we
  
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• Gov. Abbott expected to sign bill restricting college sports teams transgender athletes can join

  15-06-2023 18:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Governor Greg Abbott will be holding a bill signing ceremony Thursday afternoon to sign legislation designed to "protect women's sports," according to an office press release.
  While it does not specify which legislation, it is highly likely one of those bills is Senate Bill 15 — which bans collegiate-level transgender athletes from competing on sports teams that do not align with their biological sex assigned at birth.
  SB 15 would expand similar restricti
  
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• CapMetro offers complimentary rides to cooling centers

  15-06-2023 18:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — CapMetro said it would offer free rides this summer to anyone in need of going to a cooling center in Austin.“CapMetro is here to assist our community, especially during these weather events that leave people vulnerable to harsh conditions,” the public transit system said.The metro system said anyone seeking a cooling center without the means to pay the fare would still be given a ride.“No one will be denied service to a cooling center,” CapMetro sai
  
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• Community of 800+ new homes coming to Kyle

  15-06-2023 17:56 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) -- A community of 880 new homes is expected to come to Kyle by sometime next year.
  On Thursday, Landsea Homes Corporation is breaking ground on Freedom at Anthem.
  The homebuilder said this marks the beginning of construction on its first ground-up community in Texas.
  Details on the community:homes from 1,500 to 29,00 square feetoptions for three to five bedroomsamenity center includes a lap pool, pickleball, basketball court and playground areaonsite elementary schoolThe grand
  
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• Free medical marijuana certifications at Austin Juneteenth Celebration

  15-06-2023 17:53 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for June 15, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — During a celebration commemorating when Black Americans found out slavery had officially ended, a new sense of freedom will be tied to the events this year.
  That liberation is the opportunity to receive a free certification for medical marijuana.
  A company called Goodblend is partnering with Leafwell, to offer this to the first eligible 75 people who stop by its Mobile Medical
  
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• After an Austin employee gave birth to a stillborn baby, she was disqualified from parental leave. Now, city leaders want change.

  15-06-2023 17:26 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) -- When Elena Andres held her stillborn daughter in her arms, she thought there was no way she could feel more devastated than she did at that moment.The 15-hour labor wrecked her body, and she was drowning in grief. Rather than enjoying the early hours of her daughter’s life, she was filling out a mountain of paperwork and figuring out funeral home logistics.When Andres notified her employer, Austin Public Health, that she’d be starting her planned materni
  
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• Realtor helps LGBTQ+ Texans leave state through 'rainbow Underground Railroad'

  15-06-2023 16:40 via kxan.com
  
  DALLAS (KXAN) — The end of this month can't come soon enough for Paul Lewis. He'll get to hand over the keys to his house in a Dallas suburb and start a long drive north, where he'll become the latest LGBTQ+ Texan to leave the state in hopes of finding a friendlier place to call home.
  "Part of me hates the fact that I'm leaving Texas, the home I've always known," Lewis said, "but part of me is also excited by the fact that I get to start a new chapter."PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ‘Flee Texas&
  
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• 'PAW Patrol' live shows coming to Cedar Park, other Texas cities

  15-06-2023 16:39 via kxan.com
  
  Texas (KXAN) -- Several Texas cities will soon see live theatrical productions of the popular children's show "Paw Patrol."
  PAW Patrol Live! “Heroes Unite” will feature an interactive live stage show, involving members of the audience, visual effects, captivating storytelling and a vibrant musical score, according to a release.
  The show will make stops in the following Texas cities, with more Texas dates yet to be announced:Cedar Park – H-E-B Center at Cedar Park &nda
  
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• AMBER Alert issued for 13-year-old Hitchcock girl

  15-06-2023 16:03 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (KIAH) — The Texas Center for the Missing has issued an Amber Alert for a teenage girl on behalf of the Hitchcock Police Department.Police are searching for 13-year-old Leanna Willis, who was last seen Friday, June 9 around 4 p.m. in the 6500 block of Bell Street in Hitchcock.She was wearing an oversized gray hoodie, black shorts, and slippers.Witnesses said Leanna was getting into a silver four-door Toyota Camry with an unknown Black male, who appeared to be 40 to 50 years of
  
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• 988 mental health hotline gets funding to expand, enhance services

  15-06-2023 15:09 via kxan.com
  
  If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. Crisis counselors are available 24/7.AUSTIN (KXAN) — It's been nearly a year since the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline hotline launched. On Wednesday, experts from the federal, state and local levels met in Austin to talk about the milestones of the hotline's first year and the future of crisis care.
  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHS,
  
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• Robots speed up shipping at Amazon fulfillment center in Pflugerville

  15-06-2023 14:20 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE (KXAN) — At one point or another, you’ve probably arrived home to an Amazon package sitting on your doorstep.Maybe you've wondered about where it came from and how it got there.Throughout Central Texas, almost all of these items are shipped from the Amazon fulfillment center in Pflugerville.It’s a massive 3.7 million-square-foot facility, where thousands of employees pick, pack and ship items in a matter of hours.On average, 500,000 items are shipped out each and e
  
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• 'I’ve cried because of frustration,' Austin’s MetroAccess riders say service is repeatedly late

  15-06-2023 13:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- In the lobby of Sanchez Elementary School, Rebecca Ramirez waits on the MetroAccess bus to pick her up from work.Ramirez has used the paratransit service for people with mobility disabilities since 2019 when she began using a wheelchair.She says from the start – the service has been unreliable for her. For years, she describes often being left stranded with no other option but to wait.“I’ve cried because of frustration,” Ramirez said. Rebecca Ramirez get
  
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• H-E-B to open Nutty Brown store soon channeling site's musical history

  15-06-2023 12:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) -- Halfway through 2023, H-E-B LP is getting ready to open its third new store in the Austin area.The retail bellwether now notes on its website that its Nutty Brown store, at 12225 U.S. 290 West on the way to Dripping Springs, is set to debut July 5. The 103,000-square-foot store will use building materials and showcase memorabilia from the iconic music venue it replaced — Nutty Brown Amphitheater, which shuttered in November 2021. A spiritual successor fr
  
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• Tornado Watch for parts of the Hill Country this evening

  15-06-2023 12:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Same song, different verse. Get ready for another day of intense heat and humidity across Central Texas. Scratch that -- many days of intense heat and humidity. Expert: Texas heatwave 'driven by climate change''Feels like' temps approaching 110° in some areas Thursday afternoonOur recent Heat Advisory has now been extended until 8 p.m. Friday for 'feels like' temps up to 114°. Dangerous heat and humidity will continue to be the top concern areawide - be sure to frequentl
  
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• Risk of strong storms mixed with dangerous heat

  15-06-2023 12:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Same song, different verse. Get ready for another day of intense heat and humidity across Central Texas. Scratch that -- many days of intense heat and humidity. Expert: Texas heatwave 'driven by climate change''Feels like' temps approaching 110° in some areas Thursday afternoonOur recent Heat Advisory has now been extended until 8 p.m. Friday for 'feels like' temps up to 114°. Dangerous heat and humidity will continue to be the top concern areawide - be sure to frequentl
  
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• LIVE: Tornado Watch for parts of the Hill Country this evening

  15-06-2023 12:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Same song, different verse. Get ready for another day of intense heat and humidity across Central Texas. Scratch that -- many days of intense heat and humidity. Expert: Texas heatwave 'driven by climate change''Feels like' temps approaching 110° in some areas Thursday afternoonOur recent Heat Advisory has now been extended until 8 p.m. Friday for 'feels like' temps up to 114°. Dangerous heat and humidity will continue to be the top concern areawide - be sure to frequentl
  
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• Trump faces court dates, legal deadlines from summer into primary season

  15-06-2023 12:02 via kxan.com
  
  As former President Trump campaigns to return to the White House, he also is set to defend himself in a slew of legal battles that may unfold in courtrooms from New York to Washington, D.C., to Florida.The Justice Department’s (DOJ) recent indictment of Trump for his handling of classified documents has only added to his legal woes.Trump and his legal team are already juggling two indictments and civil cases with filing deadlines or court dates stretching through the summer into the heart
  
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• Fast-paced rugby sevens action hits Q2 Stadium pitch Saturday

  15-06-2023 05:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Premier Rugby Sevens will make its season debut at Q2 Stadium on Saturday and the home team will be wearing a familiar shade of orange.The league kicks off the 2023 season Saturday, and the hometown Texas Team (yes, that's their name) plays host to the league's three other Eastern Conference squads in a fast-paced variation of the sport.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/ne
  
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• Gov. Greg Abbott threatens string of vetoes if lawmakers can’t agree on property tax cuts

  15-06-2023 03:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) -- Gov. Greg Abbott is raising the prospect of vetoing large numbers of bills passed by the Legislature as he demands a House-Senate compromise on property tax relief, further raising public tensions with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.Sunday is the deadline for Abbott to sign or veto bills from the regular session, which ended late last month without a resolution on property taxes. Lawmakers are about halfway through a 30-day special session in which they remain gridlocked on t
  
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• ERCOT launches new tool to support grid reliability

  15-06-2023 02:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Monday, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) said it launched the ERCOT Contingency Reserve Service (ECRS), a new daily procured ancillary service.An ancillary service is an additional tool ERCOT uses to manage uncertainty and variability on the grid.High summer temperatures have reached Texas, and ERCOT said it expects a high energy demand. RELATED: Keep on top of ERCOT grid conditions with new TXANs systemERCOT said that adding ECRS would support grid
  
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• LGBTQ+ friendly West Texas business vandalized following Pride event

  15-06-2023 01:59 via kxan.com
  
  LUBBOCK, Texas -- Wolfforth coffee shop Tumbleweed & Sage Coffeehouse was vandalized, according to owner Destiny Adams.Adams told EverythingLubbock.com an employee arrived at the shop and found the front door was spray painted with the phrase "Say no to LGBT. Protect our kids.""Our employee went in at 8:00 am. And she texted us and was like, 'Hey, I think you'll really need to get to the shop, someone vandalized the [doors],'" Adams said.
  Adams said Tumbleweed & Sage hosted a family-frie
  
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• Deadly brain-eating amoeba: How concerned should you be this summer?

  15-06-2023 01:56 via kxan.com
  
  (WJW) – As temperatures heat up, many of us will be headed to the water to cool off. However, there’s a deadly amoeba that lives in freshwater and thrives during the summer months.Naegleria fowleri, commonly called "brain-eating amoeba," is rare – there are only about 3 cases per year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but it's almost always fatal.How can you get it?“They like to grow in water,” Dr. Christine Alexander, chair of famil
  
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• Round Rock ISD: More than 1,000 students experiencing homelessness

  15-06-2023 01:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In the last few months, Round Rock ISD has seen a big increase in the number of students who are experiencing homelessness."We are seeing more and more students," said Desiree Viramontes, Families in Transition coordinator in RRISD.Viramontes helps connect students and families with food, clothes, school supplies and other resources.In November, there were about 700 students experiencing homelessness, but by the end of the school year, that number reached more than 1,000.Je
  
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• Longhorns to renew rivalry with Aggies as SEC releases 2024 football matchups

  15-06-2023 01:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A once-bitter rivalry on the gridiron will be rekindled when the Texas Longhorns bolt for the Southeastern Conference in 2024.On Wednesday, SEC leadership announced the 2024 football opponents and venues for the Longhorns' first season, and they'll play Texas A&M for the first time since 2011. The game will be at Kyle Field in College Station.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 k
  
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• Liberty Hill to make Pride proclamation

  15-06-2023 00:48 via kxan.com
  
  LIBERTY HILL, Texas (KXAN) – On Wednesday, the City of Liberty Hill is set to make a proclamation to recognize Pride Month, according to the council agenda.Amanda Crossland, who lost her son Jaycee to suicide shortly after he came out as gay, said she’s been speaking closely with the mayor about this.“I promised him after he died I would do everything I can to make sure this doesn’t happen to someone else,” she said. “To make sure people like him know they hav
  
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• Liberty Hill pride proclamation met with boos

  15-06-2023 00:48 via kxan.com
  
  LIBERTY HILL, Texas (KXAN) – On Wednesday, the mayor of Liberty Hill officially declared June Pride Month.Amanda Crossland, who lost her son Jaycee to suicide shortly after he came out as gay, said she’s been speaking closely with the mayor about this.“I promised him after he died I would do everything I can to make sure this doesn’t happen to someone else,” she said. “To make sure people like him know they have support.”The proclamation reads as follows
  
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