Austin news

• 'That's the way to go,' Senate plan aims to give Texans $18B in property tax relief

  24-06-2023 23:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) - Texas leaders are still at odds over plans to lower your property taxes.On Tuesday, the Texas Senate unanimously approved its largest property tax relief plan yet."The senate plan is a record $18 billion of tax relief going straight to school taxpayers across the state," said State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) the author of the legislation.His bill would require voter approval in a constitutional amendment election.But it's not clear if the $18 billion dollar plan will br
  
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• One of America's oldest, largest Deaf Softball tournaments swings through Austin

  24-06-2023 22:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – One of the largest and oldest Deaf softball tournaments held its 56th annual softball tournament in Austin Friday and Saturday. The Southwest Softball Association for the Deaf (SWSAD) is a nonprofit which hosts an annual tournament for men, women and co-ed teams from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida. On Saturday, hundreds of deaf players and spectators from all over the U.S. came out in the triple-digit heat to play softball, buy goods
  
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• Person airlifted after falling 15 feet at Pace Bend Park, ATCEMS says

  24-06-2023 21:56 via kxan.com
  
  SPICEWOOD, Texas (KXAN) -- One person was airlifted via STARFlight after falling approximately 15 feet at Pace Bend Park-Levi Cove in Spicewood, Austin-Travis County EMS said on Twitter.At approximately 1:45 p.m., medics and STARFlight responded to the incident and declared the person a trauma alert, according to Twitter.The patient was transported by the Pedernales Fire Department boat to "the flats" where STARFlight landed and transported the person, who was not identified Saturday, to Dell Se
  
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• Study ranks most popular cuisines in Texas

  24-06-2023 20:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A recent study found Mexican food was the most popular cuisine in Texas.The study was compiled by PriceListo, which describes itself as a price monitoring website. According to researchers, the rankings were compiled using Google search data to determine which cuisines were the most popular in Texas.Ranking at No. 1: Mexican
  859,817 average monthly searches"Mexican cuisine is famous outside of Mexico and is known for its use of spices, corn, and avocados, providing many way
  
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• City closes 75-person encampment in Gaines Creek Greenbelt area

  24-06-2023 20:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A homeless encampment near the Violet Crown Trail closed this week, according to Austin city leaders.
  The city said 75 people and 30 pets were moved from the encampment to the city's Northbridge shelter. The camp, located in the Gaines Creek Greenbelt area, formally closed Tuesday.PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Austin officials begin relocating people from a Gaines Creek homeless encampmentAustin Public Health, the city's health department, said the cleanup was expected to take several
  
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• ABJ: Fourth Street bar closes in East Austin, making way for mini-golf

  24-06-2023 20:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) — Native — a bar, event venue and one-time hostel — has shut down in East Austin.The business opened in a historic building 807 E. Fourth St. in 2017 with a novel concept combining a cheap-ish place for travelers to stay, a place for locals and visitors alike to grab a drink and space for small, local businesses to use.Replacing it will be a Holey Moley mini-golf course from an Australia-based company called Funlab. Owned by private equity firm
  
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• Does the City of Austin pay for the Austin, DPS partnership?

  24-06-2023 19:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The City of Austin announced Thursday it would resume its partnership with the Texas Department of Public Safety on Sunday, July 2. The partnership was put on pause May 14 so troopers could be sent to the Texas border.The initiative is called the Austin Violent Crimes Task Force and involves assigning DPS troopers to patrol Austin streets to buttress the Austin Police Department while there are still hundreds of vacancies. The goal of the initiative is to be more respo
  
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• Taking care of your feline fur baby in this relentless heat

  24-06-2023 17:33 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — KXAN spoke with an expert on tips you need to know so that your cats/kittens withstand this current heatwave gripping Central Texas. Our guest is Halle Hamilton, Cat Adoption Manager with Austin Pets Alive.First, she suggests that outdoor cats should have cool places in shady areas in which to retreat. Freeze water bottles under blankets are a good source of cooling but make sure the feline is not lying directly on the frozen bottle itself.
  Have more deep water dishes with
  
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• Texan diagnosed with malaria after working outdoors in Cameron County, DSHS says

  24-06-2023 16:23 via kxan.com
  
  HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A Texas resident was diagnosed with malaria after working outdoors in Cameron County, officials announced Friday.The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) issued a health advisory, stating that it was notified of a malaria case involving a Texas resident who has not traveled outside of the state.According to DSHS, the individual had spent time working outdoors in Cameron County.
  In the health advisory, DSHS states its been working with local he
  
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• Democrats urge extension of federal funding amid worries millions could lose child care

  24-06-2023 16:20 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Millions of children could lose child care soon, according to a new report. That has Democrats calling on Congress to extend federal funding to prevent what they call a "child care cliff."Two years ago, the American Rescue Plan allocated around $39 billion to child care centers across the country. But the federal subsidies will stop at the end of September.
  Shineal Hunter owns Family Circle Academy in Philadelphia and says the child care center will be hurt by the lo
  
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• The Texas law that dictates adult toys

  24-06-2023 15:55 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) — The state of Texas has more than a few of oddball laws on its books — it's still illegal to milk to someone else's cow, for instance — but for the most part, they're not ultra-enforceable. But did you know there's a Texas penal code dictating how many sex toys a Texan can own?What's more, it's been enforced relatively recently. Real or myth? We fact-checked 16 strange Texas ‘laws’It's all part of Texas Penal Code Title 9 (Offenses Against Public Order an
  
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• What's being done to save the Texas pimpleback, fawnsfoot, fatmucket and Balcones spike

  24-06-2023 15:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has put together a new proposal with the Lower Colorado River Authority to protect freshwater mussels in Texas' lower Colorado River basin.The proposal, which is called a Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances, is an agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and landowners to help conserve habitats for at-risk species, the release states. LIST: The most mispronounced places across Central TexasThe 20-year agreement would pr
  
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• 'You're not God': Doctors and patient families say HCA hospitals push hospice care

  24-06-2023 14:53 via kxan.com
  
  (NBC) — As Marisol Perez fought for her life in a Texas hospital in autumn 2021, her mother, Alma Salas, sat with her every day praying. Perez, then 42, had such a virulent case of Covid and pneumonia that doctors at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center, an HCA Healthcare facility, had put her on a ventilator and into a coma to try to save her.Salas said she believed her daughter would pull through, but doctors and nurses at the hospital kept telling he
  
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• Father, 3-year-old daughter on ATV killed in hit-and-run

  24-06-2023 14:32 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A 3-year-old girl and her father were killed in a hit-and-run accident on Friday, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.Officials said the incident occurred at approximately 10 p.m. in the 5500 block of Delta Post Drive. That's in Hornsby Bend, near SH 45 and FM 969.Austin-Travis County EMS responded, but DPS is now the investigating agency."Preliminary investigation indicates that a 2010 Chevrolet Silverado was traveling south on Delta Post Drive when it
  
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• Father, 3-year-old daughter on ATV die in hit-and-run crash

  24-06-2023 14:32 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for June 26, 2023AUSTIN (KXAN) — A 3-year-old girl and her father, riding on an all-terrain vehicle, died in a hit-and-run accident on Friday, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
  Officials said the incident occurred at approximately 10 p.m. in the 5500 block of Delta Post Drive. That's in Hornsby Bend, near State Highway 45 and FM 969.Austin-Travis County EMS responded, but DPS is now the inves
  
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• ATCEMS: 1 adult, 1 child dead following Travis County motorcycle collision

  24-06-2023 14:32 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two people died Friday night after a motorcycle collision in eastern Travis County, near Hornsby Bend, according to Austin-Travis County EMS.Officials said the incident occurred at approximately 10 p.m. in the 5500 block of Delta Post Drive.ATCEMS said medics attained two “deceased on-scene” pronouncements. One was for a pediatric patient, and the other was for an adult patient.There was no other information available from ATCEMS.
  
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• Number of abortions in Texas dropped 99.5% in the months after Roe v. Wade was overturned

  24-06-2023 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The number of abortions performed in Texas dropped by 99.5% in the wake of the Supreme Court's overruling of Roe v. Wade one year ago.In the first half of 2022, a total of 17,126 abortions were performed in the state, according to official data from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.That figure dropped to just 85 between July and December, a 99.5% decrease from the first six months of the year.The Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in a 6-3 decision&nbs
  
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• Slow and steady warmup through the middle of next week

  24-06-2023 14:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The rest of your afternoon is sunny and hot with high temperatures returning to triple digits after a two-day hiatus in the 90s at Austin's Camp Mabry.Today's normal high is 94°A Heat Advisory is in effect today for the entire area. Maximum heat index readings this afternoon will likely rise to between 108° to 115° at many locations.
  Heat advisory now continues through Sunday eveningThe Heat Advisory has already been extended through at least Sunday evening.High pres
  
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• Seven days of triple-digit heat

  24-06-2023 14:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Overnight showers fell over parts of the Hill Country. A couple of rain gauges in San Saba County had totals between .40" and .50".Most high temperatures Friday reached the upper half of the 90s. This afternoon's maximums return to 100° and higher for many locations.Today's normal high is 94°A Heat Advisory is in effect today for the entire area. Maximum heat index readings this afternoon will likely rise to between 108° to 115° at many locations. Friday's highes
  
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• We Are Blood sees donation shortage during heat wave

  24-06-2023 14:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — During record high temperatures, Central Texas blood provider We Are Blood says they are seeing a donation shortage.
  The blood provider said they're asking for any blood donations including an urgent need for Type O.
  Blood and platelet donations drop every summer because of vacations and fewer mobile drives at schools, according to the nonprofit. But the need for blood transfusions remains high.
  "The season’s early stretch of extreme heat has likely contributed to a s
  
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• APD looking for man last seen Monday in south Austin

  24-06-2023 13:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department asked for help finding a missing 71-year-old man last seen Monday.
  Paul Dominguez was last seen Monday around 4 p.m., according to APD. He was leaving the 4600 block of Lennox Drive in south Austin walking to the Menchaca Branch Library. He was reported missing Friday, according to police."Due to Dominguez’s unexplained disappearance, we are concerned about his immediate welfare," APD said.
  Dominguez was described as a 5'11" white man weig
  
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• 1 seriously injured after boat crash on Lake Austin

  24-06-2023 04:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- One person was seriously injured after a boat crash west of town on Lake Austin Friday, Austin-Travis County EMS said on Twitter.Shortly after 8 p.m., medics responded to the boat crash west of Pennybacker Bridge on Lake Austin, according to Twitter. Medics said multiple units were on the scene.According to medics, two patients were involved. One person was taken to St. David's South with serious injuries, and the second patient refused transport.No further information was relea
  
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• PD: Dog recovers, finds new home after Texas man stabs its throat with boxcutter

  24-06-2023 01:27 via kxan.com
  
  SAN ANTONIO, Texas — A San Antonio man was arrested after he was accused of stabbing a dog in the throat with a box cutter, officials said.John Schaffer was arrested Thursday on a charge of animal cruelty-torture, according to a news release from San Antonio Animal Care Services. Alleged drunk driver in deadly Donna crash had previous manslaughter convictionOn April 27, officers responded to a home at the 200 block of Coopwood Avenue where a man threatened to kill the family dog before sta
  
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• Suicide prevention group AFSP talks LGBTQ+ specific strategies, outreach

  24-06-2023 01:10 via kxan.com
  
  If you or someone you know needs support or advice, you can go online to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to chat with a counselor or call 988. These resources are available 24/7.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- In honor of Pride Month, the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention (AFSP) spoke with KXAN about how suicide impacts the LGBTQ+ community and advice on how to help with prevention.AFSP volunteer board member Bradley Balandis. (Courtesy AFSP)
  AFSP volunteer board member Bradley Balandis spoke about hi
  
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• Williamson County celebrates completion of two road projects in Georgetown

  24-06-2023 01:08 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — Williamson County leaders, the City of Georgetown and the Texas Department of Transportation officially opened two road projects in the county at two ribbon-cutting ceremonies Friday. One is a completed extension of the Southwest Bypass, the other are improvements to the intersection of D.B. Wood Road and State Highway 29. North Austin’s Braker Lane to shut down for rail station constructionThe Southwest Bypass extension is the final segment of the Southwes
  
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• Why not to worry about this plant growing in Lady Bird Lake, Barton Creek

  24-06-2023 00:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Watershed Protection said people should not worry about the pervasive plant seen growing up toward the water’s surface in Lady Bird Lake and lower Barton Creek.According to the department, Cabomba caroliniana or fanwort, might be a paddling hindrance, but it provides valuable water quality benefits. The plant has made its return to some local waterways this summer. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: What is growing in Lady Bird Lake?“It removes excess nutrients from the
  
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