Austin news

• Poll: 58% of Texas voters support creating school vouchers

  27-06-2023 23:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Another special legislative session is now underway in Texas focused on lowering property taxes, but the governor already signaled he plans to give lawmakers more work in the future. He would like them to come back at some point and create education savings accounts, which are often called school vouchers and failed to pass earlier this year during the regular session.
  The proposal to use taxpayer dollars to help Texas families pay for private schools drew much opposition t
  
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• Record heat possible as heatwave peaks

  27-06-2023 22:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The record high for June 27th is 106°. That is the forecast high this afternoon. This record may be tied or eclipsed later today with a cloudless sky and slightly lower humidity.Hottest day during this heatwaveThe upper-high to our northwest has allowed for a drop in the humidity. This afternoon's numbers will be the lowest we've seen in quite some time with a potential of humidity in the teens for some in the Hill Country.The air much drier todayToday's Excessive Heat Warni
  
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• As unusual heat persists, relief is finally on the horizon

  27-06-2023 22:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin nearly bumped up against the record high temperature Jun. 27 as Tuesday's highs spiked to 105°. As a relentless early-summer heatwave peaks this week, some relief is finally on the horizon.A Heat Advisory continues for much of the area on Wednesday, but as the powerful heat dome overhead begins shifting eastward then weakens significantly this weekend through the 4th of July, high temperatures drop slightly each day. We are expecting high temperatures to finally fall
  
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• Austin Fire: Vehicle flips into ditch on South MoPac, person taken to hospital

  27-06-2023 22:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- One person was taken to the hospital after a vehicle flipped over into a ditch on MoPac Expressway in south Austin Tuesday, the Austin Fire Department said on Twitter.At approximately 2:40 p.m., AFD responded to the vehicle rescue at 4500-4800 MoPac Expressway and said one patient was being extricated.
  Crews worked the north and southbound lanes, which caused heavy traffic delays, AFD said. Northbound lanes were closed. It was not immediately clear if lanes were open at the time
  
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• Lake Travis boat ramp to close due to low water levels; only one to remain open for now

  27-06-2023 22:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The boat ramp at Mansfield Dam Park will close to the public at the end of the month, meaning only one public boat ramp will be open moving forward.The ramp at Mansfield Dam Park will close on Friday, June 30 due to low water levels on Lake Travis.Boat launching and retrieving will not be allowed after Thursday, according to a release from the Travis County Parks Department. If you already have a boat in the lake and want to pick up passengers at the park, that will still b
  
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• LGBTQ+ advocates call for hate crime designation in Cedar Park murder investigation

  27-06-2023 22:14 via kxan.com
  
  CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) -- Akira Ross was a person who loved video games, dogs, playing pranks on family and friends and cooking up a mean steak on her patio grill, said Chloe Goodman, constituent services manager at Equality Texas.On June 2, Ross was fatally shot at a Cedar Park gas station while pumping gas with her friend and girlfriend."Akira Ross was a real, whole person with a beautiful personality," Goodman said during a Cedar Park City Council meeting June 22.Goodman was joined by sever
  
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• Austin FC defender Jon Gallagher named to MLS All-Star Team

  27-06-2023 22:09 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Jon Gallagher's terrific season for Austin FC got even better Tuesday.The defender with a knack for scoring goals this season was named to the Major League Soccer All-Star Team, becoming the second Austin FC player to earn the honor. Sebastian Driussi was named the franchise's first all-star last season.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/newslettersGallagher leads the team
  
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• Gov. Greg Abbott announces second special session to focus on property tax plan

  27-06-2023 21:57 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for June 27, 2023AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Special Session No. 2, calling lawmakers back to the Texas Capitol "to provide lasting property tax cuts for Texans," according to a press release.The special session begins at 3 p.m. Tuesday. The Texas House and Senate approved separate property tax plans but didn't come to an agreement during the first special session. Texas lawmakers wrap fi
  
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• Texas lawmakers wrap first special session with no bills to Governor's desk

  27-06-2023 21:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — With the strike of a gavel, the Texas Senate adjourned Tuesday to mark the end of the first special legislative session — marked by Republican in-fighting over property tax relief and not a single bill off to the governor's desk for a signature.A handful of senators met briefly Tuesday to offically gavel out on the last day of this first special session, with the underlying expectation of soon returning to the Capitol once Gov. Greg Abbott calls lawmakers back for
  
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• 'World's smallest Buc-ee's' reappears in West Texas desert

  27-06-2023 21:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The world's smallest Buc-ee's travel center has reopened in West Texas, but there's a catch.You won't find any gas, Beaver Nuggets or spotless restrooms here. The travel center is actually an art installation.The art piece, located between Sanderson and Marathon, originally popped up last year. It has now "mysteriously reappeared in the West Texas desert, much to the delight of residents and visitors alike," according to a press release from Buc-ee's. Buc-ee’s Maratho
  
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• Heat-related illness on the rise in Central Texas

  27-06-2023 20:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Central Texas will continue to see more hot weather in the weeks ahead, but even with the warnings emergency crews are seeing a rise in heat-related illness calls."I am dying," said Kibbs Fortilus, who is a camp counselor. "This is not water, this is sweat."Fortilus said keeping campers cool is important, and with the extreme temperatures many of the activities are inside. FORECAST | Slowly turning down the heat over the next week"All of our sports, maybe some of our more i
  
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• AFD: Body recovered from Lady Bird Lake Tuesday

  27-06-2023 19:12 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for June 27, 2023AUSTIN (KXAN) — A body was recovered from Lady Bird Lake Tuesday morning, according to the Austin Fire Department. MAP: Tracking deaths near Lady Bird Lake in AustinAFD said the body was found around 1000 W. Cesar Chavez St., near where Barton Creek comes into the lake.AFD said they were called at 10:28 a.m.In 2023, there have been at least four bodies that were found in Lady Bird Lake.KXAN is
  
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• Affidavit: PfISD officer accused of 'inappropriate interactions,' messaged students on Snapchat

  27-06-2023 18:29 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The above video shows KXAN's previous coverage of the PfISD officer's arrest.PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — A terminated Pflugerville Independent School District officer reportedly contacted three middle school students through Snapchat and messaged them inappropriate things, according to affidavits obtained by KXAN. Pflugerville ISD police officer arrested after ‘inappropriate interactions’ with studentsCourt records reveal Estavan "Steve" Soliz, 49, is the former
  
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• One year since 53 migrants died in tractor-trailer abandoned in San Antonio

  27-06-2023 18:19 via kxan.com
  
  SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KXAN) — Federal prosecutors are expected to share an update Tuesday afternoon marking one year since the deadliest human smuggling incident in the country's history.
  The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. in San Antonio, which is where authorities found a tractor-trailer carrying migrants abandoned near an auto salvage yard last year. In total, 53 people died, including children. Almost a dozen others suffered
  
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• LIVE: One year since 53 migrants died in tractor-trailer abandoned in San Antonio

  27-06-2023 18:19 via kxan.com
  
  SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KXAN) — Federal prosecutors are expected to share an update Tuesday afternoon marking one year since the deadliest human smuggling incident in the country's history.
  The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. in San Antonio, which is where authorities found a tractor-trailer carrying migrants abandoned near an auto salvage yard last year. In total, 53 people died, including children. Almost a dozen others suffered
  
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• 4 new arrests made one year after 53 migrants died inside abandoned trailer in San Antonio

  27-06-2023 18:19 via kxan.com
  
  SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KXAN) — Federal prosecutors announced Tuesday afternoon they arrested and charged four more people exactly one year after the deadliest human smuggling incident in the country's history.
  During a news conference, U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza said four suspects are now in custody facing federal charges related to the deaths of 53 migrants, including eight children, left in a tractor-trailer near San Antonio last year. He said the arrests happened Monday throughout Texas,
  
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• Travis County data shows drug overdose deaths higher among people leaving jail

  27-06-2023 17:22 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Tuesday, Travis County leaders will present data from the 2022 Medical Examiner's report that shows more than 20% of accidental overdose deaths were people who had been in jail less than a year prior.
  According to the county, the data showed 89 of the 417 people who died of an accidental drug overdose in 2022 had been in jail at least once within 12 months of their death. According to staff, 24 of those people had been flagged for needing mental health treatment in the j
  
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• LIVE: Travis County data shows drug overdose deaths higher among people leaving jail

  27-06-2023 17:22 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Tuesday, Travis County leaders will discuss data from the 2022 Medical Examiner's report that shows more than 20% of accidental overdose deaths were people who had been in jail less than a year prior.
  According to the county, the data showed 89 of the 417 people who died of an accidental drug overdose in 2022 had been in jail at least once within 12 months of their death. According to staff, 24 of those people had been flagged for needing mental health treatment in the j
  
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• APD: SWAT called out to southwest Austin apartment, neighbors evacuated

  27-06-2023 16:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin Police said Tuesday morning the SWAT team was called to the 8600 block of West Gate Boulevard.
  The block is on West Gate just north of Davis Lane.Austin Police officer Alexandra Parker said multiple people called 911 at 4 a.m.When officers arrived to the location approximately 10 minutes later, officer Parker said officers were able to make contact with the victim of a domestic dispute and "get her to safety."Officers said a man refused to surrender and was making vi
  
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• Drownings are leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 4, commission says

  27-06-2023 15:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a new report on the number of drownings.“The latest data shows drownings remain high for children under the age of 15,” said Nikki Fleming with the CPSC.
  “Nearly 400 children drown each year under the age of 15, with the majority of those — about 75% — the youngest and most vulnerable, and that's children under the age of five," Fleming continued.
  The yearly report found 80% of reported fatal child
  
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• APD looking for man involved in shooting with off-duty TCSO deputy

  27-06-2023 15:33 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin Police said Monday investigators are looking for a man involved in a June 13 altercation with an off-duty Travis County Sheriff's deputy that lead to a shooting.Police said the man is possibly white or Hispanic. The vehicle he was in is described as a brown or tan-colored sedan.PAST STORY | Austin Police investigating overnight shooting involving off-duty Travis County deputyThe Austin Police Department's initial investigation showed an off-duty deputy was "involved
  
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• Austin Parks and Rec Board votes to recommend 'fair pay' for SXSW artists

  27-06-2023 15:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Members of the Austin Parks and Recreation Board voted Monday night to recommend that Austin City Council work to make sure artists who play at the South by Southwest music festival receive "fair pay" for their work.The board voted unanimously to recommend the council do two things in the future:tell the city manager, legal department and Parks and Rec to negotiate guarantees of fair pay with SXSW for domestic artists who perform at city-owned spaces.
  require changes to art
  
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• Where do butterflies come from? Scientists discover origin of species

  27-06-2023 14:49 via kxan.com
  
  Gainesville, FL (KXAN) - Did you ever wonder where butterflies came from? A recently published research paper has revealed a surprising origin: North and Central America.The paper, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, examined DNA from nearly 2,300 species of butterfly. The team used the data to develop a family tree and track down where the species came from.Turns out, butterflies evolved from nocturnal moths around 101.4 million years ago.
  According to the National Science Foundat
  
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• TCSO deputies end search for carjacking suspects near COTA

  27-06-2023 14:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Travis County Sheriff's Office told KXAN Monday night deputies searched an area near Circuit of the Americas for carjacking suspects but halted the search when they could not find the suspects.
  According to TCSO, deputies went to a report of a carjacking at gunpoint in the parking lot of an apartment complex on William Cannon Drive at 8:30 p.m.TCSO said no one was hurt in the carjacking.Deputies were able to track down the vehicle to the area near Circuit of the America
  
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• Child shot in far south Austin Monday night

  27-06-2023 14:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin Police said a juvenile was shot and wounded in far South Austin Monday night.
  Police said officers were called to the Bridge at Asher Apartments on the Interstate 35 Frontage Road near Onion Creek around 10:30 p.m. for a shooting.
  The juvenile was in stable condition, according to police.
  APD did not have information on who shot the child but said no one has been arrested.
  
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• Travis County land appraisal values confuse homeowner

  27-06-2023 13:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – When Darletta Jaycox opened her property tax appraisal this year, she felt like a lot of other Travis County homeowners: perplexed.Jaycox, a south Austin homeowner who lives near the intersection of Menchaca Road and Dittmar Road, was particularly puzzled by the land value assigned by the Travis Central Appraisal District. At $275,000, her land value was about $46 per square foot. She looked online at the appraisal values of her brother’s house, which is just a few do
  
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• Slowly turning down the heat over the next week

  27-06-2023 11:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The good news? Temperatures will gradually come down over the next several days. The bad news? It's going to take AWHILE.The heat peaks today with all of Central Texas likely to top 100°+ this afternoon. Austin's forecast high of 106° is likely to tie the current record last set in 2012.'Feels like' temps reaching 105°-113° Tuesday afternoonA Heat Advisory (orange) and Excessive Heat Warning (pink) are in effect until 9 p.m. tonight for heat index values up to 11
  
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• A record may be tied of set today

  27-06-2023 11:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The record high for June 27th is 106°. That is the forecast high this afternoon. This record may be tied or eclipsed later today with a cloudless sky and slightly lower humidity.Hottest day during this heatwaveThe upper-high to our northwest has allowed for a drop in the humidity. This afternoon's numbers will be the lowest we've seen in quite some time with a potential of humidity in the teens for some in the Hill Country.The air much drier todayToday's Excessive Heat Warni
  
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• Texas women's hoops host UConn on Dec. 3 in early season marquee matchup

  27-06-2023 05:08 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The mighty UConn Huskies are coming to Austin this season.Part of a home-and-home series after the Texas Longhorns women's basketball team went to Storrs, Connecticut, to play one of the most storied programs in NCAA history, the teams face off Dec. 3 at Moody Center. The game time and broadcast information will be announced at a later date. UConn won last season's matchup 83-76.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than
  
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• Hutto's Will Hammond on success, focus and Texas Tech

  27-06-2023 03:39 via kxan.com
  
  HUTTO, Texas (KXAN) - Major programs like Texas A&M, Penn State and Auburn came calling to offer Hutto's Will Hammond a scholarship late in 2022. Despite the name value of those schools, the Hippos' quarterback stayed locked in on the university that had been locked in on him."[Texas] Tech was there from day one," said Hammond. "Spring of two years ago and they text me like every day. That's really what recruiting should look like."MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like
  
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• Texas border policies take center stage in Ron DeSantis' RGV rally

  27-06-2023 02:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hosted his first presidential rally on the Rio Grande River on Monday, he made a promise to deliver on an immigration policy the state's top Republicans sought all legislative session."The states should be permitted to send people back," the second-most-popular candidate for the Republican nomination told supporters. "As president, we are going to fully deputize all state and local governments to be able to enforce immigration law. You will be abl
  
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• Texas border policies take center stage in Ron DeSantis' GOP rally

  27-06-2023 02:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hosted his first presidential rally on the Rio Grande River on Monday, he made a promise to deliver on an immigration policy the state's top Republicans sought all legislative session."The states should be permitted to send people back," the second-most-popular candidate for the Republican nomination told supporters. "As president, we are going to fully deputize all state and local governments to be able to enforce immigration law. You will be abl
  
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• Longhorns men's hoops sign former Kansas signee Chris Johnson

  27-06-2023 02:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — After losing two prized recruits earlier in the year, the Texas Longhorns announced the signing of one Monday who previously committed to a Big 12 rival.Chris Johnson, a 4-star 2023 combo guard according to 247Sports, is now a Longhorn after being released from a National Letter of Intent with the Kansas Jayhawks. The Missouri City, Texas, native is the No. 11 combo guard in the country and the third-best recruit in Texas according to 247Sports.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up
  
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• Texas sprinter Julien Alfred named finalist for women's Bowerman award

  27-06-2023 01:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas sprinter Julien Alfred is in the hunt for college track and field's most prestigious prize.Alfred was named a finalist for The Bowerman, an award given to the top college men's and women's track and field athlete each year, the award's selection committee announced Monday.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/newslettersFlorida's Jasmine Moore and Arkansas' Britton Wilso
  
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• 'The Dirdie Birdie' seeing increase in business as temps rise

  27-06-2023 00:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The heat can have an impact on what activities people choose to do.While outdoor activities can be fun, if you are looking to stay cool, an indoor activity might be the move."It feels like I am in an infrared sauna," said Andrew Warren, who was out with friends. "It is unbelievably hot."Warren and his friends decided that a day of indoor activities, like putt-putt golf, was the right move. So they stopped by "The Dirdie Birdie" in the Domain."So we were looking for opportun
  
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• APD: 18 year old, 3 juveniles arrested in connection with southeast Austin shooting death

  27-06-2023 00:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Ervin Coronado-Palacio, 18, faces a capital murder charge in the death of Brian Serrano, 19, according to an affidavit for the suspect.
  The Austin Police Department said three juveniles have also been arrested in relation to the case.PREVIOUS: APD searching for suspects in deadly southeast Austin robberyOn May 15, APD received a 911 call about the shooting and found Serrano dead inside his car on Springfield Drive in southeast Austin. APD said a group of people - whom Serrano di
  
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• APD: 17 year old, 3 juveniles arrested in connection with southeast Austin shooting death

  27-06-2023 00:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Ervin Coronado-Palacio, 17, faces a capital murder charge in the death of Brian Serrano, 19, according to an affidavit for the suspect.
  The Austin Police Department said three juveniles have also been arrested in relation to the case.PREVIOUS: APD searching for suspects in deadly southeast Austin robberyOn May 15, APD received a 911 call about the shooting and found Serrano dead inside his car on Springfield Drive in southeast Austin. APD said a group of people - whom Serrano di
  
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