Austin news

• 'I Luv Video' revival nonprofit 'We Luv Video' opening soon

  11-07-2023 23:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Get ready, Austin film fans! The revival of an Austin video shop is close to opening.Austin video library I Luv Video closed in September 2020 after 40 years. At the time, owner Conrad Bejarano said on Facebook he hoped to "pass the torch" to someone who could preserve the video library and open it to the Austin community.PREVIOUS REPORTING: Austin nonprofit reviving I Luv Video’s at-home movie, TV rentalsWe Luv Video hopes to do just that. The nonprofit's goal is to
  
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• Average rent in Travis County hits $1,700 a month, report

  11-07-2023 23:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A report looking at five Central Texas counties found despite slight reprieve, rent and home prices are still going up year-over-year.
  Across five counties in our Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) -- Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Williamson and Travis -- home sale prices increased overall by nearly 8% from 2021 to 2022. The median home price across the MSA was more than $500,000 last year, according to the report.While more expensive prices have historically been concentrated in Au
  
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• Wimberley farmer catches two porcupines that were eating his crop

  11-07-2023 23:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Sky Cutler is the owner and lead farmer at the Dirty Candy Farm in Wimberley. At the beginning of spring, Cutler noticed large bite marks in much of his produce, particularly in some of his heirloom tomatoes. He thought the culprits were raccoons or opossums, which he’s seen before, and set up a trap – which wouldn't harm the animals – to catch them. “I moved [the trap] closer to the tomatoes and put some old tomatoes in there,” Cutle
  
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• NATO summit kicks off in Lithuania, Turkey on board with Sweden joining alliance

  11-07-2023 23:27 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (Nexstar) -- The 74th NATO summit kicked off today with a show of unity with Turkey now on board with Sweden joining the alliance.Just hours before the 31 members of the NATO alliance gathered in Lithuania for their annual summit, NATO's secretary general announced Turkey has agreed to support Sweden's bid to join the military alliance after nearly a year of opposition."This is this is good for Sweden, Sweden will become a full member of the alliance. It's good for Turkey because Turk
  
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• Beautifying your home parkway the sustainable way

  11-07-2023 23:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- It's a part of your home landscape that you might not consider when making your yards look pretty. It's called the parkway. The parkway lives between the curb and the sidewalk.
  Most homeowners don't think about making their parkway better looking. But homeowner Gary Citron and his wife updated their parkway to have more than just turf grass. They not only wanted to make it more aesthetically pleasing, but they also wanted to do it sustainably.Gary's wife was a volunteer at the L
  
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• Unrelenting July heatwave intensifies

  11-07-2023 23:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Temperatures are holding at about 10 degrees hotter than normal each afternoon this week as Austin bakes in its third-hottest start to July on record.A Heat Advisory continues through Wednesday night and will likely be extended into the coming weekend as afternoon "feels like" temperatures rise to between 108-112° -- dangerous levels for those spending time outdoors.A strong upper-level ridge of high pressure may lead to all-time record high temperatures in Las Vegas, NV lat
  
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• Report: Houston Astros among the 'most hated' MLB teams in America

  11-07-2023 21:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Apparently it's fashionable to hate the Houston Astros. The team came third in a recent ranking of 'most hated' MLB teams based on how people tweet.Much of the hatred for the 'Stros stems from the 2017 cheating scandal, when the team was involved in sign-stealing during its World Series championship run.And baseball fans haven't forgotten.In a new report by betting site BetOnline, only the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees have more haters. Why do so many baseball fa
  
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• City of Austin holding event to honor organizations that work with homeless population

  11-07-2023 20:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austinites will get the chance Tuesday evening to meet some of the nonprofit organizations working with the City of Austin to address homelessness.
  The city's Homeless Strategy Division and Innovation Office, along with Blue Sky Partners, will host an event from 4-6 p.m. at City Hall to honor the work of organizations that support the homeless population in the city.
  The event is being put on through the Homeless Services Organizational Capacity Building Initiative, which, the c
  
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• Burn ban issued for Hays County

  11-07-2023 19:29 via kxan.com
  
  HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A burn ban was reinstated for Hays County Tuesday morning and will be in place for at least 90 days.
  The county tweeted Tuesday that the ban was reinstated during the Commissioners Court meeting. The ban will be reevaluated after the 90-day period is up.
  This comes after dozens of acres burned in a brush fire near Hilliard Road over the weekend.Hays County brush fire fully contained, officials sayHays County Judge Ruben Becerra said in a Facebook post the ban is
  
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• Dripping Springs launches website ahead of 2024 total solar eclipse

  11-07-2023 17:50 via kxan.com
  
  DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas (KXAN) -- The city of Dripping Springs will experience two eclipses over the next nine months, and it's preparing for an influx of visitors.
  An annular solar eclipse will happen on October 14 of this year, and a total solar eclipse will happen on April 8 of next year. The city is preparing through a task force that launched last year and a newly-launched eclipse website.Texas Hill Country prepares for thousands of visitors ahead of total solar eclipseHotel rooms are booki
  
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• Former GOP representative announces campaign to retake South Texas seat

  11-07-2023 17:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A former U.S. representative announced she'll try to retake her Congressional seat in South Texas that flipped back to blue last year.
  Mayra Flores, a Republican, released a video on social media Tuesday morning announcing her campaign for U.S. House District 34, which stretches south from Kingsville along the Gulf Coast to the border. It includes communities like Harlingen and Weslaco.
  Flores briefly held the seat after winning a special election in June 2022, becoming the
  
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• Best Prime Day deals for under $100

  11-07-2023 16:30 via kxan.com
  
  Catch these Prime Day bargains before they disappear 
  Prime Day 2023 is here and this year's sales extravaganza features some of BestReviews' favorite products. Many top-selling small appliances, home items, unique gadgets, essential beauty products and more fall into the $100 or less price range when they are on sale for the big event. 
  Now is the perfect time to save on popular items at deeply discounted prices. To help you get started, we’ve rounded up the best
  
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• A national research program to find a cure for diabetes is set to expire soon, if Congress doesn't act

  11-07-2023 15:35 via kxan.com
  
  (KXAN) -- This week, lawmakers on Capitol Hill heard from 160 children and teens living with Type 1 diabetes (T1D).The group is asking Congress renew funding for the Special Diabetes Program, known as SDP, backed by the National Institute of Health.“The Special Diabetes Program was directly linked to the first ever disease modifying therapy for Type 1 diabetes that actually delays the onset of Type 1 for up to two years,” said Aaron Turner Phifer with the Juvenile Diabetes Research F
  
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• July bird forecast: "Summer Singers"

  11-07-2023 15:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) -- Here’s the Central Texas bird forecast for the month, courtesy of Travis Audubon. Learn more about Central Texas birds and bird-related events for all ages at travisaudubon.org or by calling 512-300-BIRD. Follow Travis County Audubon at www.facebook.com/travisaudubon.
  It might be hard for us to celebrate the overwhelming heat, but some birds find something to sing about. Get up a little earlier to hear them as they often seek shade later in the day. Carolina Wrens a
  
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• Teen brothers working to pay off Pflugerville ISD students' school lunch debt

  11-07-2023 14:32 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE (KXAN) — As kids get geared up for the start of school next month, many students aren’t able to afford a lunch on campus within the Pflugerville Independent School District.According to Pflugerville ISD, there is currently $126,000 worth of unpaid lunch charges owed to the district. Austin church donating $24K to pay AISD students’ school lunch debtIn April, PfISD put in place a policy that any students owing more than $6 in their school lunch account had their mai
  
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• Austin pipes leaked enough drinking water in 2022 to fill Lady Bird Lake nearly 3 times

  11-07-2023 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – From service-line drips to main-line cascades, Austin Water’s pipes leaked more than enough treated water to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool every hour of every day last year.In total, city pipes lost over 6.9 billion gallons of drinkable water in 2022. That’s enough to fill Lady Bird Lake nearly three times, and it’s an increase of more than 400 million gallons compared to the year before, according to water loss audit data obtained from the Texas Wate
  
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• Man shot, injured in north Austin; Suspect at large

  11-07-2023 13:22 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A man is in the hospital with life-threatening injuries after he was shot at a north Austin apartment complex Monday night, according to the Austin Police Department.
  The shooting happened around 11:30 p.m. at the Aubry Hills apartment complex, which is on North Lamar Boulevard near the intersection of West Rundberg Lane.
  APD said the victim was inside the apartment, and the gunshot came from outside of the apartment. The victim was transported to a hospital with life-threatenin
  
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• No end to triple digit heat anytime soon

  11-07-2023 12:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Unrelenting, unchanging and unforgiving heat continues through the next 7+ days.Afternoon highs will return to the low 100s for the 20th time this year today, Austin likely to reach a high of 104°. High humidity will bring 'feels like' temps up to 108°-1120° prompting an extension of the current Heat Advisory.Dangerous heat & humidity Tuesday afternoonSunshine and high clouds will pass through our Central Texas skies all the day. A less than 10% chance of a stray
  
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• More clouds today provide some shade

  11-07-2023 12:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- There is one positive to this afternoon's weather. Clouds have been steadily increasing in some of the area off of overnight showers and thunderstorms well to our northwest. It's not areawide, however.Clouds for some provide some welcomed shadeThe Heat Advisory continues today through tomorrow evening at 9 p.m. Heat Index readings, which Monday topped out at 111° at both La Grange and San Marcos, will rise again to numbers that we felt Monday. Most of these heat indices will
  
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• Round Rock Express coach continuing diverse, meaningful baseball journey

  11-07-2023 05:24 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — When Demetre Kokoris attended the University of South Carolina, he thought a career in the front office of baseball may be in the future. He worked as a student manager for the Gamecocks baseball team and hasn't looked back from the coaching route since."I started right away like 22, 23 years old as a grad assistant at Cal State Fullerton. Now I'm 39, turning 40 this year. That's not scary at all," Kokoris said with a smile.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on
  
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• Mayor Kirk Watson discusses DPS partnership, accountability

  11-07-2023 04:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said he "inherited a badly depleted police force" when he took office in January.
  He called the DPS partnership in Austin a "practical, innovative way to help."The initiative originally launched at the end of March as a way to address APD's staffing shortage. It took a pause between mid-May and early July so troopers could focus on border efforts.IN DEPTH: How does DPS traffic stop data differ from APD’s?The Public Safety Commission voted Monday to
  
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• 'Is it sustainable?' $12 billion to reduce school property tax rate

  11-07-2023 04:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- After months of trying to reach a deal, leaders of the Texas Senate and House announced proposed legislation for property tax relief on Monday.The proposed legislation includes:Over $12 billion spent on reducing the school property tax rate for all homeowners and business properties.Every homeowner who homesteads their home (about 5.7 million homeowners) will get a $100,000 homestead exemption.Non-homesteaded properties, valued at $5 million and under, including residential and
  
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• Woman killed in crash involving APD officer identified

  11-07-2023 04:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The identity of a woman killed in a crash involving an Austin police officer was released Monday.APD said Maria Irene Casillas Reyes, 43, died at the scene of the crash June 30 in the 1300 block of N. U.S. Highway 183 northbound after a collision with an on-duty APD officer in a marked APD patrol car. The officer, identified as Alyssa Preuss, was injured in the crash and was taken to the hospital for treatment. She has since been released, APD said.APD released the identity
  
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• 800 teachers will have to pay back bonus after district mistake

  11-07-2023 03:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin Independent School District officials said Monday a "miscommunication" among its human capital staff led to about 800 employees receiving up to $2,000 bonuses they will have to pay back.District officials previously said the overpayment was a processing error and was meant for only new hires who are taking on hard-to-staff roles, including special education and bilingual teaching staff, as a recruitment incentive.But records obtained by KXAN show more than a week bef
  
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• 1 dead after rollover crash in southern Travis County

  11-07-2023 03:10 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY (KXAN) — A person died in a rollover crash Monday in southern Travis County, Austin-Travis County EMS said.In a tweet thread, ATCEMS said medics responded to the crash just before 5 p.m. at the intersection of Farm to Market Road 1626 and Bliss Spillar Road.
  One person died in a rollover crash Monday in southern Travis County. The crash occurred near the intersection of FM 1626 and Bliss Spillar Road. (KXAN photo/Andy Way)One person died in a rollover crash Monday in southern
  
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• Sporting Director Rodolfo Borrell set to put blueprint on Austin FC

  11-07-2023 01:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — For months, Austin was without a full-time sporting director. On June 30, the team announced the hiring of Rodolfo Borrell, and he met with the media at an introductory press conference Monday."We set out the very ambitious goal of finding one the great global soccer talents," said Austin FC owner Anthony Precourt. "In [Rodolfo], we found our man."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
  
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