Austin news

• Council Member Kelly wants to make zoos, aquariums safer following recent incidents

  27-07-2023 23:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) –  After hearing from several concerned constituents regarding the Austin Aquarium, Council Member Mackenzie Kelly – who represents District 6 where the business is located – said she is working on a resolution to potentially change relevant city code to make things safer at facilities with wild animals. In the last couple of years, there have been at least a couple of incidents where people were reportedly injured while interacting with lemurs. The Aust
  
  Read more

• Austin council member wants to make zoos, aquariums safer following recent incidents

  27-07-2023 23:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) –  After hearing from several concerned constituents regarding the Austin Aquarium, Council Member Mackenzie Kelly – who represents District 6 where the business is located – said she is working on a resolution to potentially change relevant city code to make things safer at facilities with wild animals. In the last couple of years, there have been at least a couple of incidents where people were reportedly injured while interacting with lemurs. The Aust
  
  Read more

• AFD: Southeast Austin fire started as 'disturbance', 1 person in custody

  27-07-2023 23:02 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The video above shows KXAN Live’s top headlines for July 27, 2023AUSTIN (KXAN) — One person is in custody after a fire Thursday in southeast Austin, the Austin Fire Department said on social media.Firefighters responded to a home around 3:10 p.m. in the 9100 block of Ipswich Bay Drive, which is near East Slaughter Lane and Onion Creek Metropolitan Park, AFD said.AFD said while Austin Police officers tried to take the person into custody, the person set the two-story ho
  
  Read more

• MAP: East 5th improvements planned for CapMetro rail, trail access

  27-07-2023 22:58 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin and CapMetro are collaborating on two projects' worth of improvements planned along the Red Line Trail and rail lines between Navasota and East 7th streets.The two-project uphaul aims to improve trail and sidewalk access, rail transit services and intersection safety within the project scope. CapMetro is recommending double-tracking the rail in two project zones:
  Project 1: Navasota Street to Robert T. Martinez Jr. StreetProject 2: Robert T. Martinez Jr. Stree
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Nearly a quarter of suicide hotline calls in Texas going unanswered, data shows

  27-07-2023 22:20 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) -- Over the past three months, as many as a quarter of calls being made to 988 -- a suicide and crisis hotline launched almost exactly a year ago -- go unanswered in Texas every month, according to data from 988.Here's what the data shows:In April, Texas 988 call centers received just north of 14,000 calls. The answer rate was
  
  Read more

• Austin may break all-time record for consecutive 100-degree days

  27-07-2023 22:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin is on track to tally its most back-to-back 100-degree days on record next week as unseasonably hot, dry weather continues.Temperatures reached 100 degrees for the 20th-consecutive day on Thursday as hazy skies continue, brought on by a cloud of African dust. Austin's air quality is expected to be moderate due to the dust through the coming weekend.Hazy skies continue through the weekend Austin Interactive Weather Stats (2023)A ridge of high pressure continues to dominate
  
  Read more

• 1,500 miles of sidewalks are missing citywide. Here's what Austin's doing about it

  27-07-2023 22:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin has approximately 1,500 miles of missing sidewalks citywide -- and disabilities commission members are encouraging city staff to speed up that work as much as possible.Austin's Transportation and Public Works Department (ATPWD) is poised to bring updates to its sidewalks, crossings and urban streets plan before council in September. Heading into fiscal year 2023-24, ATPWD will lay out its list of priority sidewalks in need of creation or refurbishments, largel
  
  Read more

• $65 million awarded to Austin community groups addressing homelessness

  27-07-2023 21:38 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, or TDHCA, awarded nearly $65 million to Austin community groups addressing homelessness, according to Austin Mayor Kirk Watson.“About $60 million has been earmarked to support the planning for and expansion of the non-congregate shelter model in Austin with a City goal of establishing an estimated 700 additional bed capacity,” Watson said.According to a city newsletter, $5 million would go to Caritas of Aust
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Six new installations by local artists will light up the 2023 Waterloo Greenway Creek Show

  27-07-2023 20:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Waterloo Greenway announced its annual Creek Show will be returning to Waller Creek with the help of six local artists.
  This year's Creek Show will run from Nov. 10-18 and will feature six new illuminated art installations created by local artists. The show extends from 9th Street to Waterloo Park and is free nightly, plus there will be free activities at the park each night.
  According to a release from Waterloo Greenway, each year the organization puts together a committee of l
  
  Read more

• $100K budget proposed to contract animal behaviorists for Austin Animal Services

  27-07-2023 18:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Animal Services Office proposed a Fiscal Year 2023-2024 budget July 21 to contract with animal behaviorists in Texas.According to a memo sent to city leaders, an ordinance was approved in August 2022 to have $143,764 in funding to have a full-time Animal Behaviorist Specialist position in the proposed Fiscal Year 2023-2024 budget. However, a change was proposed. RELATED: Almost a year later, Austin Animal Center still not doing non-emergency intake“Because
  
  Read more

• Report: 100k+ Austin jobs threatened by AI

  27-07-2023 17:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- Hundreds of thousands of jobs in Austin are considered at risk of being threatened by artificial intelligence (AI), according to a report by the Chamber of Commerce.
  It ranked Austin in the Top 25 most threatened cities in the country for potential job losses from AI. It said 153,040 jobs are at risk, which is 13% of the city's total workforce.
  The report cited a recent study from the World Economic Forum (WEF) that estimated 83 million jobs could be automated worldwide by 2027
  
  Read more

• Jonas Brothers add extra date for Austin's Moody Center

  27-07-2023 17:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Jonas Brothers will be burnin' up the Moody Center stage for a second night this fall, after announcing an additional tour date in Austin.The trio announced back in May the group would perform at the Moody Center on Sept. 3. The Grammy Award-nominated band is slated to perform songs off six albums.
  Now, both the Jonas Brothers and the Moody Center announced Thursday the band will return for a second show on Oct. 22. The extra Austin show comes as the group announced 50 new d
  
  Read more

• Hearing set in Ken Paxton’s securities fraud case

  27-07-2023 16:44 via kxan.com
  
  HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- After years of delays, there will soon be some progress in the securities fraud case against suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
  A hearing was scheduled for Aug. 3 in Harris County.
  Paxton faces felony charges and is accused of defrauding investors in a tech startup. He was indicted in 2015.The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled last month the case should remain in Houston, settling a key issue in the case as Paxton faces an impeachment trial in the Tex
  
  Read more

• Rural Texas may lose out on billions in broadband infrastructure funding due to federal regulations

  27-07-2023 15:45 via kxan.com
  
  LUBBOCK, Texas (The Texas Tribune) -- When Texas was awarded $3.3 billion in federal money last month toward expanding broadband infrastructure across the state, government leaders and telecommunication companies celebrated the news.With more than 7 million residents disconnected from the rest of the World Wide Web, Texas’ broadband needs were no secret. With the federal funds, coupled with $1.5 billion from the state’s wallet, rural and underserved Texas communities f
  
  Read more

• Several homes destroyed in Blum Fire in Hill County

  27-07-2023 14:49 via kxan.com
  
  HILL COUNTY, Texas (FOX 44/KWKT) - UPDATE: As of late Wednesday night, the Blum Fire in Hill County remains an estimated 250 acres and is 20 percent contained.The Texas A&M Forest Service says that crews are continuing to engage in structure protection. Dozer crews are making progress constructing a containment line along both flanks of the fire. Forward progression has been stopped.The Forest Service says the fire has destroyed at least five homes. It is being called the Blum Fire because o
  
  Read more

• Campaign Context: Sen. Gutierrez says Republicans favor common sense gun reform

  27-07-2023 14:15 via kxan.com
  
  As campaign season nears, politicians are turning up the volume on campaign rhetoric. To cut through the noise, we’re launching Campaign Context, a weekly series providing clarity on the messages you’re hearing from candidates on the campaign trail. We’re digging past the politics and into the facts to provide you with the transparent, spin-free information you need to make informed decisions this election season.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio,
  
  Read more

• Where in Texas is Alzheimer's most prevalent? First-of-its-kind county-level data released

  27-07-2023 13:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – New research shows a more complete picture of how many people in each county in the United States have Alzheimer's or dementia, allowing KXAN to analyze how it affects those living in Texas. According to the Alzheimer's Association, it marks the first time researchers have estimated the prevalence of the disease at the county-level -- rather than estimating statewide numbers.Using cognitive data, along with population and demographic statistics, researchers were able to pro
  
  Read more

• Record for longest stretch of triple digit heat in jeopardy

  27-07-2023 13:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Today's forecast temperature of 104° will be our 36th triple digit day of the year and 19th in a row. And given the forecast, there's a real possibility we see a new record for the longest stretch of 100° or hotter we've ever observed (27 days - July/August 2011).Sunshine and dry skies will help bring temperatures up to and beyond the 100° mark. Like yesterday, a combination of Saharan dust along with residual smoke from the Canadian wildfires will lead to the hazy s
  
  Read more

• Highs slightly lower for a few days

  27-07-2023 13:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Another day, another triple-digit high adding to our string of consecutive days with highs of 100° and higher. Wednesday's high was 103°, the lowest high temperature since July 8th (102°).oday's normal high is 98°It's the 19th in a row and the 34th of the season.
  The sky was hazy yesterday and will be again today. A combination of the Saharan dust along with residual smoke from the Canadian wildfires will lead to the hazy sky today and again Friday into the weeke
  
  Read more

• Texas AG's office gets $10.76 million judgement against COVID "pyramid scheme"

  27-07-2023 13:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas Attorney General's Office (OAG) said Wednesday it secured a $10.76 million "Final Judgment and Permanent Injunction" against a Texas couple and business it said operated an illegal pyramid scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  The Attorney General said Blessings in No Time (BINT Operations) and its owners, LaShonda and Marlon Moore of Frisco, scammed consumers out of tens of millions of dollars by deceptively marketing themselves as a faith-based wealth building or
  
  Read more

• OSHA cites Dollar General Austin location for safety violations

  27-07-2023 12:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Department of Labor announced Wednesday that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Dollar General for four violations at an Austin store.
  According to the announcement, OSHA cited Dollar General for blocked exits and fire extinguishers not maintained or mounted as required at the store on 825 E. Rundberg Ln. It said two of the violations were serious and two were repeats. OSHA proposed penalties of $298,685.
  “Far too often, our inspections at
  
  Read more

• LIVE: Bastrop County to update 44-year-old cold case

  27-07-2023 12:36 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) – The Bastrop County Sheriff's Department said officials will hold a press conference on Thursday afternoon to update a case from the 1970s.
  According to Wednesday's announcement, the case involves a woman's body found on U.S. Highway 290 near FM 696. That is just southeast of Elgin.
  The department said she was found on June 21, 1979 and authorities were not able to identify her at the time.
  The department announcement did not mention any new developments regarding th
  
  Read more

• Bastrop County to update 44-year-old cold case on Thursday

  27-07-2023 12:36 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) – The Bastrop County Sheriff's Department said officials will hold a press conference on Thursday afternoon to update a case from the 1970s.
  According to Wednesday's announcement, the case involves a woman's body found on U.S. Highway 290 near FM 696. That is just southeast of Elgin.
  The department said she was found on June 21, 1979 and authorities were not able to identify her at the time.
  The department announcement did not mention any new developments regarding th
  
  Read more

• Bastrop County to update 44-year-old case on Thursday

  27-07-2023 12:36 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) – The Bastrop County Sheriff's Department said officials will hold a press conference on Thursday afternoon to update a case from the 1970s.
  According to Wednesday's announcement, the case involves a woman's body found on U.S. Highway 290 near FM 696. That is just southeast of Elgin.
  The department said she was found on June 21, 1979 and authorities were not able to identify her at the time.
  The department announcement did not mention any new developments regarding th
  
  Read more

• Bastrop County identifies woman killed in 1979

  27-07-2023 12:36 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) – The Bastrop County Sheriff's Department said officials will hold a press conference on Thursday afternoon to update a case from the 1970s.
  According to Wednesday's announcement, the case involves a woman's body found on U.S. Highway 290 near FM 696. That is just southeast of Elgin.
  The department said she was found on June 21, 1979, and authorities were not able to identify her at the time.Forensics allowed officials to identify the woman in the 44-year-old cold cas
  
  Read more

• Clarity for drivers in unique school zone split by two cities

  27-07-2023 12:29 via kxan.com
  
  LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) -- The cities of Leander and Cedar Park have come to an agreement to make two different school zones near the city limits more uniform when it comes to the speed limit signs.
  Running Brushy Middle School, along Lakeline Boulevard, and Leander High School, along Bagdad Road, both sit along the border between both cities. The school zones in both these areas run from Leander to Cedar Park.
  Currently, the city of Cedar Park operates the school zone beacons located on the north
  
  Read more

• Texas basketball signs Devon Pryor, No. 21-ranked recruit in the state

  27-07-2023 05:09 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Longhorns men's basketball team and recruit Devon Pryor made it official on Wednesday.Pryor, a 3-star small forward recruit from Houston, reclassified to the Class of 2023 and will skip his senior year of high school to join the Longhorns. Prior played his junior year of high school for PSAT-XEA Academy in Houston and is the No. 21 recruit in Texas according to 247Sports. He originally committed to play for Louisiana State, but backed out of that commitment and ev
  
  Read more

• Attorneys for APD officer request change of venue for upcoming October trial

  27-07-2023 04:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Attorneys for the Austin police officer accused of murder are asking a judge for a change of venue for the upcoming trial in October.Attorneys claim Christopher Taylor will not get a fair trial in Austin because of biased media coverage of the investigation.Court proceedings earlier this month indicated the trial would take place Oct. 16.New trial for APD officer charged with murder set for OctoberTaylor, 31, is accused of shooting and killing Michael Ramos, 42, during a confron
  
  Read more

• Lampasas under Stage 5 water restrictions after main breaks

  27-07-2023 03:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Due to a water main break Wednesday, the City of Lampasas is under Stage 5 water restrictions.According to a post on the city's website, the water main broke in Kempner, a town in between Lampasas and Copperas Cove in Lampasas County. Under the restrictions, "residents and businesses are required to limit all unnecessary use of water including no outdoor watering, and only using water to the extent of health and sanitation."The post said due to the size and depth of the wat
  
  Read more

• Swimming now allowed at Hamilton Pool Preserve

  27-07-2023 02:01 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Hamilton Pool Preserve said visitors were now allowed to get into the water from the beach after it was closed due to high bacteria levels.“Only a very limited portion of the pool is available for water access due to the problem of falling rocks,” Travis County Parks said. “As always, whether swimming will be allowed depends on factors beyond our control, such as bacteria levels and recent rain.” PREVIOUS STORY: Water access at Ham
  
  Read more

• ATCEMS: Two people found unresponsive in east Austin park

  27-07-2023 01:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Officials responded to a park in east Austin Wednesday for reports of two people that were unresponsive.Austin-Travis County EMS said a call came in at 4:25 p.m. to Edward Rendon Sr. Metropolitan Park at Festival Beach off Robert T. Martinez.ATCEMS said medics attempted to resuscitate one person but they were unsuccessful. That person was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:14 p.m.The second person was taken to the hospital in serious, potentially life-threatening condition.
  
  Read more

• Kinne trying to 'take back Texas' in 1st year as Texas State Bobcats head football coach

  27-07-2023 01:36 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — After a dazzling display of offense last season in the FCS ranks, GJ Kinne is taking his high-octane brand of football to San Marcos in an attempt to bring some life to the Texas State Bobcats.Kinne led Incarnate Word to a 12-2 record, the FCS semifinals and the Cardinals piled up 51.5 points per game to lead all FCS programs in 2022. Kinne was a finalist for the FCS Coach of the Year award and the Cards barely missed playing for the FCS national title. Now, he's taking ove
  
  Read more

• 'The walk home never feels safe': UT students talk West Campus safety

  27-07-2023 01:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Students from The University of Texas will come back to campus for the fall semester in the next few weeks, but it comes as students are raising concerns about safety in West Campus."On campus specifically I have never run into any issues," said UT student, Paulina Pearson. "But definitely in West Campus is where I see people yelling at me."Pearson says she has had a few run-ins in West Campus that have left her concerned."Some guy followed my roommate into our apartment th
  
  Read more

• LIVE: APD: Latest human trafficking case an emerging trend

  27-07-2023 00:58 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department's Human Trafficking Unit has arrested two people charged with human smuggling.
  According to the department, Gonzalo Rangel Romero and San Juana Dominguez-Armendariz smuggled a woman from Mexico to America, and then threatened her if her family did not pay them more money.
  Lt. Jim Beck with APD's Organized Crime Division said the woman's brother called APD for help.
  "The complainant had been contacted by suspects that helped smuggle his sister into Am
  
  Read more

• APD: Latest human trafficking case an emerging trend

  27-07-2023 00:58 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department's Human Trafficking Unit has arrested two people charged with human smuggling.
  According to the department, Gonzalo Rangel Romero and San Juana Dominguez-Armendariz smuggled a woman from Mexico to America, and then threatened her if her family did not pay them more money.
  Lieutenant Jim Beck with APD's Organized Crime Division said the woman's brother called APD for help.
  "The complainant had been contacted by suspects that helped smuggle his sister
  
  Read more

• 'Don't have enough inventory': Austin realtors said the market needs more affordable homes

  27-07-2023 00:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin needs more homes that most people can afford. Experts with the Austin Board of Realtors said the market needs more inventory.
  Wednesday, the Austin Board of Realtors hosted its 2023 Central Texas Housing Summit. Austin housing market optimism ‘continues to grow,’ ABoR saysHousing Economist Dr. Clare Losey said it's not just that the city needs more homes, but that it needs more affordable homes.
  "There's that gap between home prices and income," Losey sai
  
  Read more

• From pools to 311 calls: Austin's data portal has inaccuracies, audit finds

  27-07-2023 00:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A new report published by the Office of the City Auditor found data provided to the public through Austin's open data portal can be inaccurate, sometimes by hundreds of thousands of records. It pointed to a lack of coordinated oversight and training.
  The datasets analyzed range from the city map showing which pools are open to information about fatal crashes and 311 calls. The data is intended to keep the public informed, but the city auditor's office said it also informs policy
  
  Read more

• Barton Springs flow is low, officials preparing for next level of drought

  27-07-2023 00:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District is on track to enter a Stage IV Exceptional Drought status, which would be the first time in the District’s 36-year-long history. Currently, the District remains in Stage III Critical Drought Conditions.Officials assess drought by measuring the flow into Barton Springs and examining levels at the Lovelady Monitoring Well. They say flow into Barton Springs is slowly approaching the Stage IV drought threshold.&nbs
  
  Read more

• What are some Zilker parking, shuttle options if the overflow lot closes?

  27-07-2023 00:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On Monday, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department Board voted to recommend closing one of the parking options at Zilker Park. Now, Austin City Council will decide at a later date whether or not to approve that recommendation, which proposes a Sept. 4 closure date.Polo Field, located between Andrew Zilker Road and Barton Springs Road, is currently open on weekends during the summer and some Fridays for special events or activities, according to the Austin Parks and Recreation
  
  Read more

Follow @Austin_News_US on Twitter!