Austin news

• Burnet County's Wandering Oak Fire reaches 22 acres, 95% contained

  03-08-2023 23:43 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s note: The above video is from KXAN’s wildfire coverage on Thursday, August 3, 2023.BURNET COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- A wildfire in Burnet County that started Wednesday is 95% contained, the Texas A&M Forest Service said on X formerly known as Twitter.The Wandering Oak Fire spread to an estimated 22 acres as of Thursday afternoon. The forest service said no structures have been lost from the fire.A containment line has been built around the perimeter of the fire. Crews remai
  
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• Man arrested after fiery crash that killed 4, charged with intoxication manslaughter

  03-08-2023 22:38 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The above video is KXAN's previous coverage from the July 30, 2023 crash.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Police arrested and identified a man in connection with a crash that killed four people in south Austin.APD said 35-year-old Arthur L. Wright faced four counts of intoxication manslaughter and four counts of failure to stop and render aid.Police said the crash occurred Sunday at approximately 2:30 a.m. in the 4700 block of South Interstate 35 frontage road. PAST COVERAGE: ATC
  
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• Waymo gears up for ride-hail service launch in Austin

  03-08-2023 21:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After announcing its autonomous vehicle prototype testing in Austin back in April, Waymo is slated to begin initial commercial ride-hail operations in the Texas capital this fall before a more public rollout later on.Austin marks the company's fourth ride-hail market, joining the Phoenix metro, San Francisco and Los Angeles, per a company release. Over the past several months, Waymo has tested its all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles in Austin."With this early testing successfull
  
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• The 75-year history of Austin staple Peter Pan Mini-Golf

  03-08-2023 20:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- For 75 years, Peter Pan Mini-Golf has been a mainstay in the fabric of Austin's local business scene. Located off the intersection of Barton Springs Road and S. Lamar Boulevard, brothers Glenn, Jack and Clifford Dismukes launched the business in 1948.Originally, the mini-golf site was named Varsity Links, according to reporting from the Austin Business Journal. Come the 1950s, the owners embraced the Peter Pan theme that stays with the business today. ICYMI: Future of Peter Pan
  
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• Southwest Airlines launching nonstop from Austin to Puerto Rico next year

  03-08-2023 20:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Southwest Airlines will soon be adding a new nonstop from Austin. Flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico, will take off next year.The airline will fly the AUS-SJU route on Saturdays beginning March 9, 2024. A spokesperson for the airline told KXAN the route is intended to be seasonal."We are excited to connect the Heart of Texas nonstop into the Caribbean," the spokesperson said. Data Hub: Austin airport on pace for another record-breaking yearSouthwest will also resume daily sea
  
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• Fredericksburg school evacuated after reported bomb threat

  03-08-2023 20:33 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The video above shows KXAN Live's top headlines for Aug. 3, 2023FREDERICKSBURG, Texas (KXAN) — The Fredericksburg Police Department is investigating a bomb threat at the Fredericksburg Primary School Thursday, FPD said on social media.A bomb squad team is actively searching the area after the call around 9:55 a.m., FPD said Thursday afternoon. The school has been evacuated and the area around the school has been secured. Other facilities near the school are sheltering in pla
  
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• Message in a balloon flies nearly 900 miles from Nashville to Central Texas

  03-08-2023 19:47 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) -- You've heard of a message in a bottle — but what about a message in a balloon that's flown nearly 900 miles?It might sound like fiction, but that was the reality for Kyle residents Jaymes and Rachael Knox. On Wednesday night, Jaymes was playing in the backyard with his dogs when he saw a balloon falling from the sky, carrying what appeared to be a rolled-up note. Can your roof save you some money?"He runs in and he was like, 'babe, put your shoes on! We have an advent
  
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• Liberty Hill looks to transform its downtown with land purchase

  03-08-2023 19:25 via kxan.com
  
  LIBERTY HILL, KXAN (KXAN) — The Liberty Hill Economic Development Corporation recently purchased land in the heart of the city. Agency leaders said the purchase is an effort to attract outside developers to turn the area into a destination for the growing community.The 1.51-acre plot is near the intersection of Main Street and Myrtle Avenue just behind Veteran's Memorial Park.The LHEDC Board President Tiffany Stillwell said the purchase aims to control and lead development in the city's do
  
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• What happens to bugs during wildfires?

  03-08-2023 19:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – This may be shocking to some, but grasshoppers and other insects also do not want to be engulfed in flames. KXAN reporters covering a Bastrop fire – 75% contained as of Wednesday night – observed hundreds of grasshoppers fleeing the blaze. MORE: At least one home affected as Powder Keg Pine Fire in Bastrop estimated at 117 acres, 75% contained“[Insects] are going to need essentially the same things that we do – they need food, they need water, t
  
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• United to offer nonstop flights from Austin for UT-Alabama game

  03-08-2023 19:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — United Airlines is making it easier for Longhorns fans to travel to Alabama for next month's game against the Crimson Tide.The airline will fly nonstop between Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, which is about an hour away from Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.Two flights will leave Austin on Friday, Sept. 8, one at 1:20 p.m. and the other at 3:45 p.m. Returning flights will be on Sunday, Sept. 10. Game day is Saturd
  
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• As I-35 project awaits federal approval, some Austin City Council concerns remain

  03-08-2023 18:36 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- With the Texas Department of Transportation poised to receive a final verdict from the federal government on its Interstate 35 expansion proposal this month, some Austin City Council members still have reservations about the project.Council members Zohaib "Zo" Qadri, José “Chito” Vela and Ryan Alter shared a joint statement on Austin City Council's public message board Monday. In it, the three acknowledged their approval of new highway capping opportunities in
  
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• Austin performer joins new lawsuit to block Texas drag performance law

  03-08-2023 16:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin-based drag performer added her name to a lawsuit filed Thursday aimed at blocking a Texas law that the plaintiffs argue would amount to a "drag ban" in the state.
  Brigitte Bandit, the local drag artist, is among the plaintiffs now suing the interim Texas attorney general and other officials over Senate Bill 12, which is set to go into effect on Sept. 1. The other groups that filed the lawsuit are the ACLU of Texas, two community Pride organizations and a couple of
  
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• Photos: Central Texans capture first supermoon of August

  03-08-2023 16:28 via kxan.com
  
  CENTRAL TEXAS (KXAN) -- Folks across Central Texas witnessed Tuesday the first of two supermoons that appearing in August.
  Tuesday's moon, called the "Sturgeon Moon," is one of four supermoons in 2023, according to NASA. A supermoon happens when a full moon coincides with the moon’s closest approach to Earth, making the moon appear 7% larger and up to 30% brighter.Enjoy viewer photos of the supermoon from across the KXAN viewing area in the gallery below.
  Aug. 1, 2023, supermoon spotted in
  
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• San Marcos formally revokes juvenile curfew

  03-08-2023 16:04 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) -- The City of San Marcos officially got rid of its juvenile curfew during a city council meeting Tuesday.
  This comes after the Texas Legislature passed a law doing away with curfews, which will go into effect next month.
  San Marcos city leaders told KXAN in June they stopped prioritizing enforcement of the curfew after the legislature's move.Central Texas cities will not enforce youth curfews ahead of new lawThe city's juvenile curfew ordinance was reinstated last Decem
  
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• 6A rookies no longer, everyone knows about Dripping Springs in 2023

  03-08-2023 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas (KXAN) — It was the first year in Class 6A for the Dripping Springs Tigers last season, and what an introduction it was. They kicked down the door to finish second in District 6A-26 and advanced to the 6A-D2 Region IV championship game, finishing the season 12-2.It's a standard and an expectation now that Dripping Springs will compete for a 6A playoff spot every year like they did while in 5A, and head coach Galen Zimmerman said it's all about looking ahead.MORE THA
  
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• LIVE: After years of delays, Ken Paxton to appear in court in securities fraud case hearing

  03-08-2023 13:00 via kxan.com
  
  HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (Nexstar) — After eight years of delays and a change in venue, suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton is set to appear in a Harris County court Thursday morning in a securities fraud case against him.Paxton faces felony charges and is accused of defrauding investors in a tech startup after being indicted in 2015.Last month in a 6-3 ruling, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals decided the case should remain in Houston, settling a key issue in the case as Paxton faces an&n
  
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• After years of delays, Ken Paxton to appear in court in securities fraud case hearing

  03-08-2023 13:00 via kxan.com
  
  HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (Nexstar) — After eight years of delays and a change in venue, suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton is set to appear in a Harris County court Thursday morning in a securities fraud case against him.Paxton faces felony charges and is accused of defrauding investors in a tech startup after being indicted in 2015.Last month in a 6-3 ruling, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals decided the case should remain in Houston, settling a key issue in the case as Paxton faces an&n
  
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• After years of delays, Ken Paxton appears in court for securities fraud case

  03-08-2023 13:00 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The video above shows KXAN Live's top headlines for Aug. 3, 2023. This story will be updated later in the day.HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (Nexstar) — After eight years of delays and a change in venue, suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton appeared in a Harris County court Thursday morning in a securities fraud case against him.Paxton faces felony charges and is accused of defrauding investors in a tech startup after being indicted in 2015."It's a good day for Texas because it's on
  
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• City of Austin studying roofs to help lower urban heat

  03-08-2023 12:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin is sharing data with Google on the solar reflectivity of roofs across the community to better understand which parts of town would benefit most from cool roofs, a type of roofing that reduces heat in homes and neighborhoods.
  Laura Patiño, the chief resilience officer at the city of Austin, described solar reflectivity as the measure of how much sunlight a roof can reflect. A higher reflectivity means your home is absorbing less heat.
  Once the city is do
  
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• Tie for longest heatwave in Austin's history

  03-08-2023 12:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Today will mark Austin's 27th consecutive day at 100° or hotter - tying the current record for the longest heatwave in the city's history.Today's excessive heat will result in another Heat Advisory for Central Texas. Temperatures up to 105° and heat index values up to 112° are possible, so be sure to check in with yourself, family, friends and coworkers for any signs of heat-related illnesses.Thursday marks our 27th consecutive day at 100° or hotter - the longest
  
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• 2023 takes the longest triple digit stretch on Friday

  03-08-2023 12:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Today marked Austin's 27th consecutive day at 100° or hotter - tying the current record for the longest heatwave in the city's history.Heat Advisories and Red Flag Warnings continue until mid-evening for most of Central Texas as our heat and dry air combines to bring a high fire danger.Tonight expect mostly clear skies with lows dropping into the upper 70s.We'll likely be a little hotter on Friday as high pressure remains in control and a hotter breeze kicks temperatures up
  
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• 2023 alone takes the longest triple digit stretch on Friday

  03-08-2023 12:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Friday marked Austin's 27th consecutive day at 100° or hotter - tying the current record for the longest heatwave in the city's history. On Friday we'll be alone in first place with 28 days. The longest stretch of triple digit highs in Austin could last 30-40 days or more by the time we drop below 100º based on our forecast.Heat Advisories and Red Flag Warnings continue until mid-evening for most of Central Texas as our heat and dry air combines to bring a high fire dan
  
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• Sarkisian praises passing game following 1st day of Texas Longhorns fall camp

  03-08-2023 05:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Longhorns officially began fall camp Wednesday, and according to head coach Steve Sarkisian, it was a great first day for the quarterbacks.Starter Quinn Ewers, along with backups Maalik Murphy and Arch Manning, all made progress in their respective ways, Sarkisian said.
  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/newsletters"Quinn had one of the better practices he's had s
  
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• Body seen along floating barrier Texas installed in the Rio Grande, Mexico says

  03-08-2023 05:26 via kxan.com
  
  MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Mexican government reported for the first time Wednesday that a body was spotted along the floating barrier that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott installed recently in the Rio Grande, across from Eagle Pass, Texas.
  Mexico’s Foreign Relations Department said authorities were trying to recover the body, and did not know the person's nationality or the cause of death.Many had warned about the danger of the barrier, because it is designed to make it more difficult for migran
  
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• After a state loss last season, Wimberley is coming back hungrier than ever

  03-08-2023 03:59 via kxan.com
  
  WIMBERLEY, Texas (KXAN) — There's a feeling of unfinished business for the Wimberley Texans even though football season has just officially begun.Last season was setting up to be a dream season with 15 consecutive wins and a Class 4A-D2 title game berth against mighty Carthage, and the Bulldogs spoiled Wimberley's perfect season with a 42-0 romp to win the state championship.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports ne
  
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• Technical issue causes nearly 10K ACC students to be dropped from classes

  03-08-2023 01:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Community College said a technical issue caused nearly 10,000 students to be dropped from enrollment.The college said it would work to contact all the students impacted by the issue. ACC said the students should still get all the classes they signed up for.“We apologize to anyone that was impacted. We want them to understand that we are ready to go for the fall semester, and we look forward to seeing all the students when they get to campus,” Dr. Dorado K
  
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• APD asks for help finding north Austin homicide suspect

  03-08-2023 01:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department said it needs help finding a suspect in connection with a homicide that occurred in north Austin in August 2022.Image of Hector Gabriel Valente-Martinez (APD photo)
  APD is trying to find 18-year-old Hector Gabriel Valente-Martinez. He is wanted for an outstanding felony warrant for murder.Police described Valente-Martinez as being 5-foot-6 and weighing 130 pounds. PAST COVERAGE: APD launches homicide investigation after man dies from being shot
  
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• Arrest made connected to Austin weekend 'street takeover' event

  03-08-2023 01:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A man who was at a north Austin parking lot where people were "engaged in reckless driving and doing 'donuts'" -- one of a number of weekend "street takeover" events -- was arrested as he tried to drive away from the area, according to an affidavit.DPS said his car was one of those left in the business parking lot off Howard Lane after the crowd dispersed. According to an affidavit, the trooper tried to make an "investigative detention" on those still standing around, and the ma
  
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• APD: 17-year-old arrested, charged with murder of 14-year-old

  03-08-2023 00:43 via kxan.com
  
  Note: The video in this story originally aired on June 6, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Police Department (APD) officers arrested a man on Tuesday in connection to a June 6 shooting in North Austin, according to a press release.Micah Marshall, 17, is charged with one felony count of first-degree murder.
  According to APD, the shooting occurred around 1:30 a.m. at The Bridge at Harris Ridge Apartments, which is located in the 1500 block of East Howard Lane. 911 callers reported hearing multiple gun
  
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• Airbnb brings 'Airbnb-friendly apartments' to Austin

  03-08-2023 00:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Airbnb, in partnership with nine apartment complexes, has brought its program aimed at enabling renters to offer their apartments as short-term rentals (STR) to Central Texas.The program is "Airbnb-friendly Apartments" and launched in November 2022 in 25 markets. Now, that program has expanded to 40 markets in under a year. Court rules Austin short-term rental ordinance unconstitutionalAirbnb Global Director of Real Estate Jesse Stein said that this program is aimed at allowing
  
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