Austin news

• Professional basketball player Tacko Fall hands out new book to hundreds at Austin mosque

  12-08-2023 22:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Professional basketball player Tacko Fall – who's one of the tallest people on earth at 7 feet and 6 inches – read his new children's book Tacko Fall: To New Heights to hundreds of people Saturday at the Islamic Center of Greater Austin.Fall was born and raised in Senegal but attended high school in the U.S. He played basketball at the University of Central Florida and was drafted into the NBA in 2019. Since 2022, Fall has played for the Xinjiang Flying Tig
  
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• Officials responding to fire at home in Point Venture

  12-08-2023 22:55 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas -- Multiple fire departments responded to a two-alarm structure fire in Point Venture on Saturday, the Austin Fire Department said on Twitter.Austin, Cedar Park, Lake Travis and Pflugerville fire departments all assisted Travis County ESD #1 with the fully-involved structure fire, according to AFD.Crews were still actively battling the fire with high winds as of 3:45 p.m. Saturday.No one was injured during the fire, according to ESD #1.This is a developing story and will be
  
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• Jet ski in garage causes structure fire in Point Venture, officials say

  12-08-2023 22:55 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Multiple fire departments responded to a two-alarm structure fire in Point Venture on Saturday, the Austin Fire Department said on Twitter.Austin, Cedar Park, Lake Travis and Pflugerville fire departments all assisted Travis County ESD #1 with the fully-involved structure fire, according to AFD.ESD #1 was dispatched originally to the two-story structure fire at approximately 2:30 p.m. and arrived on the scene within a response time of four minutes. When they arrive
  
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• Wildfire in San Marcos under control, 80% contained, Hays Co. OEM says

  12-08-2023 21:56 via kxan.com
  
  The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for August 12, 2023.HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Officials responded to a wildfire in Hays County that burned at least six acres on Saturday, the Hays County Office of Emergency Management said.According to county officials, the situation was under control shortly before 2 p.m. Furthermore, the forward progress of the fire was stopped. Units were conducting extensive overhauls and mop-up of the remaining burning area.The fire, which is
  
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• Abbott files response to federal preliminary injunction

  12-08-2023 21:56 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The video above shows KXAN Live's top headlines for Aug. 12, 2023AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott filed a 30-page response this week to the federal government seeking a preliminary injunction over the buoys meant to deter migrants from crossing illegally on the Rio Grande River in Eagle Pass.The Department of Justice sued Abbott last month, claiming the state's violating the Rivers and Harbors Act. RELATED: DOJ files lawsuit against Texas over buoy barrier in Rio
  
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• Recall alert: Nestlé chocolate chip cookie dough may contain wood pieces

  12-08-2023 21:37 via kxan.com
  
  (WTAJ) — Nestlé USA is recalling a chocolate chip cookie dough product due to the potential presence of pieces of wood.
  The voluntary recall is for a limited quantity of Nestlé Toll House chocolate chip cookie dough “break and bake” bars (16.5 ounces) that were produced on April 24 and April 25, 2023. The products contain best-by dates of August 22 or Oct. 23, 2023.The company said the recall does not affect any other products including other varieties of ref
  
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• Man accused of keeping woman in cinderblock cell had previously appeared on 'Judge Judy'

  12-08-2023 19:55 via kxan.com
  
  (KRON) – A man who allegedly held a woman captive inside a homemade cinder block dungeon in Oregon appeared on a 2018 television episode of "Judge Judy" to sue the mother of his two children over a domestic dispute, according to multiple reports.Negasi Zuberi, 29, was arrested in July after a woman escaped his home in Klamath Falls, Oregon, the FBI announced last week. The victim had been kidnapped in Seattle, Washington, before being sexually assaulted and locked in a cinderblock cell.The
  
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• How to get hundreds of hummingbirds in your yard

  12-08-2023 19:50 via kxan.com
  
  ATHENS, La. (KTAL/KMSS) - Hummingbirds are emblems of tenacity - tiny, feisty, iridescent survivalists that fly like miniature helicopters. But despite their popularity and how common it is to feed them outside your windows, they are also among North America's most misunderstood birds.
  So, let's take a closer look at the only hummingbird that nests in the Eastern US, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris).First, although you might see hummingbirds that look different from each othe
  
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• Where are the best places to see stars in Texas? Top options in every region

  12-08-2023 19:46 via kxan.com
  
  AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) - "The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas!" Perseid meteor shower to peak over Austin this weekendFor over 80 years, "Deep in the Heart of Texas" has been a familiar refrain in the Lone Star State, standing as one of the most reliable ways to summon a chorus of clapping and answering shouts. However, the catchy tune also holds true; according to experts such as those with the International Dark-Sky Association and other agencies, Texas is ho
  
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• City of Austin Celebrates old Home Depot site demolition, prepares for more affordable housing

  12-08-2023 18:44 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)—The City of Austin will hosted a celebration Saturday morning to mark the redevelopment of the former site of the Home Depot store in north Austin.The site, located at 7211 N. Interstate 35, is officially called the St. John Site. That location held significant historical importance for the Black community, according to an announcement from a group representing that modern community. The site’s roots trace back to the 1890s when the St. John Regular Missionary Baptist A
  
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• Austin Fire welcomes newest group of cadets during graduation ceremony

  12-08-2023 18:33 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Fire Department welcomed new cadets Friday morning with a ceremony in northwest Austin.The graduates for Cadet Class No. 136 included those with fathers and grandfathers who served with the department.“I will be the fourth generation in the Dandridge line with the Austin Fire Department,” said Colten Dandridge, a new graduate and member of AFD. AFD labor contract negotiations end without reached agreementDandridge said his family has had 82 consecutiv
  
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• Austin firefighter labor contract negotiations end without reaching agreement

  12-08-2023 18:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Thursday, the City of Austin said it did not reach an agreement with the Austin Firefighters Association (AFA) and Austin firefighters regarding labor contract negotiations, according to a city memo.The city said management had been working with the AFA for several months to achieve a mutually agreeable labor contract for the city’s firefighters.“Within the past week the parties had arrived at mutually agreeable language for all of the contract articles, whic
  
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• AFD labor contract negotiations end without reached agreement

  12-08-2023 18:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Thursday, the City of Austin said it did not reach an agreement with the Austin Firefighters Association (AFD) and Austin firefighters regarding labor contract negotiations, according to a city memo.The city said management had been working with the AFA for several months to achieve a mutually agreeable labor contract for the city’s firefighters.“Within the past week the parties had arrived at mutually agreeable language for all of the contract articles, whic
  
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• Pornhub, coalition of adult websites sue Texas over law requiring them to collect user's legal ID

  12-08-2023 18:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A lawsuit filed August 4 asks a federal court to block Texas Interim Attorney General Angela Colmenero from enforcing a new law that would require users of adult websites to send their government-issued identification to those websites.The Free Speech Coalition (FSC), a trade association that represents "hundreds of businesses and individuals involved in the production, distribution, sale, and presentation of constitutionally-protected adult content," filed the lawsuit alongside
  
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• Which school supplies aren't eligible for Texas' tax-free weekend?

  12-08-2023 17:00 via kxan.com
  
  TEXAS (NEXSTAR) — It's back to school time once again and that means Texas' Sales Tax Holiday — also known as Tax-Free Weekend. While the break from sales tax is helpful for families buying school supplies, not every item on your lists may be eligible for tax-free sale.While school supply lists differ by school, we combed through lists from several Texas districts to find some commonly asked-for items that don't qualify to be tax-free this weekend, even if they are for school use. Wh
  
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• Small town Socorro's big impact on Texas history and the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro

  12-08-2023 15:00 via kxan.com
  
  SOCORRO, Texas (KTSM) — In the quaint town of Socorro, Texas, a hidden gem of historical significance awaits discovery.
  El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro linked Mexico City to northern New Mexico, spanning approximately 1,600 miles and acting as a conduit for trade and cultural exchange. It passed right through Socorro, and historian and President of the Cultural Heritage Society of the Camino Real Al Barego asserts the trail's history should not be confined to exhibits and museums but rath
  
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• Inside Austin Public Library's vinyl record collection and the event series showcasing it

  12-08-2023 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's note: The above video is from the first installment of the event series on Sunday, August 6. There are three more installments that will be held each Sunday of the month.
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Did you know you can check out more than just books from the Austin Public Library? How Austin Public Library’s used bookstore diverts 47K pounds of items from landfills each monthAPL's Carver Branch location houses a vinyl record collection of a few hundred records, spanning from a pressing of t
  
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• The sky puts on a show overnight

  12-08-2023 14:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Clouds increased over much of our the area after 3 a.m. This morning's minimum temperatures were mostly in the upper 70s to low 80s. A few low to mid 70s were recorded over some of Blanco, Gillespie, and Mason Counties.The low at Camp Mabry was 80°, four degrees above normal. It came within one degree of tying the warm low record of 81° set in 2011.The Perseids meteor shower will be tonight/overnight. The Earth's orbit will be passing through the debris field from Swift-
  
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• The searing heat and very high fire danger continue this weekend

  12-08-2023 14:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- You might want to stay up late (or get up very early Sunday morning) to see this year's Perseid meteor shower. A clear sky will allow for an excellent view of the show where up to 100 meteors will be zipping across the sky. Venture away from the city lights.
  The record for consecutive days of a high reaching 100° and higher is up to 35. There have been 51 days this season of triple-digit heat. There will be at least seven more added to both counts during the current 7-Day Fo
  
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• Isolated storms possible next week

  12-08-2023 14:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Another hot and dry day continued the fire concerns.
  Tonight will be mostly clear before some low clouds develop into early Sunday morning. Overnight lows drop into the upper 70s.The Perseids meteor shower will be tonight/overnight. The Earth's orbit will be passing through the debris field from the Swift-Tuttle Comet. The best time to view this stellar sky show will be after midnight until before dawn Sunday.
  Experts say as many as 90 to 100 meteors will be seen with the meteor
  
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• Whata'Marriage: Couple celebrates wedding at local Whataburger

  12-08-2023 05:35 via kxan.com
  
  BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Whata'Marriage for a Whata'Couple. A Brownsville couple tied the knot and continued the celebration at their favorite restaurant.
  Bolivar and Esther Martinez-Dominguez were regulars at a local Whataburger establishment in Brownsville located on Central Blvd.Annual festival celebrates South Texas UFOs and paranormal historyLilia Garcia, the manager of the Whataburger location, told ValleyCentral, their operating partner Claudia Martinez Dominguez, had se
  
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• Del Valle opens new childcare facility with help from Thinkery

  12-08-2023 05:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Del Valle ISD is starting the school year off with a new facility that will help with childcare.Thinkery and Del Valle ISD are partnering to create a shared facility at Del Valle ISD’s central campus that integrates a new Del Valle Child Development Center (CDC) with Thinkery’s play-based, STEAM-learning approach.The new building for the Del Valle ISD Child Development Center, is part of the district’s 2019 Bond projects. Last year the services were o
  
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• Lake Travis ISD adds new bus drivers, opens up routes

  12-08-2023 04:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — School districts across Central Texas have struggled to fill bus driver positions over the last few years, but this year many are seeing more people signing up.In Lake Travis ISD, the district had to make major changes to bus operations with a shortage of drivers last year.Paula Miller is the director of transportation in the district, she said increasing pay has helped bring back a lot of drivers.“We have hired 15 new drivers this summer,” Miller said.Last year
  
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• APD to share update on southeast Austin SWAT callout

  12-08-2023 02:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Friday night, the Austin Police Department will provide an update on a SWAT situation in southeast Austin.APD will hold a media briefing around 7:45p.m. near Richard Moya Park on Burleson Road, which is close to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.This story will be updated with more information.
  
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• Migrant child dies on border bus in Texas

  12-08-2023 01:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A child died on one of the buses that Operation Lone Star has been using to move migrants from the Texas border to other parts of the country, the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) said Friday.The child started showing signs of "health concerns," and the bus pulled over and security personnel on board called 911, the release said.An ambulance arrived, and the bilingual security personnel translated for the parents and the paramedics who were providing care for the ch
  
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• 3-year-old migrant child dies on Texas' border bus

  12-08-2023 01:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A child died on one of the buses that Operation Lone Star has been using to move migrants from the Texas border to other parts of the country, the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) said Friday.According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the 3-year-old child died in Marion County in southern Illinois. The bus was heading for Chicago.The child started showing signs of "health concerns," and the bus pulled over and security personnel on board called 911, the
  
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• APD identifies man accused of shooting detective in southeast Austin

  12-08-2023 01:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department identified a man accused of shooting an APD detective in southeast Austin on Sunday.APD said two detectives responded to a “check welfare” call on Channel Island Drive at approximately 8 p.m. That’s in an area east of Interstate 35 and west of Onion Creek.The caller said he had not seen his neighbor for six to eight months and provided more details that indicated something could be wrong, according to APD. ‘It went all wr
  
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• Cedar Park man raises money for those who lost their homes in the Parmer Lane fire

  12-08-2023 00:51 via kxan.com
  
  CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) – Rob Solis almost lost his home to the Parmer Lane fire Tuesday. That night, he said his fiance called, telling him that their front lawn was on fire and embers were falling from the sky onto their roof.  “I rushed home,” Solis said. “I immediately grabbed water hoses and started putting out fires wherever I could,” he continued. Luckily, his home survived, but it got him thinking about those whose homes did not. &n
  
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• Cedar Park man raises money for those who lost their homes in the Palmer Lane fire

  12-08-2023 00:51 via kxan.com
  
  CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) – Rob Solis almost lost his home to the Palmer Lane fire Tuesday. That night, he said his fiance called, telling him that their front lawn was on fire and embers were falling from the sky onto their roof.  “I rushed home,” Solis said. “I immediately grabbed water hoses and started putting out fires wherever I could,” he continued. Luckily, his home survived, but it got him thinking about those whose homes did not. &n
  
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