Austin news

• 'Like someone was holding him hostage.' Paxton accused of covering up efforts to help real estate investor

  16-08-2023 23:59 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The above video explains the impeachment trial rules for suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- House impeachment managers revealed new allegations against suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton, just weeks before the start of his impeachment trial. The accusations came out Tuesday in responses to motions filed by Paxton's attorneys to dismiss the charges against him. State of Texas: Paxton impeachmentThe responses detail steps Paxton is accused of taking to h
  
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• What's causing cloudy water in Round Rock?

  16-08-2023 23:36 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) - The City of Round Rock said a water main that was brought back online this week has caused sediment to appear in customers’ water. Utility leaders said despite the water having a cloudy look, it is safe to drink and bathe with."We are seeing anything from what would appear to be normal clear water all the way to very off-color. Kind of rust-colored, darker water, and there's almost an ever-present sediment," Paul Pimentel said.Pimentel lives west of IH-35 in Roun
  
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• Watching the Gulf: Disturbance may bring rain, cooler weather

  16-08-2023 23:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As we endure Austin's hottest August on record and longest-ever stretch of unbroken triple-digit heat days, all eyes are on the Gulf of Mexico where early next week, a disturbance may develop and trek toward Texas.A Heat Advisory is in effect until 9 p.m. for much of the area as heat and humidity slowly return following a recent cool front. The advisory will be upgraded to an Excessive Heat Warning on Thursday with record heat and some of the hottest temperatures of the year.Sco
  
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• Appeals court upholds some abortion drug restrictions in a case bound for the Supreme Court

  16-08-2023 23:10 via kxan.com
  
  NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New restrictions on access to a drug used in the most common form of abortion in the U.S. would be imposed under a federal appeals court ruling issued Wednesday, but the Supreme Court will have the final say.The decision by three judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans overturned part of a lower court ruling that would have revoked the Food and Drug Administration’s 23-year-old approval of mifepristone. But it left intact part of the ruling t
  
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• Austin approves $5.5B budget, largest in city history

  16-08-2023 22:52 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The video above shows KXAN Live's top headlines for Aug. 16, 2023AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin City Council voted in favor of adopting its $5.5 billion budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year, marking the largest-ever budget in city history.Alongside its budget, council approved the FY24 ad valorem property tax rate of 44.58 cents per $100 valuation, marking a 3.4% increase. Both the budget and tax rate were adopted on a 10-1 vote, with Council Member Mackenzie Kelly voting against both item
  
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• 135 people have died in Texas prisons since June 1; Families demand answers

  16-08-2023 21:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- As Tona Naranjo raised a faint candle toward the Governor's Mansion, she remembered the light of her life now extinguished.Gathered in prayerful protest on the steps of the mansion on Friday night, she mourned with other families who have lost loved ones inside the criminal justice system.
  Her son, Jon Anthony Southwards, died at 36 years old on June 28 inside the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's Estelle Unit. He was found unresponsive in his cell and later pronounced d
  
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• Cause of death undetermined for man found in Lady Bird Lake, report shows

  16-08-2023 21:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A man found dead in Lady Bird Lake in March may have fallen or entered the water or had a "natural event" near the water, according to a medical examiner's report obtained by KXAN.Police and first responders were called to 1100 W. Riverside Drive on the morning of March 5. Clifton Axtell, 40, was pronounced dead at the scene. Austin Police find body in Lady Bird LakeIt's unclear how the man entered the water "as it was an unwitnessed event," the report stated."Unfortunately, the
  
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• WATCH: Austin landscaping business painting lawns green

  16-08-2023 21:07 via kxan.com
  
  Good Neighbor Lawn and Landscape said the lawn paint can last at least three months. (Video: KXAN)
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- Green grass is hard to come by nowadays in Central Texas with this intense heat and drought.Local landscaping companies like Good Neighbor Lawn and Landscape said these weather conditions are impacting business.
  "The drought and water restrictions have greatly affected my business. Our busiest season is now our scariest," said owner Chilee Navarro.Navarro and her husband have owne
  
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• Austin hospital explosion suspect accused of asking someone to hide box of  'destructive device' components

  16-08-2023 20:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Recently-filed court documents reveal the man connected with an explosion at an Austin hospital Aug. 9 was accused of asking someone to remove something from his home prior to officials searching it.According to an arrest affidavit, Raymond Luke Garner, 38, was accused of corruptly concealing, attempting to conceal, and counseling, inducing, and procuring another to conceal an object with the intent to impair the object's availability for use in an official proceeding. When
  
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• 72 people, 15 pets moved from West Bouldin Creek homeless encampment to Southbridge Shelter

  16-08-2023 19:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A homeless encampment in the West Bouldin Creek area has been formally declared closed after 72 people and 15 pets were relocated from the encampment to the Southbridge Shelter, according to the City of Austin.The people and pets were relocated from the encampment as part of the Housing-Focused Encampment Assistance Link, or HEAL Initiative, a release from the City of Austin said.Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said during a Tuesday press conference on wildfire preparation that the cit
  
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• Tracking the Tropics: NHC monitoring 3 disturbances as peak hurricane season nears

  16-08-2023 18:24 via kxan.com
  
  TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The National Hurricane Center is monitoring three tropical waves that are spread across the Atlantic basin. With conditions ideal for some development, are these the storms the east coast has been preparing for?So far, the NHC has said two of the three disturbances pose a nearly 50% chance of forming sometime in the next seven days. With those odds steadily increasing over the past few days, it's worth stressing how things can change as we near the most historically ac
  
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• Del Valle ISD joins lawsuit against Texas Education Agency over changes to accountability rating system

  16-08-2023 18:01 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The video above shows KXAN Live's top headlines for Aug. 16, 2023DEL VALLE, Texas (KXAN) -- The Del Valle Independent School District Board of Trustees voted during its meeting Tuesday night to join a "coalition of school districts" across Texas suing the Texas Education Agency over changes to its accountability ratings system.
  DVISD Superintendent Dr. Annette Tielle wrote in a letter sent to families and staff Wednesday morning the Board unanimously voted to join the lawsuit, whi
  
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• Eanes ISD teacher spends summer teaching music in Kenya

  16-08-2023 16:53 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The video above shows KXAN Live's top headlines for Aug. 16, 2023AUSTIN (KXAN) –  Instead of taking the summer off, one Eanes ISD teacher brought her experience to Kenya to teach students and their teachers about music.Cindy McNicholas has worked in music education for 36 years and has been a teacher at Barton Creek Elementary for 17. NEXT: Set for SchoolIn 2009, she said she got involved in a program called Recorders Without Borders, which among other things, sends &nd
  
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• Sheriff's Office: 1 shot, injured in Del Valle, suspect in custody

  16-08-2023 16:36 via kxan.com
  
  DEL VALLE, Texas (KXAN) -- One person was injured and another taken into custody after a shooting in Del Valle Tuesday night, according to the Travis County Sheriff's Office.
  TCSO responded around 10 p.m. after a 911 caller reported someone had been shot in the 7700 block of Lonesome Lane. That area is just north of the South Forks Estates neighborhood.
  TCSO said a man was transported to a local hospital and a suspect was taken into custody at around 11:30 p.m.
  
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• Full Report: 2023 Grades 3-8 STAAR Results

  16-08-2023 16:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Results from the 2023 redesigned STAAR exam have been released.The results show how students performed from 2019 through 2022 and 2023 when the exam was redesigned.
  View the results in the document below:
  STAAR-3-8-resultsDownloadMathematics Spring 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023 STAAR grade 3-8 results (Courtesy: Texas Education Agency) Reading-Language Arts Spring 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023 STAAR grade 3-8 results (Courtesy: Texas Education Agency) Comparison of RLA and Math r
  
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• Crews to microsurface roads in Kyle

  16-08-2023 15:58 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) – The City of Kyle said Monday crews with Viking Construction would be working on streets throughout the city from Aug. 21 to Aug. 29. The city said crews would be out on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. micro-surfacing roads to improve the appearance and life of the road on weekdays.
  According to city announcement, all vehicles along the affected stretches of road must be moved before 8 a.m. on the day of the microsurfacing.  Micro-surfa
  
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• KXAN medical debt investigation wins National Murrow Award

  16-08-2023 15:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — KXAN was honored with a National Edward R. Murrow award Tuesday for its investigation into the impact of hundreds of medical debt lawsuits filed against Central Texas patients."Medical Debt Lawsuits" received recognition in the Excellence in Innovation category for television large markets.
  The Murrow Awards are named after the prominent broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow and are "among the most prestigious in news," according to the Radio Television Digital News Associa
  
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• KXAN Investigates: Texas prison heat illnesses, new school safety rules

  16-08-2023 15:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The in-depth reporting from KXAN Investigates will receive a new spotlight that viewers can interact with starting Wednesday morning.
  Investigative reporter Kelly Wiley and KXAN Live anchor Will DuPree will kick off a new weekly show at 9 a.m. focused on some of the top trending stories reported by the station's investigative journalists. People can watch the live stream in this story and on the KXAN Facebook page.
  The stories that Kelly and Will will discuss more in-depth
  
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• Lockhart encourages water conservation as city inches closer to Stage Two restrictions

  16-08-2023 14:29 via kxan.com
  
  LOCKHART, Texas (KXAN) – The City of Lockhart asked water customers to conserve Monday because the city was moving closer to Stage Two water restrictions. It blamed a rising increase in water usage over the weekend of Aug. 12-13.
  According to the city, Stage Two occurs when total daily demand equals or exceeds 2.4 million gallons per day (mgd) for three consecutive days. Lockhart said, on average, Lockhart residents used 1.5 million gallons per day (mgd) in 2022.The city said Stage Two res
  
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• Texas State Fair launches new rules for minors and adults

  16-08-2023 14:01 via kxan.com
  
  DALLAS (KXAN) – The State Fair of Texas said it will implement a safety policy for minors who visit the 2023 Fair.
  According to the Aug. 8 announcement, everyone 17 and under must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or chaperone (21+) when entering the Fair after 5 p.m. everyday during the fair.
  The fair said parents, guardians or chaperones may accompany no more than six minors 17 years of age and under.
  The State Fair will require all accompanying parents, guardians, and chaperones (21
  
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• Round Rock Express ambassador finding regained confidence after football injury

  16-08-2023 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — Ginger Richardson has been with the Round Rock Express since the team's inception in 2000. She's seen and worked with a lot of other ambassadors, but her relationship with Jay Favors is a fun one."I enjoy his companionship," said Richardson. "I enjoy seeing him have fun. And I enjoy seeing him help other people have fun."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/newslet
  
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• QUIZ: Back to school with the KXAN team

  16-08-2023 13:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As all of the kids in the Austin area and surrounding counties head back to school, it's time to snap those first-day photos!As a way to have some fun with our viewers, we decided to ask members of our KXAN team to send us their school photos.
  How well do you think you know our KXAN team? Just like in grade school, you will either score an 'A+,' 'B,' 'C' or 'D.'We hope you enjoy the guessing game!
  
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• Watching the Gulf: tropical low could bring rain

  16-08-2023 12:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Despite a pleasantly cooler morning, afternoon highs will waste no time climbing into the 90s and low 100s today.With most of nearing 100° or hotter this afternoon, a few more counties have been placed under a Heat Advisory (12 p.m. to 9 p.m.). Mainly sunny and dry skies will stretch areawide with one more day of relatively low humidity.Low humidity will lead to another afternoon of very high fire danger across Central TexasThursday will bring another day of uncomfortably ho
  
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• 'We have no funding for this.' Leander ISD won't have armed security when school starts

  16-08-2023 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) — Leander Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Bruce Gearing said the district doesn't expect to have an armed security guard on every district campus by the state's September deadline, despite a new law requiring it.
  Gearing said at this point that's just not realistic, and that of the district's 48 schools, only the high schools have school resource officers on campus. NEXT: Set for SchoolStaffing issues are also hitting the district's auxiliary staff posi
  
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• Lake Travis ISD in 'good shape' on staffing, superintendent says

  16-08-2023 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — School is back in session for Lake Travis Independent School District and KXAN sat down with Superintendent Paul Norton to talk about the upcoming year.School safety and filling vacancies are a top priority for the district. NEXT: Set for SchoolLast year, some bus routes had to be canceled because of a lack of bus drivers, but this year they have increased pay and hired 15 new drivers.Q&A with Lake Travis ISD Superintendent Paul NortonNabil Remadna: What are your goals
  
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• Another deadline reached in impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton

  16-08-2023 05:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Tuesday marks the deadline for filing answers to pre-trial motions in the impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton. The Rules of Impeachment established in June by the Senate set Aug. 5 as the deadline for all pre-trial motions and Aug. 15 as the deadline for answers by the opposing party. Ken Paxton’s legal team moves to dismiss part of impeachmentOnce all pre-trial motions and answers are received, the rules state the Senate Special Committee on Ru
  
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• 1 seriously injured after stabbing in east Austin, APD says

  16-08-2023 04:22 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- One person was seriously injured, and another was in custody after reports of a stabbing in east Austin on Tuesday, the Austin Police Department confirmed to KXAN.Shortly before 5:30 p.m., Austin-Travis County EMS and the Austin Police Department were called to the 2600 block of Wheless Lane for an adult person with stab wounds. The person was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, medics said.KXAN spoke to an APD officer on the scene who said the suspect in the incident w
  
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• Cochran, Moore hoping to lead Round Rock Dragons to deep playoff run

  16-08-2023 04:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An early exit from the state playoffs last season wasn't what the Round Rock Dragons were hoping for, but with plenty of talent coming back in 2023, they have a great chance to set things right.First-year head coach Cody Moore has one of the most versatile quarterbacks around in senior Mason Cochran who piled up more than 2,200 total yards last season. Defensively, senior defensive back Leonard Moore is headed to Notre Dame next season and will anchor the Dragons' pass defe
  
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• Potential tropical system could bring Texas rain

  16-08-2023 04:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Low humidity and northeast winds are in place behind an enjoyable August cool front, leading to a briefly cooler, more comfortable morning coming on Wednesday.Behind the front, temperatures were at their 'coolest' in 2 1/2 weeks in Austin on Tuesday, but still reached the triple-digits for the 39th-consecutive day -- our longest heat wave on record.As skies remain clear and low humidity is still in place overnight, many suburbs and rural communities will wake up in the 60s on We
  
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• Coolest morning since June expected early Wednesday

  16-08-2023 04:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Low humidity and northeast winds are in place behind an enjoyable August cool front, leading to a briefly cooler, more comfortable morning coming on Wednesday.Behind the front, temperatures were at their 'coolest' in 2 1/2 weeks in Austin on Tuesday, but still reached the triple-digits for the 39th-consecutive day -- our longest heat wave on record.As skies remain clear and low humidity is still in place overnight, many suburbs and rural communities will wake up in the 60s on We
  
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• Efforts to improve DPS community relations

  16-08-2023 03:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Members from the Texas Department of Public Safety joined the Austin Police Department this month for a meeting with local community leaders.DPS is working to play a larger role in those gatherings.
  "Conversations around the history of policing in Austin, the lack of trust with police, systemic racism, a lot of topics that we discussed, and it was very valuable to listen," said DPS Major Gabriel Ortiz.Texas Department of Public Safety says it will keep patrolling despite Austin
  
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• Horseshoe Bay PD investigating drowning at apartment complex

  16-08-2023 00:26 via kxan.com
  
  HORSESHOE BAY, Texas (KXAN) -- The Horseshoe Bay Police Department is investigating a drowning that happened last week at an apartment complex pool, according to a HBPD news release.On Aug. 10, the HBPD, Horseshoe Bay Fire and EMS were dispatched to the pool area of an apartment complex, 401 Green Leaf in Horseshoe Bay, the release said.
  When officers arrived on the scene, they saw two males in the pool. One was holding the other attempting resuscitation efforts, according to police. Officers pu
  
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• Jordan Spieth, Quan Cosby lead 11-member Texas Athletics Hall of Honor Class of 2023

  16-08-2023 00:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Six men and five women who left their mark as Texas Longhorns will be immortalized in the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor Class of 2023, the university announced Tuesday.The men's class features two players from the Longhorns' 2005 national championship football team, a track and field competitor who broke the university's color barrier, a multi-time PGA Tour major champion, a member of the 1983 College World Series champion baseball team and a national champion swimmer.MORE
  
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