Austin news

• Traffic Alert: SH 130 shut down near Lockhart due to grass fire

  18-08-2023 23:13 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The video above shows KXAN Live's top headlines for Aug. 18, 2023LOCKHART, Texas (KXAN) — Both the southbound and northbound lanes of State Highway 130 were shut down Friday near Lockhart due to a 40-acre grass fire, according to the Lockhart Police Department. WILDFIRE TRACKER: How many acres have burned in Central Texas this year?LPD originally said U.S. Highway 183 at Colorado St. from FM 2001 to Lockhart City Limits were also shut down, but the northbound lanes and the s
  
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• Crews fighting 150-acre fire in Caldwell County

  18-08-2023 23:13 via kxan.com
  
  LOCKHART, Texas (KXAN) — Fire crews are fighting a brushfire in Lockhart that started Friday afternoon.WILDFIRE TRACKER: How many acres have burned in Central Texas this year?The Texas A&M Forest Service estimates the fire is 150 acres and 85% contained as of Friday night. It has been named the Barth Fire.Caldwell County Office of Emergency Management said crews will patrol the scene Friday night into Saturday.
  Parts of State Highway 130 and U.S. 183 were closed Friday. Lockhart Police
  
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• 150-acre fire in Caldwell County fully contained

  18-08-2023 23:13 via kxan.com
  
  LOCKHART, Texas (KXAN) — Fire crews are fighting a brushfire in Lockhart that started Friday afternoon.WILDFIRE TRACKER: How many acres have burned in Central Texas this year?The Texas A&M Forest Service estimates the fire was 150 acres and 100% contained as of Saturday afternoon. It has been named the Barth Fire.Caldwell County Office of Emergency Management said crews will continue to monitor the fire, but it will take three to four days until the fire is controlled.RELATED: Common w
  
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• As record heatwave continues, hope for relief banks on tropical disturbance

  18-08-2023 23:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As Austin tallied its 42nd-straight day in triple-digit heat Friday, our only hope of seeing rain and cooler weather before the end of the month banks on the fickle path of a tropical disturbance forecast to move across the Gulf of Mexico.
  Excessive Heat Warnings continue this weekend with record high temperatures of 107º-108º expected in the Austin area. Please stay hydrated, keep pets cool, and protect yourself from the sun.Tropical system may impact Texas next weekT
  
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• Missing teen last seen in Temple may be staying in Austin

  18-08-2023 22:02 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The video above shows KXAN Live's top headlines for Aug. 18, 2023AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A missing teen last seen Aug. 6 in Temple may be staying in Austin, according to a release from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).The Temple Police Department and NCMEC are asking for the public's help finding 16-year-old Trinity Livingston, who has been missing for nearly two weeks, the release said. Officials believe Trinity may be in the north Austin St. John's area,
  
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• Texas football set for key second scrimmage

  18-08-2023 21:39 via kxan.com
  
  Just about two weeks from Texas football opening the regular season against Rice on September 2, the Longhorns will take the field for their second and final scrimmage of the fall Saturday."[I] thought we had a really fast practice today," said Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian about their Friday practice. "Good tempo. Good energy. We'll get back out tomorrow for our second scrimmage."Practice reports from Sarkisian to the media have been positive throughout fall camp. Still, the Longhorns leader
  
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• State of Texas preview: New Paxton impeachment documents, SB 14 lawsuit ruling expected

  18-08-2023 21:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — People are used to tuning in every Sunday morning to hear in-depth analysis on that week's biggest political news during the "State of Texas" program, and now they have a chance to find out ahead of time what that award-winning coverage will include.
  Starting this Friday afternoon, KXAN Live anchor Will DuPree will lead a conversation with a member of the KXAN politics team to preview the stories that will serve as the focus on that week's show. The first edition of this li
  
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• LIVE: State of Texas preview: New Paxton impeachment documents, SB 14 lawsuit ruling expected

  18-08-2023 21:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — People are used to tuning in every Sunday morning to hear in-depth analysis on that week's biggest political news during the "State of Texas" program, and now they have a chance to find out ahead of time what that award-winning coverage will include.
  Starting this Friday afternoon, KXAN Live anchor Will DuPree will lead a conversation with a member of the KXAN politics team to preview the stories that will serve as the focus on that week's show. The first edition of this li
  
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• Zilker Eagle train restoration back on track after 10-month delay

  18-08-2023 20:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Plans to restore the Zilker Eagle miniature train are back on track after nearly a year of delays.
  Last October, the Austin Parks Foundation had to delay the restoration after safety testing revealed braking issues.Zilker Eagle train opening delayed due to ‘braking problems’APF posted on social media Friday that the plans were officially back on track, and a thread from a Zilker Eagle account said testing should tentatively occur in the late fall with the train openi
  
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• NOAA releases fall weather predictions for Texas

  18-08-2023 20:34 via kxan.com
  
  TEXAS (NEXSTAR) – Sick of the summer heat? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has got some bad news for you.The agency released its 90-day forecast Thursday, predicting the broad weather conditions we expect to see around the country between September and November. For the vast majority of the country, it’s looking like a hot summer will transition into a warm fall. Thursday was the third-hottest day ever recorded in AustinTexas is no exception. The western part
  
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• Texas adds jobs, Workforce Commission says recession signs fading

  18-08-2023 19:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) released its July jobs report Friday morning, showing that the state added 26,300 jobs in the last month.This continues a 28-month growth trend that began around the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. Since last year, Texas added 441,700 jobs, leading TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel to claim Texas' supremacy in U.S. job growth.“Texas leads the nation in sustainable job growth with more than 2.7 million positions added in the past d
  
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• Courts: Baker Mayfield seeks proof of how his $12M was invested with family's companies

  18-08-2023 19:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Attorneys for Baker and Emily Mayfield filed a petition in Travis County District Court to request information regarding the potential misappropriation of $12 million by an Austin investment firm where Mayfield's family members work.The petition was filed Tuesday in the 250th District Court and attorneys are asking the defendants — Camwood Capital Management Group, Camwood Ventures, Texas Contract Manufacturing Group, Unitech, Apex Machining and Lor-Van — to tur
  
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• Record heat head of possible tropical showers

  18-08-2023 19:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect again today with near-record high temperatures well over 100° areawide.
  Excessive Heat Warning in effect 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. FridayThis comes after an extreme high temperature of 110° Thursday at Camp Mabry -- a tie for Austin's third-hottest day ever observed -- and 109° at Austin-Bergstrom Intl. Airport, a tie for their fourth-hottest day on record.While temperatures may be a couple of degrees cooler today, it'll still be excess
  
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• Record heat ahead of possible tropical showers

  18-08-2023 19:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect again today with near-record high temperatures well over 100° areawide.
  Excessive Heat Warning in effect 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. FridayThis comes after an extreme high temperature of 110° Thursday at Camp Mabry -- a tie for Austin's third-hottest day ever observed -- and 109° at Austin-Bergstrom Intl. Airport, a tie for their fourth-hottest day on record.While temperatures may be a couple of degrees cooler today, it'll still be excess
  
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• Ascension to open new health center in Georgetown Monday

  18-08-2023 18:58 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) -- Ascension Medical Group is holding the grand opening of a new health center in Georgetown on Monday.
  Ascension Medical Group Georgetown Health Center will be a multi-specialty health center that will expand and strengthen outpatient specialties, surgeries and imaging services in the rapidly-growing Georgetown community, according to a release from Ascension.
  The free-standing health center is 60,000 square feet. It includes the Georgetown Surgery Center and an outpati
  
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• Bowie High School addresses social media threat made against campus

  18-08-2023 18:39 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The video above shows KXAN Live's top headlines for Aug. 18, 2023AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Friday, the administration at James Bowie High School in south Austin addressed a threat that was posted to social media against the campus.Principal Mark Robinson said staff were made aware of the threat Thursday, Austin ISD Police were immediately contacted, and an investigation ensued, according to a message sent to the school community.The message was sent around 9:20 a.m. Friday.&ld
  
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• APD releases bodycam footage from SWAT incident when officer, suspect both shot

  18-08-2023 17:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department has released bodycam footage from an incident in which an officer and a suspect were shot during a welfare check in southeast Austin, which led to a SWAT stand-off.In addition to sharing the body camera video on its YouTube page, the department also identified the officers who fired at the suspect, 56-year-old Dwayne Brzozowski. Detective Daniel Jackson was one of them and was also hurt. Detective Christopher Van Buren also fired his gun.Jackson has
  
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• Boil water notice issued for Brushy Creek MUD customers

  18-08-2023 16:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Complaints about a loss of pressure in two neighborhoods led to the Brushy Creek Municipal Utility District issuing a boil water notice for all of its customers.
  According to a news release Friday morning, the district advised people to bring any water they'd like to consume to a rolling boil and then keep it going for two minutes before anyone drinks it, washes their hands or face and brushes their teeth. Thursday was the third-hottest day ever recorded in AustinBrushy Cre
  
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• Boil water notice for 2 neighborhoods in Brushy Creek MUD

  18-08-2023 16:50 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect Brushy Creek MUD's clarification that the notice is in effect for the two neighborhoods that reported low pressure.WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Complaints about a loss of pressure in two neighborhoods led to the Brushy Creek Municipal Utility District issuing a boil water notice for only the customers in those areas.
  According to a news release Friday morning, the district advised people living in the Highland Horizon and the Encla
  
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• Photos: UT students 'Mooov In' for 2023-24 school year

  18-08-2023 16:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Get your "horns" ready, Longhorns! Friday is the University of Texas at Austin's official "Mooov-In" day, marking the start of the 2023-24 school year.
  During Mooov-In, students go to a predetermined check-in location to pick up their room keys before moving their belongings into their respective residence halls, according to UT's website.
  UT Mooov-In 2023 (KXAN Photo/Kristen Currie)UT Mooov-In 2023 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey)UT Mooov-In 2023 (KXAN Photo/Kristen Currie) UT Mooov-In
  
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• Pilot program makes it easier for Austin mobile food vendors, city says

  18-08-2023 15:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – A pilot City of Austin program for mobile food vendors is getting positive reviews from vendors themselves, according to the city.The city said it is now easier for vendors to get applications reviewed because the Environmental Health Services Division (EHSD) now offers walk-in services.
  According to the city, application reviews for mobile food vendors such as food trailers, motor vehicles and pushcarts rose by 87% compared to the appointment process this time last ye
  
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• Georgetown to vote on $130 million bond package in November

  18-08-2023 14:36 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) – Voters in Georgetown will decide on a $130 million bond package in a November election, the city announced Wednesday.
  The city council called for the election for the bond package, which would fund a new customer service center, improved Parks and Recreation Center, improvements to a local animal shelter and a new YMCA.
  Here are the bond propositions in greater detail, according to the city:Proposition A - Customer Service Center ($56 million): Funding for a
  
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• Texas A&M Forest Service opens grant applications for volunteer fire departments

  18-08-2023 14:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas A&M Forest Service opened emergency grant applications Thursday for volunteer fire departments in areas included in Governor Greg Abbott's wildfire disaster declaration.The Aug. 11 disaster declaration in 191 counties covers wildfires that began on July 24.Gov. Abbott issues wildfire disaster declaration in 191 counties across Texas“Volunteer firefighters are our first line of defense against wildfires in Texas,” said Wes Moorehead, Texas A&am
  
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• No connection found yet between Raul Meza and past cold cases, APD says

  18-08-2023 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As multiple agencies continue to investigate alleged serial killer Raul Meza, 62, the Austin Police Department said there is so far no connection between Meza and eight to 10 cold cases they began looking into after his arrest in May.Police: Man arrested in ‘multiple murders’, city official calls him ‘serial killer’A grand jury indicted Meza last week on murder and capital murder charges in the deaths of Jesse Fraga, 80, and Gloria Lofton, 65.During a pre
  
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• When to stop for a school bus on Texas roads

  18-08-2023 13:45 via kxan.com
  
  TEXAS (KXAN) -- It's back-to-school season for school districts across Texas, and with that comes the dreaded return of school year traffic. With more students out walking and school buses on the road, here's a reminder on what to do if you're traveling behind a stopped school bus, per tips from the Buda Police Department.School bus safety all comes down to how many lanes there are on a roadway. For two-lane traffic, vehicles in both directions must stop when a school bus stops.Back to school: W
  
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• Texas State University trying to bring more diversity to the agriculture industry

  18-08-2023 13:10 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) -- The United States Department of Agriculture is partnering with Texas State University to create a larger and more diverse workforce for the agriculture industry.
  USDA is giving out grants to Texas State, and dozens of other schools across the country, to help recruit new students into the workforce. Texas State will receive $5 million over the next five years to accomplish this project. In total, the federal agency is investing $262.5 million into the program.
  How is
  
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• Hays CISD superintendent celebrates staffing levels while rushing to staff new state mandate

  18-08-2023 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Hays Consolidated Independent School District is growing.“It is growing extremely fast,” Hays CISD Superintendent Dr. Eric Wright said. “This year compared to the beginning of last year we gained about 1,600 students.” NEXT: Set for SchoolThe school district is keeping up with growth by building two new elementary schools, currently under construction, and teacher staffing levels are high.“We are so pleased we only had a 6% turnover rate
  
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• First the heat...then rain chances return

  18-08-2023 04:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect again today with near-record high temperatures well over 100° areawide.
  This comes after an extreme high temperature of 110° Thursday at Camp Mabry -- a tie for Austin's third-hottest day ever observed -- and 109° at Austin-Bergstrom Intl. Airport, a tie for their fourth-hottest day on record.While temperatures may be a couple of degrees cooler today, it'll still be excessively hot.This weekend shows little improvement with most
  
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• Elgin ISD turns to Spain to fill teacher vacancies

  18-08-2023 04:30 via kxan.com
  
  ELGIN, Texas (KXAN) — Students are back in the classroom once again at Elgin Independent School District.Teachers, like Maria Gallego, are busy learning a lot of new names, but she's also still learning about Elgin.She is one of 11 teachers in the district who came to Texas to teach, and she said this will be her second year."It is very good to see them improve along their year," Gallego said.Daniel Cansino heard about the Texas Spain International Teacher Program as well and also signed u
  
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• After extended Leagues Cup break, Austin FC primed for playoff run with 11 matches left

  18-08-2023 02:04 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin FC gets back to Major League Soccer action Saturday on the road against St. Louis City FC, and while losing early in Leagues Cup wasn't exactly what head coach Josh Wolff wanted, he acknowledged the team got a much-needed break.MLS play continues Saturday across the league as Leagues Cup wraps up, and now with just about the entire roster healthy and match-ready, Wolff said it's now or never with the last 11 games of the regular season.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to
  
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• 3 local restaurants make top 10 on Yelp’s Top 100 places to eat in Texas in 2023 list

  18-08-2023 01:54 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: In the video above, a Texas State professor explains why Texans have so much state pride.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Three local food locations made the top 10 on Yelp’s list of the top 100 places to eat in Texas in 2023.Yelp said Jim’s Smokehouse in Austin ranked in the No. 5 spot with a 5.0-star rating. The restaurant was under the category of Food Trucks, Barbeque. Best BBQ spots in Austin, Central TexasIn the No. 8 spot was B's Kitchen, a Vietnamese, Asian fusion restaur
  
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• Texas’ motorcycle fatality rate ranks highest nationwide

  18-08-2023 01:45 via kxan.com
  
  EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Texas has the number one highest motorcycle fatality rate nationwide, according to quotewizard.com.QuoteWizard says Texas, Arkansas and Missouri had the highest rates of motorcycle fatalities in 2021, with Texas landing at the very top of the list.
  Taken from quotewizard.com.
  QuoteWizard says warmer, southern states with favorable weather have the highest rates of motorcycle fatalities.
  QuoteWizard also says motorcycle fatalities went up 22 percent over the last dec
  
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• TABC: Austin clerk arrested, charged with online solicitation of minor, illegal alcohol sales

  18-08-2023 01:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and the Department of Public Safety arrested an Austin convenience store clerk Aug. 11 for selling and giving alcohol to minors.Pedro Enrique Flores-Vasquez, 48, was a clerk at Hyde Park Market on Duval Street, which is close to the University of Texas at Austin campus.Flores-Vasquez was charged with online solicitation of a minor, sale of alcohol to a minor and furnishing alcohol to a minor, according to the TABC.KXAN has reached out
  
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• Thursday was the third-hottest day ever recorded in Austin

  18-08-2023 01:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the record-breaking heatwave continues, Thursday was the third-hottest day ever recorded in the city of Austin.Camp Mabry, Austin's official weather reporting site, hit a high temperature of 110° at 3:16 p.m. Thursday.That ties as the third-hottest temperature ever recorded in the city. It's also the second-hottest day ever observed in the month of August. Records for Austin date back to the 1890s. Temperatures, rain, severe storms: Tracking Austin’s 2023 weath
  
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• Spurs release 2023-24 schedule, will play 2 games at Moody Center for 'I-35 Series'

  18-08-2023 00:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The San Antonio Spurs will return to Austin during its regular season schedule in 2023-24.The Spurs, along with all other 29 NBA teams, released their schedules Thursday and will play two games at Moody Center in March in the second year of the I-35 Series.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/newslettersThe Spurs will take on the Denver Nuggets at 7:30 p.m., March 15 and then
  
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• Hurricane Hilary poised to be 'high-impact event' in southern California

  18-08-2023 00:39 via kxan.com
  
  SAN DIEGO (KXAN) -- Rapidly-intensifying Hurricane Hilary in the eastern Pacific is expected to reach category four intensity with winds of up to 140 miles per hour. While the storm is not expected to impact Texas, it may bring rare direct impacts to southern California, including damaging wind and flooding rainfall.Satellite image of Hurricane Hilary Thursday afternoon
  "The combination of heavy rainfall, the potential for flash flooding, and strong winds could very well make this a high-impact
  
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