Austin news

• City delays ceremony, removal of Barton Springs Pool tree 'Flo'

  11-09-2023 23:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Monday, Austin Parks and Recreation decided to delay the ceremony and removal of the "iconic" Barton Springs leaning pecan tree known as "Flo," as the department reviews additional considerations, according to a City of Austin news release.Brittle Cinder Fungus seen on a tree (City of Austin photo)
  A lab officially confirmed the presence of Kretzschmaria deusta, a wood decay fungus, on Aug. 15, according to the city.
  The department then reached out to independent certifi
  
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• Severe Thunderstorm Watch for parts of Hill Country

  11-09-2023 23:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After a bit of rain this morning in San Saba County, we're watching for a few strong storms to push into the Hill Country late tonight.Severe Thunderstorm Watch in effect for San Saba & Mason County until 3 a.m. TuesdayMost of the I-35 corridor and eastern counties will stay dry, but a few surviving storms from a larger complex in West Texas may hold together long enough to reach parts of our area tonight into the overnight hours. Storms will be capable of strong winds and s
  
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• Rain chances increase late week

  11-09-2023 23:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After a bit of rain this morning in San Saba County, we look for a few more storms and showers to return later tonight in the Hill Country.Most of the I-35 corridor and eastern counties will stay dry, but a few surviving storms from a larger complex in West Texas may hold together long enough to reach parts of our area this evening. Storms will be capable of strong winds and small hail, so be sure to check the KXAN Weather app before heading out to any late evening activities. N
  
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• Cooler days ahead with rain likely by Friday

  11-09-2023 23:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After a bit of rain this morning in San Saba County, we're watching for a few strong storms to push into the Hill Country overnight.Most of the I-35 corridor and eastern counties will stay dry, but a few surviving storms from a larger complex in West Texas may hold together long enough to reach parts of our area tonight into the overnight hours. Storms will be capable of strong winds and small hail, so be sure to check the KXAN Weather app before heading out to any late night ac
  
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• Cooler days ahead with rain chances increasing

  11-09-2023 23:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A few additional isolated showers or storms will be possible today (10%) after seeing some good soaking overnight rain and storms in the Hill Country. Mason and San Saba counties received the most; averaging between a quarter up to an inch of rain. Expect mainly cloudy skies for your Tuesday with high temperatures a few degrees cooler from yesterday. NEW BLOG: Peak Atlantic hurricane season is here, what’s next?A few spotty storms will be possible again Wednesday as a cold
  
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• TCSO searching for suspect accused of convenience store robbery

  11-09-2023 22:54 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today's top headlines for Sept. 11, 2023TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- The Travis County Sheriff's Office is seeking the public's help finding a suspect believed to be involved in an aggravated robbery at a convenience store northeast of Austin late last month, the agency said on social media.The Travis County Sheriff's Office is seeking the public's help finding a man they believe was involved in a convenience store robbery. | Courtesy TCSOShortly
  
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• 200+ more special events in Austin this year compared to last, safety commission asks council to review police staffing

  11-09-2023 22:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Public Safety Commission passed a motion Monday evening to request that City Council look further into the procedure and funding for first responder special event staffing.According to the public documents related to the department's presentation, the amount of largest-scale special events is up 88.89%, and the amount of the smallest-scale special events is up 288.24%.
  Below is a yearly breakdown of the number of special events in Austin from 2019-2023.Austin special event b
  
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• 200+ more special events in Austin this year compared to last

  11-09-2023 22:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Monday evening, the Austin Police Department will discuss special event staffing with the Public Safety Commission.
  According to the public documents related to the department's presentation, the amount of largest-scale special events is up 88.89%, and the amount of the smallest-scale special events is up 288.24%.
  Below is a yearly breakdown of the number of special events in Austin from 2019-2023.Austin special event breakdown presented during the September Public Safety Commis
  
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• Longhorns capture more weekly awards following historic win over Alabama

  11-09-2023 22:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The honors keep coming for the Texas Longhorns after they tamed the Tide.The Longhorns were named the Cheez-It National Team of the Week after beating then-No. 3 Alabama 34-24 in Tuscaloosa on Saturday, the Football Writers Association of America announced Monday. The win sent the Longhorns up seven spots in the Associated Press Top 25 poll to No. 4 in the country and the Crimson Tide rolled down to No. 10. Another primetime start for No. 4 Texas against Baylor in WacoThe L
  
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• EMS union votes in favor of new labor contract, City Council to vote Thursday

  11-09-2023 22:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Emergency Medical Services Association (AEMSA) has voted to approve a new labor agreement with the City of Austin. The agreement will be voted on by Austin City Council on Thursday.
  According to Selena Xie, president of AEMSA, members voted 93% in favor of the contract with a majority (65%) of its members voting.
  "What I think that the vote really indicates to me is that one, people really want to stay in contract, because they recognize that that is the best thing fo
  
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• Another primetime start for No. 4 Texas against Baylor in Waco

  11-09-2023 21:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — It's another late kick for the Texas Longhorns when they face the Baylor Bears on Sept. 23.Set for McLane Stadium in Waco, the No. 4 Longhorns and Bears will kick off at 6:30 p.m. on ABC, Texas Athletics announced Monday. Texas and Baylor have split their last four games in Waco with the Bears claiming victory 31-24 the last time the teams played at McLane Stadium in 2021. Last season in Austin, the Longhorns topped the Bears 38-27 in the regular season finale. ‘The t
  
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• FDA approves new COVID vaccines

  11-09-2023 20:32 via kxan.com
  
  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved newly updated COVID-19 shots on Monday in an effort to give Americans some added protection ahead of a potential winter uptick in infections.Outside advisors for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday will recommend who should get the shots, which are manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. Once the CDC director signs off, the shots will be available to the public. "Vaccination remains critical to public health an
  
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• US approves updated COVID vaccines to rev up protection this fall

  11-09-2023 20:05 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. approved updated COVID-19 vaccines Monday, hoping to rev up protection against the latest coronavirus strains and blunt any surge this fall and winter.
  The Food and Drug Administration decision opens the newest shots from Moderna and Pfizer and its partner BioNTech to most Americans even if they’ve never had a coronavirus vaccination. It’s part of a shift to treat fall updates of the COVID-19 vaccine much like getting a yearly flu shot.
  There’s
  
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• City of Austin shortens splash pad hours due to drought

  11-09-2023 19:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin on Monday announced it would be shortening the hours for most splash pads for the rest of the season to conserve water amid the ongoing drought.
  The city's parks and recreation department said in a release, "In an effort to balance the public's need to access water with water conservation, the Aquatic Division of the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department is modifying splash hours for the remainder of the Splash Pad Season (through October 31)." City o
  
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• By the numbers: Stats to know about the Texas Longhorns' 2023 season

  11-09-2023 19:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Touchdowns, third down conversions, penalty yards. When it comes to Longhorn football, there are a lot of numbers to keep track of.The team is looking to improve on last year's 8-5 record in their last year as part of the Big 12 Conference. The Longhorns will move to the Southeastern Conference next year, along with rival Oklahoma.Follow along with the charts below as we track the Longhorns' performance throughout the 2023 season.How many games have the Longhorns won and lo
  
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• WATCH LIVE: Paxton's affair, bribery accusations begin second week of impeachment trial

  11-09-2023 17:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Texas' Court of Impeachment reconvened Monday morning for the second week of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton's trial, leading off with key testimony from one of Paxton's top deputies. PREVIOUS: Texas Republicans weigh in on Paxton impeachment after week one of trialFormer chief of staff says Paxton's alleged fair hurt office moraleHouse prosecutors' sixth witness, Katherine "Missy" Cary — the former chief of staff in the attorney general's office — was the f
  
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• WATCH LIVE: Ken Paxton impeachment trial enters second week

  11-09-2023 17:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Texas' Court of Impeachment reconvened Monday morning for the second week of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton's trial, leading off with key testimony from one of Paxton's top deputies. PREVIOUS: Texas Republicans weigh in on Paxton impeachment after week one of trialHouse prosecutors called Mark Penley to the witness stand as their fifth witness of trial. Penley was the deputy attorney general for criminal justice in Paxton's office before Paxton fired him. Penley filed
  
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• Paxton's affair, bribery accusations take center stage on day five of impeachment trial

  11-09-2023 17:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Texas' Court of Impeachment reconvened Tuesday morning for the second week of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton's trial, leading off with testimony from Brandon Cammack — the outside counsel Paxton hired to help investigate campaign donor Nate Paul's claims that are central to the articles of impeachment.
  The session began about an hour late, after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said both defense and prosecution were settling some issues before the day could begin. Patrick re
  
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• Paxton's affair, bribery accusations begin second week of impeachment trial

  11-09-2023 17:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Texas' Court of Impeachment reconvened Monday morning for the second week of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton's trial, leading off with key testimony from one of Paxton's top deputies. PREVIOUS: Texas Republicans weigh in on Paxton impeachment after week one of trialFormer chief of staff says Paxton's alleged fair hurt office moraleHouse prosecutors' sixth witness, Katherine "Missy" Cary — the former chief of staff in the attorney general's office — was the f
  
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• Miss USA Pageant to air on the CW Sept. 29; 1st live broadcast of the event since 2019

  11-09-2023 17:27 via kxan.com
  
  RENO, Nev. (KXAN) — This year's Miss USA Pageant is airing on live television for the first time since 2019.
  The CW Network will be the exclusive home for the 72nd annual event, which will be held in Reno, Nevada, on Friday, Sept. 29, starting at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
  The companion pageant Miss Teen USA will also be available to stream on The CW app and online on Sept. 29, with a time to be determined.
  “I am incredibly excited about the collaboration with The CW for the
  
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• Hundreds of people paddle 21 miles on Lake Austin to raise money for those impacted by cancer

  11-09-2023 16:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — You may see plenty of paddle boarders on Lake Austin Monday.Flatwater — the Austin-based nonprofit organization that provides mental health therapy in the wake of cancer — is hosting its 14th annual fundraising event, Dam That Cancer presented by TYLER’S. Flatwater’s Dam That Cancer presented by TYLER’SThis year, 230 participants will complete a 21-mile course from Lake Austin’s Mansfield Dam to the Tom Miller Dam.The stand-up paddle even
  
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• Nightmare fuel: Introducing the Texas Toe-Biter

  11-09-2023 15:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - Now for some news you'll wish you didn't know. A creepy, skin crawling insect is getting some extra attention this summer: the Texas Toe-Biter.The insect can be found on land and in the water across the state.KXAN's Rich Segal spoke with Wizzie Brown, an entomologist with the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Office, about the critters. Why they're so scary and whether they're actually dangerous. You can read that transcript, edited for clarity, below.WIZZIE BROWN: These are fairl
  
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• Austin Fire crews honor those lost on 9/11

  11-09-2023 15:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Crews with the Austin Fire Department Monday will honor firefighters who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
  343 firefighters from the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) died on that day in the terror attacks at the World Trade Center.To honor their memory, AFD hled a service at 7:30 a.m. at the Buford Fire Tower on Lady Bird Lake on Cesar Chavez and Colorado.
  Austin Fire Department holds 9/11 memorial event at Buford Tower downtown. Sept. 11, 2023 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bail
  
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• Leander sets property tax rate, approves budget

  11-09-2023 14:35 via kxan.com
  
  LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) -- The City of Leander approved its property tax rate and next year's budget.
  The tax rate was unanimously approved and set at 41.7282 cents per every $100 of property valuation. The tax rate is about 1.5 cents lower than the previous tax rate, but homeowners will be paying more because property values have gone up.
  The city is growing fast. In 2010, there were about 26,000 people living in Leander, but that number today is closer to 90,000, according to Leander city manage
  
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• Local brewery to donate skateboards to Austin 5th graders

  11-09-2023 14:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Workers and volunteers at an Austin-area brewery took part in a program witha national non-profit Sunday to bring skateboards to children at one Austin elementary school.
  Oskar Blues Austin workers and volunteers built 60 skateboards to donate to the entire 5th grade class at Pillow Elementary School in north central Austin.
  The skateboards will be delivered to the class on Monday morning.
  Workers and volunteers at Oskar Blues Austin construct skateboards for children at Pi
  
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• Austin Chronicle holds 33rd annual Hot Sauce Festival

  11-09-2023 12:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Austin Chronicle held its 33rd annual Hot Sauce Festival on Sunday in South Austin.
  According to the Chronicle, Fantastic Fuego won the most awards (3) in the commercial bottlers category. Tacodeli won most (3) in the restaurant category.Bindu Bites won three awards in the People's Choice category.
  Here's a list of all the winners.
  Attendees at the 33rd annual Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival. (KXAN: Frank Martinez)The festival at The Far Out Lounge and Stage feature
  
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• Peak Atlantic hurricane season is here, what's next?

  11-09-2023 03:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — September 10 marked the statistical peak of Atlantic Hurricane season. After this date, climatologically, begins a gradual decline in tropical activity in the Atlantic.Tropical climatologySeason so far...It's been a busy first half of the season in the Atlantic. Including an unnamed storm that was posthumously categorized as a subtropical storm, we're now up to 14 named storms.2023 Atlantic tropical system names used so farOf those 14 named storms, we've had 4 hurricanes, D
  
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• 'The taste of victory is very sweet': Longhorns' strong 4th quarter a welcomed sign going forward

  11-09-2023 03:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — When Alabama cut the Texas lead to 27-24 with 11:08 left in the fourth quarter, Longhorns linebacker Jaylan Ford admitted that he could feel the pressure of potentially letting another game slip away."My heart started racing a little bit," he said after the game. "We were still up three, but it felt like we were losing with the way the crowd was cheering."MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsle
  
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• APD responded to 'recreational jumper' at Pennybacker Bridge

  11-09-2023 03:04 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — According to the Austin Fire Department, water rescue assets assisted the Austin Police Department with an investigation of a recreational jumper off the Pennybacker bridge Sunday afternoon.
  AFD posted on social media that the person was found safe.
  'Seen our share of incidents'The bridge stands 100 feet above Lake Austin. Even at such tall heights, Austin Travis County EMS said people continue to jump off it.
  "Through the years, we've certainly seen our share of incidents
  
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• WATCH LIVE: Texas Republicans weigh in on Paxton impeachment after week one of trial

  11-09-2023 01:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Republicans from Texas are weighing in on the evidence outlined during the first week of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial, with a range of opinions on the allegations.In Washington, D.C. Thursday, Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas, expressed grave concern for what he heard during the trial, telling a group of reporters he has been listening to proceedings when he can."It's deeply disturbing — the allegations that are made, some of the evidence,"
  
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• Texas Republicans weigh in on Paxton impeachment after week one of trial

  11-09-2023 01:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Republicans from Texas are weighing in on the evidence outlined during the first week of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial, with a range of opinions on the allegations.In Washington, D.C. Thursday, Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas, expressed grave concern for what he heard during the trial, telling a group of reporters he has been listening to proceedings when he can."It's deeply disturbing — the allegations that are made, some of the evidence,"
  
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• LIVE: Texas Republicans weigh in on Paxton impeachment after week one of trial

  11-09-2023 01:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Republicans from Texas are weighing in on the evidence outlined during the first week of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial, with a range of opinions on the allegations.In Washington, D.C. Thursday, Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas, expressed grave concern for what he heard during the trial, telling a group of reporters he has been listening to proceedings when he can."It's deeply disturbing — the allegations that are made, some of the evidence,"
  
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• Bijan Robinson scores his 1st NFL touchdown in Falcons' 24-10 win

  11-09-2023 00:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Bijan Robinson looked right at home in his first NFL game Sunday with the Atlanta Falcons.Robinson scored his first professional touchdown, making a nifty move and then bulldozing two Carolina defenders on his way to an 11-yard receiving score, to help lead the Falcons past the Panthers 24-10 in the season opener at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.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/n
  
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