Austin news

• ZT Systems bringing new site with 1,500 jobs to Georgetown

  14-10-2023 21:20 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) – ZT Systems, a cloud computing company based in New Jersey, announced Friday it has acquired a 430,000-square-foot facility in Georgetown. The facility is located in an industrial development at Interstate 35 and State Highway 130. ZT Systems intends on hiring 1,500 employees and expects the facility to be at full capacity by 2024, according to a press release. “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome ZT Systems into our community,” Geor
  
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• PHOTOS: Solar eclipse passes over Austin area

  14-10-2023 20:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An annular solar eclipse passed over Central Texas on Saturday.Many KXAN viewers shared their eclipse photos with us. Here's some of their pics:Photo of annular eclipse taken in northwest Austin on Oct. 14, 2023. (Courtesy Debbie Herrington)Photo of annular eclipse taken in northwest Austin on Oct. 14, 2023. (Courtesy Debbie Herrington)Photo of annular eclipse taken in northwest Austin on Oct. 14, 2023. (Courtesy Debbie Herrington)Comet looks at eclipse shadows in Round Roc
  
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• 9-year moratorium on new downtown Austin street events gets extension

  14-10-2023 19:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – As Austin’s downtown area continues to burgeon, city officials said they must maintain the moratorium on new downtown street events first instituted in 2014. The city first instituted a moratorium, or temporary ban, on new street events to keep the urban streets safe while the downtown area grows, according to a city memo. City staff have renewed the moratorium on several occasions in the last nine years. The city said that the area most affected is the
  
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• PHOTOS: ACL Weekend 2 kicked off Friday

  14-10-2023 18:44 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The second weekend of the 2023 Austin City Limits Music Festival kicked off Friday.
  Performers included The Lumineers, Kendrick Lamar, Maggie Rogers, Major Lazer, Lil Yachty, Portugal. The Man, Breland, Ethel Cain and Glorilla.
  Breland performs during the second weekend of the Austin City Limits Music Festival on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP)Breland performs during the second weekend of the Austin City Limits Mu
  
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• Research ranks states on greenhouse gas emissions put into the U.S. economy

  14-10-2023 17:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The University of Massachusetts Amherst Political Economy Research Institute released its first Greenhouse 100 Suppliers State List. The research included state-level rankings for the quantity of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels introduced into the United States economy.
  Rankings were based on the most recent data available from the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
  Meteorologist Rich Segal speaks with Michael Ash, a professor of economics and public policy at U
  
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• PHOTOS: Otter spotted in San Marcos

  14-10-2023 17:04 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) – A dive coordinator for the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment spotted a curious North American River Otter breaching the surface at Spring Lake in San Marcos.   MORE: Otter family spotted along San Marcos RiverNot just a cute face – the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment posted that when these sleek swimmers are seen thriving in Central Texas waters, it means the rivers are clean. Conversely, when there are pollutants in the wa
  
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• The summer COVID surge is finally waning. Is a winter wave coming soon?

  14-10-2023 16:52 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – We're well into fall, but the surge in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths that started over the summer has started to decline. The respite may be short-lived. Winter, the typical peak season for respiratory viruses, is just around the corner.
  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it's expecting a "moderate COVID-19 wave" this winter, with a peak matching last winter's hospitalization levels. "COVID-19 could peak earlier than last season, however, because
  
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• Former KXAN studio set gets new home at UT Moody College

  14-10-2023 16:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The former studio set at KXAN is now in use at the University of Texas at Austin's Moody College of Communication.
  The set launched Thursday and will be used by the Radio-Television-Film department. Students will use the set for the Reporting Texas newscast.
  The former KXAN studio set is now in use at the University of Texas at Austin. UT Assistant Professor Kate West cut the ribbon on the new set. (KXAN Photo/Haley Cihock)The former KXAN set is now in use at the University
  
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• Why do some national parks charge an entrance fee?

  14-10-2023 16:51 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) — There is no question that the more than 400 national parks, monuments, seashores, historic sites, recreation areas, and other sites overseen by the National Park Service are stunning. But before you can visit some, you may have to pay. Across the entire National Park Service, which includes 425 units, only 109 charge an entrance fee.Nearly all have a park-specific annual pass, ranging from $35 to $70. Many also have fees per vehicle, person or motorcycle that vary fro
  
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• APD gets 11 theft reports during ACL Weekend 1

  14-10-2023 16:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Weekend Two of Austin City Limits Music Festivals is underway.
  During the first weekend of the festival, the Austin Police Department received 11 theft reports. This includes five reports of people stealing from individuals and six reports of theft or burglary from vehicles.RELATED: ACL lost and found fills up after Weekend 1During both weekends in 2022, APD received 16 reports similar to these. In 2021, police received 27 theft reports, according to APD.
  If your phone or a
  
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• Accenture to lay off hundreds more Austin employees for third time this year

  14-10-2023 16:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Accenture intends to lay off 351 Austin employees from its Domain office before the end of the year, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, earlier this week.
  The Ireland-headquartered professional services giant has laid off hundreds of Austin employees already in 2023.
  A letter made public in May revealed the company would lay off 549 Austin employees also working at the office in The Domain. In June, another wave of layoffs was revealed to
  
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• Which Halloween costumes will be this year's most popular?

  14-10-2023 14:52 via kxan.com
  
  DENVER (KDVR) — You might not be as creative as you think when it comes to your choice of Halloween getup.
  Google Frightgeist pulled the top 500 costume searches from Google Trends to determine the most popular Halloween costumes for 2023.
  If you want to wear a trending costume, one of these top 10 costumes is your best bet. If you're looking for something unique, you may have to try harder.
  Here are the costumes you will probably see the most this year.Most popular costumes nationally
  Wit
  
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• October is statistically deadliest month for Texas pedestrians: Here's why, how to help

  14-10-2023 14:51 via kxan.com
  
  SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – The highest number of pedestrian crashes in Texas last year happened during October, and that's why TxDOT is launching a "Be Safe, Drive Smart" campaign.
  The campaign aims to remind Texans that pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users. The shorter days and longer nights associated with autumn and winter mean it is becoming more difficult for drivers to see pedestrians along roadways.Misael Rico was only six when doctors told him that he might never walk
  
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• Weird Barbie among most popular Halloween costumes in US, according to experts

  14-10-2023 14:45 via kxan.com
  
  LONGMEADOW, Mass. (WWLP) - Weird Barbie, Wednesday Adams and Harley Quinn are among the most popular Halloween costumes in the US, according to new research from fashion retailer Boohoo.
  The company analyzed Google Trends data to identify the top pop culture-inspired and traditional costumes that people are searching for in each state. The analysis revealed that Barbie is the most popular character to dress up as this spooky season when it comes to pop culture references. This is probably unsurp
  
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• Jada Pinkett Smith reveals Chris Rock asked her out years before Oscars slap

  14-10-2023 14:43 via kxan.com
  
  (KTLA) -- Before he cracked jokes about her appearance and got slapped at the 2022 Oscars, Chris Rock apparently wanted to date Jada Pinkett Smith.The actress claimed he had asked her out amid rumors she and Will Smith were divorcing.She told PEOPLE this happened around the summer of 2016, about six years before Smith slapped him onstage at the 94th Academy Awards."I think every summer, all the reports would come out that me and Will were getting a divorce. And this particular summer, Chris, he
  
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• Central Texas economist speaks on potential economic impact with Israel-Hamas war

  14-10-2023 14:42 via kxan.com
  
  WACO, Texas (FOX 44) -- The Israel-Hamas War is causing strife in the Middle East and has the potential to directly impact us.The Middle East is a mass producer of oil, and prices are starting to increase.Dr. Rob Tennant with A&M Central Texas says this is a typical situation that can happen in an oil-producing region.With Israel currently locked in a conflict with Hamas, Dr. Tennant says it's causing uncertainty for how much oil will be produced."In the current situation with the with the i
  
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• Family Dollar recalls dozens of products sold in 23 states

  14-10-2023 14:37 via kxan.com
  
  WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) - Family Dollar has issued a voluntary recall for a long list of over-the-counter drugs, medical devices, and other personal health products at stores nationwide.According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, these items were "stored outside of labeled temperature requirements" and sold at certain Family Dollar stores between June 1, 2023, and Oct. 4, 2023.This recall only applies to 23 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, K
  
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• A 'nightmare': California woman hid under bodies during Israel festival attack

  14-10-2023 14:36 via kxan.com
  
  Warning: the following contains graphic descriptions of violence.(NewsNation) — For seven hours, Lee Sasi hid in a bomb shelter and under dead bodies following an attack on an Israeli music festival Saturday when Hamas militants tore through the crowd, killing at least 260 people.Sasi described it as a "nightmare."
  “Everybody was dying in front of me,” Sasi, an American woman from California, told NewsNation's Chris Cuomo, who was reporting live from Israel on Tuesday.She was a
  
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• Social Security to get 3.2% boost next year

  14-10-2023 14:28 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Soon, bigger paychecks will be going to millions of people who receive Social Security benefits.
  The Social Security Administration announced that 2024's cost of living adjustment will be 3.2%. Next year's 3.2% COLA is much smaller than the 8.7% bump in 2023, but experts say it's still higher than average.  Lawmakers consider major decisions to shape future of FAABankrate Analyst Mark Hamrick explains the annual adjustment is tied to inflation. "A 3.2%
  
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• Biden administration announces $7 billion for 7 regional hydrogen energy ‘hubs’

  14-10-2023 14:26 via kxan.com
  
  The Biden administration is putting $7 billion into regional “hubs” around the country dedicated to producing hydrogen energy — touting the funds as an effort to fight climate change and create jobs.These hubs are clusters of facilities located in the same geographic area aiming to produce and consume hydrogen— as well as related infrastructure like pipelines.  They are located in Appalachia, California, the Gulf Coast, the Mid-Atlantic, the Midwest the Pacific
  
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• Austin Police holding a media briefing Saturday for southeast Austin homicide

  14-10-2023 14:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Austin Police Department tweeted Saturday morning that it will hold a media briefing for a homicide that occurred at 1700 Burton Drive.APD tweeted that the briefing will start at 7:45 a.m.APD has yet to release more additional details about the incident.
  
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• 1 person dead in southeast Austin homicide, according to police

  14-10-2023 14:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – One person has died in a southeast Austin homicide early Saturday morning, according to the Austin Police Department.Austin police officers responded to a shots fired call just before 2:30 a.m. Saturday morning and found a victim on the ground with injuries, APD said at a press event.The incident occurred at an apartment complex located at 1700 Burton Drive in southeast Austin, according to police.Austin-Travis County EMS took the victim to Dell Seton Medical Center where t
  
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• Mild afternoons and cool mornings

  14-10-2023 14:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A fine weather day is in store for Central Texas. Temperatures will be cooler than the normal of 83°. In fact, highs will be below normal the next four days.North winds left from Friday's cold front will gust into the low to mid 20s.That north wind will also keep the air dry. The relative humidity will drop through the 20s into the teens this afternoon.Today is the day several have been looking forward to as the Annular Solar Eclipse happens. The sky will be mostly sunny dur
  
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• Cooler days and colder nights ahead

  14-10-2023 14:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- What a show! Hopefully you were able to enjoy the Annular or Partial Solar Eclipse (depending on where you were viewing it from). Temperatures dropped one to three degrees between 11 a.m. and 12 noon based on hourly observations from several reporting stations as the sun was obscured by the moon.We've got a great selection of photos of the eclipse and the crescent-shaped shadows in the link below. PHOTOS: Solar eclipse passes over Austin areaNEXT UP: The Total Solar Eclipse that
  
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• Why are jack-o'-lanterns made from pumpkins?

  14-10-2023 14:18 via kxan.com
  
  SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — Jack-o'-lanterns are easily one of the most recognizable parts of Halloween, with their carved faces bringing cheer to every spooky celebration. But not everyone knows that pumpkins weren't always the de facto product of choice when it came to making the iconic decoration.But where did the first jack-o'-lanterns come from — and why did the switch to pumpkins happen? If you want to find out, then grab some Halloween candy and read the tale
  
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• Child sex assault suspect brought back to Bell County from Williamson County

  14-10-2023 14:18 via kxan.com
  
  BELTON, Texas (FOX 44) - Bond has been set at $1 million for a former firefighter charged with sexually abusing four separate children after he was brought back to Bell County to face the charges.Kyle Steven Setterlund was held in the Williamson County Jail and was brought back and booked into the Bell County facility on Thursday.Setterlund was originally charged on September 26 with two counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault out of Bell County, stemming from an investigation triggered whenBell Cou
  
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• Pinkett Smith discusses Oscar slap in new interview

  14-10-2023 13:59 via kxan.com
  
  (WCMH) — Another exclusive preview from Hoda Kotb’s in-depth interview with Jada Pinkett Smith aired on NBC’s “Today” show Friday morning.In the new clip, which is part of an hour-long special scheduled to air October 13 at 8 p.m. on NBC4, Pinkett Smith discussed the 2022 Academy Awards, when Will Smith slapped Oscar host Chris Rock on stage.During the 2022 ceremony, Rock made a joke about Pinkett Smith, who has been dealing with hair loss due to alopecia and had a
  
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• Texas high school football scores for Friday, Oct. 13

  14-10-2023 06:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Several pivotal district showdowns went down in Central Texas Friday night.The Westlake Chaparrals were tested by a feisty Dripping Springs team Friday evening but were able to hold on for a 27 – 14 win at Chaparral Stadium.In 5A, Georgetown defeated East View in a battle of crosstown rivals.Here's a look at the scores across Texas for Friday, Oct. 13.Scores from around the KXAN viewing areaLeander Rouse 49, Killeen Chaparral 36New Braunfels Canyon 47, Kyle Lehman 0Ro
  
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• Texas Comptroller announces purchase of $20M in Israel bonds

  14-10-2023 05:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On Friday, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced the purchase of $20 million in Israel bonds, which will provide liquidity to Israel as it defends itself against Hamas, according to a news release from Texas Comptroller's office."Texas has long had a deep spiritual, political and economic connection to Israel and the Israeli people," Hegar said in the news release. "They are our friend and ally, and Texas supports their right to defend their people against these cowardly terro
  
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• Mysterious light spotted all over Texas Friday

  14-10-2023 04:33 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On Friday, KXAN viewers began asking what they saw in the sky between 7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Those viewers began sending in video of what appeared to be a fireball in the sky.The mysterious light stayed in the sky for several seconds with, what appeared to be an explosion during its travels. On social media the light was seen from East Texas to Dallas to right here in Central Texas.Video of mysterious light seen in Jarrell | Courtesy Justin MartinezThese are usually attributed to f
  
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• Kaitlin Armstrong: What the new charge means for defense

  14-10-2023 03:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Murder suspect Kaitlin Armstrong now faces a new charge after video shows her trying to escape from a medical facility.In video obtained from a witness, it shows an officer chasing after Armstrong, who attempts to scale a wall.Logan Campbell, a local defense attorney with Gergen, Hale and Campbell is not involved in this case, but he weighed in on the escape and how it could impact the defense.
  "This is already a very high profile case and on the eve of trial you are h
  
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• Manor voters to decide on $166.8 million bond election

  14-10-2023 02:18 via kxan.com
  
  MANOR, Texas (KXAN) — Voters in Manor will decide on three propositions named in a $166.8 million bond package this November.Proposition A is the least costly at $15 million. If approved, those funds would be used to build infrastructure like water and sewer lines that would attract businesses to Manor.Scott Jones, economic development director for the City of Manor, said businesses have already approached the city about planting roots in Manor. Especially support industries to major tech
  
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