Austin news

• Westlake looking for another deep playoff run, takes on Round Rock in bi-district round

  10-11-2023 22:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Round Rock and Westlake face off in the opening round of the Class 6A Division I playoffs at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Chaparral Stadium, and the game will air on KBVO.Westlake is fresh off a fourth consecutive perfect regular season and district championship while the Dragons were part of a 4-way tie for second place in their district. Round Rock, McNeil, Vista Ridge and Westwood all finished the 6A-District 26 season with 4-3 records, and Westwood was the odd team out of a play
  
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• Texas issues $3M penalty against international accounting firm over ethics exam cheating

  10-11-2023 22:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) issued a $3 million fine and reprimand Thursday against an international accounting firm, according to a Friday press release from the board.“The action represents the Board’s message to all Texas licensees that the Board will not tolerate any form of professional misconduct,” said TSBPA executive director William Treacy.The fine, brought against London-based firm Ernst & Young LLP (EY), comes after a
  
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• Man indicted for deadly December 2022 stabbing

  10-11-2023 22:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A man accused of stabbing a man who later died in December 2022 was indicted by a grand jury this week, according to an indictment from Travis County.That man was identified as Guadalupe Perez, who was indicted on two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and murder, court documents said. APD identify man who died from October southeast Austin stabbingAt approximately 10:50 a.m., Oct. 25, 2022, the Austin Police Department received reports of a man bleeding from his
  
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• Texas community colleges see biggest enrollment recovery since the pandemic

  10-11-2023 21:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Texas Tribune) — Texas community colleges saw a big post-pandemic recovery this year, preliminary fall enrollment data shows.A total of 676,141 students were enrolled in community colleges this fall, representing a 4.25% increase in enrollment since 2021 and bringing those numbers closer to where they were before the pandemic. About 747,000 students were enrolled in public two-year colleges in 2019.The uptick comes after community colleges saw enrollment fall by about 80,
  
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• Texas House committee advances school voucher bill, overcoming key hurdle

  10-11-2023 21:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Texas Tribune) — A Texas House committee has advanced school voucher legislation that could be key to ending the protracted stalemate over the issue this year at the Capitol.By a vote of 10-4, the House Select Committee on Educational Opportunity and Enrichment approved House Bill 1 on Friday. It is a wide-ranging education bill that includes a voucher-like program known as education savings accounts that lets parents use taxpayer dollars to subsidize private schooling costs.Gov.&n
  
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• Shark exhibit swims into the Bullock History Museum

  10-11-2023 21:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new limited-time exhibit on sharks, "the ocean's most magnificent and misunderstood species," opens at the Bullock Texas State History Museum on Saturday.A model of a Megalodon, an extinct species of shark. (KXAN Photos/Cora Neas)
  Bullock Museum curator James McReynolds explains that several factors go into selecting temporary exhibits like "Sharks.""We want to have the highest quality exhibitions that we can on display here at the Bullock Museum," McReynolds said. "We th
  
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• Wimberley named 'International Dark Sky Place of the Year'

  10-11-2023 20:45 via kxan.com
  
  WIMBERLEY, Texas (KXAN) — The city of Wimberley has been named 'Dark Sky Place of the Year' for 2023 by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), a non-profit organization that works to combat light pollution.The city of Wimberley called the title "a remarkable achievement that underscores a commitment to preserving the natural wonder of the night sky."Wimberley and neighboring Woodcreek, collectively referred to as Wimberley Valley by IDA, has been a recognized 'Dark Sky Community' si
  
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• $1M towards housing stability in Hays County, help with rent and utilities

  10-11-2023 20:34 via kxan.com
  
  HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Hundreds of Central Texans will soon get the rental help they need. In Hays County, more rental assistance is on its way.A new partnership between the county and a local nonprofit will help create a housing stability program for the area.RELATED COVERAGE: New Hays County housing stability program in developmentThe Blanco River Regional Recovery Team (BR3T), a San Marcos-based nonprofit that provides housing stability resources for Hays, Caldwell, Blanco and Guad
  
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• $1M toward housing stability in Hays County, help with rent and utilities

  10-11-2023 20:34 via kxan.com
  
  HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Hundreds of Central Texans will soon get the rental help they need. In Hays County, more rental assistance is on its way.A new partnership between the county and a local nonprofit will help create a housing stability program for the area.RELATED COVERAGE: New Hays County housing stability program in developmentThe Blanco River Regional Recovery Team (BR3T), a San Marcos-based nonprofit that provides housing stability resources for Hays, Caldwell, Blanco and Guad
  
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• Special Report: How APD officers hold other department officers accountable

  10-11-2023 20:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The City of Austin’s Office of the City Auditor conducted a special report in October on anonymous complaints of misconduct by police officers.According to the city, the report answered questions from the Austin City Council -- one of which was how Austin handled anonymous complaints submitted by its police officers.The report showed Austin police officers had two possible options of submitting complaints against another officer if they know or suspect there has been
  
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• Law enforcement, TCEQ spar over extent of car emissions testing fraud

  10-11-2023 20:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Local law enforcement is in a war of words with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality when it comes to how widespread emissions testing fraud is across the state.After KXAN reporting, TCEQ said it wants to learn why investigators believe five million vehicles were illegally inspected in 2022 in a process known as "clean scanning" -- a scheme where fraudulent emissions tests are registered as official state records. The about-face call for a face-to-face comes after the a
  
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• These states have the highest car theft rates: Where does yours rank?

  10-11-2023 19:52 via kxan.com
  
  (KTLA) — Between 2021 and 2022, reported carjackings in the U.S. increased by 8.1%, recently released FBI data shows. The vast majority of those involved an assailant with a weapon, and someone was injured in more than a quarter of all carjackings.
  A new report shows some states have been hit harder by car thieves than others.
  The National Insurance Crime Bureau, a not-for-profit organization, reviewed data collected by the FBI's National Crime Information Center to find which states had t
  
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• LIVE: Gov. Abbott to sign bill banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates

  10-11-2023 19:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Governor Abbott will sign legislation banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates for private employers at the governor's mansion on Friday afternoon.Once signed into law, Senate Bill 7 will prohibit employers in the private sector from taking "adverse action" against an employee who does not want to get a COVID-19 shot. It would allow people to file a complaint at the Texas Workforce Commission to investigate alleged retaliation. Employers could face a fine up to $1,000 for each
  
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• Gov. Abbott to sign bill banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates

  10-11-2023 19:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Governor Abbott will sign legislation banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates for private employers at the governor's mansion on Friday afternoon.Once signed into law, Senate Bill 7 will prohibit employers in the private sector from taking "adverse action" against an employee who does not want to get a COVID-19 shot. It would allow people to file a complaint at the Texas Workforce Commission to investigate alleged retaliation. Employers could face a fine up to $1,000 for each
  
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• Gov. Abbott signs bill banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates in private sector

  10-11-2023 19:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates for private employers at the governor's mansion on Friday afternoon.Senate Bill 7 will prohibit employers in the private sector from taking "adverse action" against an employee who does not want to get a COVID-19 shot. It would allow people to file a complaint at the Texas Workforce Commission to investigate alleged retaliation. Employers could face a fine up to $50,000 for each violation, according to
  
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• Gov. Abbott signs bill banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates

  10-11-2023 19:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates for private employers at the governor's mansion on Friday afternoon.Senate Bill 7 will prohibit employers in the private sector from taking "adverse action" against an employee who does not want to get a COVID-19 shot. It would allow people to file a complaint at the Texas Workforce Commission to investigate alleged retaliation. Employers could face a fine up to $1,000 for each violation, according to
  
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• 18-wheeler crashes into building, closes I-35 service road for hours Friday morning

  10-11-2023 16:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- An 18-wheeler crashed into a building along the northbound service road of I-35 near Bentwood Road Friday morning, closing the service road for several hours.
  Bentwood is just north of Airport Boulevard.
  Two heavy duty tow trucks responded to the scene to clear the 18-wheeler. All lanes of the interstate and the service road were back open shortly after 9 a.m.18-wheeler crashes into building, closes I-35 service road for hours Friday morning(KXAN photo/Lauren Ryan) 18-wheeler cr
  
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• Austin author highlights lives of first American female astronauts

  10-11-2023 14:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- "I think a lot of women are looking to us to prove that women do fit into the space program," said Rhea Seddon, a surgeon and the fifth woman to fly to space, said in an interview from the late 1970s with a NASA film crew. Rhea had just been announced as one of six women selected to join NASA's astronaut program. They were the first women to get that chance.In her new book "The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts," author and Bloomberg space reporter Loren
  
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• When's the last time Texas went one day without a death on state roads?

  10-11-2023 13:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — For more than two decades, the Texas Department of Transportation has reported at least one death every single day on state roadways.Tuesday marked the 23rd anniversary of the last day Texas went without any traffic fatalities, with the last death-free day marked on Nov. 7, 2000. TxDOT officials said that streak nearly ended this year in February, when one death was reported compared to the average 12 traffic fatalities that happen on state roads each day. New Texas law to
  
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• ACC to close for Veterans Day on Friday

  10-11-2023 13:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin Community College said it would close Friday in observance of Veterans Day.
  According to ACC, registration for the spring semester remains open. The school asks students to register early before classes fill up.The ACC spring semester begins Jan. 16. The school said it offers multiple classroom formats for all schedules.
  ACC staff will be available during regular hours, the college said, to help students plan, register, and pay/set up a payment plan for spring classe
  
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• Texas School for the Deaf to cut back workers

  10-11-2023 12:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas School for the Deaf said Wednesday it will cut back workers at its location on South Congress Avenue.TSD said in a statement it was going to outsource interpreters at the school. New leader at Texas School for the Deaf announced
  TSD did not say when the outsourcing would take place or which provider it would use.  In the statement, the school thanked the in-house interpreters “for the dedication and hard work … in ensuring that language barriers
  
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• Kyle announces Dec. 9 runoff for council seat

  10-11-2023 12:40 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) – The City of Kyle said Thursday voters in one council district will decide their next council member in a runoff election next month.According to unofficial returns from the Nov. 7 election, Claudia Zapata and Lauralee Harris will compete in the District 4 City Council runoff election on Dec. 9. The city said no candidate got more than 50% of the vote for the seat. November 2023 election resultsUnofficial returns show Zapata with 30.26% and
  
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• Cloudy and cool weekend with spot rain in the mix

  10-11-2023 12:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Pockets of light rain continue to today and tomorrow, but rain chances look even better late weekend into early next week.Cool and breezy conditions can be expected areawide today with pockets of light rain possible through late morning and again late afternoon. No severe weather nor flooding issues expected, just be sure to add extra time and slow speeds if out on the roads at any time.Though we may see a few brief breaks in the clouds on Veterans' Day, we cannot completely rul
  
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• A gray and chilly weekend

  10-11-2023 12:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Low rain chances are in the forecast for the rest of today and tomorrow. Most highs both days will peak in the upper 50s to low 60s.
  Highs will be below normal this weekend into early next weekAn upper-level low will move into northern Mexico west of El Paso Sunday afternoon to increase the chance of rain. By Monday the low will move northeast into the Texas South Plains with a higher rain chance. There may be a few isolated thunderstorms, otherwise it's really more of a rain ev
  
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• Texas high school football playoff scores for Thursday, Nov. 9

  10-11-2023 05:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The bi-district round kicked off playoff football for Texas high schools Thursday.In local action, Wimberley made easy work of Pearsall in Class 4A-Division II with a 68-0 win and Belton pounded Travis 61-6 in Class 5A-Division II. In Class 4A-Division I, Burnet thumped Somerset 42-17 and Boerne took out Taylor 42-28.REPORT YOUR SCORE: We'd love to post your team's score on our website, but we need your help to do it. Email the score of your game to [email protected] and we'l
  
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• Leander ISD board considers creating district police department

  10-11-2023 04:35 via kxan.com
  
  LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) -- One of the largest school districts in Central Texas looked at the cost to build its own police force to comply with a new state law.During a Leander Independent School District board meeting, trustees looked at a budget request, which is more than $1.1 million. The district does not have its own police force and instead is using other law enforcement as resource officers.This discussion comes after House Bill 3 went into effect on Sept. 1, which requires armed security
  
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• Concerns raised over aviation safety after multiple near crashes

  10-11-2023 04:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The push to increase safety at airports across the nation is heating up.This comes after reported close calls and near misses between airplanes, and now the topic is front and center."Our nation is experiencing a aviation safety crisis," said U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois.On Thursday, the Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation, discussed close calls and how to improve aviation safety.Lawmakers said a wave of retirements and buyouts drained val
  
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• Texas boasts top women's hoops recruiting class in early signing period

  10-11-2023 04:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — According to ESPN, the Texas Longhorns women's basketball team has the top 2024 recruiting class in the country.With three players ranked inside the top 50, and two in the top 10, the Longhorns are loading up for next season and starting the early signing period off strong.No. 13 Texas women’s hoops thumps Southern in season openerLonghorns head coach Vic Schaefer announced Wednesday the signings of Justice Carlton, Jordan Lee and Bryanna Preston as the early signing
  
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• Austin could soon have another sister city — in Thailand

  10-11-2023 01:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin is taking steps to establish a new sister city in Thailand, with a kickoff event planned for this weekend.Mayor Kirk Watson and provincial governor of Chiang Mai, Thailand, Nirat Phongsittithaworn, will sign a Memorandum of Understanding at Austin City Hall Sunday, launching a sister cities initiative.A visiting delegation from Thailand will join Thai Ambassador to the United States, Tanee Sangrat, and U.S. Consul General in Chiang Mai, Lisa Buzenas, at the signing c
  
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• Texas committee advances controversial immigration enforcement bill

  10-11-2023 00:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — A Texas House committee advanced a controversial border security bill Thursday that would enable state law enforcement officers to enforce immigration law, a power reserved for federal authorities.House Bill 4 would make it a state crime for non-citizens to cross into the United States illegally. It's a power currently reserved for federal law enforcement agents like border patrol, but the legislation would give any state peace officer the ability to arrest someone who e
  
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• Travis County congenital syphilis cases are increasing, mirroring national trends

  10-11-2023 00:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin Public Health said that congenital syphilis cases in Travis County are expected to double in 2022 and 2023 since 2021, mirroring national trends.Congenital syphilis cases in Travis County increased by about 40% from 2018 to 2021. There were eight cases in 2018 and 11 in 2021, according to APH.
  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report Tuesday revealing that the number of babies born in the U.S. with syphilis in 2022– over 3,700 – wa
  
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• Sex trafficking, drugs and assault: Texas foster kids and caseworkers face chaos in rental houses and hotels

  10-11-2023 00:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) -- Some of Texas’ most victimized and vulnerable foster children are reportedly running away nightly, falling victim to sexual predators, consuming marijuana and threatening caseworkers with gun violence or sexual aggression.Those — and a litany of other disturbing claims — come from foster care watchdogs who say the state is renting four single-family houses in Bell County for children in its care that are chaotic, dirty and dangerous environments th
  
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• Officials investigating suspicious package in east Austin

  10-11-2023 00:09 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department said it was investigating a suspicious package in east Austin.According to police,APD received a call at approximately 2:15 p.m. regarding a suspicious package in the 2300 block of Oracle Way.Austin Police officers responded and evacuated the building as a precaution, according to APD.As of 5 p.m., APD said the scene remained active and was under investigation.This is a developing story. Check back with KXAN for more details.
  
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