Austin news

• PHOTOS: Mini-troll installed at Austin’s tiniest park

  06-03-2024 23:26 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Pease Park Conservancy said BEPI Park, known as Austin’s tiniest park, was getting into the troll spirit following the start of the Pease Park troll assembly.“What a fun mini-troll to visit on the way to the giant troll in Pease Park,” the conservancy said.Tiny Troll near Pease Park (KXAN photo/Frank Martinez)Tiny Troll near Pease Park (KXAN photo/Frank Martinez)Tiny Troll near Pease Park (KXAN photo/Frank Martinez)Tiny Troll near Pease Park (KXAN phot
  
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• State leaders provide details on bill to minimize children from drowning ahead of spring break

  06-03-2024 23:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Wednesday, State Rep. Vikki Goodwin provided more details on new water safety measures in place under Cati's Act as a way to minimize drownings of children under 12 through stricter water safety measures.Goodwin and State Sen. Judith Zaffirini hosted a press conference Wednesday morning ahead of spring break to spark a discussion on the importance of Cati's Act between community leaders, water safety advocates as well as legislators, a news release from Goodwin's office
  
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• Austin mayor, council members share thoughts on top city manager candidates

  06-03-2024 22:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin City Council members and the mayor will ultimately have the final say in who leads the City of Austin moving forward. First, though, those candidates will meet with city staff and with the community.Dallas, Kansas City, former Austin leaders finalists for Austin’s city manager jobAfter Mayor Kirk Watson announced they were moving forward with three candidates Tuesday, here's what the hiring body is saying about those selections.
  Austin City Council membersCouncil Me
  
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• Rooster Teeth shutting down after 21 years

  06-03-2024 22:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Rooster Teeth, an Austin-based production company founded in 2003, is shutting down.In a message sent to staff, Rooster Teeth general manager Jordan Levin wrote the shutdown was due to “challenges facing digital media resulting from fundamental shifts in consumer behavior and monetization across platforms, advertising, and patronage.”Ownership and control of Rooster Teeth was inherited from AT&T following its acquisition of TimeWarner—a merger that for
  
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• APD officers rescue child from choking at southwest Austin apartment complex

  06-03-2024 21:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department said an officer's quick actions helped save a child from choking at a southwest Austin apartment complex last month.Around 4:28 p.m., Feb. 16, officers responded to the Menlo at Mueller Apartments, 6865 East US 290 Highway service road eastbound, for a check welfare urgent call, APD said in a news release.When officers arrived, they found the child choking, and relatives said he was choking on candy.APD Officer Schroeder used his anti-choking device
  
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• APD officers rescue child from choking at northeast Austin apartment complex

  06-03-2024 21:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department said two officers' quick actions helped save a child from choking at a northeast Austin apartment complex last month.Around 4:28 p.m., Feb. 16, officers responded to the Menlo at Mueller Apartments, 6865 East US 290 Highway service road eastbound, for a check welfare urgent call, APD said in a news release.When officers arrived, they found the child choking, and relatives said he was choking on candy.APD Officer Schroeder used his anti-choking device
  
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• Cruz, Allred tout crossover appeal to win US Senate matchup

  06-03-2024 20:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas primary voters set up a general election matchup between Ted Cruz and Colin Allred later this year, and early messaging from the two candidates vying for the state's U.S. Senate seat seems to focus on who has more bipartisan appeal than the other.
  Allred, the Dallas Congressman, told a crowd of supporters during his victory speech Tuesday night that his record could draw in more than just Democratic voters to support his bid to unseat Cruz.
  "I'm proud of being the mos
  
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• City, Austin Police Association to re-enter APD contract negotiations

  06-03-2024 20:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The City of Austin and the Austin Police Association (APA) have set a date to come back to the table to discuss a long-term police contract, according to APA President Michael Bullock.This comes more than a year after the two entities agreed on a previous contract that City Council ultimately voted down to await the results of a police oversight ballot item that went to voters in May 2023."We think we have found a path that accomplishes the goals on both sides and that we h
  
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• The Loretta, a new affordable housing apartment complex, opens in northwest Austin

  06-03-2024 20:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Several community leaders celebrated the opening of a new affordable housing complex in northwest Austin Wednesday.
  The Loretta Apartments, located at 13649 Rutledge Spur, will offer 137 units at or below 60% of the median family income (MFI), according to the city. The Loretta is located near the Lakeline Station of CapMetro’s Red Line. The Loretta complements its sister property, Lakeline Station Apartments, which is located just down the road.
  Several community lea
  
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• ‘Unsafe’ conditions: Road in Pflugerville closed for repairs

  06-03-2024 20:15 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — A roadway in Pflugerville was shut down due to unsafe conditions.The City of Pflugerville said Royston Lane at the intersection of SUZI Lane would be closed for approximately two weeks to a month for repairs.Detours have been set up at Viki Lynn Place at Royston Lane, according to the city.“The existing roadway became unstable after installing a trench box for permitted utility construction,” the city said.According to a statement, the city said it
  
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• Report shows how Austin compares to other cities when facing higher volumes of 911 calls

  06-03-2024 19:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A City Auditor's Office special report investigated how the City of Austin's 911 call taking center handles a high volume of 911 calls compared to other U.S. cities. The report was provided to KXAN by a source. It has not been publicly released.The report details the volume of 911 calls the Austin Police Department receives, compares Austin's strategies for high volumes of calls to other cities and addressed the question of whether APD and the city should change the way the
  
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• Defense attorney tased in demonstration on day 8 of Ambler in-custody death trial

  06-03-2024 18:56 via kxan.com
  
  Austin (KXAN) — One of the attorneys representing two former Williamson County Sheriff's deputies charged with an in-custody death was tased in a demonstration for jurors Wednesday morning.James Johnson and Zach Camden are both charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of Javier Ambler.
  Ambler died in March 2019 after leading police on a 20-minute chase, crashing at the intersection of St. John's and Bethune Avenue. The former deputies are accused of acting recklessly while tr
  
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• Defense attorney stunned with Taser in demonstration on day 8 of Ambler in-custody death trial

  06-03-2024 18:56 via kxan.com
  
  Austin (KXAN) — One of the attorneys representing two former Williamson County Sheriff's deputies charged with an in-custody death was tased in a demonstration for jurors Wednesday morning.James Johnson and Zach Camden are both charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of Javier Ambler.
  Ambler died in March 2019 after leading police on a 20-minute chase, crashing at the intersection of St. John's and Bethune Avenue. The former deputies are accused of acting recklessly while tr
  
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• Man pleads guilty to murder, receives 33-year prison sentence

  06-03-2024 18:28 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced Feb. 28 in connection with an August 2022 offense, according to Travis County court documents.Records showed 30-year-old Jose Ehuric Hernandez would serve a prison sentence of 33 years. Toward his sentence, Hernandez received a jail credit of 572 days. PAST COVERAGE: Austin man faces murder charge after gas station shooting, 2 other wrecks, police sayThe sentence was related to a southeast Austin incident where a
  
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• Gusty day? A closer look at the forces that cause the wind to blow

  06-03-2024 17:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- It is a weather event you probably don't think about very often, but it always happening: wind. Every day around the world, the wind is always blowing. Why is this?In this First Warning Weather University lesson, meteorologist Kristen Currie takes a closer look at the forces behind windy weather.In this lesson you will learn:
  How differences in pressure influence wind.Why the wind blows the direction it blows.Why the wind will always blow.
  Other classes from First Warning Weathe
  
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• Upgraded basketball court to open in north Austin Sunday

  06-03-2024 17:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Upgrades are coming to a basketball court in north Austin.
  The Austin Parks Foundation will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the court at Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park on 12156 Walnut Creek Park Rd. on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. You can register to attend here.According to the foundation, the upgrades were provided by Play ATX, a partnership between the foundation, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department, and the San Antonio Spurs.The ceremony will include a "Mu
  
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• Simone Biles, elite team of gymnasts to perform in Austin this fall

  06-03-2024 17:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — This fall, Austinites will get the chance to see seven-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles in action in an "exhilarating" performance.Biles and a team of world-class gymnasts will show off their athleticism in the Gold Over America Tour.
  The tour, set to visit 30 arenas nationwide, will stop at Moody Center on Friday, Oct. 18.
  Other featured gymnasts include Shilese Jones, Fred Richard, Mélanie Johanna De Jesus Dos Santos and more.Texas Olympic hopefuls shifting cultu
  
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• Waymo starts testing fully autonomous vehicles in Austin

  06-03-2024 16:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Waymo, an autonomous driving technology company, has begun testing its fully autonomous cars in Austin with no driver behind the wheel.
  The company started testing fully autonomous vehicles in certain areas of the city on Wednesday. According to an announcement from Waymo's chief product officer Saswat Panigrahi on social media, the cars will continue being tested across 43 square miles of Austin, covering the following areas: downtown, Barton Hills, Riverside, east Austin,
  
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• Amplify Austin Day returns for 24 hours

  06-03-2024 15:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – A local non-profit organization is asking Central Texans to spend 24 hours Wednesday and Thursday giving back to their community.Beginning at 6 p.m., I Live Here I Give Here will host Amplify Austin Day, which helps more than 700 nonprofits.You can choose which nonprofit to support on the event's website by searching by keyword, cause, or location.Organizers say the event has raised $102.7 million for 1,411 Central Texas nonprofits since 2013.This year it has said it is hig
  
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• Williamson County to open alternate route to I-35

  06-03-2024 14:45 via kxan.com
  
  JARRELL, Texas (KXAN) – Williamson County officials will celebrate the opening of an alternative route to Interstate 35 on Wednesday.The county will mark the completion of the C. Bud Stockton and CR 307 projects.C. Bud Stockton/CR 307 Ribbon Cutting on March 6, 2024. (Courtesy: Williamson County Public Information Office)
  C. Bud Stockton projectAccording to the county, the C. Bud Stockton Loop extension project extends FM 487/C. Bud Stockton Loop by constructing two lanes of a future four-
  
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• Pending proceedings could reshape Rodney Reed death row case

  06-03-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Pending proceedings in the case of Rodney Reed – including a petition before the U.S. Supreme Court and a lawsuit to open a pathway to DNA testing of crime scene evidence – could reshape the death row inmate’s longstanding murder case.A Bastrop court convicted Reed of sexually assaulting and killing 19-year-old Stacey Stites and discarding her body beside a rural road in 1996. Investigators didn’t arrest a suspect until Reed’s DNA matched a sam
  
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• Free South by Southwest events in Austin

  06-03-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — South by Southwest (SXSW) is making its return to Austin March 8-16 for its annual conference, film and music festival.While most of the festival requires special access badges, there are still free events available.KXAN assembled a list of the free events below.Multi-day eventsPOP! art installation by Gentilhomme at Republic SquareEclipsing interactive soundwalk with SXSW XR (RSVP)Friday, March 87 – 7:45 a.m. — Unleash Your Beast: Army Functional Fitness8 &ndas
  
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• Risk of severe storms increases late week

  06-03-2024 12:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Heads up! Storm chances begin this evening and increase Thursday into Friday with a risk of strong to severe storms tied to each round.TodayMost of today will feature increasing clouds and dry skies. It's not until this evening will there be a low chance for a few isolated storms to clip the Hill Country. Storm coverage will be very limited but those in the northwest Hill Country should be on the lookout for hail and wind out of any well-developed storm.Risk of strong to severe
  
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• Generally low severe weather risk to end the week

  06-03-2024 12:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Heads up! Storm chances begin this evening and increase Thursday into Friday with a risk of strong to severe storms tied to each round.TodayMost of today will feature increasing clouds and dry skies, but from roughly 4 p.m.-8 p.m. an isolated strong or severe storm could slide through the northwestern Hill Country. Storm coverage will be very limited, but those in the northwest Hill Country should be on the lookout for hail and wind out of any well-developed storm.Risk of strong
  
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• Approaching storm brings severe weather risk, cooler weekend

  06-03-2024 12:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Heads up! Storm chances begin this evening and increase Thursday into Friday with a risk of strong to severe storms tied to each round.Wednesday nightFrom roughly 4 p.m.-8 p.m. an isolated strong or severe storm could slide through the northwestern Hill Country. Storm coverage will be very limited, but those in the northwest Hill Country should be on the lookout for hail and wind out of any well-developed storm.Risk of strong to severe storms later this evening in the Hill Count
  
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• WATCH: Nikki Haley will suspend campaign, leaving Trump as the last major Republican candidate

  06-03-2024 12:37 via kxan.com
  
  Haley is expected to make the official announcement at approximately 10 a.m. ET. Those remarks will be livestreamed within this story.NEW YORK (AP) — Nikki Haley will suspend her presidential campaign Wednesday after being soundly defeated across the country on Super Tuesday, according to people familiar with her decision, leaving Donald Trump as the last remaining major candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination.Three people with direct knowledge who spoke on the con
  
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• WATCH: Nikki Haley suspends campaign, leaving Trump as the last major Republican candidate

  06-03-2024 12:37 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Nikki Haley will suspend her presidential campaign Wednesday after being soundly defeated across the country on Super Tuesday, according to people familiar with her decision, leaving Donald Trump as the last remaining major candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination.Three people with direct knowledge who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly confirmed Haley's decision ahead of an announcement schedu
  
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• Nikki Haley will suspend campaign, leaving Trump as the last major Republican candidate

  06-03-2024 12:37 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Nikki Haley will suspend her presidential campaign Wednesday after being soundly defeated across the country on Super Tuesday, according to people familiar with her decision, leaving Donald Trump as the last remaining major candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination.Three people with direct knowledge who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly confirmed Haley's decision ahead of an announcement schedu
  
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• Nikki Haley suspends presidential campaign, leaving Trump as last major GOP candidate

  06-03-2024 12:37 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Nikki Haley suspended her presidential campaign on Wednesday after being soundly defeated across the country on Super Tuesday, leaving Donald Trump as the last remaining major candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination.Haley didn’t endorse the former president in a speech in Charleston, South Carolina. Instead, she encouraged him to earn the support of the coalition of moderate Republicans and independent voters who supported her.“It is now
  
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• Zwiener projected winner in Texas House District 45 Democratic primary

  06-03-2024 06:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — House District 45 incumbent Erin Zwiener, D-Driftwood, advanced to the general election after KXAN projected she won the Democratic primary over Chevo Pastrano. VIEW ELECTION RESULTSZwiener is aiming for her fourth term in the Texas House of Representatives. She will face Republican Tennyson Moreno in the November election. District 45 covers a portion of Hays County.Here’s a breakdown of the Democratic candidates.Erin Zwiener (Incumbent)According to Zweiener&rsq
  
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• Alex Villalobos projected to win Hays County Sheriff Democratic primary

  06-03-2024 06:12 via kxan.com
  
  HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – KXAN projects that Alex Villalobos will win the Democratic primary for the race to become Hays County sheriff.Click here for election resultsVillalobos, who currently works as Hays County's Chief of Staff, secured more votes than his Democratic primary opponent, Daniel Law. Villalobos will face off against Republican challenger Anthony Hipolitio for the position in November.“I’m glad that both candidates stayed in and we ran a clean race. We discusse
  
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• Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan heading to runoff against conservative challenger

  06-03-2024 06:08 via kxan.com
  
  (Texas Tribune) — Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan is facing a runoff election after he failed to secure a majority of votes in primary voting, the clearest sign to date of his precarious position within the Republican Party.Phelan advanced to the runoff with rival David Covey, a former chairman of the Orange County Republican Party who has been endorsed by Attorney General Ken Paxton, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and former President Donald Trump.The third cand
  
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• Rep. Stan Gerdes wins House District 17 seat for GOP nominee

  06-03-2024 03:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nester) — Rep. Stan Gerdes and Tom Glass battled to be House District 17’s GOP nominee. The race involved Bastrop, Burleson, Caldwell, Lee and Milam counties but, like many races for state representative, it reflects an ongoing rivalry in Austin. Click here for election resultsGerdes, who is backed by Gov. Greg Abbott, voted to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton last May. Paxton has since endorsed Glass. The race was called for Gerdes overnight. He is seeking his s
  
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• GOP primary battle set for House District 17 seat

  06-03-2024 03:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nester) — Rep. Stan Gerdes and Tom Glass are battling to be House District 17’s GOP nominee. The race involves Bastrop, Burleson, Caldwell, Lee and Milam counties but, like many races for state representative, it reflects an ongoing rivalry in Austin. Click here for election resultsGerdes, who is backed by Gov. Greg Abott, voted to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton last may. Paxton has since endorsed Glass. However, the candidates are standing on a variety of issu
  
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• ELECTION RESULTS: Texas primary votes

  06-03-2024 02:00 via kxan.com
  
  App users, view full election results by tapping here.
  
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• ELECTION RESULTS: Texas primary results

  06-03-2024 02:00 via kxan.com
  
  App users, view full election results by tapping here.
  
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• 'We practice harder than anyone': Stony Point's toughness has them making history

  06-03-2024 01:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Grueling summer practices made some of the Stony Point players question head coach Antoine Thompson and his coaching staff full of former college basketball players. Now that the Tigers are playing in the UIL 6A boys basketball semifinals for the first time in school history, the team's tone has changed.The Tigers (37-1) take on Beaumont United at 8:30 p.m., Friday at the Alamodome for a spot in the state title game. After all the sweat they poured onto the hardwood prepari
  
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• 'Data issue' with machines affects thousands of Travis County registered voters on Super Tuesday

  06-03-2024 00:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Karen West couldn't vote before work on Super Tuesday like she planned.
  "It was like, wow, this is kind of frustrating, because this is what people have been complaining about with these election machines," West said. Interactives: How many people are registered to vote in your county?According to the Travis County Clerk's Office, there were issues countywide, affecting roughly 1% of registered voters on Super Tuesday. Around 890,000 people are registered to vote in Travis
  
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• 'Data issue' with machines affects 1% of Travis County registered voters on Super Tuesday

  06-03-2024 00:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Karen West couldn't vote before work on Super Tuesday like she planned.
  "It was like, wow, this is kind of frustrating, because this is what people have been complaining about with these election machines," West said. Interactives: How many people are registered to vote in your county?According to the Travis County Clerk's Office, there were issues countywide, affecting roughly 1% of registered voters on Super Tuesday. Around 890,000 people are registered to vote in Travis
  
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• 'Data issue' affects many Travis County registered voters on Super Tuesday

  06-03-2024 00:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Karen West couldn't vote before work on Super Tuesday like she planned.
  "It was like, wow, this is kind of frustrating, because this is what people have been complaining about with these election machines," West said. Interactives: How many people are registered to vote in your county?According to the Travis County Clerk's Office, there was a data issue countywide, affecting roughly 1% of registered voters on Super Tuesday. It means as many as roughly 8,900 voters may have
  
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• Austin Parks Foundation’s ‘In the Park’ series returns for 2024

  06-03-2024 00:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Movies and playdates around Austin are back from now to the end of the year. Austin Parks Foundation (APF) released the 2024 schedule for its In the Park series. Each event offers a free Austin experience for people of all ages to participate, according to a press release. The series kicks off with Playdates in the Park on March 6 and continues with the first Movies in the Park of the year on March 14.Playdates in the Park events include activities such as live st
  
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