Austin news

• Texas wildfire damages could exceed $1B, lawyer says

  13-03-2024 23:58 via kxan.com
  
  AMARILLO (Nexstar) -- Texans in the Panhandle are calling for accountability for multiple energy companies after investigators identified a downed power line as the source of Texas' largest wildfires.Xcel Energy and the company tasked with overseeing their powerlines, Osmose Utilities Services, are at the center of a lawsuit alleging the companies were negligent in maintaining their power lines.This is the damaged Xcel Energy power pole that Attorney Kevin Isern says caused the largest wildfire
  
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• Experts say climate change should be considered when home shopping

  13-03-2024 23:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Experts spoke at a South by Southwest Wednesday morning about the importance of considering how an area’s climate might change when choosing a new home.On Wednesday, Realtor.com unveiled three new climate risk factors on its website so consumers can see how the area they’re interested in living in may look in the future. Users can now assess flood, heat, wind, air quality and wildfire risk when checking out a new property.“We're really trying to paint a co
  
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• Amid AI hype, SXSW explores ethics, implications of emerging tech disruption

  13-03-2024 23:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- AI was a hot topic at the 2024 SXSW Conference, from AI marketing tools to AI-generated films, self-driving cars and more.(KXAN Photos/Cora Neas)(KXAN Photos/Cora Neas)
  At the SXSW Creative Industry Expo, a booth run by the Office of Ethical and Humane Use and Salesforce asked expo attendees to determine tasks they would trust to AI, and which they would only trust to a human.For Humans, participants said analysis, creative work, decision-making emotional work, and performing fi
  
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• TSA officers intercept 4 firearms at AUS in one day

  13-03-2024 23:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Four firearms were intercepted by Austin-Bergstrom International Airport TSA officers at security checkpoints on Tuesday, a news release from TSA said Wednesday.The Austin Police Department was immediately notified by the TSA once the guns were detected at the security checkpoints, the release said.
  According to the TSA, guns are not permitted through security checkpoints, and now four people "face a stiff financial civil penalty from TSA."Furthermore, passengers can only travel
  
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• 50 more people assisted with Austin’s HEAL Initiative

  13-03-2024 23:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The City of Austin said it continued making progress for those experiencing homelessness in Austin through the Housing-focused Encampment Assistance Link (HEAL) Initiative.The city said it has provided shelter and social services to 43 people at the Northbridge and Southbridge shelters, and seven other people were also currently receiving assistance at the Marshalling Yard Emergency Shelter.According to the city, it recently launched its 18th HEAL Initiative effort since it
  
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• Austin student wins C-SPAN documentary prize

  13-03-2024 22:38 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A home-schooled student in Austin won a prize in C-SPAN's 2024 national video documentary competition.
  Carson Collins will receive $1,500 for his documentary, "Resurgence of Wisdom: Reviving Classical Liberal Education in America," in the 20th annual StudentCam competition, according to C-SPAN.Collins took second place out of 150 winning videos, which can be viewed at studentcam.com, according to C-SPAN.In 2023, Collins also won the annual competition with his documentary &
  
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• Rooster Teeth laying off 133 employees in company shuttering

  13-03-2024 22:22 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Rooster Teeth Productions is laying off 133 in-person and remote employees and shuttering operations in Austin later this year, according to a notice the Texas Workforce Commission shared with KXAN Wednesday.The notice is a federal requirement courtesy of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. The Austin-based production company — located at 1901 E. 51st St. — first confirmed its impending closure in a letter to staff.RELATED: Rooster Teet
  
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• Texas woman wins lottery jackpot without matching a single number — and you can too

  13-03-2024 21:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Texas woman has won a $250,000 lottery jackpot without matching a single number, and no — it's not fraud.Texas Lottery's "All or Nothing" game gives customers a chance to win by matching all 12 numbers drawn, or none at all. The odds of winning either way are 1 in 2,704,156, according to Texas Lottery.The woman, identified as An M. claimed the prize after playing on Lotto.com. In a press release, she said she would donate some of the money to an animal shelter in Lu
  
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• What's the deal with SXSW when the Austin Convention Center closes for reconstruction?

  13-03-2024 21:36 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The above video is KXAN's previous coverage of the Austin Convention Center expansion project.
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- For annual South by Southwest attendees, upcoming events may look a little different in years to come as the Austin Convention Center stares down a complete rebuild. Following SXSW next year, the convention center will close for reconstruction.
  The city plans to close the convention center for that project after SXSW in 2025 and reopen the new building before SXSW in 202
  
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• Man arrested in connection with deadly hit-and-run in downtown Austin

  13-03-2024 21:20 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's note: The above video shows KXAN News' top morning headlines from Wednesday, March 13, 2024.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- One person was arrested by Austin Police on Wednesday after a deadly hit-and-run crash that happened in downtown Austin early Tuesday morning.Tyrone Thompson, 23, was booked into the Travis County Jail on several charges, including Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), resisting arrest search or transport, obstruction or retaliation, unlawful carrying of a weapon and an accident invol
  
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• Viewers share their favorite SXSW memory

  13-03-2024 21:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin is well known for its annual festivals, especially South by Southwest, which has brought celebrities and even more live music to the area over the years.KXAN asked viewers about their favorite SXSW moments from previous years.From attending killer shows to meeting celebrities, here are some viewer highlights from past SXSW events. 2024: Free South by Southwest events in Austin"There are many, but Jay-Z and Kanye at the Austin Music Hall is near the top of my list," o
  
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• Texas man who used an iron lung for decades after contracting polio as a child dies at 78

  13-03-2024 21:12 via kxan.com
  
  DALLAS (AP) — A Texas man who spent most of his 78 years using an iron lung chamber and built a large following on social media, recounting his life from contracting polio in the 1940s to earning a law degree, has died.Paul Alexander died Monday at a Dallas hospital, said Daniel Spinks, a longtime friend. He said Alexander had recently been hospitalized after being diagnosed with COVID-19 but did not know the cause of death.Alexander was 6 when he began using an iron lung, a cyli
  
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• Texas medical cannabis distributor calls for regulations of CBD market

  13-03-2024 19:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The CEO of Texas' largest medical cannabis distributor is urging leaders to regulate the state's CBD market, citing concerns over health issues related to hemp-derived products such as delta-8 and delta-9 THC.Delta-8 and delta-9 THC are compounds closely related to the psychoactive compound in marijuana that gets users "high." It's legal in most states after Congress passed the 2018 farm bill, which had an unintended loophole due to how lawmakers defined "hemp" whil
  
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• Austin police contract not available to public during negotiations, negotiations will be streamed

  13-03-2024 19:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the City of Austin's negotiating team comes back to the table with the Austin Police Association (APA) Wednesday to discuss a long-term police contract, Assistant City Manager Bruce Mills confirmed the contract drafts themselves will not be available to the public until after a contract becomes official."Although this has not always been our practice in the past, the City’s negotiating team has agreed to the Police Officers Associations’ request to strictly c
  
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• Waymo to roll out driverless rideshare services in Austin this year

  13-03-2024 19:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — After beginning initial rider testing in Austin earlier this month, Waymo announced Wednesday plans to roll out public, driverless rideshare services in the Texas capital later this year.Tekedra Mawakana, Waymo's co-CEO, announced the update during an autonomous vehicle panel at the 2024 South by Southwest Conference and Festivals Wednesday. WAYMO NEWS: How can driverless cars broaden access for people with disabilities?Currently, Waymo is in the testing phase of riders-onl
  
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• Deal reached that could mitigate Elon Musk-related pollution concerns in Bastrop County

  13-03-2024 18:58 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's note: The above video shows KXAN News' top morning headlines from Wednesday, March 13, 2024.BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (ABJ) — Long-standing environmental concerns regarding the dumping of treated wastewater into the Colorado River by Elon Musk's companies, The Boring Co. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp., are moving toward resolution.The deal between the City of Bastrop, Corix Utilities Inc., and SpaceX would construct a wastewater line along FM 969 that would connect
  
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• Hot air balloon festival returns to the Texas Hill Country later this month

  13-03-2024 18:52 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's note: The above video shows KXAN News' top morning headlines from Wednesday, March 13, 2024.HORSESHOE BAY, Texas (KXAN) — You can experience hundreds of hot air balloons take to the skies in the Texas Hill Country later this month.
  General admission tickets are now available for the 10th Annual Balloons Over Horseshoe Bay event, happening about an hour outside of Austin. The three-day event is set for Easter weekend from March 29-31 at Horseshoe Bay Resort.
  The general admission t
  
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• Man receives sentence related to 2022 fatal east Austin crash

  13-03-2024 17:54 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's note: The above video shows KXAN News' top morning headlines from Wednesday, March 13, 2024.AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man was sentenced to 10 years deferred adjudication March 7 in connection with a 2022 fatal east Austin crash.In Texas, deferred adjudication is a type of probation that allows the person sentenced to keep the conviction off their criminal record. PAST COVERAGE | Records: Man arrested after not rendering aid in fatal east Austin crashAccording to Travis County court docume
  
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• How Texas representatives voted on bill targeting TikTok

  13-03-2024 17:16 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (KXAN) — The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation by a wide margin that's intended to force TikTok to cut ties with its Chinese owners or face a national ban of the app.
  The bill passed Wednesday morning by a vote of 352-62. It now heads to the U.S. Senate for consideration, while President Joe Biden previously indicated he'd sign this legislation into law.
  The bill, which is called the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, would
  
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• Woman sentenced in fatal 2021 crash, pleaded guilty to intoxication manslaughter

  13-03-2024 17:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A woman was sentenced Feb. 21 in connection with a fatal 2021 northeast Austin crash that involved multiple vehicles.According to Travis County court documents, 39-year-old Octavia Scales pleaded guilty to intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle, a second-degree felony. She was sentenced to serve 10 years in prison. PAST COVERAGE: Driver arrested after deadly multi-vehicle crash in northeast Austin, officers say she was impairedDocuments showed she would receive a jail cre
  
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• U.S. Department of Defense launching new workspace in Austin

  13-03-2024 16:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is trying to find innovative technology to support national security and it's looking right here in Austin.The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) announced the launching of a new Joint Defense Innovation workspace at the Capital Factory, which is a co-working space for entrepreneurs in the tech field.
  In a press release, the DIU said the space will be located next to the Army Applications Laboratory and other government innovation units to "
  
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• U.S. Department of Defense expands new workspace in Austin

  13-03-2024 16:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is trying to find innovative technology to support national security and it's looking right here in Austin.The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) announced the launching of a new Joint Defense Innovation workspace at the Capital Factory, which is a co-working space for entrepreneurs in the tech field.
  In a press release, the DIU said the space will be located next to the Army Applications Laboratory and other government innovation units to "
  
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• ICON unveils new 3D printer, global design competition winners

  13-03-2024 15:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Local 3D-printed construction company, ICON unveiled new technology designed to build affordable housing during a South by Southwest event on Tuesday at The Long Center.The company introduced its multi-story robotic construction system, Phoenix, which carries the capability to print an entire building.Phoenix recently completed a 27-foot-tall architectural demonstration structure, now on display at ICON’s headquarters in South Austin. ICON unveils ‘world’s
  
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• House passes legislation which could ban TikTok in US

  13-03-2024 14:48 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON D.C. (The Hill) -- The House passed a bill Wednesday designed to present an ultimatum to ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok. Under the measure, the company would have to sell the popular video platform or else face a ban in the U.S.The bill had bipartisan support in the House, and President Biden has said he would sign the legislation if it reaches his desk. However passage in the Senate is not guaranteed.Former President Trump, who attempted to ban TikTok in 2020, has no
  
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• LIVE: Inside the Investigations: Lack of medical examiner in Williamson County

  13-03-2024 14:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Each week the in-depth reporting from the KXAN Investigates team will get a spotlight on KXAN Live.A conversation will happen Wednesday morning with investigative reporter Kelly Wiley and KXAN Live anchor Will DuPree to break down one of this week’s top stories. People can watch the live stream in this story and on the KXAN News Facebook page starting at about 9 a.m.Inside the Investigations: TxTag surprise billing lawThe story they’re talking about th
  
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• Inside the Investigations: Lack of medical examiner in Williamson County

  13-03-2024 14:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Each week the in-depth reporting from the KXAN Investigates team will get a spotlight on KXAN Live.A conversation will happen Wednesday morning with investigative reporter Kelly Wiley and KXAN Live anchor Will DuPree to break down one of this week’s top stories. People can watch the live stream in this story and on the KXAN News Facebook page starting at about 9 a.m.Inside the Investigations: TxTag surprise billing lawThe story they’re talking about th
  
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• US lawmakers fight over how to handle nursing home staffing

  13-03-2024 13:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – U.S. lawmakers are clashing over a proposal to add staffing requirements in nursing homes.
  A group of Republican lawmakers filed legislation to prohibit the federal government from implementing minimum staffing standards in skilled nursing facilities nationwide. The push comes as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers a proposal for this type of unprecedented requirement for the industry.
  H.R. 7513, introduced by U.S. Representative Michelle Fischbach, R
  
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• APD arrests man in possession of THC with California connection, affidavit says

  13-03-2024 12:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin Police arrested a man Saturday on felony drug possession charges with connections to an out-of-state dispensary, according to an affidavit obtained by KXAN.
  According to the affidavit, Austin Police and the Texas Department of Public Safety were working a South-by-Southwest joint operation when they followed a driver leaving what the affidavit called a “pop-up market associated with illicit substances” that had been set up on Thompson Street in east Austi
  
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• APD arrests man for possession of THC with California connection

  13-03-2024 12:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin Police arrested a man Saturday on felony drug possession charges with connections to an out-of-state dispensary, according to an affidavit obtained by KXAN.
  According to the affidavit, Austin Police and the Texas Department of Public Safety were working a South-by-Southwest joint operation when they followed a driver leaving what the affidavit called a “pop-up market associated with illicit substances” that had been set up on Thompson Street in east Austi
  
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• Henry Cuellar launches new border security group for Democrats

  13-03-2024 12:14 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (The Texas Tribune) -- U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar launched a Democratic working group on border security Tuesday, hoping to counter the Republican claims that Democrats are unwilling to address the issue.“It's important for Democrats to talk about strong border security and still be respectful of immigrants’ rights,” Cuellar, D-Laredo, told reporters. “For so long the Republicans have had a narrative about the border being a dangerous place and out of co
  
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• Photographer featured on National Geographic tells KXAN about life, 40+ year career

  13-03-2024 11:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin-based photographer Dan Winters will be featured on the National Geographic series Photographer on Monday, March 18.
  The episode premiered at South-by-Southwest on Monday, March 11 and Winters joined KXAN News at 4 on Tuesday to talk about it.
  Jennifer Sanders: National Geographic debuted their new docu series Photographer at this year's South by Southwest. It premieres on March 18 on Nat Geo, and the series flips the lens on some of the world's most extraordinary vis
  
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• New Austin hospital welcomes first baby

  13-03-2024 11:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin’s newest hospital has welcomed its newest addition to the world.Texas Children's Hospital North Austin said the first baby born at the hospital was delivered on Monday. A first look at Texas Children’s new hospital in northwest Austin to open in 2024The little girl named Evie was delivered at 12:40 p.m., weighing 7 pounds, the hospital said.Evie and her mother, Ellen, are doing well and resting in the hospital’s Mother Baby Unit, according to Tuesda
  
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• Texas routs Iowa State, wins Big 12 tourney before SEC move

  13-03-2024 04:14 via kxan.com
  
  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Madison Booker had a big first quarter on her way to 26 points, Aaliyah Moore added 14 and No. 6 Texas cruised to a 70-53 win over Iowa State on Tuesday night for the SEC-bound Longhorns’ second Big 12 Tournament title in three years.Shaylee Gonzales also had 11 points for the second-seeded Longhorns (30-4), who avenged a loss to the Cyclones in last year’s championship game while giving the NCAA Tournament selection committee another reason to consider
  
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• Booker scores 26 as No. 6 Texas routs Iowa State 70-53, wins Big 12 tourney before SEC move

  13-03-2024 04:14 via kxan.com
  
  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Madison Booker had a big first quarter on her way to 26 points, Aaliyah Moore added 14 and No. 6 Texas cruised to a 70-53 win over Iowa State on Tuesday night for the SEC-bound Longhorns’ second Big 12 Tournament title in three years.Shaylee Gonzales also had 11 points for the second-seeded Longhorns (30-4), who avenged a loss to the Cyclones in last year’s championship game while giving the NCAA Tournament selection committee another reason to consider
  
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• Lee County Sheriff's Office investigating shooting as a homicide

  13-03-2024 04:06 via kxan.com
  
  LEE COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — The Lee County Sheriff's Office is investigating a shooting that happened last week as a homicide.Around 9:54 a.m. on March 5, LCSO responded to a report of a dead person in the 100 block of County Road 123 in Ledbetter, Texas, the agency said in a news release. When deputies arrived on the scene, they found a man with "apparent gunshot wounds."Officials identified the victim as Carlos Ramone Greene, 36.According to officials, Greene was known to frequent the hom
  
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• Lee County Sheriff's investigating shooting as a homicide

  13-03-2024 04:06 via kxan.com
  
  LEE COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- The Lee County Sheriff's Office is investigating a shooting that happened last week in Lee County as a homicide .Around 9:54 a.m., March 5, LCSO responded to a report of a dead person in the 100 block of County Road 123 in Ledbetter, Texas, the agency said in a news release. When deputies arrived on the scene, they found a man with "apparent gunshot wounds."Officials identified the victim as Carlos Ramone Greene, 36.According to officials, Greene was known to frequent
  
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• 'I don't want to go out like this': Fredericksburg woman recovering after peeling arm out from hood of vehicle

  13-03-2024 03:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Sandy Schumann said she has jumpstarted vehicles all her life. What she didn't know was that jumpstarting one last week would lead her to take drastic measures, including peeling her own skin off, to get out of a bad situation.Both of Schumann's arms got stuck under the hood of a truck while she was trying to jump the other vehicle, she told KXAN in an interview Tuesday."My hood slammed closed on both arms," she said. "I managed to basically peel my left arm out. It was pretty g
  
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• Staying in a hotel for SXSW? You're being taxed and the City of Austin is benefiting

  13-03-2024 02:36 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- It should be no surprise to Austinites at this point, with major events happening in our city, hotels and short term rentals get booked... and quick.
  A quick drop downtown right now, during South By Southwest, and you'll find plenty of people who will spend the night in one of Austin's many hotels.
  "I'm staying literally across the street from Paramount theater. Just being able to easily walk around everywhere," one of those people, Vanessa Mukhebi, a SXSW speaker visiting from
  
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• How another city addressed issues with 911 response times similar to Austin's

  13-03-2024 01:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A city audit into the Austin Police Department's 911 process prompted KXAN to explore what other cities have done to address high call volumes and low staffing numbers.
  The nine-page audit, requested by Austin City Council Members Alison Alter and Vanessa Fuentes, examined how APD call-takers operate during times of high demand.
  The report also looked at strategies used in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Denver and Portland.Fewer 911 call-takers per shift, why APD did
  
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• Prosecution faces sanctions after violation in Ambler in-custody death trial

  13-03-2024 00:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — While the verdict is in, things aren't totally wrapped for the manslaughter case against two former Williamson County Sheriff's deputies. Travis County prosecutors are awaiting consequences from the court for allegedly withholding evidence from the defense.Last week, a jury found James Johnson and Zach Camden not guilty for the in-custody death of Javier Ambler.In March 2019, Ambler died after a chase with police ended in a crash. The deputies acquitted of manslaughter char
  
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