Austin news

• How Texas guard Tyrese Hunter's grandmother influenced his life, basketball

  19-03-2024 23:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - As the Texas men's basketball eyes another deep run in the NCAA Tournament, they'll rely on a number of key veterans. One of those vets, Tyrese Hunter, is used to postseason success.This is Hunter's second season with the Longhorns and third go around in March Madness. In his freshman season with Iowa State, Hunter helped the Cyclones reach the Sweet 16. Horns Report: A look at how March Madness begins for UT men’s, women’s hoopsThat run for Iowa State was particularl
  
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• Cost estimates more than double to replace failing Austin arts center building

  19-03-2024 22:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The cost to replace Austin's Dougherty Arts Center building has more than doubled after years of delays, revised plans and rising construction costs.An initial $28.5 million plan was to relocate and rebuild the arts center in Butler Shores Park, next to the Zach Theatre, with a theater, gallery and arts school. On Tuesday, city staff said current estimates show the project costs escalated by $30.65 million. PREVIOUS REPORTING: $28 million plan to relocate the Dougherty Arts
  
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• PHOTOS: Pets pose for bluebonnets season in Central Texas

  19-03-2024 22:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — It's one of the best times of the year — bluebonnets season!According to the Texas State Historical Association, the bluebonnet was adopted as the state flower on March 7, 1901. They usually bloom in late March and early April every year.
  In the 1930s, the Texas Highway Department began an initiative to cultivate native wildflower species along state roadways. Former First Lady Claudia Alta “Lady Bird” Johnson was a big supporter of this effort.Why ar
  
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• Austin Community College extending FAFSA deadline to May 1

  19-03-2024 21:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As a way to help students through the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), Austin Community College (ACC) is extending its deadline to May 1.ACC said in a release students are encouraged to apply early, as FAFSA funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis.ACC officials said the school distributes more than $70 million annually.According to ACC, there are changes to the FAFSA form, which can be viewed below:
  Expanded eligibility offering financial ass
  
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• May trial set in Project Connect funding structure debate

  19-03-2024 21:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A trial has been set in Travis County this May amid an ongoing legal dispute involving Austin's Project Connect mass transit plan.The Austin Transit Partnership shared with KXAN a copy of a memo shared with ATP board members Monday. In it, ATP officials confirmed the Travis County District Court would host the trial May 28-30.
  Prior to that trial's start is an initial hearing on April 10 related to ATP's request for a protective order in benefit of some confidential informa
  
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• LCSO: Woman found dead after camping near Llano River

  19-03-2024 20:50 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's note: The above video shows KXAN News' top morning headlines from Tuesday, March 19, 2024.LLANO COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- The Llano County Sheriff's Office is investigating the circumstances surrounding a woman's death after she was found in a wooded area on March 16.The woman was identified as Tammy Snow, 57, according to a LCSO news release.On March 15, officials responded to Long's Fishing Camp for a woman who had not been seen since March 12 when she was camping by the Llano River, th
  
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• Swifties caused seismic activity during Taylor Swift's Los Angeles show: new research

  19-03-2024 20:07 via kxan.com
  
  (KTLA) — It turns out Swifties really do know how to "Shake It Off."In July, a Western Washington University geology professor and seismologist found the singer's shows in Seattle were on par with a 2.3 magnitude earthquake. At the time, it wasn't clear if the fans or the sound systems caused the seismic activity.
  It was not, however, the last time shaking was reported during a Swift show.A group of scientists at Caltech and UCLA researched the seismic activity during the "Karma" singer's
  
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• Sarkisian feeling confident after first spring practice

  19-03-2024 19:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - Coming off an incredible 2023 season that resulted in a trip to the College Football Playoff, Texas football carried the momentum in spring practice starting Tuesday."This was a pretty good first day," said Texas head football coach Steve Sarkisian. "It was pretty evident that the energy was really good out there at practice."In Texas' 12 win season, Sarkisian consistently praised the versatility of his team in their ability to win in multiple ways. As he continues to gauge this
  
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• Supreme Court greenlights Texas law allowing state police to arrest migrants

  19-03-2024 19:18 via kxan.com
  
  The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed a Texas law to take effect that enables state law enforcement to arrest people they suspect are illegally entering the United States from Mexico.The three liberal justices publicly dissented from the court’s order that clears the way for the controversial statute, SB4. The order is not a final decision, and the case could return to the high court.The Biden administration had urged the justices to block the law, passed by Texas’s Rep
  
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• Supreme Court green lights Texas law that allows state police to arrest migrants

  19-03-2024 19:18 via kxan.com
  
  The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed a Texas law to take effect that enables state law enforcement to arrest people they suspect are illegally entering the United States from Mexico.The three liberal justices publicly dissented from the court’s order reinstating the controversial statute, SB4.The Biden administration had urged the justices to block the law, passed by Texas’s Republican-controlled legislature last year, asserting it is an “unprecedented intrusion into federal im
  
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• Lakeway Police arrest 5 juveniles after attempted car break-ins

  19-03-2024 19:10 via kxan.com
  
  LAKEWAY, Texas (KXAN) — Five juveniles were arrested over the weekend in Lakeway after they allegedly attempted to break into cars in the Rough Hollow area while driving two stolen vehicles, according to police.
  The Lakeway Police Department posted on social media about the attempted burglaries, saying a resident notified the department around 2 a.m. on March 16 that someone was attempting to burglarize a vehicle in the Peninsula neighborhood of Rough Hollow. The resident told police secur
  
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• Austin could pursue 2026 bond election for 'cap and stitch' funding

  19-03-2024 19:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — City officials confirmed Tuesday a bond election could be on the horizon for Austinites as transportation leaders eye new funding opportunities for its Interstate 35 "cap and stitch program."The cap and stitch program comprises deck coverings that would sit on top of sunken portions of the highway and could host community spaces like parkland and open space, shade structures, art displays and other amenities. The city has been pursuing it in tandem with the Texas Department
  
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• Stay issued on Nate Paul jail commitment order

  19-03-2024 18:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas Supreme Court issued a stay on an order of jail commitment for Austin real estate developer Nate Paul Tuesday afternoon.A Travis County district judge had previously ordered Paul to begin serving a 10-day jail sentence for contempt of court starting April 1, for violations in a civil case over money owed to a charitable foundation, according to an amended order filed late Monday.Paul's commitment to Travis County jail is now paused, "pending further order of this
  
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• Nate Paul ordered to jail by April 1

  19-03-2024 18:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – A Travis County district judge has ordered Austin real estate developer Nate Paul to begin serving a 10-day jail sentence for contempt of court on April 1, for violations in a civil case over money owed to a charitable foundation, according to an amended order filed late Monday.District Judge Jan Soifer ordered Paul to jail as punishment for six separate acts of criminal contempt in the long-running case between Paul and The Mitte Foundation, according to the order. The Mit
  
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• UT study highlights asthma disparities in Austin neighborhoods

  19-03-2024 18:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new study from the University of Texas at Austin shows a link between higher air pollution levels and health disparities in Austin.
  The study from Dell Medical School and UT College of Natural Science researchers shows the connection between asthma-related emergency room trips and air pollution in certain Austin neighborhoods — specifically areas with higher populations of Black and Latinx people, according to a UT release. PREVIOUS REPORTING: UT researchers investi
  
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• APD sergeant completes 80+ mile run fundraising for animal rescue

  19-03-2024 16:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Sergeant Ben Mewis has done it again."Fourth time," he said with a smile as he touched the Capitol building.This is now the fourth community-engagement running endeavor he's completed since 2021. He started by running all of the streets in his sector to better connect with the people who live there, and he's now transformed this project into a way to fundraise for charities he and his family are passionate about. PREVIOUS: Austin sergeant runs from Alamo to Texas Capitol, uses p
  
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• Experts closely watching oil prices rise

  19-03-2024 15:28 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Drivers could see a steady rise at the gas pump.AAA said the national average is $3.49, an increase from this time last year.“This is the time of year we normally see pump prices start to rise,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “And while prices have been rather pokey so far, they should begin to accelerate and move higher very soon.”   Energy experts are also watching diesel prices.“Frankly, when you see higher diesel prices, because
  
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• Bodies found at San Antonio park likely connected with Amber Alert, BCSO says

  19-03-2024 14:05 via kxan.com
  
  SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KXAN) -- The San Antonio Sheriff's Office said two bodies found Tuesday morning near a northwest San Antonio park are believed to be connected with an Amber Alert issued Monday afternoon.The Bexar County Sheriff's Office, in connection with the Texas Department of Public Safety, issued an Amber Alert Tuesday morning for 3-year-old Kaden Kriger. 32-year-old Savannah Kriger, the boy's mom, was considered the suspect in the disappearance.Law enforcement found Kriger's vehicle at
  
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• Amber Alert: Missing San Antonio boy found

  19-03-2024 14:05 via kxan.com
  
  SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KXAN) -- A three-year-old boy who went missing from San Antonio Monday afternoon has been found, according to a release from the Texas Department of Public Safety.The Bexar County Sheriff's Office issued the Amber Alert Tuesday morning.Authorities were previously searching for a 32-year-old woman in connection with the boy's abduction.
  
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• Amber Alert issued for 3-year-old San Antonio boy

  19-03-2024 14:05 via kxan.com
  
  SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KXAN) -- An Amber Alert was issued for a three-year-old boy who went missing from San Antonio Monday afternoon.
  The Bexar County Sheriff's Office issued the alert Tuesday morning for Kaiden Kriger, who was described as white with brown hair and brown eyes, about 2'6" and 40 lbs, last seen wearing a Spiderman t-shirt with a Spiderman mask/hoodie attached.
  Authorities are searching for Savannah Kriger, 32, in connection to his abduction. Law enforcement said she may have a gun
  
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• Austin woman helps feed hundreds of unhoused people

  19-03-2024 13:00 via kxan.com
  
  We asked you to tell us about inspiring women in your life. We went through hundreds of nominations in our Remarkable Women contest. Now, we’re sharing our finalists’ stories.AUSTIN (KXAN) --- Every Monday at Oak Hill United Methodist Church, you can find a table filled with a variety of dishes and desserts.
  At first glance, you might think it was a special occasion. However, this is just a typical Monday night at the church.
  Their family suppers are filled with some p
  
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• LIVE: Eclipse provides NASA scientists opportunity to study burning sky

  19-03-2024 11:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --"The Earth actually lives in the atmosphere of the sun," said Eric Christian, Associate Lab Chief in NASA's Heliospheric Laboratory, during a Zoom call on March 8. One month out from the total solar eclipse that would soon cross the United States, Christian was excited about the chance to study the center of our solar system: the Sun.During the solar eclipse, our Moon will shield all the light emitted directly by our local star. In the process, it will make the lower atmosphere o
  
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• Eclipse provides NASA scientists opportunity to study burning sky

  19-03-2024 11:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --"The Earth actually lives in the atmosphere of the sun," said Eric Christian, Associate Lab Chief in NASA's Heliospheric Laboratory, during a Zoom call on March 8. One month out from the total solar eclipse that would soon cross the United States, Christian was excited about the chance to study the center of our solar system: the Sun.During the solar eclipse, our Moon will shield all the light emitted directly by our local star. In the process, it will make the lower atmosphere o
  
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• Kingsland man sentenced to 99 years in prison for possession of methamphetamine

  19-03-2024 03:25 via kxan.com
  
  BURNET COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Late last month, a Burnet County judge sentenced a Kingsland man to 99 years in prison, after he was found guilty of possessing a large quantity of methamphetamines with an intent to distribute.In addition to the sentence, Judge Allan Garrett said Daniel Limon, 29, has to pay a fine of $250,000.
  Llano County Sheriff's deputies pulled Limon over for a traffic stop in Kingsland, and a vehicle search revealed he had 984 grams of methamphetamine "hidden in a speaker,"
  
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• APD: Situation resolved, no threat to public after report of barricaded subject

  19-03-2024 02:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- There is no longer a threat to the public after a report of a barricaded subject in east Austin, the Austin Police Department said.The heavy police presence was reported on APD's social media around 8 p.m. in the 6200 block of Haney Drive. Shortly before 8:30 p.m., police posted an update saying the situation was "resolved peacefully," and there was no longer a barricaded subject.APD said officers were "vacating the area." No other details were available Tuesday.
  
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• APD: Heavy police presence in east Austin due to barricaded subject

  19-03-2024 02:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department is responding to a report of a barricaded subject in east Austin.The heavy police presence was reported on APD's social media around 8 p.m. in the 6200 block of Haney Drive.People are urged to avoid the area at this time.
  This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
  
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• Williamson Co. celebrates completion of newly-reconstructed highway with ribbon-cutting

  19-03-2024 02:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A ribbon-cutting on Monday marked the completion of a newly-reconstructed highway in Williamson County.The newly-reconstructed County Road 245 opened up for traffic Monday between Georgetown and Sun City.The county reconstructed the two-lane highway to include an interim third lane. The three-lane road also has a center turn lane, as well as right turn lanes at certain locations.The road will eventually become part of a future six-lane road, according to Williamson County. It's
  
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• 'Gap in the system': Addressing crime suspects' mental health in Travis County

  19-03-2024 01:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Craig Staley, the owner of Royal Blue Grocery, a local downtown grocery chain, said a man who has been in and out of jail has put him out about $20,000 in window repairs.
  Staley said the man has repeatedly broken into his store, even after getting arrested for the alleged crime multiple times.The courts have found this suspect perpetually incompetent to stand trial. We are not identifying the man because of the mental health component involved. Police told KXAN the man is experi
  
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• Why are you voting on appraisal district board members in May?

  19-03-2024 01:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- You're going back to the polls in less than two months to vote on elected positions Texas voters agreed to in the fine print of the property tax proposition Republicans brought forward last year.
  Proposition 4 switched up who sits on county appraisal district boards in Texas' larger counties. Of the eight members on that board, three will now be elected. That's a first.Simply, appraisal districts determine how valuable your property is, and therefore how much you've got to pay i
  
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