Austin news

• UT doctoral candidate killed in crash weeks before dissertation presentation

  26-03-2024 23:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Ryan Wallace was on his way to pick up his sister's kids from school when he was killed in a crash on Highway 21 in Bastrop County.
  According to his family, he was just weeks away from presenting his dissertation to become a doctor.PREVIOUS: 2 dead, more than 50 people involved in school bus rollover crash, officials sayRyan Wallace, 33, killed in crash on Highway 21. (Photo by: UT Moody College).Wallace, 33, was a doctoral candidate at the School of Journalism and Media at
  
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• Austin Pets Alive! looks to expand facilities, rebuild Town Lake center in $45M project

  26-03-2024 23:32 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Pets Alive plans to take its "deteriorating" building in central Austin and rebuild it with expanded facilities across Central Texas, the nonprofit announced Monday.
  The four-part, multi-year project comes as the 75-year-old building faces ongoing issues with flooding and temperature control issues during winter months and during heat waves. The new facilities will eliminate these issues and bring the building up to code, Austin Pets Alive! CEO and President Dr. Elle
  
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• Austin City Council could make its pick for city manager as soon as Tuesday night

  26-03-2024 23:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After 39 people applied to be Austin’s next city manager, Austin City Council now has its top two candidates: Sara Hensley and T.C. Broadnax.
  According to sources close to the search, the council could make its pick between those two candidates as soon as Tuesday night.
  Alternatively, Mayor Kirk Watson has previously said they could bring back one or both candidates for further questions early next week. The council is posted to announce its pick during its meeting Thursda
  
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• CapMetro cautions possible service delays during April eclipse

  26-03-2024 22:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- CapMetro is preparing for expected delays to service operations April 8 due to the total solar eclipse.
  The transit authority shared the notice Tuesday, just under two weeks before the natural event. Transit officials said CapMetro Bus, Metro Access and Metro Pickup services are all likely to experience delays before, during and after the eclipse due to anticipated heavy traffic. RELATED: Which Austin roadways could see the most eclipse traffic?"We expect most of our service are
  
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• Which Austin roadways could see the most eclipse traffic?

  26-03-2024 22:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — It's less than two weeks until the total solar eclipse, where Texans will have a front-and-center view of the natural phenomenon. With many visitors expected to travel to the Lone Star State for the event, state transportation leaders expect plenty of gridlock and bumper-to-bumper conditions.A Texas Department of Transportation spokesperson said the state agency expects major highways from Laredo to Tyler will be caught in the thick of it. Here in Austin, TxDOT anticipates
  
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• Cats alert, save Texas family from house fire

  26-03-2024 21:11 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- A duo of unlikely heroes came to the rescue early Sunday morning and saved a Travis County family from a fire in their home.Kristine Branstetter was asleep in her Steiner Ranch home early Sunday morning when her cat Lucky began laying on her chest and incessantly rubbing his face against hers. It was then that she noticed one of her other cats, Toast, was loudly meowing next to her.Kristine said she began smelling plastic and looked outside her bedroom door, where
  
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• Tom Green Elementary students head back to class after deadly bus crash

  26-03-2024 21:09 via kxan.com
  
  BUDA, Texas (KXAN) — On a cold spring morning in Buda, Texas, children returned to Tom Green Elementary School following the horrific bus crash Friday afternoon. Many parents walked back from dropping off their kids with tears in their eyes as they grappled with the reality of what happened days ago.  MORE: Hays CISD speeds up bus replacement, identifies student who died in Friday crashOn Friday, a crash occurred between a Hays CISD bus and a concrete truck. It resulted in two de
  
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• House Ethics Committee investigating Texas Congressman Troy E. Nehls

  26-03-2024 21:01 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (KXAN) — Texas Congressman Troy E. Nehls is under investigation by the U.S. House Ethics Committee, according to a statement shared by the panel Tuesday.
  The committee's letter did not specify what it's looking into now, adding it will make an announcement on the matter by May 10. The independent Office of Congressional Ethics flagged the issue for the panel to consider on Dec. 11 last year.
  "The Committee notes that the mere fact of a referral or an extension, and the mandatory
  
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• Nonprofit urges US Census Bureau to be more inclusive in 2025 disability count

  26-03-2024 20:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The U.S Census Bureau announced it is backing away from a change to how it counts people with disabilities.“The numbers that the Census collects ties into how... the ADEA (Age Discrimination in Emplyment Act) is enforced, the way your social security is calculated,” Robert Cokley with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation said. “So it's really important that we take a very serious look at the approach we use to make this count.”The yearly survey asks people
  
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• How a total eclipse broke gravity wide open and proved Einstein right

  26-03-2024 19:46 via kxan.com
  
  (KXAN) -- Solar eclipses are an amazing sight that has inspired some amazing science. The upcoming April 8 eclipse will provide numerous opportunities for professional and amateur scientists, but those experiments will likely not measure up to one of the most important ones of the modern era.On Thursday, May 29, 1919, a total solar eclipse passed over the Earth and in the process proved Albert Einstein's theory of relativity.According to Eclipse1919.org, the eclipse was observed by scientists Si
  
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• How to share input about possible LGBTQ+ Cultural Center in Austin

  26-03-2024 19:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — City leaders would like to hear what neighbors think about the possibility of opening a facility dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community in Austin.
  The city's LGBTQIA+ Quality of Life Commission, which serves as an advisory board for the City Council, will host a town hall on April 15. Organizers said they're hoping to gather input about an LGBTQIA+ Cultural Center and discuss the potential need for it.PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Austin’s LGBTQ+ Commission releases quality of life s
  
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• Austin basketball team fundraises to play at national championships, not letting obstacles stop them

  26-03-2024 18:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The doors are wide open to the gym at a local church. Inside, the sound echoes of players racing back and forth down the court reaching for the basketball or blocking a shot.“Our team is 26 and 0, number one team in the country,” said Coach Tim Allen. They practice hard, the intensity shows on their faces, something big is on the line.“We're heading to nationals in April coming up soon.”To understand the challenge that awaits the team, Coach All
  
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• Austin basketball team fund-raises to play at National Championships, not letting obstacles stop them

  26-03-2024 18:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The doors are wide open to the gym at a local church. Inside, the sound echoes of players racing back and forth down the court reaching for the basketball or blocking a shot.“Our team is 26 and 0, number one team in the country,” said Coach Tim Allen. They practice hard, the intensity shows on their faces, something big is on the line.“We're heading to nationals in April coming up soon.”To understand the challenge that awaits the team, Coach All
  
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• ATCEMS: Travis County has 'twice as many' opioid deaths compared to other Texas counties

  26-03-2024 17:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — According to a presentation by Austin-Travis County EMS, Travis County is outpacing other Texas counties in opioid overdose deaths.
  During a City Council Public Safety Committee meeting, ATCEMS highlighted disturbing data that shows the opioid crisis touched every part of the community.
  The 2023 data is not available yet, but ATCEMS Division Chief Stephen White said overdose deaths jumped in the county between 2020 and 2022.
  "Travis County now has twice as many opioid overd
  
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• ATCEMS: Travis County has highest opioid death rate in Texas

  26-03-2024 17:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — According to a presentation by Austin-Travis County EMS, Travis County has the highest opioid death rate in the state.During a City Council Public Safety Committee meeting, ATCEMS highlighted disturbing data that shows the opioid crisis touched every part of the community.
  The 2023 data is not available yet, but ATCEMS Division Chief Stephen White said overdose deaths jumped in the county between 2020 and 2022.
  "Travis County now has twice as many opioid overdose deaths tha
  
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• ATCEMS: Travis County has 2x more opioid deaths compared to other counties

  26-03-2024 17:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — According to a presentation by Austin-Travis County EMS, Travis County is outpacing other Texas counties in opioid overdose deaths.
  During a City Council Public Safety Committee meeting, ATCEMS highlighted disturbing data that shows the opioid crisis touched every part of the community.
  The 2023 data is not available yet, but ATCEMS Division Chief Stephen White said overdose deaths jumped in the county between 2020 and 2022.
  "Travis County now has twice as many opioid overd
  
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• After losing eye, Austin woman helps the world see more clearly

  26-03-2024 17:27 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) -- A pair of difficult medical diagnoses launched Chelsea Elliott into a life dedicated to serving others. After graduating from St. Edwards University in Austin over a decade ago, she started a nonprofit that would change the trajectory for thousands of people in Central Texas.Chels
  
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• What was the bright light seen over Central Texas last night?

  26-03-2024 17:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Did you happen to see a bright light moving across the Central Texas skies Monday evening?
  Several KXAN viewers sent us videos of a bright light in the sky last night. Videos recorded across Central Texas show a bright light moving across the sky around 8 p.m. Monday.
  So, what was it?
  Most likely, it was a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch at 7:42 p.m. ET Monday from Cape Canaveral.
  According to SpaceX, Falcon 9 rockets are reusable, two-stage rockets meant to transport people and pay
  
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• Willie Nelson moves 2024 4th of July Picnic out of Texas

  26-03-2024 16:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Willie Nelson's annual 4th of July Picnic is straying away from the Lone Star State in 2024, the Texas singer-songwriter announced Tuesday.Nelson's annual concert will take place at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey on July 4, per an Instagram post. The line-up features Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Maren Morris, Mavis Staples and Celisse.
  Nelson launched the 4th of July Picnic series in 1973, according to the Bullock Texas State History Mus
  
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• Age progression photo of missing San Antonio girl released 3 years after disappearance

  26-03-2024 15:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) released the first age progression image of a San Antonio girl who went missing at the age of three in December 2021. The photo shows what she may look like today at the age of six.San Antonio 3-year-old’s disappearance being treated as missing persons caseLina Sardar Khil disappeared from San Antonio on Dec. 20, 2021. She was last seen at a playground in the 9400 block of Fredericksburg Road. An Amber Ale
  
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• Texas officials confirm dairy outbreak poses no threat to consumer supply or public health

  26-03-2024 14:51 via kxan.com
  
  LUBBOCK, Texas - What began as a mystery illness that has made its way to dairies in the Texas Panhandle was confirmed Monday as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), or Bird Flu, by health officials.Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has primarily affected older dairy cows in Texas, Kansas and New Mexico, "causing decreased lactation, low appetite and other symptoms," a press release said.
  On Monday, unpasteurized, clinical samples of milk from sick cattle collected from two dairy farms, one
  
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• Police identify person killed in U.S. Highway 290 crash

  26-03-2024 13:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin police have identified the driver who was killed in a single-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 290 Friday, March 15. The vehicle's passenger had non-life-threatening injuries from the crash.1 dead, 1 hurt after crash on Hwy 290The Austin Police Department identified the driver as Jacoby Dywayne Larue Mahome, 30.
  On Friday, March 15, around 6:15 a.m., APD officers responded to a single vehicle crash in the 8700 block of East U.S. 290.
  Mahome was pronounced deceased on the scen
  
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• Report: Paxton could take deal to avoid securities fraud trial

  26-03-2024 13:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Prosecutors are expected to dismiss Attorney General Ken Paxton's felony securities fraud charges on Tuesday, the Austin American-Statesman reported Friday.According to the report, the deal could require Paxton to complete community service, legal education, and pay a six-figure fine to avoid a risky public trial that would carry the penalty of prison with a conviction.Paxton's prosecutor Brian Wice declined to comment on this report to Nexstar.In 2015, a Collin County grand
  
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• Paxton makes deal to avoid securities fraud trial

  26-03-2024 13:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Prosecutors dismissed Attorney General Ken Paxton's felony securities fraud charges at a hearing Tuesday morning in Houston.Paxton was scheduled to go to trial on April 15.
  Defense and prosecutors confirmed the agreement shortly after the hearing started in Judge Andrea Beall's courtroom.According to the agreement, Paxton will be required to pay restitution, which amounts to just under $300,000.Paxton will also be required to complete 100 hours of community service in Collin
  
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• Ken Paxton makes deal to avoid securities fraud trial

  26-03-2024 13:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Prosecutors dismissed Attorney General Ken Paxton's felony securities fraud charges at a hearing Tuesday morning in Houston.Paxton was scheduled to go to trial on April 15.
  Defense and prosecutors confirmed the agreement shortly after the hearing started in Judge Andrea Beall's courtroom.According to the agreement, Paxton will be required to pay restitution, which amounts to just under $300,000.Paxton will also be required to complete 100 hours of community service in Collin
  
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• Where is it raining next? A closer look at 'a chance of rain'

  26-03-2024 12:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- It is one of the most important questions a weather forecaster can answer: "what is the chance of rain?" This question is a little more complicated than we think. For many of us, we think the the chance of rain is about, well, us. How likely am I to see rain on a given day?But this isn't how weather forecasters work. So what does this phrase really mean?Meteorologist Kristen Currie digs into this question and what it means for you in this First Warning Weather University lesson.
  
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• Scattered storms midweek with low severe risk

  26-03-2024 11:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A seasonably cool day on tap ahead of a turn to more active weather on Wednesday.The headline today will be the chill this morning followed by a cooler than average afternoon. High temperatures will climb into the 60s under a sunny and dry sky (average high: 76°). Winds out of the north at 5-10 mph will keep the cool air in place today.
  Temperatures will warm a few degrees tomorrow but the main focus will be a quick-hitting disturbance bringing spotty to scattered storms Wed
  
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• Approaching system could bring rain, storms Wednesday

  26-03-2024 11:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Despite a weak cold front Tuesday's weather turned out to be beautiful, with clear skies and highs in the 60s to 70 degrees. It will be chilly again overnight with lows in the 40s in most areas.An upper-level trough will rapidly approach Wednesday morning and could trigger light rain showers early in the day. Rain with a few thunderstorms may also develop in the Hill Country during the early afternoon, then move east toward the Austin metro area before evening.
  The activity is e
  
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• After a beautiful afternoon, a quick change by morning

  26-03-2024 11:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Despite a weak cold front Tuesday's weather turned out to be beautiful, with clear skies and highs in the 60s to 70 degrees. It will be chilly again overnight with lows in the 40s in most areas.An upper-level trough will rapidly approach Wednesday morning and could trigger light rain showers early in the day. Rain with a few thunderstorms may also develop in the Hill Country during the early afternoon, then move east toward the Austin metro area before evening.
  The activity is e
  
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• A sun-kissed Tuesday afternoon

  26-03-2024 11:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A cold front dropped south after midnight providing a north wind that is keeping temperatures cooler than normal. Today's normal high is 76°.A sunny day is in progress. The sun will set to a mainly clear sky this evening. Clouds will begin their movement towards the Hill Country after midnight. By morning much of the clouds will hover over the Hill Country to I-35.An upper-level trough, responsible for the clouds will continue to move towards the area. Rain is forecast to st
  
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• NTSB gives update after Baltimore bridge collapses following strike by cargo ship

  26-03-2024 10:34 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to show that Grace Ocean Private owns the ship.BALTIMORE (AP) — A container ship lost power and rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing the span to buckle into the river below and plunging a construction crew and several vehicles into the dangerously cold waters. Rescuers pulled out two people, but six others were missing.The ship’s crew issued a mayday call moments before the crash took down the Francis Scott
  
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• Cargo ship lost power, sent mayday before hitting Baltimore bridge, governor says

  26-03-2024 10:34 via kxan.com
  
  BALTIMORE (AP) — A container ship lost power and rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing it to snap and plunge into the river below. Several vehicles fell into the chilly waters, and rescuers searched for survivors.The operators of the ship issued a mayday call moments before the crash that took down the Francis Scott Key Bridge, enabling authorities to limit vehicle traffic on the span, Maryland’s governor said.Baltimore’s Key Bridge collapses: What we k
  
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• Cargo ship hits Baltimore's Key Bridge, collapsing it and sending vehicles into the water

  26-03-2024 10:34 via kxan.com
  
  BALTIMORE (AP) — A container ship rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing it to snap in several places and plunge into the river below. Several vehicles fell into the chilly waters, and rescuers were searching for at least seven people.The vessel appears to have crashed into one of the supports of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, according to a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. The ship caught fire, and thick, black smoke billowed out of it.Parts of the Fran
  
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• Baltimore's Key Bridge collapses in seconds after being hit by cargo ship; search for survivors underway

  26-03-2024 10:34 via kxan.com
  
  BALTIMORE (AP) — A container ship rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing it to snap and plunge into the river below. Several vehicles fell into the chilly waters, and rescuers searched for survivors.It was also not clear what caused the cargo ship to crash into the Francis Scott Key Bridge long before the busy morning commute in what one official called a “developing mass casualty event” in a major American city just outside of Washington. Two people wer
  
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• Baltimore bridge collapses after cargo ship rams into it, leaving 6 missing

  26-03-2024 10:34 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to show that Grace Ocean Private owns the ship.BALTIMORE (AP) — A container ship lost power and rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing the span to buckle into the river below and plunging a construction crew and several vehicles into the dangerously cold waters. Rescuers pulled out two people, but six others were missing.The ship’s crew issued a mayday call moments before the crash took down the Francis Scott
  
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• 6 presumed dead after cargo ship causes Baltimore bridge to collapse

  26-03-2024 10:34 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to show that Grace Ocean Private owns the ship.BALTIMORE (AP) — Six people are missing and presumed dead after a cargo ship lost power and rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, destroying the span in a matter of seconds and plunging it into the river in a terrifying collapse that could disrupt a vital shipping port for months.The ship’s crew issued a mayday call moments before the crash took down the Francis Sco
  
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• Study shows that Texas has nearly 3 times more dry springs than 50 years ago

  26-03-2024 04:05 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) – The number of dry springs in Texas has nearly tripled in the last 50 years, according to new research out of Texas State University.Robert Mace, Ph.D., Meadows Center Executive Director, and Nohemi Galaviz, a research assistant, followed up on a 1975 report that assessed springs across the state. Using methods such as satellite imagery, historical maps and fieldwork, the researchers revealed that 30% of the springs examined in the 1975 report are now dry. &l
  
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• Two people suffer serious injuries after vehicle crashed into 'live' electrical box

  26-03-2024 03:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Two people suffered serious injuries after a report of a vehicle crashing into an electrical box in east Austin on Monday, Austin-Travis County EMS said on social media.Around 8:43 p.m., medics and the Austin Fire Department responded to the 1500 block of Faro Drive. That's near East Riverside Drive. Medics said the two people were stuck due to a "live transformer box/live wires."Medics said both people were "unresponsive," at one point. Both people were freed from the vehicle.
  
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• What do thermostats and Longhorn football players have in common? More than you might think

  26-03-2024 02:44 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Longhorns football coach Steve Sarkisian likes to talk about thermostats and thermometers during spring practices, and it has nothing to do with a central air system.The metaphor he's making is about players who provide the energy in practice, or as Sarkisian describes it, "they set the temperature." Those, of course, are the thermostats. The players who are thermometers react to what's set by the thermostats. Sarkisian wants more thermostats.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay
  
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• AI answering 911 calls? It could help streamline the system

  26-03-2024 01:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Following a special report into the Austin Police Department's 911 operations, the agency is in the early stages of considering using an AI component mentioned in the report.The report noted that Denver 911 "is looking at using AI to geotag an area with a known incident and create a voice message for any 911 callers within the vicinity to let them know police are aware of the issue."So KXAN went straight to the company behind that technology - Carbyne - to get a better understan
  
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