Austin news

• Colleges 'subverting' DEI ban to face penalties, lawmaker warns

  28-03-2024 23:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Since Texas banned universities from implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives on the first of the year, campuses around the state have scrambled to adapt and determine how to comply.In a letter to university system chancellors this week, State Sen. Brandon Creighton said he is "deeply concerned with the possibility that many institutions may choose to merely rename their offices or employee titles." He requested university leaders explain their efforts to com
  
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• Zilker Eagle train won't return to Austin in March

  28-03-2024 23:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- It's been nearly five years since the departure of the "Zilker Zephyr" train at Zilker Park, and enthusiasts will have to wait a little while longer for its return.The Austin Parks Foundation told KXAN earlier this month the Zilker Zephyr is set to return under new ownership as the "Zilker Eagle." Originally, APF told KXAN March 4 they were eyeing a return this month. PAST COVERAGE: Zilker Eagle train aims for March return to AustinHowever, a spokesperson confirmed Thursday the
  
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• Austin cutting down on number of scooters citywide

  28-03-2024 23:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin's Transportation and Public Works Department is working to limit the number of electric scooters in operation amid safety concerns and improper storing on city sidewalks.Richard Mendoza, director of TPWD, told the Austin Mobility Committee Thursday the city is working toward several changes in scooter use in Austin. Those changes include:
  Putting a moratorium on the number of new e-scooter vendor licenses the City of Austin approves (Austin currently works wit
  
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• How spring cleaning could improve your health

  28-03-2024 22:42 via kxan.com
  
  As traditions go, spring cleaning probably doesn't bring the thrills that come from watching a college basketball tournament, taking a break at the beach or spying the first robins outside your window.But no matter how you approach it, cleaning might affect your health in ways you haven't considered. We asked experts about a few.NEATness countsNEAT sounds like a spring cleaning goal, but it's something that could help your heart.It stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, a heavy-sounding
  
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• Fatal bike crashes jumped 500% in Austin in 2023

  28-03-2024 22:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin's Vision Zero program saw a 500% increase in fatal bike crashes in 2023 compared to 2022, staff said during an Austin Mobility Committee meeting Thursday.That marked the only subcategory featuring a rise in serious injury and fatal crashes in 2023, when comparing it to 2022 data. Pedestrian and motor vehicle fatal crashes declined 17% and 24%, respectively, while there was a 50% decrease in fatal crashes involving motorcyclists. MAP: Where have Austin’s
  
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• Audit: 'Complex' application process for Austin Energy program for vulnerable people during outages

  28-03-2024 22:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The city auditor found issues with the application process for an Austin Energy program meant to help people with critical illnesses or who rely on electricity for medical equipment.
  The Medically Vulnerable Registry offers people case management and assistance in creating a back-up plan in case of power outages. However, according to a report released this week, the "complex" process and other hurdles prevented people from accessing these resources.
  KXAN previously reported on
  
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• Texas' Leo Neugebauer crushing Texas Relays decathlon field after 1st day

  28-03-2024 22:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — It's halfway through the decathlon at the Texas Relays and defending NCAA champion Leo Neugebauer from Texas is flexing again.Neugebauer posted the third-best first-day score in NCAA history of 4,620 points Wednesday at Mike A. Myers Stadium to take a commanding lead after five events. Denim Rogers, competing unattached, is in second with 3,975 points.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter
  
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• How Austin is trying to crack down on parking in bike lanes

  28-03-2024 22:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin has cited more than 300 people for illegally parking in bike lanes since last August, as city transportation leaders are working to crack down on the violation.Joseph Al-hajeri serves as the parking enterprise manager with the Austin Transportation and Public Works Department. He presented the data to the Austin Mobility Committee Thursday afternoon amid conversations on how to better curtail the illegal parking practices.He said staff tasked several tran
  
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• TxDOT: Crash on SH 130 Toll shuts down southbound lanes

  28-03-2024 21:30 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- A crash near the Austin Executive Airport is causing traffic delays and lane closures, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.The State Highway 130 Toll at Cameron Road has all lanes shut down on the southbound side, according to TxDOT's traffic map.The agency said traffic is exiting at Cameron Road.It was not immediately clear how many vehicles were involved, or if there were any injuries.Drivers are urged to avoid the area or seek an alternate route.
  
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• 1 person dead after 2-vehicle crash on SH-130 Toll at Cameron Road

  28-03-2024 21:30 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- One person is dead after a two-vehicle crash involving a rollover on the State Highway 130 Toll on Thursday, Austin-Travis County EMS told KXAN.The crash was reported around 2:30 p.m. on State Highway 130 Toll at Cameron Road, the Texas Department of Transportation said on social media. That's near the Austin Executive Airport.Medics said one adult person was pronounced dead on the scene.All lanes are shut down on the southbound side, according to TxDOT's traffic m
  
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• Rangers top prospects dot Round Rock Express opening day roster

  28-03-2024 20:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Several top prospects in the Texas Rangers organization will begin the spring in Round Rock.The Triple-A Round Rock Express opens its season Friday against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys at Dell Diamond for a three-game series before hitting the road for a six-game set in El Paso. Fans can get a peek at the Rangers' top talent assembled on the Express which includes four of the club's top 10 prospects.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign
  
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• Do you live in an 'allergy capital'? 2 Texas cities among the worst for allergies

  28-03-2024 19:33 via kxan.com
  
  WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Pollen, weeds and grass make you miserable? You'll want to steer clear of a few dozen "allergy capitals," cities around the country that are especially challenging for allergy sufferers.
  The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America released its 2024 Allergy Capitals report this month detailing the worst major cities in the United States for people living with seasonal allergies. They looked at the 100 largest cities in the contiguous U.S. and eval
  
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• Travis County parks prepare for busy Easter weekend

  28-03-2024 19:08 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Travis County said it expected its parks, which will be open as normal, to be busy March 31 for Easter.The county encouraged residents to plan ahead and arrive early for the holiday.“Easter is one of the busiest days for the entire Travis County Parks system,” the county said.To help protect the environment, Travis County asked that park visitors not bring confetti eggs that contain plastic confetti.The county issued a reminder that the parks with day-use fees o
  
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• Easter Bunny visits babies at St. David's Round Rock NICU

  28-03-2024 19:06 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) -- Babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at St. David's Round Rock Medical Center were visited by a special guest this week.
  The Easter Bunny made a stop in the NICU to welcome the babies ahead of their very first Easter.Easter Bunny visits babies in the NICU at St. David's Round Rock Medical Center. (Photo courtesy: St. David's Round Rock Medical Center)Easter Bunny visits babies in the NICU at St. David's Round Rock Medical Center. (Photo courtesy: St. Davi
  
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• How El Niño could impact the weather for the eclipse

  28-03-2024 17:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — El Niño is fading quickly, but it's still going strong for now and that could help us on April 8 for the Total Solar Eclipse. BLOG: El Niño fading fast, when La Niña could beginIn part two of our earlier interview, KXAN Meteorologist Nick Bannin spoke with Brian Brettschneider, a Climate Scientist at the National Weather Service in Anchorage, Alaska who looked at the impact El Niño has on cloud cover in the first half of April. Texas clouds and t
  
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• Safety improvements to busy intersection in Marble Falls

  28-03-2024 16:59 via kxan.com
  
  MARBLE FALLS, Texas (KXAN) — Thursday night, residents in Marble Falls can weigh in on improvements to a busy intersection in the Hill Country.The Texas Department of Transportation said it wanted to make changes to U-S 281 and State Highway 71 just south of Marble Falls."This is an essential interchange for this region. It serves local and commuter traffic. And it also serves as an important freight corridor for Central Texas," TxDOT spokesperson Kellan Mohrmann said.What they're proposin
  
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• 'Take some time to wear off': 76-year-old woman home when man experiencing homelessness breaks in, APD

  28-03-2024 16:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- "I thought it was a good time to relax and watch a movie," 76-year-old Kathy Struck said about the afternoon of March 16. Her daughter Jennifer had just left for the grocery store.The back door was unlocked."All of a sudden, I turn my head, and there's a man in my bedroom," Struck said, adding that the man also went through her pantry and refrigerator.
  She said she stayed calm and got him to leave, locking the door behind him."Then I heard noise, I heard loud banging," Struck sa
  
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• 76-year-old woman home when man experiencing homelessness breaks in, APD says

  28-03-2024 16:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- "I thought it was a good time to relax and watch a movie," 76-year-old Kathy Struck said about the afternoon of March 16. Her daughter Jennifer had just left for the grocery store.The back door was unlocked."All of a sudden, I turn my head, and there's a man in my bedroom," Struck said, adding that the man also went through her pantry and refrigerator.
  She said she stayed calm and got him to leave, locking the door behind him."Then I heard noise, I heard loud banging," Struck sa
  
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• 76-year-old woman at home when man experiencing homelessness breaks in, APD says

  28-03-2024 16:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- "I thought it was a good time to relax and watch a movie," 76-year-old Kathy Struck said about the afternoon of March 16. Her daughter Jennifer had just left for the grocery store.The back door was unlocked."All of a sudden, I turn my head, and there's a man in my bedroom," Struck said, adding that the man also went through her pantry and refrigerator.
  She said she stayed calm and got him to leave, locking the door behind him."Then I heard noise, I heard loud banging," Struck sa
  
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• Hays CISD releases video from deadly bus crash

  28-03-2024 15:59 via kxan.com
  
  BUDA, Texas (KXAN) – Hays Consolidated Independent School District released the video of the crash between a concrete truck and a school bus that left two dead and several injured on Friday, March 22.The crash occurred between a Hays CISD bus and a concrete truck. It resulted in two deaths — five-year-old Ulises Rodriguez Montoya, who was on the bus, and 33-year-old Ryan Wallace, a doctoral candidate at the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Texas at Austin, who was
  
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• Deep Eddy Cabaret, known as 'dive bar royalty,' secures historic designation

  28-03-2024 14:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) -- Deep Eddy Cabaret, a local tavern with a legacy spanning seven decades, has been officially designated a historic site by the city of Austin.The status, approved by City Council during its March 21 meeting, will provide the long-running establishment — once dubbed "dive bar royalty" by Bon Appétit — with tax breaks aimed at helping to preserve it while also making it eligible for local, state and federal grants.&ldqu
  
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• Police searching for suspect of 2 hit-and-run crashes

  28-03-2024 14:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Police Department detectives are looking for a suspect connected to two hit-and-run crashes that left at least one other person with serious injuries.
  Officers responded to reports of a crash in the 8400 block of North Interstate-Highway 35 Southbound around 1:46 a.m. on March 18.
  The investigation revealed a suspect vehicle crashed into the back of a sedan while driving in the 100 block of N. IH 35 Southbound. APD said the victim of that incident followed the suspect veh
  
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• Will Oak Hill project affect nearby dark sky community?

  28-03-2024 13:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — For a decade, Dripping Springs has laid claim to a slice of history after it was designated as Texas' first "dark sky" community in 2014. The dedication came via the DarkSky International, an organization centered around minimizing light pollution through conservation efforts and more environmentally-friendly development practices.It's an ongoing effort to maintain that distinction, with changes made in the city's development standards to minimize light pollution from resid
  
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• Warming trend takes hold, continues into holiday weekend

  28-03-2024 11:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A warming trend will get underway today and continue until our next cold front arrives early next week.Sunshine, dry skies and low humidity will make today a fantastic day to get outdoors. Despite the chilly start, afternoon highs will warm to seasonable levels in the upper 70s.Thursday afternoon forecast high temperaturesSoutherly winds will increase both temperatures humidity Friday into the weekend. No rain is anticipated between today and Sunday.Increasing humidity late week
  
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• Hailstorm strikes homes on Hamilton Pool Road

  28-03-2024 04:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Hail pounded parts of Central Texas, blanketing some neighborhoods with sheets of ice.Cloudy skies over Central Texas brought rain as well, but for some people living along Hamilton Pool Road, there was quite a bit of hail as well."When I got home our whole yard was completely covered in hail," said Matt Palmer who lives off Hamilton Pool Road.Palmer was out running errands when it started coming down, he says he got a call from a delivery driver, letting him know his food
  
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• APD investigating death of 3-month-old as a homicide

  28-03-2024 00:09 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department said it was investigating the death of a 3-month-old infant as a homicide.According to APD, around 11:15 p.m. March 10, first responders arrived at The Revl Apartments related to a 3-month-old infant who was not breathing.APD said life-saving measures were performed, and the infant was taken to an area hospital for further evaluation and treatment; however, the infant later died March 15. MAP: Where have Austin’s homicides occurred in 2024
  
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