Austin news

• NFL wide receiver Rashee Rice takes 'full responsibility' for role in Dallas crash

  03-04-2024 23:33 via kxan.com
  
  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has released a statement about his involvement in a Dallas crash last weekend that left multiple people injured.
  Police confirmed they were looking for Rice, who recently won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs in his rookie season, over the weekend after a vehicle in his name was involved in a "major" crash.
  Rice was leasing a Lamborghini SUV that police said was speeding along with a Corvette on North Central Expressway on S
  
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• Need a place to stay for the total eclipse? Austin still has hotel rooms

  03-04-2024 22:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Lots of people are expected to arrive in the coming days for the total solar eclipse, and surprisingly there are rooms available in the area if someone is still looking for a place to stay. However, people should expect to pay more than they normally would.
  Wesley Lucas, the director of communications at Visit Austin, said Wednesday hotels located in downtown Austin are currently averaging 83% occupancy for Saturday to Monday nights. Outside of downtown, hotels are averagin
  
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• NTSB opens investigation into fatal Hays CISD bus crash

  03-04-2024 22:40 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it has opened an incident investigation Monday into the March 22 Hays CISD school bus crash where two people were killed and several others were injured. Hays CISD releases video from deadly bus crashThe investigation would assist the Texas Department of Public Safety, which is the lead agency for the crash.“This is different from a full investigation—we will not be sending a team or issuing any
  
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• Austin Animal Center launches new ‘Urgent Placement’ list for dogs

  03-04-2024 21:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Animal Center recently launched a new list on its website for dogs that are its highest priority for placements.The “Urgent Placement” list was created to help find homes for high-priority dogs as quickly as possible to avoid euthanasia after reaching capacity. AAC said the list, however, is not a replacement for euthanasia notices.According to a city memo, the list aims to identify dogs with significant barriers to adoption and facilitate their placement
  
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• Law enforcement searching for man convicted of aggravated sexual assault

  03-04-2024 19:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man convicted of aggravated sexual assault Thursday failed to appear for the punishment phase of his trial Friday, according to the Travis County District Attorney’s Office.The DA said there was now an active warrant out for the arrest of 56-year-old Hai Vo.According to officials, Vo was arrested in May 2020 related to a charge for a January 2020 sexual assault.Vo’s trial began Monday, March 25, and on Thursday, the jury found him guilty of aggravated sexual a
  
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• San Marcos offering immersive artwork ahead of eclipse

  03-04-2024 19:18 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — The City of San Marcos announced it would provide immersive and illuminated artwork to honor the San Marcos River and the solar eclipse.Organizers said the project, which was named Alignmentality, would be projected on the Hays County Historic Courthouse on April 6 and April 7. The artwork would run in 24-minute cycles each evening from 8 to 10 p.m.“Alignmentality is a collaboration between three local artists: virtual reality artist Topher Sipes, mult
  
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• H-E-B buys land in Manor as part of future retail hub

  03-04-2024 19:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) — For almost two years, H-E-B LP has remained mum on its plans for a grocery store in Manor, a suburb northeast of Austin, despite evidence that it has been laying groundwork for one. Executives are still tight-lipped, but there's evidence that they have purchased the land for it.The San Antonio-based grocery chain last month bought 20 acres within the 63-acre Manor Crossing retail center at the northwest corner of U.S. Highway 290 and Farm-to-Market Road 9
  
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• Pflugerville Police search for missing man

  03-04-2024 19:11 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's note: The above video shows KXAN News' top morning headlines from Wednesday, April 3, 2024.PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — The Pflugerville Police Department said it was searching for a missing man last seen March 31.Police said it needed public assistance to find 46-year-old Alex Ivan Pickles.Alex was described by police as a 5’3” Black man with black hair, brown eyes and weighed approximately 130 lbs.Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Alex was asked to contac
  
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• Pflugerville PD: Man missing since March has been found

  03-04-2024 19:11 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — A 46-year-old man who was missing since March 31 was found on Thursday, the Pflugerville Police Department said.It was not immediately clear where the man was found, but police said he "has been located," the agency said on social media.No other details were released Thursday.
  
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• Counting the birds: Great Texas Birding Classic returns

  03-04-2024 18:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- It's the time of the year that bird lovers in Texas enjoy—the 28th Annual Great Texas Birding Classic (GTBC), which takes place between April 15 and May 15.It is estimated that more than 1,000 birders will head across the state to the coast, forests, mountains and prairies This is the country's biggest, longest and wildest bird-watching tournament.Rich Segal spoke with Shelly Plante, the Nature Tourism Manager of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, about the GTBC.Plan
  
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• How many people are homeless in Austin? City commits to more transparency

  03-04-2024 18:43 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's note: The above video shows KXAN News' top morning headlines from Wednesday, April 3, 2024.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Barry Jones is one of the many people in Austin who have found themselves living on our streets while fighting debilitating mental illness. For Jones, it's major depressive disorder (MDD).
  "I get to a point where my brain just won't handle certain situations anymore and that's it, there's nothing I can do about it," Jones explained. That's even with the medications he's been
  
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• Texas State University unveils new program to help investigate cold cases

  03-04-2024 18:08 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) – Texas State University just partnered with the Texas Office of the Attorney General to help tackle unsolved cold cases in the state.The new program, the TXST Cold Case Team, is a one-year-long internship in the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology, which will work with the Cold Case and Missing Person unit to help look into the more than 20,000 unsolved murders in the state. “This partnership will connect Texas State students with amazing opportu
  
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• Updated EPA pollution standards to help communities of color

  03-04-2024 17:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Environmental Protection Agency recently updated national air-quality standards due to negative health impacts of particulate matter exposure. The importance of these new regulations comes on the heels of a study that found particulate matter is responsible for eight heart-related diseases.
  Particulate matter is a term used for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. This includes things like dirt, dust, smoke, or soot. Oftentimes this matter
  
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• Austin drinking water passes water quality tests, shows little to no traces of 'forever chemicals'

  03-04-2024 17:09 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Water recently released the results of its Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, water quality tests.
  The utility said the results showed little to no traces of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – or PFAS – chemicals in the city’s drinking water.According to public EPA information, PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals,” are manufactured chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s. Au
  
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• Solar eclipse deals and specials: Burger King, Chuy's, Pizza Hut and more

  03-04-2024 16:14 via kxan.com
  
  TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The upcoming total solar eclipse will be a big deal for stargazers, and foodies can expect big deals and specials for the event.
  A number of restaurants and chains are offering deals and specials to mark the occasion, which falls on Monday, April 8.Latest weather forecast for the April 8 Total Solar EclipseThese are some of the best ones we've found.
  Applebee'sApplebee's is offering its "Perfect Eclipse" margarita through April 14.The Patron-based cocktail is made with
  
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• The end of the world as we know it? Myths about the solar eclipse

  03-04-2024 16:12 via kxan.com
  
  (NewsNation) — The solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, will be the last opportunity to view a total solar eclipse from the contiguous United States for 20 years.
  States and cities are preparing for an influx of people visiting the path of totality and that fascination is nothing new. Eclipses show up in historical records and mythology dating back millennia.Solar eclipse path may have shrunk; how it impacts youHistory of eclipsesThe oldest definitive solar eclipse on record dates to around 120
  
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• $7.27M approved for affordable housing dedicated to homeless survivors of domestic, sexual violence

  03-04-2024 16:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday approved a multi-million dollar contract with the SAFE Alliance to help fund an affordable housing project.
  The nearly $7.3 million contract will help fund The Lancaster development project, a housing project that will provide 60 units of affordable housing for people experiencing homelessness who are survivors of domestic and sexual violence, according to a release from the Commissioners Court.“The creation of deeply affordable
  
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• LIVE: Inside the Investigations: Concrete pump truck driver deemed 'imminent hazard'

  03-04-2024 15:34 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 or on the KXAN News Facebook page starting at about 9 a.m.Inside the Investigations: Lack of medical examiner in Williamson CountyThe story they’r
  
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• Inside the Investigations: Concrete pump truck driver deemed 'imminent hazard'

  03-04-2024 15:34 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 or on the KXAN News Facebook page starting at about 9 a.m.Inside the Investigations: Lack of medical examiner in Williamson CountyThe story they’r
  
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• Solar eclipse path may have shrunk; how it impacts you

  03-04-2024 15:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- If you plan to see the eclipse on April 8 from your backyard, you may now need to adjust plans. A new report published this week on eclipse blog Besselian Elements shows the path may have moved north in some areas and become more narrow.First reported by Forbes.com, the team of amateur astronomers came to their conclusion after making adjustments that account of the topography of the Moon and Earth's surface. The lack of exact measurements of the Sun's diameter were also to blam
  
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• Comprehensive map shows how Texans voted in the 2024 Democratic Senate primary

  03-04-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The video above features analysis from Election Night, March 5, 2024.This story features results from the 2024 Democratic Senate primary in Texas. Click here to see results from the Democratic presidential primary, or here for results from the Republican presidential primary.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Congressman Colin Allred emerged victorious in Texas' Democratic Senate primary on March 5, defeating a wide field of other candidates.Allred received almost 59% of all votes cast in Texa
  
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• Eclipse transformed into calendars, snack boxes and magazines in St. Edward's Lab

  03-04-2024 13:36 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Alyssa Garcia flips through the pages of her handmade calendar with enthusiasm. Each page decked out in neon ink, tracking the lunar cycle and astronomical events. Every month has its own unique design, starting in April 2024, with space-themed illustrations dotting the margins."I call it the cosmic calendar," Alyssa said with excitement, turning the pages to February where colorful lanterns mark the Chinese New Year.Junior Alyssa Garcia shows off her eclipse inspired cosmic cal
  
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• Weekend cold front followed by rain next week

  03-04-2024 12:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Gorgeous weather to finish the work week, but wetter weather makes a run at our area this weekend into next week. FIRST WARNING: Solar Eclipse weather forecast for April 8Today will feature sunshine, bright skies, low humidity and unseasonably temperatures (low/mid-80s). Friday will be near-carbon copy, the only difference being a few more clouds late day.Our weather pattern turns more active this weekend with our first in a pair of storms jogging to our north, sending a cold fr
  
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• Weekend cold front followed by heavier rain next week

  03-04-2024 12:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Gorgeous weather to finish the work week, but wetter weather makes a run at our area this weekend into next week. FIRST WARNING: Solar Eclipse weather forecast for April 8Today will feature sunshine, bright skies, low humidity and unseasonably temperatures (low/mid-80s). Friday will be near-carbon copy, the only difference being a few more clouds late day.Our weather pattern turns more active this weekend with our first in a pair of storms jogging to our north, sending a cold fr
  
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• Unseasonable warmth, then rain chances begin

  03-04-2024 12:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Warm afternoons will continue, but the chances for wetter weather begin this weekend and increase next week. FIRST WARNING: Solar Eclipse weather forecast for April 8Thursday's weather featured sunshine, bright skies, low humidity and unseasonably warm temperatures, as Austin climbed to 89 degrees. Friday will be a near-carbon copy, the only difference being a few more clouds late day.Our weather pattern turns more active this weekend with our first in a pair of storms jogging t
  
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• Great weather ahead of a pair of Pacific storms

  03-04-2024 12:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- We have multiple days of quiet weather leading up to a pair of storms that will likely sandwich the total solar eclipse on Monday afternoon. FIRST WARNING: Solar Eclipse weather forecast for April 8Dry northwest winds will keep our weather pleasant today with sunshine, low humidity and comfortable temperatures areawide (upper 70s/low 80s).Similar weather can be expected Thursday and Friday, the only difference being a slight bump in temperatures (mid-80s).A pair of Pacific storm
  
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• Strongest earthquake in nearly 25 years leaves 7 dead in Taiwan

  03-04-2024 12:27 via kxan.com
  
  TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan's strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush hour Wednesday, damaging buildings and highways and leaving seven people dead.In this photo released by the National Fire Agency, members of a search and rescue team prepare outside a leaning building in the aftermath of an earthquake in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Taiwan's strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning
  
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• Strongest earthquake in 25 years rocks Taiwan

  03-04-2024 12:27 via kxan.com
  
  HUALIEN, Taiwan (AP) — The strongest earthquake in a quarter-century rocked Taiwan during the morning rush hour Wednesday, killing nine people, stranding dozens of workers at quarries and sending some residents scrambling out the windows of damaged buildings.The quake, which also injured more than 1,000, was centered off the coast of rural, mountainous Hualien County, where some buildings leaned at severe angles, their ground floors crushed. Just over 150 kilometers (93 mile
  
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• Texas House Speaker creates AI committee

  03-04-2024 04:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On Tuesday, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan announced the creation of a committee "to examine advancements in artificial intelligence."The House Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies will study the "current state of AI/ET and its uses," according to a news release from Phelan's office. This will then determine "the impact of AI/ET on various sectors of society."The committee will then be able to identify "policy considerations for the responsible
  
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• A strong earthquake shakes Taiwan, damaging buildings and causing a small tsunami

  03-04-2024 04:37 via kxan.com
  
  TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A powerful earthquake rocked Taiwan during the morning rush Wednesday, damaging buildings and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on southern Japanese islands.A five-story building in lightly populated Hualien appeared heavily damaged, collapsing its first floor and leaving the rest leaning at a 45-degree angle. In the capital, Taipei, tiles fell from older buildings and within some newer office complexes. Schools evacuated their students to sports fields, equipping
  
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• Memo: City leaders announce new Austin airport CEO

  03-04-2024 01:32 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A City of Austin memo from interim City Manager Jesus Garza announced Ghizlane Badawi will be the next Austin-Bergstrom International Airport CEO, effective immediately.Badawi has served as the interim CEO for AUS for the past few months and "was already instrumental in leading" the airport since the pandemic, according to the memo.Badawi has been with the city's aviation department for more than a decade. This move comes as work ramps up on the airport's multi-billion doll
  
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• Sarkisian mentions freshman standing out during Texas spring camp

  03-04-2024 01:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As Texas football nears the annual Orange-White Spring Game, they took a slightly longer break for Easter weekend. When they returned to the practice field Tuesday, Texas knew it was time for business."We really got after it in today's practice," Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian said. "When you get three days off, that's when we feel like we can really start pushing ourselves." Sarkisian feeling confident after first spring practiceSteve Sarkisian met with the media Tuesday
  
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• APD: Man arrested after attempting to rob east Austin bank

  03-04-2024 01:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A man was arrested on Monday after he attempted to rob a bank in east Austin, according to the Austin Police Department.Around 10:30 a.m., officers responded to the Bank of America, 1144 Airport Boulevard, for a robbery call.The suspect was seen on surveillance footage presenting a note to the teller, "demanding money and threatening to kill the teller," according to police. That suspect was identified as John Ancira, 43.John Ancira, 43 | Courtesy Austin Police DepartmentPolice
  
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