Austin news

• More than 500 guinea pigs headed to animal rescue

  13-04-2024 21:52 via kxan.com
  
  FORT COLLINS, Colo. (KDVR) — A Colorado animal rescue is facing its biggest challenge.  Cavies and Canines Animal Rescue, a licensed guinea pig rescue in Colorado, is preparing to take in more than 500 guinea pigs from a breeder in Aurora that is unable to care for the growing population.Natalie Riggs, president and executive director, said this is their largest case of surrendered guinea pigs from a single owner."It’s insane. I’ve never seen anything like it,”
  
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• Video: Colorado school bus aide charged with assaulting nonverbal 10-year-old

  13-04-2024 21:50 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above contains graphic content that may disturb some viewers. DENVER (KDVR) — A Colorado school bus aide caught on video punching and stomping a nonverbal 10-year-old student last month has been fired and arrested.Kiarra Monte Laron Jones, 29, a paraprofessional who worked for Littleton Public Schools, has been charged with one felony count of third-degree assault against an at-risk person in connection with the March 18 incident, according to court reco
  
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• Bald eagle chick killed by father within hours of hatching in West Virginia: 'Unexpected behavior'

  13-04-2024 21:47 via kxan.com
  
  *Video shows the eagle mother protecting her eggs during a thunderstorm.
  SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — A chick hatched Monday at the bald eagle nest at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, but its life was cut short after "unexpected behavior" from the father.
  The NCTC said in a Facebook post Tuesday that the chick hatched around 11:30 a.m. Monday and was fed "what we did not know would be its first and last meal" of fish by its mother before 5 p.m.
  A
  
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• Ex-assistant principal charged after teacher shot by 6-year-old boy in Virginia

  13-04-2024 21:46 via kxan.com
  
  NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — More than a year after Abby Zwerner was shot by her 6-year-old student, the school's former assistant principal Ebony Parker, 39, has been charged with eight counts of felony child abuse by a Special Grand Jury.The charges were filed in Newport News Circuit Court.Court documents reveal Parker, being responsible for the care of the student at the school, committed a willful act or omission in the care of said students in violation of Virginia Code: 18.2-371.1(B).S
  
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• 10 years later: Texas woman continues search of adopted sister

  13-04-2024 21:34 via kxan.com
  
  LUBBOCK, Texas -- In April 2014, Toya Dupree took to social media to ask the public for help in locating her younger sister, who was adopted at birth in October 1996. Fast forward 10 years, Dupree is still looking for answers about what happened to her little sister.  Dupree said her grandmother became her primary guardian when she was between the ages of 8 and 10 because her mother suffered from drug addiction.During that time, Dupree's mother gave birth to a baby girl whose birth nam
  
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• World-record coyote turns out to be protected species

  13-04-2024 21:31 via kxan.com
  
  CALHOUN COUNTY, Mich. (WJW) – Michigan wildlife officials are investigating the killing of a rare gray wolf.According to a press release from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, a hunter reported that he harvested a large coyote.Coyotes typically weigh up to 40 pounds. This creature was 84 pounds.Genetic tests by the department showed the large animal was a gray wolf.Courtesy: National Conservation Training Center
  The wolf was killed during a legal coyote hunt with a guide.Gray w
  
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• OJ Simpson didn’t ‘act alone,’ says former manager

  13-04-2024 21:20 via kxan.com
  
  (NewsNation) — O.J. Simpson’s ex-manager claims the former football star did not “act alone” in the killings that a jury acquitted him of.In an interview with NewsNation’s Elizabeth Vargas, Norman Pardo said Simpson had help in the killings of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.“O.J. was with the guy who [committed the murders] at the beginning, but after O.J. got cut, he ran out and left,” said Pardo. “So, O.J. wasn't really there for all the mu
  
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• It’s strawberry season in Texas!

  13-04-2024 20:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Strawberry season has arrived a little early in the Lone Star State, according to Texas A&M AgriLife.“This year, the season started earlier than it has in the past three to four years, and perhaps by as much as two to three weeks,” said Russ Wallace, an AgriLife Extension horticulturist. “The first berries to come out of the field were large and very sweet, and the quality has been excellent.”Texas A&M AgriLife said the strong start to the se
  
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• TSA found more than 1,500 guns at checkpoints this year — and a very high percentage were 'loaded'

  13-04-2024 20:36 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) intercepted 1,503 guns at airport checkpoints in the first quarter of 2024 alone — a very minor decrease over the 1,508 firearms found during the same quarter in 2023.More “promising,” according to the TSA, is 2024’s lower rate of firearms found per passenger. In the first quarter of 2023, the TSA said 7.9 guns were detected for every million passengers traveling, while only 7.3 firearms were intercepted f
  
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• Woman suing Disneyland Resort claiming 'Goofy' actor permanently injured her, lawsuit says

  13-04-2024 20:33 via kxan.com
  
  (KTLA) — One woman who visited Disney California Adventure back in April 2022 is now suing the resort, alleging that she suffered from severe injuries after a cast member dressed as Goofy fell on her, according to a new lawsuit.Katrina Griffin visited DCA on April 3, 2022, with her daughter. The lawsuit claims that when Griffin was bending over to tie her daughter’s shoes, a Disney cast member dressed as Goofy “walked directly” into her, and she fell onto the “hard
  
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• AUS breaks 2 top busiest day records following total solar eclipse

  13-04-2024 19:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) reported it broke two of its top busiest day records following the total solar eclipse that passed over the city on Monday.The Austin airport said on Tuesday, April 9, there were 37,147 travelers, which was its eighth busiest day on record, and on Thursday, April 11, AUS said it saw 39,967 travelers utilizing the airport.According to AUS, Thursday’s number broke the record for its third busiest day. RELATED: Long lines
  
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• Bird flu is spreading to more farm animals. Are milk and eggs safe?

  13-04-2024 18:39 via kxan.com
  
  A bird flu outbreak in U.S. dairy cows has grown to affect more than two dozen herds in eight states, just weeks after the nation's largest egg producer found the virus in its chickens.
  Health officials stress that the risk to the public is low and that the U.S. food supply remains safe and stable.
  “At this time, there continues to be no concern that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health, or that it affects the safety of the interstate commercial milk supply,” the U.S. Fo
  
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• Your favorite Starbucks might sound different next year: Here's what that means

  13-04-2024 18:27 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – Starbucks is looking to make its stores a bit more conducive to coffee talk.Sara Trilling, the president of Starbucks North America, recently told Bloomberg that the chain is taking measures to reduce noise at newly built locations, as well as around 1,000 existing locations slated for redesigns.One of the goals of this initiative, Starbucks previously confirmed, is to create a more “inclusive” experience for guests, including those who may use devices (such as hear
  
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• DeSantis signs bill banning heat protection laws for outdoor workers

  13-04-2024 18:25 via kxan.com
  
  TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Thursday barring local governments from requiring heat protection for outdoor workers.
  Rather than sign the bill at a press conference, as DeSantis usually does, the Florida governor opted to quietly sign the controversial bill and announce it during a Thursday night press release alongside nine other bills.
  The bill, passed by the Florida Senate in March 2024, makes it so local governments can not require companies to “mee
  
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• Could your tax refund be bigger? Don't forget about these credits, the IRS says

  13-04-2024 17:58 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – With the April 15 filing deadline looming, the Internal Revenue Service is reminding taxpayers to pay close attention to credits that could potentially lower tax bills and boost refunds.The federal tax return credits apply to a variety of situations, but they don't all work the same way.
  Some are refundable, meaning that a taxpayer can still get the credit – or the remaining difference – when they owe less than the amount of the credit. Nonrefundable credits, howeve
  
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• Aerosmith announces rescheduled dates for 'Peace Out' farewell tour

  13-04-2024 17:56 via kxan.com
  
  INDIANAPOLIS (WXIN) — Aerosmith has announced their return to the road after the band's farewell tour was delayed due to singer Steven Tyler fracturing his larynx."We’re thrilled to announce new dates for our 2024 PEACE OUT Tour with special guests The Black Crowes!" reads a message posted to the band's Facebook page.The rescheduled tour kicks off in Pittsburgh on Sept. 20, 2024, with nearly 40 more concerts scheduled in the U.S. and Canada through February 2025.Aerosmith's Austin sh
  
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• Tick season is here: Here's how to protect yourself and your pets

  13-04-2024 17:20 via kxan.com
  
  GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Tick season is starting across the country, and experts say it's important to be vigilant this year.
  As springtime temperatures start to rise — typically above 45 degrees — you will want to think about how to protect yourself and your pet from ticks in grassy, leafy and wooded areas. As outdoor activities ramp up, so does exposure to ticks, which are on the prowl and ready to hitch a ride on you or your pet."The adults will crawl up onto the edges o
  
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• EPA sets first-ever national limits for ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water

  13-04-2024 16:23 via kxan.com
  
  The Biden administration on Wednesday set the first-ever national limits for toxic and pervasive ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water. The administration's action seeks to reduce the amount of chemicals belonging to a class known as PFAS in drinking water. These substances, which have been used to make waterproof and nonstick products, have seeped into a significant portion of the nation’s water. They have been linked to increased risk of prostate, kidney and testicu
  
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• What happens to thousands of boxes of unsold Girl Scout cookies?

  13-04-2024 16:07 via kxan.com
  
  (KTLA) -- Since Girl Scout cookies are so popular, you might think they sell out every year. But that's not the case.
  So, what happens to Girl Scout cookies that go unsold? Nexstar's KTLA wanted to find out.A quick Google search turns up stories of people throwing out boxes of perfectly good cookies. In 2013, the Girl Scouts came under fire after a video surfaced showing cookies being trashed, with a worker joyfully saying, “Goodbye, Girl Scout cookies.”In the decade since, the organ
  
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• Delta Air Lines is updating the way it boards passengers. Here's what to expect

  13-04-2024 16:07 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) — Delta Air Lines announced that it's updating its boarding system to be less confusing for passengers.
  Instead of boarding by groups with names such as Diamond Medallions, Delta Premium Select and Sky Priority, passengers will board in groups numbered one through eight.“When you have a number and you're standing in line, we are all trained to know when it's our turn,” CEO Ed Bastian said in an interview with the Associated Press.The change, which rolls out on May 1,
  
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• Chaos at a Sydney mall as 6 people stabbed to death, and the suspect fatally shot

  13-04-2024 16:01 via kxan.com
  
  SYDNEY (AP) — A man stabbed six people to death at a busy Sydney shopping center Saturday before he was fatally shot, police said, with hundreds fleeing the chaotic scene, many weeping as they carried their children. Eight people, including a 9-month-old, were injured.The 40-year-old was stopped in the knifing attack at the Westfield Shopping Centre in Bondi Junction, which is in the city’s eastern suburbs when a police inspector shot him after he turned and raised a knife, New South
  
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• No inflation: Masters' menu still includes $1.50 pimento cheese sandwiches

  13-04-2024 16:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Jordan Janes knew when he arrived at the Masters for the first time a pimento cheese sandwich was a must-have.He wanted to soak in the Augusta National experience, and that has long included the iconic staple on the affordable Masters menu.And no, Janes was not worrying about the 556 calories and 35 grams of fat the sandwich contains, according to MyFitnessPal.com.The prices for sandwiches are posted on a sign during a practice round in preparation for the Masters
  
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• CDC investigates possible fake Botox injections 

  13-04-2024 16:00 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) – The Biden administration is conducting a multi-state investigation into illnesses with potential links to injections of botulinum toxin, also known as Botox, in at least two states. The Botox injections were conducted in “non-medical settings,” and the source of the products are not yet known, a spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed to The Hill. The CDC is working with the health departments in Tennessee and Illin
  
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• 'Permanent contraception procedures' soared after Dobbs decision: Research

  13-04-2024 15:59 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) — Rates of people seeking permanent contraception spiked after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, new research shows.  Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Boston University looked at rates of tubal ligations and vasectomies among 18- to 30-year-olds between 2019 and 2022 using the TriNetX platform and compared them with 2022 to 2023 rates.  That platform largely gathers data from academic medical centers and related clinics across the count
  
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• Austin police, medics responding to body found in Lady Bird Lake near Longhorn Dam 

  13-04-2024 14:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin-Travis County EMS said a body was reported in the water near Lady Bird Lake. At the scene, medics found an adult who was then pronounced dead.ATCEMS said it was responding to a water rescue call at approximately 7:40 a.m. Saturday in east Austin.MAP: Tracking deaths in Lady Bird Lake in downtown AustinThe Austin Police Department said it was responding to a check welfare call at 7:38 a.m. near Pleasant Valley Road.Maps of the incident showed the area being searched w
  
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• APD: Body found in Lady Bird Lake, investigation underway

  13-04-2024 14:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin-Travis County EMS said a body was reported in the water near Lady Bird Lake Saturday morning. At the scene, medics found an adult who was then pronounced dead.The Austin Police Department said an investigation was underway by APD homicide detectives, but the incident was not being investigated as a homicide. MAP: Tracking deaths in Lady Bird Lake in downtown AustinATCEMS said it responded to a water rescue call at approximately 7:40 a.m. Saturday in east Austin.
  Acco
  
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• Warming and increasingly humid, but rain awaits

  13-04-2024 14:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Breezy weather continues as warm and more humid air continues to pump into Central Texas.
  Muggy meterLow clouds will come back overnight giving way to a cloudy start to Sunday. A cloudy and breezy morning will give way to a sunnier and breezy afternoon. The near constant breeze should help those kites fly at Kite Fest on Sunday! The air will be a little more humid as dew points climb into the 60s.Kite Fest ForecastMonday features plenty of clouds and a low shower chance during t
  
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• A breezy and warm weekend forecast

  13-04-2024 14:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Southerly winds 10 to 20 mph will be common during the weekend to Monday night. Gusts up to 20 to 30+ mph are forecast each afternoon.Strong south winds the next three afternoonsThe day will start out mostly cloudy. Gradual thinning of the clouds will take place during the day. The area will be partly cloudy to mostly sunny this afternoon with most highs returning to the lower half of the 80s.Today's normal high is 80°Central Texas will be quite busy this weekend. This inclu
  
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• Two emus safely captured after found running in Zilker Park

  13-04-2024 03:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Imagine seeing two emus running in the park on a Thursday night in Austin.Austin Animal Center said two of the flightless birds were found running loose in Zilker Park on Thursday night.Animal protection officers captured the birds after multiple callers called 311 after seeing the emus running in the area of the park-- whether it was by the trail or in a secluded area near water, AAC Program Manager Rebekha Montie told KXAN Friday.The Austin Animal Center said two emus who were
  
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• In wake of Hays CISD crash, district commits to having seatbelts on all in-service buses

  13-04-2024 03:22 via kxan.com
  
  HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) --- The Hays Consolidated School District is taking a first step toward shoring up school bus safety.
  In a letter to parents, the district promised a meeting on Monday that will touch on its seatbelt plan for school busses.The board will have a special meeting Monday, April 15, at 4:30 p.m., in the Kunkel Room at the Historic Buda School Upper Campus. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Lawsuit filed in deadly, ‘grossly negligent’ pre-K Hays CISD bus crashThis comes three we
  
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• Texas psychologists’ board pushes back on costly new national licensing exam, considers crafting a cheaper state test

  13-04-2024 01:29 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (Texas Tribune) — A costly new national certification exam for psychologists has convinced the profession’s licensing authority in Texas to consider crafting a cheaper alternative to help alleviate a persistent mental health provider shortage here.On Thursday, the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists moved to begin researching the cost of a cheaper state exam instead of requiring applicants to take a new $450 “skills” test offered by the Associ
  
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• 1 dead after police officer shoots man in San Marcos

  13-04-2024 01:11 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) -- One person is dead after an officer-involved shooting happened in San Marcos on Thursday, according to the City of San Marcos.The release said two men told 911 dispatchers they were being followed by a man when they were walking in the area of East Hopkins and Cheatham Street in San Marcos. The callers said "the man followed them from a convenience store on Cheatham Street."Then, the man pulled out "two large knives" and "threatened" them, the release said. That man w
  
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• Crane part falls during construction at Taylor Samsung semiconductor plant

  13-04-2024 00:05 via kxan.com
  
  TAYLOR, Texas (KXAN) -- A part of a crane fell Friday during construction at the Samsung semiconductor plant in Taylor on Friday, a Samsung spokesperson said.Around 1 p.m., a crane operator saw there was "a mechanical issue with the equipment he was operating," the spokesperson said.Cranes seen at Taylor Samsung construction site April 12, 2024. (KXAN Photo/Frank Martinez)Cranes seen at Taylor Samsung construction site April 12, 2024. (KXAN Photo/Frank Martinez)Cranes seen at Taylor Samsung cons
  
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