Austin news

• Why police investigate deaths on Lady Bird Lake even if they're not suspicious

  16-04-2024 23:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- "Pretty much any time there's a death in Austin outside, the homicide unit will respond to that," Sgt. Nathan Sexton with the Austin Police Department's (APD) homicide unit said.This year, crews pulled two bodies from Lady Bird Lake - one near City Hall, and another near the Longhorn Dam. Authorities said the person found near City Hall was a woman. Police, at this point, are not ruling either of them a homicide. Another body was found near the lake.MAP: 'No connection,' trackin
  
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• 'Seriously injured survivors' suing truck driver, company involved in Hays CISD bus crash

  16-04-2024 23:51 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A group of victims from the deadly crash involving a Hays CISD school bus and a concrete pump truck filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the truck driver and truck company.
  The new lawsuit from "the most severely injured survivors" alleges the parties responsible for the crash "reflect a larger problem within our community," according to attorney Jason Feltoon, who is representing seven students and one parent from the crash.RELATED: $1M lawsuit filed against conc
  
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• Will Tesla lose its tax incentives, rebates because of Austin layoffs?

  16-04-2024 23:38 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- For years, Tesla has received millions of dollars in tax rebates and incentives from both Travis County and Del Valle ISD for its Gigafactory. ‘It’s heartbreaking’: Tesla employees in Austin blindsided by layoffsBut will any of that go away because of the Austin-based company's recent round of layoffs?
  The layoffsOn Monday, news broke that Tesla is firing more than 10% of its workforce globally.Tesla plans to lay off 10% of workforce after dismal quarterly sal
  
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• APD offering specialty counselor trainings to aid trauma victims

  16-04-2024 23:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department is looking for nonprofit and private sector mental health counselors to assist in counseling services for trauma victims, the department said in a release Monday.APD has $50,000 dedicated to the project. It calls for trainings with selected counselors in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, per the release. Selected counselors can undergo the trainings in exchange for "50 pro bono counseling sessions for survivors of tra
  
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• Texas sales tax holiday starts April 27 for emergency supplies

  16-04-2024 23:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — With severe weather season approaching, Texans can prepare for emergencies and save some dollars during the sales tax holiday beginning April 27.
  The Emergency Preparation Supplies Sales Tax Holiday runs from April 27-29 with no purchase limit on the number of qualifying items, according to the Texas Comptroller's Office. RELATED: Peak severe weather season is almost here in Central TexasEligible purchases include:
  Household batteries, first aid kits, coolers for food stora
  
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• Man sentenced to 18 years for 2021 murder in Austin

  16-04-2024 22:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the 2021 murder of a man in southeast Austin, according to court documents.
  Jacovi Sattiewhite, 21, was sentenced to 18 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, including 779 days of jail credit, on March 28. He pleaded guilty to murder in February, documents states.
  In February 2021, Austin police responded to Willow Creek Drive in southeast Austin and found a man who appeared to have been shot in a car. The victim wa
  
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• US Cabinet member visits Austin Community College

  16-04-2024 22:33 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As Central Texas continues to have a growing presence in the semiconductor industry, a U.S. Cabinet member paid a visit to one of Austin's local colleges on Monday.U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo stopped by Austin Community College District Highland campus to learn about the college's manufacturing and semiconductor training programs.Raimondo toured ACC's impact lab and met with students. ACC Chancellor Dr. Russell-Lowery Hart said the college is part of a broader ecosy
  
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• Construction revs up on South Lamar ahead of corridor upgrade

  16-04-2024 22:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Commuters and residents in south Austin will notice a bit more congestion along a key corridor.The City of Austin's Capital Delivery Services team said gas relocation work began April 9 along South Lamar Boulevard, from Kinney Avenue to West Mary Street. The construction work is part of an ongoing corridor program, the South Lamar Boulevard project.Construction is underway along South Lamar Boulevard, from Kinney Avenue to W. Mary Street. (KXAN Photo/Ed Zavala)Construction is un
  
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• Austin firefighters respond to reported gas line hit in west Austin

  16-04-2024 22:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Fire Department is asking people to avoid the area where a gas line was reportedly hit in west Austin on Tuesday afternoon.
  Around 3 p.m., AFD reported the "hazmat task force" call was in the 2900 block of Wade Avenue. That's near the Tarrytown neighborhood.
  AFD said there was a report that workers hit a gas line in the front yard of a home.
  In an update, AFD said workers hit a three-inch gas line, and the leak was slowed and contained.
  The Austin Transportation
  
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• City charter recommendations include petition process changes

  16-04-2024 22:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Several changes to Austin's city charter could head to a ballot this November where voters can approve or deny the amendments.
  On Tuesday, the city's citizen-led Charter Review Commission shared nine recommendations with the city council.
  Several proposed changes related to petitions, including the signature threshold for petitions. This recommendation was the most debated recommendation among the commission members.
  The threshold would be changed to 3.5% of qualified voter
  
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• 91-year-old woman killed in single-car crash in northeast Austin

  16-04-2024 22:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Police identified the woman who died in a crash on Forbes Drive in northeast Austin last Wednesday.
  The Austin Police Department responded to a single-car crash on Forbes Drive at around 7:39 p.m. April 10. Police said the vehicle left the road and hit a light pole.MAP: Where have Austin’s fatal crashes occurred in 2024?The passenger was taken to the hospital where she died the next day. Police identified the victim as 91-year-old Carolina Lopez.The vehicle's driver w
  
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• Driver charged in deadly crash of stolen 18-wheeler into DPS building

  16-04-2024 21:41 via kxan.com
  
  BRENHAM, Texas (FOX 44/KXAN) — On Tuesday, officials identified the victim who died after a man driving a stolen 18-wheeler crashed into a Texas Department of Public Safety building in Brenham last week. Five other people were injured.That victim was identified as Bobby Huff, 78, according to DPS. He died after he was taken by a medical helicopter to CHI St. Joseph Regional Hospital in Bryan.According to DPS, two other people remain in critical but stable condition on Tuesday.Bond had been
  
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• Bastrop County food pantry to rebuild aging facility to meet growing needs

  16-04-2024 20:04 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Bastrop County is one of Central Texas' fastest-growing areas. Similarly, the Bastrop County Emergency Food Pantry has seen tremendous growth in demand for help.
  "We have seen an 89% increase in requests for food and support since 2020," said the nonprofit's executive director Tresha Silva. "In 2023, we served the most neighbors that we ever served in our 37 years."Silva said the nonprofit—which is the county's only food pantry open five days a week&mda
  
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• Dental care for thousands of Central Texans is in the hands of Manos de Cristo — How you can help

  16-04-2024 19:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Ninety-two percent of Americans said they would consider putting off dental care because it's too expensive, according to a Money.com survey.“I think we've all had that experience with a dentist,  you go and they tell you it's going to cost this much and you're like, 'Whoa, whoa!'” Manos de Cristo Executive Director Julie Ballesteros said.“It's about dignity," she said. "We all know people that you're having a conversation with, and they do this [cove
  
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• Report: California leads as state where Texans are moving from — and also relocating to

  16-04-2024 18:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new report shows one West Coast state was the most popular place where Lone Star State residents moved from in recent years.
  This state was also where most Texans moved to in 2022. Can you guess it?RELATED: Is Texas still being overrun by Californians? New Census data reveals where people are moving fromMany new Texas residents moved from California — about 102,000 people — in 2022 followed by Florida and New York with the most Texas transplants, according to
  
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• Chuy's announces new location in Mueller community

  16-04-2024 17:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Famous Tex-Mex restaurant chain Chuy's announced its newest location will be opening its doors April 30.
  Chuy's fans living in east Austin won't have to drive as far to get their queso and margarita fix. The chain announced Tuesday that its new location is located in the Mueller community. Related: Chuy’s to open restaurant location in HuttoThe restaurant is located at 2027 Aldrich Street, right across the street from the Mueller Farmers' Market location and within walking
  
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• Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reports parasites found in dove populations

  16-04-2024 16:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is recommending appropriate safety measures to protect backyard flocks following several confirmed positive cases of Trichomoniasis among doves across the state.The TWC reported that the National Wildlife Health Center confirmed several doves across the state had tested positive for the infectious disease affecting birds. Largest fresh egg producer in US finds bird flu in chickens at Texas, Michigan plantsTrichomoniasis is
  
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• DPS investigating after person found dead in car in Manor creek Monday

  16-04-2024 15:15 via kxan.com
  
  MANOR, Texas (KXAN) — Texas authorities are investigating after a car with a dead body inside was pulled out of a creek in Manor Monday morning.
  The Department of Public Safety said it responded to a fatal crash around 8:41 a.m. Monday after a driver reported seeing a vehicle upside down and almost completely submerged in Cottonwood Creek in the 18800 block of Cameron Road in Manor.
  The vehicle, a 2008 Infiniti, was recovered from the creek and emergency responders found a man in the passe
  
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• 'Mars astronauts' selected for NASA simulated mission

  16-04-2024 15:05 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON, TX (KXAN) -- Four volunteers will soon get a trip to "Mars." NASA announced on Monday, April 15 that they had selected the next crew for their simulated Mars mission at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
  The four crew members will be confined to a small chamber designed to simulate life on the red planet for future astronauts for 45 days.The four volunteers, Jason Lee, Stephanie Navarro, Shareef Al Romaithi, and Piyumi Wijesekara, will board NASA's Human Exploration Research Analog, a
  
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• Liberty Hill charity steps in to honor unclaimed remains

  16-04-2024 14:48 via kxan.com
  
  LIBERTY HILL, Texas (KXAN) — A group in Liberty Hill is set to honor the memory of a beloved friend despite his remains going unclaimed.Williamson County commissioners granted disposal rights to the unclaimed remains of Kebede Bekele to Executive Director of Operation Liberty Hill Susan Baker last week.Baker said Bekele, also called KB, came to Operation Liberty Hill seeking help with his documentation in 2021.According to Baker, KB came to the United States from Ethiopia in the 1990s and
  
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• Man dies in police custody after checking in to Dell Seton Medical Center

  16-04-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's note: The above video shows KXAN News' top morning headlines from Tuesday, April 16, 2024.AUSTIN (KXAN) – Holding his mother’s hand, 37-year-old Laison Crenshaw walked up to Dell Seton Medical Center seeking mental health treatment on Feb. 21. He was physically healthy, but after the onset of a mental health crisis he asked his mother, Ava Smith, to take him in for help.Smith left her son at the hospital that evening, thinking the facility would be the safest place for him &
  
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• Spotty rain during the week, trending wetter for the weekend

  16-04-2024 13:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Spots of rain are possible most days this week leading up to the main event which takes the form of a strong cold front this weekend.Mainly to partly cloudy skies, humid conditions and warm temperatures are expected areawide today. A boundary moving west to east across our area will spark a few showers and isolated storms, but no significant rain is expected. Those lucky enough to see rain are only favored for a few hundredths of an inch.Temperatures in the Hill Country will be
  
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• Rain, thunderstorms become more likely this week

  16-04-2024 13:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Another day of waiting for the clouds to clear will be part of this afternoon's forecast. Decreasing clouds were noted during the noon hour across much of Llano, Mason, and San Saba Counties. The outlook suggests that more of that clearing will take place for the rest of the afternoon.High temperatures are forecast in the low to mid 80s from I-35 eastward. Today's normal high is 80°. Warmer temperatures off the southwest wind combined with fewer clouds will send some highs i
  
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• As the rain exits some will see the sun this afternoon

  16-04-2024 13:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Another day of waiting for the clouds to clear will be part of this afternoon's forecast. Decreasing clouds were noted during the noon hour across much of Llano, Mason, and San Saba Counties. The outlook suggests that more of that clearing will take place for the rest of the afternoon.High temperatures are forecast in the low to mid 80s from I-35 eastward. Today's normal high is 80°. Warmer temperatures off the southwest wind combined with fewer clouds will send some highs i
  
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• Judge fines HHSC $100K per day over abuse and neglect investigations in Texas foster care

  16-04-2024 04:22 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A federal judge is fining Texas Health and Human Services officials $100,000 dollars per day for failing to investigate abuse and neglect allegations in the foster care systemin a timely manner. According to an order issued Monday, U.S. District Judge Janis Jack found HHSC's Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young in contempt for violating two of the judge's previously ordered reforms to these types of investigations.BACKGROUND: Texas foster kids’ lawyers ask federa
  
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• Driver arrested after deadly crash with pedestrian in southeast Austin

  16-04-2024 03:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — One person was arrested following a deadly early morning crash on East Riverside Drive in southeast Austin, according to a release from the Austin Police Department.APD said police responded to a vehicle-pedestrian crash around 2:26 a.m. on April 12 near 1700 East Riverside Drive and Lakeshore Boulevard. The pedestrian, identified by police as 37-year-old Aaron Alcala Hernandez, was pronounced dead at the scene. MAP: Where have Austin’s fatal crashes occurred in 2024?
  
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• Advocates say new videos inside Texas temporary foster housing raises concerns

  16-04-2024 02:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Advocates are pointing to new pictures and videos filmed inside two temporary housing locations for some Texas foster children as evidence that longstanding issues in the state's child welfare system persist.
  Houston-based human rights advocate Dr. Candice Matthews also provided KXAN with a first-hand account from a child who described living in one of the state's unlicensed placements withbroken walls and a lack of food.‘Nightmare’: Former Texas foster care workers
  
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• Advocates say new videos inside Texas temporary foster housing raise concerns

  16-04-2024 02:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Advocates are pointing to new pictures and videos filmed inside two temporary housing locations for some Texas foster children as evidence that longstanding issues in the state's child welfare system persist.
  Houston-based human rights advocate Dr. Candice Matthews also provided KXAN with a first-hand account from a child who described living in one of the state's unlicensed placements withbroken walls and a lack of food.‘Nightmare’: Former Texas foster care workers
  
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• Neighbors say dead dogs found in creek, police investigating

  16-04-2024 02:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - People who live near Shiloh Drive off of Menchaca Road in south Austin saw what they counted as 11 dead dogs in Boggy Creek.“It’s pretty disturbing,” said Jason Brooks, who saw the dogs. “I’m an animal lover. [It] was a hard day for me.”The Austin Police Department said it is “currently conducting an investigation in the vicinity of Shiloh Drive” in collaboration with Animal Protection. The department said it’s in the prelimin
  
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• US 183 open after crash investigation in Leander

  16-04-2024 02:30 via kxan.com
  
  LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) -- U.S. Highway 183 in Leander fully reopened Tuesday after a deadly crash Monday night, the Leander Police Department said on social media.The crash happened on Highway 183 at Sheila Drive, which is near Crystal Falls Parkway, according to police.Around 10:30 p.m. Monday, LPD said the roadway was back open, but police would return to close the southbound lanes of the highway at 9 a.m. Tuesday to resume the investigation.The Leander Police are investigating a deadly crash t
  
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• Roads temporarily back open after deadly US 183 crash, investigation to resume in the morning

  16-04-2024 02:30 via kxan.com
  
  LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) -- Roads are temporarily back open after a deadly crash in in Leander on Monday, the Leander Police Department said on social media.Around 10:33 p.m., LPD said roads will close again at 9 a.m. to resume the investigation.The crash happened on U.S. Highway 183 at Sheila Drive, according to police.A KXAN photojournalist on the scene took a photo, which shows an overturned motorcycle. We're waiting to receive more details from LPD.The Leander Police are investigating a deadly
  
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• Road temporarily reopens Monday night after deadly US 183 crash, investigation to resume Tuesday morning

  16-04-2024 02:30 via kxan.com
  
  LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) -- U.S. Highway 183 was temporarily reopened Monday night after a deadly crash in Leander closed it for several hours, the Leander Police Department said on social media.The crash happened on Highway 183 at Sheila Drive, according to police.Around 10:33 p.m., LPD said the roadway was back open, but police would return to close the southbound lanes of the highway at 9 a.m. Tuesday to resume the investigation.A KXAN photojournalist on the scene took a photo, which shows an ov
  
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• Heavy traffic delays expected after deadly crash on US 183 in Leander

  16-04-2024 02:30 via kxan.com
  
  LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) -- The Leander Police Department is investigating a deadly crash that is causing heavy traffic delays, the agency said on social media Monday.The crash happened on U.S. Highway 183 at Sheila Drive, according to police.Police said southbound U.S. 183 and Sheila at Glass Drive are closed, and northbound U.S. 183 is open.Drivers should expect delays or seek an alternate route, as police said the closure "will last for hours."
  
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• Crash on US 183 in Leander kills motorcyclist, other driver cited

  16-04-2024 02:30 via kxan.com
  
  LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) -- A man riding on a motorcycle died after striking a van that pulled in front of him on U.S. Highway 183, according to new information shared Tuesday by Leander city leaders.
  A city spokesperson released details about the deadly wreck that happened Monday at about 6:12 p.m. on the highway near Sheila Drive, which is close to Crystal Falls Parkway. Police shut down the highway again for a time Tuesday to keep investigating the crash.
  Leander city leaders said Brendan Kayle
  
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• New quarterback, new expectations for Texas State football

  16-04-2024 01:11 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — Jordan McCloud won conference player of the year in the Sun Belt in 2023. When James Madison's head coach left for Indiana, McCloud entered his name in the transfer portal in hopes of finding a new home for his seventh year of college football.Not only will he have seven years of college football under his belt, but McCloud is now with his fourth team. After spending three seasons at South Florida, two at Arizona and one at James Madison, he's now at Texas State.
  
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• Some H&R Block users report filing issues on tax deadline day

  16-04-2024 00:48 via kxan.com
  
  PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) -- Popular tax preparer H&R Block experienced issues with the company's electronic filing software Monday as many tried to submit their taxes by the end of day on April 15.
  Many users said they got "bad gateway" or "502" errors when filing online.
  The issue started Sunday night and extended into Monday, the deadline day for individual income tax returns, according to user reports and DownDetector. Many users commenting on DownDetector also claimed to have repeated H&am
  
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• Can dogs link words to certain objects like humans? A new study says yes

  16-04-2024 00:48 via kxan.com
  
  BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Many dog owners believe their pets understand and respond not only to commands such as “sit” and “stay,” but also to words referring to their favorite objects. “Bring me your ball” will often result in exactly that.But science has had trouble determining whether dogs and other animals genuinely activate a mental image in their minds when they hear the name of an object, something that would suggest a deeper grasp of lan
  
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• Texas' Dillon Mitchell, Tyrese Hunter to enter transfer portal

  16-04-2024 00:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — After the Texas Longhorns made a big splash in the transfer portal Sunday with three commitments, two of their most productive players announced Monday that they'll leave the program.Dillon Mitchell announced on social media that he'll enter the transfer portal and test the NBA Draft waters again like he did last season before returning to Texas. Mitchell scored 9.6 points per game and grabbed 7.5 rebounds in his sophomore season for the Longhorns.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay
  
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