Austin news

• Bomb-making materials awareness program launches in Austin

  26-04-2024 23:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- The City of Austin's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management launched a new program to help spread awareness on bomb-making materials.
  It's called the Bomb-Making Materials Awareness Program.
  Funding for the program is provided by the State Homeland Security Grant Program from Gov. Greg Abbott's Public Safety Office.
  “BMAP is one way our office is increasing capacity beyond emergency management response,” said Ken Snipes, HSEM Director. “Preventio
  
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• Sen. Cornyn looks ahead to race for GOP leader 

  26-04-2024 23:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Sen. John Cornyn is running to lead his party come November, and he’s hopeful his new title will be senate majority leader. Current Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced in February he is stepping down from the job after an 18-year reign. Cornyn, a former right-hand man to McConnell, was the first to publicize his bid for the position. “I've been in the Senate a long time now, and I've seen the Senate work well,” Cornyn
  
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• Austin has gaps in its 'tree equity,' nonprofit says

  26-04-2024 22:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Trees have many benefits for a community, from cooling the city to cleaning out air pollution. But the distribution of trees is not the same across Austin, with richer neighborhoods having more trees than poorer ones, according to the oldest conservation group in the U.S.(Courtesy American Forests)Nonprofit group American Forests recently launched a mapping tool that allows users to see the "tree equity" — or the fair distribution of trees in their community. The onli
  
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• UT organization involved in protests suspended

  26-04-2024 21:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Protesters gathered on the University of Texas Austin campus again on Friday, but the gathering was not put on by the Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC).One member of the PSC, the group that has now been suspended, said other UT groups stepped in to host Friday's gathering.Those in attendance could be seen playing music, making posters and listening to speakers. Protesters KXAN spoke with tell us they were once again out today to raise awareness about the innocent people
  
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• Blue Genie Art Bazaar opens for May Market

  26-04-2024 20:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Blue Genie Art Bazaar opened its annual May Market Friday. The market will be open every weekend through Memorial Day.
  Whether shoppers are looking for a gift for Mother's Day, Father's Day, graduation, birthdays or weddings, the art bazaar has options from nearly 200 regional artists and vendors. There's also a DIY card-printing station on Saturdays.May Market organizers are pledging a $1,000 donation from the event to Austin Creative Alliance. Shoppers can choose to help the p
  
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• Man released on probation after serving 4 months in prison on attempted sex assault charge

  26-04-2024 20:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man accused of sexually assaulting a woman at an Austin-area senior living and memory care facility in March 2022 was given probation, according to Travis County court documents.Documents showed Sidney Leon Holmes was sentenced on a charge of attempt to commit aggravated sexual assault, a second-degree felony. PAST COVERAGE | Police: Ring camera catches sex assault at Austin-area senior living facilityCourt records showed Holmes was originally sentenced in November 2023 t
  
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• CapMetro temporarily removing some e-bikes after dealing with theft, battery failure

  26-04-2024 20:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- CapMetro announced on social media earlier this week that it would be temporarily removing some e-bikes that are part of its MetroBike program after dealing with theft and battery failure.
  The transportation provider said it would remove the bikes to charge them securely, and that new equipment coming in July will provide a long-term solution to the issues.RELATED: CapMetro rolling out $21M MetroBike expansion planA spokesperson with CapMetro said the thefts are a "recent develo
  
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• Bird flu virus traces found in 1 in 5 samples of pasteurized milk: FDA

  26-04-2024 20:09 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) -- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found that about 1 in 5 samples of retail milk contain traces of highly contagious bird flu, though these findings may not be indicative of an infectious risk to consumers.In an update published this week, the FDA shared some takeaways from its nationally representative commercial milk sampling study."The agency continues to analyze this information; however, the initial results show about 1 in 5 of the retail samples tested are quantitati
  
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• Abbott calls for ban on gender non-conforming teachers, LGBTQ+ educators respond

  26-04-2024 19:44 via kxan.com
  
  DALLAS (KXAN) — At the Young Conservatives of Texas' April 19 convention in Dallas, Texas Governor Greg Abbott called for an "end" to gender non-conforming behavior by teachers, according to audio released to KXAN by Texas Observer reporter Steven Monacelli.During Abbott's keynote speech, the Governor brought up a Lewisville ISD teacher who went viral online after wearing a pink dress as a "Spirit Day" costume."In Lewisville, Texas... just a month ago, they had a high school teacher, who i
  
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• Foster care fight heats up in front of appeals court over whether Texas owes $100K daily for violations

  26-04-2024 19:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- New court filings in the longstanding legal fight over Texas' foster care system reveal escalating tensions over how the state is investigating certain claims of abuse and neglect and whether it has complied with a federal judge's court-ordered reforms.
  Both the state's attorneys and the attorneys representing the foster children in the case filed briefs with the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals this week, as it considers whether to continue blocking daily fines levied against the s
  
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• BLOG: Tornado warning, wind damage reported in Central Texas as storms blow through

  26-04-2024 17:56 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows the latest from the KXAN First Warning Weather team.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Storms swept through Central Texas overnight Saturday and into Sunday. KXAN First Warning Weather forecastThousands of people in Central Texas were without power Sunday morning, including thousands of Austin Energy customers. Power has been restored for many of these customers since then.
  Weather Resources
  Live Central Texas radarHow to check for Central Texas power outa
  
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• BLOG: Threat of storms in Central Texas

  26-04-2024 17:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Storms are sweeping through Central Texas into the weekend, with the possibility of hail and gusty winds on Friday. KXAN First Warning Weather forecastWeather Resources
  How to talk to your kids about severe weatherWatches vs Warnings: Understanding how a storm is madeTraffic mapLive Central Texas radarCentral Texas rainfall totalsDownload KXAN Weather AppSign up for KXAN daily forecast newsletter and severe weather alerts newsletter
  Check for updates in the live blog belowW
  
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• BLOG: Thousands without power in Central Texas as storms move through

  26-04-2024 17:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Storms swept through Central Texas overnight Saturday and into Sunday.Thousands of people in Central Texas were without power Sunday morning, including over 19,000 Austin Energy customers.KXAN First Warning Weather forecastWeather Resources
  How to talk to your kids about severe weatherWatches vs Warnings: Understanding how a storm is madeTraffic mapLive Central Texas radarCentral Texas rainfall totalsDownload KXAN Weather AppSign up for KXAN daily forecast newsletter and se
  
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• BLOG: Power outages, wind damage reported in Central Texas as storms blow through

  26-04-2024 17:56 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows the latest from the KXAN First Warning Weather team.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Storms swept through Central Texas overnight Saturday and into Sunday.Thousands of people in Central Texas were without power Sunday morning, including thousands of Austin Energy customers.KXAN First Warning Weather forecastWeather Resources
  How to talk to your kids about severe weatherWatches vs Warnings: Understanding how a storm is madeTraffic mapLive Central Texas ra
  
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• AFD responds to fire with 'multiple explosions'

  26-04-2024 17:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Fire Department said it was responding to reports of a structure fire with “multiple explosions” Friday morning near east Austin.AFD said there were reports of a disturbance inside a home in the 4600 block of Imperial Drive "associated with multiple explosions, fire and smoke" inside.AFD crews respond to fire near east Austin (AFD photo)AFD crews respond to fire near east Austin (AFD photo)AFD crews respond to fire near east Austin (AFD photo)AFD crew
  
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• AFD respond to fire with 'multiple explosions'

  26-04-2024 17:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Fire Department said it was responding to reports of a structure fire with “multiple explosions” Friday morning near east Austin.AFD said there were reports of a disturbance inside a home in the 4600 block of Imperial Drive "associated with multiple explosions, fire and smoke" inside.AFD crews respond to fire near east Austin (AFD photo)AFD crews respond to fire near east Austin (AFD photo)AFD crews respond to fire near east Austin (AFD photo)AFD crew
  
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• APD looking for leads in assault that left woman in her 60s injured

  26-04-2024 16:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Police Department detectives are asking for the public's help finding leads in an aggravated assault that left a woman in her 60s injured earlier this year.
  It happened on Monday, Feb. 19 between 5:50 a.m. and 6 a.m. Police said a Hispanic woman in her 60s showed up to her workplace with several severe head injuries and was taken to a hospital to be treated.
  In their investigation, police found that she did not have injuries when she got off a CapMetro bus at a stop
  
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• Manor man convicted on wire fraud, money laundering charges

  26-04-2024 16:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Manor man arrested in July 2023 was convicted by a federal jury Wednesday on four counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.The DOJ said between April 2021 and July 2023, 52-year-old Saint Jovite Youngblood, aka Kota Youngblood, claimed Mexican drug cartel members were planning to commit violence against his victims and offered protection from the cartels in exchange for money.Youngblood falsely claimed to have bee
  
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• Thorndale ISD voters to consider first school bond in 25 years

  26-04-2024 16:11 via kxan.com
  
  THORNDALE, Texas (KXAN) — The Thorndale Independent School District superintendent said the district has asked voters to consider a $34.5 million bond to help it keep up with a growing student population.TISD Superintendent Zack Kleypas said the district anticipates enrollment to grow as nearby developments are completed. An example he pointed to was the Samsung Semiconductor facility under construction in Taylor.The district's webpage on the bond proposal said it would upgrade parts of ex
  
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• Austin-area mentors needed to help veterans

  26-04-2024 15:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Every year, nearly 200,000 men and women leave the U.S. Military and many have a tough time transitioning out of service.“You're part of the military. You're part of a team. It's very structured—your life—very regimented, and you're losing that. For many, it's a feeling of a loss of identity, possibly a loss of purpose,” described Brigadier General Mike Eastman with Onward Ops.As a service member, Eastman said he knows the pressures.“You're con
  
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• Severe T-Storm Watch for parts of Hill Country until 5am

  26-04-2024 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Some active weather will bring a line of storms and heavy rain to Central Texas after midnight through Sunday morning with the potential for more storms developing later in the day too.For the next few hours we'll have spotty showers, but otherwise just windy and cloudy weather.Ahead of the severe weather threat the National Weather Service have issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for parts of the Hill Country until 5 a.m., mainly due to the threat for large hail and damaging win
  
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• Severe storms possible overnight and through Sunday

  26-04-2024 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Some active weather will bring a line of storms and heavy rain to Central Texas after midnight through Sunday morning with the potential for more storms developing later in the day too.Your Saturday evening looks quiet with a partly to mostly cloudy sky. At worst you'll feel a patchy sprinkle or very brief shower.Overnight-Sunday morning stormsA long line of strong and severe storms looks to approach the western Hill Country after 1 or 2 a.m.
  HRRR Model 2am SundayAs it moves eas
  
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• Hutto ISD superintendent resigns

  26-04-2024 14:16 via kxan.com
  
  HUTTO, Texas (KXAN) -- The Hutto Independent School District accepted the resignation of Superintendent Dr. Raúl Peña Thursday. His resignation comes less than a year after he stepped into the role.
  The ISD Board of Trustees sent a letter to staff Thursday notifying them of the change and said it named Dr. Cara Malone as the Acting Superintendent. Peña served in the position for seven months.
  Malone joined Hutto ISD in the Fall of 2022 as Assistant Superintendent of Human Re
  
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• TxDOT to move bats of Walnut Creek Bridge to new home during reconstruction

  26-04-2024 13:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Bats living under the Walnut Creek Bridge in north Austin are being re-homed, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.TxDOT said since that portion of Interstate 35 was being reconstructed, the department was making a new home for the colony.“Throughout the years, TxDOT has worked to preserve the homes of colonies that visit Austin every year,” TxDOT wrote in a social media post.TxDOT said a biologist would help re-home the colony to a more desirable
  
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• TxDOT to move bats during I-35 construction in north Austin

  26-04-2024 13:53 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect the bats will be moving from the Wells Branch and Howard Lane bridges to the Walnut Creek Bridge.
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Bats living under two bridges in north Austin are being re-homed because of construction on Interstate 35, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.The bats live under the I-35 bridges at Wells Branch Parkway and Howard Lane. Those are being demolished as part of the I-35 Capital Express North project, which will
  
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• Cicada emergence brings trillions of insects above ground across US

  26-04-2024 12:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Begun, the emergence, has. The great cicada emergence of 2024 is underway. Trillions of the insects are expected to crawl from below the surface to breed before dying off. The last time these specific broods of insects were above ground was in 1803.Cicadas come in two varieties, according to Texas A&M. One type, called annual or dog-day cicada, emerges at the end of summer every year. They typically have a 2-5 year life cycle, making them a fairly common sight in North Ameri
  
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• 2024 NFL Draft: These Texas Longhorns were selected in the first round

  26-04-2024 05:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The spectacle that is the opening day of the NFL Draft swept through downtown Detroit on Thursday with two Texas Longhorns going in the first round.Defensive tackle Byron Murphy II and wide receiver Xavier Worthy are now part of 47 Longhorns all-time who have been picked in the first round. There are 13 Longhorns eligible for this year's draft and many of them are expected to be picked during the 3-day, 7-round event in the Motor City. 2024 NFL Draft Tracker: Keep up with e
  
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• UT students discuss antisemitism on campus following protest

  26-04-2024 04:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters were back on the University of Texas Campus on Thursday, but the mood was much different with much fewer law enforcement present.KXAN spoke with both pro-Palestine students who were at the protest and pro-Israel students."I am protesting what is happening in Gaza, a lot of people are dying," said Sarah, a pro-Palestine UT student."The sentiment towards Israel and Jews, it is really negative," said Jeremy, a Jewish student at UT.Jeremy said he
  
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• UT has a history of protests dating back to the 60s and 70s

  26-04-2024 04:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Prior to the protests that took place on Wednesday and Thursday at the University of Texas Austin, it has been awhile since Austin has seen protests this physically charged on the UT campus.For some, Wednesday conjured up images of the late 1960s and early 1970s, which included protests over the Vietnam War, civil rights issues and even local environmental issues, according to UT campus history and The Battle of Waller Creek on the UT website.The Battle of Waller Creek happened
  
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• Leaked memo reveals inside details of UT's protest response

  26-04-2024 04:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- University of Texas Austin leaders have given an "interim suspension" to the Palestine Solidarity Committee after making numerous attempts to meet with student organizers and quell the protest that led to at least 55 arrests and national controversy, an internal memo obtained by KXAN shows."April 24th was a difficult day and one that we had hoped and worked to avoid," the memo states, proceeding to detail specific steps the university took before, during, and after the protes
  
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• Reel surprise: Woman catches 30-pound koi fish in Lady Bird Lake

  26-04-2024 01:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An angler out at Lady Bird Lake said she caught a koi fish near the Waller Beach area.Callie White said about an hour into fishing March 17, her line began getting dragged out to the center of the lake.“I began to reel it in. After a quick, 5-minute fight, the fish was close enough to see some bright orange peak through the water. At this point, I was very shocked by what I saw.“I was thinking I hooked onto a catfish or a common carp, but once I saw the bright o
  
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• UT students, faculty demand university president resign after protest response

  26-04-2024 01:44 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- University of Texas faculty and staff led the charge during Thursday's pro-Palestine protest on campus. Organizers called themselves the UT Austin Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine.
  They held this protest in response to Wednesday's, which ended in dozens of arrests.LIVE UPDATES: Day 2 of protests begins, 57 people arrested day 1Palestine protest at University of Texas at Austin (KXAN viewer photo)Palestine protest at University of Texas at Austin (KXAN viewer photo)Pal
  
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• UT faculty petition for no-confidence vote against university president after protest response

  26-04-2024 01:44 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- University of Texas faculty and staff led the charge during Thursday's pro-Palestine protest on campus. Organizers called themselves the UT Austin Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine.
  They held this protest in response to Wednesday's, which ended in dozens of arrests.LIVE UPDATES: Day 2 of protests begins, 57 people arrested day 1Palestine protest at University of Texas at Austin (KXAN viewer photo)Palestine protest at University of Texas at Austin (KXAN viewer photo)Pal
  
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• AMBER Alert issued for infant out of San Antonio

  26-04-2024 00:29 via kxan.com
  
  SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KXAN) -- An AMBER Alert was issued for an infant out of San Antonio on Thursday, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.Shortly after 5 p.m., DPS said the alert was issued for 2-month-old Caleb Gomez, who was last seen around 10:22 p.m. on April 11 at 337 Breesport St. in San Antonio.The infant is described as a white boy, measuring 1 foot and weighing 10 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes, according to officials.A stock photo and an image of the actual suspec
  
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• AMBER Alert for San Antonio infant discontinued

  26-04-2024 00:29 via kxan.com
  
  SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KXAN) -- An AMBER Alert that was issued for an infant out of San Antonio on Thursday was discontinued Friday, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.Shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday, DPS said the alert was issued for a 2-month-old boy, who had last been seen around 10:22 p.m. on April 11.The alert was discontinued just before 11 a.m. Friday after the infant was found.
  Law enforcement did not provide any further details.
  
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