Austin news

• Austin ISD superintendent responds to Prop A criticism from former trustees

  22-10-2024 23:08 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Independent School District Superintendent Matias Segura on Tuesday responded to criticism of the district’s proposed tax increase, which would inject millions into the district for pay raises and savings.  The district, facing a $119 million deficit, is asking voters starting this week to approve Prop A, a tax rate increase the district says will increase property taxes by more than $400 for the average homeowner. In-depth: KXAN election coverageThe rate
  
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• TxDOT: Work zone crashes in upward trend over last 6 years

  22-10-2024 23:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A crash involving five semi-trucks and two cars early Tuesday morning near Round Rock snarled traffic for hours. It happened around midnight on southbound Interstate 35 near the Grand Avenue Parkway exit and happened in a construction zone.The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) said on its website there were more than 26,000 traffic crashes in 2023 inside work zones. Move over, slow down: TxDOT pleads for people to drive safely through work zonesThe crash early Tuesday i
  
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• Safety improvements planned near Austin train derailment site

  22-10-2024 22:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An area where a train derailed in east Austin early Tuesday morning is set to undergo safety upgrades and improvements in the coming years, Austin Transportation and Public Works officials confirmed with KXAN.
  According to the Austin Fire Department, the train derailed near the intersection of East Sixth Street and Robert T. Martinez Jr. Street shortly after 4:30 a.m.KXAN reported in July 2023 on proposed improvements to the Red Line Trail and rail lines between Navasota an
  
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• Safety improvements to kick off next year along this northeast Austin corridor

  22-10-2024 20:38 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Transportation leaders are teeing up safety improvements along a 6.5-mile stretch in northeast Austin.Multi-phased improvements are set to begin next spring on Cameron Road and Dessau Road to address safety concerns in the area. The project corridor runs along Cameron Road from 51st Street to Rundberg Lane and on Dessau Road from Rundberg Lane to Parmer Lane.Cameron Road/Dessau Road Safety Project, running from 51st Street to Parmer Lane (Courtesy city of Austin)Officials c
  
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• Safety improvements to kick off next year along this north Austin corridor

  22-10-2024 20:38 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Transportation leaders are teeing up safety improvements along a 6.5-mile stretch in north Austin.Multi-phased improvements are set to begin next spring on Cameron Road and Dessau Road to address safety concerns in the area. The project corridor runs along Cameron Road from 51st Street to Rundberg Lane and on Dessau Road from Rundberg Lane to Parmer Lane.Cameron Road/Dessau Road Safety Project, running from 51st Street to Parmer Lane (Courtesy city of Austin)Officials colle
  
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• 'Next to zero warning': Musician mental health organization must pause services for 90 days

  22-10-2024 20:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – An organization that helps link Austin musicians with mental healthcare announced Tuesday it must pause services for 90 days while it restructures and develops a new fundraising strategy. The SIMS Foundation has connected musicians with behavioral healthcare services for nearly 30 years. In 1995, the organization was founded to provide “low- to no-cost mental health care to local artists,” according to the SIMS Foundation. “Over the past 30 years
  
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• Man faces aggravated assault charge after late Monday SWAT call in Wimberley

  22-10-2024 20:01 via kxan.com
  
  WIMBERLEY, Texas (KXAN) -- A man is facing a third-degree felony charge following a disturbance that required a SWAT team response in Wimberley late Monday night, according to the Hays County Sheriff's Office.The sheriff's office said deputies responded to a call about a physical disturbance in the 100 block of Mockingbird Lane just before 11 p.m. Monday. The SWAT team was activated for a "barricaded subject who was armed," according to HSCO.
  Negotiators on the scene talked to the man and eventu
  
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• Officials monitoring ground conditions near Zilker train tracks

  22-10-2024 19:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Parks Foundation (APF) is continuing to monitor the Zilker Eagle train track after an Austin reddit post joked about existing conditions beneath the route.The reddit post sarcastically asked if the Zilker train is going to "fall off into the ocean" and included pictures depicting the exposed dirt and tree growth beneath the tracks. The mini-train — now dubbed the Zilker Eagle — returned to the park back in June more than five years after erosion under
  
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• Susan G. Komen's 'More than Pink Walk' returns to Austin

  22-10-2024 18:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Those who have been impacted by breast cancer will gather this weekend for the Susan G. Komen's "More than Pink Walk" in Austin.This Sunday, the Susan G. Komen breast cancer organization is hosting its annual "More than Pink Walk" at the Barton Creek Square mall in southwest Austin.The event will begin at 7:30 a.m. and the opening ceremony starts at 9 a.m. Registration is open online now and is free of charge.The event aims to bring those impacted by breast cancer in any way tog
  
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• 8 Austin restaurants make Texas Monthly’s ‘50 Best Tacos in Texas’ list

  22-10-2024 18:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new list from Texas Monthly ranked eight Austin taquerias among the best tacos in the Lone Star State.
  The list, released Monday, ranked the "50 Best Tacos in Texas" after Texas Monthly's taco editor José R. Ralat visited over 400 taquerias across Texas. He judged tacos based on craft, quality, creativity and flavor, according to Texas Monthly.Among the top 10 taquerias is Nixta Taqueria in east Austin. The restaurant describes itself as a mix between traditional M
  
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• Who's to blame for the Longhorns' recent offensive struggles? Everyone.

  22-10-2024 17:44 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — For the Texas Longhorns to reach their goal of winning the Southeastern Conference championship this season, it's not just quarterback Quinn Ewers who has to improve. It's everybody. That's football.
  Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) throws down field against Georgia during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Rodolfo Gonzalez)
  Texas' inability to run the ball effectively against a swarming Georgia front seven
  
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• Affidavit: AR-style gun sale leads to fatal shooting; 2 teens charged

  22-10-2024 17:28 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two suspects are in custody and charged with murder in connection with a deadly shooting in Wells Branch that happened on the evening of Oct. 17.Nathan Jamar Reed-Harper, 18. (Mugshot: Travis County Sheriff's Office)
  The Travis County Sheriff's Office identified one suspect as 18-year-old Nathan Jamar Reed-Harper, of Pflugerville. The other suspect was a juvenile whose name is not being released. 1 dead following shooting at apartment off Wells Branch ParkwayBoth the juveni
  
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• 2 suspects in custody after Wells Branch homicide last week, victim identified

  22-10-2024 17:28 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two suspects are in custody and charged with murder in connection with a deadly shooting in Wells Branch that happened Thursday evening.Nathan Jamar Reed-Harper, 18. (Mugshot: Travis County Sheriff's Office)
  The Travis County Sheriff's Office identified one suspect as Nathan Jamar Reed-Harper, 18 of Pflugerville. The other is a juvenile whose name is not being released. Both are charged with murder, according to TCSO.1 dead following shooting at apartment off Wells Branch P
  
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• What a paleoclimatologist says about hurricanes

  22-10-2024 17:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Some might wonder when talking about tropical storms and hurricanes how past events may foretell future storms.Paleoclimatology is a science that helps people better understand the climate of Earth in the past, and paleoclimatologists then try to find out how those climate changes relate to the present and future climate of the planet.KXAN's Rich Segal spoke with Dr. Sierra Petersen, a paleoclimatologist at the University of Michigan, about the science.During
  
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• Tropical tracker: Tropical Storm Oscar moving through the Bahamas

  22-10-2024 16:51 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The video above shows the latest from the KXAN First Warning Weather team.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Each year, the Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. This year is expected to be very active, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicting an 85% chance of an above-average season.This story is part of the KXAN Data Hub, where numbers help tell the whole story.
  We've created several data-driven stories and databases on topic
  
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• Austin paving company to be acquired in deal valued at $950M

  22-10-2024 16:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) -- Austin-based Lone Star Paving is set to be acquired by an Alabama-based company aiming to break into the Central Texas construction market in a deal valued at up to $950 million.Construction Partners Inc. (Nasdaq: ROAD) will pay $654 million in cash and 3 million shares of stock for Lone Star Paving, legally known as Asphalt Inc. LLC, according to an Oct. 21 announcement.Fred Smith, president and CEO of Construction Partners, a vertically integrated civil infr
  
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• Binational delegation heads to Mexico City to talk sewage, border waits, stalled port of entry

  22-10-2024 15:06 via kxan.com
  
  SAN DIEGO (Border Report) -- More than 110 business and community leaders from San Diego and Baja California are in Mexico City to lobby and advocate for projects and issues vital to the region.The delegation is led by the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, which says their mission is to "champion U.S.-Mexico relations and advance issues critical to the success of the binational business community as the newly sworn-in Mexico Administration begins its session."
  On Monday morning, the chambe
  
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• Volunteers selected for Mars survival simulation

  22-10-2024 15:00 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON, Texas (KXAN) -- Four new volunteers will soon embark on a 45-day simulation of life on Mars. NASA announced the latest crew of the Human Exploration Research Analog, or HERA, project on Friday, Oct. 18.This May 22, 2021 photo made available by NASA shows the surface of Mars from a height of 33 feet (10 meters), captured by the Ingenuity Mars helicopter during its sixth flight. (NASA/JPL-Caltech via AP)
  Obaid Alsuwaidi, Kristen Magas, Tiffany Snyder, and Anderson Wilder will join the HER
  
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• LIVE: Volunteers selected for Mars survival simulation

  22-10-2024 15:00 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON, Texas (KXAN) -- Four new volunteers will soon embark on a 45-day simulation of life on Mars. NASA announced the latest crew of the Human Exploration Research Analog, or HERA, project on Friday, Oct. 18.This May 22, 2021 photo made available by NASA shows the surface of Mars from a height of 33 feet (10 meters), captured by the Ingenuity Mars helicopter during its sixth flight. (NASA/JPL-Caltech via AP)
  Obaid Alsuwaidi, Kristen Magas, Tiffany Snyder, and Anderson Wilder will join the HER
  
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• Why are we voting for mayor of Austin again?

  22-10-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- If it seems like you just went and voted for Austin mayor, you're right. You did. And you're going to be asked to do it again this November.
  Mayor Kirk Watson's term was only two years -- instead of four -- because Austin voted to move its mayoral elections to run concurrently with presidential ones. This will be the first mayoral election that aligns with that change. Replay of Austin mayoral debateThere are five people on your ballot to become Austin's next mayor, including in
  
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• Who's running for Austin City Council District 7?

  22-10-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- There are a whopping seven people running for Austin City Council District 7 to fill Austin City Council Member's Leslie Pool's seat.The city of Austin hosted candidate forums, including for District 7. You can find that forum here.
  "The question is whether we'll see sort of that traditional divide between the urbanist or YIMBY (yes in my backyard) candidate and the sort of neighborhood or growth skeptic candidate," Jack Carver, editor of the Austin Politics Newsletter, said.
  Th
  
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• Who's running for Austin City Council District 6?

  22-10-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- There are two people running for Austin City Council District 6, including Mackenzie Kelly, the incumbent.The city of Austin hosted candidate panels, including for District 6. You can re-watch that panel here.
  "It seems like that's kind of a quintessential Democrat versus Republican race that I imagine will be pretty close," Jack Carver, editor of the Austin Politics Newsletter, said.
  The candidates below are listed in the order that they will appear on the ballot.
  Krista LaineK
  
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• Who's running for Austin City Council District 4?

  22-10-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- There are five people running for Austin City Council District 4, including Jose 'Chito' Vela, the incumbent. The candidates below are listed in the order that they will appear on your ballot.The city of Austin hosted candidate panels, including for District 4. You can re-watch that panel here.
  Louis HerrinHerrin filed on Aug. 18, the day of the deadline, to run for the seat. He lists his top priorities as public safety and "homeless camping" on his campaign website.Louis Herrin
  
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• Who's running for Austin City Council District 2?

  22-10-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- There are two people running for Austin City Council District 2, including Vanessa Fuentes, the woman currently in the seat.The city of Austin hosted candidate panels, including for District 2. You can re-watch that panel here.
  The candidates are listed in the order that they will appear on the ballot.
  Vanessa FuentesCouncil Member Vanessa Fuentes
  Austin City Council Member Vanessa Fuentes officially announced she is running for reelection."She has led on issues including raisin
  
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• Who's running for Austin City Council District 10?

  22-10-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Council Member Alison Alter has reached the end of her two consecutive terms and will leave a vacant spot. Eying that seat are Mark Duchen and Ashika Ganguly.The city of Austin hosted candidate panels, including for District 10. You can re-watch that panel here.
  The candidates are listed in the order that they will appear on the ballot.
  Mark DuchenMark Duchen
  Duchen said he's been active in neighborhood policy for the better part of a decade, starting with volunteering for his h
  
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• Power restored in east Austin after derailed train hit utility pole, causing outage Tuesday

  22-10-2024 13:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Power is fully restored in east Austin after people woke up in the dark early Tuesday morning following a train derailment.
  Officials said a train derailed early in the morning and hit a utility pole, causing a power outage in the area. A nearby elementary school was also closed for the day because of the incident.According to the Austin Fire Department, the train derailed near the intersection of East Sixth Street and Robert T. Martinez Jr. Street shortly after 4:30 a.m.
  AFD sa
  
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• East Austin school closed Tuesday after derailed train hits utility pole causing power outage

  22-10-2024 13:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A couple hundred people were without power in east Austin early Tuesday morning after a train derailed and hit a utility pole. An elementary school in the area is also closed for the day because of the incident.
  According to the Austin Fire Department, a train derailed near the intersection of East Sixth Street and Robert T. Martinez Jr. Street shortly after 4:30 a.m.AFD said seven train cars were turned over. Two of those cars contained gravel and five were empty. The total len
  
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• Derailed train hits utility pole in east Austin, causing power outage early Tuesday

  22-10-2024 13:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A couple hundred people are without power in east Austin after a train derailed and hit a utility pole early Tuesday morning.
  According to the Austin Fire Department, a train derailed near the intersection of East Sixth Street and Robert T. Martinez Jr. Street shortly after 4:30 a.m.AFD said seven train cars were turned over. Two of those cars contained gravel and five were empty. The total length of the train is 90 cars, AFD added.
  Train derailment in east Austin Tues. Oct. 22,
  
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• Crash involving multiple semitrailers, cars shuts down part of I-35

  22-10-2024 11:46 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE (KXAN) — Part of I-35 is closed Tuesday morning due to a multi-vehicle crash. According to the Department of Public Safety, it responded to the crash around 12:15 a.m on I-35 southbound at Grand Avenue Parkway.DPS says five semitrailers and two passenger cars are involved. Traffic is currently being diverted onto McNeil Road in Round Rock, and the road is likely to stay closed into the morning commute.
  DPS confirmed with KXAN that people were hurt but did not have any more det
  
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• Crash involving multiple semi-trailers, cars shuts down part of I-35 in Pflugerville

  22-10-2024 11:46 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE (KXAN) — Part of I-35 is closed Tuesday morning due to a multi-vehicle crash. The Department of Public Safety responded to the crash around 12:15 a.m on I-35 southbound at Grand Avenue Parkway.The roadway is expected to stay closed until around noon.Real-Time Traffic MapDPS said five semi-trailers and two passenger cars are involved. Traffic is currently being diverted onto McNeil Road in Round Rock.Three people were injured in the crash, according to the Pflugerville Fire Dep
  
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• Crash involving multiple semi-trailers, cars shuts down part of I-35

  22-10-2024 11:46 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE (KXAN) — Part of I-35 is closed Tuesday morning due to a multi-vehicle crash. According to the Department of Public Safety, it responded to the crash around 12:15 a.m on I-35 southbound at Grand Avenue Parkway.The roadway is expected to stay closed until around noon.Real-Time Traffic MapDPS says five semi-trailers and two passenger cars are involved. Traffic is currently being diverted onto McNeil Road in Round Rock.Crash involving multiple semi-trailers, cars shuts down part
  
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• Police contract, new public safety HQ up for council vote Thursday

  22-10-2024 05:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On Thursday, the Austin City Council is set to vote on two major public safety items: the police contract and a proposal to acquire a set of buildings to build a new space that will house police, fire and EMS headquarters.You have until Wednesday at noon to sign up to speak on these items at Thursday's council meeting.Police contractThe Austin Police Department (APD) has been without a contract since March 2023.
  A sworn staff contract has several elements similar to any ordinary
  
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• Kyle police seeking help to find mother, son last seen Monday morning

  22-10-2024 04:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Kyle Police Department is seeking public help to find a 21-year-old woman and her 11-month-old son who were last seen Monday morning in Kyle, the agency said on social media.Chloe Necole Allaway and her son, Osiris, left their home on Inks Lane on foot around 11 a.m. Monday, according to police.Police said Allaway "has diminished mental capacity, and her family is concerned for Osiris' health and well-being.""Chloe was last seen wearing a light-colored shirt with dark shorts
  
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• Kyle Police: Mother, son found safe

  22-10-2024 04:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A mother and son who were previously reported missing Monday were found safe, according to the Kyle Police Department.Kyle PD previously posted on social media that the mother and son were last seen Monday morning.No other details were released by police Tuesday.
  
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• Campaign Context: Are Democrats or Republicans more likely to vote early?

  22-10-2024 03:22 via kxan.com
  
  As election day nears, politicians are turning up the volume on campaign rhetoric. To cut through the noise, we’re launching Campaign Context, our series providing clarity on the messages you’re hearing from candidates on the campaign trail. We’re digging past the politics and into the facts to provide you with the transparent, spin-free information you need to make informed decisions this election season.AUSTIN (KXAN) — After an unprecedented campaign season, early votin
  
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• APD: Juvenile dead in homicide at northeast Austin apartment complex

  22-10-2024 03:09 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A girl is dead after a homicide that happened in northeast Austin Monday, Austin Police Department Officer Austin Zarling said during a media briefing.At approximately 6:01 p.m., officers responded to The Bridge at Harris Ridge Apartments at 1501 E. Howard Lane -- near Dessau Road -- for a report of someone who was shot, Zarling said.When officers arrived on the scene, they found "a Black female juvenile with apparent trauma to the body," Zarling said. He said Austin-Travis Coun
  
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• Starbucks releasing 'Wicked' drinks inspired by the upcoming film

  22-10-2024 01:03 via kxan.com
  
  Video above: The history of the Starbucks logoSAN DIEGO (KUSI) -- Starbucks is releasing a pair of limited-edition drinks inspired by two main characters of the upcoming film, "Wicked."Beginning Tuesday, Oct. 22, the coffee chain will introduce Glinda's Pink Potion and Elphaba's Cold Brew to celebrate the new film ahead of its release next month.Starbucks described Glinda's Pink Potion as a variation of its Mango Dragonfruit Refresher, topped with nondairy strawberry cold foam and colorful candy
  
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• Delta crew member reportedly made Marine remove 'threatening' shirt: What is the dress code on planes?

  22-10-2024 00:59 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – A Marine Corps veteran from the San Francisco Bay Area was temporarily removed from a Delta flight on Wednesday by a crew member who deemed her T-shirt to be “threatening,” according to a local report.The veteran, identified as Catherine Banks, told KNTV that the shirt she was wearing featured a message that was she felt to be important for the veteran community.“Do not give in to the war within. End veteran suicide,” reads a message across the shirt. It
  
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• Chick-fil-A launching app with podcasts, animated shows

  22-10-2024 00:49 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – Chick-fil-A, apparently not content to simply supply customers with fried chicken sandwiches and spoonfuls of pimento cheese, is getting into the digital entertainment business.Chick-fil-A on Monday announced plans to launch a family-friendly entertainment app — called Chick-fil-A Play — to feature original animated shows, scripted podcasts, games, recipes and more.“Designed for parents and kids to share and experience together whether they’re enjoying a
  
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• Kyle Police made 2 arrests after 3 fentanyl poisonings and 1 death

  22-10-2024 00:32 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) – The Kyle Police Department said it responded to three fentanyl poisonings on Saturday, resulting in one death.  The three people who were poisoned were between the ages of 18 and 19. The department said one teenager died and the other two are stable. It said two arrests were made in connection with the incident. “It is Fentanyl Awareness Month, and I think this [incident] makes it more indicative that we need to continuously put information out the
  
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• APD: 1 dead after crash between vehicle, pedestrian near Austin's Airport

  22-10-2024 00:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- One person is dead after a crash between a vehicle and a pedestrian near the Austin airport over the weekend, the Austin Police Department said in a news release Monday. MAP: Where have Austin’s fatal crashes occurred in 2024?Shortly before 5 a.m. Saturday, officers responded to the intersection of South U.S. 183 Highway southbound and Burleson Road for the crash, the release said.The pedestrian, who was not identified Monday, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to
  
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• McDonald's says it doesn't endorse political candidates after Trump visit

  22-10-2024 00:02 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) -- McDonald's is emphasizing its political neutrality after former President Donald Trump spent some time behind the counter at one of its Pennsylvania locations.The fast-food giant released a statement on Monday, saying: "McDonald’s does not endorse candidates for elected office and that remains true in this race for the next President. We are not red or blue — we are golden."McDonald's also confirmed that Trump's request to visit the Pennsylvania location was handled at
  
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