Austin news

• 'Crooks' target Leander neighborhood for vehicle break-ins

  11-12-2024 23:51 via kxan.com
  
  LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) -- "Crooks" are checking cars to see if anyone has left a holiday gift for them. One Leander neighborhood has been a repeated target with victims who turned out to be luckier than most."Lock your car doors at night," Lt. Mike Mohler of Leander police said. "That would stop a high percentage of vehicle burglaries."It seems simple enough, but often in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season people forget to protect what's in their driveway. How to look up crime statistics
  
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• Keeping 'vaccine fatigue' at bay during the holidays

  11-12-2024 23:37 via kxan.com
  
  (KXAN)— The holiday season is in full swing, and so is the peak season for flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). If you have not gotten your vaccines yet, doctors say now is the time—especially if you have holiday party plans coming up. READ MORE: New RSV vaccine guidelines"It usually takes about two weeks for any vaccine to really take effect," said Dr. Michelle Fiscus, chief medical officer of the Association of Immunization Managers. "You really want to be thinking
  
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• Austin to drop report on Congress Ave. revamp, pedestrian plaza next year

  11-12-2024 22:52 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's note: The above video is KXAN coverage from Oct. 9 on the proposed Congress Avenue revamp.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin will release a new report next year outlining the next steps for a proposed revamp of Congress Avenue, including the potential of a pedestrian-centric plaza in the future.The Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative has proposed a full revamp of Congress Avenue between Riverside Drive and 11th Street to the tune of an estimated $130 million. Transportation leaders are ey
  
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• Austin's Sail Tower to be purchased for $522M

  11-12-2024 22:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) — Cousins Properties is purchasing downtown Austin’s Sail Tower for $521.8 million.Cousins announced Dec. 10 it is under contract to purchase the property later this month. The building is owned by Trammell Crow Company, which also developed it, a Trammell Crow representative confirmed.
  Google leases the entirety of the 804,000-square-foot property on the shore of Lady Bird Lake.Read more on Austin Business Journal.
  
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• 'Joyful attitude': Williamson County Sheriff's Office mourns loss of correctional officer

  11-12-2024 21:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Williamson County Sheriff's Office is mourning one of its own after the agency announced Wednesday a corrections officer died the day before.WCSO said on social media Patricia "Patty" Jakubowski "suffered a medical episode" on Monday while she was working in the Williamson County Jail. Staff at the jail provided "immediate medical care," and Jakubowski was transported to Seton Williamson Hospital, the agency said."On December 10th, 2024, Corrections Officer Patty Jakubowski
  
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• Fayette Power Plant's role in Austin could be a central focus for city council Thursday

  11-12-2024 21:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- With three Austin City Council members leaving the dais at the end of the year, Thursday's city council meeting will be the last for Council Members Mackenzie Kelly, Alison Alter and Mayor Pro Tem Leslie Pool.
  It won't be a thoughtless slide to the finish, Thursday's agenda has more than 140 items on it. Here's some of what we're watching:
  Austin Energy generation planThursday, Austin City Council will vote on the Austin Energy Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Pl
  
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• Austin Energy generation plan unanimously adopted Thursday after significant feedback

  11-12-2024 21:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- With three Austin City Council members leaving the dais at the end of the year, Thursday's city council meeting will be the last for Council Members Mackenzie Kelly, Alison Alter and Mayor Pro Tem Leslie Pool.
  It won't be a thoughtless slide to the finish, Thursday's agenda has more than 140 items on it. Here's some of what we're watching:
  Austin Energy generation plan: ApprovedAustin City Council unanimously voted to approve the Austin Energy Resource, Generation and Clima
  
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• What front is it? Why each type of cold front affects you differently

  11-12-2024 20:39 via kxan.com
  
  Types of Cold FrontsIt's that time of the year when cold fronts start to become a bit more frequent and drive our temperatures down, but you may have noticed sometimes they are a bit stronger, a bit rainier, or there's seemingly no real big change at all. Those factors depend on where the front actually develops from. Here are the three fronts that affect us the most:Pacific FrontThe Pacific Front develops from the Pacific Ocean and travels from west to east. Pacific Front don't bring the coldes
  
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• 'Technical issue' that sparked widespread Meta outage nearly resolved, company says

  11-12-2024 20:39 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) — Meta says it has nearly restored service to its platforms after "a technical issue" caused widespread issues on Wednesday.
  Early Wednesday afternoon, user-reported issues spiked across the company's social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Threads. User-reported issues for Facebook alone topped 90,000 on Downdetector as of 12:30 p.m. CT. Outage reports for Instagram had exceeded 60,000, while about 11,000 were reported on Messenger and WhatsApp.The l
  
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• 'Technical issue' sparks widespread Facebook, Meta problems

  11-12-2024 20:39 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) — Meta users reported widespread issues with the company's social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Threads on Wednesday.User-reported issues for Facebook alone topped 90,000 on Downdetector as of 12:30 p.m. CT. Outage reports for Instagram had exceeded 60,000, while about 11,000 were reported on Messenger and WhatsApp.The leading complaints for Facebook, Instagram, and Threads were related to the app, Downdetector shows. The top issue for WhatsApp use
  
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• Residents express concerns over 'postal desert' in east Austin

  11-12-2024 20:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The United States Postal Service doesn't have any immediate plans to add a new east Austin location after a site on East Sixth Street closed over the summer, limiting the number of locations servicing the eastside.The USPS' now-former location at 1914 E. Sixth St. was closed as of late August, according to contributors on Yelp. In an Austin Reddit post that trended earlier this week, commenters expressed frustrations over there no longer being any post offices serving the e
  
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• Rural land continues to be a seller's market; 'no rational reason' for these prices

  11-12-2024 20:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) -- Red Oak Development Group CEO Tom Staub has a plan: He wants to invest $15 billion to build 10 "mini cities" on thousands of acres mostly around Austin. He envisions ample housing, commercial space, schools, medical campuses and much more to meet the demand of the booming market.The only problem? It's hard finding the land to do it.At least anecdotally, Staub said he's seen some large tracts around Lockhart, one of the remaining rural portions of the
  
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• Texas DPS requesting 1500+ positions for law enforcement and driver license service improvements

  11-12-2024 19:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Col. Freeman Martin, the new director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said the biggest challenge facing the agency today is a lack of staffing. This challenge is not only impacting law enforcement services but also driver license services that have led to long wait times for Texans trying to get an ID."We have not kept up with the growth and population in Texas," Martin said in a video released by the agency this week. The agency is requesting 500 new commissioned pers
  
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• Austin police search for suspect in hit-and-run crash

  11-12-2024 18:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department said it was searching for a suspect related to a hit-and-run crash that occurred Nov. 9 in north Austin.APD said the victim of the crash had minor injuries.According to police, the crash occurred at approximately 1:35 p.m. in the 8500 block of the Research Boulevard service road heading north.Suspect in north Austin hit-and-run crash (APD photo)Suspect vehicle in north Austin hit-and-run crash (APD photo)Austin Police said the suspect was drivin
  
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• Austin could soon add 'digital kiosks' for wayfinding, revenue streams downtown

  11-12-2024 17:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Digital kiosks could soon be a focal point in downtown Austin, as city leaders are looking into new ways to help with emergency messaging, wayfinding and sharing public information.The Austin City Manager's Office is looking into the potential pilot program downtown as well as in other "high pedestrian activity areas," according to a Dec. 6 memo. If pursued, Austin would join other Texas cities like Dallas that are pursuing these installations.The kiosks will operate as Wi-
  
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• How to keep your home heated safely this winter in Austin

  11-12-2024 17:14 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The transcript of this live Q&A has been edited for brevity and clarity.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As Austin's temperatures drop to the 30s for the first time this winter, families will start bringing out their portable heaters to try to keep warm.KXAN's Will DuPree spoke to the Austin Fire Department's Assistant Chief Thayer Smith about how you can stay warm safely.Cold this morning to bright and mild this afternoonWill DuPree: As we've been talking about the temperatures dipping
  
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• 'Forrest Gump of Poland' runs through sliver of Texas amid cross-country marathon challenge

  11-12-2024 16:05 via kxan.com
  
  AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) - A 26-year-old runner known as the self-proclaimed "Forrest Gump of Poland" was set to start his 80th marathon in a five-month, one-a-day challenge from Amarillo on Wednesday.Tomasz Sobania, a Polish extreme runner, began a journey across the United States in September with the goal of running a marathon per day for five months. He started in mid-September in New York City, and arrived in Amarillo on Tuesday to start the next leg of his 3,330-mile expedition from the
  
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• Kristen's Classroom: Why are no two snowflakes alike?

  11-12-2024 15:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - Much like a person's fingerprints, every snowflake is unique. But how is it that this natural phenomenal produces such variety?Snowflakes form when very cold water droplets cling to a "nuclei" floating in a cloud. Nuclei can be anything from a particle of dust to a pollen spore. Once the ice crystal forms, gravity then pulls it towards the ground. As it falls, water vapor then accumulates and freezes on the growing crystal.
  The basic shape of a snowflake is determined by the temp
  
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• Baby poop and fungi; why Austin company says they could be the solution to plastic crisis

  11-12-2024 14:08 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A dirty diaper could be the secret ingredient to helping answer an environmental question: how do we clean up all of our plastic waste?Hiro Industries hopes these diapers could help solve the plastic crisis. (Eric Henrikson/KXAN)
  "It's estimated that 7 billion tons of plastic have already been created, and over 400 million tons get added every year. So it's just a global mega problem," said Tero Isokauppila with Hiro Technologies.The Finnish farmer partnered with Miki Agrawal to
  
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• Texas' abortion legislation could deplete women's health care in the state, OB-GYNs say

  11-12-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Abortion laws in Texas are stressing the state's already overworked women's health care workforce and depleting numbers of doctors entering and staying in the state, according to a study by Manatt Health.More than 70% of practicing OB-GYNs in Texas feel the near-total ban is prohibiting them from providing high-quality, evidence-based care for patients and negatively impacting their ability to practice, according to the study released in October. OB-GYN survey results,
  
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• CapMetro offering free rides for people seeking shelter during cold weather

  11-12-2024 13:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Capital Metro announced it will offer rides to people seeking shelter during the cold weather. Individuals unable to pay will still be given a ride to their destination.The transportation provider said it will closely monitor severe weather on Wednesday and the rest of the week.Today's forecast"We're doing our part to help our community, especially during weather events that leave people vulnerable. No one will be denied service to a cold weather shelter on CapMetro services," C
  
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• High-speed rail efforts in Texas have gained some momentum. The Texas Legislature and Donald Trump may change that.

  11-12-2024 12:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) -- The illusive dream of high-speed rail in Texas has become foggier as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office and state GOP lawmakers intent on throwing up roadblocks to rail return to Austin next month.Over the last two years, high-speed rail ambitions in Texas showed signs of life. Amtrak revived and took the lead on a long-mulled high-speed rail route between Dallas and Houston. North Texas transportation planners advanced the idea of extending that l
  
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• Southeast Austin fire leaves 5 people displaced

  11-12-2024 09:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A fire in southeast Austin Tuesday night left five people displaced, according to the Austin Fire Department. The fire was at a home in the 5200 block of Copperbend Boulevard, which is located near East Stassney Lane and South Pleasant Valley Road.AFD said there was heavy fire coming through the roof upon their arrival. After the fire was under control, no injuries were reported.Due to the damage from the fire, two adults and three children were displaced from one side of the du
  
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• Mega Millions winner sues for other half of $394M jackpot, claims he bought both tickets

  11-12-2024 06:18 via kxan.com
  
  (KTLA) -- A man is suing the California Lottery, claiming he bought both winning tickets for a $394 million Mega Millions jackpot but lost one and is owed the remaining $197 million.Faramarz Lahijani came forward in June to claim half of the cash prize from one of two winning lottery tickets sold at the same gas station in Encino in December 2023.Lahijani says he actually purchased both tickets but lost one of them and was unable to track it down before it expired over the weekend. He submitted
  
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• Oregon federal judge temporarily blocks proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger

  11-12-2024 06:15 via kxan.com
  
  PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — An Oregon federal judge has temporarily blocked the merger between two of the largest grocers in the U.S.: Kroger and Albertsons.The merger was at the center of a three-week trial that started in Portland in August. U.S. District Court Judge Adrienne Nelson issued a preliminary injunction against it on Tuesday afternoon. Person with firearm barricaded at Camp Withycombe in Happy Valley: Sheriff’s Office“Although defendants may choose to abandon the merge
  
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• Sewer overflow reported in southeast Austin neighborhood, crews still cleaning

  11-12-2024 05:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Crews are continuing to clean up overflow from a"sanitary sewer manhole" after thousands of gallons of waste water overflowed in a southeast Austin neighborhood, Austin Water said in a news release.More than 100,000 gallons of wastewater overflowed into a "dry tributary segment of Williamson Creek," in the 5000 block of Creek Bend Drive, the release said. That overflow was discovered around 11:53 a.m., and the agency said the overflow was stopped at 1:47 p.m.Furthermore, Austin
  
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• 'Having a heart attack': Burnet County general store employees save man's life

  11-12-2024 04:48 via kxan.com
  
  SPICEWOOD, Texas (KXAN) -- Scott Hendrix almost lost his life at the Spicewood General Store.Almost.
  When he started having chest pains, he stopped at the general store, hoping he could get a water to hold him over until he got emergency help. But he went into cardiac arrest.
  Four people working there stepped in.
  "[They] rolled me over, said 'are you ok?' And I said 'I think I'm having a heart attack," Hendrix said.
  Scott Hendrix sits with three of the employees who helped him when he suffered a
  
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• Kylie Kelce dethrones Joe Rogan on podcast charts as her debut episode hits No. 1

  11-12-2024 04:10 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) -- Kylie Kelce, wife of former NFL player turned media personality Jason Kelce, beat out Joe Rogan for the top podcast spot on both Apple and Spotify this week.On Apple Music, "Not Gonna Lie," hosted by Kelce, ranked ahead of Rogan's show, "Crime Junkie" and the New York Times "The Daily," several heavyweights in the space.
  During her inaugural episode, Kelce spoke on her recent pregnancy announcement, gave her thoughts on gender reveals and shared what the past two years have been li
  
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• Businesses fear double taxation under proposed rule

  11-12-2024 03:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A proposed amendment by the Texas Comptroller's Office has some businesses concerned over how they can be taxed.Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced in September his proposal to update the comptroller's rules regarding taxable data processing services, as the existing laws were created in 1987. The updated rule aims to clarify what falls under such services.The proposal defines a data processing service as a "computerized entry, retrieval, search, compilation, manipulati
  
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• Williamson County approves additional funding for death investigators

  11-12-2024 03:06 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — Williamson County is one step closer to hiring four new death investigators. County Judge Bill Gravell, along with Williamson County's Justice of the Peace judges, have been interviewing candidates for the positions. The new hires would help the JP judges take death calls, respond to scenes and prepare reports across the county.  READ: A Hanging on Backbone Creek InvestigationThe justices of the peace determine cause and manner of death, since the count
  
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• Nearly $1B bond could go in front of Hays CISD voters

  11-12-2024 01:34 via kxan.com
  
  HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – A nearly $1 billion bond package may go in front of Hays Consolidated Independent School District voters in May 2025. A fast-growing district, the district’s board has consistently called bond elections every other year. As it is written now, the bond election would be the highest-costing bond the district has ever seen. “In the most simple terms, we're growing. We're growing about 1,000 kids a year. We're projected to grow that many, if no
  
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• Tips to keep your pets warm and safe ahead of Central Texas freeze warning

  11-12-2024 00:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- With freezing temperatures expected Tuesday night, Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) and the Hays County Pet Resource Center offered advice to ensure your pets stay safe and cozy in the cold.Tips for Keeping Pets Comfortable:
  Bring Pets Indoors: If your dog usually stays outside, bring them inside to protect them from the drastic drop in temperatures. Cold weather can be tough on both pets and people.Provide Shelter for Community Cats: Create makeshift enclosures for stray cats using ca
  
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• Texas Longhorns standouts named to All-SEC team

  11-12-2024 00:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas Longhorns had quite the campaign in its inaugural season in the Southeastern Conference. Steve Sarkisian's group made the conference championship game and the College Football Playoff.While the Longhorns gear up for their first round playoff game hosting Clemson, the accolades have begun to roll in. Seven Texas players were named Tuesday to the All-SEC teams.Offensive tackle Kelvin Banks and defensive back Jahdae Barron headline the list for Texas as the first-team hon
  
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• Longhorns' standouts on ALL-SEC team

  11-12-2024 00:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - In Texas football's first season in the SEC, the Longhorns had quite the campaign. Steve Sarkisian's group made the conference championship game and the college football playoff.While the Longhorns gear up for their first round playoff game hosting Clemson, the accolades have begun to roll in. Seven Texas players were named Tuesday to the All-SEC teams.Offensive tackle Kelvin Banks and defensive back Jahdae Barron headline the list for Texas as the first-team honorees. Banks is a
  
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• Man indicted on capital murder charge in 1980 Austin cold case

  11-12-2024 00:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A man who was already incarcerated in a Massachusetts jail was indicted on a capital murder charge in connection with a 1980 Austin cold case, according to court documents.Deck Brewer Jr., 78, was indicted on one count of capital murder and one count of murder, records state. Austin Police identify suspect in 1980 cold case; arrest warrant issuedKXAN has reached out to Brewer's attorney. We will update this if a statement is received.On Jan. 9, 1980, the Austin Police Department
  
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