Austin news

• CLEAR Alert: SAPD seeking public help to find 50-year-old woman

  30-12-2024 23:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The San Antonio Police Department seeks the public's help to find a 50-year-old woman last seen Sunday afternoon in San Antonio, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.Sharon Hodges was last seen in the 2600 block of East Commerce around 1:30 p.m., according to DPS. She was wearing a gray long-sleeve shirt and was in a black wheelchair.Sharon Hodges, 50 (Courtesy Texas Department of Public Safety)DPS described Hodges as a Black woman, who is approximately 5 feet 7 in
  
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• Several pets receive resources at annual APA! end-of-year event

  30-12-2024 23:11 via kxan.com
  
  Editors Note: This article was updated to reflect the number of pets served for the 2024 year.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Several pets and their owners received the resources they needed over the weekend during the annual end-of-year food distribution hosted by Austin Pets Alive!, according to an APA! news release.The event was held at McCormick Middle School in Buda. APA! collaborated with the Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB) and Hays County Pet Resource Center (Hays PRC) to help distribute those supplies t
  
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• Pets receive resources at annual APA! end-of-year event

  30-12-2024 23:11 via kxan.com
  
  Editors Note: This article was updated to reflect the number of pets served for the 2024 year.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Pets and their owners received the resources they needed over the weekend during the annual end-of-year food distribution hosted by Austin Pets Alive!, according to an APA! news release.The event was held at McCormick Middle School in Buda. APA! collaborated with the Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB) and Hays County Pet Resource Center (Hays PRC) to help distribute those supplies to 233 do
  
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• 1,500+ pets receive resources at annual APA! end-of-year event

  30-12-2024 23:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Several pets and their owners received the resources they needed over the weekend during the annual end-of-year food distribution hosted by Austin Pets Alive!, according to an APA! news release.The event was held at McCormick Middle School in Buda. APA! collaborated with the Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB) and Hays County Pet Resource Center (Hays PRC) to help distribute those supplies to 233 dogs and 144 cats, the release said. Some of those supplies included resource guide flye
  
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• Texas DPS offices closed statewide due to outage

  30-12-2024 22:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas Department of Public Safety's driver license offices are closed for the remainder of the day after an outage that affected the entire state, DPS said on social media Monday.DPS said its staff is working to reschedule appointments with customers affected by the outage "as quickly as possible" and apologized for the inconvenience the outage caused.Additionally, DPS said DPS offices are also closed on Tuesday and Wednesday due to the New Year's holiday.No other details we
  
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• South Korea struggles to find cause of plane crash that killed 179

  30-12-2024 21:47 via kxan.com
  
  SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean officials said Monday they will conduct safety inspections of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by the country's airlines, as they struggle to determine what caused a plane crash that killed 179 people a day earlier.Sunday's crash, the country’s worst aviation disaster in decades, triggered an outpouring of national sympathy. Many people worry how effectively the South Korean government will handle the disaster as it grapples with a
  
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• Airbnb's anti-party tech cracked down on 4,200 Texas guests last New Year's Eve

  30-12-2024 21:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Airbnb is continuing its work to crack down on "unauthorized and disruptive parties" this New Year's Eve after prohibiting nearly 74,000 people from booking last year, the property rentals company shared in a December release.Airbnb announced it's rolling out new methods of anti-party technology to minimize higher-risk bookings. Those measures include a review of several possible signals, including the length of a guest's stay, the type of listing, how far the listing is co
  
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• Thinking of simpler times allows Quinn Ewers to stay calm in big moments

  30-12-2024 21:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers has played plenty of big games in three seasons with the Longhorns. To stay calm and ease his nerves, he distills the complicated collegiate game into something nostalgic and simple."I try to treat it like I'm back in pee-wee football, just enjoy the game," he said during Peach Bowl media day Monday. "Obviously, you can't really do that anymore, I just try to look at it like that." Why Bevo cannot attend Texas vs. Arizona State Peach Bowl gameT
  
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• Citizens in Kyle wants to save a reportedly 400-year-old tree named ‘Jolene’

  30-12-2024 21:01 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) – Following a Dec. 3 decision to remove a reportedly 400-year-old tree known to residents as "Jolene," some in Kyle want decision-makers to explore other options. The city of Kyle has long planned to expand Old Stagecoach Road, which at one point requires north and southbound vehicles to yield to each other due to where Jolene stands. “[The tree] currently restricts traffic flow and causes a pinch point as you're going around the curve,” said Kyle A
  
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• Citizens in Kyle want to save a reportedly 400-year-old tree named ‘Jolene’

  30-12-2024 21:01 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) – Following a Dec. 3 decision to remove a reportedly 400-year-old tree known to residents as "Jolene," some in Kyle want decision-makers to explore other options. The city of Kyle has long planned to expand Old Stagecoach Road, which at one point requires north and southbound vehicles to yield to each other due to where Jolene stands. “[The tree] currently restricts traffic flow and causes a pinch point as you're going around the curve,” said Kyle A
  
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• Lawsuit against Austin's Project Connect tax rate dismissed; appeal 'very likely'

  30-12-2024 20:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Travis County judge dismissed a lawsuit last week that challenged the validity of property tax rate allocations to Austin's Project Connect mass transit program, according to documents obtained by KXAN.A group of plaintiffs filed the suit in late August against Austin City Council, alleging the approved property tax rate for fiscal year 2025 violated Texas Tax Code. As part of their claims, the plaintiffs argued the 2020 property tax rate increase for Project Connect is n
  
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• 2 kids, 2 adults taken to hospitals after fire at 4-plex in north Austin

  30-12-2024 20:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Four people were taken to hospitals and nine people were displaced as a result of a fire in north Austin on Monday.
  The Austin Fire Department responded to a "heavy fire" at a four-plex at 10300 Brownie Drive around noon Monday, according to the agency's X account.Fire at four-plex on Brownie Drive in north Austin Dec. 30, 2024 (Austin Fire Department photo)
  Fire at four-plex on Brownie Drive in north Austin Dec. 30, 2024 (Austin Fire Department photo)AFD said four people were t
  
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• State activates wildfire resources as risk rises in west Texas

  30-12-2024 19:45 via kxan.com
  
  MASON COUNTY, TX (Nexstar) -- The Texas Division of Emergency Management announced it is sending out additional wildfire resources to western parts of the state due to an increased risk in wildfire activity on Monday.
  The Texas A&M Forest Service identified extreme wildfire risks for parts of the Hill Country, West Texas, the Permian Basin, South Plains, and the Panhandle. The service provides a fire risk map on its website that highlights dozens of counties at a heightened risk.“Texan
  
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• A look back on President Jimmy Carter's visits to Austin

  30-12-2024 19:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States and 76th governor of Georgia, died Sunday at 100 years old. Serving as president from 1977 to 1981, Carter remains the last Democratic presidential candidate to win Texas, according to historic voting records provided by the Texas Secretary of State.Beyond his four years in office, Carter was noted for his humanitarian efforts, founding The Carter Center to aid in conflict mediation work in Ethiopia and Eritrea, North Ko
  
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• Number of billion-dollar weather disasters continues to grow

  30-12-2024 18:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As 2024 comes to an end, there is more discussion about how much money weather disasters cost. There have been 24 disasters that cost at least $1 billion each in 2024, carrying a combined price tag of $61 billion.
  These figures are lower than in 2023, when there were 28 of these billion-dollar disasters that cost a hefty $93 billion, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
  However, not all of 2024's disasters have been finalized because NOAA is s
  
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• Zilker Eagle to reduce operating hours to weekends only in the new year

  30-12-2024 18:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The miniature train in Austin's Zilker Park -- the Zilker Eagle -- will be on a new operating schedule in the new year.
  The Zilker Eagle announced the imminent change on social media over the weekend. The mini train's new hours will be Friday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., starting on Jan. 7, according to the post. It will be closed Monday through Thursday.The train's current hours are daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a brief closure from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.The announcement a
  
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• Peak of cedar season arrives for Central Texas

  30-12-2024 14:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Cedar continues to be an issue for many dealing with allergies in Central Texas, and with more than half the season left to go, many are wondering how to get relief.It’s at this time of year when mountain cedar releases pollen, which can cause irritation to those most sensitive to it. The season typically runs from the beginning of November and lasts all the way through the beginning of March. Dr. John Villacis, an allergist at St. David’s North Austin Medical C
  
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• Billions of dollars in Austin transportation projects to advance in 2025

  30-12-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As billions of dollars in transportation projects ramp up or continue work in Austin, residents and visitors alike will be navigating a whole host of traffic snags and congestion. Here's a breakdown of some of the changes to come with the city's biggest transportation projects, and how to plan your routes and travels accordingly.Austin's Journey With AUS programAs Austin soars into 2025, so, too is its airport's Journey With AUS program. Work will continue into the new year on t
  
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• Longhorns arrive in Atlanta, set to play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for 2nd time in nearly a month

  30-12-2024 02:22 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The new 12-team College Football Playoff format is creating all kinds of quirks for teams, and for the Texas Longhorns, they're headed back to the same venue where they played their conference championship almost a month ago.Texas arrived in Atlanta on Sunday for the CFP quarterfinals at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl to be held at noon on New Year's Day in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. That's the same stadium they lost 22-19 in overtime to Georgia in the Southeastern Conference champ
  
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• No. 5 Longhorns clobber UTRGV 94-35, face No. 9 Sooners in SEC opener

  30-12-2024 00:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — No. 5 Texas held UT Rio Grande Valley to single-digit point totals in three of four quarters and forced 37 turnovers to easily win 94-35 in NCAA women's basketball action Sunday at Moody Center.Kyla Oldacre had a near-perfect night for the Longhorns with 21 points in 24 minutes, shooting 6-for-6 from the field and 9-for-10 from the foul line. She added seven rebounds to help Texas outrebound the Vaqueros 44-29. Madison Booker scored 14 points with seven rebounds and seven a
  
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