Austin news

• APD searching for man connected with December robbery

  26-02-2025 23:32 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department's Robbery Unit asked for the public's help identifying a man involved in an aggravated robbery at a 7-Eleven gas station at 3801 W. Parmer Lane.Authorities said the robbery took place on December 11, 2024.The man had entered the gas station, pulled out a gun and demanded money and cigarillos from the clerk, according to the press release.APD described the man as having a heavy build and being 6'0" tall. He was last seen wearing a gray hoodie with a s
  
  Read more

• Severe Weather begins to ramp up in March

  26-02-2025 23:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As meteorological winter comes to a close, attention shifts to severe weather, which typically intensifies from March through early June.In March, we often see intense clashes between colder, drier air and warm, moist air, driven by large-scale dynamic weather patterns. This can lead to the development of strong thunderstorms capable of producing damaging winds, large hail, flooding and tornadoes.Typical March severe weather setup- building instability from the GulfThese troughs
  
  Read more

• Bill to raise teacher pay passes Texas Senate

  26-02-2025 23:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) – On Wednesday afternoon, the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 26 with a unanimous vote to raise teacher pay across the state. The bill will now move to the Texas House of Representatives for consideration.If passed by the House, the legislation would fulfill one of Gov. Greg Abbott’s seven emergency items for the 89th Legislative Session – increasing teacher pay to an all-time high.According to the bill’s sponsor Brandon Creighton, R – Conroe, 80% o
  
  Read more

• Police asking for witnesses, video related to east Austin park shooting

  26-02-2025 22:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — One person was injured in a shooting Sunday at an east Austin park, and now police are asking witnesses to come forward with any information that could help with the investigation.
  The Austin Police Department said the shooting happened around 6:30 p.m. at Bartholomew District Park off Berkman Drive. That is near the Mueller development.
  A large, planned community event was being held at the park. APD said during that event, "multiple unidentified males were involved in a p
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Former Eanes ISD music teacher arrested in connection with online crimes against children

  26-02-2025 22:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A former elementary music teacher at Eanes Independent School District was arrested in connection with online crimes against children, Eanes ISD Superintendent Dr. Jeff Arnett said in a district letter Wednesday.Zachary Barnett previously worked as a music teacher at Cedar Creek Elementary and was employed with Eanes ISD for three years, per the release. The Texas Department of Public Safety's Computer Information Technology and Electronic Crime (CITEC) Unit conducted the i
  
  Read more

• Texas Supreme Court Head’s legislative priorities include raising judge pay 30%

  26-02-2025 22:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) – For the first time since being appointed to serve as the Texas Supreme Court’s Chief Justice in January, Jimmy Blacklock laid out the priorities he’d like to see the Texas legislature take up in 2025.An across-the-board pay raiseBlacklock opened his priority list with a big ask of the Texas legislature: increase all judge pay by 30% this session to hire and retain the best talent. Blacklock said the judiciary hasn’t had a pay increase since 2013 and ran
  
  Read more

• Texas Senate revives library cuts for hosting drag story times

  26-02-2025 21:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Lawmakers are bringing back an effort to create consequences for any public library in Texas that hosts a children's reading event led by a drag performer, reviving legislation that failed to pass during the last legislative session.The Senate Committee on State Affairs will hold a hearing Thursday at 9 a.m. to consider Senate Bill 18, introduced by Republican Sen. Bryan Hughes of Mineola. The proposal's wording closely mirrors a similar piece of legislation he brought forw
  
  Read more

• How much does a $100K salary stretch in Austin in 2025?

  26-02-2025 21:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — While a six-figure salary might sound like a cushiony financial spot to be in, it all depends on the costs of living where you reside.Personal finance company SmartAsset released last week its guide on how far $100,000 salaries stretch in the largest U.S. cities for 2025. The report found the Lone Star State was particularly advantageous for workers to get the most bang for their buck, with five Texas cities — El Paso, Corpus Christi, Lubbock, San Antonio and Houston
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• APD investigating after 2 taken to hospital — 1 person in critical condition

  26-02-2025 21:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department is investigating after two people were taken to the hospital Wednesday following a shoot/stab hot shot incident in northwest Austin.APD said officers responded 12300 block of Hymeadow Drive at approximately 12:35 a.m. and found two victims. That's near U.S. Hwy. 183 and Lake Creek Parkway.According to police, one victim was in stable condition, and the other was in critical condition.No other information was available.
  
  Read more

• Mapping the universe and space weather; 2 NASA satellites launch on big science mission

  26-02-2025 21:01 via kxan.com
  
  Solar winds can disrupt electronics on Earth. A new satellite will help us study these storms. (Courtesy NASA)
  SPACE (KXAN) -- NASA is creating a map of the universe. On Friday, two satellites will launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket: SPHEREx and PUNCH. The pair will help us create a panoramic map of the universe and monitor space weather."We started to work on SPHEREx twelve years ago. So it's a long time," said Dr. Olivier Dore, a senior research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.SPHE
  
  Read more

• Measles: What to know about vaccines, symptoms as Texas outbreak expands

  26-02-2025 20:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A west Texas outbreak of the measles virus has reached over 100 cases, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), with the majority of cases being unvaccinated children.What is measles?The virus is a highly contagious infection that causes high fever, cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis and rash. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it can lead to complications such as ear infections, pneumonia and encephalitis.By highly contagi
  
  Read more

• Michelle Trachtenberg, 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer,' and 'Harriet the Spy' star, dies at 39

  26-02-2025 20:15 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Michelle Trachtenberg, a former child star who appeared in the 1996 “Harriet the Spy” hit movie and went on to co-star in two buzzy millennial-era TV shows — “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Gossip Girl” — has died. She was 39.
  Police responded to a 911 call shortly after 8 a.m. at a 51-story luxury apartment tower in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood where officers found Trachtenberg "unconscious and unrespon
  
  Read more

• Austin Infrastructure Academy tees up spring launch as billions in transit projects progress

  26-02-2025 19:59 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The above video is from June 2024 when funding was secured for Austin Infrastructure Academy.AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Infrastructure Academy will host its inaugural expo event later this spring to build up a local pipeline of infrastructure workers to support billions of dollars' worth of mobility projects underway. PAST COVERAGE: Austin mayor announces new infrastructure academy to build construction workforceMayor Kirk Watson said the academy will host its launch event o
  
  Read more

• Agriculture secretary outlines plan to lower egg prices

  26-02-2025 19:42 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins outlined a “five pronged strategy” to lower the cost of eggs in a Wednesday Wall Street Journal op-ed citing the avian flu as an influencing factor in price hikes.“The Agriculture Department will invest up to $1 billion to curb this crisis and make eggs affordable again. We are working with the Department of Government Efficiency to cut hundreds of millions of dollars of wasteful spending,”
  
  Read more

• Michelle Trachtenberg, 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and 'Harriet the Spy' star, dies at at 39

  26-02-2025 19:29 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Michelle Trachtenberg, a former child star who appeared in the 1996 “Harriet the Spy” hit movie and went on to co-star in two buzzy TV shows at the dawn of the millennium — “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Gossip Girl” — has died. She was 39.
  Police responded to a 911 call shortly after 8 a.m. at luxury residential tower in midtown where “officers observed a 39-year-old female unconscious and unresponsive,” accordin
  
  Read more

• Vic Schaefer returns to Starkville with the No. 1 team in the country

  26-02-2025 18:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — For the first time since leaving Mississippi State in 2020 for the University of Texas, Longhorns women's basketball coach Vic Schaefer and his daughter Blair are returning to Starkville.Mississippi State will host Schaefer's No. 1 Longhorns Thursday night at Humphrey Coliseum as Texas continues its championship chase closing in on a Southeastern Conference regular season title.It's not easy to walk away from a program where you appeared in the national championship game in
  
  Read more

• Austin leaders expected to vote on short-term rental regulations

  26-02-2025 18:22 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin City Council is expected to vote Thursday on several major changes to how the city regulates short-term rentals (STR) like Vrbo or Airbnb.Some of the proposed changes would require owners or operators to include their city permit number on the rental listing, which would help provide proof the owner has a license to operate.For owners with more than one property, the properties would need to be at least 1,000 feet away from each other.Earlier this year, when the City
  
  Read more

• MAP: More than 150 acres have burned in Central Texas wildfires in 2025

  26-02-2025 17:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — More than 100 acres have burned in wildfires across Central Texas so far in 2025, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.A total of four fires have burned 159.5 acres in the 15-county KXAN viewing area. Weather Interactives: How much rain has Austin received this year?KXAN is keeping track of wildfires. Follow along with the map and database below. We'll keep them updated as new information becomes available. Fires that are still uncontained are red on the map. Evacu
  
  Read more

• Austin Energy grant statuses uncertain amid federal shakeups

  26-02-2025 17:21 via kxan.com
  
  The above video is KXAN coverage from Feb. 20 on federal grant funding uncertainties related to Austin's Interstate 35 Cap and Stitch project.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Amid switch ups in federal leadership and questions over previously awarded federal grants, Austin Energy leaders confirmed two grant awards it recently received are also facing uncertainties.Austin Energy received a $15 million grant back in the fall to support the strategic deployment of electric vehicle chargers in Austin, as well
  
  Read more

• Child dies from measles, marking first death in West Texas outbreak

  26-02-2025 17:01 via kxan.com
  
  LUBBOCK, Texas -- An unvaccinated school-aged child who was hospitalized with measles has died, marking the first death in the current outbreak, according to Lubbock and state health officials. Measles outbreak in Texas: Over 100 cases currently reported in stateHealth officials on Wednesday said the child died within the past 24 hours.In its latest update, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) said there were 124 cases of measles across Texas and the South Plains. DSHS said
  
  Read more

• Texas Attorney General joins lottery investigation effort

  26-02-2025 16:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Attorney General's Office is the latest to announce it is investigating the state's lottery.The office will specifically look at the process and two instances involving bulk lottery purchases with the help of third-party courier services. Courier services allow customers to order tickets online or through an app."The investigation will examine if and when any state or federal laws were broken, as well as the process by which the 'winners' obtained such a large num
  
  Read more

• LIVE: Kristen's Classroom: Start of severe weather season

  26-02-2025 15:44 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - Although severe weather can occur on any day of the year, it "unofficially" kicks off in March and continues through May, a time of year when these events become more frequent.Defining "severe"There are specific criteria for a storm to be considered "severe". A severe thunderstorm is capable of...
  Quarter-sized hail or larger58 mph winds or strongerA tornado
  It's important to note that sometimes these hazards can be "radar-indicated" and not observed by a human. Regardless, prepa
  
  Read more

• Kristen's Classroom: Start of severe weather season

  26-02-2025 15:44 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - Although severe weather can occur on any day of the year, it "unofficially" kicks off in March and continues through May, a time of year when these events become more frequent.Defining "severe"There are specific criteria for a storm to be considered "severe". A severe thunderstorm is capable of...
  Quarter-sized hail or larger58 mph winds or strongerA tornado
  It's important to note that sometimes these hazards can be "radar-indicated" and not observed by a human. Regardless, prepa
  
  Read more

• 1965 strangulation death certificate updated as bill filed to expand medical examiner access

  26-02-2025 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  MARBLE FALLS (KXAN) – For nearly six decades, Darlene Oostermeyer had waited for movement in the stalled case of her 13-year-old cousin’s tragic death. In 1965, Darlene was a few years older than Daynon Lewis, a shy, blonde eighth grader from Marble Falls.“You have helped clear some confusion from 60 years,” Darlene recently told KXAN. “The fog is thinner now.”Daynon's lifeless body was found in a shed behind her home. She was hanging from a rafter by a jump r
  
  Read more

• Minor impacts expected with overnight cold front

  26-02-2025 12:00 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows the latest forecast from the KXAN First Warning Weather team.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Today will look and feel similar to yesterday with morning fog transitioning to an unseasonably warm afternoon. NEW BLOG: Wildflower Center issues spring wildflower forecastDense fog could impact the morning drive, especially along and east of I-35. By midday, clouds will begin to thin and allow for more sunshine. Afternoon highs will soar well into the 70s, if not l
  
  Read more

• Cold front tonight brings a brief drop in temperatures

  26-02-2025 12:00 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows the latest forecast from the KXAN First Warning Weather team.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Highs reached the 80s on Wednesday ahead of a cold front that drops through the area tonight. NEW BLOG: Wildflower Center issues spring wildflower forecastThis front will be mostly dry aside from a stray sprinkle or very light morning shower, but you'll notice a big increase in clouds overnight and a cooler day tomorrow.Mostly cloudy skies on ThursdayOvernight lows d
  
  Read more

• Cold front on the way brining another cold morning

  26-02-2025 12:00 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows the latest forecast from the KXAN First Warning Weather team.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Clouds sticking around a bit longer today ahead of the next front arriving tonight. NEW BLOG: Wildflower Center issues spring wildflower forecastThis front won't do much other than kick up the winds and cool temperatures 5°-10°. Clouds Thursday morning should give way to increasing sunshine and 60s for the afternoon. Cooler, yes, but still seasonable for the
  
  Read more

• Cold front on the way bringing another cold morning

  26-02-2025 12:00 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows the latest forecast from the KXAN First Warning Weather team.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Clouds sticking around a bit longer today ahead of the next front arriving tonight. NEW BLOG: Wildflower Center issues spring wildflower forecastThis front won't do much other than kick up the winds and cool temperatures 5°-10°. Clouds Thursday morning should give way to increasing sunshine and 60s for the afternoon. Cooler, yes, but still seasonable for the
  
  Read more

• Resources, support available for Texas' growing population of women veterans

  26-02-2025 05:44 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The transcript of this live Q&A has been edited for brevity and clarity.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Texas is home to more women veterans than any other state in the United States. The Texas Veterans Commission in a 2024 report estimated that more than 207,000 women who served in the military now live in Texas.The report also stated that those numbers are expected to climb by about 7% over the next five years.
  KXAN's Will Dupree and Avery Travis spoke to officials from the TVC on it
  
  Read more

• Liberty Hill girls basketball advances to state championship

  26-02-2025 04:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - It may not have always looked like a sure thing, but the Liberty Hill girls basketball team earned a hard-fought victory against Barbers Hill Tuesday night to earn a spot in the Class 5A Division II state championship game.The Panthers found themselves down early in the second half but roared past Barbers Hill at College Station high school to win 43-33 in a state semifinal.Liberty Hill had some key plays late by a number of players, including some veterans like Gabriella Mundy a
  
  Read more

• Nursing academy aims to fill healthcare shortage in Central Texas

  26-02-2025 03:36 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- As the Austin metro continues to grow, so does the need for more healthcare workers. Workforce Solutions Capital Area expects the industry to grow by a little more than 4,000 workers every year.With thousands of jobs still currently open, the nonprofit is working to fill that shortage through a new generation of workers. On Tuesday, Workforce Solutions Capital Area hosted a nursing academy for high school juniors and seniors in Central Texas at South University's Austin campus.
  
  Read more

• Texas ex Stearns stumbles in ATX Open first round

  26-02-2025 02:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - When Peyton Stearns spoke with the media after losing in the first round at the 2024 ATX Open, there was clear disappointment in the state of her game. Heading into the 2025 tournament, there was hope the former Longhorn would have a much better showing.Stearns entered this year's ATX Open at Westwood Country Club as the No. 3 seed. Again, she was upset in the first round to have her run back in Austin cut short.Varvara Gracheva, the No. 72 player in the world, defeated Stearns i
  
  Read more

• Crash on I-35 in Kyle leaves some northbound lanes closed

  26-02-2025 02:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A crash on northbound Interstate 35 at Kyle Crossing in Kyle has resulted in some northbound lanes being closed, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.The right lane is open to traffic, according to TxDOT.
  TxDOT said traffic was also diverted to the Kyle Crossing exit.This is a developing story. Check back with KXAN.com for updates.
  
  Read more

• Crash on I-35 in Kyle leaves all northbound lanes closed

  26-02-2025 02:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A crash on northbound Interstate 35 at Kyle Crossing in Kyle has resulted in all northbound lanes being closed, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.TxDOT said traffic has been diverted to the Kyle Crossing exit.
  This is a developing story. Check back with KXAN.com for updates.
  
  Read more

• Lottery.com executive says former lottery commissioner approved mass ticket sale

  26-02-2025 01:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Five hours into a marathon Senate Committee on State Affairs hearing, former Lottery.com Chief Operating Officer Greg Potts dropped a bombshell about the April 2023 Lotto Texas drawing. For the $95 million jackpot, an entity named Rook TX found a way to spend about $25 million for nearly all the possible number combinations. Lottery.com has been accused of helping them acquire those tickets.At Monday's hearing, Potts accused former Lottery Commission Executive Director Gary G
  
  Read more

• Texas mobile lottery app player speaks out after sudden ban

  26-02-2025 01:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Within a matter of hours Monday morning, the app Jackpocket was no longer accepting orders after a Texas Lottery Commission policy statement banned all courier services. Now, the app is trying to rally its community to change the lottery commission's minds."It was great," Blake Cottle, a longtime Jackpocket user, said. Cottle has visual impairment issues that prevents him from driving, making Jackpocket his primary resource to play the Texas Lottery. Senators question why Tex
  
  Read more

• Landowners of nearly a century make deal with the city of Austin to protect it

  26-02-2025 01:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The owners of Shield Ranch – a 6,600-acre swath of land spanning Travis and Hays Counties – made a deal with the city of Austin to conserve some of its vulnerable land and protect it from development. Last week, the ranch announced that it was selling to the city over 200 acres of its property to become a conservation easement – an agreement to prevent development into future generations. This allows the land to stay within the family while protecting
  
  Read more

• Land owners of nearly a century make deal with the city of Austin to protect it

  26-02-2025 01:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The owners of Shield Ranch – a 6,600-acre swath of land spanning Travis and Hays Counties – made a deal with the city of Austin to conserve some of its vulnerable land and protect it from development. Last week, the ranch announced that it was selling to the city over 200 acres of its property to become a conservation easement – an agreement to prevent development into future generations. This allows the land to stay within the family while protecting
  
  Read more

• Sixth Street reopening 'beneficial' so far, Austin police chief says

  26-02-2025 00:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The originally planned time period to test out reopening Sixth Street to cars is wrapping up. The goal of this program is the break up stagnant, late-night crowds that often become unruly – and sometimes violent – Police Chief Lisa Davis said.KXAN Public Safety Reporter Brianna Hollis discusses Sixth Street change with Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis.
  The city initially said the pilot would run until South by Southwest. Sixth Street will close back down to vehicular t
  
  Read more

• Austin ISD accepted into Teacher Incentive Allotment program

  26-02-2025 00:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Independent School District announced on Tuesday that the district was officially accepted into the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) program through the Texas Education Agency.The press release said the Texas Legislature created TIA to provide a way for top-performing teachers to earn higher salaries and help districts recruit and retain "highly effective" teachers.“Our kids deserve the best teachers, and our teachers deserve to be compensated for the incredible wo
  
  Read more

Follow @Austin_News_US on Twitter!