Austin news

• This bill would have Texans vote on the future of daylight saving time

  07-03-2025 23:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Sunday morning will be the 58th year in a row Americans (except Arizonians and Hawaiians) will skip an hour, entering daylight saving time. If a proposed constitutional amendment floating through the Texas legislature passes, it could also be the last time.People don't like the time changeWe asked viewers on Facebook what their thoughts were on the time change, and over 90% showed preference for staying on one time year-round. The problem was figuring out which time Texa
  
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• What's next for the 18th Congressional District after Sylvester Turner's death?

  07-03-2025 23:30 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Former Houston mayor and current U.S. Congressman Sylvester Turner (D-Texas) died suddenly Wednesday morning at age 70, his family announced. Turner served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives for almost 30 years before becoming Houston’s mayor from 2016 to 2024. Turner was elected in November to fill Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee’s seat representing the 18th Congressional District, and his term began in January. He was not up for reelection un
  
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• Burnet County man gets 60 year sentence for assaulting family member

  07-03-2025 22:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A Burnet County jury sentenced a man to 60 years in prison earlier this week for an assault against a family member by choking, according to a news release from District Attorney Perry Thomas' office.In addition to the sentence, 33-year-old Keith Aaron Blundell also has to pay a fine of $10,000, according to the DA's office. Additionally, the prosecution provided evidence show Blundell was previously convicted on two prior felony offenses, which included a conviction for aggrava
  
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• DSHS: Radiographic camera missing in Texas

  07-03-2025 22:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas Department of State Health Services is searching for a missing camera that contains radioactive material in Loving County, according to a press release issued Friday.Radiographic cameras are industrial devices used in construction, oil and gas work, DSHS added. DSHS said the camera, owned by National Inspection Services, went missing about 10 miles east of Mentone as it was taken between work sites.Radiographic camera similar to the one missing in Loving County (Courte
  
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• Gene Hackman, Betsy Arakawa causes of death announced

  07-03-2025 22:26 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – The causes of death for actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were released Friday after days of mystery and speculation.
  At a media conference Friday, Dr. Heather Jarrell, chief medical examiner for New Mexico's medical investigator office, identified Hackman's cause of death as hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiac disease, with Alzheimer's disease as a significant contributory factor. Arakawa's cause of death was said to be hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare di
  
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• Artemis II astronauts help kickoff SXSW

  07-03-2025 21:58 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — NASA is hosting multiple events throughout this year's South by Southwest Conference & Festivals.The agency kicked off day one by bringing out the Artemis II astronauts. The four-member crew will be the first to visit the moon since the 1970s.The mission is now less than a year away. NASA Astronaut Reid Wiseman said the Artemis II mission was the first step in the Artemis campaign for humans on Mars.Astronaut Jeremy Hansen said that beyond the moon, the mission has thre
  
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• Woman charged with murder after cousin dies from gunshot wound complication

  07-03-2025 21:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A woman was charged with first-degree murder Thursday after her cousin died following complications from a gunshot wound, according to the Austin Police Department.APD said on June 21, 2024, officers responded to the 6000 block of South First Street at approximately 6:15 a.m. for reports of a disturbance from neighbors.About 15 minutes later, 9-1-1 received another call from 34-year-old Irean Demuchest, who said her cousin killed herself.When officers arrived, they found 31
  
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• 198 measles cases reported in Texas outbreak, DSHS said

  07-03-2025 20:49 via kxan.com
  
  LUBBOCK, Texas -- In its latest update, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) said there were 198 cases of measles across Texas. First case of measles confirmed in AustinDSHS said 23 patients were hospitalized. Officials said most cases were not vaccinated. Health officials said disease is highly contagious, and the best way to prevent getting sick is to be immunized with two doses of a vaccine against measles.In late February, health officials confirmed an unvaccinated schoo
  
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• Athena the Owl nesting at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center for 13th year

  07-03-2025 20:33 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's note: The above video is KXAN coverage of Athena the Owl from March 14, 2024.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Whooooo's back?!The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's beloved resident owl Athena is back at her nest for the 13th year in a row, the center confirmed Friday. Athena laid her first egg on Thursday and is poised to lay a second one in the coming days, wildflower center leaders announced.Athena and her mate have nested at the center for more than a decade, with her nestling into a space
  
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• Types of flood alerts issued by the National Weather Service

  07-03-2025 20:21 via kxan.com
  
  KXAN (AUSTIN) -- The National Weather Service works diligently on providing life-saving alerts 24 hours a day, seven days a week.Central Texas is prone to flooding events, whether it's river flooding, low-level crossings, or dangerous flash flooding. There are several types of alerts meteorologists issue to communicate to the public.National Weather Service Flood AlertsFlood Watch: A Flood Watch is issued when conditions are favorable for flooding. It does not mean flooding will occur, but
  
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• Texas Railroad commissioner, Texas business man announced campaign for Comptroller

  07-03-2025 19:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Christi Craddick, the chair of the Railroad Commission of Texas, and Don Huffines, a Texas businessman and former state Senator, both launched their campaign for Texas Comptroller after the current state Comptroller, Glenn Hegar, became the sole finalist for Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System. RELATED | Texas A&M Board of Regents names Glenn Hegar as university system’s next leaderCraddick has served as the Chairman of the Railroad Commission of Texas
  
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• New Texas bill could unlock 'mystery' of what happens to students in truancy court

  07-03-2025 19:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Newly filed legislation by a state senator could shore up the state’s collection of truancy court information and provide lawmakers and education leaders with a clearer picture of how the civil penalty system is affecting students.State Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, filed Senate Bill 1850 Tuesday. The bill would add numerous data related to truancy cases to be collected by the Office of Court Administration from justice of the peace and municipal courts where the c
  
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• Texas Senate approves bitcoin reserve plan

  07-03-2025 18:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Thursday, the Texas Senate voted to approve a bill to create a Texas Strategic Bitcoin reserve. The measure moves on to the House after a 25-5 vote. Trump signs executive order creating bitcoin reserveState Sen. Charles Schwertner, who authored Senate Bill 21, said last month, “Cryptocurrency is what people believe it is. In this case, Bitcoin is finite and decentralized and something that [people] don’t have to worry about governments printing more and more
  
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• Texas A&M Board of Regents names Glenn Hegar as university system’s next leader

  07-03-2025 18:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Texas Tribune) — Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar will be the next chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, overseeing 11 universities that educate more than 157,000 students and eight state agencies, including the Texas Division of Emergency Management.The Board of Regents selected Hegar on Friday to succeed Chancellor John Sharp, who has held the job since 2011 and is slated to retire in June. The vote was unanimous.Hegar is inheriting the system’s reins at an inflec
  
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• Survey: Americans move past COVID-19, impacts linger

  07-03-2025 17:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — March 11 will mark five years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.A new Pew Research Center survey found that “most Americans have moved past the health threat. Few see it as a major threat to public health, and a majority say it's not something we really need to be worried about today.”The report indicates that while most Americans have largely moved on from the pandemic’s impacts, its effects are still felt.“Thin
  
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• Sixth Street closing to traffic during SXSW

  07-03-2025 17:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Starting Friday, March 7, Sixth Street will be re-closed to vehicular traffic through the end of South by Southwest, according to the Austin Police Department.Fences currently separate vehicular and pedestrian traffic on Sixth Street. This is temporary, and the City plans to permanently widen the sidewalks.
  In January, the City began testing out opening the historic downtown street up to cars from Brazos to Red River Streets on Friday and Saturday nights. This area has long been
  
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• Yeehaw! Cowboy Breakfast bucks city into spring festival season ahead of Rodeo Austin

  07-03-2025 16:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Giddy up, Austin — the busy spring season is officially underway!Rodeo Austin marked the beginning of its 2025 season with the Cowboy Breakfast Friday morning. The free event whetted the palates of Austinites by giving attendees a taste of what will be at the fair and rodeo later this month.
  Rodeo Austin hosts Cowboy Breakfast 2025 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) Rodeo Austin hosts Cowboy Breakfast 2025 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) Rodeo Austin hosts Cowboy Breakfast 2025 (KXAN Photo
  
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• Inside the Investigation: 1965 strangulation death certificate updated as bill filed to expand medical access

  07-03-2025 15:00 via kxan.com
  
  MARBLE FALLS, Texas (KXAN) -- Nearly 60 years after a young girl was mysteriously found dead in a shed behind her family's Marble Falls home, a KXAN investigation is leading to a change in her case. On this week's Inside the Investigation, Director of Investigations and Innovation Josh Hinkle discusses the new legislation sparked by his reporting.
  Join KXAN Investigative Reporter Kelly Wiley every Friday at 10:30 a.m. on YouTube, Facebook, or KXAN.com for a live recap of the
  
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• Texas House majority signs on to new bill restricting the use of bathrooms in public buildings by transgender people

  07-03-2025 14:58 via kxan.com
  
  This article was first published by The Texas Tribune on March 5.AUSTIN (TEXAS TRIBUNE) — A bill filed in the Texas House co-authored by a majority of the chamber is aiming to restrict the use of bathrooms by transgender people in public spaces and may potentially go further than previous iterations of similar bills to outline restrictions and penalties.House Bill 239 would mandate that family violence shelters, prisons and bathrooms and locker rooms of state and county buildings are segre
  
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• Runaway girl now back home and safe, APD says

  07-03-2025 14:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A 15-year-old girl who left her home earlier this week is now back home and safe, according to the Austin Police Department.
  On Thursday, police asked for the public's help in finding her, because they were concerned about her wellbeing and the possibility of trafficking or abduction.Police said the girl intentionally left her home in south Austin on Tuesday around 6:45 p.m., and that her case was considered a runaway case and not a missing persons case.
  APD issued a reminder in
  
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• APD searching for runaway teen girl, concerned of 'possible trafficking or abduction'

  07-03-2025 14:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Police are asking for the public's help in finding a 15-year-old girl who left her home earlier this week, and said they're concerned about the possibility of trafficking or abduction.Police said Aida Katherine Krejs Lebrun left her home off Dolphin Drive in south Austin on Tuesday, March 4 around 6:45 p.m.Aida Katherine Krejs Lebrun, 15 (Austin Police Department photo)
  APD said she left intentionally, so this is considered a runaway case and not a missing persons case, b
  
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• Home values in Texas dipped in 2024 for second year in a row, Zillow data shows

  07-03-2025 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Home values in Texas fell in 2024 for the second year in a row, according to Zillow data — something that hasn't happened since 2011.The value of a typical home in Texas dropped by about $240 in 2024, a decrease of 0.08%. Nationwide, the typical home increased in value by 2.63% during the same time frame.As of Dec. 31, 2024, a typical home in Texas is worth an estimated $298,684.56, down from $298,924.72 at the start of the year. Austin’s housing market: How qui
  
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• 'Cinema is alive and well': Filmmakers celebrate 2025 Texas Film Awards

  07-03-2025 13:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Filmmakers came to Austin Thursday night for the 2025 Texas Film Awards while celebrating 25 years of the Texas Film Hall of Fame.The honorees included actress Michelle Rodriguez, who was born in San Antonio, screenwriter Noah Hawley, actor Jared Padalecki, and Tim and Karrie League -- the founders of The Alamo Drafthouse.Honoree Michelle Rodriguez at 2025 Texas Film Awards (KXAN Photo: Kevin Baskar)Robert Rodriguez at 2025 Texas Film Awards (KXAN Photo: Kevin Baskar)Jared Padal
  
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• Developers break ground on city of Round Rock's newest development, The District

  07-03-2025 04:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Developers broke ground on Round Rock's newest mixed-use high rise development called The District.The District is located at Greenlawn Boulevard and West Pflugerville Parkway. The development is "expected to create 5,000 jobs and generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the local economy," according to a news release from Mark IV Capital.Although it is not immediately clear how high the development gets, the president of the company in charge of it said the major growth Wil
  
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• Texas restaurants feel uncertain with Mexico tariff pause, still expect future price hikes

  07-03-2025 04:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- President Donald Trump promised the tariffs he put on pause for Mexico and Canada will happen next month. He installed those sweeping 25% tariffs earlier this week.
  On Thursday, he issued exemptions for a wide range of goods coming into the U.S. from Mexico and Canada. Those products fall under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which was reached during President Trump's first term.Trump changes course and delays some tariffs on Mexico and CanadaThe president announced
  
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• Lawmaker files bill to move state agencies out of Austin, save taxpayers money

  07-03-2025 03:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the state of Texas looks to crack down on wasteful spending, one area that's under the microscope is real estate.During the first ever Committee on Delivery of Government Efficiency, committee members discussed cost savings from rental and government owned properties."We have tried to eliminate unnecessary contracts," said Brian Guthrie, director of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas. "We have also eliminated lease space. We have purchased new headquarters outside of
  
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• San Marcos to use Barnacle to address parking violators

  07-03-2025 02:28 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — The City of San Marcos said it was implementing a new tool to help curb habitual parking offenders.Beginning March 10, the city said its parking enforcement personnel would be using the Barnacle, a vehicle immobilization device that attaches to a car’s windshield.(City of San Marcos photo)
  “Unlike traditional boots, the Barnacle provides a more efficient process for both drivers and parking enforcement. Using the Barnacle, drivers can make payments an
  
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• Texas Longhorns make coaching hires, promotions official for 2025 season

  07-03-2025 01:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns officially have the staff ready for the 2025 season, and someone who had a hand in the school's last national championship is returning.The school announced four hirings and two promotions Thursday, three to fill vacancies and three others to fill newly created positions.Zack Martin, the guy drafted instead of Johnny Manziel, bids adieu to Cowboys with retirementThe headline hire, or perhaps re-hire, is Duane Akina. If the name sounds
  
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• Patrick says Texas House financial records from Paxton impeachment turned over to auditor

  07-03-2025 01:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — On Thursday afternoon, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced Texas House financial records relating to the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton are now in the hands of the State Auditor.Patrick said House records indicate over $4.4 million was spent on the impeachment proceedings."It has been 1 year, 5 months, and 16 days since I called for an audit of all impeachment spending by the Texas House and Senate," Patrick said in a post on X.""Former Speaker Dade Phelan f
  
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• These national parks saw record attendance in 2024, but they may not tell you about it

  07-03-2025 01:01 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) — The National Park Service served a record number of visits in 2024, and while that may seem like an amazing feat, your favorite park may not talk about it too much.Traditionally, individual parks and the National Park Service have touted how successful the previous year was. That has been especially true since a spike in attendance during the COVID pandemic. Last year was extra special, data shows, with more than 331.8 million visits reported across National Park Service s
  
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• Southwest to close flight attendant base in Austin; impact to flights not expected

  07-03-2025 00:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Southwest Airlines will close its flight attendant base — known as a satellite base — at Austin's airport this summer, an airline spokesperson confirmed to KXAN.The closure will affect about 150 flight attendants who are based in Austin. They will be transferred to one of Southwest's 12 primary bases throughout the country when the Austin base closes on July 1.The change "should not have any impact" on the number of flights or routes operated from AUS, the spoke
  
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• ADL grades UT Austin on 'antisemitism'; Palestinian student activist responds

  07-03-2025 00:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released its "Campus Antisemitism Report Card" this week, giving a "B" grade to the University of Texas at Austin while naming a pro-Palestine student group as a reason why the school didn't score higher.
  ADL Austin Regional Director Jackie Nirenberg said that the report card covers multiple variables, but is focused on "creating a culture of safety and belonging for Jewish students.""One of the biggest ones is how clear University administr
  
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