Austin news

• Longhorns add well-traveled quarterback Matthew Caldwell through transfer portal

  04-05-2025 22:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas added depth to its quarterback room Sunday with the commitment of Troy's Matthew Caldwell.Troy quarterback Matthew Caldwell (12) runs the ball past Coastal Carolina defensive back Courtney Eubanks (2) during the second half of an NCAA football game on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Troy, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
  Caldwell has one year of eligibility after using a redshirt season as a freshman at Jacksonville State. Texas will be his fourth school. Following his redshirt
  
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• Tommy's Travel Forecast: Omega block increases storm chances

  04-05-2025 22:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- An omega blocking pattern will deliver an abundance of Gulf moisture to the southern Plains and Deep South, allowing widespread thunderstorms to return as we enter the new workweek. A few storms may be severe.
  In the Midwest and Northeast, heavy rain is expected to disrupt travel plans, with localized flash flooding possible.
  The northern Plains will likely be warmer than normal with a mostly dry week ahead.
  Omega Blocking Pattern
  This weather phenomenon is named after the Greek
  
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• LIVE: Tommy's Travel Forecast: Omega block increases storm chances

  04-05-2025 22:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- An omega blocking pattern will deliver an abundance of Gulf moisture to the southern Plains and Deep South, allowing widespread thunderstorms to return as we enter the new workweek. A few storms may be severe.
  In the Midwest and Northeast, heavy rain is expected to disrupt travel plans, with localized flash flooding possible.
  The northern Plains will likely be warmer than normal with a mostly dry week ahead.
  Omega Blocking Pattern
  This weather phenomenon is named after the Greek
  
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• Texas residents vote to rename community near SpaceX launch site Starbase

  04-05-2025 18:59 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) — A community in Texas where a launch site for Elon Musk’s SpaceX company is located voted to incorporate as the city of Starbase on Saturday.Residents of Cameron County, who are mostly SpaceX employees, voted in favor of the move in a 212-6 vote. Musk celebrated the vote in a post on his social media platform X, stating Starbase "is now a real city."
  Only 143 votes were needed to secure the incorporation of the city, which sits on the edge of the U.S.-Mexico southern bord
  
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• April 2025's final numbers were not very surprising

  04-05-2025 16:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The final numbers for April reveal something that did not come as too much of a surprise for Central Texas.Temperatures were above normal as 26 of the 30 days showed warmer-than-normal highs, topped by 93° on the 13, 14, and 18 of April. Those three days contributed to the average high temperature of 85.4°, 5.1° above normal.There were three highs below normal (62° on the 5, 59° on the 6, and 72° on the 7 of April) and one day at normal (70° on the 8
  
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• Texas House committee changes THC-ban bill, allows for hemp beverages

  04-05-2025 16:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- The House committee on State Affairs unanimously approved a new version of Senate Bill 3 that is "substantially different" from the original proposal, which would ban all forms of consumable hemp containing THC, the main intoxicating chemical in marijuana.
  Chair of the State Affairs committee, Ken King, R - Canadian, explained those differences while laying out his committee substitute this past week. Instead of a complete ban on THC products, King's version would still allow
  
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• Teen killed in shooting following sleepover in southeast Austin, affidavit says

  04-05-2025 16:07 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The video above is from the initial media briefing from APD that happened Sunday, May 4.AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department is investigating after a teen boy was shot and killed during a sleepover at a southeast Austin home over the weekend, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.Police identified the man accused in the shooting as 38-year-old Victor Javier Orellana-Carranza, per a news release from APD.Orellana-Carranza was booked into the Travis County Jail on a
  
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• Sleepover turns deadly after teen involved in southeast Austin homicide, warrant says

  04-05-2025 16:07 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The video above is from the initial media briefing from APD that happened SundayAUSTIN (KXAN) — A sleepover at a southeast Austin home turned deadly over the weekend, and the Austin Police Department are investigating, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.Police also identified the man accused in the shooting, 38-year-old Victor Javier Orellana-Carranza, per a news release from APD.Orellana-Carranza was booked into the Travis County Jail on a first degree murder charge,
  
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• Austin Police investigate southeast Austin homicide

  04-05-2025 16:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department said it began a homicide investigation Sunday morning in southeast Austin.According to APD, an incident occurred in the 5700 block of Hammermill Run, which is near E Stassney Lane and S Pleasant Valley Road.An APD public information officer said that the time for a media briefing time is to be determined.This is a developing story. Check back with KXAN for more details.
  
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• Series of earthquakes could be felt in El Paso area

  04-05-2025 04:58 via kxan.com
  
  EDITOR'S NOTE: We initially reported that a series of three earthquakes from West Texas could be felt in El Paso. It was two earthquakes on Saturday night, May 3 in the Mentone, Texas area. The other one was in the same area but was on Friday night.EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) -- The El Paso and greater Borderland area could feel an earthquake, or actually a series of two earthquakes on Saturday evening, May 3, that originated about 200 miles east in West Texas. Earthquake felt in El Paso, elsewhere in
  
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• Austin's Homeland Security & EM host pop-up event

  04-05-2025 04:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin's Homeland Security and Emergency Management is hosting a pop-up event on May 21st at the Menchaca Road Branch Library at 3 p.m.Meteorologist Tommy House sat down with David Wiechmann, who is with HSEM, to learn more.Read an edited version of the conversation below or use the video player above to listen.
  Meteorologist Tommy House: I want to talk about how Austin's Homeland Security and Emergency Management has emergency pop-ups around Central Texas. Walk viewers through
  
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• After hiatus Violet Crown Fest is back!

  04-05-2025 04:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)-- It was a party in Brentwood Neighborhood Park on Saturday for the 21st Violet Crown Festival.David Ezrailson, who helped organize the event, said this was the first year back after taking a few years off."We took a 5 year hiatus because of COVID," said Ezrailson.
  The festival draws in people living in the Brentwood and Crestwood neighborhoods, as well as people from across Austin.
  "It just feels great to see everyone together enjoying themselves," said Ezrailson. "Dale Watson is
  
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• A bill that could change what you see on the ballot

  04-05-2025 03:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Legislature is considering a bill that would make it harder for local officials to put bond proposals on your ballot.Senate Bill 2529, authored by Texas Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, aims to increase the threshold approval of a governing body - such as a school board or city council - needs to put a bond on the ballot.Currently, all that is needed is a simple majority of 50%, but this bill would raise that threshold to 60%."It's the question of winning versus
  
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• Ugly weekend for Texas baseball ends in a sweep

  04-05-2025 03:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - There was no question coming into the weekend which team had been the best in college baseball so far in 2025. The Texas Longhorns, despite a number of key injuries, were off to an incredible 19-2 start in SEC play and ranked No. 1 in the country.No weekend series are easy in the SEC, and that proved clear this time around as the Longhorns were swept by the eleventh-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks.Arkansas closed out the Longhorns Saturday with a 13-8 victory in Fayetteville. The Long
  
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• Recovery efforts underway after reported Lady Bird Lake drowning, ATCEMS says

  04-05-2025 02:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Officials are attempting to locate a paddle boarder after they reportedly went underwater and did not resurface at Lady Bird Lake on Saturday evening, according to Austin-Travis County EMS.
  ATCEMS said recovery efforts are underway and medics remain on the scene for a "pronouncement" in the event the person is located.
  The Austin Fire Department said it responded to the incident after reports of a struggling paddle boarder without a life vest in the water.The call came in just a
  
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• Paddle boarder goes underwater at Lady Bird Lake, officials say

  04-05-2025 02:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Officials are attempting to locate a paddle boarder after they reportedly went underwater and did not resurface at Lady Bird Lake on Saturday evening, according to Austin-Travis County EMS.
  ATCEMS said recovery efforts are underway and medics remain on the scene for a "pronouncement" in the event the person is located.Officials are attempting to locate a paddle boarder after they reportedly went underwater and did not resurface at Lady Bird Lake on Saturday evening, according to
  
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• Paddle boarder found dead after going underwater at Lady Bird Lake, officials say

  04-05-2025 02:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A paddleboarder who reportedly went underwater at Lady Bird Lake Saturday evening was found dead Sunday afternoon, according to Austin Travis County EMS.The paddleboarder was located by the Austin Police Dive Team after 12 p.m. Sunday, according to ATCEMS.
  Officials are attempting to locate a paddle boarder after they reportedly went underwater and did not resurface at Lady Bird Lake on Saturday evening, according to Austin-Travis County EMS. (KXAN News/Aidan Boyd)Officials are
  
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• Paddle boarder dead after going underwater at Lady Bird Lake, officials say

  04-05-2025 02:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A paddle boarder who reportedly went underwater at Lady Bird Lake Saturday evening was pronounced deceased by Austin-Travis County EMS Sunday evening.According to ATCEMS, the patient was located by the Austin Police Dive Team at around 12:35 p.m. Officials are attempting to locate a paddle boarder after they reportedly went underwater and did not resurface at Lady Bird Lake on Saturday evening, according to Austin-Travis County EMS. (KXAN News/Aidan Boyd)Officials are attem
  
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• RESULTS: Central Texas local elections

  04-05-2025 02:00 via kxan.com
  
  App users, view full election results by tapping here.
  
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• State of Texas: Lottery on 'life support' as Lt. Governor calls for ending commission

  04-05-2025 01:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) - Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has been a critic of the Texas Lottery Commission, told Nexstar this week the Texas Lottery is "on life support right now," but seems confident that even if the lottery stays in Texas, there will not be a Lottery Commission."If we have a lottery game, we need to close down the Lottery Commission and turn it over to our department of Texas licensing, TDLR," Patrick said.
  Patrick became a vocal critic of the lottery after reports of unusual activity sur
  
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• UT System Board of Regents names John Zerwas as acting chancellor 

  04-05-2025 00:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On Friday, the University of Texas System Regents’ Chairman Kevin P. Eltife announced John Zerwas, MD, will become the System’s acting chancellor, effective June 1. This announcement was made after UT System Chancellor JB Milliken was named president of the University of California, effective August 1, according to a press release. The release stated Milliken will remain chancellor until May 30. Zerwas currently serves as executive vice chancellor for the h
  
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