Austin news

• What's up with the new barriers on Sixth Street?

  06-05-2025 23:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin has replaced the temporary fencing on Sixth Street with a different temporary structure: 42-inch water-filled barriers.
  The original temporary barricades, pictured on top, were fences. (KXAN Photo)
  The structures are meant to separate car traffic from foot traffic, as the street is now open to cars full-time, as opposed to closing down on Thursday-Sunday nights.The change came in January as a means to prevent late-night crowds that often grow unruly and someti
  
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• PHOTOS: Storm causes major flooding across Central Texas Tuesday

  06-05-2025 23:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Central Texas experienced heavy rainfall Tuesday following a severe weather forecast. A Tornado Watch was in effect for most of the area until 4 p.m. KXAN viewers shared photos showing the impacts in their areas. Tree fallen after storm damage in Round Rock, Texas on May 6, 2025. (Courtesy Jim Lowe)Walkway under road flooded near Round Rock, Texas onMay 6, 2025. (Courtesy Richard Harrington)Walkway under road flooded near Round Rock, Texas onMay 6, 2025. (Courtesy Rich
  
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• Texas bill would cut school funding over teacher support for gender transitions

  06-05-2025 23:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The Texas House Education Committee heard a bill to prohibit public and charter school teachers from assisting in the social gender transition of a student. House Bill 1655 would require all school districts to implement their own policies prohibiting teachers from assisting. If those policies are violated, the state would remove funding for the entire school district."That means not changing names or pronouns, not hiding information from parents and no perpetuating ment
  
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• AISD teacher indicted, faces 20 years in prison connected to child porn charges

  06-05-2025 22:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- An Austin Independent School District elementary teacher was indicted on Tuesday following his arrest related to two counts of possession of child pornography, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.Carl David Innmon, 50, was accused of allegedly downloading "multiple batches of downloads via BitTorrent" between December 2024 and January, the release said.Police say Austin ISD teacher allegedly used AI to create child pornography of studentsIf Innmon is conv
  
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• Advocates worry 'unclear process' in school choice law could lead to increased burden, lawsuits

  06-05-2025 21:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Days before Gov. Abbott signed Senate Bill 2 into law, clearing the way for students with disabilities to receive up to $30,000 in taxpayer funds annually for private schooling, Texas school districts were already reportedly getting requests for special education evaluations — some with intentions of using the determination for the new Education Savings Account program. The state's ESA program is expected to launch in the 2026-27 school year.“We have already rec
  
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• Homeless encampments closed, population relocated over safety concerns

  06-05-2025 20:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)—Two Austin homeless encampments are now closed due to safety and flooding concerns. The City of Austin said 51 unhoused people voluntarily relocated from the Colorado River Wildlife Sanctuary and the Govalle Neighborhood Park to the Northbridge and Southbridge shelters.According to a release from the City of Austin's Homeless Strategy Office (HSO), the sanctuary was an area of concern because the growing encampment interfered with wildlife. Additionally, the sanctuary sits al
  
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• Health officials warn of higher mosquito risk due to rain, warm weather

  06-05-2025 19:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Public Health (APH) is warning residents to prepare for a potentially intense mosquito season, as rising temperatures and increased rainfall create ideal breeding conditions for disease-carrying insects, according to its press release.Running from May through November, mosquito season is expected to be more severe this year, with public health officials already conducting surveillance and testing for mosquito-borne viruses such as West Nile and Zika, according to APH
  
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• New measles exposure in Austin: Officials warn residents after El Paso resident's visit

  06-05-2025 19:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An El Paso resident's two-day visit to Austin has prompted a warning from city public health officials, after the person was confirmed to have measles.The person was in Austin from April 25 through April 27. Austin officials said El Paso's Department of Public Health has gathered "limited details about the individual's visit to Austin."
  However, the individual may have exposed the public at Terry Black's Barbecue on Barton Springs Road on Saturday, April 26, between 8 a.m.
  
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• Austin staff recommend reduced number of 'caps' over I-35 expansion project

  06-05-2025 18:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — City of Austin staff released an updated recommendation for which 'caps and stitches' the city may want to commit funding to. Those highway covers will go over the Texas Department of Transportation's I-35 expansion project near downtown.While a vision plan placed highway covers with parks and community spaces over the highway in a handful of locations, the city is now recommending only funding the roadway elements for a cap spanning from Cesar Chavez to Fourth Street and a
  
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• Bike bells before school bells: Wednesday is National Bike to School Day

  06-05-2025 18:38 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The month of May is Bike Month in Austin, and the city of Austin hopes you consider biking to work or school this month.National Bike to School Day is on Wednesday, May 7, and more than 20 schools in Austin are encouraging students to bike to school.In this week's city of Austin Transportation newsletter, it said biking to school is a great way for families to spend time together and kids to get the physical activity they need. When more people bike or walk to school,
  
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• Data: 581 motorcyclists died in 2024 in Texas

  06-05-2025 17:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Data from The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows approximately 8.8 million registered motorcycles throughout the country. That is more than double from 4.3 million in 2002 to 8.8 million in 2023."When you're riding, it engages all your senses. You're actually hyper aware," said Andrea Yu with The Motorcycle Safety Foundation.The Texas Department of Transportation urges drivers to be extra aware of motorcyclists and safely share the road."A lot of car drivers don't
  
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• Austin police to hold press conference on missing child case

  06-05-2025 17:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department will hold a press conference Tuesday morning to seek the public's help in finding a missing 9-year-old girl.Ava Marie Gonzales was last seen by family in December 2017, when she was two years old. She was in the custody of her mother, Virginia Gonzales, at the time, police said.The mother was arrested April 24 on a Serious Injury to a Child charge, according to APD.Further details were not immediately available but KXAN is working to obtain Gonz
  
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• Austin police looking for child last seen in 2017 after younger sibling found 'emaciated'

  06-05-2025 17:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department is asking for the public's help in finding a missing 9-year-old girl, concerned for her welfare after her mother was accused of locking another child in a closet for "weeks at a time," according to an arrest affidavit.Ava Marie Gonzales was last seen by family in December 2017, when she was 2 years old. She was in the custody of her mother, Virginia Gonzales, at the time, police said. She was not reported missing, according to detectives.The mot
  
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• Austin police asking for help in missing child case after younger sibling found severely malnourished

  06-05-2025 17:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department is asking for the public's help in finding a missing 9-year-old girl, concerned for her welfare after her mother was accused of locking another child in a closet for "weeks at a time," according to an arrest affidavit.Ava Marie Gonzales was last seen by family in December 2017, when she was two years old. She was in the custody of her mother, Virginia Gonzales, at the time, police said.The mother was arrested last month on a Serious Injury to a
  
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• Austin police asking for help in missing child case after younger sibling found malnourished

  06-05-2025 17:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department is asking for the public's help in finding a missing 9-year-old girl, concerned for her welfare after her mother was accused of locking another child in a closet for "weeks at a time," according to an arrest affidavit.Ava Marie Gonzales was last seen by family in December 2017, when she was 2 years old. She was in the custody of her mother, Virginia Gonzales, at the time, police said. She was not reported missing, according to detectives.The mot
  
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• Hozier, Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii named headliners at 2025 Austin City Limits fest

  06-05-2025 16:44 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin City Limits Music Festival released its 2025 lineup Tuesday morning.
  Sabrina Carpenter, Hozier, Doja Cat, Luke Combs, The Strokes, John Summit, and Doechii will perform in Austin as headliners.
  A few notable acts aside from headliners include Cage The Elephant, Empire of the Sun, T-Pain, Pierce the Veil (Weekend Two), Maren Morris (Weekend One), King Princess, and Japanese Breakfast, among others.
  A day-by-day schedule hasn't been released yet.
  The festival said
  
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• LIVE BLOG: Severe weather, tornado threat in Central Texas

  06-05-2025 15:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Severe weather is possible across Central Texas Tuesday. A Tornado Watch is in effect for most of the area until 4 p.m.Large hail, strong winds and isolated tornadoes are all possible. Most of Central Texas is under a slight risk (level 2 of 5) of severe weather, while locations northeast of Austin are under an enhanced risk (level 3 of 5).Weather Resources
  Watches vs Warnings: Understanding how a storm is madeLive Central Texas radarCentral Texas rainfall totalsTraffic map
  
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• BLOG: Severe weather, tornado threat in Central Texas

  06-05-2025 15:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Severe weather is possible across Central Texas Tuesday. A Tornado Watch is in effect for most of the area until 4 p.m.Large hail, strong winds and isolated tornadoes are all possible. Most of Central Texas is under a slight risk (level 2 of 5) of severe weather, while locations northeast of Austin are under an enhanced risk (level 3 of 5).Weather Resources
  Watches vs Warnings: Understanding how a storm is madeLive Central Texas radarCentral Texas rainfall totalsTraffic map
  
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• Serving through strain: How Austin's oldest restaurants adapt to survive

  06-05-2025 14:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In 1975, Skeeter Miller worked as the first dishwasher in the back of Austin's only County Line restaurant. Fifty years and five additional locations later, Miller, now president and owner of The County Line Inc., has experienced the restaurant industry's growth first-hand."When [The County Line] first opened, there was only about 800 restaurants in the city of Austin. Today, there's 8,000," Miller said.
  The County Line on the Hill in 1975. (Courtesy Steve Miller)The C
  
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• LIVE: Serving through strain: How Austin's oldest restaurants adapt to survive

  06-05-2025 14:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In 1975, Skeeter Miller worked as the first dishwasher in the back of Austin's only County Line restaurant. Fifty years and five additional locations later, Miller, now president and owner of The County Line Inc., has experienced the restaurant industry's growth first-hand."When [The County Line] first opened, there was only about 800 restaurants in the city of Austin. Today, there's 8,000," Miller said.The County Line on the Hill in 1975. (Courtesy Steve Miller)The Co
  
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• Peak flash flood season a few weeks away

  06-05-2025 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- While we work our way through an active early May for severe weather, we've only seen minimal flash flooding so far.While severe weather season peaks in May in Central Texas, flash flood season doesn't peak until June.According to our location National Weather Service office, the number of flash flood incidents from 1996-2020 South Central Texas in May was 498, that rises to 506 in June and down to 430 in July. These three months have the highest number of flash flood incidents
  
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• LIVE: Peak flash flood season a few weeks away

  06-05-2025 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- While we work our way through an active early May for severe weather, we've only seen minimal flash flooding so far.While severe weather season peaks in May in Central Texas, flash flood season doesn't peak until June.According to our location National Weather Service office, the number of flash flood incidents from 1996-2020 South Central Texas in May was 498, that rises to 506 in June and down to 430 in July. These three months have the highest number of flash flood incidents
  
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• Geothermal expansion in Texas a potential 'game changer'

  06-05-2025 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  Project Summary: This story is supported by the Pulitzer Center and is part of the “Texas Energy Crossroads” project, a partnership between The Hill and Nexstar Texas stations examining the oil and gas industry and the politics surrounding it following President Trump’s second inauguration.`; $("header.article-header").prepend(cat4markup); const socialIcons = document.querySelectorAll("span.social-share__icon > svg > path");socialIcons.
  
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• CBP officers seize 4K rounds of ammo after tasing man at Bridge of Americas

  06-05-2025 12:35 via kxan.com
  
  EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized more than 4,000 rounds of ammunition and tased a man who refused to comply with instructions last week during an incident at the Bridge of the Americas in El Paso, CBP said.The incident happened at 9 p.m. on May 1 at the Bridge of the Americas. More than $1,200 in U.S. currency and $900 in Mexican pesos were also seized during the incident involving a southbound driver, CBP said.
  Courtesy of CBP
  Courtesy of CBPThe seizur
  
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• Fewer than half of Americans trust FDA, CDC to do their job

  06-05-2025 12:33 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) - Fewer than half of Americans believe federal health agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) can do key parts of their job, like ensuring new vaccines are safe, new poll findings show.  Five years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, 42 percent of people in the U.S. think federal health agencies are effectively able to respond to infectious disease outbreaks, according to a poll released Tuesday by the he
  
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• Met Gala pays tribute to Black style and menswear with help from Zendaya, Pharrell and Teyana Taylor

  06-05-2025 05:25 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — A rainy Met Gala on Monday included a Rihanna pregnancy announcement, a tuxedoed choir and a trend true to the menswear theme: Emma Chamberlain, Zendaya, Teyana Taylor and many other women in pinstripes and other traditional men's detailing.Chamberlain and Zuri Hall were among those who wore sleek, sexy gowns that play on men’s suiting in pinstripes as they walked up the grand steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Zendaya, a co-host last year, w
  
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• Goodbye, Skype: Once-popular video calling service shuts down for good

  06-05-2025 05:20 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – After a 21-year run, the once widely-used video chat app Skype is now officially a memory, as of May 5."Rest in peace, Skype," one person wrote on X. "You served us well.""Listen to that iconic Skype ringer one last time," another urged, adding a clip of the bubbly, slick tone.Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Luxembourg, Microsoft-owned Skype has been credited with making video calls easy and affordable for millions of people. US destinations report tourism drops. Will it l
  
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• Austin Fire provides update on firefighter cancer prevention efforts

  06-05-2025 03:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Running into a burning building is one of the most dangerous things a person can do. Yet, firefighters do it every day to help save lives and property.But there's a silent danger firefighters face after putting out those fires - cancer. The World Health Organization classified firefighting as a carcinogenic profession, because of the exposure to cancer causing chemicals.
  On Monday, the Austin Fire Department and Austin Public Safety Wellness Center provided an update on firefigh
  
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• Texas House and Senate strike agreement on property tax cuts

  06-05-2025 02:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — As the clock expired on the 88th Legislative Session, property tax relief was left on the chopping block. Governor Greg Abbott cited the failure to pass property tax relief as a reason behind numerous vetoes. Abbott ended up calling multiple special sessions dedicated towards property tax relief.On Monday, during the Texas House Ways and Means Committee, Chair Morgan Meyer, R-Dallas, announced there won't be a repeat of last session."We have reached an agreement with the
  
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• State Sen. Bob Hall calls for end of Texas Lottery amid scandal

  06-05-2025 01:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — State Sen. Bob Hall, R-Rockwall, was one of the first lawmakers to call for an investigation into the Texas Lottery Commission over their alleged role in a controversial 2023 Lotto Texas drawing. Months later, he laid out the case for abolishing the commission altogether."I apologize for the length of this," Hall said to the Senate State Affairs committee as he went into detail about why the lottery should be abolished. "It's very important that you know some of the spec
  
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• Austin dance company loses $30k after NEA cuts, cancels annual festival

  06-05-2025 01:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Acia Gray has been teaching Austinites how to tap dance since the 1980s.“The Tapestry Dance Company has been around since October of 1989,” said Gray, Tapestry's co-founder. “[We’ve taught] thousands. And we're really proud because many of those individuals went on to professional dance careers.” A centerpiece of Tapestry’s work is its annual Soul 2 Sole Festival, which draws students and dancers from all over the world to celebrate
  
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• Ravens release Justin Tucker, insist it's a 'football decision' amid NFL investigation

  06-05-2025 00:15 via kxan.com
  
  FILE - Baltimore Ravens place kicker Justin Tucker (9) watches his extra point against the Houston Texans during the first half of an NFL football game Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith, File)
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Baltimore Ravens released kicker Justin Tucker on Monday, calling it a "football decision" amid an NFL investigation into allegations that Tucker had inappropriate sexual contact with numerous massage therapists from 2012 to 2016.A story by the
  
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