Austin news

• 3 of top 5 record-breaking days at Austin airport happened during 2023 SXSW

  19-03-2023 20:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – On Sunday, the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport provided information on the number of passengers arriving and departing from the airport since the beginning of the 2023 South by Southwest Conference & Festivals.The airport said three of the Spring/SXSW travel dates so far ranked in the top 10 for record-breaking days at AUS. Those days include March 10 at No. 2, March 13 at No. 3, and March 12 at No. 5.“Passenger numbers have been high, and the airport has b
  
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• Traffic alert: Parts of I-35 to close for bridge demolition beginning Friday

  31-03-2023 13:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Department of Transportation said Wednesday it would close parts of Interstate 35 at Williams Drive in Williamson County for a demolition project beginning Friday evening.TxDOT said the closure would impact the northbound and southbound I-35 mainlanes on alternating nights to demolish and remove the existing U-turn bridge at Williams Drive.According to officials, the closure for the northbound lanes between SH 29 and Lakeway Drive would begin Friday at 9 p.m. and
  
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• Is human composting legal in Texas?

  31-03-2023 13:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Marj Sippel and her husband of over 40 years, Harry, always planned to cremate their bodies once they died. That was until they saw an article about an emerging method that allows someone to turn their body into organic material after they pass away.
  "It felt like the most reasonable and healthy way to return our bodies to the soil," Sippel said. "It was a more natural process than anything I have been exposed to before. We both made the decision that this was what we want
  
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• TEXSAR launches missing persons unit

  31-03-2023 13:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A Texas group that assisted in the search for a missing Texas State student in 2021 has launched a missing persons unit.
  More than 50% of Texas Search and Rescue, or TEXSAR's, deployments since 2013 have been missing persons cases, according to a Wednesday press release from the agency.
  TEXSAR said the missing persons unit, or MPU, will be led by Todd Snyder.According to the Department of Public Safety, Snyder retired as Central Texas Regional Director in 2022 after serving DPS
  
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• Austin food policy manager worried about future of city's urban agriculture

  31-03-2023 13:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin's food policy manager is worried about the future of urban agriculture as the city and surrounding area continue to grow, and local food production continues to decrease.The Office of Sustainability at the City of Austin and Travis county have partnered together to create the area's first-ever food plan. A website for the effort describes a food plan as a plan that "sets clear goals and strategies to move toward a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient food syste
  
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• Record heat to finish March, start of April follows suit

  31-03-2023 13:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --A late day cold front brings the chance of a few isolated storms this evening, but the bigger story for most looks to be the record warmth.Mainly cloudy skies this morning will thin some this afternoon. Sunshine, combined with warm southerly winds and compressional heating ahead of a cold front, will allow temperatures to soar well into the 80s and low 90s. Austin's forecast high of 91° will likely break the current record of 90° last set in 1974.Austin's Friday forecastT
  
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• 3 things to know about the 2023 CMT Music Awards

  31-03-2023 12:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The 2023 CMT Music Awards are just days away. The country music artists attending the iconic award ceremony are dropping hints.For the first time, the iconic award ceremony will air Sunday, April 2 from Austin, Texas also known as the “Live Music Capital of the World."Here are three things to know before the 2023 CMT Music Awards.
  Getting there
  The Moody Center suggests arriving early. It says long lines and congestion are expected. All fans must enter the east gates.
  
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• Kroger opens new warehouse in Austin

  31-03-2023 12:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Kroger expanded its reach in the Austin area Thursday by opening a distribution center in Northeast Austin.
  Kroger said the 70,121 square-foot warehouse on Ferguson Lane would work with the company's Dallas fulfillment center.
  According to the Kroger announcement, delivery orders are filled in Dallas and then sent to Austin. Workers at the Ferguson Lane warehouse will check the orders and place them in trucks for delivery to customers' homes, according to Kroger. RELATED: K
  
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• Masters of ribs and 'ritas wanted in Kyle

  31-03-2023 12:21 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — The City of Kyle said it was looking for masters of rib-making and margarita mixing for a fair in May.
  The city put out a call Thursday for applications, from teams or individuals, for the "Kyle Fair, A Tex-Travaganza Rib and ‘Rita Competitions".The fair happens May 19 through 21 at Lake Kyle Park on 700 Lehman Rd.
  According to the city, the rules for the rib cook-off are:All team members must be 14 or older.The head cook must be at least 18.Each t
  
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• Movies in the Park dates released

  31-03-2023 12:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Parks Foundation, or APF, released the 2023 schedule for the Movies in the Park and Playdates in the Park series Thursday.
  APF said all shows are free for everyone.
  For Movies in the Park, the Austin Parks Foundation said it would show movies in parks throughout Austin and the rental service Rocket Cinema.
  Attendees can bring blankets, lawn chairs, picnics and dogs on-leash, according to the APF announcement. Glass or styrofoam containers are not allowed at the parks. &nb
  
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• Texas GOP reacts to Trump indictment

  31-03-2023 04:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Reactions from the Texas GOP came in after the announcement of former President Donald Trump's indictment Thursday.Former President Trump was indicted on criminal charges in New York on Thursday for his role in organizing hush money payments made to an adult film star during his 2016 campaign.The history-making indictment marks the first time a president has been charged in a criminal matter and comes as several law enforcement entities are investigating Trump’s conduct in
  
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• Opening Day lineup for the Texas Rangers

  31-03-2023 01:58 via kxan.com
  
  ARLINGTON (KFDX/KJTL) — In the words of Chuck Morgan, the longtime Public Address Announcer for the Texas Rangers, "It is baseball time in Texas!"Thursday marked the 2023 season's Opening Day for Major League Baseball, with all 30 teams in the league taking the field to open their 2023 seasons.
  The Texas Rangers will face the Philadelphia Phillies to begin the season at home at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The first pitch is set for 3:05 p.m. on Thursday afternoon.Rangers starters
  
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• Jurors: Gwyneth Paltrow not responsible for 2016 ski crash, awarded $1

  31-03-2023 01:47 via kxan.com
  
  PARK CITY, Utah (ABC4) -- Jurors in Park City, Utah, ruled in favor of Gwyneth Paltrow in the eight-day trial over a 2016 ski crash at Deer Valley Ski Resort, awarding her $1 this afternoon, March 30.The jurors ruled that plaintiff Terry Sanderson, 76, was 100% responsible for the crash, despite his claims that Paltrow crashed into him on the slopes, resulting in his four broken ribs and a possible concussion. Paltrow's $1 award for damages came from her countersuit to Sanderson's. Paltrow's def
  
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• 911 calls made during Nashville school shooting released

  31-03-2023 01:46 via kxan.com
  
  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Authorities have released three calls made to 911 during the shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville on Monday, March 27. The calls are hard to listen to, especially knowing how the events unfolded throughout the day.One call came from a man on his cellphone, along with another person, telling the dispatcher what he saw during the shooting.Call 1: "[The shooter] came in between where the sanctuary is and the overhead entrance, there's a side door on the exit,
  
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• 1 dead after vehicle rollover in Lago Vista

  31-03-2023 01:39 via kxan.com
  
  LAGO VISTA, Texas (KXAN) — One person died Thursday after a single-vehicle rollover in Lago Vista, according to Travis County Emergency Services District 1.According to officials, the rollover occurred at approximately 11 a.m. in the 19000 block of Farm-to-Market 1431. TCESD1 said this was near FM1431 and Adrian Way in the City of Lago Vista.Scene of fatal rollover in Lago Vista (TCESD1 Photo)Scene of fatal rollover in Lago Vista (TCESD1 Photo)Scene of fatal rollover in Lago Vista (TCESD1
  
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• DEA warns of a deadly ‘zombie drug’ — the facts behind the fear

  31-03-2023 01:04 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- The Drug Enforcement Agency warned Texans of a drug emerging on the illicit market it said could be even more dangerous than fentanyl.Xylazine is a veterinary tranquilizer used to sedate large animals like horses. State and federal authorities say it is increasingly common to find in other drugs and, when combined with an opioid or fentanyl overdose, increases the chance of death.
  "It has very, very strong sedative effects. So it can really depress someone's heart rate, depre
  
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• Report: Austin listed among cities with highest property taxes in US

  30-03-2023 23:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin metro ranked in the top 15 American cities with the highest property taxes, according to a report by Construction Coverage. The report ranked Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown at No. 13.According to the report’s findings, Austin metro’s effective property tax rate for owner-occupied homes was 1.4%.The report said the median property taxes paid for owner-occupied homes in Austin metro was $6,397, the median owner-occupied home value was $397,100
  
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• Trump indicted in Stormy Daniels hush-money case

  30-03-2023 23:39 via kxan.com
  
  Former President Trump was indicted on criminal charges in New York on Thursday for his role in organizing hush money payments made to an adult film star during his 2016 campaign, according to a source familiar with the proceedings.The history-making indictment marks the first time a president has been charged in a criminal matter and comes as several law enforcement entities are investigating Trump’s conduct in numerous probes.The charges laid out in the indictment remain unclear.The indi
  
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• Austin Police corporal runs nearly 200 miles for charity

  30-03-2023 23:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Police Department Corporal Ben Mewis ran from the San Jacinto monument in Harris County to the Texas State Capitol to raise money and awareness for a cause close to his heart: CASA of Travis County.
  The run was just under 200 miles. Austin corporal runs from Alamo to Texas Capitol, uses passion to connect with communityCASA of Travis County helps children who have experienced abuse or neglect.
  “For me, specifically, the hardest calls that I take have to do with chil
  
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• City recruiting members for new pilot program to help prevent people from being evicted from their homes

  30-03-2023 22:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin Housing Department is recruiting community members who want to serve as Displacement Prevention Navigators to help prevent people from being evicted or foreclosed on, according to a news release from the city.The one-year pilot program will focus on two neighborhoods at high risk of displacement, which is Colony Park and Dove Springs, the release said. Compared to Austin as a whole, the pilot neighborhoods have higher shares of cost-burdened residents, as well
  
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• Rain showers, then sunshine and record heat

  30-03-2023 22:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --Welcome light to moderate rain showers continue across much of the area this evening with some rain totals adding up to 0.10"-0.25". Light rain showers taper off a bit after sunset tonight with cloudy, mainly dry weather overnight.A strong Pacific storm passing to our north will drag a cold front through our area late in the day tomorrow. This front has the potential to trigger isolated storms and showers along, but mainly east of I-35 late in the day.Cold front slides in late Fr
  
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• Report: Nonprofit vendor defrauded Austin Public Health of $417K

  30-03-2023 22:22 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for March 30, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — After an investigation that took longer than a year, the Office of the City Auditor in Austin said it found Central Texas Allied Health Institute (CTAHI), a nonprofit City of Austin contractor, committed fraud against Austin Public Health and falsified health records.
  According to the investigative report, CTAHI misrepresented over $1.1 million in financial transactions acros
  
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• Austin's Camp-Half Blood fundraising $150K to continue summer program

  30-03-2023 22:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Since 2006, Austin children have transported into the world of Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson & the Olympians" series at Camp Half-Blood Austin. Now, camp officials are working to continue bringing the books' fantasy adventures to life, fundraising to keep the summer camp operating.CHBA aims to bring to life the "Percy Jackson" books to help instill a love for reading, as well as create an outlet for kids to act out adventures from the series. Overseeing the summer camp
  
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• Atmospheric rivers bring record breaking snowpack

  30-03-2023 21:26 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Atmospheric rivers have been stealing the headlines over the past several months as California has experienced a relentless amount of rain and snow. An atmospheric river is a narrow corridor of concentrated moisture or water vapor in the atmosphere. They can stretch hundreds to even thousands of miles in length while usually being much narrower in width (less than 500 miles or so). As this water vapor gets pushed up the mountains along the West Coast, this moisture is
  
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• CMT behind the scenes with Kelsea Ballerini, Kane Brown and the Texas longhorns

  30-03-2023 20:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The festivities for the 2023 CMT Music Awards in Austin are happening now.The music artists are in the live music capital of the world and giving fans a taste of what they can expect to see on the Country Music Television network.
  Kelsea Ballerini and Kane Brown will be at the helm of the award show airing live Sunday, April 2 from the Moody Center. LIST: Artists set to attend 2023 CMT Music Awards in Austin, Texas"To be in the building in a new city and have life feel like
  
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• 'Swatting' call temporarily locks down Austin elementary school — what is 'swatting'

  30-03-2023 20:39 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for March 30, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Midday Thursday, an east Austin elementary school was placed on a temporary lockdown after a "swatting" call came in at the school's address.
  The Austin Independent School District tweeted at 12:51 p.m. that Austin ISD Police placed Norman-Sims Elementary school on a brief lockdown while investigating a possible "swatting" situation.How ‘swatting’ calls spread as schoo
  
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• City audit finds lag in efforts to measure affordability, economic opportunity in Austin

  30-03-2023 20:02 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for March 30, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — In March 2018, the City of Austin adopted its Strategic Direction 2023 (SD23) plan, a five-year initiative to find and determine "advance equitable outcomes across Austin."Economic Opportunity and Affordability (EOA) is one of six areas incorporated into the SD23 plan. The premise for the EOA component focused on "having economic opportunities and resources that enable us to
  
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• Report: Qualified lifeguards could have been turned away

  30-03-2023 19:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Every Summer the City of Austin relies on hundreds of lifeguards to watch over city pools.The hiring process begins in November and to successfully run all 34 pools the city needs about 860 lifeguards.In 2022, over 1,000 people applied to be lifeguards, PARD hired about 422, and over 200 lifeguards returned from earlier seasons, but some qualified candidates were turned away according to a recent report.The report states: “We found that 95% of lifeguard applicants rec
  
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• Report: lifeguards turned away because of technological glitch

  30-03-2023 19:54 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for March 30, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Every Summer the City of Austin relies on hundreds of lifeguards to watch over city pools.The hiring process begins in November and to successfully run all 34 pools the city needs about 860 lifeguards.In 2022, over 1,000 people applied to be lifeguards, PARD hired about 422, and over 200 lifeguards returned from earlier seasons, but some qualified candidates were turned away
  
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• Daniel Perry trial day 3: Witnesses to deadly shooting at Austin protest testify

  30-03-2023 19:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Day three of the trial for the man accused of shooting and killing Garrett Foster in July 2022 began Thursday morning with testimony from people who were at the protest where it happened.
  Daniel Perry, an Army sergeant and part-time Uber driver, was indicted in the case in 2021 on felony charges of murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and a misdemeanor charge of deadly conduct. Perry entered a not-guilty plea Tuesday.  MORE: Daniel Perry trial day 2: Fian
  
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