Austin news

• Arson investigator on scene after 1 injured in south Austin industrial area fire

  17-06-2021 13:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Fire Department says it has an arson investigator on the scene after a fire Thursday morning in south Austin.AFD tweeted about the fire at 5:45 a.m. Thursday and said it was at an industrial area at 600 E. St. Elmo Road. That's near the road's intersection with Terry-O Lane and the address for Austin American Awning Company.
  Austin Fire on scene of a fire in industrial area at 600 E St Elmo. Fire was contained to outside rear of building. 1 patient transported wi
  
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• 'Hire Local' initiative helps with skills gap, connects people with in-demand jobs

  24-04-2024 18:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- According to Workforce Solutions Capital Area, there are more than enough jobs but not enough skilled workers in Austin.
  The organization is trying to address the city's skills gap through its Hire Local initiative. It released its 2023 annual report highlighting the initiative's impacts.
  "That is designed to close the gap by connecting local people with the skills needed in high demand jobs, high paying jobs, so they can afford to stay here in Austin," said Chair for Workforce
  
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• Man missing in south Austin found dead, police say

  24-04-2024 18:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man reported missing in south Austin was found dead Friday, the Austin Police Department said in a press release.Cristian Rangel, 24, was last seen in a south Austin Walmart parking lot on April 8. APD sent a release on April 18, saying it was searching for him and was concerned for Rangel's well-being. APD searching for missing 24-year-old last seen in south AustinOfficers responded to reports of a dead person in a southeast Austin neighborhood around 7 p.m. on Friday, A
  
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• UT Austin students to protest in support of Gaza with class walk-out and campus sit-in

  24-04-2024 18:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The Palestinian Solidarity Committee of Austin is organizing a protest in support of Gaza on Wednesday, directing students to walk out of class and "occupy" the South Lawn of UT's campus."In the footsteps of our comrades at Columbia SJP, Rutgers-New Brunswick, Yale, and countless others across the nation, we will be establishing THE POPULAR UNIVERSITY FOR GAZA and demanding our administration divest from death," a PSC social media post said.Students are scheduled to walk
  
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• Flight delayed or canceled? Airlines have to give you an automatic refund now

  24-04-2024 18:00 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) — The Biden administration finalized rules on Wednesday requiring airlines to automatically refund passengers for canceled or significantly delayed flights and to share baggage, change, or cancellation fees upfront.“Passengers deserve to know upfront what costs they are facing and should get their money back when an airline owes them - without having to ask,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “Today’s announcement
  
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• 3 arrested in Georgetown drug bust; Drugs and guns confiscated at scene

  24-04-2024 17:20 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) -- Over the weekend, the Williamson County Sheriff's Office arrested three people and seized what it called a "significant amount" of suspected illegal drugs, weapons, and paraphernalia associated with drug trafficking.
  WCSO said it executed a search warrant on Pinnacle Drive on Saturday along with its Organized Crime Unit and SWAT, as well as K9 units.
  WCSO confiscated the following:Approximately 4.5 pounds of suspected marijuanaApproximately 3.7 grams of suspected coca
  
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• Austin Energy awarded grant to expand access to affordable renewable energy

  24-04-2024 15:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Energy is expected to receive tens of millions of dollars in federal grant money to help low-income households with access to affordable renewable energy.
  The money comes from a portion of $250 million spread across 60 Texas organizations, which is part of a $7 billion national grant from the Environmental Protection Agency called Solar For All, announced earlier this week in celebration of Earth Day.
  Austin Energy said the money will help "direct deployment of clean
  
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• Junk fees growing in Texas apartments, according to recent study

  24-04-2024 12:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Sanford Garrett is a 59-year-old visually impaired veteran who lives off of what he calls a "broke income," but he makes it work.
  "Every dollar and cent counts," Garrett explained. He has lived in the same two-bedroom apartment for the past 13 years, and has seen his complex change ownership multiple times.
  Since the pandemic, though, he has noticed an increase in junk fees added on to his monthly rent payment. Things like valet trash and pest control fees. It used to be he had
  
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• Travis County test runs counsel at first appearance

  24-04-2024 04:26 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Currently, arrestees in Travis County don't always have an attorney with them at their first court appearance.
  According to the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, ensuring attorneys early on can reduce jail populations and save taxpayers money by reducing criminal justice costs.
  Travis County supports the idea of this prospect - which is called "counsel at first appearance" or CAFA - but so far, staffing, infrastructure and procedural challenges have hindered its imple
  
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• Gov. Greg Abbott announces $34M mental health facility coming to Uvalde

  24-04-2024 03:15 via kxan.com
  
  UVALDE, Texas (Nexstar) — Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Monday a $34 million initiative aimed at bolstering mental health services in Uvalde.Construction for a new behavioral health campus in Uvalde is expected to begin later this year, according to a press release from the governor's office. The project aims to help children and adults grappling with mental health crises in Uvalde and across 32 counties in the surrounding area.The proposed facility will include a 16-bed crisis unit for ad
  
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• Man indicted in UT West Campus stabbing of Palestinian American

  24-04-2024 01:58 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man accused of stabbing a 23-year-old Palestinian American in West Campus near the University of Texas at Austin was indicted by a grand jury on an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge, according to a Travis County District Attorney's Office press release.Bert James Baker, 36, was arrested in connection with the February incident at Nueces and 26th Street. The victim, who was visiting Austin from North Texas for a demonstration that called for a ceasefire in Gaz
  
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• Houston-area program to give $500 monthly payments to some residents on hold after Texas lawsuit

  24-04-2024 00:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (AP) — The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered Harris County, which includes Houston, to put on hold a guaranteed income program that would provide $500 monthly cash payments to roughly 2,000 residents.The program has become a target of Republican Texas Attorney General Paxton, who has accused local Democratic leaders of trying to “score political points” through the initiative and filed a lawsuit this month in an effort to block its implementation. The
  
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• Max Scherzer set for Round Rock rehab start Wednesday Night

  24-04-2024 00:22 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) - One of the biggest names in baseball is set to get game action at Dell Diamond Wednesday Night. Three-time Cy Young award winner Max Scherzer will make a rehab start for the Round Rock Express at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday against the Salt Lake Bees.The eight-time All-Star had back surgery during the off-season and started the season on the injured list. Scherzer is the MLB's active leader in strikeouts with over 3,300.
  Round Rock has been busy sending players up to the reign
  
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• 'I'm concerned': Hays County Homeless Coalition releases 2024 data

  24-04-2024 00:09 via kxan.com
  
  HAYS COUNTY (KXAN) — Hays County leaders learned more about the number of people experiencing homelessness in their community at a recent Hays County Commissioner's Court meeting.The county's homeless coalition presented the results of its 'point in time' count from January 2024 on Monday.
  According to new data, there are more unhoused people now, compared to 2020. Most are living in shelters compared to just on the streets or maybe even cars. However, data shows majority of those individu
  
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• Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison tags Nashville as company's next world HQ

  24-04-2024 00:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) -- Oracle Corp. co-founder and Chairman Larry Ellison has indicated that Nashville, not Austin, will be the company's headquarters in the future.Ellison made the declaration April 23 during an on-stage interview at a health care industry summit Oracle hosted in Nashville. It marked Ellison's first public appearance in Nashville in the nearly three years since Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) – one of the world's 30 largest public companies — cemented a deal to cre
  
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• Two arrested, one at large in connection with Lee County homicide

  23-04-2024 23:18 via kxan.com
  
  LEE COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Two of three people were arrested in connection with a homicide that happened in Lee County back in March, the Lee County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.Around 9:54 a.m. on March 5, LCSO responded to a report of a dead person in the 100 block of County Road 123 in Ledbetter, Texas, the agency said in a news release. When deputies arrived on the scene, they found a man with “apparent gunshot wounds.”Officials identified the victim as Carlos Ramone
  
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• Two arrested, one at large in connection to Lee County homicide

  23-04-2024 23:18 via kxan.com
  
  LEE COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Two of three people were arrested in connection to a homicide that happened in Lee County back in March, the Lee County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.Around 9:54 a.m. on March 5, LCSO responded to a report of a dead person in the 100 block of County Road 123 in Ledbetter, Texas, the agency said in a news release. When deputies arrived on the scene, they found a man with “apparent gunshot wounds.”Officials identified the victim as Carlos Ramone Gr
  
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• Tesla's first-quarter net income tumbles 55% as falling global sales and price cuts reduce profits

  23-04-2024 23:17 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The above video is KXAN reporting on Tesla's recent layoffs from April 15, 2024.(AP) — Tesla’s first-quarter net income plummeted 55% as falling global sales and price cuts sliced into the electric vehicle maker’s revenue and profit margins.The Austin company said it made $1.13 billion from January through March compared with $2.51 billion in the same period a year ago.Revenue was $21.3 billion, down 9% from last year as worldwide sales dropped nearly 9% due to i
  
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• Austin Humane Society's 10th annual kitten shower returns Saturday

  23-04-2024 22:42 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's note: The above video shows KXAN News' top morning headlines from Tuesday, April 23, 2024.AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Humane Society will host its 10th annual kitten shower event on Saturday amid kitten season, where the shelter will welcome hundreds of newborn cats to its care.The annual fundraising event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. It'll include — of course — kittens and cats in addition to kids' activities, a donation drive, adoption services, local vendors
  
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• What's the history behind Eeyore's Birthday Party in Austin?

  23-04-2024 22:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — One of Austin's longest-running community traditions pays homage to the pessimistic "Winnie-the-Pooh" character.The 59th iteration of Eeyore's Birthday Party returns Saturday to Pease District Park. Running from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., the free event includes live music, gams, crafts, costume contests, face paintings and nonprofit vendors. All proceeds raised from vendors go back to local nonprofit organizations benefitting Central Texans.But what his since become a beloved Aust
  
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• ERCOT announces new plan to focus on growing Texas economy, population

  23-04-2024 21:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On Tuesday, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) announced its new plan as Texas continues to have a growing economy and population, the agency said in a news release.During a board meeting Tuesday, ERCOT President and CEO Pablo Vegas unveiled the plan, which is called the New Era of Planning. This plan laid out by Vegas detailed the plan as a way to "better serve the needs of the rapidly growing Texas economy," the release said. ‘Peaker plant’ near San
  
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• How an Austin scavenger hunt pays it forward to decades-old local nonprofit

  23-04-2024 21:36 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's note: The above video shows KXAN News' top morning headlines from Tuesday, April 23, 2024.AUSTIN (KXAN) — For more than 20 years, the Austin-based nonprofit Wonders & Worries have aided children whose parents have been diagnosed with a serious illness or injury. This weekend, an urban scavenger hunt in downtown Austin will bring a little extra shimmer to participants' days, all while supporting the nonprofit's continued mission.Wonders & Worries created a multi-session cur
  
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• Photos: DPS troopers compete in Top Trooper competition

  23-04-2024 20:46 via kxan.com
  
  FLORENCE, Texas (KXAN) — Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers are gathered in Florence, Texas this week to battle for the title of Top Trooper.
  Each year, DPS holds a multi-day competition testing troopers' driving and firearms skills, physical conditioning and endurance, and job knowledge throughout nine events. This year is the 12th annual competition.
  DPS holds Top Trooper Competition in Florence, Texas April 23, 2024 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) DPS holds Top Trooper Competitio
  
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• A conversation with Jesús Garza as he prepares to leave Austin's top job next week

  23-04-2024 20:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --One of Austin's most powerful figures, Interim City Manager Jesús Garza, returns to retirement at the end of next week.
  After a months-long search, Austin City Council picked outgoing Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax to take over the role permanently. He'll officially start May 6, but has already begun meeting with Austin leaders. When we interviewed Garza Tuesday morning, Broadnax was at City Hall.
  "He's been down here a couple days for the last two weeks and so he's alr
  
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• Foxtrot announces closures of all locations, including 4 in Austin

  23-04-2024 20:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin is losing all four of its Foxtrot cafes as the Chicago-based company announced Tuesday it's shutting down operations.
  Foxtrot is a cafe/marketplace plus coffee shop concept that had 33 locations in the Austin, Dallas, Chicago and Washington D.C. areas. It recently merged with Dom's Kitchen & Market, also Chicago-based, which will be closing its two locations as well.
  There were four locations spread across Austin:4818 Burnet Road
  2270 Guadalupe Street
  301 West Second
  
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• 'H-Town Made': Houston Texans reveal new uniforms

  23-04-2024 19:32 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (KIAH) — The Houston Texans revealed new uniforms Tuesday, and fans are excited to see a new special look for their football team.The team put out a hype video on their social media channels, calling the new uniforms "fan-inspired" and " H-Town Made.""(The uniforms) are even more special because they are inspired by and for our fans,” Houston Texans Chair and CEO Cal McNair said. “Our fans asked us to be more H-Town and we delivered. They were with us every st
  
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• 'Protect our brave firefighters,' University of Texas students create firefighting robot

  23-04-2024 19:23 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- University of Texas students created a robot that can help protect firefighters. Their startup is called Paradigm Robotics.
  The technology is meant to assist with search and rescues in structure fires or other dangerous situations.
  Just last week, the Austin Fire Department reported two firefighters were injured after searching for a person inside a house fire.
  The invention is called FireBot.
  FireBotFounder Siddharth Thakur said fire departments around the country are testing
  
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• Round Rock ISD approves 1% salary raise for employees, retention incentive plan

  23-04-2024 19:17 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — During a Thursday board meeting, Round Rock ISD approved the adoption of a new compensation plan that would provide salary increases to staff.Following a plan recommended to the board, the district adopted a 1% salary increase.According to the district, the starting salary for teachers and librarians would also increase to $56,500, and eligible employees would receive a $625 pay increase.Other eligible employees would receive an increase equal to 1% of the pay ra
  
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• Round Rock ISD approves 1% salary raise for employees, creates retention incentive plan

  23-04-2024 19:17 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — During a Thursday board meeting, Round Rock ISD approved the adoption of a new compensation plan that would provide salary increases to staff.Following a plan recommended to the board, the district adopted a 1% salary increase.According to the district, the starting salary for teachers and librarians would also increase to $56,500, and eligible employees would receive a $625 pay increase.Other eligible employees would receive an increase equal to 1% of the pay ra
  
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• Austin illuminates northern city intersection in pedestrian safety pilot

  23-04-2024 18:48 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's note: The above video shows KXAN News' top morning headlines from Tuesday, April 23, 2024.AUSTIN (KXAN) — The City of Austin is collecting feedback on a new safety pilot designed to improve pedestrian safety and visibility in a north Austin neighborhood.The Austin Transportation and Public Works Department launched crosswalk upgrades at the intersection of Shoal Creek Boulevard and Treadwell Boulevard, near the Beverly S. Sheffield Northwest District Park. The project incorporated
  
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