Austin news

• Freshman powers Lake Travis to Day 1 lead at UIL 6A boys golf championships

  30-04-2024 01:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Lake Travis freshman Bennett Kuhns has a 2-shot lead after the first round of the UIL 6A boys golf tournament Monday at White Wing Golf Club in Georgetown.Kuhns' round of 6-under-par 66 included birdies on three of White Wing's four par-5s, and he carded three birdies on each set of nine holes without a bogey.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersKuhns will start Tu
  
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• Report: Texas ranks second to last for maternal health care access

  13-06-2024 20:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A new report by ValuePenguin found more than 30% of women giving birth don't have access to adequate postnatal care.KXAN's Erica Brennes sat down with Divya Singh from Lending Tree to discuss the numbers.Brennes: Joining me today is Divya Singh with Lending Tree, we're going to be discussing a recent report that found that Texas is the second to last worst state when it comes to prenatal and maternal care in the country. Personally, as a mom in Texas, this is a tough thing
  
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• Police searching for suspect in series of east Austin burglaries

  13-06-2024 20:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department is asking for the public's help identifying a suspect detectives believe is connected to a series of burglaries that happened in east Austin earlier this month.
  APD said the burglaries happened on June 7 around 5 p.m. in the 1600 block of Chatham Avenue.
  Police said during one of the burglaries, the suspect broke into a home in the area holding a knife. Preliminary investigation revealed he may live near the Windsor Park area.
  The suspect is describe
  
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• Williamson County animal shelter introduces new program, hosts free adoption weekend

  13-06-2024 19:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter on Thursday unveiled a pilot adoption program aimed at speeding up the rehoming process for pets in need of a new family.
  The program's launch will coincide with the shelter's upcoming free adoption weekend, commencing with its inaugural PAWjama Party on Friday evening.Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter PAWjama Party (Photo courtesy: WCRAS)WCRAS said in a press release the shelter's primary focus remains on reuniting lots pets wit
  
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• Texas pastor sentenced to 35 years after stealing three churches

  13-06-2024 19:14 via kxan.com
  
  (NewsNation) — A Texas pastor has been sentenced to 35 years in prison after a jury convicted him of stealing three churches valued at more than $800,000.Whitney Foster, 56, the pastor at the True Foundation nondenominational church in Dallas, was sentenced after he was convicted of theft of property involving three local churches, Dallas County prosecutors announced.Foster was the pastor of a small congregation that did not have a physical place to meet. Foster was accused of stealing rea
  
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• Austin comes up short in bid for EV HQ project, loses to North Carolina city

  13-06-2024 18:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) -- A California-based electric vehicle charging company backed by several of the world's biggest car manufacturers almost picked the city of Austin for a $10.1 million corporate headquarters and research project before opting for a North Carolina city instead, according to interviews and documents obtained by the Austin Business Journal.Ionna LLC — a joint venture created by BMW, General Motors Co., Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Stellanti
  
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• Austin's Marbridge Foundation provides 'a whole new way of life' for residents

  13-06-2024 18:26 via kxan.com
  
  As a part of Nexstar's Founder’s Day of Caring 2024, KXAN is volunteering with the Marbridge Foundation this week. Here's an in-depth look at the organization's mission.
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — On over 200 acres just south of Austin sits a residential facility — a haven — to support adults with cognitive and intellectual disabilities.
  Marbridge Foundation recently celebrated 71 years of cultivating communities designed to give "a whole new way of life" to their residents. Right n
  
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• Man arrested, accused of selling suspected fentanyl pills to woman who later died

  13-06-2024 18:00 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A man was arrested and charged after police said he sold suspected fentanyl pills to a woman who was later found dead in her northeast Austin apartment in December 2023, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.Curtis James Habbit, 66, was charged with manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance causing death or significant bodily injury.KXAN reached out to Habbit's attorney for a statement and said there was no comment on the case at this time.Curtis James
  
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• Supreme Court unanimously preserves access to abortion medication in case that began in Texas

  13-06-2024 17:29 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The video above shows coverage of the arguments in this caseWASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously preserved access to a medication that was used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the U.S. last year, in the court’s first abortion decision since conservative justices overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago.The nine justices ruled that abortion opponents lacked the legal right to sue over the federal Food and Drug Administration’s approval
  
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• Energy expert weighs in on concerns about ERCOT power grid this summer

  13-06-2024 16:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As another hot Texas summer ramps up, the state’s power grid operators are raising concerns about grid reliability and the prospect of rolling blackouts.Earlier this week, a Texas House committee heard testimony from energy leaders about growth forecasts, the summer outlook and market design initiatives.University of Texas at Austin Professor Emeritus Ross Baldick works in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering and researches electric power. He joined
  
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• Unanimous Supreme Court preserves access to widely used abortion medication

  13-06-2024 16:17 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously preserved access to a medication that was used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the U.S. last year, in the court’s first abortion decision since conservative justices overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago.
  The justices ruled that abortion opponents lacked the legal right to sue over the federal Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the medication, mifepristone, and the FDA's subsequent actions to ease acces
  
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• El Niño has officially ended, here's what's next

  13-06-2024 15:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As expected, Thursday the Climate Prediction Center announced the climate pattern known as El Niño has come to an end as sea surface temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific continued to cool closer to normal.
  An ENSO Neutral Phase is hereEl Niño is the warm phase of the climate pattern known as ENSO or El Niño-Southern Oscillation. As temperatures in a specific area of the eastern Pacific cool closer to normal, then the effects of El Niño fade.
  
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• Tips on water conservation during summer drought months

  13-06-2024 15:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Even after recent rains added a little moisture to the ground and put some water back in Lakes Buchanan and Travis, water conservation should still be practiced as we head into the hottest times of the summer.There is a way to drought-proof your lawns and plants. One way is to use mulch; a thick layer of mulch will help your soil retain moisture during the brutal Texas summer.Indoor water conversation should also be practiced as well -- too much water is wasted by leaks. Ac
  
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• Jury to deliberate sentence for woman who pleaded guilty to crash that killed officer

  13-06-2024 14:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The trial continues Thursday for a woman who was arrested and charged with intoxication manslaughter after a 2022 crash caused the death of an officer in north Austin.
  According to prosecutors and defense attorneys, Lindsay Smith pleaded guilty earlier this week and "took responsibility" for the crash. Jurors are now hearing testimony and will deliberate and decide the sentence Smith will serve. PREVIOUS: APD: Woman drank before hitting, killing off-duty police officer near
  
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• Round Rock ISD police want to respond faster. County partners worry about their plans

  13-06-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) -- Mayra Mathis stands in the dark dispatch center inside Round Rock High School, pointing to a map of the district’s 56 schools.Before discussing changes the district is making to get its police officers to campuses quicker, she explains how she and other dispatchers learn of 911 calls at their schools. An internal investigation into Round Rock ISD police describes a ‘toxic’ environmentRound Rock ISD campuses span four jurisdictions, including the City
  
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• Office of Police Oversight providing update, data at Thursday night meeting

  13-06-2024 12:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Office of Police Oversight (OPO) will provide the public with updates and present new data at a Thursday night meeting.
  OPO's third quarterly Police Oversight Implementation Workgroup meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday over Zoom. It's open to the public, and those interested in participating can register online.
  OPO will share complaints data and other updates during this virtual session as directed by Resolution 99, according to a release.
  The meeting will be in both E
  
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• Waco woman celebrates 107 years of life

  13-06-2024 05:52 via kxan.com
  
  Waco, TX (FOX 44) -- One family is having a special get together in Waco to celebrate their matriarch, June Vera, turning 107 years old.Vera's family traveled across the country to St. Anthony's Care Center to celebrate her 107th trip around the sun.Gifts, birthday cake, flowers, and hand-written letters filled her room with family singing happy birthday."This has been so wonderful," said Vera.Vera was born in Welch, Oklahoma, and grew up and raised her family in South Texas.She worked as a teac
  
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• YouTuber with over 3M followers killed in crash on Colorado interstate

  13-06-2024 05:48 via kxan.com
  
  DENVER (KDVR) — Authorities announced on Tuesday that 40-year-old Benny Potter, a popular YouTube personality and Colorado resident, was the victim of a single-vehicle crash.The crash happened on Saturday, June 8, at about 9:19 a.m. on Interstate 25 near Fort Collins, according to Colorado State Patrol (CSP),
  Potter was in his silver Toyota 4Runner when it veered off the right shoulder of the interstate, police said. Potter continued to cross over the frontage road, which runs parallel to
  
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• Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, an Austin Westlake graduate, loses fight against ruling that keeps her from elite events

  13-06-2024 02:41 via kxan.com
  
  (AP) — Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas failed in her challenge against rules that stop her from competing in elite women’s races because judges ruled she did not have standing to bring the case.The Court of Arbitration for Sport panel of three judges dismissed Thomas’ request for arbitration with the World Aquatics governing body, in a ruling released Wednesday.World Aquatics banned transgender women who have been through male puberty from competing in women’s races. It al
  
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• Changes coming? Alamo Drafthouse acquired by Sony

  13-06-2024 02:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In a city known for keeping it weird, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and it's many locations around the area have long been an Austin Landmark.On Wednesday, Sony Pictures Entertainment announced it would acquire Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.What does that mean for the movie theater moving forward?We asked movie goers if they were worried this move could mean big changes for the popular movie theaters."I hope that they don't, I feel like Austin already has enough of that, so I would
  
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• Texas men's hoops opens first SEC-ACC Challenge against 2024 Final Four team NC State

  13-06-2024 02:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas men's basketball team will take on a 2024 Final Four team in its first appearance in the SEC-ACC Challenge.The Longhorns will head to Raleigh, North Carolina on Dec. 4 to take on the N.C. State Wolfpack, a team that made an improbable run to the Final Four as a No. 11 seed in last year's March Madness tournament.
  MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersIt's
  
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• Flores, Belyeu named to baseball writers' All-America team

  13-06-2024 01:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two Texas Longhorns baseball players can call themselves All-Americans this season.ARLINGTON, TX - MAY 22: Texas outfielder Max Belyeu (44) holds up the Hook 'Em Horns sign after hitting a home run during the 2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship game between Texas and Cincinnati on May 22, 2024, at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
  Sophomore shortstop Jalin Flores and sophomore outfielder Max Belyeu were name
  
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• Bush Foundation celebrates George H.W. Bush's 100th birthday, legacy at Texas A&M

  13-06-2024 01:05 via kxan.com
  
  COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KXAN) — Texas A&M is holding a series of events celebrating what would have been former President George H.W. Bush’s 100th birthday on June 12.
  The George & Barbara Bush Foundation’s 41@100 centennial celebration from June 11-13 will include events for Bush administration alumni, commemorative parachute jumps by President Bush’s grandchildren and performances from country music stars Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen.  During the three-
  
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• Texas' push for election transparency met with unintended consequences 

  13-06-2024 00:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — New Texas laws met to promote transparency in election results are having some unintended consequences, a top state election official told lawmakers Wednesday.
  In 2023, Texas lawmakers passed House Bill 5180, which allows the public to access public election records 61 days after an election. Republicans said it was necessary to promote transparency in elections — which became increasingly important to GOP lawmakers nationwide after former President Donald Trump pr
  
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• LGBTQ+ Pride flags fly for first time outside Austin police headquarters, other city facilities

  13-06-2024 00:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The flag pole in front of the Austin Police Department's downtown headquarters has a colorful new addition this month.
  Police are flying the rainbow LGBTQ+ Pride flag in front of their tall, brick building along the southbound Interstate 35 frontage road near East Eighth Street. A spokesperson confirmed Wednesday this is the first time the department is doing this, too, at all of its buildings.Pride flag repeatedly stolen from outside Cedar Park churchKXAN asked why Austin
  
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• Texas Longhorns capture 3rd Learfield Directors' Cup in last 4 seasons

  13-06-2024 00:26 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Longhorns have the best overall athletic program once again, according to the Learfield Directors' Cup results released Tuesday.Even with the Men's College World Series left to be played, the Longhorns have a big enough lead over the field to clinch the cup for the third time in four years. Texas has 1,339.50 points, ahead of Stanford with 1,312.75 and Tennessee with 1,117. Florida (1,106) and UCLA (1,017.5) round out the top five.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to d
  
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• Downtown program aims to fill vacant storefronts with small businesses and artists

  13-06-2024 00:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- The Downtown Austin Alliance (DAA) wants to see fewer boarded and locked up storefronts in the downtown area.
  According to this year's State of Downtown report, 12% of storefronts were empty in 2023. That was up from 10% the year before.DAA Chief Impact Officer Jenell Moffett said there are vacancies in both office spaces and storefronts.Downtown Austin Alliance said storefront vacancies were up by 2% in 2023. (Photo: KXAN)Downtown Austin Alliance said storefront vacancies were
  
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• Deer may fight off-leash dogs during fawn season

  12-06-2024 23:58 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Late spring and during the summer, white-tailed deer in Texas are birthing their fawns. During this time, dog owners should keep their pets on leash while outside.A San Marcos resident sent KXAN video on Sunday, which shows a deer charging him and his dog while out on a walk during May 2023."I've had two separate instances of mother deer almost charging me this week," the viewer said in an email. "The deer in San Marcos are in fawn season so they're bein
  
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• Austin Police looking for 58-year-old man last seen in southwest Austin

  12-06-2024 23:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department is asking for the public's help finding a 58-year-old man last seen in southwest Austin, APD said in a press release on Wednesday.In the release, APD said it was concerned for Jon Stamm's wellbeing.Austin Police said Stamm was reported missing on Tuesday at 5 p.m. He was last seen at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday morning at his home located in the 10400 block of Wolftrap Drive, which is near Slaughter and Brodie Lane.Stamm was described by police as being 5
  
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• Texas-OU WCWS finals the highest-rated NCAA softball series ever on ESPN

  12-06-2024 22:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — It was a great year for college softball on ESPN.The cable sports giant released viewership numbers for their softball telecasts in 2024, and the Women's College World Series championship series featuring Texas and Oklahoma was the most-watched series on record, averaging 2 million viewers. The Sooners topped the Longhorns 2-0 in the best-of-three series to claim their fourth consecutive NCAA Division I softball championship. The first game averaged 1.9 million viewers whil
  
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