Austin news

• South Lamar closed near Barton Springs due to emergency repair

  17-04-2024 15:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- South Lamar Boulevard is closed just south of Barton Springs Road Wednesday morning for emergency repairs in the area.
  Austin Transportation and Public Works said in a post on X at 7:46 a.m. there was an emergency street closure south of Lamar and Barton Springs and all lanes on Lamar were closed. Real Time Traffic MapAustin Energy's outage map around 8 a.m. showed an outage in the area with the cause listed as "An obstruction to the electrical grid has occurred (e.g., a traffic
  
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• Happy Anniversary, 'Turn Around, Don't Drown'

  30-04-2024 15:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- It's a slogan designed to save lives. KXAN meteorologists have been using it ever since its creation."Turn Around, Don't Drown" celebrates its 20th Anniversary.
  Those who have lived in Central Texas for a long time know that flooding is one of the top weather-related killers. The National Weather Service reports an average of 90 deaths each year from flooding. More than half of those deaths are caused by people driving through barricaded roads into flooded roadways.What some peo
  
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• UT to reinstate standardized testing, reviving equity debate in college admissions

  30-04-2024 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s note: The above video shows KXAN News’ top morning headlines for Tuesday, April 29, 2024.AUSTIN (KXAN) — In early March, the University of Texas released a statement announcing the reinstatement of standardized test scores in admissions for Fall 2025 applicants. The announcement reintroduced the debate on whether standardized tests disproportionately affect marginalized students -- new research shows they do the opposite.
  The test-optional policy became normalized in s
  
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• Proposed wastewater plant by Central Texas elementary school sparks opposition, possible change

  30-04-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) – Leila Liberman lives close enough to hear kids at Veterans Hill Elementary School shrieking over her backyard fence.On her Siena neighborhood street, which straddles the boundaries between Hutto and Round Rock, children outnumber adults, she said. So, opposition was fierce when homeowners caught wind last year of a proposed sewage treatment plant that would be built next to the school and their houses.Local residents and Hutto ISD have come out against the potent
  
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• Rancher considers letting Texas build its 'beautiful' border wall on his riverfront property

  30-04-2024 13:03 via kxan.com
  
  ZAPATA, Texas (Border Report) -- A local rancher is weighing the pros and cons of letting the State of Texas build a new segment of border wall, which he says is "an engineering marvel," on his rural riverfront property. 1st segment of Texas-funded border wall in Zapata County is going up
  Dr. Gary Schwarz is an oral surgeon from the Rio Grande Valley who owns La Perla, a deer hunting and bass fishing ranch in far western Zapata County along Highway 83. He also owns a nearby strip of land that go
  
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• WATCH LIVE: New poll shows Trump ahead of Biden in seven key swing states

  30-04-2024 12:59 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – Former President Donald Trump maintains a lead over President Biden in multiple key swing states, according to a new poll from Emerson College Polling and The Hill.Voters favored the leading Republican candidate – who is currently balancing court and rally appearances – over Biden in Arizona (48% to 44%), Georgia (47% to 44%), Michigan (45% to 44%), Nevada (45% to 44%), North Carolina (47% to 42%), Pennsylvania (47% to 45%) and Wisconsin (47% to 45%).The poll, which
  
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• New poll shows Trump ahead of Biden in seven key swing states

  30-04-2024 12:59 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – Former President Donald Trump maintains a lead over President Biden in multiple key swing states, according to a new poll from Emerson College Polling and The Hill.Voters favored the leading Republican candidate – who is currently balancing court and rally appearances – over Biden in Arizona (48% to 44%), Georgia (47% to 44%), Michigan (45% to 44%), Nevada (45% to 44%), North Carolina (47% to 42%), Pennsylvania (47% to 45%) and Wisconsin (47% to 45%).The poll, which
  
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• Illegal dam on James River torn down, while another dam pops up in Mason County

  30-04-2024 12:00 via kxan.com
  
  MASON COUNTY, TX (KXAN) -- An illegal dam in the Texas Hill Country is being demolished following reports from KXAN. The dam, constructed along the James River in Mason County, was built in 2023. Illegal dam in Mason County blocking water from refilling Highland LakesInvestigations from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) found the dam was constructed without permits.Meanwhile, in western Mason County, a second dam has been loca
  
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• AISD to talk about future of closed campus

  30-04-2024 10:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)—The Austin Independent School District will start a conversation Tuesday about the future of a now-closed school campus in East Austin.The district constructed Sims Elementary School in 1956 at 1203 Springdale Road.It merged Sims with Norman Elementary after the 2020-2021 school year and shut down the campus on Springdale, according to AISD.The district wants to know what the community is thinking about the eight acres the Sims campus occupies.The district plans three virtual
  
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• 'Unusually deadly': 4 dead, more than 30 'suspected overdoses' reported in Austin

  30-04-2024 02:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Officials said they continue responding to a 1000% increase in overdose calls after responding to more than 30 "suspected overdoses" and four deaths on Monday, City of Austin Chief Medical Director Heidi Abraham said during a media briefing.Around 9 a.m., the city experienced a sudden surge in opioid-related calls. A rapid response team comprised of ATCEMS, the Homeless Strategy Office and Urban Alchemy were immediately deployed to the area, according to officials."The trend tha
  
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• ATCEMS to provide more details on 'multiple overdose incident' downtown

  30-04-2024 02:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin-Travis County EMS said it would provide more details after "multiple overdose incidents" were reported Monday in downtown Austin.All of the overdoses were "presented as opiate-like," and people were taken to local hospitals "responded well to Narcan administration," according to a news release from the City of Austin.“We’ve been passing out Narcan kits and teaching people how to use them to empower our community members to help us save lives,” said ATCEM
  
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• ATCEMS: 'Multiple overdose incidents' reported downtown

  30-04-2024 02:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin-Travis County EMS said it would provide more details after "multiple overdose incidents" were reported Monday in downtown Austin.All of the overdoses were "presented as opiate-like," and people were taken to local hospitals "responded well to Narcan administration," according to a news release from the City of Austin.“We’ve been passing out Narcan kits and teaching people how to use them to empower our community members to help us save lives,” said ATCEM
  
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• ATCEMS: 25 'overdose incidents' reported downtown

  30-04-2024 02:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin-Travis County EMS and the Austin Police responded to a total of 25 "overdose incidents" on Monday in downtown Austin.All of the overdoses were "presented as opiate-like," and people were taken to local hospitals "responded well to Narcan administration," according to a news release from the City of Austin.“We’ve been passing out Narcan kits and teaching people how to use them to empower our community members to help us save lives,” said ATCEMS Assistant
  
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• Report: Austin FC 'finalizing a deal' to host 2025 MLS all-star game

  30-04-2024 02:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — According to a report by ESPN on Monday, Austin FC is in the process of becoming the host of the 2025 Major League Soccer all-star game.ESPN cited anonymous sources that said Austin is "finalizing a deal" and "nearing the completion of all relevant legal contracts," to hold the match at Q2 Stadium.
  VERDE LIGHTS: It's back for another season! Tune in at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturdays on CW Austin throughout the season.This year's all-star game is in Cleveland on July 24, and t
  
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• 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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• Longhorns add former San Marcos star Malik Presley in transfer portal

  30-04-2024 01:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Malik Presley is coming back home.The former San Marcos basketball star spent his freshman year at Vanderbilt and announced his transfer to Texas on Monday.
  Was clear when Presley was in high school at San Marcos that he had a good relationship with #Texas, Rodney Terry.
  Some help on the wing for #HookEm https://t.co/d8zbu5Xdwj— Noah Gross (@noah_gross27) April 29, 2024
  Presley played in 26 games with five starts for the Commodores, scoring a season-high 11 points aga
  
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• UT jumper Ackelia Smith eyeing Paris 2024 Olympic Games for Jamaica

  30-04-2024 01:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Ackelia Smith, a University of Texas at Austin track and field junior, has been building momentum with some of her best long and triple jump distances to date.She just won in both jumps on home turf at the Texas Invitational track meet over the weekend. Her sights on the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games are becoming clearer. Longhorn runner Rhasidat Adeleke expected to compete in Paris OlympicsAckelia Smith with family
  Smith, a first-generation college student from Jama
  
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• Man in 'disturbance' before deadly shooting near Rainey Street, police say

  30-04-2024 00:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department identified the man who died after a shooting near Rainey Street over the weekend.APD said it was called to the Quincy Apartments, 91 Red River Street, for multiple shots fired calls Saturday around 6:30 a.m., according to an APD release. MAP: Where have Austin’s homicides occurred in 2024?Police found a man, later identified as 24-year-old Alan Picazzo, with "apparent gun shot wounds," the release said. Picazzo was taken to the hospital wh
  
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• A transfer shuffle: Texas women's hoops lose player to Oregon, adds another from Miami

  30-04-2024 00:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Longhorns women's basketball program broke even in the transfer portal Monday.Amina Muhammad announced her departure from the Longhorns after two seasons on social media, but the team added a 6-foot-6 forward to the roster.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/newslettersMuhammad is headed to the Oregon Ducks, who are coming off an uncharacteristic 11-21 season and 2
  
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• Pflugerville ISD approves new superintendent Monday

  29-04-2024 23:49 via kxan.com
  
  PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) -- Dr. Quintin Shepherd is officially Pflugerville ISD's newest superintendent, following approval by the district's Board of Trustees Monday.Shepherd has worked nearly 30 years in public education, PfISD officials said in a Monday release. Prior to coming to Pflugerville, he's served as Victoria ISD's superintendent since July 2018.
  Before working in Texas, Shepherd also held leadership positions at schools in Iowa and Illinois. Shepherd has led as a superintendent at
  
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• What are prion diseases? Hunters died of fatal disorder after eating tainted deer meat, researchers say

  29-04-2024 23:46 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – A recent report published in the medical journal Neurology suggests that two hunters contracted Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a fatal neurological disorder, after eating venison obtained from deer infected with chronic wasting disease.For years, researchers have thought cross-species transmission of chronic wasting disease (CWD) to be plausible. But this latest report, describing what researchers call a “cluster” of cases, presents some of the strongest evidence yet of
  
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• Jason Kelce to join ESPN's NFL pregame show: reports

  29-04-2024 23:24 via kxan.com
  
  (WHTM) — Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce will join ESPN as part of its "Monday Night Football" pregame show, sources told The Athletic and Variety.Kelce has risen to fame outside of sports for his podcast "New Heights," which he does with his brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. The podcast, while already popular, drew in even more fans last year in light of Travis' relationship with pop star Taylor Swift.Jason Kelce's exposure on the podcast reportedly led to
  
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• 'I have been blessed': Man with cancer splits $1.3B Powerball jackpot with wife, friend

  29-04-2024 23:19 via kxan.com
  
  PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A man diagnosed with cancer says he'll be sharing the $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot he won earlier this month with his wife and his friend after they decided to buy a ticket together.Cheng "Charlie" Saephan, a Laos-born immigrant who has been fighting cancer for the past eight years, said the winning ticket was part of a batch he purchased with his wife, Duanpen Saephan, and a friend, Laiza Chao of Milwaukie.“I am grateful for the lottery and how I have been
  
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• Austin seeks input on amenities to go on I-35 highway coverings

  29-04-2024 23:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin community members will have opportunities this spring and summer to weigh in on the city's "Cap and Stitch" program, or highway coverings on top of the soon-to-be-expanded Interstate 35.Our Future 35 will host an open house event on Saturday, May 18 at Austin Community College's Highland campus, located at 6108 Wilhelmina Delco Drive, Bldg. 2000. The event is free and open to the public, running from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. RELATED NEWS: Austin could seek $124M federal grant to
  
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• Mason ISD staff member accused of improper relationship with student

  29-04-2024 23:13 via kxan.com
  
  SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — A staff member of the Mason Independent School District was arrested Thursday on a felony charge after he was accused of having an improper relationship with a student.The public jail roster for the Mason County Sheriff's Office shows that 37-year-old Micah Walker was taken into custody on April 25 at 1:48 p.m. He was arrested on a charge of Improper Relationship Between Educator/Student.According to Mason ISD's website, Walker is listed as the
  
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• Texas inspections again snarl truck traffic at Mexican border

  29-04-2024 22:53 via kxan.com
  
  EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – Trucks carrying merchandise to the U.S. are sitting in line for hours at the El Paso-Juarez border, as the Texas Department of Public Safety has resumed enhanced inspections of commercial vehicles.The trucks are waiting 480 minutes (eight hours) or more to cross the border at the Ysleta port of entry, when the usual wait time is about an hour, according to the official U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.Border Patrol says it’s ready for new mi
  
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• Horns Report: What a record NFL Draft says about the state of the Longhorns football program

  29-04-2024 22:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — With 11 players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Texas Longhorns set a program record for most players taken in the modern-era draft format of seven rounds, and as they transition to the Southeastern Conference, those kinds of numbers need to become normal.Roger Wallace and Billy Gates discuss what exactly the big draft weekend means for the program and head coach Steve Sarkisian, as well as an update on the Texas baseball and softball teams. The baseball team is coming
  
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• Rare white bison born at Central Texas ranch

  29-04-2024 21:44 via kxan.com
  
  BURNET, Texas (KXAN) — A Burnet ranch's latest bundle of joy comes with an added twist, after welcoming a rare white bison calf last week.Wagon Springs Ranch's owner Carl Chambers told KXAN his ranch crossed two blonde-haired bison last year. This marked the mama's first calf, and it's made for a memorable experience, Chambers said."When me and my brother went into the brush, I saw her laying down and then I saw this big white thing next to her. And I was like 'what is that?'" Chambers rec
  
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• Austin teacher recognized at national STEM competition

  29-04-2024 20:55 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (KXAN) -- Students around the world gathered in Houston over the weekend to participate in the Conrad Challenge. The annual STEM competition invites thousands of students to Space Center Houston, where they can pitch innovative ideas to change the world.This year, Austin teacher Joel Schildwachter with the nonPareil Institute was awarded the Innovative Teacher Award. Schildwachter's class also participated in the challenge, submitting their idea for a health app.Students competed for sch
  
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• LIVE BLOG: Multiple arrests on UT campus during Monday protest

  29-04-2024 20:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- University of Texas at Austin Police issued a dispersal order Monday afternoon after a group of pro-Palestine protesters gathered on the South Mall and set up several tents in the area.
  UTPD sent a dispersal order shortly after 1 p.m. after protesters began gathering with pro-Palestine signage and formed a circle around tents they'd set up.
  The protest formed separately from one aimed at speaking out about the closing of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion offices on university camp
  
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