Austin news

• UT Board OKs $13.5M design contract for highway caps over I-35

  16-05-2024 21:27 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's note: The above video shows KXAN News' top morning headlines from Thursday, May 16, 2024.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Design work will soon be underway to build highway coverings across Interstate 35 near the University of Texas at Austin, following approval from the U.T. System Board of Regents last week.The board greenlit a $13.5 million contract with the Texas Department of Transportation to cover 30% design work on those highway coverings. It comes alongside the City of Austin's own capped high
  
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• Texas Vital Statistics no longer accepts court orders to update birth certificate sex markers

  01-09-2024 03:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) made an unannounced policy change Friday, modifying its requirements for Texans seeking to change the sex marker on their birth certificates.The DSHS website previously said the agency would accept a certified court order to change a person's sex marker on their birth certificate, according to an archived version accessed via the Wayback Machine. That is no longer listed as an accepted document for VS-170, the DSHS form r
  
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• Instant Analysis: Texas rolls over Colorado State for first shutout since 2022 season

  01-09-2024 02:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — No. 4 Texas slaughtered Colorado State 52-0 for their first shutout since the 2022 season and its first opening week shutout since 2004.
  Quinn Ewers completed 20 of 27 passes, threw for 260 yards and had three touchdown passes with one interception off a tipped ball in the first half.
  The Texas defense was excellent as they held Colorado State to 74 yards passing and 192 yards total.
  MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More
  
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• Judge says city leaders 'failed to end' APD's 'g-files'

  01-09-2024 01:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Travis County district court judge ruled Friday that the City of Austin acted unlawfully by not ending its practice of withholding certain police records called "g-files" from the public, according to a court order from a Travis County district judge.A g-file is an internal, confidential file containing complaints against police officers that have not been substantiated with evidence and did not result in any form of punishment.Equity Action filed the lawsuit in December
  
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• State of Texas: Scrutiny into voter rolls brings concern of chilling effect

  01-09-2024 01:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Texas has removed 1.1 million people from voter rolls since 2021, Gov. Greg Abbott's office announced Monday, highlighting efforts to clean up election data and ensure legal registration.That includes 6,500 potential noncitizens and more than 457,000 deceased people, according to data the governor's office provided.But the largest number of canceled registrations, more than463,000, came from people on the state's voter suspense list.When Nico Ramsey went to check his vot
  
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• Lanes closed on I-35 southbound after car catches on fire

  31-08-2024 23:32 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Some lanes on I-35 southbound in south Austin are closed after a car caught on fire Saturday afternoon.The Austin Fire Department told KXAN that two lanes were shut down.A viewer sent in video that shows a car on fire next to the on-ramp near Woodward Street.It's unclear what caused the car to catch fire.
  AFD said there are no injuries, but crews are working the scene. There could be delays as crews work to remove the vehicle.
  
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• Car fire on I-35 southbound prompts lane closures

  31-08-2024 23:32 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Some lanes on I-35 southbound in south Austin were closed Saturday afternoon after a car caught fire.The Austin Fire Department told KXAN that two lanes were shut down.A viewer sent in a video that showed a car on fire next to the on-ramp near Woodward Street.It's unclear what caused the car to catch fire.
  AFD said there were no injuries, and its crews responded to the scene.
  
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• 3 injured, including 2 children, after jet ski, boat collide on Lake Travis, EMS says

  31-08-2024 21:28 via kxan.com
  
  LAKE TRAVIS, Texas (KXAN) — At least three people were injured Saturday afternoon, including two children, after a collision between a jet ski and a boat on Lake Travis, according to Austin-Travis County EMS.
  ATCEMS said on social media the scene was near 16107 Wharf Cove, which is close to Volente.
  ATCEMS reported that one adult and two children were declared trauma alerts.
  The two children were taken to Dell Children's Medical Center. One child was transported by ATCEMS with potentially
  
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• Wells Fargo employee found dead in her office cubicle 4 days after clocking in

  31-08-2024 20:37 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – A 60-year-old Wells Fargo employee was found dead in an office cubicle four days after scanning into the corporate building in Tempe, Arizona, authorities said.Denise Prudhomme had last scanned into the office around 7 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 16, the Tempe Police Department said in a statement to Nexstar.
  The following Tuesday, a security guard called 911 after discovering an unresponsive employee at her desk on the third floor. Wells Fargo confirmed that her cubicle is locat
  
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• 'Surreal' photo captures rainbow lightning

  31-08-2024 20:15 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) -- A photographer for the Minnesota Twins captured a stunning image of a rare meteorological event that occurred during Monday's home game against the Atlanta Braves.
  The photo, posted on the Twins' social media accounts, shows a rainbow in the eerie night sky above Target Field in Minneapolis as lightning strikes at the same time."I'm not joking when I say this might be one of the greatest pictures ever taken," one user wrote in the replies on X, while another called the image "lowke
  
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• 'Mega den' of hundreds of rattlesnakes grows as births captured live

  31-08-2024 20:14 via kxan.com
  
  CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A “mega den” of hundreds of rattlesnakes in Colorado is getting even bigger now that late summer is here and babies are being born.Thanks to livestream video, scientists studying the den on a craggy hillside in Colorado are learning more about these enigmatic — and often misunderstood — reptiles. They're observing as the youngsters, called pups, slither over and between adult females on lichen-encrusted rocks. Colorado Rattlecam Lives
  
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• Major grocery chain ending tobacco sales

  31-08-2024 20:11 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) - Stop & Shop, a major grocery chain, announced this week that it would be ending its sales of tobacco products.The East Coast chain has 360 stores in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.(Mario Tama, Getty Image)The retailer said it will stop selling cigarettes and tobacco products by Aug. 31 as part of its commitment to “community wellness.”“Our responsibility as a grocer goes far beyond our aisles, and we are committed to taking bo
  
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• What are 'cat eyes'? TSA issues warning over uptick in passengers carrying prohibited item to checkpoints

  31-08-2024 20:07 via kxan.com
  
  ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC/NEXSTAR) — An increase in the number of “cat eyes” being carried through airport checkpoints in Upstate New York has prompted a warning from TSA officials.“The frequency in which we are seeing these items among carry-on items is disappointing,” said Bart R. Johnson, a federal security director for the TSA, said in a statement included with a recent TSA news release.Cat eyes are a weapon similar to brass knuckles, albeit with points shaped like
  
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• Family terrified after children's book starts fire under car seat

  31-08-2024 20:07 via kxan.com
  
  BURKE COUNTY, N.C. (WJZY) — Pictures of a child’s car seat, melted and mangled, tell a terrifying story for a North Carolina family after investigators say a button battery, made of lithium, inside a children’s book caught fire underneath the car seat.Destiny Williams said she had just returned from church Sunday when it happened. She got her 1-year-old daughter out of the car seat and went inside to make lunch.
  Minutes later, she said, "A neighbor came knocking on my door and
  
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• DPS rescues couple that took infant hiking, ran out of water in Texas heat

  31-08-2024 20:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — What started as a wholesome family excursion ended in a rescue mission when two 23-year-old parents decided to take their 3-month-old child on a hike in the blistering Texas heat.Around 4:15 p.m. on Aug. 20, Guadalupe Mountains National Park Rangers alerted the Texas Department of Public Safety that a family of three needed rescuing.Texas family rescued after taking baby on hike (Photos courtesy of DPS)Texas family rescued after taking baby on hike (Photos c
  
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• DPS rescue couple that took infant hiking, ran out of water in Texas heat

  31-08-2024 20:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — What started as a wholesome family excursion, ended in a rescue mission when two 23-year-old parents decided to take their 3-month-old child on a hike in the blistering Texas heat.Around 4:15 p.m. on Aug. 20, Guadalupe Mountains National Park Rangers alerted the Texas Department of Public Safety that a family of three was in need of rescuing.Texas family rescued after taking baby on hike (Photos courtesy of DPS)Texas family rescued after taking baby on hike
  
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• What is the Oropouche virus, also known as sloth fever?

  31-08-2024 20:04 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (WPIX) – A case of the Oropouche virus, also known as sloth fever, was reported in New York, the state's Department of Health confirmed Tuesday. The virus commonly spreads through mosquito bites and has mostly been present in parts of South America, Central America and the Caribbean."The state has had one reported case of Oropouche virus, which has been identified as travel-related and did not originate in New York State. To protect patient confidentiality, we are not identif
  
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• Which Texas city is the 'rudest'?

  31-08-2024 19:11 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) — Southerners are usually thought of as having good manners — but surely there are plenty of southern cities where that isn't the case, right? Recently, educational tutoring resource Preply set out to find which U.S. cities have the rudest residents and (surprise!) many of them actually are in the southern U.S.But where do Texas' cities fall? When was the last time Texas went blue in the presidential election?First, Preply says it surveyed Americans on a variety of topics,
  
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• Kyle VFW raising money to help veterans get service dogs

  31-08-2024 16:12 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — VFW Post 12058 in Kyle is holding an all-day telethon Saturday aiming to raise money for veterans needing service dogs.
  The telethon kicks off at 11 a.m. and runs through 7 p.m. Silent and live auctions will be held throughout the day. Money goes towards the United States Veterans Service Dogs organization, which helps place service dogs with veterans.VFW Quartermaster Steve Cook said taking a service dog makes your injury visible.
  "For a lot of veterans, it's a big st
  
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• Police investigating deadly hit-and-run crash in south Austin

  31-08-2024 15:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department is investigating a fatal auto-pedestrian crash that happened Tuesday in south Austin.
  Police said the crash happened around 1 a.m. on the East Ben White Boulevard service road, just west of Interstate 35.MAP: Where have Austin’s fatal crashes occurred in 2024?Police said the vehicle did not stop after hitting a pedestrian.
  The pedestrian died at the scene. Police did not name the victim.People with information about the crash can call APD'
  
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• The ‘young and rich’ are moving to Texas, study says

  31-08-2024 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Data collected from the Internal Revenue Service showed Texas as a top destination for many affluent young people, according to a recent study.SmartAsset, a financial technology company, said it used the IRS data to rank states by the net inflow of young and rich households, which it classified as those aged 26 to 35 and earning at least $200,000. Texas short on housing: What a new study says about local challengesThe company said reasons for relocation could include:
  bette
  
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• Scattered storms on Sunday; Wet Labor Day ahead

  31-08-2024 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Temperatures this afternoon peaked in the mid 90s in the Austin area. Camp Mabry climbed to 96° and Austin-Bergstrom reached 94°. A mix of clouds and sun delivered dry weather to the capital with on-and-off rain showers and thunderstorms toward the Hill Country.
  An isolated early evening shower or storm in Austin can't be entirely ruled out (10%) however rain chances look minimal after 9 p.m. tonight.
  SundayElevated rain chances return on Sunday (40%) with the majority o
  
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• A little rain today; Texas Football kickoff forecast

  31-08-2024 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Temperatures this afternoon are in the upper 80s to lower 90s with more clouds than sunshine. We are tracking a few showers and storms in the Hill Country.
  A stationary front is found near the western Hill Country today. It will be the focal point of this afternoon's showers and thunderstorms in the Hill Country where the chance of measurable precipitation is 40% to 50%. Rain chances are lower along and east of I-35.
  Most of todays rain/thunderstorms will be in the Hill CountryA
  
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• A little rain today, more rain tomorrow and Labor Day

  31-08-2024 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A stationary front is found near the western Hill Country today. It will be the focal point of this afternoon's showers and thunderstorms in the Hill Country where the chance of measurable precipitation is 40% to 50%. Rain chances are lower along and east of I-35.Most of todays rain/thunderstorms will be in the Hill CountryAfternoon highs will peak in the low 90s this afternoon.Today's normal high is 95°Rain chances go up tomorrow, then again on Monday as the front lingers i
  
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• LIVE: Ewers throws 3 TD passes to help No. 4 Texas roll over Colorado State 52-0 in opener

  31-08-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (AP) — Quinn Ewers passed for 260 yards and three touchdowns and No. 4 Texas rolled past Colorado State 52-0 on Saturday in the opener for both teams.Ewers connected with Matthew Golden for a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter, and had another strike to Isaiah Bond as the Longhorns built a 31-0 lead by halftime.A big question for Texas heading into this season was just how quickly Ewers and Texas would find their rhythm in a passing attack that lo
  
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• It's gameday! No. 4 Texas takes on Colorado State at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium

  31-08-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — It's finally time for some football at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium.The Texas Longhorns, ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll, host the Colorado State Rams at 2:30 p.m. in the season opener for both teams. Colorado State’s Air Raid offense gives Sarkisian pause ahead of season openerTexas is a 32-point favorite headed into the game, but head coach Steve Sarkisian isn't taking the Rams lightly. Sure, they finished 5-7 and play in the Mountain West C
  
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• Ewers throws 3 TD passes to help No. 4 Texas roll over Colorado State 52-0 in opener

  31-08-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (AP) — Quinn Ewers passed for 260 yards and three touchdowns and No. 4 Texas rolled past Colorado State 52-0 on Saturday in the opener for both teams.Ewers connected with Matthew Golden for a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter, and had another strike to Isaiah Bond as the Longhorns built a 31-0 lead by halftime.A big question for Texas heading into this season was just how quickly Ewers and Texas would find their rhythm in a passing attack that lo
  
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• Austin's Vision Zero wraps 2016 mobility bond safety projects

  31-08-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Nearly a decade after the creation of Austin's Vision Zero program, the transportation safety initiative celebrated the completion of its first round of bond-funded safety projects.Vision Zero centers around mobility safety improvements to reduce serious and fatal injury crashes in Austin. In 2016, Austin voters approved a mobility bond that included a $15 million allocation to safety projects to be completed via Vision Zero.Joel Meyer, acting transportation safety officer
  
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• Texas high school football scores for Friday, Aug. 30

  31-08-2024 07:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — It's week one of high school football as the rest of our area teams kicked off tonight. Here are the scores below of how Central Texas teams fared on their first Friday night of action.
  Week 1 scoresVandegrift 31, Dripping Springs 14Lake Travis 51, Arlington Martin 12LBJ 56, Sam Houston 7Austin High 45, New Braunfels Canyon 35Austin Travis 24, Austin Akins 0Austin Navarro 14, Austin Eastside 0St. Andrew's 34, Austin Northeast 0Bowie 60, Manor 34Round Rock High 22, Killeen S
  
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• Ikea to launch secondhand online market

  31-08-2024 05:37 via kxan.com
  
  (NewsNation) — Ikea, the Sweden-based furniture giant, is testing its own secondhand marketplace to let its customers sell to each other.
  Ikea is already making secondhand matches in Madrid and Oslo, and the company hopes to roll out the new service worldwide by the end of the year.For buyers, the site will look very much like Ikea’s web pages for new products. The difference is that it will show items from sellers located near you. The listing will look just like a listing for
  
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