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• Plans confirmed for Cedar Park hotel and convention center next to NFM

  13-03-2025 23:50 via kxan.com
  
  (Austin Business Journal) -- The 118-acre CedarView project in Cedar Park has confirmed another anchor in addition to a huge Nebraska Furniture Mart.Indiana-based real estate firm Great Lakes Capital, in partnership with NFM and the city of Cedar Park, announced March 10 that a full-service Marriott hotel and convention center also will be part of the project at 750 E. New Hope Drive.Construction area for hotel and convention center at the heart of the NFM-anchored CedarView project in Cedar Par
  
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• How do Texas' road, bridge conditions compare to other states?

  13-03-2025 22:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas' highway system ranked 25th in the country for its cost-effectiveness and overall conditions — falling six ranking spots from the previous year, according to the 2025 Annual Highway Report released Thursday by public policy think tank Reason Foundation.The report evaluated pavement conditions, fatalities, deficient bridges, infrastructure costs and congestion levels across all 50 states, using data each state reported to the Federal Highway Administration for 20
  
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• PHOTOS: Michelle Obama records new podcast in front of hundreds of SXSW attendees

  13-03-2025 22:44 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Michelle Obama and her brother, Craig Robinson, on Thursday gave South by Southwest attendees a glimpse of their new podcast, IMO – internet slang for “in my opinion.” The siblings sat down with Laurie Santos, a psychology professor and host of The Happiness Lab, for a special live taping of their new podcast, which started releasing episodes this week.  Michelle Obama and her brother, Craig Robinson, on Thursday gave South by Southwest attendees
  
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• Austin is a leader in EV infrastructure, there's still room to grow

  13-03-2025 22:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Electric vehicle experts from Austin, Los Angeles and Oslo, Norway spoke on a South by Southwest panel on Thursday about how their cities have successfully implemented electric vehicle infrastructure.The Biden Administration forecasted in 2024 50% of vehicles purchased in the U.S. would be electric ones. If this goal were to be achieved, the panelists said cities need to be ready to keep those cars charged.
  "Since we were all pretty early on in building out EV charging infrastru
  
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• Trader Joe's recalls 61K sparkling water bottles — here's why

  13-03-2025 22:07 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) — This week, Trader Joe's announced a recall of two lots of the popular Gerolsteiner Sparkling Natural Mineral Water, a non-Trader Joe's branded item, which the grocery giant sells. The recalled glass water bottles are being recalled over concerns they can crack, causing risk of cuts or slashes.According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the German-owned Gerolsteiner is recalling about 61,500 bottles. Customers are advised to stop using the bottles immediately. Cica
  
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• Texas Senate passes bills to fight AI-generated sexual images of children, non-consenting adults

  13-03-2025 21:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas Legislature is working on several bills that could introduce more protections against AI-generated explicit images used for harassment and the production of child sexual assault materials (CSAM).February: Bill to protect victims of deepfake ‘revenge’ porn passes US SenateThe Texas Senate passed three such bills by unanimous votes on Wednesday.SB 20 and SB 1621 both update the state's statues against the possession of CSAM to include AI-generated content. SB
  
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• Project Connect could displace 68 businesses, homes. What rights do property owners have?

  13-03-2025 21:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As Project Connect finalizes design and engineering work on Austin's light rail system ahead of a 2027 construction start date, both city and Austin Transit Partnership officials are outlining direct and indirect resources available for the nearly 70 possible displacements.How many businesses, residences could be displaced by Austin's light rail?Documents shared by ATP with KXAN outline 68 total possible displacements affiliated with the light rail's construction, based on
  
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• $2.1M in grants awarded to Texas volunteer fire departments

  13-03-2025 21:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas A&M Forest Service announced that on March 5, it awarded $2.1 million in grants to rural volunteer fire departments (VFDs) across the state, per a news release from the agency.The big boost in funding, as part of the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program, will help VFDs buy lifesaving items such as training aids, dry hydrants, as well as fire and rescue equipment, according to a news release.“Through the Rural VFD Assistance Program, we do everyt
  
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• How the Austin Zoo prepares the animals for spring

  13-03-2025 19:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- KXAN Meteorologist Tommy House sat down with Dillon Horger, who is the director of animal care at the Austin Zoo, to discuss how the zoo prepares for the spring months.The below transcription of their conversation has been edited for grammar.Meteorologist Tommy House: Good morning, I’m here with Dylan Horger, who is the director of animal care at the Austin Zoo. As we approach the spring months, I want to first ask, where is the zoo specifically located around the Austin a
  
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• Ex-Texas megachurch pastor indicted in Oklahoma on child sex abuse charges

  13-03-2025 17:59 via kxan.com
  
  DALLAS (AP) — A former pastor of a Texas megachurch who resigned after a woman accused him of sexually abusing her in the 1980s has been indicted in Oklahoma on child sexual abuse charges, that state's attorney general’s office said Wednesday.Robert Preston Morris, 63, has been charged with five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child. Oklahoma Grand Jury indicts Texas megachurch founder on indecent acts with childThe alleged abuse started in 1982 when the victim, refe
  
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• How does the city of Austin decide which homeless encampments to clear?

  13-03-2025 17:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — When deciding which homeless encampments to clear, the city of Austin ranks encampments based on metrics such as public safety and nearby critical infrastructure, according to Austin's Homeless Strategy Officer, David Gray.The question was posed after the city of Austin relocated 32 people living in a homeless encampment in southeast Austin due to “high wildfire risk." The camp was near Ben White Boulevard and Montopolis Boulevard.The Austin Fire Department respo
  
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• Austin corridor mobility program drives ahead on road work this spring, summer

  13-03-2025 17:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — There's road work ahead for several key roadways within the city of Austin as transportation officials advance hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of improvements as part of the corridor mobility program.Austin voters approved in 2016 a mobility bond that allocated $482 million toward corridor upgrades across town. Those enhancements are divvied up along nine corridors:
  Airport BoulevardBurnet RoadEast Riverside DriveEast Martin Luther King Jr. BoulevardGuadalupe StreetN
  
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• 'Incredibly rewarding.' Austin Pets Alive! needs volunteers to care for sick animals

  13-03-2025 15:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Pets Alive! is urgently seeking volunteers to care for some of its sickest animals, including puppies and kittens suffering from contagious diseases.The organization is facing a critical need for help as it works to treat young pups like Magnus who is battling parvo, a potentially deadly disease.Volunteers are essential to provide medical care, fresh bedding, food and water to these vulnerable animals."We want to try to protect these little guys as best we can," said Fath
  
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• FM 620, FM 2222 intersection reopened after crash

  13-03-2025 15:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The intersection of FM 620 and FM 2222 opened just before 11 a.m. Thursday following an earlier crash, police said.Multiple cars were involved in a crash at the intersection of FM 620 and FM 2222, with the intersection blocked off in all directions.
  
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• Crash with multiple cars blocks FM 620, FM 2222 intersection

  13-03-2025 15:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Multiple cars were involved in a crash at the intersection of FM 620 and FM 2222 Thursday morning, police said.
  The Austin Police Department said officers were responding to the crash, and that the intersection is blocked off in all directions.
  Police said they expect the roadway to be closed for a few hours.
  In the meantime, drivers are asked to avoid the area, expect delays and find alternate routes.
  This is a developing story; stick with KXAN for updates.
  
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• Weekend Watch: A Sailor Moon Experience, St. Patty's Day Bash & Latin night at SXSW

  13-03-2025 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - The weekend scene in Austin has been quite busy and this weekend is no exception! A play takes the stage, mixing manga, anime, music, green beer and family fun at a beach near Austin, as well as a night filled with Latin culture at South by Southwest (SXSW).Weekend ForecastThis weekend will be perfect to be outside. With a front arriving early Saturday morning, temperatures will be moving far away from the 90s and 80s bringing us down to mid to upper 70s. We will have plenty of s
  
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• Violent crime trending down on troubled Austin street

  13-03-2025 13:00 via kxan.com
  
  Milton Washington is one of the Burton Drive residents who spearheaded a clothing drive to bring the neighborhood together.
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- "This street right here that they say is a bad place to me, looks like a good place to me. It looks beautiful," Milton Washington said.He's talking about Burton Drive, a street often referred to as "Murder Drive."But Washington - and others - want a recent clothing drive, and the hopeful snowball effect that stems from it, to shift this narrative.The stree
  
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• Austin hospital safety law’s full impact could be years away

  13-03-2025 13:00 via kxan.com
  
  KXAN (AUSTIN) -- Despite the hum of new construction, the full impact of Austin's new hospital safety law is likely years away.Three months ago this week, Austin passed an ordinance requiring barriers, called bollards, to improve security at new hospitals. While some facilities are already making updates, without a state-level change, a KXAN investigation found the new safety mandate could take months, if not years, to be felt.New builds, old plansIn a city used to new construction, health care
  
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• These were Texas' fastest-growing counties in 2024, according to new Census Bureau estimates

  13-03-2025 12:00 via kxan.com
  
  This story is part of the KXAN Data Hub, where numbers help tell the whole story.
  We've created several data-driven stories and databases on topics including weather and climate, politics, education, sports and growth in Texas. Each story in the KXAN Data Hub is updated as new data becomes available.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas' population increased more than any other state between 2023 and 2024, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.The state's overall population grew by 562,941 p
  
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• Woman who accused Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy of attacking her granted protective order by Texas judge

  13-03-2025 04:43 via kxan.com
  
  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The woman who accused Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy of attacking her last week, resulting in a case in which the district attorney has so far declined to pursue charges, has been granted a protective order against him by a Texas judge.Attorneys for Tia Jones confirmed the order in a statement to The Associated Press on Wednesday night. They added that Jones is “fully cooperating with law enforcement as they continue to actively investigate the violence th
  
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• AISD fifth grade teacher arrested, accused of possessing child porn

  13-03-2025 04:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A fifth grade teacher at Baranoff Elementary School was arrested after he was accused of possessing child pornography, the school's principal confirmed in a letter to families.The Texas Department of Public Safety alerted the Austin Independent School District Police Department Tuesday that Carl Innmon was being investigated on the possession of child pornography charge, which is a first degree felony, according to AISD.Innmon was not listed in Travis County court records as of
  
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• Cicadas return in 2025: Which states will see them?

  13-03-2025 03:38 via kxan.com
  
  CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Although it won't be like 2024's "cicada-geddon," some in the U.S. will see another round of the noisy insects again this year.Brood XIV is more spread out than some others, meaning there could be large gaps between the affected areas, much like Brood XIX, which emerged across much of the eastern U.S. in 2024.
  This year, portions of 13 states may be impacted by Brood XIV, the second-largest periodical brood of cicadas, according to the University of Connecti
  
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• Texas Tech power outage, evacuating area due to gas odor

  13-03-2025 02:46 via kxan.com
  
  Note: The video above reflects top headlines from morning of March 12, 2025.LUBBOCK, Texas -- Multiple areas on campus are affected by power outages on the Texas Tech campus Wednesday evening, according to a TechAlert. The TechAlert said the Engineering Key was evacuated due to a gas odor. Individuals on campus were asked to follow evacuation instructions if they are in the area.
  It wasn't immediately clear if the two events were related.Lubbock Fire Rescue is responding to multiple fires on the
  
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• Explosion on Texas Tech campus causes power outage, evacuations

  13-03-2025 02:46 via kxan.com
  
  Note: The video above reflects top headlines from morning of March 12, 2025.LUBBOCK, Texas -- An explosion at a substation on the Texas Tech campus has caused power outages at the Texas Tech and the Health Sciences Center Wednesday evening, according to a TechAlert.
  Multiple areas on campus are affected by power outages on the Texas Tech campus. The TechAlert said the Engineering Key was evacuated due to a gas odor. Individuals on campus were asked to follow evacuation instructions if they are i
  
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• Explosion on Texas Tech campus causes evacuations, spring break begins immediately

  13-03-2025 02:46 via kxan.com
  
  LUBBOCK, Texas -- An explosion at a substation on the Texas Tech campus has caused power outages at the Texas Tech and the Health Sciences Center Wednesday evening, according to a TechAlert. No injuries were reported.Texas Tech said spring break will begin immediately. It was originally scheduled to start on Monday. Students were urged to check their emails for additional information. Lubbock man pleads guilty to selling fentanyl pills on social mediaMultiple areas on campus were affected by pow
  
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• OSHA fines Tesla nearly $50K over Austin Gigafactory death

  13-03-2025 01:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Tesla is facing a $49,650 fine from The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) following the death of a worker at the Austin Gigafactory in August 2024. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: OSHA investigating worker death at Tesla’s Texas GigafactoryOSHA issued three "serious" citations for workplace and safety violations. Each penalty totaled $16,550.
  The citations were as follows:
  Protective equipment, including personal protective equipment for eyes, face, head, and extremi
  
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• ATCEMS: 1 dead, 1 injured in crash on US 290

  13-03-2025 01:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- One person is dead, and another was injured, after a crash happened in east Austin, Austin-Travis County EMS said on social media.ATCEMS medics and the Austin Police Department responded to the the crash at Berkman Drive and U.S. Highway 290.
  Medics revealed they pronounced one person dead on scene. The other person suffered "serious not considered life threatening injuries" and was transported to Dell Seton Medical Center.The Austin Police Department said on social media that e
  
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• Texas House committee discusses education savings account bill for nearly 21 hours

  13-03-2025 00:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — With more than 20 hours of discussion, the Texas House Committee on Public Education adjourned around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday. After hearing more than 300 testimonies on House Bill 3 (HB 3) -- establishing an education savings account to subsidize private education for eligible Texans -- they left the bill pending in committee.While most of the people who spoke in public testimony were opposed to the bill, a release from the Texas Freedom Network (TFN) said "734 Texans offic
  
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• MAP: Where have wildfires burned in Central Texas in 2025?

  13-03-2025 00:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — More than 700 acres have burned in wildfires across Central Texas so far in 2025, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.A total of 12 fires have burned 727.5 acres in the 15-county KXAN viewing area. Weather Interactives: How much rain has Austin received this year?KXAN is keeping track of wildfires. Follow along with the map and database below. We'll keep them updated as new information becomes available. Fires that are still uncontained are red on the map. Evacuat
  
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