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• Austin City Council signs off on more 'single stair' buildings

  10-04-2025 23:58 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Thursday, Austin City Council members approved a code amendment that allows more units to be built using only one central staircase. Advocates of "single stair" housing say it will create more flexibility in how smaller complexes are built, making them more affordable.
  "In support of increased housing options, the Council adopted amendments allowing single-stairway designs in certain multi-family residential buildings up to five stories," the city of Austin wrote in a news relea
  
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• Space Shuttle Discovery could return to Texas

  10-04-2025 23:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A bill introduced Thursday could help bring the Space Shuttle Discovery back home to Texas.“The first word spoken from the moon was ‘Houston.’ To honor that legacy, it's long overdue for a retired NASA Space Shuttle to rest at Houston's Johnson Space Center so Texans can see, learn from, and enjoy it for generations,” said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.  The shuttle has been on display in Virginia since April 2012, when the National Aeronautics and Spa
  
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• Bill that would expand medical examiner offices passes Senate

  10-04-2025 23:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Legislation that would lower the population threshold for requiring a county to adopt a medical examiner system for death investigations passed the Senate [[[TKDAY]]] moving the measure closer to becoming law.Counties with over 2.5 million people are currently required to create a medical examiner office, but Senate Bill 1370 would lower that limit to 1 million. State senators Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, and Joan Huffman, R-Houston, authored the measure.Read the full story
  
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• Texas Senate passes bill to speed up evictions, cite 'squatter horror stories'

  10-04-2025 23:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A bill that would expedite evictions against suspected squatters passed in the Texas Senate Thursday.SB 38, authored by Senator Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, would require civil courts to act within 10-21 days after a property owner files to evict someone from their property.“The current process is so broken that it punishes the rightful property owners while rewarding trespassers who know how to game the system," said Bettencourt in a press release Thursday afternoon.
  
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• True-crime author says issue of lost identity at the center of book on 70s Texas serial killer

  10-04-2025 21:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Lise Olsen, a Texas-based investigative reporter, editor, and true-crime author, visited Austin this week for a book-release event at Book People for "The Scientist and the Serial Killer: The Search for Houston's Lost Boys."
  While here, Olsen stopped by KXAN to talk about her newest release, which centers the story of a series of 1970s murders that occurred in Houston.
  "It remains one of the worst murders in Texas history," Olsen said of the case. It became known as the Houston
  
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• Border Report Live: US, Mexico at odds over water payments

  10-04-2025 21:55 via kxan.com
  
  McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) -- A water war on the border appears to be brewing between the United States and Mexico.The United States recently announced it was withholding water payments to Mexico, which has repeatedly come up short in what it owes under a 1944 international water treaty.This is the first time in recent history the United States has refused to pay Mexico water.U.S. International Boundary and Water Commissioner Maria-Elena Giner recently told Border Report that about 2,000 acr
  
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• Round Rock ISD says elementary student brought BB gun to school

  10-04-2025 20:28 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In a letter to parents Tuesday, Gattis Elementary School acknowledged a report that a student brought an unloaded BB gun to school. This story came from a ReportIt story tip. Send your own story ideas to reportit@kxan.com or through KXAN's ReportIt page.
  According to the school, the report was investigated, and the BB gun was submitted to the administration.“Students and staff were never in danger,” the school said.Gattis Elementary School Principal Faezana Ali
  
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• NTSB releases more details in preliminary report on I-35 crash that killed five

  10-04-2025 19:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The National Transportation Safety Board provided an update Thursday on its investigation into the deadly Interstate 35 crash that occurred on March 13, including which vehicles the victims were driving in. Solomun Weldekeal-Araya, 37, was charged with intoxication manslaughter and assault charges following the 18-vehicle pileup that killed five people and injured 11 others near Parmer and Howard Lane.Weldekeal-Araya's attorney, Bristol Myers, is asking for him to be r
  
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• Nominations open for Star of Texas Awards for fallen or injured first responders

  10-04-2025 19:01 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The 2025 Star of Texas Awards, which honors first responders who were seriously injured or killed in the line of duty, is now accepting nominations.Peace officers, firefighters, emergency medical first responders and federal law enforcement are eligible to be nominated, according to the Office of the Governor. However, the critical incident must have occurred between Sept. 1, 2003, and the submission deadline.Nominations are due to the Office of the Governor by June 13, 202
  
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• Heirloom project could bring another 'Main Street' to fast-growing Austin suburb

  10-04-2025 18:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (ABJ) — A Dallas-based developer is aiming to bring another "Main Street" to fast-growing Georgetown in the form of a high-end, mixed-use project encompassing about 620 acres.Columnar Investments presented plans to the Georgetown City Council on March 25 for the Heirloom development, which would be located at the northwest intersection of Ronald Reagan Boulevard and County Road 248, across from where H-E-B LP is building a new store.The project was first brought to th
  
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• UT Austin announces new Karch Gaming Institute

  10-04-2025 18:20 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The University of Texas at Austin (UT) will soon unveil a new gaming institute to help students with careers in the video game industry.“UT’s Moody College of Communication will be home to the Karch Gaming Institute, which will be dedicated to shaping the next generation of creative leaders in the gaming industry,” the university said.UT said the Karch Gaming Institute would teach students about all aspects of the digital gaming industry, including:
  Concep
  
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• Body found on UT campus overnight, investigation ongoing

  10-04-2025 17:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- An "active investigation" is ongoing after a person was found dead on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin overnight Wednesday into early Thursday morning.
  Mike Rosen, a spokesperson for UT, told KXAN via email Thursday morning that "a deceased person was found on campus overnight. This is an active investigation. There was no foul play involved and no threat to the UT community."It's not clear if the person was affiliated with UT in any way. Details on the person's i
  
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• Hays County man arrested after being found with 'significant quantities' of several drugs

  10-04-2025 17:45 via kxan.com
  
  HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- A 37-year-old man was arrested earlier this week in Driftwood and faces several drug-related charges and is accused of stealing two firearms, according to law enforcement.
  The Hays County Sheriff's Office arrested Raymond Hartoin, 37, on Tuesday after conducting a search warrant and finding him with "significant quantities" of Methamphetamine, Cocaine, MDMA, Ketamine, THC, Marijuana, and U.S. currency, according to a release.
  Deputies also found multiple firearms and
  
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• Why it's important to keep your car covered during pollen season

  10-04-2025 16:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- During allergy season, pollen can quickly accumulate on parked vehicles, leaving a 'taint' that can cause damage. Meteorologist Tommy House sat down with Ken Huening, who has created a successful business by inventing covers to protect automobiles and furniture.Read an edited version of the conversation below or use the video player above to listen.Meteorologist Tommy House: What are Cover Seal Outdoor Covers?Ken Huening: So, Cover Seal Outdoor Covers were invented about three y
  
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• Texas House passes budget bill, defunds lottery

  10-04-2025 16:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The Texas House of Representatives is currently discussing Senate Bill 1 - the 2026-27 general appropriations bill - and House Bill 500 - the supplemental appropriations bill. Combined, both measures will blueprint how the state spends its money (including its $24 billion surplus) in the next two years.Entering the day Thursday, there were 393 pre-filed amendments to the budget, with more to be filed during the session. Texas House preparing for long budget session&ldquo
  
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• Live Updates: Texas House takes up the 2026-27 budget

  10-04-2025 16:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The Texas House of Representatives is currently discussing Senate Bill 1 - the 2026-27 general appropriations bill - and House Bill 500 - the supplemental appropriations bill. Combined, both measures will blueprint how the state spends its money (including its $24 billion surplus) in the next two years.Entering the day Thursday, there were 393 pre-filed amendments to the budget, with more to be filed during the session. Texas House preparing for long budget session&ldquo
  
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• Live Budget Updates: Texas House votes to defund the Texas Lottery

  10-04-2025 16:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The Texas House of Representatives is currently discussing Senate Bill 1 - the 2026-27 general appropriations bill - and House Bill 500 - the supplemental appropriations bill. Combined, both measures will blueprint how the state spends its money (including its $24 billion surplus) in the next two years.Entering the day Thursday, there were 393 pre-filed amendments to the budget, with more to be filed during the session. Texas House preparing for long budget session&ldquo
  
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• KXAN testifies on crime victim data during House open government hearing

  10-04-2025 15:47 via kxan.com
  
  Austin (KXAN) -- On Wednesday, KXAN Senior Investigative Producer David Barer spoke to members of the Texas House Committee on Delivery of Government Efficiency about obtaining data while investigating the state’s crime victim compensation delays.“An important issue we found is victims were telling us they were waiting up to eight months or more to get a first payment on a claim,” Barer said of KXAN’s three years of reporting on the Texas Attorney
  
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• Elon Musk’s attorney running to succeed Paxton as Texas attorney general

  10-04-2025 15:25 via kxan.com
  
  Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s attorney John Bash is running to succeed Ken Paxton (R) as Texas’s attorney general, becoming the first candidate to throw his hat in the statewide race. Bash, who is a partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, said he is running because the Texas attorney general’s office is at the “forefront of all the critical legal issues facing the country, and that office should be led by the strongest possible attorney – one who i
  
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• Weekend Watch: Squirrel Fest squeaks in and UT Softball

  10-04-2025 15:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - Now that March Madness is behind us, it's time to throw our support to baseball and softball. Plus, Squirrel Fest skips its way into Pease Park for an evening of fun!Weekend ForecastThis weekend is looking nice and sunny, with temperatures heading back up into the mid to upper 80s. Winds will also cooperate with gentle winds on Saturday and will be a bit breezier on Sunday. Sunday evening will see a slight return of clouds after days of sunshine.Weekend ForecastSquirrel Fest 2025
  
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• LIVE: Weekend Watch: Squirrel Fest squeaks in and UT Softball

  10-04-2025 15:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - Now that March Madness is behind us, it's time to support baseball and softball. Plus, Squirrel Fest skips its way into Pease Park for an evening of fun!Weekend ForecastThis weekend is looking nice and sunny, with temperatures heading back up into the mid to upper 80s. Winds will also cooperate with gentle winds on Saturday and will be a bit breezier on Sunday. Sunday evening will see a slight return of clouds after days of sunshine.Weekend ForecastSquirrel Fest 2025This would ma
  
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• Some Texas families impacted by SNAP cuts; food banks brace for direct hit

  10-04-2025 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) — Chari Seeley happily looks at a list of items.She points to the cabbage and cheese. A few seconds later she shouts, "whipping cream!" It's not something she would usually get but she explained it's for a special occasion. "It's my birthday," she sang, laughing. "Yay!!"The breast cancer survivor said she relies on Hill Country Community Ministries food pantry for a few staples after her Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP benefits were cut ear
  
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• Third person arrested in January homicide, affidavit says

  10-04-2025 05:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A third person was arrested in connection with a 19-year-old's death that happened Jan. 24 in the 10500 block of Wildhorse Ranch Trail, according to an arrest affidavit.The affidavit alleged that 23-year-old Emanuel Thompson was involved in the death of Victor Ekozeme. He is facing a capital murder charge for his role in Ekozeme's death.KXAN reached out to an attorney for Thompson. This story will be updated if we receive a response on his behalf to the accusations.This comes af
  
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• APD: 20-year-old, juvenile arrested in connection with Lakeline Mall shooting

  10-04-2025 04:26 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A 20-year-old woman and a juvenile were both arrested in connection with a shooting that happened at the Lakeline Mall in January, according to the Austin Police Department.The woman was identified as Yaneth Medina, per a news release from APD Wednesday. She was charged with tampering with evidence, which is a third degree felony.Yaneth Medina, 20 (Austin Police Department photo) Austin Police release video of suspect linked with Lakeline Mall shootingOnline court records did no
  
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• TEA's Do Not Hire registry growing each year

  10-04-2025 04:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas Education Agency's (TEA) Do Not Hire registry is growing each year.On Wednesday, the State Board of Education spent the afternoon discussing the list and what can be done to improve it.The registry is a public searchable database, warning school district's who not to hire."In fiscal year 2024, 536 individuals were subject to formal enforcement and placed on the do not hire list," said TEA Commissioner Mike Morath.The Do Not Hire registry started in 2020 and h
  
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• Austin nonprofit helps Latinas with workforce readiness program

  10-04-2025 03:38 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Latinos make up about a third of the workforce in Central Texas. However, according to a report by the Hispanic Fund, many are "confined to minimal incomes."A workforce readiness program in Austin hopes to help bridge the economic gap. The nonprofit Latinitas created the self-paced course for people to earn certifications in a skill of their choice. Report shows progress, shortfalls in economic growth for Central Texas Latinos"Latinitas is an Austin based nonprofit empowering gi
  
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• APD asks public to submit photos, videos of Lit Lounge shooting

  10-04-2025 03:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department's Aggravated Assault Unit detectives on Wednesday requested the public to submit any photos or videos it may have in connection with a shooting at the Lit Lounge that happened on March 30 around 1 a.m.APD said officers responded to the shooting, located near Sixth and Brazos Streets, and when arriving on the scene, they found four individuals with gunshot wounds who confirmed they were shot inside the nightclub. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 4 injured in shooti
  
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• 38 international students’ immigration statuses revoked at three more Texas universities

  10-04-2025 03:13 via kxan.com
  
  (The Texas Tribune) -- Thirty-eight more international students at three Texas universities have had their legal status changed in a wave of removals from a federal database that have swept across the state and the nation.Nineteen students from the University of Texas at Dallas and 16 students from the University of North Texas have been removed from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS database, according to university officials. Three students at Texas Tech University
  
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• Judges bar US use of Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans held in parts of Texas and New York

  10-04-2025 01:38 via kxan.com
  
  McALLEN, Texas (AP) — Judges in Texas and New York on Wednesday temporarily barred the U.S. government from deporting Venezuelans jailed in parts of those two states while their lawyers challenge the Trump administration’s use of a rarely invoked law letting presidents imprison noncitizens or expel them from the country in times of war.
  The pair of rulings didn't address the legality of President Donald Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans accused of belonging t
  
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• Lawmakers and advocates call for accountability after insurance company hired investigators to look into patients

  10-04-2025 01:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) - Lawmakers and patient advocates are calling for accountability after a legislative hearing revealed emails indicating an insurance company's use of private investigators to gather information on customers and state lawmakers. Superior HealthPlan receives funding from the state to manage the care of sick and disabled children through programs like STAR Kids.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into Superior HealthPlan, one day after a heated public hearin
  
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• Texas House preparing for long budget session

  10-04-2025 01:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — On Wednesday morning, Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian, called for a motion to vacate Texas Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows from his seat."He has chosen to take this body in a hard left direction, where we are growing government, we are increasing spending -- and yes that will increase taxes," Harrison said.While his effort fell short by a final 141-2 margin (only Rep. David Lowe, R-Tarrant County, joined in support), the motion could be a preview of a long night fo
  
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• Victims push back on trucking lawsuit bill

  10-04-2025 01:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Families of loved ones killed in commercial trucking accidents are pushing back against a bill they say makes it harder to hold companies accountable.
  Jessica Sprague sits next to her husband and a photo of her son, Colton. (Courtesy: Texas Senate)
  "Colton was killed when a truck driver ran a stop sign and T-boned our vehicle," said Jessica Sprague, of Houston, who wore a button with her 16-month old son's face while her husband held up a framed photo. "That truck driver had a h
  
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• After election losses, Texas Democrats pick new party leader

  10-04-2025 01:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) - Texas Democrats are on a losing streak that's lasted more than 30 years. November 1994 was the last time a Democrat won a statewide election in Texas. Now, the state party has a new leader, tasked with turning that trend around.On the last Saturday in March, the Texas Democratic Party's governing board elected Kendall Scudder to lead the party forward.Scudder, who previously served as the party's finance chair, came out on top in a seven-way race to lead the party.Scudder repl
  
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• LGBTQ+ health clinic seeks donations amid 'uncertain' federal funding environment

  10-04-2025 00:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – In a time of financial uncertainty, Kind Clinic is seeking community donations so it can continue to provide its clients with consistent care. Every day, hundreds of Texans walk into Kind Clinic for sexually transmitted infection testing, HIV care and prevention and mental health services. While around 20% of Texans are underinsured, approximately 40% of Kind Clinic’s patients lack health insurance, according to the clinic. “We're really helping close
  
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• LGBTQ+ health clinic seeks donations amid 'uncertain' federal funding enviornment

  10-04-2025 00:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – In a time of financial uncertainty, Kind Clinic is seeking community donations so it can continue to provide its clients with consistent care. Every day, hundreds of Texans walk into Kind Clinic for sexually transmitted infection testing, HIV care and prevention and mental health services. While around 20% of Texans are underinsured, approximately 40% of Kind Clinic’s patients lack health insurance, according to the clinic. “We're really helping close
  
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• Austin man sentenced to 12 years after guilty plea in February 2021 murder

  10-04-2025 00:22 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- An Austin man was sentenced on March 10 in connection with a February 2021 murder, according to Travis County court documents.The document showed Kieran McGowan pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Toward his sentence, McGowan received 62 days of jail credit.
  His sentencing was related to the murder of Marcel Pimpton at a north Austin apartment complex off West St. Johns Avenue on February 28, 2021.The Austin Police Department at the tim
  
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• LIST: Austin federal grant funding losses include $50M for flood mitigation, $15M for public health

  10-04-2025 00:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The city of Austin is starting to see the direct impact of federal cuts on its services and staff.
  In a work session Tuesday, Austin City Council members talked about the city's five-year financial forecast. While much of that discussion surrounded the state cap on property tax, and the impact that state law has had on local government, federal cuts are also a major concern for Austin leaders."We find ourselves in real financial pressure for this upcoming budget cycle and the ne
  
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