Austin news

• City auditors highlight AUS staffing issues that poses 'risk'

  12-10-2024 21:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new report from the City of Austin’s auditor's office showed risks at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), especially regarding staffing levels.The report noted the vacancy rate for the city's aviation department more than doubled between 2020 and 2023, and while it has improved this year, the maintenance section of the airport was listed as the area with the biggest problems.The report noted the aviation department "may not have enough skilled workers
  
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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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• 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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• No. 2 Texas softball set to open SEC play against No. 3 Florida

  12-03-2025 23:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- In its first season in the Southeastern Conference, Texas will face their first SEC game versus the University of Florida on Saturday.Through 27 games, the Longhorns have an overall record of 26-1 -- their best start since 2006 while on a 15-game winning streak. The lone loss comes against No. 20 Stanford but hasn't dropped a game since the 9-5 defeat on Feb. 21. Texas softball bashes way into WCWS Final Four, faces familiar foe"As a coach you're never satisfied, you always want
  
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• State lawmakers aim to fund water projects for years to come

  12-03-2025 23:28 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Gov. Greg Abbott called on state lawmakers to make a Texas-sized investment in water infrastructure and supply during his State of the State address, amid concerns the resource can't keep up with growth in the state.Lawmakers have already filed two bills, one in each chamber, that would amend the Texas Constitution to create a dedicated stream of revenue to the Texas Water Fund, which was created in 2023 after Texas voters approved a one-time $1 billion investment.But since t
  
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• 'The Botox party bill': Legislation introduced following KXAN's 'Backroom Botox' investigation

  12-03-2025 23:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) —  Proposed legislation to enhance patient safety and tighten Texas laws over who can administer Botox injections -- and similar treatments -- was introduced to the Senate Business and Commerce Committee at the Capitol this week.The legislation comes after a KXAN investigation uncovered that anyone can become certified to do injections, including Botox, and the need for more oversight for patient safety.The committee learned the details of Senate Bill 378 from&
  
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• What's the latest on Austin's airport construction projects?

  12-03-2025 23:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Airport Advisory Commission received an update Wednesday on progress in the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport's Journey With AUS program.That program is a decade-long overhaul of the city's airport, designed to increase capacity and account for additional services and passengers traveling through the Texas capital. Design work is ongoing for some of the larger components of the program, while the West Gate expansion, West Infill and TSA Checkpoint 3 expansio
  
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• SpaceX to receive $17M from the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund Grant

  12-03-2025 23:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- On Wednesday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced SpaceX will get the fifth Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund (TSIF) grant of $17.3 million. The money is meant to help with the company's expansion of their semiconductor research and development and advanced packaging facility in Bastrop. SIMILAR COVERAGE: Bastrop keeps up with growth, Elon Musk moving another company to the areaThis expansion will create more than 400 jobs and more than $280 million in capital investments, according t
  
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• 'Make Texas Healthy Again' passes in the Senate

  12-03-2025 23:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — “Make America Healthy Again” just got a Texas twist. On Wednesday, the Senate passed two bills with the aim to “Make Texas Healthy Again,” improving health-focused initiatives within the Lone Star State.The first of these bills, Senate Bill 25 -- filed by Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R – Brenham -- requires daily physical activity in public schools, a nutrition curriculum and food labels to warn Texas consumers which ingredients are banned in other
  
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• Scene cleared after reported threat at McCallum High School

  12-03-2025 21:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The scene was cleared at McCallum High School Wednesday after a report of a threat at the campus.A spokesperson for the Austin Independent School District told KXAN the campus, located at 5600 Sunshine Drive, was placed on a hold after the threat was reported. A hold is when hallways are cleared and students stay in their classes. Instruction also continues as normal.KXAN was on the scene at the high school, where the law enforcement presence was seen leaving. The school was see
  
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• Lockdown lifted after reported threat at McCallum High School

  12-03-2025 21:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A lockdown was lifted at McCallum High School Wednesday after a report of a threat at the campus, according to an alert from the city.A spokesperson for the Austin Independent School District told KXAN the campus, located at 5600 Sunshine Drive, was placed on a hold after the threat was reported. A hold is when hallways are cleared and students stay in their classes. Instruction also continues as normal.KXAN was on the scene at the high school, where the law enforcement presence
  
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• Heavy police response at McCallum High after reported threat to campus

  12-03-2025 21:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Law enforcement is responding to McCallum High School Wednesday afternoon as it remains on hold after a report of a threat to the campus, Austin Independent School District told KXAN.A reverse 911 call from the city reported a heavy police presence at the high school, located at 5600 Sunshine Drive, and those near the campus are being asked to stay clear of the area.Police sources told KXAN this was not an active shooter situation. We are working to gather more details.This is a
  
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• VP Vance: Austin used 'some pretty smart policies' to addressing housing affordability

  12-03-2025 20:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- In a speech before local policy makers Monday, Vice President JD Vance urged leaders at the National League of Cities to prioritize housing reform. During that speech, he pointed to efforts in Austin. Vice President JD Vance speaks at League of Cities conference"We want Americans to be able to afford the American dream of home ownership, because we know that when people own their homes, it makes them a stakeholder. It makes them a stakeholder in their neighborhoods, in their cit
  
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• 'Critical connection' point constructed along Violet Crown Trail in Austin

  12-03-2025 20:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin finished work on a "critical connection" point along the Violet Crown Trail in southwest Austin last month, officials announced in an Austin Mobility newsletter Monday.In November, the Hill Country Conservancy and Austin Parks and Recreation Department celebrated the completion of Phase 1 of the Violet Crown Trail. That finalized first phase is 13 miles long and runs from Zilker Park to the La Cross trailhead near the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in south Aust
  
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• Inside JBL's Sound Bodega at SXSW, and what it means to be SXSW's audio sponsor

  12-03-2025 20:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Sound is not something seen or often thought about by the average person or event attendee, but it has a large and important presence at events like South by Southwest. If you walk down the streets of downtown Austin during the festival, you'll hear music from many directions — from live shows and concerts to speakers in shops with the doors open.A lot of that can be attributed to JBL, the "Official Audio Brand of SXSW 2025."
  The audio brand had a presence at SXSW through
  
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• 35th anniversary of hip-hop at SXSW: Native Austinite reflects on how it's evolved

  12-03-2025 20:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)— Bryon Chambers was 16 years old when he snuck into a club where one of the first South by Southwest (SXSW) hip-hop showcases was happening 35 years ago."That's a funny story," Chambers said with a laugh. "A friend of mine from school, he had connections with a couple of people in the music industry...we got in the club."
  It was a club called Ravens at the time, on Sixth Street, Chambers said. He said he wound up being introduced to a man named Kier Worthy."[He's] the guy who
  
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• Texas parents arrested after child found walking on highway

  12-03-2025 20:33 via kxan.com
  
  MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- The Midland Police Department arrested two people earlier this month after a young girl was found walking alone on a busy street in the early morning hours. Ta’Lyjah Monea Conner, 23, and Devonte Tremayne Hall, 27, have both been charged with endangering a child, a second-degree felony.
  ConnerBelchor Hall
  According to police, officers were dispatched to the 200 block of West I-20 around 6:26 a.m. on March 6 after a caller reported seeing a young girl walking alo
  
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• New southeast Austin housing community will serve victims of family violence

  12-03-2025 18:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austinites who have been victims of family violence will soon have another option for affordable housing. City leaders attended a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the future community, called The Sasha, which will be owned by The SAFE Alliance — an organization with a mission to end multigenerational cycles of abuse and violence. Construction on The Sasha, which is located in southeast Austin, will begin this spring and should be finished by 2027. &ldq
  
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• 2 Romanian citizens arrested in Texas credit card skimming operation

  12-03-2025 18:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation (TDLR) said it helped prevent more than $5.2 million in potential losses to victims after an operation in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.According to TDLR, two Romanian citizens were arrested Saturday after law enforcement officers uncovered a fully operational credit card skimmer factory inside the suspect’s residence after executing a search warrant.TDLR said the suspects, who were identified as Petruta Camelia Ciuperca
  
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• City of Austin cites 'high wildfire risk' for latest homeless encampment closure

  12-03-2025 18:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A homeless encampment spanning over 37 acres of wooded area in southeast Austin was recently closed due to "high wildfire risk," the city of Austin said in a press release Wednesday.The city said it relocated 32 people from the encampment near Ben White Boulevard and Montopolis Boulevard to the Northbridge and Southbridge shelters.The Austin Fire Department responded to 35 fire-related calls at this location in 2024, determining that a "major" fire in this area may aff
  
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• RFK Jr. is targeting ultraprocessed foods: What are they, and are they bad?

  12-03-2025 17:35 via kxan.com
  
  (AP) — In the Trump administration’s quest to “Make America Healthy Again,” there may be no bigger target than ultraprocessed foods.Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s new health secretary, has cited “highly chemically processed foods” as a chief culprit behind an epidemic of chronic disease in the U.S., including ailments such as obesity, diabetes and autoimmune disorders.Such foods are “poisoning” people, particularly children, Kennedy said
  
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• Sidewalks made of recycled tires? Austin unveils eco-friendly pilot project

  12-03-2025 17:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The city of Austin wrapped work on a sustainable sidewalk project that crews built using eco-friendly materials.The pilot ran along West 25th Street between Seton Avenue and Nueces Street in central Austin. The newly completed sidewalk comprises recycled tires, aggregate rock and a binding agent that is porous and flexible, city officials said in a newsletter blurb Monday.Austin partnered with Capitol Flexi-Pave on the project, with the more sustainable material designed to
  
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• Austin-Travis County EMS gives up close look at SXSW safety preps

  12-03-2025 17:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)—As thousands of people are in town for the SXSW conference in festival, emergency officials want to make sure they're prepared for anything.
  Special event staff are set to prepare units and depart from Austin-Travis County Emergency Services (ATCEMS) headquarters on Wednesday afternoon.Crews will be heading to a patient collection point, which is the base of operations for the spring festival. It functions as a field hospital.
  KXAN, alongside other media outlets, has been inv
  
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• Teams vying for No. 1 NCAA seeds stated their cases and now it's up to selection committee to decide

  12-03-2025 17:01 via kxan.com
  
  (AP) - UCLA, South Carolina, Texas and Southern California have all stated their cases for No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament with their stellar play this season.It would be surprising if they don't all end up on the 1-line Sunday night when the March Madness bracket is revealed by the selection committee. Where they are placed and who's the overall No. 1 seed is still up for debate. Unlike previous seasons, there's no dominant team that is the consensus choice.This NCAA Tournament is
  
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