Austin news

• Heat sticks around; Scattered storms possible

  14-09-2024 13:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Near triple digit high temperatures were recorded in Austin Saturday evening. Camp Mabry clocked in at 99° and Austin-Bergstrom was one degree cooler at 98°. We have yet to see a triple digit day during the month of September so far this year and we hope it stays that way.
  Overnight temperatures will cool down to the mid-to-upper 70s with winds turning calm from the southwest. There is no chance for rain tonight.
  NEW BLOG: Do cities receive more rainfall than rural areas
  
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• How this September's drought levels compare to years prior

  19-09-2024 17:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Periods of drought aren't out of the ordinary in Central Texas. Compared to years prior, this year's drought levels are significantly reduced compared to years prior.Meteorologists at the Weather Forecast Office (WFO), which is an office of the National Weather Service (NWS), constantly monitor drought levels across the country and provide weekly maps showing where drought is and how severe it is across the country.USDM MapThe U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) is a map released e
  
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• Plans for huge River Park project in east Austin evolving to meet the market, developers say

  19-09-2024 17:13 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) — Plans for a huge mixed-use project on Riverside Drive in east Austin now call for inclusion of a 65,000-square-foot venue for live shows and events as developers continue tweaking an initiative that has spent years on the drawing board.The development — called River Park — will sit on 109 acres between Roy G. Guerrero Colorado River Metro Park, E. Riverside Dr., Pleasant Valley Road and Country Club Creek. Dallas-based Presidium
  
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• LIVE: Austin FC and Zach Theatre host exciting weekend events

  19-09-2024 16:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Soccer kids and theater fans will have a wealth of things to do this weekend, as Austin FC and Zach Theatre both have events happening over the next few days.
  Starting with Zach Theatre, "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" is a jukebox musical on stage and it's a winner. It follows the career of singer-songwriter King as she navigates the songwriting of some of her biggest hits, including "Natural Woman," per the Zach Theatre website.
  The Tony Award-winning musical features an
  
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• Austin FC and Zach Theatre host exciting weekend events

  19-09-2024 16:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)- Soccer kids and theater fans will have a wealth of things to do this weekend, Austin FC and Zach Theatre both have events happening this weekend that you won’t want to miss.Starting with Zack Theatre, "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" is a jukebox musical on stage and it's a winner. It follows the career of singer songwriter King as she navigates songwriting of some of her biggest hits, including "Natural Woman."
  The Tony award winning musical features an all star cast. I
  
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• Person dies after early Tuesday hit-and-run in east Austin

  19-09-2024 15:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A person died early Tuesday morning in east Austin after being hit by a vehicle, which left the scene without stopping or calling 911, according to the Austin Police Department.
  APD said officers responded to a crash between a vehicle and a pedestrian in the 7400 block of Ed Bluestein Boulevard Service Road NB shortly before 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17.That area is near the intersection of Ed Bluestein and Manor Road.
  The pedestrian was pronounced deceased on scene. Poli
  
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• How the Texas Longhorns' true freshmen are making a difference

  19-09-2024 15:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — It took almost 16 years for Texas to get back to being the top-ranked team in the country. Now as the Longhorns continue to ascend in 2024, they do so with a lot of young talent.There are a number of Longhorns who have stepped up in their second year with the program like Anthony Hill, Malik Muhammed, Quintrevion Wisner and DeAndre Moore. Some true freshmen, too, have made an impact. Texas QB Quinn Ewers ‘questionable’ for Saturday’s game against Louisiana
  
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• City clears up concerns about strange structure near busy Austin bridge

  19-09-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  Investigative Summary:A Travis County man said something that caught his eye on his daily drive soon turned his curiosity into concern: what he considers strange structures near a busy bridge. Worried they were a sign of trouble with the bridge, he contacted KXAN. Investigator Mike Rush found out what the formations are and why they’re there.AUSTIN (KXAN) – As he plays music in his south Travis County home, it’s clear Jeff Farris has a passion.“Always loved pianos,&rdquo
  
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• Dead bat found at Cedar Park clinic tests positive for rabies

  19-09-2024 13:57 via kxan.com
  
  CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) -- A dead bat that was found in Cedar Park has tested positive for rabies.
  The Cedar Park Police Department posted a PSA on social media Wednesday notifying people that a dead bat found at the entrance to the Baylor Scott & White Clinic on East Whitestone Boulevard had tested positive for rabies.
  Police said there is only one person known to have come in direct contact with the bat.
  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bats that carry rabies o
  
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• Rain chances on the horizon

  19-09-2024 13:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The days of summer are winding down but the summertime heat refuses to leave.Afternoon highs will return to the upper 90s today. Austin's forecast high of 99° will come within 2° of tying the daily record. Morning clouds will clear to afternoon sunshine, and although we expect most of us to stay dry, there is a slim chance (<10%) at a stray shower popping up on us.More of the same is expected tomorrow ahead of a subtle pattern change late weekend. Afternoon highs will
  
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• Jury finds man guilty for murder of 70-year-old woman

  19-09-2024 05:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A Williamson County jury found a 28-year-old man guilty of the murder of a 70-year-old woman that happened in August 2022 and sentenced him to 60 years in prison, according to a news release from the Williamson County District Attorney's Office.The shooting happened on County Road 245 in Florence, the release said. According to investigators, Diana Pier likely pulled over to "assist" Gilbreath. This is when Gilbreath shot Pier after she stopped behind his vehicle, the release sa
  
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• 23andMe board quits over plans to take DNA testing company private

  19-09-2024 04:07 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) — All seven independent directors of 23andMe’s board resigned on Tuesday, citing disagreements over the chief executive’s plan to take the company private.  The departures leave just one sitting member of the board, its chair, Anne Wojcicki, who co-founded the genetics-testing company in 2006 and serves as its chief executive officer.Wojcicki submitted a proposal in late July to take the company private, after earlier expressing interest in acquiring the company
  
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• Big Lots: 47 more stores across 19 states to close; total closures surpass 300

  19-09-2024 03:55 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) — Nearly 50 additional Big Lots stores are set to close as the company navigates through its Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filings.The Ohio-based company announced earlier this month that it planned to sell assets and business operations to a private equity firm amid the bankruptcy filing.
  As part of the process, Big Lots said it plans to close roughly 250 stores by mid-January. That’s on top of the nearly 300 stores that are already on track to close in the coming month
  
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• Trump gifted handcuffs used to arrest 'would-be assassin' by sheriff's office

  19-09-2024 03:24 via kxan.com
  
  MAR-A-LAGO, Fla. (WFLA) — Former president Donald Trump met with the Martin County deputies who arrested the suspect in an apparent assassination attempt over the weekend in Florida.The Martin County Sheriff's Office said Trump contacted their agency to meet the deputies involved in arresting "would-be assassin" Ryan Wesley Routh. Trump Florida assassination attempt suspect: What we knowRouth was arrested Sunday after Secret Service agents noticed a rifle poking out of the bushes at a golf
  
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• Spirit Halloween criticized over bullet belt placed in prep school costume section

  19-09-2024 03:19 via kxan.com
  
  VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A pop-up Halloween store chain has been accused of being tone-deaf in light of recent school shootings across the U.S. after showcasing a bullet belt in a section apparently marketed to teens.Among Spirit Halloween's selection of costumes, often organized by themes or styles, some customers found what they described as a "prep school" display that included a "bullet belt."Nexstar's WAVY visited two Spirit Halloween locations in Virginia Beach and found that dis
  
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• Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs to remain in jail after second judge denies bail

  19-09-2024 00:45 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs is staying locked up after a judge Wednesday rejected the hip-hop mogul’s proposal that he await his sex trafficking trial in the luxury of his Florida mansion instead of a grim Brooklyn federal jail.U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter ruled that Combs' plan — which included a $50 million bail offer, GPS monitoring and strict limitations on visitors — was “insufficient” to ensure the safety of
  
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• Hays CISD: A total of 5 students arrested in connection with threats made against district

  18-09-2024 23:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Two more Hays County students were arrested Wednesday for making threats to a high school in the Hays Consolidated Independent School District, a district spokesperson said.This now makes a total of five students arrested in Hays CISD in connection with threats made to the district, the spokesperson said. Hays CISD: 3 students arrested, charged in connection with social media threatsThe first student arrested Wednesday was a Johnson High School 10th grader who made the threat on
  
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• High-tech advanced manufacturing center setting up in east Austin

  18-09-2024 23:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- A new high-tech manufacturing center broke ground in east Austin. The Hayes Innovation Center for Advanced Manufacturing (HICAM) will be a 50,000-square-foot facility dedicated to fostering modern innovation and increasing workforce development in manufacturing.HICAM is the economic and workforce development nonprofit behind the project.
  Goals for the center include:Creating a hub for groundbreaking manufacturing
  Fostering economic growthBuilding a skilled workforceThe fac
  
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• Bomb threat called in to Lake Travis ISD middle school

  18-09-2024 23:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Hudson Bend Middle School was placed on a hold Wednesday after someone called in a bomb threat, according to Lake Travis ISD.A district spokesperson told KXAN they believe the threat was a hoax, but the case is still under investigation.The call came in around 11 a.m. and students and staff were on hold for about an hour before the all-clear was given.The district told KXAN first responders and emergency crews arrived on the scene to check the school.There have been no
  
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• Austin Police investigating after body found near Lady Bird Lake

  18-09-2024 23:04 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department is investigating after finding a deceased person in east Austin near Lady Bird Lake on Wednesday afternoon.Officers responded to the 2700 block of Canterbury Street, with homicide detectives heading to the location. In a social media post, APD shared it will be hosting a media briefing to release more information after detectives arrive on scene.No additional information has been shared at this time.This is a developing story. Please check back
  
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• Submissions open for the Zilker Holiday Tree Youth Art Contest

  18-09-2024 21:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The holidays are officially less than 100 days away, but Austin is already getting merry for the lighting of the Zilker Tree. It's time for young artists between the ages of five and 10 to get creative. They'll once again have the chance to participate in an art contest, vying for the chance to light the 155-foot tree on Dec. 1. Youth artists can enter with their illustrations of Austin’s big tree in the junior (ages 5-7) or senior (ages 8-10) categories. Th
  
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• American Airlines discontinuing 4 flights from Austin

  18-09-2024 21:26 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — American Airlines is discontinuing four service routes from the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in the next few months, an airline spokesperson confirmed Wednesday.In November, American Airlines flights between AUS and Nashville, Raleigh/Durham and Boston will discontinue. Come January, the airline will end its flight operations between AUS and Orange County.In a statement, the spokesperson said the airline is connecting with customers impacted by the discontinuation
  
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• The Federal Reserve is finally lowering rates. Here's what consumers should know

  18-09-2024 21:05 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Reserve has cut its benchmark interest rate from its 23-year high, with consequences for debt, savings, auto loans, mortgages and other forms of borrowing by consumers and businesses.On Wednesday, the Fed announced that it reduced its key rate by an unusually large half-percentage point, to between 4.75 and 5 percent, the first rate cut in more than four years.
  The central bank is acting because, after imposing 11 rate hikes dating back to March 2022, it feels c
  
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• Affordable housing apartment complex for people living with HIV opens in north Austin

  18-09-2024 21:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A new affordable and supportive housing complex has opened in north Austin.
  The Burnet Place Apartments, a 61-unit residence, will serve people living with HIV/AIDS, according to a release from the City of Austin's Housing Department.
  The complex is located at 8007 Burnet Road. The release said the complex was strategically located near high-frequency transit and is less than a mile away from one of the Imagine Austin activity centers. Imagine Austin is a 30-year plan that would
  
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• Austin apartment landlords gather to discuss 'state of the industry'

  18-09-2024 20:33 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Leaders in the local rental market met at Austin Apartment Association's 2024 "State of the Industry" meeting on Sept. 12; in a recap of the event, the association said that the "Central Texas rental housing market is at a critical turning point."
  The current story of Austin's rental industry is one of booming construction slowly pushing down rents, as competition in the region continues to increase. Theron Patrick, an analyst with data broker ALN Apartment Data, presented data
  
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• Texas may look at safety changes for driverless vehicles

  18-09-2024 20:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — It's common to see vehicles with no drivers inside making their way autonomously through Austin neighborhoods, and Texas lawmakers may look at ways to make their operations safer in the state, particularly when it comes to first responders.
  Ahead of next year's regular legislative session, the Texas Senate Transportation Committee held a hearing Wednesday where the members discussed potential fixes for the growing driverless vehicle industry in the state. One of the witness
  
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• Nearly two-thirds of Texans delayed health care due to costs last year, poll finds

  18-09-2024 20:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Nearly two-thirds of Texas adults, or 64%, reported delaying health care access due to costs, according to a new poll released Wednesday by the health policy research group Episcopal Health Foundation.The organization surveyed nearly 2,000 Texas adults between October and December 2023 as part of its annual poll designed to get a pulse check on health policy, affordability and accessibility in Texas. The poll's findings revealed younger Texas adults, Hispanic adults and tho
  
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• Wave of violent threats hit Texas schools

  18-09-2024 20:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Just weeks into the school year, school districts across Texas are responding to numerous threats of violence from students and outsiders alike.Nexstar stations across Texas have reported threats to at least 20 schools just this month.Central TexasOn Tuesday, four Bastrop Middle School students were arrested after a threat toward the school was posted on social media. Bastrop ISD police determined the threat was "non-credible," according to a letter Bastrop Middle School Prin
  
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• UT Austin president to give State of the University address

  18-09-2024 19:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The University of Texas at Austin President Jay Hartzell will deliver the annual State of the University address Wednesday afternoon.
  He'll focus on how the university continues "to advance excellence and innovation and create the most comprehensive and impactful academic experience" for students.
  This comes after an eventful year for the school. In late April, pro-Palestinian protests broke out across campus that ended in dozens of arrests.
  Just this week, it was announced
  
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• UT Austin president gives State of the University address

  18-09-2024 19:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The University of Texas at Austin President Jay Hartzell delivered the annual State of the University address Wednesday afternoon.He focused on how the university continues "to advance excellence and innovation and create the most comprehensive and impactful academic experience" for students.The address came after an eventful 2023-24 academic year for the university. In late April, pro-Palestinian protests broke out across campus that ended in dozens of arrests.State of the
  
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