Austin news

• How to help keep Austinites' lights on this holiday season

  17-12-2024 21:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Those looking to give back this holiday season can help keep Austinites' lights on and energy running.The city of Austin's Gift of Comfort program allows people, businesses and organizations to help pay for a customer's utility bill when that individual might be struggling to cover those expenses. Those interested can pay for any and all amounts of the customer's bill via a check or money order.The customer's name and address are needed to participate in the Gift of Comfort prog
  
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• Austin police identify victims in Dec. 14 fatal crash on East Stassney Lane

  18-12-2024 16:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department identified the victims of a deadly December 14 crash between a sedan and a pick-up truck at the intersection of East Stassney Lane and Peppertree Parkway.APD identified the victims as 18-year-old Anthony Benitez-Castaneda and 75-year-old Ignacio Jaimes-Jaimes.Authorities said Jaimes-Jaimes was the driver of the sedan, and Benitez-Castaneda was a passenger of the pick-up truck. They were both pronounced deceased at the scene.The driver of the p
  
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• TxDOT launches AI plan to improve road safety, more

  18-12-2024 16:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) said it has launched a plan to leverage the power of artificial intelligence (AI).TxDOT said the goal of the plan was to help make Texas roads safer, as well as enhance mobility across the state. The department said the plan also provides recommendations to help enhance data quality and train employees on AI.The Artificial Intelligence Strategic Plan is a step toward enhancing processes and policies of the state’s transpo
  
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• Paxton files motion to block auction of border wall materials

  18-12-2024 16:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a motion Tuesday to stop the sale of pieces of the border wall.
  Paxton said in a press release that he took action "following reports that the Biden Administration is illegally selling segments of the border wall at the United States-Mexico border."
  Paxton's motion claims the sale of border wall pieces violates a May 2024 federal court order that ruled the Biden Administration must continue border wall construction using roughly $1.4 billi
  
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• Water pipeline decision following pushback from worried landowners

  18-12-2024 15:31 via kxan.com
  
  Map shows proposed water line to Mirasol Springs development (colored blue). Courtesy: WTCPUA
  Bee Cave, TX (KXAN) -- After months of protests and discussions, the future for water in western Travis County could be decided today.
  The West Travis County Public Utility Agency (WTCPUA) could come to an agreement with Mirasol Springs, a new development, concerning the construction of a water line.
  The line would connect the controversial development to a water supply drawn from Lake Travis. The new
  
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• Cedar season came early; how you can keep pollen and smells out of your home's air

  18-12-2024 14:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- It's the worst time of the year: cedar season. It's the time of year when Ashe Juniper trees across Central Texas release clouds of orange dust onto unsuspecting crowds, coating our lungs and making our eyes water.Changing your air filters likely won't help with your allergies unless you take some extra steps. (Credit: Storyblocks)
  Unfortunately, simply changing your air filter isn't going to make the problem go away."The original purpose of that filter is really to keep the equ
  
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• Round Rock police arrest 32-year-old man for alleged theft of catalytic converters

  18-12-2024 13:47 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) -- The Round Rock Police Department arrested 32-year-old Christopher Smith for the alleged theft of multiple catalytic converters and the possession of narcotics on Monday.
  As of Wednesday morning, Smith did not have an attorney listed for comment regarding his case. Whenever Smith has an attorney listed, KXAN will reach out for a comment. Bill passes Texas Senate that would crack down on catalytic converter thievesThe Round Rock Police Department arrested 32-year-old Ch
  
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• Wimberley farm rebrands after lawsuit from New York restaurant

  18-12-2024 12:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Dirt Candy Farm in Wimberley has changed its name following a lawsuit from a Manhattan restaurant with a similar name. On Tuesday, the family-owned farm announced it will now be known as Wild Candy Farm.
  This comes after the Wimberley farm received a cease and desist letter from the New York City restaurant's attorney in April 2023 claiming the farm was infringing on the restaurant owner's trademark. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Wimberley farm says they received cease and desist letter fr
  
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• 'What are we getting?': We pulled the data from 264 HOME initiative applications

  18-12-2024 09:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Turning a garage into a single-family residence in north Austin, building a series of two-story townhomes near south Congress and adding an accessory dwelling unit to anexisting home near Parmer Lane and Mopac.
  Those are some of the changes requested in applications under the city of Austin's new HOME initiative.
  KXAN looked through all 264 HOME applications submitted as of Monday, from both phase one and two of the initiative, after hearing concerns from some community groups t
  
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• LTISD Superintendent Paul Norton placed on paid leave pending investigation

  18-12-2024 05:11 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Lake Travis school board placed Superintendent Paul Norton on paid leave after it held a special meeting "to discuss a personnel matter" of a report, which contained "allegations of misconduct," according to a news release from Lake Travis Independent School District Board President Erin Archer.The statement added that those allegations were presented to the board In a closed board meeting session. The release said the allegations are "confidential and protected from disclos
  
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• This Colorado restaurant only has 2 items on the menu

  18-12-2024 04:25 via kxan.com
  
  DENVER (KDVR) — A Michelin-starred chef co-opened a restaurant in Denver with only two items on the menu: a burger and fries.NADC Burger originally laid roots in Texas and Chicago as a partnership between Michelin-starred chef Phillip Frankland Lee and famous skateboarder Neen Williams.The concept came as a "laidback setting," and with only a few options on the menu at the restaurant on Larimer Square, the vibe is just that. Is that a drone or a plane? How to spot the differencesWhile the
  
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• 1 dead, 9 injured in mass shooting at Maryland funeral home: police

  18-12-2024 04:21 via kxan.com
  
  TOWSON, Md. (WDCW) -- Maryland police are investigating a mass shooting at a funeral home that left one person dead and multiple people injured Tuesday evening.The Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD) said the shooting happened at a funeral home in Towson around 7:15 p.m.‘Rest easy, our protector’: Calvert County Sheriff’s Office mourning K-9’s passing
  During a news conference, BCPD Police Chief Robert McCullough said nine people were taken to nearby hospitals for tr
  
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• 1 dead, 9 injured in Maryland shooting and fiery car crash: police

  18-12-2024 04:21 via kxan.com
  
  TOWSON, Md. (WDCW) -- One person has died and nine others were injured following a shooting and related fiery car crash in Maryland on Tuesday, police said.
  Officers were dispatched to an intersection near Johnson-Fosbrink Funeral and Cremation Services in Towson around 7:15 p.m. after receiving reports of multiple gunshots in the area, according to the Baltimore County Police Department.
  A car crashed outside the funeral home, which appeared to be closed at the time, Baltimore County Police Chi
  
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• APD: 30-year-old man arrested, accused of driving intoxicated in deadly southeast Austin crash

  18-12-2024 03:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A 30-year-old man was arrested after a deadly crash involving a vehicle and a pedestrian in southeast Austin over the weekend, the Austin Police Department said Tuesday in a news release.Police identified the suspect as Ali-Mbemba Kembilu. Online court records did not list an attorney for him. We will update this if that changes. 1 dead in southeast Austin following crash involving pedestrianAli-Mbemba Kembilu, 30 | Mugshot provided by Austin Police DepartmentAPD officers respon
  
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• ATCEMS: 1 person dead after vehicle, motorcycle crash in northwest Austin

  18-12-2024 03:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- One person is dead after a crash involving a vehicle and a motorcycle in northwest Austin on Tuesday, according to Austin-Travis County EMS.The agency said on social media it responded to the crash around 7:10 p.m. at West Parmer Lane and Ganymede Drive.ATCEMS medics said traffic delays were expected in the area and to "be alert" for any first responders still on the scene. Austin police said on social media northbound Parmer Lane was closed at Silver Creek Drive.No other detail
  
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• Concerns over the future of the Inflation Reduction Act

  18-12-2024 02:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The push for renewable energy has been prevalent in recent years, with global EVs sales growing about 25% in the first quarter of 2024, according to the International Energy Agency.The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), passed in 2022, has propelled such growth by allocating billions of dollars towards investments in renewable energy sources. However, the future of such policies remains uncertain.During his campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump criticized the IRA in
  
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• Rear seat belt reminders to be required in 2027

  18-12-2024 01:23 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) — The Department of Transportation is going to mandate rear seat belt reminder systems to be implemented by late 2027 in all new cars as part of ongoing efforts to reduce traffic crash deaths and injuries.In a final rule released Monday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) finalized its rule that would require rear seats in trucks and cars to have enhanced warnings for drivers.NHTSA estimated the new rule will prevent more than 500 injuries and save about
  
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• Viral study on black kitchen utensils had glaring error, researchers issue correction

  18-12-2024 01:22 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – If you were caught up in last month's panic over black kitchen cooking utensils, you now have a reason to breathe easier. The concern over the common kitchen tools appears to have been overblown, all because of a mistake in the scientific study.
  The study, published last month in the journal Chemosphere, tested 203 household products made of black plastic. The researchers found 85% of them contained high concentrations of flame retardant.The findings went viral, spreading
  
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• Data: Teacher diversity slowing, what districts can do

  18-12-2024 00:50 via kxan.com
  
  BUDA (KXAN)—Data from the National Council on Teacher Quality shows while there's more teacher diversity now, it's happening at a slow pace.This is the case across the country, including in Texas. Districts like Hays Consolidated Independent School District are working to address this with recruitment efforts.'Not a lot of Polynesians in the teacher world'On Tuesday, Ms. Keke Powell led her class in a Hawaiian themed Christmas song and dance.Powell has been an educator for 10 years, is Pol
  
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• Texas counties failed 800 times to report people for firearm background checks

  18-12-2024 00:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Across Texas, district and county clerks failed more than 800 times in recent years to report people found incompetent to stand trial to state law enforcement so they could be flagged in federal firearm background checks before purchasing a gun, according to a recent state audit.Texas district and county clerks are required to report court orders of people charged with crimes and found incompetent to stand trial to the Texas Department of Public Safety. DPS then sends the i
  
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• Propane truck rollover in Burnet County prompts road closure, evacuations

  17-12-2024 23:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Roads are still shut down in Burnet County, as well as evacuations of nearby residents, after a propane truck rolled over on Tuesday, the Texas Department of Public Safety told KXAN.DPS responded to the crash on a private road near RM 2342, where multiple agencies — including a Hazmat team — responded to the scene. The driver was not injured, and DPS said the truck was carrying around 2,800 pounds of propane.
  Viewer Michael Scott Wagner sent KXAN footage of a fire af
  
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• Propane truck rollover in Burnet Co. prompts road closure

  17-12-2024 23:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Roads are still shut down in Burnet County after a propane truck rolled over earlier on Tuesday, the Texas Department of Public Safety told KXAN.DPS responded to the crash on a private road near RM 2342, where multiple agencies — including a Hazmat team — responded to the scene. The driver was not injured, and DPS said the truck was carrying around 2,800 pounds of propane.KXAN viewer Michael Scott Wagner sent us footage of a fire after the rollover happened, which ca
  
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• College football playoffs in Austin to boost local tourism

  17-12-2024 23:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Darrel K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium rocking with Longhorn football in December is certainly something Austin is not used to. But it's happening Saturday with the first round of the college football playoffs happening against Clemson.The game will end up helping tourism in Austin and beyond. Tourism commission recommends improvements to Austin short-term rentals"December is typically a slower month for [Austin], so to have a major event like a home football game, which we've ne
  
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• 'Austin's New Year' celebration happening at Auditorium Shores Dec. 31

  17-12-2024 22:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- For those looking for a New Year's Eve plan, the city of Austin has it all covered. The city's event, "Austin's New Year" is a free event that is open to the public and kicks off at 7 p.m. Dec. 31 at Auditorium Shores, 800 W. Riverside Drive, the agency said in a news release.The city and Visit Austin will host the event, with CNN's Sarah Sidner, Harry Enten and Cari Champion will be live during the city's countdown. This is part of CNN's "New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Coope
  
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• Suspect charged with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO as an act of terrorism, authorities announce

  17-12-2024 22:49 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) — Luigi Mangione has been charged with murder as an act of terrorism in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, authorities announced on Tuesday.A New York State Supreme Court indictment has charged Mangione, 26, with one count of murder in the first degree, in furtherance of terrorism; two counts of murder in the second degree, one of which is charged as killing as an act of terrorism; and multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
  Mangione had previously be
  
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• Police investigating shooting outside southeast Austin home as homicide

  17-12-2024 22:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man taken to the hospital early Friday morning with apparent gunshot wounds died on Sunday, according to the Austin Police Department, which is conducting a homicide investigation.The department's press release did not indicate anyone was in custody.MAP: Where have Austin’s homicides occurred in 2024?Just before 4 a.m. Friday, Dec. 13, officers responded to reports of a shooting at Thrasher Lane, which is a residential street just west of U.S. Highway 183 in southea
  
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• Woman dies over a week after Dec. 6 crash on US 183 in northwest Austin

  17-12-2024 22:22 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A woman died Sunday after being involved in a three-vehicle crash on Dec. 6 in northwest Austin, according to an update from the Austin Police Department.Police identified that woman on Tuesday as Magda Anastacia Porras, 37.
  The crash happened on Dec. 6 in the 13000 block of North U.S. Highway 183 northbound. Police said the driver of one of the vehicles, later identified as Porras, was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.PAST COVERAGE | TxDOT: Lanes back o
  
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• Texas House panel subpoenas death row inmate Robert Roberson a second time

  17-12-2024 22:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) -- A bipartisan committee of Texas lawmakers again issued a subpoena compelling the state’s prison system to let death row inmate Robert Roberson provide testimony at the Capitol about his murder conviction, which some legislators say is based on “junk science.”The new subpoena, issued Dec. 10 and served on Monday, comes after Texas House members said Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office stalled previous efforts to secure Roberson’s in-per
  
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• Grand jury indicts UnitedHealthcare CEO suspect on first-degree murder

  17-12-2024 21:44 via kxan.com
  
  Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) on Tuesday announced that a grand jury handed up an indictment against suspect Luigi Mangione for the murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO.  Mangione faces 11 charges, including first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder.The first-degree murder charge, which carries up to life in prison without parole, requires an aggravated factor. The indictment describes the alleged murder as furthering of an act of terrorism, casting the
  
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• 17-year-old dead after being shot in apartment parking garage near The Domain

  17-12-2024 20:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A teenager died over the weekend after he was shot during what police said was an attempted robbery in a parking garage of a north Austin apartment complex, according to the Austin Police Department.Carlos Sotelo, 17, was identified as the victim of the incident.
  APD said officers responded to a shooting call at Saint David’s North Austin Medical Center on Friday, Dec. 13 around 1:40 a.m. The caller, who is a security guard for the hospital, said a man arrived at the hospi
  
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