08/19/2008

Austin police officer arrested for DWI
For the third time this summer, an Austin police officer has been arrested for drinking and driving.

Tiny Texas school district sparks guns in school debate As Texas teachers prepare for their classrooms to fill with students, a tiny school district near the Texas-Oklahoma border sparked a nationwide debate. The Harrold ISD is allowing teachers to carry concealed handguns.

Williamson Co. approves $118 million budget for 2009
County Auditor David Flores says the budget can be fully funded if property is taxed at 46 cents per $100 of value. That's 2-cents lower than the current rate.

UT to examine college drinking initiative
A group of college presidents who are part of a movement to spark debate about the drinking age have contacted thousands of four-year universities nationwide, including the University of Texas at Austin.

Victim's family hopes for closure as Kyle man's trial gets underway
Witnesses began taking the stand Tuesday in a trial of a Kyle man accused of driving drunk and killing an Austin firefighter.

APD officer arrested on DWI charge
Vernon Stevenson was off-duty when he was arrested early Monday morning. An APD spokesman says an internal investigation is underway.

TSA to test paperless boarding passes in Austin
The Transportation Security Administration and Continental Airlines Tuesday said that a pilot program for paperless boarding passes will expand to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

Heavy rains may have lead to deadly Bastrop crash
One person was killed Tuesday when his car collided head-on with an 18-wheeler in Bastrop. The crash happened on Highway 71 during heavy rain.

Officials: San Marcos water safe to drink
The water may be cloudy, but it is safe to drink, San Marcos officials said Tuesday, after reports that some water customers had cloudy or milky-looking water after main breaks.

Public hearing aims to improve highway safety
The Texas Department of Public Safety and Williamson County officials are holding a public hearing Tuesday night to see what drivers think of making improvements to a deadly stretch of Highway 183, between SH 29 and 183A.

08/18/2008

Emergency responders can suffer PTSD
Police investigators say a young girl's Friday drowning was just a tragic accident. However the tragedy is far from over in the minds of many of the 12 to 15 police officers, paramedics and fire fighters who tried in vain to revive her.

Fewer bus stops for Round Rock school buses
Kids riding the bus to RRISD schools will have to walk up to half a mile to get to their closest bus stop. The district is cutting costs due to high gas prices.

LBJ's ranch office to open to public for first time
Until now, the only way to see the Johnson family home, known as the Texas White House, was to stay on a tour bus. That will change Aug. 27 when his office will open to visitors for the first time.

Charges pending after drug evidence found in burned-out house
Criminal charges were pending Monday after firefighters putting out a house fire in Southeast Austin discovered a drug room.

Economist: Austin job growth may decrease in the next year
When it comes to the economy - the worst may not be over yet. That's the forecast delivered Monday by the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University.

Waller Creek brush cleared to help lower crime Austin police traded in handcuffs for chainsaws Monday to attack the crime problem along Waller Creek in downtown Austin. They say the say evidence of crime lines the banks of Waller Creek, and nearby businesses say they are suffering.

APD: Suspect threatened man with knife for hot dog
The victim told investigators he was standing in line at a hot dog stand in the 400 block of East 6th Street, when the suspect held a knife to him and told him to buy him a hot dog or he would stab him.

Public’s help sought in Travis County forgery case
Travis County Sheriff’s detectives are asking for the public’s help on Monday in locating two people suspected in forging over 150 checks at H-E-B Stores since May.

Governor's Blue Alert designed to catch fugitives Texas Governor Rick Perry Monday announced an executive order to help speed the arrest of criminals who flee after killing or seriously hurting a law officer. The governor says the "Blue Alert" will help quickly spread information about suspects.

Austin area religious leaders talk security at conference Members of law enforcement and area churches, mosques and synagogues met Monday to discuss security, just days after a gun scare at a local church. "We're living in a different world," said Rebecca Clark, Anti-Defamation League.

08/17/2008

Rains create big sinkhole on Bastrop road
Bastrop County got a lot of rain Saturday night, which was good news for most people. But all that water caused a two-block section of one street in the city of Bastrop to collapse.

House fire prompts multiple investigations
Arson detectives and organized crime detectives are looking at a Sunday morning house fire that may have been set intentionally. The fire happened in the Dove Springs neighborhood.

08/16/2008

Central Texas gets good rain, harmful lightning
Saturday marked the first serious rain to hit Austin in quite a while. Surrounding counties, especially Bastrop, got scattered showers. But that same storm may have caused a fire in an Austin home.

Hostages released, SWAT standoff ends peacefully
A SWAT standoff in North Austin ended peacefully this evening after 3 people were held hostage. Portions of N. Lamar Blvd were closed as police eventually talked the suspect out of the apartment he had barricaded himself in.

08/15/2008

Controversy at African-American cemetery avoided
A potential controversy over land next to a very old gravesite in South Austin appears to have ended peacefully.

9-year-old drowns in Lake Travis Lakeway Police continue their investigation into the drowning death of a 9-year old girl at Lake Travis.

CDC field team tests animals to find source of typhus outbreak
A Centers for Disease Control field team is now testing animals that may be the source of a local Typhus outbreak.

Boil water notice lifted in San Marcos
The City of San Marcos has lifted the boil water notice put into effect Wednesday night after a major water main break interrupted water service to about a quarter of the community.

Extra deputies on patrol
You may see some extra deputies patrolling Central Texas roads. The extra Travis County deputies will remain in place through Labor Day, September 1.

Girl, 9, drowns in Lakeway Lakeway police were called to the city park off of Hurst Creek Road at 11:20 Friday morning. Crews dove in the 10-foot deep water and pulled the girl to shore. Firefighters and police tried to revive her.

08/14/2008 Two people attacked in North Austin An Austin man is accused of using a large rock to viciously attack a woman at a bus stop in broad daylight.

Questions about conversion to digital TV answered
The countdown is on with less than six months remaining before the nationwide conversion to digital TV. As the deadline approaches consumers are asking two key questions: Do I need a new TV? And what do I do with my old one?

Apartment complex burns in West Austin
Flames ripped through an upscale 3-story apartment complex as triple digit heat forced firefighters to work in shifts. Click here for a slideshow

Ex-director of foster camp gets payment from state
The state of Texas has agreed to pay $300,000 to a woman who alleged that it shut down her outdoor foster camp unfairly just to make a politician look good.

Water restored in San Marcos
Water service has been restored but a boil water notice remain in effect for people in San Marcos.

08/13/2008

Austin American-Statesman going up for sale
Newspapers across the country are struggling to maintain revenue in the face of the internet and other new media.  Now Austin’s main newspaper, the American-Statesman is facing an uncertain future.

Groups protest 'Tropic Thunder' in Austin
Disability groups from Central Texas staged a protest Wednesday evening over the movie “Tropic Thunder.”  They say the Ben Stiller comedy ridicules those who are less fortunate.

Problems pop up on new two-way street
The Cesar Chavez switch from one-way to two-way is a major change for downtown drivers. And while it's only been two days, some problems are popping up that city traffic engineers are already busy tweaking.

Watering schedule expands across Central Texas All of Central Texas is experiencing some type of drought. Cedar Park is aligning itself with the City of Austin and the LCRA in a new initiative to have people across the cities follow a simple watering schedule.

Police investigate North Austin shooting
Austin police are investigating the deadly shooting of a teenager. Around 11 p.m. Tuesday, a police officer heard a gunshot near Rundberg Lane and North Lamar.

08/12/2008 Continental Club seeks historical landmark status An Austin icon moved one step closer Tuesday evening to becoming one of the city's 450-plus historic landmarks. The city's planning commission voted unanimously to make The Continental Club an historic landmark.

Edwards affair reaches down to Texas
The fallout from former presidential candidate John Edwards' admission of adultery reaches to Texas, where the largest donor to the Texas Democratic Party admitted to sending monthly payments to Edwards' mistress.

Dell unveils new line of laptops
Amid big fanfare, Dell Tuesday unveiled its new line of ultra-thin notebook computers. It's Dell's attempt to regain its position as the country's personal computer leader by getting out front on laptops and not just desktop sales.

Students immunized ahead of start of school
As you register your kids for class and budget for 'back to school' supplies, don't forget to make time for your child's health. Students must be up-to-date on their immunizations before they're allowed to attend class.

Burglars target businesses near downtown Austin 2nd Street
The thieves broke in through a side door -- possibly with construction equipment -- and went straight for the cash registers, costing one store hundreds of dollars.

Georgetown curfew faces final reading tonight
The curfew would go from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Sunday through Thursday. On Friday and Saturday, teens 16 and under should not be out from midnight to 6 a.m.

TxDOT turns to tolls on 290 East With heavy traffic congestion on Highway 290 East only worsening, the Texas Department of Transportation says it needs to find a solution. If TxDOT's proposal is approved, a new toll would stretch down Highway 290 East from Highway 183 to SH 130.

Man accused of thefts at Austin hospitals
An Austin man faces felony theft charges in connection with a series of thefts at Austin area hospitals, including one at Dell Children's Medical Center in Central East Austin, where police say he stole a wallet out of a staff member's purse.

Climbing bike lane installed along busy South Austin road The bicycle climbing lane is a concept already used widely in other bike-friendly cities. City officials say the lane is critical for cyclists' safety -- they need space to stay out of motorists' way while climbing the hill.

Fort Hood soldier dies in Afghanistan
The Army says a 23-year-old Fort Hood soldier has died in Afghanistan of injuries from a non-combat-related incident.

08/11/2008 Fired APD commander gets his job back A fired Austin Police commander gets his job back, a decision reached Monday by an independent arbitrator.

Arborist calls Zilker Park tree branch fall a freak accident
One man remains at Brackenridge Hospital after a tree branch fell on him at Zilker Park over the weekend.  The branch also crashed onto a number of vehicles causing major damage.

Leander house up for grabs for $150, photo contest
A local woman has come up with a creative way to sell a 3-bedroom home in Leander, and it will only cost potential buyers $150.

Texas' growing sales tax revenue bucks national trend
While the national economic downturn is felt by other states, Comptroller Susan Combs said Texas collected $1.8 billion in sales tax revenue in July -- up 10.4 percent compared to one year ago.

Williamson Co. neighbors call for fire hydrants The Whitetail Estates community doesn't have a public water system, and, during a house fire on Saturday, it became clear why they need one. Firefighters momentarily ran out of water.

Fired APD officer wins his job back Chief Art Acevedo announced Monday that Larry Oliver will report back to work Tuesday morning. But, it won't be easy for him to regain the chief's trust.

APD: Masked bandit robs residents, flees on bicycle
A masked bandit is wanted in 20 robberies targeting Hispanics across the Austin area. The first robbery happened in December 2007 and the most recent happened on August 2.

Man accused of taking photos of topless Lake Travis sunbathers
Phu Van Nguyen was charged with improper photo/visual recording without consent after the Saturday incident at a lake cove near Hippie Hollow.

Cesar Chavez traffic goes both ways For the first time in 30 years, drivers can now go both ways on Cesar Chavez through downtown Austin. Two-way traffic returned to the street Monday morning. A ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the beginning of a new era on this busy roadway.

08/10/2008 Florence fire flares up, forces evacuations A fire that burned nearly 4,000 acres in Williamson County last week flared up again Sunday evening. Fire officials say that nearly all of the land just off Highway 195 in Florence is scorched black. Residents in Pecan Branch evacuated their neighborhood again.

Cesar Chavez set to open up both ways
Drivers used to dealing with barricades and chaos on Cesar Chavez will have a two-way street on Monday. Since last November the road has been under some major work so that eventually the one-way signs that are posted will disappear.

08/09/2008

Home burns down outside of Georgetown
A Georgetown family lost their home Saturday morning. A fire gutted their home on Axis Deer Cove in Williamson County.

Austin's hottest summer in 80 years
Austin is sweating out its hottest summer in more than 80 years. Saturday marked the 45th day of triple-digit temperatures. Austin also set peak energy records this week.

08/08/2008

Getting married on 8-08-08
The Chinese say 8 is a lucky number.  And 8-8-08 is not only easy to remember, but is turning out to be a perfect time tie the knot.

New project aims to improve downtown quality of life
A new project is in the works aimed at improving the quality of life in downtown Austin.

Austin named hardest drinking city
Austin tops the list of America's hardest-drinking cities. That's according to Forbes magazine.

Carroll receives court-appointed attorney Former child advocate Billy Carroll will get a court-appointed lawyer. He is charged with sexually assaulting or improperly photographing young girls over the last 10 years.

Community steps in help family get Habitat home
We all know times are tough these days, and that means charities can be hurt financially as well. A recent Habitat for Humanity project was in doubt for awhile, but that's all changed.

Sheriff seeks forgery suspects
Detectives with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office need the public’s help in identifying two people suspected in forging over 150 checks at HEB Stores from Waco to Corpus Christi. The loss to HEB since May exceeds $10,000.

UT employee arrested for alleged bomb threat
Police arrested a University of Texas employee Wednesday evening after investigators say he threatened to blow up the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center.

08/07/2008

Crime in the cul-de-sac
APD sets up shop in a Central East Austin cul-de-sac. They've parked a mobile substation to drive out the criminals.

More businesses turning to green technologies, incentives Anywhere you go in Austin, you see the future of a cleaner city -- whether it's the landscaping at city hall, which has a water garden created entirely out of the condensations from the building's air conditioning units, to AMD Technologies' massive roof complex, which doubles as a rainwater harvesting system.

Residents oppose plans for community health clinic in North Austin
A North Austin neighborhood is unhappy with plans to build a community health center in their community. The 50,000 square foot, $18 million project is something they don't feel will best serve Austin at the proposed Braker Lane and Parkfield location.

Cedar Park officers cracking down on crime 'hot spots'
Police officers in Cedar Park are working overtime to crack down on crime. They say they've seen several "hot spots" pop up this summer. The police chief says the rise in crime is in relation to the rise in population, but he doesn’t want to see it get worse.

Grass fire burns thousands of acres Fire officials have evacuated 60 homes in the rural area south of Florence and were evacuating more as the fire grew to 1,500 acres. Nearly a dozen fire departments were battling the grass fire.

Brothers charged in Wimberley man's beating, robbery
Christopher Oneill and Codus Oneill are charged with aggravated robbery. The Hays County Sheriff's Office says the Oneill's lured the victim out of his motorhome last month, and then attacked him.

Johnston alums: School name should honor fallen veterans
A group of former Johnston High School students Thursday weighed in on the question of what to rename the East Austin campus. They say the school should be named 'Memorial High School.'

Woman crashes car into Austin City Hall parking gates
Austin police say a woman in her 50s crashed through the gates of the city hall parking lot around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday. Witnesses reported that she was driving recklessly at a high rate of speed.

Council takes up crane safety, garbage fee hikes
Some city council members say they want changes after a number of crane accidents across the country, including one in Bastrop County that ended in the death of a worker.

08/06/2008

Can Big Ox help you workout harder?
Big Ox is an 89 percent flavored oxygen-enriched mixture in a can. In flavors like Mountain Mint and Citris Blast, Big Ox claims it can restore higher oxygen levels in the blood, increasing your energy so you can work harder and perform better.

Police search for man who assaulted woman in Hyde Park Police search for a man who beat and raped a woman just feet from her Hyde Park apartment.

Austin's conservation a part of candidates' energy plans As the presidential candidates spar over the best solutions to America's energy problems, their ideas have already gotten mileage in Austin. Austin Energy offers incentives for home improvements to encourage conservation.

Typhus turns up in Travis County
Austin Travis County health officials say a severe strain of a disease sometimes found in the valley has migrated to the Austin area causing what they described as a mini-epidemic -- and they say it's a top priority for them.

Austin Fire Department makes boy's wish come true
The Austin Fire Department played a big role Wednesday in making a little boy's wish come true. Eleven-year-old Tommy Livingston was so excited on Wednesday, he couldn't stand still long enough to get his uniform on.

6 indicted in alien smuggling bust
A federal grand jury handed down indictments Wednesday against six people accused of holding illegal immigrants against their will inside a house in San Marcos.

Woman attacked, raped in Hyde Park The attack happened early Saturday morning in the 4400 block of Avenue A. Police say the woman had just left a Walgreens when the man attacked her.

Wet roads may be to blame in deadly West Travis County crash Wet roads from morning rain may be to blame for a six-vehicle accident that killed one person Wednesday morning on FM 2244 in western Travis County. It began when the driver of a van lost control and the van began rolling over.

26 cheerleaders get stuck in elevator at UT's Jester Residence Hall
Ever wondered how many cheerleaders can fit onto an elevator?  We’ll give you a hint: Not 26. But a group of peppy campers found this out the hard way at UT’s Jester Residence Hall.

Man killed in North Austin shooting Police are investigating a deadly shooting in North Austin. It happened about 12:20 Wednesday morning near the 1100 block of North Meadows, near North Lamar and Braker.

08/05/2008

Edouard fails to give Austin rain
Tropical Storm Edouard was supposed to bring much needed heavy rain to Central Texas, it brought far less than expected. At Camp Mabry and ABIA only trace amounts were recorded.

Bulk of APD officers live outside city Only one third of Austin police officers live in the city that pays them. Local leaders would like that percentage to grow. Members of the police union don't think it's an issue the city should get involved with.

Recent apartment fires highlight insurance benefits
During the past week, the Austin area has seen five apartment complex fires. Combined, they've displaced at least 60 people and driven home the importance of renter's insurance.

Castle Doctrine won't apply to Hill Country case
A Kingsland man is out on a $15,000 bond after police arrested him for critically shooting a man he thought was breaking into his neighbor's house.

Montopolis neighbors look for answers to violent crime
The three latest homicides in Austin have all been within miles of Montopolis and Riverside. People who live around the crime scenes are thinking of what they can do to stop the violence.

Travis Co. foreclosures up 62%
On this first Tuesday of the month, 396 properties are posted for foreclosure in Travis County. That's up 62 percent from August of last year according to Foreclosure Listing Services, Inc.

Austin Guardsman killed near Kabul
A soldier from Austin died this week in Afghanistan while he was working as part of a security team, Texas National Guard officials said.

Robber escapes after North Austin bank heist
A man walked into a North Austin bank and robbed it Tuesday afternoon, according to Austin police. It happened just before 2 p.m. at the Bank of America on Shoal Creek Boulevard near Anderson Lane.

Police release suspect descriptions in Southeast Austin stabbing death
Luis Rico-Juarez, 21, was stabbed to death in a parking lot in the 1900 block of Riverside Drive in late July. Police believe he got into a fight with two men while inside Club La Rumba.

APD: Driver made up bus hijacking Detectives said most of the inconsistencies revolved around the route the driver claimed the alleged hijacker forced her to drive. A special camera that's installed on all Capital Metro buses also caught images on tape.

AFD: Prevent damaging fires caused by cigarettes
The Austin Fire Department wants to raise awareness about the dangers of cigarettes after carelessly discarded smoking materials sparked three of the five apartment fires in the Austin area in the past 10 days.

National Guard helicopters stand ready for Edouard
Crews of the Texas National Guard's UH-60 Limas performed pre-flight checks on their aircraft Tuesday morning at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

Man sought in beating of Hudson Bend woman, 72
The Travis County Sheriff's Office needs help finding a man who beat a 72-year-old woman in Hudson Bend last week. The woman says a man entered her unlocked RV early Thursday morning and beat her with a ball her found in her yard.

Capital Metro fare hike approved
Capital Metro bus fares are going up. Later this year, riders will need an extra 25 cents to ride. A local government committee Monday night approved raising fares to 75 cents later this year and to a full dollar in 2010.

Teen falls 30 feet at park
A 16-year-old is recovering after surviving a 30-foot fall down the cliffs of Pace Bend Park. Gabriella Rodriguez fell Sunday while cliff-diving with friends at the park in western Travis County.

08/04/2008

Austin preparing for Edouard
City of Austin officials are preparing for Edouard. That includes the possibility of tropical force winds and flash floods in Central Texas. City officials say every middle school and high school could be available if needed.

Some Central Texas seniors finding it hard to keep cool
With the sweltering heat Central Texans have endured over the last few days, consumers and businesses Monday were asked to reduce electricity use during peak hours -- 3 to 7 p.m.

Van bursts into flames, killing 1
Austin police are investigating a mysterious death involving a motorist who was reported to be driving erratically around town.

Emergency crews, drivers call for Highway 183 changes
A fatal car crash over the weekend highlights the dangers of a stretch of Highway 183. Even though it was a road Casey Lynn Furtado was used to driving, she still couldn't avoid the head on crash that ultimately took the life of her and her unborn son.

Llano County man charged in shooting at neighbor's house
Investigators say Tom Oakes shot someone he thought was breaking into his neighbor's Lakeside home. The victim was shot in the back of the neck and put on life support.

Congressional candidates spar over oil and gas
As gas prices reach record levels, the best way to lower energy prices is becoming the central issue in political races across the country.

Firefighters battle grass fire in Liberty Hill
Firefighters battled a grass fire that broke out Monday afternoon in Liberty Hill near a home construction site.

Woman attacked outside South Austin drugstore
A man tried to rob and kidnap a woman in a South Austin Walgreens parking lot, Austin police say. It happened Friday when the woman was picking up a prescription.

Texas heat prompts call for power conservation
Temperatures were expected to reach 103 to 105 degrees Monday across Central Texas, and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and Public Utility Commission urged all customers to conserve when temperatures are usually highest.

Man forces bus driver to drive him to South Austin
Authorities say the man told the driver he had a knife, but he did not pull it out. The unidentified man jumped off the bus on Fletcher Lane, just off Old Bee Caves Road.

AISD trustees expected to approve new name, principal for former Johnston
The school board is expected to announce a new name for the school Monday night and approve the superintendent's recommendation to hire a new principal.

Motorcyclist dies in North Austin crash
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