For the sixth consecutive month, Texas has seen a drop in its unemployment rate, according to figures released today by the Texas Workforce Commission. The seasonally adjusted rate dropped to 7.1 percent in February, down from 7.3 percent in January, and from 8.0 percent in February 2011.
"Texas' job growth over the past year points to a steady and sustained expansion of our state's economy," said Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Chairman Tom Pauken. "Texas has experienced positive annual job growth for the last 22 months, and that's because Texas continues to be a great place to work and do business."
Texas added 27,900 nonfarm jobs in February, while 15,100 jobs in the rivate sector were added during the month.
The Austin Police Department will operate full safety closures downtown on Friday March 30th and Saturday March 31st. Most closures to begin at 6pm and re-open the next day at 4am.
In case you missed former General Solicitor of Texas (2003-2008) Ted Cruz joined Scott Wilder to talk about the fight against ObamaCare. (March 29, 2012 show, hour 2).
AUSTIN -- A monument honoring the contributions of Texas Hispanic leaders was dedicated today on the south lawn of the Texas State Capitol. Among those in attendance was Gov. Rick Perry, who praised past leaders in the Hispanic community, and said the future of Texas is directly linked to the future of its Hispanic population.
"This important monument reflects a larger truth about the origins of Texas, about the contributions of so many Hispanic citizens to the creation of the state we love and the lives we share," Gov. Perry said. "These contributions are ongoing with Latinos providing political, business and spiritual leadership in communities throughout Texas."
The Tejano Monument, created by Laredo artist Armando Hinojosa, is made up of 11 life-size sculptures depicting the 500-year role of Tejanos statewide, and the Spanish-Mexican legacy in Texas from 1500 to 1800.
Work on the monument began in 2001, when legislation was passed and then signed by Gov. Perry establishing it. In 2007, the Texas Legislature approved $1.087 million for completion of the monument. An additional $1 million was raised through private donations.
For more information about the Tejano Monument, visit:
http://www.tejanomonument.com
Rosa Lazzaro MarcucciThe Supreme Court should decide and impose ObamaCare on all of the Obama followers , overturn it for the rest of us who opposed it from the beginning!
Robert HodginsYes and by the looks of this group it's the same as the rest of the American majority that don't like being force fed. Obama is a disaster for freedom. I almost get the feeling that in his world, he actually thinks he knows better. Egotistical a**hole.
Frank FernandezPraying that they will, oops, not allowed to do that, ok, hoping that they will shoot, oops, turn it down. SO hard to be PC these days...
Not sure. Obamacare is only a piece of the puzzle in a much larger picture, and I am not sure that there are enough justices who have not gone to 'the dark side', regardless of what they are saying now. At the risk of sounding like a 'rig...See More
Lesli Pridgen WheelerI've prayed hard that it will be overturned. I guess if it isn't, at some point I may have to decide whether to make an "insurance" payment or a house payment.
Brunilda DienesNostradamus does not hold a leg up to Ian Rand, who prophesied in full detail what we are now witnessing. The movie based on her book 'Atlas Shrugged' (part 1 only) is now on Netflix. A MUST WATCH for anyone who wants to understand this maddness.
YES ! I have some ideas, tort reform, one. The problem, Pres. Obama promised open debate and c-span cameras, he told this to the Nation and to Hilliary's face. Then it was closed door meetings, lock out the Republicans, no bipartisan debat...See More
David HollowayI'm not sure. It's all about Justice Kennedy. This is one thing that scares the hell out of me if Romney is President. Will he appoint a "Conservative" when the time comes?
Jamie BertrandMedicare for all is the answer, It works great for seniors ,Why would it not work for everybody else?, This is not Rocket science ,Almost every other 1st world country has a higher life expectancy & lower infant mortality rate and they cover 99%+ of their populations!
Thomas J LerchSolicitor General: I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I've watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears...in the rain.
Mark Hamrickthey sure should, but if they don't, there real government(the people) should stand up and say enough is enough, it is our country and our government, and if the judges don't stand up for the constitution, the real government(the people) need to remove all of those judges
Kathleen Finn Castleman@Jamie, no to Medicare for all. It is an EARNED benefit i.e., credits, work history, etc. Are you actually suggesting the doors be swung open and millions enter in without EVER having contributed?! And by the way, a spouse is considered a beneficiary. But being from Toronto I can see why you would say this.
Our morning show hosts, Walton and Johnson, give their creative take on this mornings Tejano Monument unveiling. The festivities take place at 10 a.m. this morning on the grounds of the State Capitol. Both Rick Perry and David Dewhurst are expected to attend.
Recently, there has been an increase in residential burglaries in the North University Neighborhood area. The area affected is from 41st to 28th Streets to Guadalupe Streets to Harris Park Avenue. There is no suspect description at this time. Many of the burglaries are occurring at residences with unlocked doors and windows. Residents are reminded to lock all door and windows. If you have an alarm system, please remember to activate it. Call 911 if you observe any suspicious persons or vehicles in your neighborhood.
For more information, contact the Region I District Representatives (Central West Area) at (512) 974-5340.
A late-night stop for fast food ended up sending a woman to the hospital following a carjacking in North Austin.
The woman stopped at the Popeye's Chicken restaurant on North Lamar near Rundberg Lane just before midnight. When she stepped out of her car for a moment, two men jumped in and took off. She tried to hang on to the car, but let go after being drug several feet.
Police say they have little to go on but hope to have some leads once they finish interviewing witnesses. If you have any information, call Crime Stoppers at 477-TIPS.
Plane crash kills 1, injures another in Granite Shoals
The FAA continues to investigate a deadly plane crash Saturday night in Granite Shoals, about an hour west of Austin. A single engine experimental RV6 aircraft went down around 7:30pm Saturday, killing the pilot, 76-year-old Frank Rollin Enbody of Horseshoe Bay and sending his 19-year-old passenger Joshua Araiza to UMC Brackenridge, where he is in stable condition.
Pedestrian hit, killed by 18-wheeler on Interstate 35
A pedestrian trying to cross Interstate 35 near East St. Johns Avenue on Saturday night was hit by an 18-wheeler and killed, officials said. The incident happened around 11 p.m. Saturday night, shutting down the northbound lanes of the interstate near East St. Johns Avenue for almost six hours.
Students in Texas public schools will face the latest iteration of the state's achievement test beginning today.
The new State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR test, will be given to students in fourth, fifth, seventh, eighth, and ninth grades. Current high school upperclassmen will continue to take the STAAR test's predecessor, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills or TAKS test.
The new test is considered by many to be tougher than the TAKS test, similar to college entrance exams. It features fewer multiple choice questions, several essay questions, and is timed - unlike the TAKS test.
Eventually, the STAAR test will be included as a component of a student's overall grade point average. The Texas Education Agency has given districts the option of delaying that requirement for one year; it will be enforced for the 2012-2013 school year.
Facebook has caught wind of employers requesting potential employee's Facebook passwords. Why? To give their personal life a scan over, playing into hiring consideration.
Zuckerberg and company are threatening legal action.
The Austin Police Department is attempting to cut down on pedestrian fatalities. They will be deploying "plain clothes" officers at busy intersections across Central Texas, to patrol for unsafe drivers. They will be present at the following locations/times:
8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Barton Springs Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Red River Street and 12th Street 2:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. North Lamar Boulevard and St. Johns 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Congress Avenue and Alpine/Pickle
Austin Energy says about 1,600 customers remain without power. Between the hours of 6 and 9 a.m., a large number of customers reported outages after waking up, doubling the number of locations that repairs need to be made from about 40 to 80. That number is currently back down to around 40 locations. The majority of outages include a hand full of homes each. The largest outage is in the 183/Fairfield area, between Ohlen Rd. and Fairfield Dr. where a half dozen poles are down. There are about 250 customers in that area still without power. Austin Energy repair crews are replacing the six poles, but the work is taking some additional time due to the fact that the right-of-way in that location is shared between Austin Energy and Texas Gas Service.
Crews are doing manual digging to ensure they do not come in contact with any gas lines. Once the new poles are up, all of the electric equipment including four transformers (gray boxes at the top of the poles) will need to be installed. Austin Energy has 25 repair crews and a half dozen tree trimming crews working in the field. The utility projects it will take most of the afternoon to complete all repairs.
Here's a roundup of the latest information following the overnight storms. Scroll down for the latest weather details, road closures, and power outage details from Austin Energy.
A sampling of rainfall totals as of 11AM (some totals courtesy LCRA):
5.13 Burnet
3.12 Florence
3.04 Marble Falls
2.85 Lockhart
2.80 Buda
2.68 Leander
2.61 Manor
2.30 Manchaca
2.28 Lago Vista
2.26 Cedar Park
2.10 Taylor
2.00 Round Rock
1.98 Downtown
1.96 Dripping Springs
Road Closures City of Austin - latest details from Austin HSEM
5400-7100 Spicewood Springs Rd
5300 Old Spicewood Springs Rd
183 & Fairfield (lanes closed due to utility work)
An upper level low combined with an approaching cold front will bring strong, possibly severe storms and heavy rain to all of Central Texas tonight and into Tuesday.
The latest forecasts indicate the greatest threat for severe weather runs from 10pm Monday night through 5am Tuesday morning, with the primary threats being hail up to golf ball size and strong wind gusts up to 60mph. An isolated tornado is also possible; the National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Watch for our Central Texas counties effective until 1 AM.
These storms are also expected to drop significant amounts of rainfall, with forecasts calling for anywhere from 2 to 5 inches of rain across the area with isolated spots of up to 7 inches possible.
Be alert and aware of areas that typically flood as well as those that are not as flood prone but could easily flood with the coming storms. Don’t drive through flooded roadways, stay away from creeks and trails along creeks. Visibility is greatly reduced at night, so be very careful. Remember - "Save Yourself: Turn Around – Don’t Drown."
CBS News has learned the Afghan massacre suspect, Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales and his wife, were more than a million dollars in debt.
The debt was not only on their home, other houses they bought as investments, but also an arbitration order that Bales re-pay some clients a million dollars from when he was a financial-advisor.
The suspect in a Saturday night shooting in East Austin has turned himself into police.
22-year old Parrish Wyatt voluntarily turned himself into authorities Sunday afternoon, accompanied by his attorney. Wyatt is suspected of shooting 32-year old Nicholas Jarmon Saturday night. Polilce patrolling the area heard what they believed to be gunfire; upon investigating, they found Jarmon down on the ground with an apparent gunshot wound in the 1900 block of E 13th Street.
Wyatt is currently being held in the Travis County Jail with a bond set at $1,000,000.
A strong upper level storm disturbance and surface cold front will move across Texas tonight into Tuesday. This system will interact with a moist airmass across South Central Texas to generate widespread showers and thunderstorms. The cold front will focus thunderstorms over the Edwards Plateau and Hill Country by this evening with the focus shifting east to the I-35 and Highway 281 corridors early Tuesday morning, continuing eastward to the Highway 77 corridor by Tuesday afternoon. Severe thunderstorms with large hail and damaging winds as well as locally heavy rainfall will be possible. Isolated tornadoes could also develop. Average rainfall totals are expected to range from 1/2 to 1 inch in the western counties to between 2 and 5 inches in the eastern counties. Isolated rainfall totals of 5 to 7 inches will be possible along and east of a Cast to Kerrville to Hondo to Pearsall line.
Forecasts continue to show threats for both severe storms and flash flooding through Tuesday morning. A few severe storms may affect the Rio Grande area late today, but the more widespread threat for storms and flooding will affect all of South Central Texas Monday evening through Tuesday morning. A Flash Flood watch has been issued for much of the area from 6 pm Monday until Noon on Tuesday.
A large upper storm system, along with a cold front, will push through the area Monday night and Tuesday. Ahead of this system, a disturbance may cause a few strong to severe thunderstorms to form over Mexico and move across the Rio Grande and affect areas mainly west of a Mountain Home to Eagle Pass Line late today and tonight. Damaging hail and wind are possible.
More focused attention is being placed on the Monday evening-Tuesday morning time frame when the large upper low and associated cold front moves through South Central Texas. Severe thunderstorms will likely form over the Edwards plateau and Hill Country Monday afternoon and evening. Damaging wind and large hail will be the primary threat. Tornadoes cant be ruled out. As the system moves east Monday night and early Tuesday, thunderstorms will become widespread (possibly a large line of storms) and move across all of South Central Texas overnight.
While the timeline is still evolving, models are consistent that the main threat time across the I-35 corridor will probably be between 2 AM and 8 AM Tuesday morning. Areas to the west in the Hill Country will see impacts as early as Monday evening....and areas to the east of I-35 may see impacts past the 8 am hour on Tuesday. It does look like the rush hour for Tuesday morning will be impacted.
The upper low is forecast to move rather slow, increasing the threat for heavy rains mainly east of a Castell to Pearsall line. 1-3 inches of rain is expected with isolated totals of 4-6 inches. Farther out west... totals generally less than 2 inches are expected. A Flash Flood Watch is in effect from 6 pm Monday through Noon on Tuesday for the following counties of South Central Texas: ATASCOSA...BANDERA...BASTROP...BEXAR...BLANCO...BURNET...CALDWELL...COMAL... DEWITT...FAYETTE...FRIO...GILLESPIE...GONZALES...GUADALUPE...HAYS...KARNES... KENDALL...KERR...LAVACA...LEE...LLANO...MEDINA...TRAVIS...WILLIAMSON...WILSON.
Rain chances, severe threat, flash flood threat should diminish by late Tuesday morning. Depending on rainfall however, river and creek flooding may continue well beyond Tuesday morning.
Paul Yura
National Weather Service Austin-San Antonio TX
On Saturday, March 10, 2012, at approximately 2:39 p.m. a Hispanic male suspect walked into the Domino’s Pizza at 5811 Berkman Drive and displayed a handgun. The suspect demanded money and fled the scene on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.
The suspect is described as:
· Hispanic male
· 18 to 22 years of age
· 5’7” tall
· Light to medium brown complexion
· Thin mustache
He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and dark colored pants.
This case remains under investigation by APD Robbery detectives. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Robbery tip line at (512) 974-5092, Crime Stoppers at (512) 472-TIPS or text “Tip 103” + your message to CRIMES. You may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 if your tip leads to an arrest or charges being filed.
The Austin Police Department is reminding those attending SXSW to only purchase All-Access wristbands at official outlets, such as the Austin Convention Center kiosk, booths or the official SXSW website at sxsw.com. If you are unsure about the validity of your wristband, you may contact SXSW staff via e-mail at REG@SXSW.com or by calling (512) 467-7979 ext. 250.
On Tuesday, March 13, 2012 several turquoise All-Access wristbands were stolen from a service counter at the Austin Convention Center. Anybody who may have purchased wristbands with serial numbers 1-3323 to 1-3400 should call 9-1-1 immediately.
APD and SXSW organizers have been working diligently to deactivate the microchips associated with the stolen wristbands.
APD is encouraging SXSW attendees not to purchase wristbands from scalpers whether it is in person or off of the internet.
APD’s main priority is for everyone to have a great time and to be safe at SXSW.
APD is seeking the public's assistance in locating SXSW Burglary Victims
On Tuesday, March 13, 2012, North Central patrol officers responded to a Burglary call at a local hotel. Upon arrival officers learned that three rooms had been burglarized while the victims were out at various SXSW events. The suspect(s) entered the rooms by forcing the doors open and stole primarily electronic/technology related items.
Some of the stolen items were equipped with software that allowed officers to track them to an apartment complex in the North Central part of the city.
On-call Burglary Unit detectives responded and obtained a search warrant for the apartment. Upon serving the search warrant, detectives located and recovered a large amount of property. So far, detectives have linked the recovered property to approximately a dozen hotel burglaries at various hotels.
As of today, a significant portion of the recovered property has not been reported stolen. Detectives believe that the suspects were possibly taking advantage of the large number of visitors in town for SXSW who would likely possess a significant amount of technology related items.
The Burglary Unit has already found that some of the victims left town following the burglaries without filing police reports (as has been the case so far in at least two cases). This is making it difficult for detectives to contact the rightful owners and return their property to them.
Detectives have several “persons of interest” but charges have not yet been filed.
The APD Burglary Unit is encouraging anyone who has been a theft/burglary victim or if you have witnessed any suspicious persons/behavior, especially at local motels, to call 9-1-1 immediately. If you are not in Austin, please call the APD Burglary Unit 512-974-6941 or send an email toAPDBurlaryUnit@austintexas.gov.
Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has won Tuesday night's primary contests in Alabama and Mississippi.
With almost all of the precincts reporting in Alabama, Santorum earned 35 percent support, with Newt Gingrich barely edging Mitt Romney out for second as each won about 29 percent of the vote.
For more, visit our national news partner, CBS News.
New numbers released Monday by the City show that Austin's creative community has a significant - and growing - impact on the Austin economy.
The study - commissioned by the City - shows that in 2010, Austin's film, gaming, music, and visual arts sectors contributed $4.35 billion in economic activity. That figure is up about one-third from 2006, where a similar study showed a $3.25 billion impact.
The benefits aren't just limited to economic impact. The study also revealed that creatives hold down 49,000 local jobs, a figure that's up 25 percent over five years. Overall job growth, across all sectors, was only 10 percent for the five years.
WASHINGTON - The Justice Department's civil rights division has objected to the new photo ID requirement for voters in Texas, saying many Hispanic voters lack state-issued identification.
The department says the state has failed to show that the newly enacted law has neither a discriminatory purpose nor effect.
In a letter to Texas officials, the Justice Department says Hispanic voters in Texas are as much as 120 percent more likely than non-Hispanic voters to lack a driver's license or personal state-issued photo ID. The move blocks the law from taking effect.
After nearly two months of constant increases, Austin gas prices held steady last week.
According to AAA, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded in the Austin area is $3.57. That's the same price as last week. It's 16 cents more than a month ago.
Nationally, economists say gas prices have risen 15 percent since the beginning of the year.
Gov. Rick Perry today announced that Apple will expand its presence in Texas with a $304 million investment in a new campus in Austin that will create more than 3,600 new jobs.
The new campus will more than double the size of Apple's workforce in Texas over the next decade, supporting the company's growing operations in the Americas with expanded customer support, sales and accounting functions for the region. In exchange for Apple's commitment to create these new jobs in Texas, the state has offered Apple an investment of $21 million over ten years through the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF).
"Apple is known for its bold innovation and game-changing designs, and the expansion of their Austin facility adds to the growing list of visionary high-tech companies that have found that Texas' economic climate is a perfect fit for their future, thanks to our low taxes, reasonable and predictable regulations, fair legal system and skilled workforce" Gov. Perry said. "Investments like this further Texas' potential to become the nation's next high-tech hub."
The project is supported by an investment from the TEF, which offers companies incentives to invest in Texas. When completed, it will be one of the largest job creation projects in TEF history, and one of the largest capital investments by a TEF recipient. The agreement is contingent upon the finalization of contracts and a local incentive agreement with the City of Austin and Travis County.
The Legislature created the TEF in 2003 and re-appropriated funding in 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011 to help ensure the growth of Texas businesses and create more jobs throughout the state. TEF projects must be approved by the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the House. The fund has since become one of the state's most competitive tools to recruit and bolster business. To date, the TEF has invested more than $443.4 million and closed the deal on projects generating more than 62,000 new jobs and more than $15.4 billion in capital investment in the state.
Via the Austin Police Department - Recently, gasoline thefts have been reported in the Rundberg/Parkfield area by Northeast Austin businesses. These types of thefts have been reported in the past and appear to be increasing. Business owners are advised to take precautions to secure company vehicles in such a manner that will not allow potential gas thieves to have access to large company vehicles or their gas tanks.
For more information, contact the APD Region II District Representatives at (512) 974-5598.
courtesy of our sister station WWL-AM/FM, New Orleans
New Orleans Saints Vice President of Communications Greg Bensel this afternoon released the following statement:
JOINT STATEMENT FROM SAINTS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT /GENERAL MANAGER MICKEY LOOMIS & HEAD COACH SEAN PAYTON
For Immediate Release: March 6, 2012
We acknowledge that the violations disclosed by the NFL during their investigation of our club happened under our watch. We take full responsibility.
This has brought undue hardship on Mr. Benson, who had nothing to do with this activity. He has been nothing but supportive and for that we both apologize to him.
These are serious violations and we understand the negative impact it has had on our game. Both of us have made it clear within our organization that this will never happen again, and make that same promise to the NFL and most importantly to all of our fans.
On Friday night, the Austin City Council passed one of the broadest bans on disposable paper and plastic bags in the nation.
The ban takes effect in March 2013, banning all single-use plastic and paper bags at retail checkout counters. Before the ban takes effect, the city plans to do a $2 million education campaign to make customers aware of the change and remind them to bring reusable bags.
Austin is the first big Texas city to pass a bag ban. More than two dozen U.S. cities have bag laws, most of them prohibiting plastic bags and imposing a fee on paper.
In Austin, retailers will be able to offer only reusable bags, defined as those made of cloth, durable materials or thicker paper and plastic bags that have handles.
Exempt will be single-use bags used for bulk foods, meat, fish and produce, newspaper delivery, dry cleaning and restaurant carry-out foods. Also exempt will be the bags that charities and nonprofits use to distribute food and other items.
Tuesday's filing deadline for the May 12 City elections reveals that Mayor Lee Leffingwell will have two challengers on the ballot, while 11 people will vie for three seats - places 2, 5, and 6 - on the City Council.
Brigid Shea, who served on the council from 1993-1996, helped co-found the Save Our Springs Alliance. In an interview with the Austin American-Statesman in January, Shea said that she senses a growing dissatisfaction among Austinites with their local government. "The overwhelming response I've gotten (while considering a run) is that people are not happy with the direction at City Hall," Shea told the Statesman. "They feel that City Hall is tone deaf about the effect their choices are having on people's household budgets."
Joining Leffingwell and Shea on the mayoral ballot is Richard "Clay" Dafoe.
City Council Place 2 incumbent Mike Martinez is being challenged by Laura Pressley, an outspoken advocate for going fluoride free in city water. She also wants to focus on City finances, making sure that an increase in spending means an increase in services.
City Council Place 5 has drawn 6 challengers vying to unseat incumbent Bill Spelman - Audrey “Tina” Cannon, Dominic M. Chavez, David Yepez Conley, John Duffy, Robert A. “Bo” Prudente, and John A. Rubine.
And in City Council Place 6, incumbent and current Mayor Pro-Tem Sheryl Cole is being challenged by Shaun D. Ireland.
Election day is May 12. Early voting will run from April 30 - May 8.
Texas Gas Service, who provides natural gas to most of the Austin area, has announced its plans to raise its rates by summer.
Under the proposal, the typical home would pay, on average, an additional $1.20 each month. A typical business would pay $4.35 more; a large business, $65.41; and an industrial manufacturer, $19.44, according to estimates provided by the City of Austin.
The gas company says it needs to collect more money to pay mainly for pipe replacement, as well as for new automated meters around the area. The company is seeking the increase under a specific section of state law that allows it to raise rates to recoup the cost of construction projects; the rate increase would not be allowed to cover other expenses.
City council members will vote Thursday to delay the increase until May, which would give city staff time to review the company's proposal. If the city determines that the company has not inflated its costs, the city must approve the proposal. The company has approximately 228,000 Austin-area customers, with some living in outlying areas such as Cedar Park, Kyle, Rollingwood, Sunset Valley and West Lake Hills.
The increase could add a one-two punch to Austin area homeowners, as City Council expects to decide in May what kind of rate increase they will approve for Austin Energy.
MetroRail service is coming to Friday and Saturday nights, thanks to the Austin City Council.
Council members approved an interlocal agreement to pay for the costs of running MetroRail service on weekends starting March 23. The trains will run hourly from 7pm-Midnight Fridays and every 35 minutes from 4pm-Midnight on Saturdays.
According to Cap Metro, the MetroRail averages about 1,800 riders a day. Cap Metro CEO Linda Watson says the agency has had many requests for weekend service.
Watson says the agency is ready for what weekend nights may bring, like more rowdy crowds and more mess to the almost spotless trains.
The cost to the city will run about $5.7 million over 34 months. Cap Metro will pick up the costs for service outside of the city limits, which currently runs north to Leander.
A two-alarm fire on Sunday night destroyed five units and damaged two others at a West Austin condominium complex, displacing 15 residents from their homes.
911 received three calls from the complex around 7:30 p.m. AFD officials said the fire started in the second floor breezeway of the complex, which is located in the 1400 block of Norwalk Drive near Exposition and Enfield. Buildings in the complex are three stories, with the upper units having two stories.
Residents in units that were not damaged were allowed to return to their units once firefighters knocked the fire down. Traffic blockades were removed around 11 p.m. The cause of the fire and the value of the damage still remain under investigation.
A fixture of Sixth Street for many years, a piece of Austin's character and "Keep Austin Weird" mentality has passed away.
Leslie Cochran, the homless man known for walking the city's entertainment district in a dress and a thong for more than 20 years, was found unconcious two weeks ago in a parking lot. Cochran underwent a brain procedure, but it appeared to make no significant difference and he remained in crticial condition at St. David's South Austin Medical Center.
In recent weeks he had attempted to relocate to Colorado via Amtrak but had difficulties securing the necessary paperwork.
Due to campus electrical problems, Texas School for the Deaf will be closed for a minimum of two days - Monday, March 5th and Tuesday, March 6th. Campus officials hope to reopen on Wednesday, March 7th. Staff members are asked to contact their direct supervisor for more information, or call (512) 462-5601.
It's another bump in the road for Formula One racing in Austin.
Tavo Hellmund, the initial promoter behind bringing F1 racing to Austin, has sued track investors Red McCombs and Bobby Epstein along with several other companies and managers. The civil suit, filed in Travis County State District Court, does not request specific damages but does detail Hellmund's buyout of $18 million, which was never fulfilled. The agreement also called for Circuit of the Americas to pay Hellmund $500,000 a year for a period of 10 years as the chairman of the F1 U.S. Grand Prix.
In a media statement, Circuit of the Americas management says that Hellmund is trying to create a negative media blitz. "This is just the latest step in a pattern of behavior. Mr. Hellmund uses negative press to try and create an advantage for himself at every turn. The fact is, he has been found to be in breach of contract by Formula 1 and he has not fulfilled his agreements with Circuit of The Americas.”
The legal battle is the latest in a series of missteps for the F1 project. The project was originally guaranteed state funding of $25 million per year from the state's Major Events Trust Fund; however, following intense political pressure, Comptroller Susan Combs backtracked and said funds would only be released after a race was successfully completed. Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone threatened to pull the Austin race from the F1 calendar because of a contract dispute, which caused construction on the $300 million track to come to a halt at the track site near Elroy, before coming to an agreement and assigning a race date of November 18, 2012.
Red light cameras to go live April 2 at five additional approaches in Round Rock
Construction on red light cameras started this week for the following five approaches in Round Rock. The cameras are scheduled to go live on April 2.
·Mays Street at U.S. 79/Palm Valley Boulevard – southbound approach
·Mays Street at U.S. 79/Palm Valley Boulevard – westbound approach
·U.S. 79/Palm Valley Boulevard at Sunrise Road – southbound approach
·U.S. 79/Palm Valley Boulevard at A.W. Grimes Boulevard – eastbound approach
·U.S. 79/Palm Valley Boulevard at A.W. Grimes Boulevard – westbound approach
The City’s first red light camera went live Dec. 14 at the southbound approach to Red Bud Lane and Forest Creek Drive. In January, the first full month of operation, there were 117 violations issued.
President Barack Obama activated his Facebook Timeline Thursday, immediately following the switch over for Pages.
Obama's life events included his marriage to first lady Michelle Obama, the launch of his presidential campaign in Feb. 2007 and the election night speech at Chicago's Grant Park.
The most notable photo of the bunch was the image of the President's birth certificate on the Obama campaign's "Made in the U.S.A." coffee mug. For picture of the mug, and the rest of the story - visit CBS online!
Austin City Council delayed a decision on a proposed Austin Energy rate increase Thursday night.
Council members voted 6-1 in favor of delaying a decision and further discussing a rate increase that would affect 400,000 Austin Energy customers. The utility needs to raise an additional $127 million in revenue, and has proposed a 12.5 percent rate increase to be phased in over three years.
Austin Energy officials say they haven't raised the utility's rates in 17 years.
A federal court in San Antonio on Thursday ordered the State of Texas to hold its primary elections on May 29, the Tuesday following Memorial Day. The move comes two days after the same three judge panel released new political maps to be used in the 2012 elections.
Minority groups had sued the state to block the original maps created by the Texas Legislature, on the grounds that the maps either illegally divided minority voters or grouped them into a handful of districts in order to diminish their power. A separate federal court in Washington, D.C., also refused to certify the maps because of potential Voting Rights Act violations.
The legal challenges caused the Texas primary to be delayed twice; first from its original date of March 6, then from April 3. The new election schedule will reopen a filing period for candidates immediately, closing on March 9. Voter registration cards reflecting the new districts will be mailed out on April 25.
NATO says two service members were shot dead in southern Afghanistan when two men, one of whom was believed to be an Afghan soldier, turned their weapons against international troops Six NATO service members have been killed this way in less than two weeks. NATO says one of the gunmen was wearing civilian clothing and the other was believed to be a member of the Afghan army.
Sixty-seven percent of Americans say high gas prices have caused a financial hardship in their households; of those, 38 percent say that hardship is serious. Thirty-two percent of Americans say they had not suffered financial hardship to do the rising costs of gas.
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