• Humble Darvish tries to slow As roll

  At first glance, tabbing Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish as the club's ace seems like an easy connection to make. Coming off a historic rookie campaign, Darvish (7-1) boasts a 2.97 ERA and has struck out a Major League-leading 86 batters in just 60 2/3 innings. But if you ask the 26-year-old, he'll shy away from the label, insisting he hasn't reached that level yet. "I only ...

• Search for survivors begins after tornado hits Oklahoma City

  The search for survivors goes on Monday night in Oklahoma. Fifty-one people are confirmed dead and at least 140 are injured. The National Weather service preliminary surveys calculate that this was at least an EF-4 tornado. It was a mile-wide at times with winds ranging from 160 to 200 miles per hour. Businesses and even an elementary school was literally flattened within a matter seconds. ...

• Communities weigh in on tornado sirens

  HUTTO, Texas (KXAN) - In several communities across the region, tornado sirens are used to warn residents of impending danger. In Central Texas, San Marcos has 14 sirens and Cedar Park just added three in the city's largest parks. Georgetown also has the warning systems, and in the Hill Country, there are sirens in San Saba and Mason. In Austin and Round Rock, no tornado sirens are in ...

• Austin-Travis County EOC StormReady

  AUSTIN (KXAN) - Should a major disaster strike Central Texas, the Austin-Travis County Emergency Operations Center and a team of first responders can activate a large, specially-equipped facility within 30 minutes. We dont have any control over the weather," said emergency coordinator Pete Baldwin. All we can do is make sure where the resources are, know to make sure they need to be ...

• Beer bills move to Gov. Perrys desk

  AUSTIN (KXAN) - On Monday afternoon, the House passed all of the four beer-related bills, which will now head to Gov. Rick Perry's desk. The vote was expected since three days prior , lawmakers used voice votes to overhaul regulations that apply only to craft breweries. Current laws prohibit brewpubs from packaging their beer for retail stores. They also prevent breweries from selling beer ...

• Austin trustees weigh partnership for Eastside High

  Austin school trustees Monday night were still considering awarding a $393,690 contract to Baltimore-based Talent Development Secondary of Johns Hopkins University to operate the troubled Eastside Memorial High School. They hadn't voted by press time.While district administrators previously expressed concern about low test results for the group's flagship school, the Baltimore Talent ...

• Texas lawmakers pass Merry Christmas bill

  Texas lawmakers have just made it politically correct for teachers to say Merry Christmas in the classroom. It may be have been a hot 94 degrees outside the capitol, but inside it felt like Christmas for State Representative Dwayne Bohac of Houston. House Bill 308, what Bohac has dubbed the Merry Christmas bill, is now on the way to Governor Rick Perry's desk. "It allows school ...

• Tips for protecting yourself from online impersonators

  When you reach a certain level of visibility online...you can become the prey of what are known as "trolls" and "griefers." "They're basically people who really want to cause problems," said Brad Bogus, the president of "Speak Social," a strategic marketing firm where social media is their specialty. Bogus said, "They can hack into your ...

• City reveals park master plan

  AUSTIN (KXAN) - Plans are in store for new park land in Austin. The area around the old power plant on Holly Street on the east side will be undergoing a transformation. As the city moves forward, they want input from the public. Austin's Parks and Recreation Department held a workshop Monday at Martin Middle School to engage the public. Project organizers presented a master plan to the ...

• Diversity lacking in Austin map-drawing finalists

  Of the 60 finalists who could potentially draw 10 Austin City Council districts, most are white or Hispanic, 45 years old or older and live west of Interstate 35.That data, compiled by the American-Statesman and the city auditor's office, raises questions about whether the 14 people ...

• Austin Colony could get ambulance service added

  Amid disagreements over how to serve growing populations outside Austin's city limits, county commissioners are expected to consider Tuesday whether to add ambulance service to a fire ...

• Community News Central Texas students win $16500 at International Science Fair Williamson County nurses honored

  Local students to participate in a day of volunteering The 650 students representing Westlake High School's graduating Class of 2013 will participate in Senior Service Day volunteering from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at various nonprofits within the community.Students will work with 30 different agencies to help with a range of projects including volunteering at food banks, retirement ...

• New mental health clinic helps underserved in eastern Williamson County

  Philip English, a 70-year-old resident of Thorndale, said he couldn't find any mental health services to help a troubled relative in eastern Williamson County. Then he heard about a new clinic at 404 Carlos Parker Blvd. NW in Taylor.English said he was impressed after the relative got counseling for anger issues at the new place -- Eastern Williamson County ...

• Soto Chirinos fill void competently behind the plate

  Email ARLINGTON -- The Rangers went into Monday's game with the Athletics having won nine of their last 13 games. That's significant because those 13 games took place while catcher A.J. Pierzynski was on the disabled list with a strained oblique muscle in his right rib cage. The Rangers were able to survive and thrive because of the work of Geovany Soto and Robinson Chirinos. Soto was ...

• Texas lawmakers approve part of water overhaul

  AUSTIN (AP) Texas lawmakers have given final approval to an overhaul of the Texas Water Development Board as the state grapples with how to manage water resources amid drought and a rapidly growing population. Monday's vote sends the bill to Gov, Rick Perry, who had urged lawmakers to pass a new $2 billion fund to provide low-interest loans for water projects such as reservoirs and ...

• Senators grill Perry’s nominees to UT board

  State senators sharply questioned three nominees to the University of Texas System Board of Regents on Monday regarding a long-running controversy about governance of the Austin flagship and the job security of its president, Bill Powers.One senator said during the confirmation hearing that he would vote against the nominees because he believes they are "on a mission" to dismiss ...

• First wave of relief workers heads to Oklahoma

  The Austin Fire Department has sent two employees to Oklahoma to help with relief efforts.An engineer, who will help determine whether buildings are safe to search, and a communication specialist will join Texas Task Force 1, said department spokeswoman Michelle Tanzola.As of 7:30 p.m. Monday, both were enroute to the disaster area.The force is an elite search and rescue team at Texas A&M ...

• Cap Metro mulls fare increase

  Capital Metro fares, last raised in 2010 after being static for much of the agency's first quarter-century, could be headed up again.A consultant hired by the transit agency to study fares, including how they compare with those in other comparable cities, recommended Monday that Capital Metro in January increase its weekly and monthly pass prices by 10 to 20 percent, and begin charging ...

• Number of $100000-plus earners jumps 78 percent at Central Texas school districts

  As fast as Central Texas school districts are growing, the number of highly paid administrators is growing even faster.The number of school employees with salaries of more than $100,000 has jumped 78 percent over the past five years, an American-Statesman analysis of data from eight area school districts has ...

• Austin startup Compare Metrics raises $3.5 million for expansion

  An Austin startup that wants to change the way online retailers interact with their customers has raised $3.5 million from investors including Austin Ventures.Compare Metrics, founded in 2012, has developed a software platform that lets websites customize the product content they provide to ...

• Controversial Williamson County elections administrator leaves for Georgia job

  Williamson County Election Administrator Rick Barron, who survived a no-confidence vote earlier this year, submitted his resignation Wednesday. He has announced he has been hired to take over as election administrator for Fulton County, Ga., next month.Speaking via cell phone from Georgia, Barron said his last day in Williamson County will be June 7. His first day in Atlanta is to be June 19. ...

• Suspected tornado devastates small Texas school

  BLANKET, Texas (AP) - A strong storm winds authorities suspect was a tornado smashed the public school complex in a small town in the rolling hills southwest of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The Texas Department of Public Safety reported a tornado about 6 p.m. Monday in Blanket, a town of about 400 residents about 100 miles southwest of Fort Worth. Brown County sheriff's spokeswoman Kim ...

• Police 72-year-old exposed himself to children at mall

  A 72-year-old man was arrested Sunday after police say he exposed himself to children at a Barton Creek Square mall restroom last year, according to an arrest affidavit.James Hughey Rankin of Austin has been charged with indecency with a child (exposure).An 11-year-old boy told police that he was helping his little brother wash his hands at a restroom near the food court on Feb. 23, 2012, when ...

• Report Poverty increasing rapidly in Austin suburbs

  A sobering new report was issued Monday that may have you looking at your neighbor in a completely different way. According to the Brookings Institute, the suburbs have become a new battleground in the war against poverty. At the LBJ Library you can learn about President Johnson's dream of the great society and his war on poverty. The report issued Monday is a warning that the safety net ...

• Event helps injured veterans get benefits

  Veterans injured while on active duty often have to go through a long, complicated process in order to get the disability benefits they're entitled to. According to the Texas Veterans Commission, the average time for getting a decision on a VA claim is 18 to 24 months. Monday, the Texas Veterans Commission teamed up with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for the "Take the ...

• Lake Austin struggles through drought

  Steve Present is a one-man patrol out on Lake Austin, constantly monitor the pesky hydrilla that just doesn't seem to go away. "We're starting to see that hydrilla grow again it's probably about a foot under the water," said Present, whose home is on Lake Austin. "And we've noticed the water temperatures warm up quite a bit so we expect it to bloom here shortly as ...

• Appeals court upholds age limit to carry handguns

  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A federal appeals court has upheld a Texas law that says 18-20-year-olds cannot receive a concealed handgun license.The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that the Texas law limiting handgun licenses is constitutional. Lawmakers had decided that those under 21 were not mature enough to carry concealed handguns in public. The law makes an exception for members of ...

• MoPac lanes closing nightly to prepare for project to add toll lanes

  MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1) will see the first lane closures beginning this week as part of a two-plus year project to widen the expressway and add a toll lane in each direction between Lady Bird Lake and Parmer Lane.The work, surveying and soil sampling, will cause rolling lane closures between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.The only daytime activity, likely to happen next week, will be some helicopter flyovers ...

• Todays MLB starting lineups May 20

  Below are starting lineups that have been made public by the clubs. A lineup is not official until it is handed to the umpire. Additional lineups will be added as they become available: Arizona Diamondbacks: 1. ...

• Interview questions spark criticism possible legal action

  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) - When applying for work, jobseekers generally aren't arent asked about their political, religious, or moral beliefs. In most cases employers know they cant ask those sorts of questions under the U.S. Constitution and equal employment opportunity rules. But Williamson County commissioners dont believe those rules applied when they appointed a new constable. After ...

• Apple avoided billions in taxes congressional panel says

  Timothy D. Cook, Apple's chief executive, is expected to come under sharp questioning at a congressional hearing on Tuesday. By Peninsula Daily News staff via New York Times News ...

• Man charged in South Austin carjacking

  Austin Police have charged a man after they say he and a juvenile suspect carjacked a woman in south Austin. Police say on May 16, a woman was washing her White Infiniti G37 Sport Coupe in a car wash bay in the 6700 block of South Congress Ave when she was approached by two men. Police say 18-year-old David Eduardo Martinez, armed with a gun and a juvenile suspect, armed with a drill, ...

• Lawmakers could face special session

  AUSTIN (KXAN) - One week to go, and the current Texas legislative session will be finished. But that does not mean lawmakers will go home for the summer. All eyes are on Gov. Rick Perry. He could call a "special session" for anything from tax relief to transportation. "Traffic is insane all the time, said Jennifer Hogan, as she sat at a stoplight on the access road of Interstate 35 ...

• Dell again asks investor for more info on buyout proposal

  Dell Inc. is once again asking investor Carl Icahn for more information on his latest proposal to take control of the Round Rock computer maker.Icahn on May 9 made public the outlines of a plan to offer shareholders a special dividend of either $12 in cash or an equal amount of Dell ...

• Zact The best no-contract wireless plan yet

  Is owning a smarthpone smart if the monthly bills put you in the poorhouse? Not so much. Thankfully, a growing number of upstart carriers are trying to make smartphone pricing cheaper and more manageable.Republic Wireless, for example, offers service for just $19 per month, and as I mentioned a couple weeks ago, you ...

• Retiring boomers driving sales of small businesses

  Baby boomers preparing for retirement are driving a surge in small business sales, as they find more potential buyers confident enough in the improving economy to expand their own businesses through acquisitions.In the first three months of the year, the number of sales that closed jumped 56 percent from the same time in 2012, according to BizBuySell.com, an online marketplace for small ...

• Neighbor attacked with knife garden hoe

  Saturday morning had all the elements of an action movie for East Austin resident Nikesha Roberts. There was yelling, swearing, a death threat, a garden hoe, a kitchen knife and -- in the end -- an arrest. The morning started smoothly enough. Roberts was out in front of her home on Colony Park Drive with Teria Tucker, a family member, doing some yard work. According to an affidavit later ...

• Lewis has mixed results in second rehab start

  Currently on a Minor League rehab assignment, Colby Lewis hasn't pitched in the big leagues since last July. (AP) FRISCO, Texas -- Colby Lewis breezed through the first two innings of his rehab start for Double-A Frisco on Monday, retiring all six batters he faced, striking out three of them. The third inning, however, proved much more troublesome for Lewis, who gave up a leadoff home run ...

• More reverse mortgage lending options on tap for retirees

  Senate Joint Resolution 18 would amend the Texas Constitution to authorize the Reverse Mortgage for Purchase program and would enhance consumer disclosure requirements for all reverse mortgage loans in Texas. The Texas House has approved legislation that would expand the scope of reverse mortgage lending in the state to the benefit of retirees, its supporters claim. Senate Joint Resolution 18 ...

• Lawmaker Emerging Tech to get $50 million

  The Texas Emerging Technology Fund will get $50 million to continue operations as part of a budget deal, state Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, said Monday.Gov. Rick Perry requested $69.5 million for each of the next two years, but negotiations between legislative leaders and the governor's office reduced that to $50 million over two years, according to Pitts, who is chairman of the House ...

• Lawmakers restore $4 billion in education cuts

  Texas Gov. Rick Perry said he'll call a special session of the Legislature if they don't pass several key bills. Texas House and Senate budget leaders have reached an agreement to restore about $4 billion of the $5.4 billion in cuts made to public education last session. Though the amount falls short of a complete restoration, Democrats proclaimed the compromise a hard-fought victory ...

• Virgin America goes big for first nerd bird flight

  Virgin America Inc. is rolling out the red carpet, boarding celebrities and an Austin band, and even launching a water cannon salute upon arrival for its first nonstop flight from Silicon Valley to Silicon Hills. The airline's first "nerd bird" flight from San Francisco International Airport to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport lands in the Capital City at 3:35 p.m. tomorrow. ...

• Curriculum system scraps criticized lesson plans

  AUSTIN (AP) A much-maligned curriculum system designed to help teachers adhere to state educational requirements and used by hundreds of school districts across Texas will stop offering lesson plans amid mounting pressure from some conservatives who claimed it was promoting anti-American values. State Sen. Dan Patrick said Monday that the 20-member board overseeing the CSCOPE system will vote to ...

• Payback Member kills bills to get even

  AUSTIN (AP) A member of the Texas House is killing bills authored by a Houston senator in retaliation for her opposition to an exoneration bill. San Antonio Democrat Ruth McClendon quashed two bills on Friday authored by Houston Republican Sen. Joan Huffman. She killed another bill last week. McClendon is angry that Huffman is blocking a vote on the Timothy Cole Exoneration Review Commission. ...

• Austin gas prices hold steady as national numbers jump

  Austin gas prices are 15 cents less per gallon than the same day one year ago. The average price per gallon for gasoline in Austin on Sunday was $3.38, just 0.4 cents less than the week before. Reports from GasBuddy.com show national prices jumping 8.9 cents over the last week to $3.67. Recent increases across the U.S. are breaking records in states such as Nebraska, Minnesota and Kansas, ...

More Austin News