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What to know about Austin Trail of Lights parking before heading out

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — After receiving reports of last-minute parking lot closures and traffic issues at the Austin Trail of Lights this weekend, KXAN reached out to event organizers for details behind the alleged problems, and ways the holiday display is prepping for possible weather impacts ahead of forecasted rain later this week.The Polo Field parking area at Zilker Park closed Friday due to afternoon rain. A spokesperson for the Austin Trail of Lights told KXAN all visitors who had purchased parking passes for Friday evening "were alerted by email of the field closure and a forthcoming parking pass refund." The spokesperson added news of the parking lot closures were posted to the event's social media channels, along with other parking options available. How to get to, from Austin’s Trail of Lights this holiday season "[I]f the Polo Field parking area at Zilker Tree is closed or sold out, guests should be aware there is limited, pre-paid parking available at Austin High School, on t...

LIVE: Gov. Abbott signs border security bills into law at wall construction site

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:48 GMT

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (Nexstar) — Gov. Greg Abbott is in the Rio Grande Valley Monday, where he's expected to sign border security bills passed during the third and fourth special legislative sessions.Earlier this month the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 3, a measure that will send $1.5 billion toward further construction of a border wall along the 1,200 mile Texas-Mexico border. In November, state lawmakers also approved Senate Bill 4, which makes it a state crime to enter Texas illegally, giving state and local law enforcement the ability to arrest those who cross between ports of entry. SB 4 will also allow Texas police to effectively deport those who cross illegally, through an order obtained by a state judge. Currently, that is a power solely reserved for federal authorities.Abbott is expected to sign both SB 3 and SB 4 into law, as he previously indicated on social media, calling it “historic progress for border security.”Supporters of the bills say they are necessary steps...

Texas Longhorns flip nation's No. 2 safety recruit Xavier Filsaime from Florida Gators

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the early signing period for Division I football closes in, the Texas Longhorns flipped a 5-star recruit from a future Southeastern Conference opponent.According to Mike Roach of 247Sports, McKinney's Xavier Filsaime switched his commitment from the Florida Gators to the Texas Longhorns on Monday, two days before the early signing period begins Wednesday. LBJ graduate Andrew Mukuba transferring from Clemson to Texas Filsaime is considered one of the top defensive back recruits in the nation by 247Sports, ranked No. 2 in the country at safety and No. 7 overall in Texas. Filsaime told Roach that after Gators defensive back coach Corey Raymond was fired, he started to rethink his commitment and eventually chose Texas because he wants to be closer to home and, "I know I'm going to be surrounded by guys who want to win."Filsaime plans to enroll early at Texas and participate in bowl practices, Roach said.The Longhorns jumped up a spot to No. 5 in the 247Sports team r...

Year after year, most Texas police departments report zero hate crimes. Here’s why.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:48 GMT

AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) -- Bertha Germany was looking after the children at her day care when her neighbor called. She needed to come home immediately. Someone had vandalized her home.After closing, she zipped across Texarkana, the northeast Texas town divided by the state’s boundary with Arkansas. As she pulled up, she saw a racial slur derogatory to Black people and the image of male genitalia spray painted across the side of her house.“It kind of frightened me a bit,” said Germany, who is Black. Why had she been singled out?Charles Norton, a neighbor who owns a power washing business, offered to remove the graffiti. Moved by the offer, Germany made a Facebook post recounting the incident. The post spread and neighbors who also had been vandalized contacted her.They were all Black.It didn’t take long for the police to arrest two suspects — Taylor Carrell, 22, of Bloomburg, and Charlie Dillard, Jr., 17, of Longview — who turned themselves in for the May 2021 crime wave. The men,...

Leander teenager dead after suspected fentanyl overdose

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:48 GMT

LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) — A teenage student at the Leander Independent School District died following a suspected fentanyl poisoning, the Williamson County Sheriff's Office said Monday."This devastating incident serves as a poignant reminder that the specter of drugs looms not only on the outskirts of our neighborhoods but permeates through the hallways of our educational institutions," a Williamson County Sheriff's Office statement read in part. "In the face of this tragedy, we are compelled to rally together as a community to take decisive action in educating our students about the inherent dangers and working collaboratively to ensure their safety."The Williamson County Overdose Task Force is a local coalition that works on communitywide efforts to educate residents on the dangers of illicit substances like fentanyl and to help minimize overdoses and fatalities. That task force includes local organization members such as Texas Against Fentanyl, Bluebonnet Trails Community Services,...

35 anglers rescued from Upper Red Lake after ice separates from shore

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:48 GMT

WASKISH TOWNSHIP — Thirty-five anglers on Upper Red Lake have been rescued after being stranded on a large piece of ice that broke away from shore on Sunday evening.At around 4:50 p.m., Kelliher Fire and Rescue officials and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources received a report that numerous people had become stranded on an ice chunk that detached from shore on Upper Red Lake.According to Beltrami County Chief Deputy Jarrett Walton, initial reports indicated an estimated 40-50 people were stranded and the ice had approximately 40-50 feet of open water separating it from the main ice connected to shore.“Strong winds caused the ice to shift,” Beltrami County Public Information Officer Chris Muller said in a release. “Upper Red Lake is a very popular fishing destination, frequently utilized before ice is stable resulting in the need to rescue people either from falling through the ice or floating on ice floats.”A similar incident happened last year on Upper Red Lake in late N...

Adult-use cannabis application window closes today

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:48 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)-- For the past two months, those wanting to get in on New York’s cannabis industry have had the opportunity to apply for an adult-use license— whether it be for cultivation, processing, distribution, retail dispensary, or microbusiness. "We don’t yet know, what the final numbers are going to be, but we did see from the first application window that closed on November 17th, we received over 2,000 applications through that window and we are expecting significantly more for this round," explained  John Kagia, Director of Policy at the Office of Cannabis Management. According to Kagia, licenses will be given to applicants based on a randomized drawing.   "We’re expecting that we'll be able to start issuing these licenses as we get into the second part of January 2024."The Office of Cannabis Management said there is a 30-day window for applicants to make adjustments if selected.Lauren Rudick, of Rudick Law Group, said she has been busy helping applicants increase th...

U.S. Marshals make arrest in East St. Louis nightclub murder

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:48 GMT

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Last Friday, United States Marshals made an arrest in connection with a fatal shooting at an East St. Louis, Illinois, nightclub.The shooting happened on July 24, 2023, at a business in the 600 block of Martin Luther King Drive. The victim, Ryan Morton of Cahokia Heights, had been shot and rushed to an area hospital, where he later died from his injuries. Morton was 43.The East St. Louis Police Department requested the help of the Illinois State Police to investigate the crime. Police cruiser crashes into south St. Louis City bar overnight Over the next five months, agents with the ISP's Public Safety Enforcement Group identified a suspect and presented the matter to the St. Clair County State's Attorney's Office for charges.The suspect, Robert Palmer, was arrested in Hazelwood, Missouri, on December 15. Palmer, 38, is awaiting extradition back to Illinois, where he'll face charges of first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon.

Storied US Steel to be acquired for more than $14B by Nippon Steel

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:48 GMT

U.S. Steel, the Pittsburgh steel producer that played a key role in the nation's industrialization, is being acquired by Nippon Steel in an all-cash deal valued at approximately $14.1 billion.The transaction is worth about $14.9 billion when including the assumption of debt. The combined company will be among the top three steel-producing companies in the world, according to 2022 figures from the World Steel Association.The price tag for U.S. Steel is nearly double what was offered just four months ago by rival Cleveland Cliffs. U.S. Steel, which rejected that offer, confirmed the offering price from Nippon early Monday.That tie-up would have created one of the top four outside of China, which dominates global steel production. U.S. Steel executives were asked about a potential pushback from U.S. regulators over security concerns on Monday. Police cruiser crashes into south St. Louis City bar overnight “This is going to increase competition here in the United States with a gr...

West Highland restaurant owner launching Wheat Ridge food truck park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:48 GMT

Blaine Baggao started a food truck and opened a brick-and-mortar site. Now, he’s combining the two.The 38-year-old restaurateur behind Adobo in West Highland, which serves Filipino and Mexican food, is launching a food truck park in Wheat Ridge at the end of the month.“I respect the hell out of my industry and want to give them something where they can feel like they’re at home … as opposed to just showing up and being a nice amenity,” Baggao said.MoonRise Garden Bar will operate on a 20,000-square-foot lot at 6875 W. 38th Ave. It will hold up to four food trucks, including Adobo’s, and a bar. Baggao’s long-time bartender and friend Dylan Zarett is creating the drink menu and managing the bar.“It’s really the best of the best coming together, the Justice League of food trucks,” Baggao said.MoonRise will have both permanent and rotating trucks. Baggao said he’s gotten a lot of interest but hasn’t set rates or committed to any trucks yet.Baggao said David Heller, who owns the former g...