Austin News Archives

Michael Barnes is Entertainment Editor for the Austin American-Statesman. He lives in South Austin with his partner, Kip, two dogs and two cats. via The Austin American-Statesman

“Everybody cares about the money they pay on their electricity bills”

How many mayors does it take sell Texans on a light bulb? Well, five are trying. via KVUE.com

Austin is a vibrant town all year around but when Christmas comes Austin has a few uniquely Austin events to celebrate the holidays. via Buzzle.com

“This story has opened up wounds for a lot of people”

Tommy Brashier of Woodway says that maybe the former University of Texas student accused of killing his daughter in a 1996 drunken driving wreck should be left alone in Lima, Peru, where she lives. via Waco Tribune-Herald

Police continue to search for a man who broke into a Southeast Austin woman's apartment and tried to sexually assault her. via KXAM-TV Austin

DPS troopers are seeking information about a white pickup truck that struck a pedestrian Wednesday night in Hays County. via KXAN-TV Austin

“My wife and I just returned from an eye opening visit to some of the fire-ravaged parts of Southern California”

Michael Barnes is Entertainment Editor for the Austin American-Statesman. He lives in South Austin with his partner, Kip, two dogs and two cats. via Austin American Statesman

Parren Jay Smith was charged with several robberies. Austin police release tape of liquor bandit On Monday, an Austin police sergeant arrested Parren Jay Smith, 25, after police said he attempted to evade them ... via KEYE-TV Austin

Omar L. Gallaga writes about technology culture for the Austin American-Statesman. He's worked for more than nine years at the Austin American-Statesman and edited Technopolis, the newspaper's personal tech ... via Austin American Statesman

“I mean, this is totally a one car wreck, that the driver is totally responsible for everything.”

A case of justice denied, becomes justice delayed. KVUE Defenders Reporter Rudy Koski has exposed several critical missteps in a criminal case that is more than 10 years old. via KHOU-TV Houston

“If you do get a ticket, there's already a warrant out for your arrest. I think that's good enough. I think it's pretty excessive in my opinion.”

If you have an outstanding traffic ticket, you might want to pay it off soon. The Austin City Council could vote to deny vehicle registration to drivers who blow off paying their tickets. via KXAM-TV Austin

Police are looking for a man who tried to sexually assault a woman in her South Austin apartment but fled after her dog bit him. via Austin American Statesman

“She stated that the officer told her that she owed him one, and he wanted to meet her at 1:15 a.m. after he got off duty”

Two Austin police sergeants have been suspended without pay for not completing an investigation of a complaint filed by a woman against another police officer. via Austin American-Statesman

A man was killed early Tuesday morning when the car he was driving ran off Highway 183 in Northwest Austin and crashed into a concrete culvert. via News 8 Austin

"Touted as the "Live Music Capital of the World," the city of Austin, Texas, has a rhythm of its own. via American Chronicle

Travis County and federal authorities are seeking the extradition of a former University of Texas student accused of being drunk when she caused a fatal car wreck eleven years ago. via KDBC

"Now in its 97th year, the Austin Symphony is the pinnacle of cultural events in the Austin, TX area and the beginning of the live music scene that dominates the modern entertainment culture of this vibrant ... via American Chronicle

“This is as serious offense as you see attorneys commit”

An Austin lawyer already facing drug and theft charges is in trouble with the law again, charged with forging judges' signatures on bonds to get his clients out of jail. via KXAN-TV Austin

“This morning, I had an incident with none other than Mayor Will Wynn himself. We were backing a truck into our jobsite. And we stopped traffic for a little bit. Mayor Wynn happened to see it, and he got extremely upset.”

Mayor Will Wynn issued a statement this afternoon confirming he lost his cool when a truck shut down rush-hour traffic on West Fifth Street last month -- he was accused of using "rough language" with ... via KXAM-TV Austin

“Austin Music Hall opens -- almost.”

Michael Barnes is Entertainment Editor for the Austin American-Statesman. He lives in South Austin with his partner, Kip, two dogs and two cats. via Austin American Statesman

“The Austin office is located in the heart of the technology corridor to offer our professional services to the fast growing base of clients and prospects”

The Rand Group, LLC , a leading business solutions provider and recognized as one of the top 100 technology firms in the country, announced today the expansion of its Austin office. via Customer Interaction Solutions

“Faulty guitars ruining 'Rock Band' for early adopters?.”

Omar L. Gallaga writes about technology culture for the Austin American-Statesman. He's worked for more than nine years at the Austin American-Statesman and edited Technopolis, the newspaper's personal tech ... via Austin American Statesman

“If it weren't for artists and the folks that come to a show, I certainly wouldn't be standing here today”

The music has finally returned to a local landmark. Austin Music Hall reopened its doors tonight just six months after the building was torn down. via KVUE.com

“They may walk in today with the thing; I don't know.”

More than a year after her death, former Gov. Ann Richards' grave at the Texas State Cemetery has no permanent marker. via KTXA-TV Fort Worth

“My job is not to look at how the winds are blowing”

It might be years before the shooting last summer of Austinite Kevin Alexander Brown by police Sgt. via Austin American Statesman

“Austin is a vibrant, growing city that's very attractive to the type of people who have ideas and new ways of how to build the progressive movement, and using online technology to do that. Austin was a natural fit.”

The decidedly liberal Texas blogosphere, once content with its role as outsider critic, is finally putting its money where its mouse is. via The Dallas Morning News

“Right now, it looks like a workplace accident”

A 46-year-old man was killed when the dump truck he was working on crushed him, the Travis County Sheriff's Office said. via El Paso Times

A 20-year-old New Braunfels woman was killed Sunday in a rollover accident south of Briggs. via The New Braunfels Herald

“They were working on the truck and it rolled forward and he got caught up underneath it”

A south Austin man is dead after a fatal work site accident. The 46-year-old man was working on a dump truck inside the site around 6:40 when the truck got loose. via KHOU-TV Houston

“People just want to run in and out and think that they can't be a victim”

The holiday season is a popular time for thieves, and every two minutes, a vehicle is burglarized in Texas. via KXAN-TV Austin

“We don't know who displayed a weapon first, but both were armed, and we believe it could be a case of self-defense”

One critically injured in head-on collision A sport-utility vehicle and a pickup collided head-on about 3:40 p.m. Saturday on RM 2244 east of Texas 71 near Senna Hills Drive. via Austin American Statesman

This article discusses Austin, Texas and its vibrant, eclectic music scene, in an effort to help understand why Austin has been called the Live Music Capital of the World. via Buzzle.com

“I think it would be interesting to take a look at what private companies are doing, and the way to do that is to file a bill”

State Rep. Harold Dutton Jr., D-Houston, wants mandatory drug and alcohol testing for drivers who run red lights if their actions cause serious bodily injury or death. via Austin American Statesman

“We appreciate the opportunity we have had at this great institution, to work with this administration. We have made many lasting friendships.”

Dennis Franchione has resigned as Texas A&M's coach --- ending a rocky five-year tenure shortly after the Aggies beat archrival Texas 38-30 . Texas A&M University Dennis Franchione Franchione finished 32-28 at ... via KVUE.com

“You don't have to be handsome or run fast. But if you do well in school, a lot of doors will open for you. "'You will go to college. You will obtain a professional degree and you will succeed.' That was ingrained in us”

Houston seemed like an appealing place for Minh Nguyen to relocate his family from snowy Michigan after a scouting trip in the late 1970s. via MySanAntonio.com

“There's just not any way to insist that a guy from Italy write me a check for three million.”

Someone in Italy may become the new owner of a tiny Texas town. Putting up a winning bid of $3.8 million Friday, an unidentified Italian purchased the 13-acre Central Texas town of Albert through the online ... via Austin American-Statesman

Austin police said they're on the hunt for a man accused of attempting to sexually assault a woman outside her home in South Austin near Lamar and Airport. via KXAN-TV Austin

“Farm Aid 2007: A HOMEGROWN Festival”

In a rare one-on-one interview, HDNet's Dan Rather will talk to country music legend Willie Nelson for the world premiere of "American Voices: A Conversation with Dan Rather and Willie Nelson." The interview ... via WTVH Syracuse

“It is a violation, it is a concern. Do I believe there was any malice involved or ill intent? I don't believe that for a second”

The City of Austin wants more answers regarding the officer-involved shooting of Kevin Brown. via KXAN-TV Austin

Investigators examine wreckage of crash, which left two people dead. The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating a double fatality on Highway 71 near the Granite Ridge Subdivision in Burnet County. via KEYE-TV Austin

Two people died in a collision on Highway 71 near Spicewood in Burnet County on Tuesday morning. via News 8 Austin

The northbound lanes of Interstate 35 at Riverside are shut down Thursday morning after an overnight accident. via KXAN-TV Austin

“The news of Tejano's death has been greatly exaggerated.”

Tejano Music Alive In Hearts of Central Texans I recently blogged about the demise of Tejano Radio in Central Texas. via KEYE-TV Austin

“The prosecuting attorney should get congratulations for promptly getting enough evidence so that we can get them behind bars where they belong”

One suspect was captured in one of the neighbor's backyard. A group of accused shotgun-toting bank robbers is a step closer to facing trial Wednesday night. via KEYE-TV Austin

AUSTIN Stashed in 700 feet of boxes tucked away at the University of Texas lies a detailed look at the case of Timothy McVeigh, the Gulf War veteran who was executed in 2001 for bombing the federal building in ... via Victoria Advocate

“As thousands cheer, Brad Womack denies.”

Michael Barnes is Entertainment Editor for the Austin American-Statesman. He lives in South Austin with his partner, Kip, two dogs and two cats. via Austin American Statesman

A federal grand jury has indicted four men on bank robbery and weapons charges in what police have described as a rare "takeover style" robbery at a Wachovia branch in North Austin on Halloween. via Austin American-Statesman

“I see people smoking crack smoking weed over there, just right in front of everything. They don't even care”

Police conducted an undercover sting operation over the weekend aimed at getting drugs out of one of Austin's most popular tourist areas. via KEYE-TV Austin

“This is an ongoing operation that is conducted by the metrotactical unit to address narcotics concerns in certain parts of the city of Austin.”

An undercover drug bust in Downtown Austin resulted in 40 arrests last week. Police officers posed as drug dealers and buyers at East Sixth and Neches streets , and by the end of the night, most of those ... via KXAN-TV Austin

Four people were killed in two separate accidents early Tuesday morning. The first accident happened on Highway 183 in Southeast Austin just after midnight. via News 8 Austin

Austin can now claim top honors in a new category: the nation's fall allergy capital. via KXAN-TV Austin

A record number of hate crimes happened in 2001, but since then, numbers across the country have slowly decreased. via KXAN-TV Austin

“Lawmakers felt unanimous that immigration is a federal issue”

San Marcos police are looking for a white sport-utility vehicle involved in a hit-and-run wreck on Interstate 35 that killed a 58-year-old Austin man about 1:30 a.m. Sunday. via Austin American-Statesman

A man accused of slaying six people in a cross-country rampage in August could face the death penalty after his indictment in two of the killings. via El Paso Times

An Austin man was killed early Sunday in a hit and run crash in San Marcos. According to city officials, police are searching for a white SUV, possibly a Ford Expedition or Explorer, that fled the scene. via KVUE.com

“We believe that the education and networking opportunities are invaluable to our users and our technical team benefits tremendously from the interaction with our customers.”

REAL Software, a leading developer of cross-platform software for Windows, Macintosh and Linux, is hosting REAL World 2008 to be held in Austin, March 19-21, 2008 at the Omni Hotel. via MacTech

“The reality of life is brutal. I have to accept the hard, cold, cruel truth. People like me have little or no chance for any justice in this country”

George Green, a fired whistleblower who butted heads with state officials for years before collecting a highly publicized $13.7 million settlement in 1995, has more recently been fighting the Internal Revenue ... via MySA.com

“We'd love for Austin to come forward and help us give these cats a nice second chance to live in a loving, clean environment and most of them should be ready in about a week”

Nearly 30 cats seized from a home are now up for adoption at the Austin Humane Society . via News 8 Austin

“The house was a mess, so (the investigators) were evaluating everything to find out what went where”

A man died and another was seriously injured after a shooting early Sunday in southern Travis County. via Austin American-Statesman

Travis County Sheriff's Department detectives are on the scene of an overnight shooting that left one person dead and another with serious injuries. via Austin American Statesman

“Each of us believe in a supreme being, which is our God. And we all today need to be on the same page and work together for peace”

Despite a last-minute change in location Austin's annual Interfaith Thanksgiving service was held as planned. via KVUE.com

San Marcos police are looking for a white sports utility vehicle involved in a fatal hit and run early Sunday near mile marker 199 on Interstate 35 that claimed the life of a 58-year old Austin man. via KVUE.com

Austin police are launching a program to make sure you make it home for the holidays safely. via News 8 Austin

“You could afford to have very low tuitions. And you did”

By HOLLY K. HACKER, KAREN BROOKS and AMY ROSEN / The Dallas Morning News In 1985, nearly 2,000 University of Texas students marched from the Austin campus to the Capitol steps, shouting and waving signs in ... via The Dallas Morning News

“Find a job on campus, maybe dealing with the rec center. Put in a few hour a week.”

Veggie Heaven on the drag has a loyal following. University of Texas Senior Joy Chaing depends on that clientele to pay her way through school. via KVUE.com

Defensive driving is no more a hassle to be a mastered and you can overcome all your barriers like time, place, and money through the Austin-defensivedriving. Defensive Driving Course Online helps you master ... via Press Release News From 24-7 Press Re...

A teenage girl died this morning in a head-on collision near San Leanna, officials said. via Austin American Statesman

“Culture clash, cartoons and clothes.”

Your View is your chance to share your opinion with the Statesman and our readers. via Austin American Statesman

Conversion of Cesar Chavez St. to 2-way starts Monday Last Update: 8:54 am The conversion project is expected to take up to six months. via KEYE-TV Austin

InkSell.com, Texas' largest independent supplier of inkjet and toner cartridges, has opened their 4th store in Austin, Texas. via Customer Interaction Solutions

“AT&T Tilt: Too much of a good thing?.”

Omar L. Gallaga writes about technology culture for the Austin American-Statesman. He's worked for more than nine years at the Austin American-Statesman and edited Technopolis, the newspaper's personal tech ... via Austin American Statesman

“We were coming back from the library - we had picked up some audio books there”

An Austin man who is blind and his service dog are recovering after being hit by a speeding car. via KVUE.com

“We have people that are hurrying trying to get to friends and family or shopping ... and we don't want to see anyone else getting hurt or having any more fatality accidents on the road”

Whether they are going to Grandma's house or gobbling turkey out on the town, drivers and pedestrians need to be safe during the holiday season, law enforcement officials are urging. via Austin American-Statesman

A Round Rock police investigator inspects a shoe at the scene. Body found under car in Round Rock A man is dead after what Round Rock police termed a "bizarre incident." It occurred Thursday morning in the ... via KEYE-TV Austin

Organizers of an Austin interfaith Thanksgiving celebration scrambled to find a new location for the annual event. via KXAM-TV Austin

“Regardless of what's happened, we can fix anything, we can take care of anything. We just need her back home.”

An Austin teen has been missing since Tuesday. A teenage girl from Southwest Austin is missing - nearly two full days after she disappeared from her own yard. via KUT-FM Austin

“Is this the same Robert Black who said in February that Rick Perry 'has always thought that Chris Bell was a very, very decent man'?”

AUSTIN -- Soon after Democrat Chris Bell filed a $2 million lawsuit Thursday against Gov. Rick Perry over fundraising activities during the 2006 gubernatorial campaign, an aide to the Republican governor released a letter written in January in which Bell asked Perry for a job to lobby Congress on behalf of Texas.

The back-and-forth rekindled some of the campaign-style rhetoric that ended just over one year ago, when Perry defeated Bell and two independent candidates to win his second full term as governor. And it signals that the warm words the two political rivals had for each other shortly after the inauguration was probably a one-time occurrence. Read more

The Neville Brothers are returning to New Orleans next year to assume the role they held for more than a decade - the closing act of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. via Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Austin fourth- and eighth-graders again outranked their peers in most other urban districts on national math and reading tests, according to results released today. via Austin American-Statesman

“Unfortunately, construction at the previous conference site will not be completed in time for the conference”

Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals announced today that the Second Annual Caribbean Hospitality Finance and Technology Professionals Conference will be relocated to the Ritz-Carlton Golf & Spa ... via Hospitality Net

“If students are taught well, they will learn”

Students in selected city schools are making modest gains on math and reading tests, but they continue to lag behind their counterparts nationwide, scores released Thursday show. via HendersonvilleNews.com

New details have emerged in the shooting death of a 16-year-old whose body was found in a Southeast Austin field in August. via KVUE.com

“Guillermo stated he felt a hard jolt and thought, 'They ran into me.' ”

Investigators have charged Guillermo Navarro in a hit-and-run wreck that killed two people Sunday. via Austin American-Statesman

“We will do a complete inventory”

The thieves who triggered an alarm Tuesday at a Central Austin gun shop -- and a nine-hour closure of part of Lamar Boulevard as police surrounded the building -- took jewelry and coins, said Joe McBride, the ... via Austin American-Statesman

The SWAT team pulled out, after the situation of a barricaded man inside an apartment ended. via KXAN-TV Austin

Austin's city manager this week approved an independent review of the shooting death of a man in East Austin by an Austin police officer. via KVUE.com

“It may be incompetence. It may be bias. I don't know”

The entry titled "Leach fined $10,000 for comments about refs." Categories Leach fined $10,000 for comments about refs Tuesday, November 13, 2007, 11:37 AM The Big 12 Conference on Tuesday issued a public ...