Austin News Archives

Emergency crews evacuated the molecular biology building on the UT campus early Sunday night because of a chemical spill.

Five people were shot in front of a Richmond church Sunday as they were setting up for a homeless outreach event, Richmond police Lt.

Students from Albion College and surrounding areas are coming together to help raise money for the Ruth Ellis Center, a homeless youth center in Highland Park, Michigan.

Saturday, March 29, 2008 :: infoZine Staff What do children in daycare, high school athletes participating in contact sports, intravenous drug users and prisoners and all have in common? Chicago, IL - infoZine ...

A 3.5million flagship homeless project has opened in Darwen. The James Street Project, situated between James Street and Bury Street near the town centre, is a supported housing scheme for single homeless ...

Austin Police Department's helicopter is keeping an eye on Austin from above. A recent audit said keeping the helicopter in the air, isn't worth the money Austin taxpayers shell out.

The City of Austin's ordinance that bans solicitation on certain roadways has been ruled unconstitutional by a Travis County judge.

Four Texas metro areas, including Austin, are among the biggest population gainers as Americans continued moving to the Sun Belt in 2006 and 2007.

On Wednesday, we could learn how much tuition is going to go up at the University of Texas.

“Maybe that will urge others to do it.”

Wacky bras auctioned for charity GLENDALE , Calif., March 24 -- "Twin Peaks Bra" and "The Great Bra of China" were featured creations at this year's Soroptimist "Bras for a Cause" fundraiser in Glendale, Calif. via Daily India

When Sheri Moos sees the purple scars on her thighs, she worries she may have passed along her superbug to cancer patients while in hospital last summer.

An Austin Police officer and two former officers appeared in a federal courtroom Monday. via News 8 Austin

One-fifth of New Jersey's families don't earn enough to adequately support themselves, up from 16 percent in 2000, according to a Rutgers University report .

In the mind of Irish-born Ed Molloy, who spent the last years of his life living in a shack with his cat named Mama, he was not homeless but a traveler.

No place to call home The number of children in schools who are considered homeless has increased statewide and locally in recent years.

Manslaughter, rape, assault. A recent spate of allegations against police officers on the outskirts of New York City has raised fears that a big-city problem has invaded the suburbs.

“This is transformational for our brand”

What in the name of Colonel Harland Sanders is going on at KFC? The chain built by his secret recipe for fried chicken is about to give equal billing to, gulp, grilled chicken. via Bradenton Herald

“A lot of the bluebonnets have germinated, and they're just kind of waiting to get bigger.”

They're bright, blue and beloved. And they're barely starting to show themselves in small patches along highways. via Austin American Statesman

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

Fairbanks is looking to Austin, Texas, for inspiration on how to revitalize Alaska's second largest city. via KLTV Tyler

Travis County District Attorney Ronald Earle released a statement Friday announcing the indictment of a former police officer. via News 8 Austin

“But, no, I'm not resigning. I don't do what Austin tells me to do.”

A proposed detention facility for suspected illegal immigrants was labeled a "holding pen for wetbacks" on a public meeting agenda written by a rural city council member. via Austin American-Statesman

In Friday's briefs, Carole Keeton Strayhorn said a run for Austin mayor isn't out of the realm of possibility and more. via KXAN-TV Austin

“It was pretty shocking and unbelievable”

Three police officers cleared in a brutal beating must now face their accuser again in court. via KVUE

“So that does a pretty good job on everything except what's on the high shelves in your closet.”

City officials added 10 flood warning gauges Friday to measure the height and speed of creeks. via KXAN-TV Austin

AUSTIN, Texas - Silicon Laboratories Inc. , a leader in high-performance, analog-intensive, mixed-signal ICs, today announced the expansion of its best-in-class small form factor microcontrollers with the ... via Earth Times

“It was our first bit of hope that maybe things are not as bad as we think they are, cause we did think all kinds of things, bad things”

A 79-year-old Austin woman was OK when she was found about 10 p.m. Thursday, her son reported. via KXAN-TV Austin

Searchers found the body of a missing camper in Lake Travis after she apparently fell off a cliff near her family's campsite in Pace Bend Park. via KAUZ

“When I look at the University of California with eight or nine top-tier research institutions, I am sure that is a selling point. We have one (UT-Austin).”

RESOURCES Texas Tech University President Jon Whitmore is one of three finalists for president of Portland State University, Oregon officials said Thursday. via Houston Chronicle

“I should have said 'illegal aliens' or something like that”

A City Council member has called for a town official's resignation after he used a racial slur in documentation that ended up on the Texas Secretary of State's Web site. via KXAN-TV Austin

A man wanted for 11 years in a Northeast Austin shooting death has been arrested after a tipster told police the suspect was living in Austin. via KVUE.com

Warneta Overton has been missing since March 18. Austin police are on the lookout for an elderly woman who has been missing fro two days Family say Warneda Overton, 79, was last seen around 4 p.m. on Tuesday at ... via KEYE-TV Austin

“She does have a few medical problems, and that is concerning to us with the temperature tonight”

Search and rescue crews Thursday combed Pace Bend Park, west of Austin on Lake Travis, for a woman who disappeared while camping overnight. via KVUE.com

High school seniors who graduate in the top 10 percent of their class are continuing to make up a big chunk of the incoming freshmen at the University of Texas at Austin. via KEYE-TV Austin

“This is, in fact, a sad day for us”

Two high-ranking Austin police officials were punished Monday following a discrimination complaint from a female officer. via KXAN-TV Austin

Austin Assistant City Manager Michael McDonald is questioning the Austin Fire Department chief's leadership. via KXAN-TV Austin

An attorney for Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick has reversed himself on a political contribution from his client. via KVIA

“To play a role and to become somebody in a soldier's family's life, in this time period is quite special”

A Central Texas mother received a gift Monday from someone she's never met. Nanette West's son, Kile, was killed in action in Iraq on Memorial Day, 2007. via KEYE-TV Austin

Police are investigating the area's seventh and eighth bank robberies of the year. via News 8 Austin

“Montford is a trusted public servant who has been pro-active throughout her career working to see that justice prevails regardless of a person's political, personal or professional position is in this community”

Mindy Montford, candidate for Travis County District Attorney More political coverage The Travis County sheriff has endorsed candidate Mindy Montford in the District Attorney runoff in Travis County. via KEYE-TV Austin

“Bottom line - it's our drinking water and it'll be seriously negatively impacted if they move forward with any of these plans”

The fight over a proposed landfill in eastern Travis County spread to the Travis County Commissioners Court Tuesday, but County Judge Sam Biscoe and three of four commissioners didn't seem interested in joining ... via KVUE.com

This is a close up from the bank's surveillance camera. More Austin Coverage Austin police are investigating a Tuesday morning bank robbery in North Austin. via KEYE-TV Austin

A California-based chain of bowling alleys, Lucky Strike Lanes, will open its first Texas location in the West 7th development on the city's near west side, as will a small neighborhood gourmet market by the owners of Dallas City Market.

The retailers were among a list of tenants announced Wednesday for the urban- village development on the south side of West Seventh Street just before University Drive. The West Seventh address will be the first Fort Worth locations for many of the retailers. West 7th is slated to open in the fall of 2009. Read more

“This is in fact a sad day for us”

Tornado watch has been issued for the Hill Country until 2 a.m. Flash Flood watch until 1 p.m. Tuesday. via KEYE-TV Austin

“The preliminary ruling is that Mr. Booth died of natural causes as a result of his numerous medical problems”

A man in jail charged with murdering a disabled woman in his care has died from what appeared to be natural causes, according to the Travis County Sheriff's Office. via KXAN-TV Austin

“They are going to tear those buildings down and put new apartments on that whole block”

An Illinois-based developer is knocking down two blocks of Old East Dallas apartments to make way for a new project. via The Dallas Morning News

“SXSW LimeWire party at Club DeVille.”

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

“Walla'. Two additional SeeqPod widgets include the 'NanoSeeqer', a compact, easy-to-embed player with search and discovery capabilities, and the 'PicoSeeqer”

EMERYVILLE, Calif. & AUSTIN, Texas -- -- SeeqPod Inc, the 'Playable Search' company, today announced the introduction of its HollaWalla music wall widget. via Customer Interaction Solutions

For the previous five days, Austin's been at the center of the film universe thanks to South by Southwest . via KEYE-TV Austin

For the 26th year, the Austin Music Awards were the official kick-off event for the South By Southwest Music Festival. via KXAM-TV Austin

“It's the same sacrifice that thousands of Americans are now dealing with in their own homes, young people who went to war and came home with life altering injuries.”

Real life tragedies like the war in Iraq come to life in film. A unique film looks at the aftermath of soldiers who have fought in the war. via KXAM-TV Austin

“Crushcrushcrush") and older (at least for them) songs, like "Woah”

Pharrell Moshes It Up With N.E.R.D. , Paramore Get Back On Track: South By Southwest '08 Paramore shake off breakup rumors with tight set; Pharrell shows he loves the stage as much as the studio. via VH1 News

Central Texas shines on the big screen in the soon-to-be released military drama Stop-Loss . The film made its Texas premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival Thursday night. via News 8 Austin

“SXSW music showcast: Tremor at Ninety Proof.”

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 NLI Media Group is offering $20,000.00 in services to a Central Texas entrepreneur with a vision that encourages economic growth in the region.

An elderly man suffered serious injuries when he was struck by a vehicle this morning on the 400 block of West St. via Austin American Statesman

“That's the best button on the computer, as far as I'm concerned. Don't even open anything like that. If they do happen to use an email address you're not familiar with, and you open it and it is that, just go ahead and hit the delete button.”

An email scam is making the rounds, and the Austin Police Department wants people to know it's a fake. via News 8 Austin

“Officer Tipton not only operated a motor vehicle while intoxicated, but he took law enforcement action and posed a substantial liability to this department, the general public and safety of his fellow officers”

An Austin Park Police officer has quit instead of being fired after authorities said he was drunk while on duty last month. via Austin American Statesman

A Leander man was sentenced in Williamson County to 25 years in prison today for driving while intoxicated and evading arrest. via Austin American Statesman

The man was hit by the car in the 800 block of E. Parmer Ln. Austin police are looking into a deadly collision that happened late Tuesday night in North Austin. via KEYE-TV Austin

“Most people thought the most effective thing in getting them and others to pick up the poop is peer pressure”

The City of Austin kicked off a new campaign Friday to help clean up the water at Bull Creek Park. via KVUE.com

“It's not like getting sent to -- no offense -- Toronto.”

Law and Order star Mariska Hargitay walked the red carpet Friday night, accepting an award for her mother, Jane Mansfield. via KEYE-TV Austin

“But she also is a 22-year-old, not a 32-year-old or a 42-year-old, and she obviously got involved in something much larger than her.”

She left a broken home on the Jersey Shore at 17, spent time in Austin and came to New York City to work the nightclubs as a rhythm-and-blues singer. via WFAA-TV Dallas

“I'm embarrassed. Todd's embarrassed.”

More... AUSTIN, Texas -- A veteran legislative aide to a Texas state senator has resigned over allegations that he impersonated a state representative and a newspaper reporter in politically motivated schemes. via Dayton Daily News

Civil Air Patrol officials have found the body of a missing Austin pilot at the wreckage of his plane near Giddings. via Austin American-Statesman

“Do you want to Live or Die? Get back to us now if you would eb able [sic] to meet up with our demand in other [sic] to spare your life.”

A rainy Monday with some thunderstorms is in store for the Austin area. Click here to see the latest Doppler radar. via KEYE-TV Austin

South by Southwest, one of the premiere entertainment festivals in the nation, begins in Austin Friday. via KEYE-TV Austin

The owners of the Littlefield Building are responsible for the 4,200-gallon oil spill into Waller Creek in January. via KXAM-TV Austin

“We also did have a huge brand problem”

The cause and damages are unknown at a tire store that erupted into flames overnight in East Austin. via KXAM-TV Austin

“I think we're going to have to search 'em out now.”

Voters sign in during the Democratic caucus in Precinct 437 in Austin's south side Tuesday, March 4, 2008, in Austin, Texas. via HendersonvilleNews.com

Authorities announced Thursday that they have brought down two key players in the Mexican Mafia prison gang and seized weapons and drugs. via KXAN-TV Austin

“It's a great vision, it's a grand vision, I would love to see it happen, but at the same time as a council member we have to make sure we do it right and especially when it's going to be future councils that are going to have to inherent this”

Austin city leaders decide to give Villa Muse forty years worth of tax breaks, but the deal still has to be negotiated. via KVUE.com

If you are looking to add a four-legged friend to your family, now could be the best time.

Detectives are trying to get the word out to Austin-area residents there is an e-mail scam in which the recipient is notified he or she is about to be a murder victim.

It was a busy weekend in Austin with the South by Southwest Festival in full swing.

I woke up this morning feeling like I had been run over by a truck.

After being in the works for 16 years, the Long Center for the Performing Arts will open its doors to the public for the first time Thursday, beginning at 6 p.m. This will kick off a four-day event that ...

A cold front is just about to move through Austin, bringing with it some chilly weather, some much-needed rain and maybe some thunderstorms for the rest of the day, according to the National Weather Service.

JAKARTA : Like dozens of others at the streetside ceramics market in north Jakarta, Neslon had been selling dishes out of a small kiosk in the shadow of a highway for more than 30 years.

Buy products from local farmers - help farmers all over the Midwest. The Churches' Center for Land and People is hosting a winters farmers market and brunch Saturday at Ortmayer Hall, 409 E. Court St., ...

Austin Mayor Will Wynn has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor assault charge stemming from a 2006 incident.

A just-released update on voting in the Texas Democratic caucuses shows Barack Obama gaining ground.

Precinct 106 voters swarm around a table to sign in during the Democratic caucus the Transitional Learning Center on 15th Street in Galveston on Tuesday evening after primary polls closed.

Texas guard D.J. Augustin drives around Damir Suljagic during the first half of the Longhorns' 83-80 loss in Lubbock.