San Marcos Activity Center closed indefinitely due to water damage

The San Marcos Activity Center at 501 East Hopkins Street will be closed indefinitely because of water damage that occurred in the building early Friday. Officials said the flooding appears to be the result of a 3-inch pipe that disconnected from its coupler, causing several inches of water to cove…

Austin ISD dismisses Texas lawmaker's probe into books on race, sex

The Austin school district is defying a request from a Republican state lawmaker for select school districts to investigate and catalog library and classroom books related to race, gender identity or sexuality. On Friday, district spokesman Jason Stanford said in an email that district officials "d…

Texas records 3,646 hospitalized for COVID; Austin area tracking 135 inpatients with coronavirus

Texas health officials on Friday recorded 3,646 people in the hospital for COVID-19 statewide, or about 26% of the summer peak total of 13,932 on August 26th. Meanwhile Travis County coronavirus data released Friday showed enough improvement in hospital trends for COVID-19 that health officials mai…

Dinosaur statues stolen from Bastrop County museum found at UT fraternity house

Three large dinosaur statues stolen from a dinosaur museum in Bastrop County were found this week at a University of Texas fraternity house. The Dinosaur Park in Cedar Creek wrote in a Facebook post that the statues, which are 6 to 10 feet long, had been stolen last week from their exhibit areas. T…

Texas A&M students sue fraternity for hazing after experiencing alleged severe burns

Two freshmen at Texas A and M University are suing a fraternity after they say they faced “serious” bodily injury when industrial strength cleaner was poured on them. The students, Patrick Close and Jose Figueroa, filed a complaint in state District Court in Harris County against Sigma Alpha Epsilo…

Southwest Austin man, in SWAT standoff after opening fire on city code staff, fatally shot by police

A Southwest Austin man, who had been in a standoff with police after firing a gun from the residence when city code personnel came to cut his lawn, was fatally shot by police after the home caught fire Wednesday afternoon. The man, who was only described by police as being in his 50s, was not immed…

Average Hutto homeowner's taxes will increase by $52 in city's new budget

The average Hutto homeowner will see their taxes increase by about 52 dollars in the city's new budget. The average homestead property in Hutto has increased in taxable value by 16.5 percent, from $208,496.88 last year to $242,978.72 this year. Under the new tax rate, the average homeowner would pa…

Predawn Austin storms bring up to inch of rain, leave thousands without power

Powerful westerly winds buffeted Austin-area neighborhoods Wednesday, rampaging across lawns festooned with Halloween decorations and reportedly damaging trees in Wells Branch and Cedar Park. The gusty winds had been preceded by a fast-moving but noisy wave of thunderstorms that heralded the arriva…

Austin gas prices have hit a 7-year high -- and drivers are feeling the 'painful' sting

Gas prices in Austin have risen to their highest level since 2014, according to industry experts, and local drivers and businesses are feeling the pinch. The cost for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in Austin increased 5 cents in the past week, reaching an average of $2.96 a gallon, according…

New Texas task force aims to boost state's semiconductor industry

Texas is already home to some of the highest levels of semiconductor output in the nation, but as the industry sees unprecedented federal investment, industry leaders want to ensure the Lone Star State remains at the forefront. Governor Greg Abbott has created a semiconductor task force that will w…