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Illegal dam in Mason County blocking water from refilling Highland Lakes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:48 GMT

MASON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- A dam that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers say was constructed illegally in Mason County is blocking water from flowing toward the Highland Lakes, which serve as Austin's drinking water supply. NEXT: Houston oil executive wants to build private dam for recreation on South Llano River This new dam came to KXAN's attention following our investigation of a different, proposed private dam on the South Llano River.A hydrologist told KXAN the sudden rise of new dam construction is part of a growing trend statewide, stressing dwindling water resources during a multi-year drought.Mason County residents are concerned"We share the rivers with everybody. We always have," Mason County resident Kathy Zesch-Bradley said. "This land has been in my family since the 1850s, and no one has ever attempted to do this, but especially not having any permits.""Unfortunately, it's a situation where people that have enormous amounts...

What causes "near misses" at airports?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) issued a press release Wednesday evening stating that chronic staffing shortages within the National Airspace Systems (NAS) are "not sustainable" and possibly to blame for near miss events."Currently, there are 1,200 fewer fully certified controllers than there were 10 years ago," the NATCA statement reads, "The effect of that mandatory overtime has been very difficult to the controller workforce on a personal level, denying them time with their families that other Americans take for granted and increasing stress and fatigue in a profession that is already one of the most stressful."The statement comes after reporting by The New York Times about a February near miss at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. February: Austin airport plane incident under Federal Aviation Administration investigation A "near miss event," according to a Merriam-Webster post, refers to proximity of two objects and not the probabi...

Hot Friday, then wonderful fall weather this weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Temperatures spike well above normal values on Friday, then a late-day cold front brings lower humidity, cooler temperatures and wonderful autumn weather for Austin City Limits Music Festival weekend two.We begin Friday with cloudy skies and a bit of mist and drizzle, courtesy of muggy October humidity. A rain-free cold front enters the Hill Country mid-morning, then blows through the Austin area by 3 p.m. Gusty northerly winds drop temperatures and humidity Friday evening after a briefly hot afternoon.Wonderful autumn weather follows the front with mild, sunny days and brisk fall nights into early next week. We are tracking the next storm system set to bring rain and thunderstorms to Texas on Thursday. Stay tuned for updates.Annular solar eclipse SaturdayThe weather looks great for local viewing of the annular solar eclipse midday Saturday. Expect mostly sunny skies, low humidity and cool temperatures. Full information on the eclipse is below: Annular solar eclip...

People concerned about crime, lack of streetlights in San Marcos neighborhood

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:48 GMT

SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) --- People in a San Marcos neighborhood said they are worried about more crime in the area. On Thursday, they will have a chance to speak directly with the San Marcos Police Department about it at a public safety meeting.'It's unsafe'One of those people concerned is George Garcia. He said at night, most of his street in the Blanco Gardens area of San Marcos is pitch black. "The only light that's working is the light that's about five houses down," Garcia said. "It's pretty dark. We usually use flashlights to come out here to go into our car or take out the trash cans the night before."Garcia believed the lack of light contributed to more crime."The crime has been very high," he said. "Breaking into cars, going into backyards, taking bikes, especially bikes, lawn mowers."He said it makes it dangerous for himself and others who leave for work before the sun comes up."There are residents here that work for the school district that are bus drivers and they got t...

Mortgage rates hit 23-year high which may deter some Austin homebuyers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The average long-term mortgage rate has risen to 7.57%, reaching a 23-year high, according to the Austin Board of Realtors. Rates may even breach 8%, increasing the income a family unit would need to earn to comfortably afford a typical home, according to Zillow. At the current rate in Austin, the income needed to afford a typical home is $107,000 annually. If the mortgage rate increases to 8%, a household will need to earn around $114,000 a year to comfortably afford a standard Austin home, according to a Zillow analysis. This prediction is based on the 30% income threshold commonly used as a guideline for homeowners. “The probability that mortgage rates could reach 8% is certainly higher now than it was in months past,” said Claire Losey, the housing economist for the Austin Board of Realtors. “Higher mortgage rates diminish purchase affordability or the homebuyer's potential purchasing power. So, in essence, each increase in the mortgage interest ra...

Heightened traffic congestion expected as annular eclipse passes over Central Texas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Central Texans are in for a celestial phenomenon Saturday as an annular solar eclipse crosses over the state. It'll begin around 10:23 a.m. and culminate at 1:33 p.m., with full annularity and peak darkness set to occur around 11:54 a.m. -- and the Texas Department of Transportation is anticipating plenty of traffic along Central Texas roadways."We're gonna see a lot of traffic, a lot of congestion, so just be ready for it," said Glynda Chu, a public information officer for TxDOT's Austin District. "It's all part of it. But we hope that people will make this a fun event for themselves and their families." RELATED: How to stay safe while driving during annular solar eclipse The optimal viewing point will be in Junction, west of Austin along Interstate 10 or U.S. Hwy. 290, Chu said. TxDOT is stressing to drivers this weekend not to park on the highway or along the shoulder of the roads, adding that would be a safety issue that could impede traffic flow or emergency ...

High school football: With a newfound energy and togetherness, Eastview has found success

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:48 GMT

Wade Buckley took over as Eastview High School football coach in the spring, void of expectations and hoping to simply find his footing and put his imprint on the program after serving as an offensive assistant in each of the previous two seasons.Buckley is just the second coach in program history at the Apple Valley school, taking over for the iconic Kelly Sherwin, who resigned from the position at the end of last season.What, exactly, did Buckley’s imprint look like? You can see it in practice, where senior offensive lineman Roland Roseman said Buckley will line up against him to give him a legitimate pass blocking rep against what would otherwise be empty trash cans.Eastview senior quarterback Grayson Osberg, left, and sophomore running back Drew Bartosh celebrate a Bartosh touchdown run during the Lightning’s 37-0 home victory over Hopkins on Sept. 15, 2023. (Piercen Haehnel / Eastview Football)“The big thing for me was energy. I wanted to bring energy, and with the help o...

Nicholas Kristof: Seeing a moral compass in Gaza’s war

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:48 GMT

The terror attacks by Hamas against civilians who were in their homes and dancing at a concert are being called Israel’s Sept. 11, and that’s a fair comparison.Let’s hope that Israel responds to this outrage more wisely than we in the United States did to the attack on our country.There’s a lot of loose talk about eliminating Hamas, and Hamas deserves it. As a journalist who has traveled repeatedly to Gaza, I’m appalled by the sympathy that some Americans and Europeans have shown for a misogynist and repressive terror organization like Hamas. If you care about human rights, you want to see Hamas eliminated.Yet dismantling terrorist organizations can be harder than it looks and can raise troubling moral questions about collateral damage. The Taliban also deserved elimination, yet in the end it was the United States that was eliminated from Afghanistan. I worry that Israel may charge into Gaza with a ground invasion as thoughtlessly as we plowed into Iraq.Neal Keny-Guyer, a former CEO...

3M opens collision repairs skills development center in St. Paul

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:48 GMT

Standing in front of a cluster of automotive vocational students, Jason Garfoot held up a demonstration panel featuring three swathes of car paint, each one of them a different color and texture.A professional car painter might consider some two dozen material conditions before spraying his paint gun, making prep as important as, if not more so than, the act of painting itself.Engineer Jason Garfoot, center right, demonstrates car paint spraying techniques for vocational students at the new 3M Skills Development Center on Wells Street in St. Paul on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023. (Courtesy of 3M)“On the back of the panel, you’ll write what pressure — how many turns the knobs on your spray gun were to get that texture — and then we mask off half of it and spray it,” said Garfoot, a senior application engineer at 3M with more than 20 years of experience in the field of car painting.“The reason we do that is when you have your texture dialed in, and then y...

Hastings domestic and sexual violence shelter to close next month despite rising demand

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:48 GMT

A domestic and sexual violence shelter in Hastings will close next month due to a lack of funding.The Hastings Lewis House, run by 360 Communities, announced Thursday that it will be closing mid-November and reducing its staff in its violence prevention and intervention programs, according to a news release from the organization.“Resource constraints led us to this difficult decision,” said Jeff Mortensen, president and CEO of 360 Communities, in the release. “Unfortunately, at a time when anti-violence work is needed most, critical funding is not keeping pace with the rising cost of operations.”The two Lewis Houses, one in Hastings and the other in Eagan which will remain open, rely primarily on a grant from the Minnesota Office of Justice Programs.Despite an increase in demand for services and rising costs, the dollar amount of the grant has remained stagnant, according to the release, though 360 Communities did request additional funds to continue its services.The closure of the ...