More than 30 percent of Austin Energy customers didn’t have power Wednesday as a winter storm continued to roll through Central Texas, causing ice to accumulate on power lines, utility poles and tree limbs. The electric utility says crews are working to fix the outages – which have grown throughout the day – but icy […]
KUT News
Posted inAustin
Winter storm warning in Austin area extended through Thursday morning; road conditions worsen
Lee esta historia en español. The National Weather Service extended a winter storm warning in Central Texas until Thursday morning. Previously, the warning, which began Monday, was scheduled only through Wednesday afternoon, but NWS is now anticipating freezing rain through Wednesday night. Ice has accumulated on roadways, making driving dangerous. The Texas Department of Transportation is treating […]
Posted inElections
Submit your questions and join us for forums with the candidates running for Austin City Council
Ahead of early voting for this November’s elections, KUT and the Austin Monitor will host forums with the candidates running for five seats on City Council. If you’re not sure, you can find out if you live in a Council district that’s up for grabs this year here. Tune in to find out what the candidates […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Texans will decide on eight constitutional amendments this election. Here’s what they mean.
Lee esta historia en español. This Nov. 2 election, Texans have the chance to vote on eight amendments to the state constitution. What would each amendment actually do? Read our voter guide below to find out. Early voting began Monday and ends Oct. 29. State of Texas Proposition 1 What it says: “The constitutional amendment authorizing […]
Posted inAISD
Austin ISD gets B overall from TEA, sees failing grades at some middle and elementary schools
By Claire McInerny & Jimmy Maas Report cards are out, and the Austin Independent School District received a preliminary grade of B for the 2018-19 school year from the Texas Education Agency. But the district also received failing grades at elementary and middle schools in the TEA’s first-ever evaluation of individual schools. Read all of […]
Posted inUncategorized
You’ll soon be able to drive faster in MoPac’s express lanes
Drivers using the MoPac Expressway express lanes may get where they’re going a little faster with new speed limits. The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority board voted yesterday to raise the top speed from 65 to 70 mph in its express lanes. The board also raised minimum speed limits on the variable toll lanes to […]
Posted inAISD
Here are the new names proposed for Austin ISD buildings tied to Confederate figures
The Austin Independent School District’s board of trustees is scheduled to vote Oct. 22 on the proposed new names for four AISD buildings named for Confederate figures. After a long dispute about whether the buildings commemorated the state’s struggle with racism and inequity, the board voted 7-2 in February to change the names. The buildings […]
Posted inAustin
With plastic bag ban in the trash, Austin pushes campaign on reducing waste
Austin says it is still committed to reducing plastic waste despite a Texas Supreme Court ruling last month that forced it to end its ban on single-use plastic bags. The city says it’s continuing efforts toward its Zero Waste goal, a plan by the City Council to keep 90 percent of discarded materials out of […]
Posted inCourts
Court orders Council to put CodeNEXT petition on the ballot
A district judge has ordered City Council to put a petition on the November ballot that, if passed, would require Land Development Code rewrites, such as CodeNEXT, to be approved by voters. The judge ruled that Council has a duty to put the measure on the ballot in November. To be clear, voters will not be […]
Posted inPolice
Brian Manley is the sole finalist to lead the Austin Police Department permanently
Austin is one step closer to getting a new police chief. City Manager Spencer Cronk said Brian Manley is the sole candidate to take over the reins at the Austin Police Department. Manley served as the longtime second-in-command to his predecessor, Art Acevedo, and was tapped to serve as interim chief after Acevedo’s departure in […]
Posted inPublic Safety
‘It seems like it can be anything now’: Austinites react as bombings continue
Kyle and Joycelyn Olson keep a whiteboard on the refrigerator in their East Austin home. They used to use it for things like planning dinner, but these days it has another purpose. “What we’ve done now is we start to write down what day packages are supposed to arrive and when, even possibly noting the […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Secure the scene and search for a signature: How the ATF investigates bombings
The Austin Police Department is the public face of the investigation into the four bombings in the city this month. But behind the scenes, the APD is getting help from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI. Alain Stephens, an investigative reporter with the Texas Standard, has been speaking on background […]