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City of Austin overtime pay soars over $112 million in 2022

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:30 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — City of Austin overtime payments jumped 30% in fiscal year 2022 – exceeding $112 million in all – driven mostly by public safety, emergency services and utilities, according to city data obtained by KXAN.The Austin Police Department paid the most overtime of any city department. APD employees clocked over 537,000 hours of overtime last fiscal year at a cost of more than $34.7 million. Two APD officers’ ample use of overtime placed them in the top five highest-paid employees in the city.The top five city employees who received the most in salary and overtime combined – were Austin Energy General Manager Jackie Sargent, whose salary was $403,000; City Manager Spencer Cronk whose salary was $350,000; an Austin-Travis County EMS captain who earned $348,000 by working an additional 3,500 hours of overtime; an APD detective who earned over $339,000 with over 2,700 hours of overtime; and another APD officer who made $315,000 with over 2,700 overtime hours, city data shows. ...

New Braunfels High School teacher arrested, accused of improper relationship with student

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:30 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for March 8, 2023.NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas (KXAN) -- A New Braunfels High School teacher was arrested this week and faces a charge of improper relationship between an educator and student. Bryant Shephard, 41, was arrested Tuesday after New Braunfels Independent School District officials alerted the New Braunfels Police Department that he was "observed having inappropriate contact with a female student while on campus," according to a press release from the City of New Braunfels. An attorney is not listed online for him.According to the release, NBISD officials notified NBPD of the incident on Thursday, March 2, and detectives immediately began their investigation, which led to the arrest warrant. The warrant was served by members of the US Marshal’s Lone Star Fugitive Task Force.New Braunfels High School Principal Chris Smith said in a letter sent to parents and guardians on March 2 that ...

Tips to navigate Austin's airport during the busy spring festival season

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:30 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — If you're planning on traveling through Austin's airport this spring season, you'll be in good company. Airport officials are anticipating a record March, spurred on by a busy event season.Thousands are expected in Austin for SXSW, which starts March 10. Other events, such as Dell Match Play, NASCAR and Texas Relays are expected to draw large crowds this month, followed by the CMT Awards on April 2."We’re excited for the return of Spring Travel Season," said Towanda Cordon, the airport's acting deputy chief of operations. "AUS has taken steps to prepare the airport for the influx of travelers during March and April by coordinating with airlines and other on-airport partners to ensure we are staffed appropriately for the period. We ask that passengers plan ahead, arrive early, use our tips and pack their patience as our teams prepare for their arrival."Last year, more than 1.8 million passengers flew out of AUS in March, a new record high for the month, and at the tim...

NFL player KJ Osborn helps rescue man from burning car in Austin

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:30 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A professional football player helped pull a man out of a burning car following a crash early Monday morning in Austin.KJ Osborn, a wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings, and three other people got the driver out of the wrecked car, with flames pouring from the hood, after it hit a pillar around 2:30 a.m. Monday. Osborn was in a rideshare when his driver saw the car crash. He posted pictures of the wrecked car and everyone who helped get the man out of the car. MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newsletters"Most of the time the saying goes, 'wrong place wrong time,'" Osborn tweeted. But this time I believe God and me, us, at the right place at the exact right time."Osborn said it was a "situation I'd never imagine being a part of in a million years." He told the story on "The Adam Schefter Podcast," shortly after it happened."When we went up to the car, and I was t...

3 years later: These are healthcare lessons learned in Austin from the COVID-19 pandemic

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:30 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — This month marks three years since the coronavirus pandemic led to wide-scale closures and public health protocols in the Austin-Travis County region and beyond. Since then, Austin-based healthcare entities and public health officials have adapted their business models and responses, informed by lessons learned during the pandemic.How COVID testing companies have adapted healthcare approachesAustin-based Curative rose to prominence during the pandemic as a mass-COVID-testing facility and, later, assisted with vaccinations, said its CEO Fred Turner. The business began with seven employees and scaled up to more than 7,000 in its first year in operations, in a response to testing demands, Turner said. From his experience during the pandemic, Turner said COVID-19 revealed flaws in the healthcare system. Now that Curative has shuttered its testing operations, the company has pivoted and launched a new Curative health plan, available in Austin. TOP STORY: City of Austin ...

Remarkable Woman Anne Drane builds sustainable connection between women in Kenya and Central Texas

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:30 GMT

DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas (KXAN) — About 30 miles outside of Austin, in a quaint Dripping Springs neighborhood, a transformative project is taking place that is changing the lives of women in Kenya. It’s happening in Anne Drane’s home. She’s the co-founder and CEO of non-profit Sawa Sawa.  “It’s one of those things you say all the time in Swahili. It means 'it's going to be OK' or 'equal equal' — Sawa Sawa,” Drane said. The organization’s mission is to empower artisan women in Kenya to make a sustainable living by harnessing ancient craftmanship in weaving, beading and art. A woman in Sawa Sawa making products for the non-profit. (Courtesy Sawa Sawa)Sawa Sawa started as a hobby in 2014, when Drane moved to Texas from her native Kenya. “I wanted a few things from home, so I told my mom to go to the villages and get me the authentic Kenyan stuff,” Drane explained. She said the women, from poor, remote villages in Kenya, would walk for miles to sell th...

Motorcyclist pronounced dead after crashing in west Austin

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:30 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for March 8, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A motorcyclist died after crashing in west Austin Wednesday morning. Austin-Travis County EMS and the Oak Hill Fire Department responded to the crash shortly after 8 a.m. on Southwest Parkway between Hwy. 71 and Barton Creek Boulevard. The crash involved a single motorcycle with one patient who was unresponsive when first-responders arrived, according to ATCEMS. The patient was pronounced dead on the scene. ATCEMS said drivers should expect delays and road closures in the area and choose alternate routes.

Pipeline providing drinking water could fail again, official says

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:30 GMT

LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) -- An underwater pipeline that is vital in the process of converting raw water from Lake Travis to drinkable water for three cities could continue to experience disruptions, the general manager for the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority said. "I sincerely wish we were not here tonight once again to talk about the pipeline failure in our raw water line," Karen Bondy, the general manager for BCRUA, said during a board meeting on Feb. 22. The 36-inch pipe separated on Feb. 14, causing the water treatment plant to stop its output of drinkable water to Leander, Round Rock, and Cedar Park. The disruption caused residents in Leander to face water restrictions as the problem was being fixed. A history of failures The pipeline was installed in 2011 and did not have its first disruption until December 2020. The problem was fixed and the utility initiated a survey on the pipe. The survey found there were vulnerable areas along the pipeline, and the utility started c...

Police tag dozens of abandoned cars in east Austin neighborhood

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:30 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department (APD) has issued violations to multiple auto shops, mechanics and tow companies for abandoned vehicles in east Austin. After the APD district representative for the area received a complaint about the vehicles - which included cars, trailers and boats - officers went to the area of Hudson and Darby Streets and found the vehicles in the right-of-way.The public right-of-way is defined as any public thoroughfare such as a street, road or alley. It typically also includes medians, sidewalks, and any area immediately adjacent to a street. APD tagged dozens of cars in the area of Hudson and Darby Streets on March 1, according to the department. (KXAN Photo/Bri Hollis)A boat was among the vehicles tagged by APD on March 1 in the area of Hudson and Darby Streets. (KXAN Photo/Bri Hollis)APD tagged dozens of vehicles in the area of Hudson and Darby Streets on March 1, according to the department. (KXAN Photo/Bri Hollis)According to APD, the follow...

Frisco approves zoning for Universal theme park

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:30 GMT

FRISCO, Texas (KXAN) -- Plans are moving forward for Universal Parks and Resorts to develop a new theme park in Frisco. The City of Frisco on Tuesday approved zoning to allow Universal to move forward with its "one-of-a-kind theme park," which is designed specifically for families with young children, according to a press release from the city. The plans for the park were announced in January. It will sit on 97 acres of land at the northeast corner of the Dallas Parkway at Panther Creek Parkway. Related: New Universal theme park coming to Texas On Tuesday, Frisco’s Planning & Zoning Commission approved the Special Use Permit, or SUP, establishing development standards for the theme park project.  The vote was followed by City Council approving the permit and a development agreement.    According to the release, Frisco also approved a development agreement providing $12.7 million in performance-based economic incentives, all funded from sales tax colle...